She laughed. “You’re right. I haven’t.”
“She’s threatened to plenty of times,” Albert said. “But I knew she didn’t mean it.”
They sat next to each other on a padded bench. Their hands were clasped loosely together, fingers laced. Del wondered how many hours of their lives had been spent holding hands. Could it be measured in weeks? Months?
“Don’t take love for granted,” Elizabeth said. “Don’t assume he’s annoying you on purpose.”
“Talk a walk,” Albert added. “Clear your head. And don’t always have to be right.”
Although they were here to talk about romantic relationships, the last comment made him think about Aidan. Del wasn’t trying to be right, but he also wasn’t sure he’d been listening. While Aidan’s outburst had seemed to come from nowhere, he knew he’d heard the complaints in one form or another over the years.
They wrapped up the interview. Del thanked the couple for letting him speak to them, then he helped Maya load up the equipment. By noon they were heading back to Fool’s Gold. He’d driven his truck up the mountain and now she relaxed in the passenger seat.
“They were impressive,” she said, leaning back against the headrest, her eyes closed. “Married for seventy-six years. How did they do that?”
“They married young.”
“It was probably considered normal, back then. Today everyone wants a career first.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Female economic success is changing the social structure of our country.”
He grinned. “I heard that, and no.”
“What?”
“There was a challenge in your voice. As if you expected me to step into your trap. I’m not getting involved in a discussion about equal rights for women with you, Maya. I still have another interview to do, and I’m not showing up bruised and bloodied.”
She laughed. “As long as you admit I’d best you.”
“You’d hold your own.”
She relaxed against the seat again. “I’d win.”
She probably would, but he wasn’t going to admit that. Maya was tough when she had to be. Meticulous when it came to her work. Although it was the town’s win that she hadn’t gotten the network job, he thought whoever had made the decision not to hire her had been an idiot. She was obviously brilliant and a hard worker.
There was a lot about her he liked and admired. Which meant even as a kid, he’d had good taste. Because it was all about him.
He smiled as he drove, thinking that while his relationship with his family was totally screwed up, hanging out with Maya was turning into one of the best parts of coming home. They’d cleared the air between them. That was good.
Things could have been awkward after that kiss, but they weren’t. They’d said what needed to be said and now they could move on. The fact that he wanted more than a chaste kiss was his problem and not something he would share with her.
But ever since his mouth had touched hers, he’d been unable to forget the heat of her, the sound of her breathing. He wanted to do it again, only this time kiss her deeply. He wanted to taste her, to touch her. He wanted to make love with her until they were both satisfied.