The German Shepherd abandons Dean and trots to me, sitting at my feet with huge brown eyes. When I reach down to pet him—grateful for an excuse to break eye contact—he leans into my hand with a sigh.
“Rex.” Real frustration breaks through Dean’s controlled facade. “Heel.”
Rex ignores him, tail thumping.
I smile. “At least someone appreciates me.”
“He’s supposed to be intimidating.”
“Maybe he knows I’m not the enemy.” I scratch behind Rex’s ears. “Maybe he understands that sometimes rules need to bend for magic.”
Dean stares at us, and something crosses his face. Frustration, definitely. But also an emotion like longing before he locks it down.
He turns to leave, then pauses. Looks back.
Our eyes meet across the boutique.
For just a second, I see it again—that flicker of something hot and electric and completely inappropriate.
“And Jo?” His voice is rough. “Lose the cardboard cutout. Fabio is a fire hazard.”
Then he’s gone, Rex following reluctantly.
I stand in my empty boutique, surrounded by Valentine’s decorations and ruins of my plan.
My arms still feel warm where he touched them.
I can still smell pine and smoke and see the way he looked at my mouth.
This is very bad.
I pull out my phone.
Me:Emergency meeting. Michelle’s coffee shop. Tomorrow morning. Operation Save Valentine’s Day is officially underway.
Grandma Hensley:That man needs a woman in his life. Also, did you SEE the way he looked at you?
I stare at that text.
No. Absolutely not.
Dean Beckett is my son’s boss, a professional obstacle, and the grumpiest man I’ve ever met.
The fact that he caught me—that his hands were warm and strong—that for one electric second I felt something I haven’t felt in seven years?—
That’s completely irrelevant.
This is about the festival. About proving magic is worth fighting for.
I grab my glue gun, trying very hard not to think about storm-blue eyes and the way Dean Beckett’s voice gets rougher when he’s frustrated.
Valentine’s Day is in three weeks, and I have a grumpy fire chief to outsmart.
Game on, Dean Beckett.
Game on.
TWO
