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“Is it mints?” Melena whispered.

“He’s looking for something more specific.”

“I know! Life Savers. Wint-O-Green,” Tamra added. “My brother used to think chewing them in the dark was really cool.”

Melena wrote our answer on our team’s sheet.

We whispered back and forth, conferring on our answers as Pete took us through a variety of topics, ranging from local history to food science. I resisted watching the Knit Wits table, focusing instead on my own team and our answers, but when the round ended, so did my resolve.

Melena and Tamra used the break to visit the restroom, and I followed. On our way back, I noticed that Ty had moved seats at his table. Instead of his back, I’d be treated to his angular jaw and features shadowed by his hat.

We took our seats as Pete stepped back to his mic.

“First round points totals are as follows. Three Chicks and a Dude, the Krakens, and Pete’s Disciples all got ten points. Guessing Gays has twelve. Trebek’s Rejects have fourteen points, and the Knit Wits are in the lead with fifteen.”

A spontaneous groan went up from our table as we learned we’d only managed second place. Every point was precious against the Knit Wits. Glancing at Ty’s table, I could see the tilt of his lips as he smirked back at me.

Determined to wipe the self-satisfied expression off his face, I turned back to our team.

“C’mon, Rejects. We need a W.”

Pete cleared his throat in a transparent bid for the bar’s attention. “Question one. If I extend my dactylion, is it an insult? And what is the dactylion?”

I stared at Tamra, who shook her head, expression sober.

Drat.

She’d been our best hope for anything medical related. I glanced at Melena, our next-best shot. Her face was scrunched in concentration, and Chase and Jimmy remained quiet on either side of her. I glanced over to the Knit Wits, who whispered furiously.

Nuts.

“What are some common insults?” I asked.

“Biting my thumb? But it’s not the thumb,” Tamra said.

“Middle finger?” Jimmy guessed.

I hummed, unsure.

“Let’s give it a shot and hope for the best,” Chase urged.

Ty’s smug smile from the other side of the room only served to make my gut churn. I bit my lip but rushed to write ‘middle finger’ down on our answer sheet as Pete moved on to the next question.

“Ice cream contains an ingredient that is a derivative of what ocean-based living thing?”

I smiled triumphantly at my teammates. “This one, I know. It’s seaweed.”

Melena’s nose wrinkled. “Seaweed? Ew, gross.”

“The extract is carrageenan. We use it in candy making too as a thickening agent.”

Round two wrapped up with a few questions on history that Tamra’s historical romance habit gave us the answers to, and Melena came through with the hot air balloon jargon needed on another question thanks to crewing as a kid in Eastern Washington.

A shadow fell over our table as I sipped at the dregs of my beer, waiting for Pete to tally the round’s final scores. The hair lifting along my arm let me know exactly who it was. Stubbornly, I took another sip as Jimmy acknowledged him first.

“Hey, Ty. I hear that you and Andi had some excitement during jury duty this week. Congrats on the save.”

His presence pulled at me, and I couldn’t resist looking up any longer. Ty’s features were still shadowed beneath his baseball hat, but looming over me, it was easier to see the stubble along his strong jaw.