“Is that Sloane?” her mom says.
Maria Williams went unexpectedly blind several years back, right as she was opening her own bakery over in Sarcasm, which is what led to Annika coming home and reuniting with Grady.
“It’s the pretty nurse lady with the red hair who put all this work into the shitheads’ ancestor’s museum,” Roger says to her.
Maria’s in dark sunglasses, as always, so I only see her smile touch her mouth and not her full face. “Oh, I didn’t know she had red hair. Copper or carrot?”
“Copper,” Annika supplies.
“Is she alone, or did that mysterious boy band guy come with her?”
“Hi, Maria,” I say. “I’m alone. Except for Giselle. She’s my bodyguard for the day.”
“Close protection specialist,” Giselle corrects.
“I love the wordbodyguardin my romance audiobooks, but I’ll honor your title wishes,” Maria says. “Nice to meet you, Giselle. Do you have any loyalty to Shipwreck, or would you like one of the donuts from my shop over in Sarcasm? As much as I love my son-in-law, his donuts can’t touch my donuts. I smuggled some into town. Roger, please offer Giselle a superior donut.”
Annika’s smiling so brightly that her brown eyes are twinkling. “How about we save the trash talk for after we tell Sloane what you both know?”
Roger eyes Giselle. “She gonna tell those boy band guys?”
“I’ll be in the museum.” Giselle pins me with a no-nonsense,do not fuck with melook. “Don’t leave this building without me, or Iwillquit, and you’ll have to explain that to Ingrid.”
I nod. I’ve met Ingrid, Levi’s wife, and she’s every bit as awesome as Sarah Ryder. “Understood.”
Giselle lets herself into the public part of the museum, but she leaves the door cracked.
Maria tilts her ear toward the door. “Are we alone now?”
“Yes, Mama,” Annika says. “It’s safe to talk now.”
“Good. Sloane, how are you? I heard about your house.”
I suppress a shiver. “Better than expected, but I haven’t had to look at it yet today. The sheriff’s still documenting the scene, and Doc made me take a break this morning to call my insurance company to getthatpaperwork rolling.”
“Ew. Paperwork.”
“Agreed. Almost the worst part.”
It’s not, but no one calls me on the lie.
“Annika told me you stayed with that mysterious boy band guy last night.”
“I did.”
“Did you see him naked?”
“Mama.” Annika pinches her lips together, but you can tell she’s trying not to smile. “They’re getting married on Saturday. I’m sure she’s seen him naked.”
She also shoots me a look like she, too, wants the answer to that question.
And I do my best not to blush.
Ifelthim, but I didn’tseehim.
Whereas he saw pretty much all of me.
My toes curl inside my shoes while Annika’s look gets lookier.
