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“Why not?” Mica asked, eyebrow raised.

“Because it’s not her problem,” Jo answered. “And I don’t want to make her feel like she has to fix it. We just got to a good place. I don’t want to dump all this on her.”

Mica gave her a long look. “You know that’s not how relationships work, right?” she said. “You don’t get to pick and choose which parts of your life she gets to see.”

Standing, Jo nodded. “I know,” she said. “But for now, I don’t want to tell anybody.” Then she thought of Mr. Diaz.Especially not him,she thought.Not until I have a solution.She looked hard at Mica. “So don’t breathe a word of this to anyone, got that?”

“I got it,” Mica said, holding up a hand as if in Scout’s Honor. “But I really think you need to reconsider the Evelyn piece at least.”

Jo opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Finally, she nodded. “I’ll tell her,” she said quietly. “Tonight.”

Evelyn’s fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel as she sat at a red light, her mind spinning with everything Jasmine had said that morning.She is right,she thought.I need to tell Jo. It’s only fair. And hopefully she will totally understand.The job offer was everything Evelyn had worked for. It was innovative, strategic, and career-defining.But it is also complicated. The light turned green, and Evelyn exhaled, turning left and heading toward home. But halfway down the block, her hand shifted on the wheel, and before she could think twice, she was flipping on her signal and pulling into a side street. She wasn’t going home. She was going to surprise Jo at the garage.

It’s better to talk about this somewhere neutral, she thought.Not curled up in bed, not with flour on our hands and cookies in the oven. Dinner. Somewhere public. Comfortable. The decision made her heart race, but she didn’t turn around. Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the small lot beside Fuller’s Auto Repair. She adjusted her coat, smoothed her hair, and walked into the first garage bay. The shop was quiet, the heavy scent of oil and rubber lingering in the air. Jo was at the far end of the garage, standing over a car, working on the engine. She was in her element. Grease-smudged, muscles flexing, and a wrench in one hand. Evelyn’s heart did a little flip.

After a beat, Jo looked up, clearly surprised, then straightened. “Hi,” she said, setting the wrench aside. “What are you doing here?”

Evelyn smiled, stepping closer. “I was kind of in the neighborhood,” she said lightly. “And I figured I’d see if you were up for dinner.”

“Dinner?” Jo asked, clearly caught off guard.

“Yeah,” Evelyn said, suddenly nervous. “Somewhere close by that we can walk to? My treat.” Jo studied her for a moment, something unreadable flickering in her eyes.She looks tired,Evelyn thought.Not physically, exactly, but like something is weighing on her.

Still, Jo nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “That sounds good.”

Feeling a wash of relief, Evelyn smiled. “Great,” she said. “Is now a good time? I can wait while you wash up?”

Looking around as if to weigh what still needed to be done, Jo finally nodded. “This is as good a time as any,” she said. “I’ll be right back.” Jo disappeared into the back, and Evelyn took a seat on the stool near the entrance, her hands folded in her lap. She tried not to overthink it.This is only dinner, she thought.Just a conversation.She felt her shoulders slump as reality settled in.Just telling the woman I’m falling for that I might be gone for weeks or even months at a time.

When Jo returned, she’d changed into a clean black T-shirt and jeans, her hair slightly damp from where she had run water through it. She looked freshly scrubbed but still a little distracted. “Ready?” she asked, and Evelyn stood.

“Ready.”

“There’s a diner a few blocks down,” she said. “One of my favorites. Good food. Good service. Great pie.”

Evelyn smiled and stepped closer. “That sounds perfect,” she said, and was relieved when Jo took her hand. “Lead the way.” The diner was mostly empty when they arrived, the bell over the door jingling as they stepped inside. Jo led the way to a booth near the window. As they settled in, the waitress came to their table.

She had a pen tucked behind one ear and a name tag that read SHIRLEY. “Hey, Jo,” she said. “You haven’t been in in a while. What can I get you?”

Smiling a little, Jo looked at the waitress. “Hi, Shirley,” she said. “Just been busy.” She glanced at Evelyn. “They do great grilled cheese sandwiches and fries here.”

Evelyn smiled. “Then grilled cheese sounds great,” she said, although the anxiety in her stomach left her with little appetite. “And I’ll have an iced tea.”

“Make that order a double,” Jo said to Shirley, and the waitress winked.

“You got it,” she said, before disappearing back toward the counter.

Jo leaned back in the booth with her arms crossed loosely over her chest. “It’s great seeing you,” she said. “And I appreciate you taking me out, but why the surprise?”

Evelyn’s pulse quickened. It was her moment. She felt the words lining up in her throat, ready to spill out. She openedher mouth, but then heard herself saying, “I was missing you. How was your day?” For a moment, Jo simply stared at her, and Evelyn shifted uncomfortably on the seat, thinking the woman knew she was lying.

Then, Jo sighed and looked away. “Well,” she said. “I got the final word from the insurance adjuster today.”

Sensing a problem, Evelyn blinked. “Oh.”

Jo’s mouth tightened. “They’re not covering most of the stuff. The big-ticket tools, the diagnostic scanner, the rare parts I had in storage,” she said, her jaw tight. “I didn’t have them itemized under the right clause. It’s on me.”

Hearing the words, Evelyn’s heart sank. “Jo…”