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“What? No. I mean, I like hanging with you. Maybe someday, there could be something, but with you just out of . . .”

Meg grinned. “Stop. I was messing with you. My mother doesn’t decide if I’m too fragile to have a relationship.

Romain coming by to say, ‘Oops, my bad,’ doesn’t fix things.

He left me basically at the altar, then spent what was supposed to be our honeymoon with another woman.

One that he says he didn’t enjoy his time in Italy with. ”

“He said, ‘My bad’?” Dalton followed her into the bookstore. Glory and Natasha were sitting on the couch in the front of the store, with Watson on Natasha’s lap.

“Now that I think about it, he didn’t even imply that it was his bad.” She grabbed Watson’s leash and his tote from underneath the counter. “Natasha, Mom’s buying dinner. Grab Junior and figure out where we’re eating. I’ll run Watson home and drop off this bag.”

“I’ll walk you home.” Dalton took Watson’s tote, as well. “I’ll carry these. Unless you want me to walk Watson.”

“I can carry my bags,” Meg insisted, but then she relented. She didn’t have the energy. Not after seeing Romain. The night had been perfect before he showed up. Well, except for the one rude reporter. She looked at Natasha. “Text me where you and Junior decide to eat. I’m up for anything.”

“You might get your wish. It’s Friday, and we don’t have reservations.” Natasha stood and stretched. “We’ll find something, even if it’s cold cuts from the local grocery. Thank your mom for the grub.”

Out on the street, Meg and Dalton got caught in a wave of pedestrians heading east, toward the ferry. Dalton turned left at the first road that went away from downtown. “I think Natasha will be surprised at what we can find. You have to eat late to avoid the tourists.”

“I think she still gets up early with the bakery. She’s probably never out late at night,” Meg said. The moon was lighting their walk. “I enjoyed working the launch tonight. Lilly has quite the fan base. One woman is going to a second event in Arizona.”

Dalton was quiet for a moment.

Meg knew what that meant. “What are you thinking about?”

“L. C. Aster’s fan base. I wonder if anyone knew that Meade was stealing from her.

” He slapped his palm on his forehead. “Now you have me doing it. Looking for reasons that someone would kill the guy. I guess there’s a big difference between going to more than one event to show support and killing off someone who was not playing fair with your favorite author. ”

Meg thought about Dalton’s hypothesis as they climbed the stairs to her apartment. It took her a few minutes to get Watson settled. He gave her a sad puppy dog face from the couch. “I won’t be gone long.”

As Meg and Dalton came down the stairs, Aunt Melody and Uncle Troy pulled up in his truck. She and Dalton walked over to greet them as they climbed out.

“What an event, huh? Nights like this make me wish I was still in the business.” Aunt Melody leaned on the truck.

“I need to get these heels off and into my slippers. Then I’m having a glass of wine to calm my nerves.

Did you meet Sarah? She might be interested in your book idea.

Even if it’s only to make Lilly happy. It’s all about connections. ”

“I don’t know,” Meg said as she shrugged. “Right now, it’s only an idea of a book.”

“You’ll probably hit it out of the park.” Uncle Troy took Aunt Melody’s arm and pulled her to a standing position. “We’re going in. Are you guys grabbing dinner?”

“Yeah. Mom’s feeding us for the help.” Meg loved the way her aunt and uncle fit together as a couple. “I didn’t think you were going to the signing.”

He shrugged. “I had to go to pick up the princess, anyway, so I thought I might as well see what the fuss was about.”

Aunt Melody rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Anyway, have fun tonight. You guys worked hard.”

“Avoid any press, okay? Some of the more determined ones might be hanging out at the bars tonight, looking for a local to tell stories.” Uncle Troy met Dalton’s eyes and nodded.

When Dalton returned the nod, Meg groaned. Why was everyone treating her like a teenager?

As they walked back into town, Meg asked, “So was that ‘Have her home by midnight’ or ‘Make sure you walk her home’?”

Dalton started. “Was what?”

“The look and nod you and Uncle Troy shared at the end of our conversation.” Meg punched him lightly in the arm. “Don’t act like it didn’t happen.”

“I interpreted your uncle’s stare to be both things. Although I think he doesn’t much care to establish a curfew, as long as you’re home safe.” He rubbed his arm where she’d punched him. “He cares about you.”

“He doesn’t ask who’s walking Junior home.” Meg made a point.

“True that. But Junior lives off the island, not above Troy’s garage.

Besides, your family is beginning to wonder if Junior will find someone dumb enough to want to marry him.

Do you know what kind of hours he’s working with your dad?

If he doesn’t find someone at work, he’s not going to meet anyone until he’s retired. ”

“She doesn’t have to be dumb, only willing to put up with his oddities.

He’s working so much so he can buy a house and retire early.

Then he’s going to open his own business.

He’s not sure what he wants to do.” Junior had talked a lot to Meg when she’d been planning the wedding.

She’d met up with Dad, and Junior would come along for the meal.

Then Dad would leave, and the two of them would talk about their future.

It was the most she’d ever talked to her brother, at least as an adult.

“Maybe you could set him up with someone?”

“I’m not playing matchmaker for your brother.” Dalton reached for his phone, which was ringing. “Speak of the devil. Hi, Junior.”

He listened and then nodded. When he hung up, he turned at the next road. “We’re heading out to the bay and Marina Taco Tavern.”

Meg would have danced with joy at the choice, but she was too tired. “I love that place. Margarita, here I come. Do you think they’d mind if I found a hot tub and had them deliver the drinks there?”

“It would be an interesting end to the night,” Dalton said.

Meg turned to look up at his face. He was grinning. “Get your mind out of the gutter. My shoulders are killing me.”

“Hard work has that effect on people.”

At the restaurant, Meg waited for the orders to be taken and the margaritas to be delivered before she turned to Natasha. “So tell me what happened between you and Meade?”

Natasha leaned her head back and groaned. “What have you already heard?”

“I’ve heard that you owed him money and he took advantage of that by asking for favors.” Meg licked some of the salt off the rim of her glass before taking a drink. Salty, sweet, and frozen. It was the best. “Like driving him to Lilly’s the night he died.”

“Okay, so you know everything.” Natasha glared at Dalton, assuming he was Meg’s source of gossip. “I told him that night that I had the money to pay him back and he would get it on Monday. And this was the last favor I’d ever have to do for him.”

“Did you wait for him at the house?”

Natasha shook her head. “He was mad that I was going to pay him back. He loved people owing him. It was like he owned them. Anyway, after I told him he’d have his money on Monday, he got out and slammed the door. Then he went in through the back gate at Summer Break.”

“That gate’s locked,” Meg responded. Where had Meade gotten the code?