Page 79 of Never Let You Go

Okay, I’m not totally over the Lipstick Incident. Yet.

“Maybe next time?” I smile as genuinely as I can. “Gotta rush.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” she says, looping her arm in mine and dragging me to Easy Monday.

On our way in, we run into Autumn. Rather desperately, I latch onto her. “Have your coffee with us!”

I need a friendly presence.

Her eyes dart between Emma and me, and she looks a little panicked. “I-I’m on a job,” she says.

“A decorating job?” I’m so excited for her.

“Yeah.”

Why does she look anxious? “Ohmygod, Autumn! That’s fantastic. Take some before and after pictures, okay? For your social media. I’ll handle it.” People don’t realize it, but putting other people’s work in the spotlight actually brings me joy. Autumn probably thinks it’s a chore, but this is fun for me.

“Will do,” she says as she scampers away.

Even stressed out, Autumn’s sunny disposition, and the news that she’s finally starting her new business, just made my day better. “Sorry about that,” I say to Emma with a small smile, then place my order with Millie, who informs me that today I’m to graduate from the pot of drip coffee to a Sweet Surrender. “Trust me,” she whispers.

“Kay,” I whisper back.

“So, did you get a new position?” Emma asks once we’re seated.

“A new…? What?”

She takes a dainty lap from her green tea, giving my discomfort time to grow. “I heard about the baking disasters,” she says with a patronizing smile. “It figures Chris would move you to doing other things. I have to say though, trusting you with Skye is impressive. I never thought he’d make the leap.”

I stop with my own cup midair. “What—oh. Oh no, Grace had car issues. I just jumped in and took Skye to school, that’s all.” I’m going to let that little jab at my baking skills slide. Maybe she didn’t mean anything by it. But I do need to set the record straight. “I’m still very much apprenticing with Chris.”

“I see. How long are you here for?”

Funny, I thought she knew. Thought she’d read my contract and all. Maybe she didn’t pay attention. “Until mid-June. Another few months until I go back to New York.”

“I bet you miss the city. Do you live in Manhattan?”

“Brooklyn,” I say and take a long sip of my coffee.

She rolls her eyes and manages to look really cute doing it. “You must find our little town so boring.”

“Not at all. It’s charming and peaceful. The people are lovely. I’ve been keeping super busy outside of the apprenticeship and making more friends here than I have in Brooklyn, actually. Matter of fact, I have started helping some businesses with their social media, on the side.” She witnessed my interaction with Autumn just now, and I saw her linger around my table during the community dinner. I already have ideas of what a CPA could do to get more clients through social media.

If she asks me, I’ll help her.

“And how are things with Christopher?” she asks instead, surprising me.

“Things? What things?” Does she know already? How could she?

Emma lets out a small laugh. “Work, darling. What other things could I possibly be talking about?”

I tame the flash of heat going through me. Right, work. “Work is good. It’s hard, though. Hard work.”

“Mmm. How about the boss?”

“Christopher?”

She raises her eyebrows. “Do you have another boss?”

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