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“I’d love to, sweetie, but I can’t this week. Big Rafe’s got me running all over creation, helping him put together the Extravaganza. He says I’m his right-hand woman.” She blushed in a way I’d bet had nothing to do with the weather, though she laughed and fanned her face anyway before toying with the bow on the front of her short-sleeved pink sweater.

Really. Big Rafe and Gloria? Stranger things had happened. But I wondered if Fenn…

I stopped the thought in its tracks. “I wonder if Fenn” was no longer gonna be a song on my playlist.

“But I’d really like it if you did.” I gave her what I hoped was a winning smile. “I’ll even squeeze you in today, if you could. In, say, an hour?”

“Anything for you, Doc.” She blushed deeper. “Maybe two hours? I’m meeting with Big Rafe in a minute.”

“Sure,” I agreed. “See you then.”

The little bell over the front door jangled. “Heya, everyone!” Beale called.

Gloria, Juju, Lety, and I all sang back, “Heya, Beale!” and waved at the exact same moment. I froze.

It was bad enough that the rest of the town was synchronized. When had I suddenly joined the chorus?

Beale strolled over and took the stool on my other side. “Heya, Mason.”

I kept one anxious eye focused on the door, expecting Fenn to walk through any minute, but really, there was no way to avoid him if he did unless I was prepared to do a barrel roll over the counter and beg Lety to hide me, which I wasn’t. Quite.

I forced my attention to Beale. “Hey. How’s the shoulder?”

“Better.”

“You doing the stretches? Or do you need me to show them to you again?”

“Welllll.” Beale cast his eyes to the ceiling. “I feel like that wouldn’t be the best idea for my health.”

I frowned. “The stretches won’t hurt you.”

He grinned. “Yeah, but somebody else might,” he said incomprehensibly. “So, um, what are you doing with your afternoon?”

“Oh. Gonna put in a few hours at the office, I think.Superbusy,” I added just in case Fenn asked him later. “Like,sobusy. No time for socializingat all. Why, what’s going on with you? You and, um, Fenn were working today, right? You have plans for later?” So I could avoid them.

“Me?” The corners of Beale’s mouth turned down in an exaggerated frown. “Nope. And I definitely don’t know what Fenn is doing either! Everyone thinks I’m a shit secret-keeper, so no one tells me anything!”

I blinked. What didthatmean? Did Fenn think I was gonna be pumping Beale for information?Pfft.Fenn was the one textingme, for goodness’ sake!

I was tempted to reply just to tell him to fuck off.

“I’ll refrain from asking about Fenn,” I said stiffly. “Shouldn’t be hard. He’s not that interesting.”

Beale rubbed one giant hand over his mouth. “Do you believe in karma, Mase?” Beale asked, apropos of nothing. “Because I’m concerned that I’m enjoying a certain situation just a little too much. The backlash might be brutal.”

“Enjoying…Oh.” I recalled what Fenn had said earlier about Beale being in love. I leaned toward him. “Let me guess. Are you enjoying a certainromantic situation?” I gave him an encouraging smile.

Beale looked surprised. “Actually… yeah. That’s exactly it.”

“Don’t be upset, but Fenn let something slip earlier today. About you being in love with someone,” I explained, when Beale frowned.

Beale’s head went back, and he folded his arms over his enormous chest. “Did he now?”

I nodded and laid a hand on his arm. “Look, he only shared it because I told him I liked you a lot, and I thought you were a really great person.Sweet.”

“You said that?” Beale grinned. “Yep. That’d do it, alright.”

“I won’t tell another soul, but I’m so glad things are working out for you. And this romance… it’s definitelylove?” It wasn’t that I was nosy, per se, I just hated not knowing anything. Ever.