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Everything in my professional life was falling apart, but I was choosing not to focus on that and instead focusing on Jude and me. If I clung to the idea of us and what we agreed to, I could keep it together.

If I had to explain to one more person knocking on our locked doors—in spite of the sign explaining our temporary closure—I was absolutely going to lose it.

Evelyn was working in our pantry, counting and labeling everything, checking expiration dates, and making little sample bags of literally every supply we had so we could do some experimenting and find out if one of the ingredients was the cause. If it was, maybe it was the fault of the supplier and not on our end.

As much as I didn’t want to shift the blame to someone else, I also couldn’t deny it would be a relief.

Grace and Kate were here too, helping me scour every inch of the kitchen for holes, cracks, leaks, or anything else which could possibly cause a contamination. Later, when all of us were finished, we would pull out the ovens and clean inside them and behind them and make sure they were perfect as far as I could.

I knew my way around an oven by this point, and I was confident I would be able to tell if something was fishy. But if there were any question, I would call a repair person.

The ventilation system was a different beast altogether. That, I would need to outsource.

“Okay,” Grace said, head popping up above the worktable from where she was checking the back baseboard. “We’re all clear over here, and I think I need a coffee break.”

“I second that.” Kate pulled off the rubber gloves she was wearing. “Just a couple minutes.”

“I’ll put some on,” Evie called. “It sounds perfect.”

I rolled my eyes. “Gang up on me, why don’t you?”

“Don’t think I don’t have an ulterior motive.” Grace pulled up one of our tall stools to the worktable. “I do. I want to hear about the man, the myth, the legend, Jude Williams.”

Just hearing his name made me flush to my hairline, and I turned away from my friend. “I think Evelyn needs help with the coffee.”

“I most certainly do not.” Evie pointed back into the kitchen. “Don’t use me to hide. I want to know too.”

“Me three,” Kate added. “Though I don’t know him as well as you guys do.”

They were all staring at me, and it took me a second to realize my mouth was open. I cleared my throat. “What do you want to know?”

Grace gave me a look that told me she wasn’t going to buy any of my bullshit. “Everything, Lena. We want to know everything. After pining for the man for three years, you’re together, and all you can say is, ‘What do you want to know?’ Details, woman.”

“I—” My throat was dry, and I had to clear it again. “It just seems strange now that we are together, you know? Everything about the two of us has been so public, I’m not sure I want everyone knowing all of it.”

“Not all of it!” Evie called from the doorway, balancing too many cups. “Just enough to make us be happy for you. We’ve barely had a chance to talk about it, and yesterday when he took you over by the fire, I almost died from the cuteness.”

When I was losing my shit. “Yeah, it didn’t feel cute.”

“It was, though,” Kate said. “He revolves around you. You move, and he turns toward you like he always wants to have you in his sight.”

“That’s not new, though.” Grace took her cup and a big swig of it before Evie had even brought the cream and sugar. “He’s always done it, but now they’re together, he does it closer.”

I snorted. “You’re not wrong.” The three of them stared at me intentionally, and I relented. “Okay, fine.”

They cheered, and I took my sweet time making my coffee the way I liked it. “It’s…honestly amazing. Because we’ve known each other for so long, some of it feels effortless. It just makes sense.”

“You know what we’re really asking, girl. Don’t be coy.” Evie smirked. “God knows you know enough about my sex life.”

“And mine,” Grace said. “And Cori’s. I’m sure we’ll get there with Kate.”

The platinum blonde blushed but smiled. “We have a good time.”

“See?” I pointed. “Exactly. We have a good time.”

Grace leaned her elbows on the table. “Okay. I will promise on whatever you want me to that what you say here will not get back to Harlan.” She looked over at the others meaningfully. “Or Lucas or Noah. Just give us something.”

I blew out a breath. They weren’t going to let me off the hook, and honestly, I needed someone else to talk about it with besides Jude. “If any of you says anything—” I tried to think about an appropriate threat. “Just please don’t.”