Page 71 of His Big Bad Stick

Two with laptops. One with a book. The other just sitting, looking out the front window.

I take off my apron. “What the hell was that?”

“Social media,” Jess says. “I didn’t realize it, but some influencer stopped in yesterday. She posted about my secret cinnamon bread and the coffee. I have a feeling it’s going to be busy like this for a bit.”

“That’s amazing for you,” I say.

“Not without help,” Jess says. “Hey, any chance you want to bail on your gallery and work here?”

I let out a nervous laugh. “I just stopped over for a coffee…”

“Help yourself.”

Jess breezes right by me to go into the back.

I make myself a coffee and make sure to pay.

Back in what is slowly becoming my new gallery, I look up at the installed lighting. I nod.

The walls are mostly done.

The flooring will be finished up later this week.

I’ve gotten pictures of all my artwork up on the site.

I even had a few offers come in.

I’m not sure if they are real offers or not though.

My entire art collection is randomly placed throughout the gallery, leaning against walls and on the floor.

I moved it all by myself.

A pain in the ass to do.

Very tempting to ask Colver for help.

No, Abrielle. No. That name needs to not exist. Ever.

I’ve been good keeping him in my memory and never speaking a thing out loud. And I have not watched any hockey either. I’m not a fan of hockey to begin with, but it’s not like I’m in my bed, watching Colver play in a game and I have some buzzing battery toy between my legs pretending it’s his tongue.

“Gabby,” a voice says from behind me.

I let out a yelp and turn, almost spilling my coffee.

Jess is there, a small bag in her hand.

“Jess,” I say. “Holy crap, you scared me.”

“Deep in thought?”

“Yeah.”

“I wanted to apologize to you, Gabs,” she says.

Her smirk is contagious.

The first time we met she called me Gabrielle, like a lot of people do. She insisted on adding the G to my name until it became a little bit of a running joke. So now she’ll occasionally call me Gabby or Gabs.

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