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Hayden cocked her head in thought. “Funny,” she purred, pointing at me. “Janine, I’d like you to meet this store’s manager. Her name is Frankie and she runs the store so I don’t have to, and does a better job of it than I could anyway.”

Janine turned owlish eyes on me, and I didn’t miss the flash of disdain in her eyes. “Lovely,” she huffed.

“And you’ll find that each of mymanybusinesses have equally competent managers that leave me enough time to run my corporation.”

Janine cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable, but Hayden didn’t stop.

My heart thudded in my chest.

“But, a word of advice,” she said, taking a single step closer to Janine as if she really was going to give her the secret to running a successful business. “Success is usually easier when you keep your noseoutof other people’s business.”

Janine gasped at the blatant jab and stalked off without another word, the echoing clack of her heels fading as she left.

Unable to stop myself, I let out a breathless chuckle, my thoughts a whirlwind of questions I refused to ask.

“Enjoy the show, did you?”

I sucked in a breath, my smile slipping off my face instantly. “Just wondering how many Janines you have to deal with on a daily basis.” I shrugged. “I can’t imagine how draining they must be.”

I turned around and left before she could say anything, my head spinning with so many new possibilities.

Hayden protected her empire, fiercely and ruthlessly, from people who pretended to be her friends. Was that why she kept everyone at arm’s length? Why she preferred casual relationships? The embarrassment clinging to my thoughts told me not to care. I’d learned one thing, at the very least.

I couldn’t ever let Hayden know about Mom’s health or my job at June’s store.

“You’re already here?”

“In the back!” I called, wiping down one of the latest stock drops. I heard June’s footsteps echoing as she walked toward the back of the store.

“Oh, God, I completely forgot there was a delivery today!” she whined, rushing over to help me unpack.

I gently batted her hands away. “You weren’t supposed to come in today, remember?” I scolded, picking up another box and running the knife through the tape. “So you wouldn’t have had to remember the delivery.”

“But I should have remembered,” she mumbled, leaning her hip against the stacked boxes.

“No, you’re supposed to be planning your wedding,” I told her. “I don’t want you to worry about the store when you should be enjoying this, okay?”

June frowned at me, her eyes a little sad. “I know I already changed the opening times but,” she paused, taking a deep breath like she was getting ready for me to fight back, “are you sure it isn’t too much? I don’t know how the hell you’re working both jobs right now.”

I dusted my hands off and shrugged. “In my experience,” I told her, “it’s easier to do something when you don’t think about it too much. If I start thinking about Mom, the store, your store, I’d probably lose my mind.”

“You’re the epitome of blissful ignorance and I have half a mind to commit you right now,” June accused.

“But then you’d have no one to take care of your store and you’d have to get married in the stock room,” I teased.

I didn’t tell her I’d had a grand total of two hours’ sleep.

I didn’t want her to worry.

Chapter twenty-four

The First ‘Aha’ Moment

Hayden

Myfingernailtappedasteady rhythm on the glass top of my desk, my mind elsewhere. Specifically, and rather reluctantly, on Frankie. The circles beneath her hazel eyes had darkened, the dips of her cheeks hollowed out.

“Hayden, Miss Voss is here to see you,” Marina said, flashing me a warm smile.