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Charley shook her head. "I don't make pies, but I can't wait to talk murder with book club. Those gossipy biddies are my people."

Travis grinned, shaking his head. "You're even better in person."

"I edit out all the good stuff, buddy."

Travis was about to shoot another volley back when he paused, cocked his head. "Wait,youedit the show? How...how is that possible?"

"Well my friend, I'm only one of the editors, you see. There are many of us. I've only had a small role in the editing process but now that I'm retired it's my full-time gig."

He licked his lips, his eyes sweeping over her all over again. It was like watching a movie. Marley and I were there but we weren't. This was the Travis and Charley show.

"Well Hammer, color me impressed."

"Color me anything but yours. I'm not on the menu, playboy. Now, where's the toilet in this place?"

"I'll show you." Marley hopped up and hurried Charley away from the scene of the crime.

Because this was definitely a murder.

"I don't think I've ever seen you fail so spectacularly before."

Travis kept on grinning. "Oh, that wasn't failure. That was just the opening round. My girl is a fighter."

My girl?Oh hell. Travis was going to be what drove Marley away. "She's been through hell. Leave her alone."

"Then she needs some heaven in her life."

"Travis, don't make me punch you again." That would complicate the new business partners situation we were entering, but Marley came first. If I had to physically keep him away from Charley, I would. I wouldn't like it, but dammit, I would.

"You don't have to punch me. I'll play fair."

"Don't play at all. You're not in the game. There is no game."

"Oh there's a game, my friend. She's in the lead but she's definitely playing."

I stopped playing sports after high school. I stopped watching sports when Travis got hurt. I was not equipped for sports-based banter. "And how do you know she's playing? She made it pretty clear she wants nothing to do with you."

He grinned, all feral and focused. "She's scared is all. Don't worry, I'll give her time to get to know me."

I rubbed at the headache blooming inside my skull. "What do you think getting to know you is going to accomplish?" The last thing I needed was my best friend feuding with Marley's best friend, all while we tried to plan our wedding.

He finished off his beer, shit-eating grin all over his face, as he leaned back in his chair. "I'm going to make her my wife."

Forty-Seven

Jackson

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!

I hadDigger on his toes. First helping me get started on the writing cottage for Marley, then building a covered pavilion down by the creek opposite Charley's setup. Maybe I should have given us more than a month to prepare for a wedding because now that it was almost here there was still a lot to do.

He wiped sweat off his forehead and stretched his back. "It'll be done in time."

"You're sure? I can work at night with lights."

He rolled his eyes. "You just worry about your engagement ring. I've got this. She seriously went for a cottage over hardware?" He wiggled his fingers.

He had no idea what women wanted outside the bedroom. None. It was kind of funny sometimes. "Marley barely wears any jewelry. Her heart is made of words. Building her a place solely for the purpose of reading and writing words is the perfect engagement gift."