Page 51 of No More Secrets

“Ivy’s right.”

“About what?”

“You’re a good guy.”

He starts shaking his head. “I’m not—”

Her door shuts, and the lock clicks into place.

A good guy.

23

Their day starts early, and Lucas is cranky, so she leaves him alone even though she knows... just knows he’s Jenna Mason’s brother. She’s read every article and watched every interview she could find on her favorite animator, which isn’t many. Jenna only recently revealed who she is. She hid behind caricatures up until eight months ago. But she and Lucas have the same-shaped mouth and the same color eyes. He even moves like her.

Shiloh watched him during dinner, and she overheard him and Ivy talking when they thought she was still in the bathroom. Shiloh should be afraid of Lucas, given her experience with men. But Ivy’s faith in him has only reassured her that Lucas’s behavior toward her is sincere. He means what he said. He wants to help her. He isn’t going to send her home or report her to the cops. So she’s going to stay until she can save enough money to support herself when she moves in with Finn.

She follows Lucas into the market. He turns on the lights and points to the back corner.

“We’ve got breakfast burritos in the freezer. Grab one if you’re hungry. You can use the microwave in back.”

She’s starving, and after what she’s experienced during the last couple of weeks, she isn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Feeling extra hungry, she takes two egg-and-bacons, eating both in the back lot while Lucas does whatever he does to prep the market to open by seven.

Wiping her hands along the sides of her sweatshirt, she returns to the stockroom. Lucas hands her a clipboard with a pen and an empty box.

“What’s this?” She looks at the empty spreadsheet.

“Inventory. Start at the far aisle. Dump anything that’s expired in the box and track what’s left. Ivy wants the item name, brand, PLU code, and quantity for reorders.”

It sounds like the most mundane, tedious task, and she wonders if Lucas is intentionally torturing her. “I thought you wanted me to make sandwiches.” She enjoyed talking to the customers yesterday, as few of them as there were. She embellished her and Lucas’s story, even came up with a few new ones, like how she spent a few weeks every summer camping with her “uncle.” They’ve been to Yosemite and Yellowstone. This summer they plan to visit Zion. She has a hammock and wants to sleep under the stars.

As she spoke, she found herself wishing he was her uncle, or that she had one. Her mom is her only living relative as far as she knows. She’s never met her dad’s side of the family and doubts they know she exists. Harmony doesn’t have family, or so she claims.

“I’ll cover the deli today.”

“You just don’t want to do inventory,” she gripes.

He smirks. “You got that right.” He pushes through the swinging door and tosses over his shoulder, “Hurry up. Ivy needs numbers by closing, and that’ll take you most of the day.”

Shiloh groans and picks up the box. By ten when she takes a break, she’s going stir crazy. By noon when Ivy calls down for Lucas to come meet the new tenant and install ceiling fans, she’s so bored she has to remind herself why she’s here and not halfway to Hollywood. She needs the money.

“Ivy needs my help. She’ll be down in a minute to ring up any customers while I’m gone.” He locks the cash register and pockets the key.

“Don’t trust me?”

A thick brow lifts. “Would you trust you?”

Her mouth flattens.

“Work on the inventory. You’ll be fine,” Lucas says. “Ivy will be down in a few.”

He leaves and Shiloh doesn’t waste time. She drops the clipboard into the box and grabs the cordless phone on the counter, bouncing on her toes as she dials Finn. She’d taken a risk last night borrowing Lucas’s laptop but was able to shoot off an email to Finn. In it, she told him she’s staying in California City a little longer. She’s calling because she wants to know if he’s read it, and if he’s cool with it.

Finn answers after the third ring. “Shy Girl.”

His voice washes over her like crystal-clear spring water. “How’d you know it’s me?”

“Caller ID, baby. You said you’re staying with some guy above the Dusty Pantry.”

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