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“I’m sorry, I can’t. My parents are anxiously awaiting all the details of the pickleball game today.” I give a final pat to Susie Q and step out of the stall.

“Bring your boots next time and I’ll put you to work,” Chuck tells me. “As long as you don’t name the animals.”

Logan groans. “We’re not putting Quinn to work on thefarm.”

“Isn’t that what she did with you, having you help at Barbara’s? Or was that just an excuse to spend more time with your girlfriend?”

Logan’s cheeks redden and mine do the same.Girlfriend?God, our group would freak out if they heard Logan’s dad say that.

“She’s not my girlfriend and it’s not an excuse.”

“Well, you’re always welcome,” Chuck says to me. It’s easy to be intimidated by him, with his gruff voice and stern expression, but the twinkle in his eyes tells me I haven’t made a terrible first impression. He nods to his son. “I’ll see you inside. Don’t linger, food’s almost on the table.”

Logan walks me back down the gravel driveway to the car. “I know Dad seems crotchety, but he’s all right. He means well.”

“He can’t scare me away from SusieQ. And I won’t make promises about the names either.”

We walk past a little shed on the way back to the car. “That’ssocute.” This one is made of stacked stone and the roof is covered in moss. I’m immediately drawn to it.

Logan pauses, looking between me and the shed. “Dad gathered all those stones when he was putting in the vegetable garden a few years ago. It was supposed to be for tools, but then Mom claimed it as a she-shed. But it turned out to be a little rustic for her, so now it’s mine.”

“It’s yours?” I lean a little closer, but I can’t see inside through the small window.

“My bedroom is cramped, so I keep a lot of my books and D&D stuff out there. It’s a great place to work.”

“Oh, this is the place you mentioned before? Wow, I love it. Actually, I was thinking more about your campaign idea.” We walk slowly toward my car again. “I had some inspiration but feel free to shoot me down if you don’t like it.”

“You’re still thinking about that?”

“Is that okay? I wasn’t lying when I said I thought it sounded fun.”

“No, I don’t mind. I’m just surprised. So what were you thinking?”

“What if you gave the group a quest where they need to protect someone and deliver them…somewhere, I don’t know the details. But there’s a character—like a prince or something—and the group is acting as his bodyguards and they’re having regular encounters, but then they realize they’re also being followed.”

He twists to face me. “By the assassin? That could work. And maybe at first it seems like the assassin is trying to kill the guy they’re protecting—”

“But then they realize the assassin is trying to kill them all. Wait, Logan, oh my god!” I throw my hands in the air. “What if it turns out that the prince guyhiredthe assassin? The group thinks they’re protecting this guy and really this has been a long con to kill them all over some sort of vendetta! The assassin and prince could be secretly working together to destroy the group and they have to fight them both.”

His eyes light up. “Wow. Quinn, you’re an absolute genius.”

“Yeah? Awesome, I’m glad you like the idea!”

“I love it.”

We pause in front of my car. The sun has gone down in the time it’s taken to drive and meet SusieQ. It’s especially dark here with no streetlights or ambient lighting from other houses or businesses. I can even see a few stars above us. A blast of wind cuts right through my jacket and down my neck. I shiver and wrap my arms around myself.

Logan frowns and his hands rub up and down my upperarms. “Every time I see you, you’re cold. You should get going.” But rather than releasing me, his hands slow and he pulls me slightly closer to him. “I was thinking…I know we agreed to just be friends, but maybe before we decide that for sure, we should talk to the others? About…us?”

Us.

A thrill goes through me at the single word and all that it implies. But fear rushes in and pushes away the excitement. What if I start something with Logan and it ruins everything like last time?

“I don’t know. It’ll change the dynamic of the group—it could change everything.”

“And you don’t want things to change?” His voice is impossibly low.

“I’d like some things to change. But not everything—not the group. I’m just starting to feel like they’re truly my friends. I’m sorry.” I bite my lower lip, and Logan’s gaze drops to it.