Kevin tugged on April’s hem. “Can Shane…Mr. Foti come with us?”
“Already in the plan, kid,” she told him.
“Yes!” He clenched his fist and pumped the air. “Shane! I’ll help you kennel the puppies then we’re going to lunch. It’s on me.”
Even as she felt a tinge of worry—one she refused to think about straight on—April cracked up. Shane just winked at her.
“In that case, I’ll have both a sandwich and a black-and-white cookie,” Shane said. As they led the pups into the kennel, Shane rested his hand on Kevin’s shoulder. April was struck once again by how natural it looked.
When they got to Riversong,Rochelle was in her usual window seat. Open laptop plastered with stickers from her favorite romance authors, reading glasses perched low as she tapped at the keys. Another translation job, no doubt. April knew Rochelle’s rhythm when she was deep into her work—rapid typing, scattered notebooks covered in notes, second or third coffee cooling untouched beside her elbow. She didn’t look up right away when they came in, even when Kevin dashed from the door to his grandma and aunt Hannah, who had come in once they got home from their trip.
It wasn’t that April was trying to hide the fact she was about to have lunch with Shane. If she’d wanted to do that, Riversong would’ve been the last place she’d bring him. But, she hoped Rochelle wouldn’t make a big deal about it. Honestly, other than Ellie, Rochelle was the least likely among their friends to make a fuss. Thank God Wren wasn’t in today. April adored her, but she had a flair for the dramatic. Though Wren came nowhere near Stephanie’s league. April tried not to cringe, thinking about what Stephanie might say or do. She swore her matchmaking days were over after Frankie and Waylon, but no one believed her.
April greeted her sister and her mom with hugs. She couldn’t help but notice the shop was quieter than normal and wondered how many customers had turned and walked out because the espresso machine was on the fritz. She wasn’t about to ask, not in front of Shane.
April went around the counter to grab their sandwiches from the cooler. She asked Shane what he wanted.
“That roast beef on rye looks good, thanks.” He reached for his wallet as he stood in front of the cash register.
“Shane’s lunch is on the house today,” April quietly told her mom. She gave April a side-eye, then smiled at Shane.
“She’s the boss. Your money’s no good here today,” she told him.
April watched Shane’s expression turn uneasy. Money was never an easy topic for him, especially when it came to her family, not after what his father pulled. But he had no reason to feel ashamed, at least not in April’s eyes—not if what she suspected he’d done for her family through the years was true. She actually felt a little bad for him at that moment.
Shane shifted to the side and that’s when April saw that Rochelle had come to the counter. She was looking right at her.
Shit.
April flushed as she smiled and waved at her friend. Rochelle smiled and waved back, her smile quiet but knowing.
Great. I hope she didn’t overhear me buying Shane’s lunch.
“Hey,” Shane said, surprised as he turned and spotted Rochelle. “Didn’t see you there.”
“Hi, Shane. Don’t let me interrupt your lunch.” Her eyes flicked to Shane, then back to April, mischief softening into warmth.
Busted.
“I just wanted to tell you, April,” she said, tucking her pen behind her ear, “Ellie wants to have us all up this weekend to see Star. Can you make it?”
April hesitated. She could already picture it: Ellie, Wren, Frankie, Arden, Stephanie, Gina—all of them gathered close, drinking wine, swapping stories, and watching April out of the corners of their eyes, waiting to see what she’d say about Shane.
She wanted to hide, to keep pretending that he meant nothing to her. And at the same time, she wanted just one day in her life where she wasn’t hiding anything, especially fromthe women who had become her friends over the past couple of years. Still, April hesitated.
“Go ahead, honey,” April’s mom, Miriam said. “You and your father held down the fort while Hannah and I had our little getaway.” She turned to her husband. “That goes for you, too. Take a day off, my love.” That was met with a wave-off, and she rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, okay,” April heard herself say. Her voice came out lighter than she felt. “Of course I’ll be there. I haven’t met Star yet. Too busy here.”
Rochelle’s smile widened, gentle and satisfied. “Great! I’ll let Ellie know. She’ll be so happy to see you.” She gave Shane a smile and nod, but before she drifted back to her perch in the window, she added, “Oh, I almost forgot! Bear’s mom is going to be there.”
April almost dropped the bottle of soda she’d just grabbed. When she was in town, Ellie’s mother-in-law ran in the same social circles as Shane’s mother. They attended the same galas, fundraisers, and New Year’s Eve balls.
“That should be interesting,” Rochelle went on, not noticing April’s discomfort.
“Yeah, should be.” She gave Rochelle a strained smile, but her friend had already turned away.
April plated up the food and Shane picked up his and Kevin’s plates before she could protest. Heart thudding, she took her seat beside Shane. She took a tiny bite of her sandwich, suddenly too aware of how close Shane’s knee was to hers beneath the table.
