“God, you make it sound so… tacky,” I mutter, taking another gulp of wine to distract myself.
She grins. “Look, I’m not here to judge, but it’s obvious that there’s something going on between you two. Something that you’re not telling me… yet.” She raises her eyebrows. “But hey, I’ll be patient. I can wait.”
I shoot her a look, but there’s no hiding how unsettled I feel. It’s one thing for Tansy to know the score, but it’s another for the whole town to be buzzing about it.
I set my glass down, looking her straight in the eye. “Fine. You wanna know what happened?” I don’t even wait for her to answer. “We had sex. In the alleyway beside the Rusty Bucket. It was… intense.”
Tansy blinks, then leans back, her eyes wide. “Wait.What?”
I rub my temples, already regretting how much I’ve said. “Yeah, I know. I’m sure that’s not what you were expecting. But it happened. And honestly? It was fucking amazing. Like, mind-blowingly amazing. His knot is?—”
“Hisknot!?” Her mouth hangs open for a second, but she quickly recovers, grinning ear to ear. “Oh, Lo. You just made my day.”
I cross my arms, trying to stay composed even though I feel the heat creeping up my neck. “Yeah, well, it was areallybad idea. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m… I’m a mess. And all I did was drag him into that mess. He deserves more than that, Tee.”
Tansy chuckles, swirling her wine around, savoring a good gossip. “So, what? You’re saying that was a one-time thing?”
“I… itdefinitelywon’t happen again.”
Is that right, though? I mean, I don’tlikethe guy, but it was something else.
Tansy simply grins at me from beyond the rim of her glass.
I glare at her. “I’m just… trying to stay out of trouble.”
“Trouble’s already chasing you, sweetie,” she says with a laugh. “Is that why you’re here?”
I shift uncomfortably on the couch, feeling her words hit me harder than I expect. Trouble, yeah. That’s definitely one word for it.
Trouble’s been my shadow for the last few months.
Maybe even years.
“Yeah,” I mutter, taking another sip of wine. “I guess. It’s… a lot to deal with. And I just needed to get away for a bit. Taking down powerful people who embezzle from charities… it isn’t always easy.”
Tansy doesn’t push. Instead, she watches me, her sharp gaze softening. “I get it. You know, I thought you might be back for good. Everyone in this town’s been waiting for you to show up. To see what you do next after all the drama with your family. After it all finally came out.”
“Huh, it came out, but no one still seems to believe me. They still seem to think I have some kind of part to play in all of it.”
Tansy doesn’t say anything right away. She just nods, watching me with a knowing look. After a few beats, she sighs. “Yeah, but I know you’re strong. You can survive this.”
I shift my weight, finally meeting her gaze. “What about you? What’s been going on in your life in the last seven years? Bet you’ve got some stories of your own.”
Tansy takes a slow sip of wine, her lips curving into that mischievous grin I know so well.
“Oh, you know… the usual.” She leans in, lowering her voice as if she’s sharing a juicy secret. “I got involved in a little matchmaking business on the side.”
I raise an eyebrow, instantly intrigued. “Matchmaking? Seriously?”
“Absolutely. You think people don’t come to The Gilded Lily looking for a little help? They come in for the pastries, but they leave with somethingmore,” she says, dripping with amusement.
I laugh despite myself, shaking my head. “God, you’re the worst.”
“Hey,” she shrugs, still grinning, “I’m just helping people find what they need. Some find it with a lemon bar. Some witha cup of coffee. Others? Well… I may have orchestrated a few accidental scent matches.”
She raises an eyebrow, daring me to ask for more details.
I snort, amused. “And have you set yourself up?”
