Once Upon A Half-Time 1(43)
That silenced him. It was a horrifying enough image for someone sporting ten grand in camera equipment at any given time. Peter picked up the largest chunk with a sigh.
“And the SD card?” he asked.
Jackass. “My camera is destroyed!”
“But what about the pictures?”
“I lost the SD card. It’s somewhere in a gutter in Gainesville now.”
“Goddamn it, Elle. How could you let this happen?”
“It’s not like I wanted my camera to get run over.” Or my career. “Look, this is risky enough. Maybe its karma or something? We shouldn’t be doing this, Peter. What if someone found me out?”
“Don’t let anyone find out.” His gaze hardened, the familiar blues now cold and calculating. “This is important, Elle. Fortunately, you should have enough money from your promotion to buy some new equipment.”
“Peter—”
“Maybe even your own eight hundred millimeter lens.”
My mouth dried. “That’s a twenty-thousand-dollar lens.”
“You’re doing twenty-thousand-dollar work.” He returned the hunk of camera to my bag. “With every risk comes a reward.”
“Elle!”
We both jumped. Lachlan jogged up the tunnel with a grin and a wink. The guys practiced in full-pads today, and Peter was smart to step-off when Lachlan got near. He might have grinned like a fool with dimples that’d charm the devil, but he was still a monster in his gear. My goofball was more than capable of cracking Peter in two if he had a reason.
Lachlan dropped his helmet and grabbed my bag. “You know your camera’s broken?”
“Thanks, Charming. I’m well-aware.”
“What happened?”
Peter cleared his throat. “She was mugged.”
“Mugged?” Lachlan’s voice rose. I so didn’t need this lie getting out to the team. I couldn’t be the naked, sultry vixen and damsel in distress. Their heads would explode. “Jesus, Elle!”
“It’s not a big deal,” I said. “No one got hurt.”
Those sea-foam eyes were too green—intense, protective, playful. Lachlan played the charming prince and mischievous rogue all rolled into one hyper-active superhero.
“I should have known better than to keep the camera out on a sketchy street,” I said.
“This sucks.” Lachlan’s smile revealed otherwise. “No. You’ll get a new camera. Today.”
I turned, hiding my face from Peter’s view. “I’m handling it, Lachlan.”
“So am I. You tell me what camera you use, and I’ll get it for you. Right now.”
I couldn’t get him involved in this. “I have it covered. Insurances and things.”
“Nope. You’re my wife, and I’m buying you a new camera.”
Oh Lord. “It’s okay. Seriously.”
He rummaged through the bag, peeking at the broken equipment. “Let me do this for you. It couldn’t have cost that much. A couple grand? That’s pocket change for me, Red.”
Peter patted my shoulder. “Elle, the first rule of a happy marriage—always take money your husband offers.” He tried to joke, but I didn’t laugh. “The pictures are gone, but the camera isn’t as irreplaceable. You’ll need a new one soon.” He smiled at Lachlan. “Besides, everyone helps everyone else on the team. Remember that.”
Peter shouldered his bag and hustled to the team as they began warm-ups. Lachlan waited with me. I didn’t mind seeing him so early in the morning, but his butt should have been on the field ten minutes ago, especially as a rookie who had fallen from Coach Thompson’s good graces.
“Problem solved,” Lachlan said. “Don’t fight me, Elle. I’m trying to do something nice.”
“I appreciate it, but—”
“And since you won’t tell me what really happened with the camera…indulge me.”
I stilled. How the hell did he know? What did he know?
“What you mean, what really happened?”
“Just seems strange, those dangerous Gainesville streets. You catching a mugger and then losing the camera anyway?”
I crossed my arms “Do you think I can’t take care of myself?”
Lachlan expertly dodged the question. “Listen to us, bickering like an old married couple instead of newlyweds who haven’t seen each other in two days.”
I headed to the field. “You need to stop saying we’re married.”
“What if I like calling you my wife?”
“Then you’re either being cute…or suffering delusions of grandeur.”
“Fight me all you want, Elle…” He took my hand and ignored the whistles summoning the players to the field. The sun glistened off his blonde hair and the line of stubble on his chin. “But you like me. You can’t deny it.”