“You leave anybody behind in Albuquerque?”
Derek didn’t point out that wasn’t an Or question. He was an open book. It was all about trust, and Derek had learned quickly Blake was the kind of man he was happy to place his trust in. He also learned that Blake was much more apt to open up if Derek shared first.
“Nope.”
Blake raised his eyebrows in question. Or perhaps it was disbelief.
Derek let out a small laugh. “Don’t look at me like that. Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because. You’re amazing. Only a fool would let you go.” Blake’s eyes widened a moment after he finished speaking, as though he were surprised he’d just said that.
“That’s a very nice thing to say.” Before Blake could get embarrassed, Derek continued, “There were a couple of false starts, sure. But I was focused on my training, and I knew the assignment there was temporary. I could end up being sent anywhere in the US. I didn’t want to start something real if I was just going to leave.”