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Luckily, Jade’s old-ass truck was right there in the driveway. Rusted near her tires and faded blue, it stood out on the perfectly paved plot next to the S-Class Mercedes that was pulled up alongside it.

She couldn’t imagine the woman living here, but what the hell did she know?

Gathering every ounce of bravery she had, she made her way up the drive and onto the porch before committing one of the greatest sins known to Southern moms everywhere—showing up at someone’s house unannounced after 7:00P.M.

A woman answered the door with obvious confusion on her face. Franny knew instantly that this woman was related to Dunn. She was a little darker, taller too, but the eyes were the same, as were her lips and cheekbones. Franny couldn’t help but smile.

“Hi, ma’am. I’m sorry to bother you at this time of night,” she said, though it was barely past nine. “My name is Francesca Lim. I was wondering… is Jade Dunn here, by any chance?”

The woman leaned against the doorframe, looking Franny up and down. “Does she know you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Franny said with a nod.

“Are you her girlfriend? She didn’t tell me she had a girlfriend.”

Franny coughed. “N-no, ma’am, we’re just… We work together.”

“Hmmm…” The older woman’s lips pursed. “I sure never had a coworker show up at my parents’ house in the middle of the night looking for me.”

Franny had no rebuttal to that. What was it with all these people shocking her into silence today? She didn’t like it, not one damn bit.

“I am sorry about that.” Franny choked out the words. “It’s really important, or I swear I wouldn’t have…”

The woman had a skeptical look on her face but pushed her hipoff the side of the doorframe and stepped inside the house. “Come on in, then.”

Franny breathed a sigh of pure relief, flashing her a thankful smile before following her inside. “So, are you Jade’s sister or…”

She knew that Jade was an only child, but she couldn’t help but try to butter the older woman up a bit. Franny had made an awful first impression, and she was willing to do anything to soften it.

“I’m Joyce, her mama.” The woman snorted.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Joyce.”

They entered the kitchen before either of them could say anything else. Two large cherrywood pocket doors briefly blocked the view, but inside was one of the more gorgeous scenes Franny had ever seen. It was a large space with dark wood cabinets that matched the hardwood and green granite countertops. It smelled like sweet, warm apples and was outfitted with warm yellow lighting. Off to the right of the room was a full-size dining table, where Jade and the man Franny presumed to be her father sat.

Jade had her head down on the table, forehead touching the wood as her father looked over her with a mix of concern and exasperation.

“You’ve got company, Jadey,” her mother called.

“Someone come to kill me, I hope.” The words were muffled by the surface under her face.

“Hey now! Don’t you put that out there, girl,” her father and mother immediately snapped together.

“Definitely not here for that,” Franny said. She suddenly felt shy as she said the words, but the way Jade’s head lifted up instantly at her voice left all that shyness by the wayside.

Her heart contracted when she saw Jade’s face. Not just in the way it always did, that immediate rush of excitement and pleasure she captured like a snapshot. This time, her chest ached for the lookof sadness on Jade’s face. The sheer vulnerability, the wet tear streaks on brown skin and dark, soaking eyelashes.

Franny wanted to run across the room and press Jade’s face into her chest, wrap her arms around those quivering shoulders until they stilled.

“What are you doing here?” Jade’s words calmed her. They weren’t cruel or full of disdain, but theywereconfused.

“I…” Franny swallowed, her throat suddenly thick and unable to let words escape.

Thankfully, Ms. Joyce took pity on her. “Franny here said she needed to talk to you about something important.”

Jade sniffed. “Like, involving the team?”

She nodded.