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I snorted. “You know I can’t talk about the trial, Jimmy. And capital punishment was abolished in Washington years ago.”

He shrugged before wrapping an arm around Melena’s shoulders, pulling her close.

“Still, I know how judgmental you can be. Don’t be hasty. It’s not like you’ve never been wrong,” he added with raised brows.

Direct hit.

But a sister can be forgiven for being overprotective, right?

Melena swiftly changed the subject, asking who else planned to join our team for the night, and Jimmy ticked off the names.

“Chase and Tamra, plus I think Gina might drop by. She was a maybe. We should be able to give the Knit Wits a run for their money tonight. What about that guy you’ve been working on, Andi?”

Caught off guard, I slid a glance to the Knit Wit table. He didn’t mean Ty, did he?

“What’s his name again, that contractor?” Jimmy asked, his brow furrowed.

“Oh. Ed.” I tried not to let the relief carry into my voice. “He mostly works from his home office in Oregon, so we shouldn’t count on him as a regular teammate even if he accepts. I’ll be sure to invite him again when he’s in town.”

When the server came to our table, I placed an order for a burger and beer, clasping the mug in both hands when it arrived a few minutes later.

“So, I know you can’t talk about the trial, but how is work getting along without you?” Melena asked.

I stalled, swallowing my sip of beer, before pushing the pint away, suddenly not thirsty. Work. Four letter word of the week.

Not just the week, the month.

I’d been passed over for the promotion from generalist to director at the small candy company I worked for. And it stung. I’d put in the work, but Mark had been promoted over me. A familiar story, as old as time, and visible as fuck at any HR conference. Men disproportionately seemed to win senior leadership roles in a field dominated by women. Mark was okay as a generalist, but his golf outings with the owners seemed to have factored heavily into him getting the position. Maybe I wasn’t the most soothing person to hit the green with, but I was damn good at my job.

“Andi?”

Melena’s soft prompt pulled me out of my funk, and I rolled my shoulders.

“I’ve only fielded a handful of panicked calls from the office. Mostly to remind Mark of things I briefed him on before I started jury duty.”

“It’s important for him to understand how large a part you play in the office,” Melena consoled.

I wrinkled my nose. “Is it? It’s a double-edged sword. I needed the time away, but I don’t want this trial to drag on too long. It’s not fair to the rest of my team, and I don’t want Mark to decide he doesn’t need me after all.”

Jimmy shook his head, ever in my corner. “That won’t happen. He’d be a fool not to recognize how much you get done for Emerald Candies.”

I tilted my head, letting my silence speak for itself. It was better than opening my mouth and calling my boss anything nastier than ‘fool.’ I’d only sound like a sore loser.

Mark’s boundless optimism was probably part of the reason he’d gotten the job. He was just overconfident enough that taking time for jury duty could turn into a major mistake for my career with Emerald.

Chase and Tamra wound through the tables as we were finishing our meals, and I smiled at their flushed faces. Today, Tamra’s day-off attire veered toward leggings and a flowy top. Her tip-tilted nose and easy grin under a mop of dark curls signaled her happiness. Chase looked tanned and content, his short blond hair less ruffled than usual, his beard neatly trimmed. He had the air of a man deeply in love, and the way they held hands as they approached our table made me smile.

Not long ago, Chase’s main talent had been running off women with his mouth. He’d met his match in Tamra. The combination of her unflappability and his honesty worked. It helped that Tamra’s filter was a little off kilter on occasion. They slid into our booth with quick greetings and ordered drinks when the server came to check on us.

“How’s jury duty going, Andi?” Tamra asked. “Meet anyone cute? Any forbidden hotties on the witness stand?”

Chase wasn’t the only one who could go for the jugular in a conversation. I avoided her gaze by taking a quick peek at the Knit Wits group. Did Ty count, if we’d already met? He was still absent from his table. And thankfully, he wasn’t a witness to anything other than my previous awkward attempts at seduction.

I met Tamra’s dancing brown eyes with a sheepish grin.

“Sadly, no. Though I did almost get into a lip-lock with a fellow juror.”

I waited a beat as all gazes swung to me.