“So … so where are you staying now?”

“A travel trailer has been rented for me and arrives today.”

“But …” Naomi paused and her brows bunched beneath the frames of her shades. “But where are you staying until then?”

“Um … one of the McEvoy brothers offered me a room in his house.”

“Oh!”

“They’re all about customer service.”

And Bennett definitely knew how to properly service her.

“I’ll say.” Naomi’s mouth curled up into a small, playful smile. “Which brother?”

“Um … Bennett?”

“Mr. Serious.”

“You’re the second person to call him that today. Why?”

“Because he is dour and, like, never smiles.”

Justine frowned. Bennett wasn’t dour. And he smiled all the time. What were these women getting at? A part of her wanted to dive into this more and ask what gave Naomi that impression, but Aya and Talia ran up to her with another little girl similar in height to Talia. They all had different colored snow cones in one hand and fists full of green and pink raffle tickets in the other.

“What flavor is that?” Naomi asked the girl. They had the same shade of green in their eyes, as well as smiles. And of course, thick, dark, curly, brown hair. This had to be a daughter, or a niece, or some relation.

“Blue raspberry,” the girl said, tipping the bright blue cone toward Naomi.

Naomi made a face that said, “No way.”

The girl shrugged.

“Justine, this is my daughter, Honor. Honor, this is my friend Justine. She—”

“Lives with us,” Aya announced with pride. “And it’s been great.”

Naomi and Justine shared a look that sent curious tendrils of heat, and maybe embarrassment, careening through Justine’s belly.

Honor shrugged again. “Cool.” She focused on her mom. “Austin asked me to come find you. He wants to know if he’s allowed to go in the dunk tank. He’s in line but I told him he better ask first.”

Now it was Naomi’s turn to shrug. “Sure. Tell him to take off his shoes first though.”

Honor nodded. Then Aya, Talia, and she all ran off, raffle tickets flying behind them like handlebar streamers.

“So … you and Bennett are—”

“He has been very gracious opening up his home to me. I booked my vacation here, away from the busy city, to unwind and find some perspective. I was devastated when I thought I’d have to leave because of the flood.”

Naomi’s mouth curled up on one side into a cheeky smile. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her overalls and rocked backward on her heels. “Whatever you say.”

“We need a doctor! Is there a doctor here? Help! He’s choking!”

Naomi’s bright green eyes went wide. “You’re a doctor, aren’t you?”

Justine and Naomi looked around for the distress call. So did others, the panic around them rising like an incoming tide.

Then they spotted him. It was a small boy, maybe six, and he was turning blue over near the popcorn machine. Two other boys stood staring at him in a frozen state of fright. They were only four yards away.