Page 68 of Hard to Break

Can’t say he’s not cute.

“I would’ve put money on the two of you a year ago,” she sighs when I’m done. “There’d be ten of you in a booth, but I swear that man only looked at you.”

“I mean…” I lift a shoulder in fake modesty.

“Oh, it went both ways.” Sierra cuts my ego down to size.

I wave a hand in protest. “He fell harder. And first.”

“Mile High’s been crazy lately,” she says when we stop laughing. “Lots of gossip and speculation about the team. And Miles.” Sierra cuts a look my way.

I take a deep breath, deciding how much to confide.

In the end, I tell them all my suspicions, what we know.

“Do we need to start a murder board? With suspect photos and string?” Nova’s expression brightens.

“Okay, Selena Gomez. There have been no murders in the Kodiaks’s building, and there won’t be. In fact, everything is going to be boring right up until playoffs.”

“If we make it,” Sierra says under her breath.

We finish our donuts in silence, staring at the furniture.

I can’t solve Miles’s mystery today, but I can help Nova.

“What if we angle the armchairs toward the couch? It could create a more inviting conversation area.”

I notice a large, ornate armchair sitting awkwardly in the corner, out of scale with the rest of the room.

Suddenly, an idea strikes me. “We’ve been approaching this all wrong. We've been trying to force together pieces that don't quite fit.”

Sierra looks at me, her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I gesture to the armchair. “This armchair looks out of place on its own. If we integrate it with the other pieces, it will make sense.”

We implement the idea, and it’s better.

Nova drops into the armchair with a relieved sigh. “Yes. That’s it.”

Sierra’s phone rings, and she hops up. “Duty calls. Enjoy your day, ladies.”

We hug her and wave her out before I sink onto the couch opposite, studying Nova. “I know Clay’s parents visiting is a big deal, but work hasn’t been the easiest either. I'm sorry for pushing you so hard about your new artistic style. We'll take it one step at a time, and I promise to help you find the right opportunities that will make it easier, not harder.”

Nova returns my smile, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you.”

I pull her into a hug, feeling the last of the tension melt away. “That's what friends are for.”

“You can take one more,”Miles coaxes.

“I don’t think so.”

“Come on, Princess.”

I hold up the line of thread, eyeing the multi-colored beads already on it.

The retirement home is having an activities afternoon, and we’re making friendship bracelets with Miles’s grams.

“Coco Chanel always said to take off the last thing you put on,” Grams offers from her chair next to me.

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