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“Oh, shit,” Dean muttered before immediately perking up. “Then we’ll be super nice.”

I chuckled, the fear of losing them nestling in my lungs and making it a little difficult to breathe.

“To their face,” I murmured conspiratorially. “While they’re not here, we can trash talk them as much as we want. I bet they won’t even be interested in the store. They probably just bought it to satisfy a whim or something.”

Vanesaa clucked her tongue at me, but grinned. “Just another jewel in their belt,” she said, shaking her head in disappointment. “Wait until they find out that our expertise is what keeps the store open and running.”

“Exactly!” I said, high-fiving Vanessa. “Whoever comes through that door, they won’t know what hit ‘em.”

“Uh, is that them?” Blanca asked, her head craned to see out the window near the front. She squinted her eyes. “Whoa, she’s hot.”

“The new owner is a woman?” Vanessa said, her lip curling in satisfaction. “Thank God, I couldn’t deal if it was a man.”

“Okay, everyone,” I stage-whispered. “Big smiles, like you mean it.”

I walked between them and stood at the front, making sure to place myself between them and the new owner.

“You too, Frankie,” Vanessa whispered back, and I plastered a placid smile on my face.

“Is this believable?” I joked, turning my wide and slightly psychotic smile to the team, who erupted into hushed giggles. The door opened and the little bell jingled, announcing someone’s arrival.

“Oh, this isperfect.”

My spine locked up before I could turn around, my mind screaming familiarity because I knew that voice.

But it couldn't be.

Surely not…

I turned to face the front of the store, my heart falling into the Earth beneath my feet as Hayden,Hayden, stepped inside and took her expensive sunglasses off.

Chapter four

Rocky Beginnings

Hayden

Istaredatthebewildered woman in front of me, not daring to think back on my confident words to my friends.

Because that was indeed Frankie standing in front of me, her hazel eyes the size of saucers. And the universe had a wicked sense of humor, apparently.

Her hands shoved deep inside the pockets of her distressed dungarees, buttoned only on one side over a ditsy floral T-shirt. Without meaning to, my gaze drifted down the length of her body, taking in the colorful patches sewn here and there, ending on her lilac hi-tops.

So different from the effortlessly put-together attire she’d worn the other night.

“Well,” I said, forcing my voice to steady as I met her hard gaze, “isn’t this a surprise.”

God, I could see more of her freckles without the ambient lighting of the restaurant.

“A surprise, yeah,” she parroted a little robotically. The tall woman behind her gave Frankie a light shove, seemingly breaking whatever spell she was under. She cleared her throat and forced a hand out toward me. “Frankie Ivey.”

“Ivey?” I frowned, glancing back at the signage out front. “Then this store was…?”

“My parents owned the store,” she said, and I took her hand. Something dormant fluttered in my chest at the sensation of her skin on mine and I quickly pulled away, trying not to look guilty.

“Ah, that makes sense,” I commented, hating myself for the awkward edge in my words. “I take it you’re the store manager?”

Frankie nodded, glancing away. The tall woman behind her cleared her throat conspicuously, drawing the eyes of her coworkers.