Page 27 of Battle of the Exes

Can’t a girl catch a break? It’s like he’s my shadow, following me wherever I go. I’m tempted to make believeI don’t see him but glass, as it turns out, is transparent and he can see us. Rue waves him inside.

I bypass any greeting. “Why are you here?”

“To buy some books?” He grins.

I roll my eyes, irritated that he’s interrupting my sisterly chat. About him. “This whole festival thing is just a crafty PR stunt to promote your own business, isn’t it?”

“You got me. Nothing says, ‘career boost’ like messing with a dozen author schedules and rounding them up in Silver Pine. As much as I love this town, it’s not ontheirradar.”

I eye him closely. “You expect me to believe this isn’t all about your ego?”

“My ego is already fully inflated, thank you. No festival required.”

At that, I see a ghost of a smile. And God help me, I can’t hold back my own.

We’re walking hand-in-hand on the beach, kissing until our lips turned swollen.

Yikes! Where did that come from?

Rue looks from me to Beau and back again.

Still not satisfied with Beau’s answer, I try again. “Why are you trying to help? You of all people?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what that means.”

Rue’s finger is pointing at the two of us like she’s a scolding teacher. “Stop it, you two!”

Rue never yells.

Beau must sense my barometer has hit its limitbecause he drops his head and with his tail between his legs, scuttles back beneath the rock he came out from.

I win.

Rue’s cheeks are puffed out, her arms crossed. She’s annoyed but under control.

Now that Beau is gone, I moderate my tone. “About this festival, where are all the social media posts, print ads, and buzz he promised?” I ask Rue.

“All terrific questions. For Beau. The guy you just kicked out.”

I roll my eyes.

Rue’s phone buzzes. She’s staring at the screen.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s another notice from the bank, kindly reminding us that we have until the end of the month to pay up or vacate.”

Her face has gone pale, her bottom lip quivers.

“You know what always makes things better.”

I hear her sigh. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Beau

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