“Someone might hand you the drugs without your knowing what they are. You can’t take that chance,” I replied. “I have what I need to send the spell back to her, but you have to be near each other, even if she doesn’t know what’s going on. You didn’t know what was happening when it traveled to you.”
He stared at me, indecision in his eyes.
“Humor me,” I said. “I don’t want to be responsible for taking away your livelihood.”
“I do love you, you know,” he said.
I nodded. “I love you, too, but that isn’t enough, is it?”
He threw his hands at his sides. “How did we get here?”
I rolled my eyes. Recriminations wouldn’t change things. Instead of an honest answer, I went for the sarcastic response. “We walked.”
He managed a smile.
“Find out where Daria lives using your superior police skills and we’ll go reverse what happened. Let me know when you have something. Right now, I have to go to work.”
He nodded, my added sarcasm lost on him.
When I arrived at the shop, Cassandra was in the backroom sitting at the office desk, resting her chin in one hand and staring at the computer. I let Ash out of her carrier, fed her, and stood behind Cassandra. She had the profit and loss statement for the shop on the screen. The bottom number was red.
“What are we going to do?” she asked softly. “It’s tourist season. We should be stockpiling profit right now.”
We’d experienced a hiccup in business last summer, but we’d managed this far. As she’d pointed out, most of the profit came from our online orders. We didn’t need the expense of a brick and mortar store for that. “Cut our losses?” I suggested.
“You could buy me out,” she said.
“No. It takes a village to succeed, and without the consignments, we don’t have that anymore.”
“I could talk to the people who used to sell here. Get them to reconsider coming back,” she said.
“Until the next gossip cycle. No.”
She studied me. “Something I should know about that gossip cycle?”
I shrugged. “Old news, new day.”
She pressed her lips together, studying me closely. “I suppose I should tell you Lisa called me last night.”
“And so begins the new gossip cycle.”
“It isn’t gossip when the news is firsthand and the people involved care about you.”
I managed a smile. “You are the one person who told me to cut Kyle loose before.”
She nodded. “Is it really over this time?”
I nodded.
She studied me closely. “You seem to be taking it better than the last time.”
“I suppose I’ve had time to get used to the idea.”
“What are you going to tell people?”
I’d told Kyle the breakup would be my fault. Would she believe the implausible truth? “How about I’m seeing someone else?”
She laughed. “Nobody will believe it.”
“That’s what he said.”
She rose to stand beside me. “Are you?”
I shrugged.
She narrowed her eyes. “Look, I get it. The couples we hang out with have been friends forever, but you and me are the outsiders. Making up a story so he looks good isn’t going to make any difference. They’ll stick together long after you and I are gone.”
“You aren’t going anywhere. Lucas has been worshiping you from afar for years,” I said. “Now that he’s got you, he isn’t about to let you go.”
“Hoes before bros.”
I laughed. “I think you got that backward.”
“Nope. Works both ways.” She tilted her head. “Who are you nominating as the other man?”
If I was willing to tell anyone, Cassandra would be the one, and yet I wasn’t sure what was going on with me and Ian. “I’ll keep you posted.”
She closed the financial program and we walked to the front of the store to prepare for opening.
“What would you do if we close the shop?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Pick up alterations at the mall again. Do piecework. Same thing I did before. What will you do?”
“I have an internet store,” I reminded her. “One without rent or utilities.”
“Are we doing this, then?”
Reality check. I weighed the practicality of trying to continue against sinking more money into a losing proposition. “It’s August. Under normal circumstances, we should be flush and banking a cushion. The fact we aren’t feels like the writing on the wall.”
Cassandra bowed her head. “I’m sorry I let you down.”
I touched her shoulder. “You didn’t do any such thing.”
“We’ll still be friends, won’t we?”
I eyed her speculatively. “I wouldn’t tell just anyone the name of my new man, would I?”
“You mean there really is a new guy?”
I took her hands and met her eyes. “You can’t tell anyone. I only just met him.” And immediately tumbled him. What was I doing?
She raised her eyebrows, waiting.
“His name is Ian, and that’s all I’m saying for now.”
She nodded. “Your secret is safe with me, but you wouldn’t have told me if you didn’t already know that. I hope he’s worthy of you. I want to know everything about him.”
I laughed again. “He has to be the most handsome man I’ve ever met, dark hair, dark eyes, wide smile. We had instant chemistry.”
Cassandra took a step back and blinked. “Look at you. Honest to God, you’re glowing just talking about him. You never glowed around Kyle—well except for that eye thing you’ve got going on.”
“How can I be glowing? I only just met him,” I repeated.
“I have a good feeling, and you already know how I feel about Kyle.” She hugged me and retreated to unlock the front door.
I unpacked my special orders and lined them up on the counter.
Ash came prancing from the back room and jumped onto the counter beside me, waving her tail in my face as she purred and begged for attention. I ran a hand across her back. Instead of continuing to her rug in the corner, she sat in front of me, staring at me. Not sure what to make of her break in routine, I scooped her up and rubbed her chin.
A woman and her son walked
