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As I parked behind the store, I heard the beeping of a delivery truck backing up at a nearby business, probably the flower shop a few doors down. Rye had already arrived, and he stood talking to his uncle beside the loading dock.

The morning was hazy with heat already but quiet. The weather was expected to break soon. We’d go from eighties and humid to sixties and dry. I couldn’t wait. Sweater weather had always been my favorite weather.

“Good mornin’, guys. Red.” I nodded and offered a smile. Maybe I could start this day off on a positive foot.

“Mornin’, Devo. Ready for your last day?” Rye asked.

“I think so.”

Red turned to face me carefully. Afraid to poke his least favorite bear? But he was trying. I had to give him that. “Mornin’,” he said.

The old fury I felt toward him tried to build up inside me. It really chuffed my bunny that I had to look up at him. Being short really sucked sometimes, but then I reminded myself to take a breath. Red Graves and I would probably never be friends, but I was trying my hardest to see him as someone other than the villain in my mind.

“Thank you for helpin’ Sylvie,” I said.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Are you okay?”

He grumbled, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Shrugging one shoulder, I said, “I’ve dealt with almost that exact situation before. It’s hard.”

“You think I can’t handle your job?” He was trying, but he was still Red.

Lifting my hands up in front of my chest, I hurried to say, “No. That’s not what I meant. I meant it’s heartbreakin’. It’s a hard thing to witness, that’s all.”

“Oh. Well, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” he mumbled, but then he looked behind me, and his face changed. His expression went from grumpy dickwad to enchanted idiot. What the hell was he looking at?

“Devona!”

Mom?

I turned to see my mom hurrying up the alley, her worn work sneakers crunching over the gravel. She held a brown-bag lunch in one hand and my phone in the other.

She shook it in the air. “Where’s your head this mornin’, Devona? You forgot your lunch and your phone. I’m surprised you remembered to put on shoes.”

“Oh! My phone. I need it.” After talking to Abey, I’d been in a daydream all morning, picturing us tending rows of green peppers and sweet corn hand in hand, feeding the birds and packing boxes of brightly colored vegetables to offer to people at the food bank at Ace’s House.

“Which is why I followed you all the way here and why I’m gonna be late to work. We’re supposed to start prep for the new school year, but they’ve called a meetin’ this mornin’. Everybody has to be there.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. Thank you.”

She didn’t reply. She was too busy looking up at Red.

“Um, Mom, this is Red Graves. He owns the store, and this is his nephew, Rye. This is my mom, Liluye.”

“Nice to meet you, Rye” she said, but she was still staring up at Red. We were the same height, but it didn’t seem to chuff anything of hers to have to gaze up at the man.

“Ma’am,” Red said. He offered his hand, and she shook it. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“So, you’re him, the devil himself,” she said, and my cheeks got hot. Whoops. I should probably stop saying things like that.

But Red laughed. He laughed! “Oh no, ma’am. I ain’t the devil. I’m an angel.”

Rye choked on the coffee he’d just taken a big gulp of while we both watched this bizarre meet-cute go down. Really? My mom was charmed by Red? Red Graves?

Ugh!