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Kate seemed to backpedal. “No pressure. Ifyou change your mind, you can find me over there.” She held up her copy ofThe Rainmakerby JohnGrisham and headed off to what Autumn was beginning to think of as Kate’stable. A few more customers came through, and Autumn struggled to focus ontheir orders, asking one man to repeat his again…twice. Embarrassing and wellbelow her standard of doing business. She shook her head in exasperation anddecided to throw in the proverbial towel.

“Steve, I’m gonna take ten for everyone’sbenefit.”

“We got it,” he said, and indicated Simon,who nodded his agreement. The concerned look Steve passed her meant he knew shewas off her game.

“I went to the doctor earlier,” Autumn saidto Kate, without so much as warm-up conversation. Nope. Autumn jumped right in,flopping into the chair next to Kate. “It messed with my head, and I can’t getback on track no matter how hard I try.”

Kate closed the book. “How come?”

“This might be too much information.”

“Try me.” Kate leaned forward and offered asoft smile. When Autumn concentrated on that smile, everything else fell away,and seemed easier. Why was that?

“I’m supposed to pick a donor. A spermdonor.” She lowered her voice for that second part.

“And you don’t want to?” Kate asked, hereyebrows drawn up into a knitted bow as she clearly tried to piece togetherwhat the hell Autumn’s problem was.

“I don’t know how. This is a big deal.”

“It is.”

“This decision will determine the rest of mylife, and I don’t know what to look for, how to organize my thoughts on thesubject, the criteria for…genetic selection. It’s all beyond me.”

“Oh.” Kate sat back in her chair as if itwere no big deal. “First of all, I think you cut yourself some slack, becausethis is not something most people go through. You’re allowed to be off-kilterabout this.”

“You think so? Good, that’s a valid point.”She ran her hand through her curls and absently hoped she didn’t have crazyhair to match her frazzled disposition. “Do I have crazy hair?”

Kate laughed through the sip of coffee shetook. “No idea what that means. No?”

“Sorry. I got distracted.” She made a gestureas if to wave it away. “Back to donors, which I shouldn’t beat myself up forstressing over.”

Kate tilted her head in thought. “I think ifit were me, I would look for someone I’d want to be friends with.”

“Huh,” Autumn said, sitting back in her chairand letting that comment wash over her. “Friends.”

“Ignore me if I’m wrong on this, but seemslike so many people get caught up in good looks when, at the end of the day, noone wants to hang out with a fantastic-looking asshole.”

“Good point.” Autumn nodded.“Fantastic-looking assholes are awful. So maybe I’m looking for someone Ireally seem to like and should worry less about the genetic matchup.”

Kate smiled and held Autumn’s gaze. “I thinkit’s a great starting point.”

Autumn pulled in a breath and let it outslowly, feeling infinitely lighter now that she had a direction to move in.Coming over to talk to Kate had been a great idea, and now she could breatheagain. “You’re good at this. Unsuspectingly so.”

Kate took a sip of coffee. “Nah. I just wingit.”

“Show-off.” She winked at Kate and went backto work feeling more like herself, and this time, easily found her groove.Didn’t mean she didn’t steal little glimpses of Kate reading her book. Autumnloved the look she got on her face when she was lost in concentration, far awaywith a touch of concern tossed in—which said she cared about the journey.Sometimes she bit her lower lip when she turned the page or shook her head,almost imperceptibly, as if she just couldn’t believe what she was reading.Honestly, she could watch Kate read a book for hours. It was a shame sheactually had a job to do. When Kate waved to her on the way out, she felt theloss immediately. The day shifted to boring, drained of excitement and color. Ashame.

“So, I have to pick a donor,” Autumn said.She’d strolled into the courtyard shortly after closing the next day to findHadley on the outdoor couch, lying flat on her back, still in her upscale workclothes. She looked impeccable and exhausted.

Hadley’s head popped up like a dog at theword “treat.” Her blond hair was pulled into a loose twist, and her eyes wentwide. “A donor? Does that mean what I think it means?”

Autumn pulled the laptop from behind herback. “It does. I’m nervous about this part, but I feel like it’s anow-or-never scenario, so I should shut up and put out. Not like sex, though.”

“Are you asking me for help?” Hadley asked,pushing herself into a sitting position, her hand over her heart as if touchedbeyond measure of God.

“I think we can both admit that I’ve neverbeen good at doing that.”

“Nope. You suck at it, so let’s skip rightover that part. I’m declaring myself officially a helper.” She nodded towardthe laptop. “Open that thing and let’s look around. Hurry!”