”I froze. Where the fuck did this come from? Blushing and trying to calm myself down, I tried to look anywhere but at him. “Jess, look at me.” I...turned my gaze to him hesitantly. “You are so beautiful.” “Th-thanks sir.” I said, blushing furiously. “Jess, you have no idea just how great the effect you have on me is. And when you and Heidi are grinding and joking around,” he said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “Please, don’t tell anyone. I would get into so much trouble.”“I won’t say. " For what, my lady?" For allowing Aedan to take the lead, a little. For not over-riding his authority." He is a clever lad. He knows what he's doing, and he's handling everything better than the rest of us put together. I may be senior here, but I can recognise competence when I see it. I'm not about to get in the way of that." We shared a smile."I worried he'd defer to you, that he wouldn't take charge and stand on his own feet the way I think he was meant to." I don't think Aedan is. “Forgive my lack of manners when you came in,” he apologized. “It’s been my experience that nearly without fail anyone representing themselves as acting in Purdy Kendricks’ interests has less than honorable motives. I’m not implying I suspected that of you fellows, but I did need assurance. This letter of Purdy’s did that, and more.”Graydon glanced at Jim and Mike; both of them were grinning back at him like they’d known to expect this all along. Perhaps they had.“Graydon Williams,” Goode. There just happened to be a guy looking for a place to set up, who saw her go through. He threw her a rope and dragged her to the edge of the hole. She enlarged the hole three more feet before the ice would support her weight and he could drag her out. She’d only been in for four or five minutes, but there was a fairly stiff breeze so the wind chill was close to zero, if not below. She pointed to the tent and he brought her over.His name was Glen and he offered to call somebody, but I told him.