Amelia shifts side-to-side. “I can’t tomorrow. I should have warned you, but my schedule is pretty hectic. Would you mind starting on Sunday? I have to work, but I could stop by to let you in whenever you want to start.”
This woman has no idea how willing I am to make anything work. “I’m an early riser. I can stop by before you leave for work.”
“No,” Amelia says quickly, and oddly loudly.
Ellery smirks, but the others look confused.
Amelia clears her throat. “I mean, mornings aren’t my best time. It’ll be better if you stop over later. Maybe around noon? I can come by on my lunch break.”
Ellery’s eyes widen, and she waggles her eyebrows at me. I bite back a laugh, because my mind had gone straight to the same place, i.e. a little afternoon delight. “That sounds great,” I say. “See you then.”
I hustle out of there and hop back in my truck. As I’m sliding my phone into the cupholder, a notification pops us. I’ve missed a message from DogPerson158. Now that I’ve met Amelia, I can focus on distancing myself from DogPerson and convincing her to meet Sebastian.
I’m already smiling, even before I read her message from earlier today.
DogPerson158:Do you think a person can forget how to be social? I’m going to have to be social tonight - a one-on-one, sitting across from each other at dinner thing - and I’m kind of freaking out. Is it possible it’s been so long since I’ve spent time socially with a near stranger that I’ve forgotten how to do it?
My stomach sinks. That sounds like a date. Which is fine. She’s free to date. And that emerald green jealousy that feels like bile rising up my throat is an emotion best ignored. She is meant for Sebastian. She was never and will never be mine.
I try to answer her the way Sebastian would.
Handsyguy37:It’s not a bad thing to have zero social skills. It means most people will leave you alone.
I type out the words, but they don’t feel right. They feel flippant and rude in a moment when DogPerson is actually nervous about something.
I erase the words and try again.
Handsyguy37:Honestly? Probably. I had a job once where I worked for twenty-four hours straight without talking to anyone or seeing another human, and the first thing I said to my brother when I saw him was, “Tired. I sleep.” But I slept for twelve hours, woke up and went out to my favorite bar. I remembered how to talk to people pretty quickly.
If she’s out on a date, she’s not going to answer, but I wait a few minutes anyway, staring at the screen. She probably is on a date.
I drop my phone in the cupholder and back out of the driveway. Amelia’s friends didn’t box me in. They must have known I’d be leaving.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Amelia
“Who is Deacon?” Ellery asks as soon as my front door closes behind the man in question. “And why is he installing a gym in your house?”
I roll my eyes. “I met him at the hardware store. He’s a carpenter, and he’s going to build a gym for Marmalade so he stops destroying my home every time I’m out.”
Lennox, who lives in a cursed house in the forest and has a mystery work-from-home job, drops to her knees in front of my orange cat. “You must be Marmalade. You are very handsome.” She looks up at me as she pets him, her thick auburn hair falling in waves across her face. “I didn’t know you got a cat.”
I nod. “I did. I’ve wanted a pet forever, and so has Harper. He just showed up needing to be rescued at the right time.” I smile at the newcomer to our group, who looks as uncomfortable as I feel, seeing as how she just saw me making out with Deacon. “You must be Millie Starling. Ellery said you moved to town recently?”
Millie, petite with delicate features, her brown hair in a cute pixie cut with pink highlights, smiles, but there’s sadness behind her bright expression. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for including me in your poker night.”
“The more the merrier,” I say. “Ellery says you’re in the house—”
“Yes,” Ellery says. “Millie’s from Indiana, and she’s looking for a job. She used to work in business admin, so if you hear of any job openings, let her know. Now, tell us more about that guy.What’s his last name? I think I saw him at the diner last week. How do I not know him?”
I shrug. “I don’t know his last name. He said he’s only recently moved to town.”
“And he works in construction?” Ellery says. “Maybe he’s Levi’s—”
“I thought we were going to play poker,” Lennox says. “Not talk about men.”
“You got something against men?” Ellery asks.
