Was she revisiting their old conversations?
Nathan thought about it.
He noticed the messages from his time at the borderâdiscussions about roasting a wild rabbit and sleeping in a tent.
She seemed to be checking if he had ever mentioned the girl who pursued him.
Holding his breath, Nathan reached for the washboard in the wardrobe.
As he pulled out the long-stored washboard, Lucinda looked up casually and asked, âWhat are you doing?â
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âI hid something from you about the border.
I made a mistake, so I need to atone,â Nathan confessed.
âDonât.
â She gestured to the space on the bed before her.
Though she was upset and even angry, she thought the washboard was too harsh; she worried it might hurt his knees.
Understanding her concern, Nathan dutifully knelt in front of her on the floor, maintaining an upright posture.
As they locked eyes, Lucinda began her inquiry, âFirst off, why didnât you bring this up since you got back?â
âWe were swamped right after I returned.
It was one thing after another-Ronan, grandpa, then dealing with Valerieâs issue.
I intended to tell you when things settled down, but I never expected Sonny would spill it tonight,â Nathan explained.
Lucindaâs frown deepened as she held up her phone to show him their chat history.
âLook at this.
Youâve been messaging me almost daily since you went to the border, yet you never once mentioned this girl whoâs interested in you.
Were you intentionally keeping it from me?â
Nathan tensed and admitted, âI was afraid youâd be upset if you knew, so I didnât dare tell you.
But I assure you, thereâs nothing between that girl and me.
â
Lucinda, struggling to understand his reasoning, countered, âIf you had told me from the start, I might not have been upset.
But finding out from Sonny and seeing your reluctance to talk about it only makes me angrier.
It feels like youâre hiding something and entertaining the attention of other women.
â
Nathan, visibly shaken, replied, âHoney, I havenât been flirting.
The girlâs feelings are entirely one-sided.
Iâve acted honorably throughout and have not reciprocated.
I canât explain her interest in me.
â
He now deeply regretted not sharing the incident sooner.
Any further explanation seemed futile, as if he were merely trying to obscure the truth.
âI shouldnât have kept this from you, but I havenât been unfaithful to you.
Perhaps⦠Perhaps you should punish me, so you might feel better.
â
Lucinda smiled slightly.
âWell, you are the head of the National Security Bureau, the leader of the Payne family.
It would be wrong of me to punish you.
â
Her tone was light, but then she reached behind her and produced a redwood ruler.
Nathan was shocked.
It appeared she had prepared for this moment, anticipating that he might eventually request punishment on his own