“Ooh, that’s a good one,” Zoe agreed.
“And they’re off,” Jay said, shooting Blue a look. “No point in stopping them until they’ve got it all out.”
Blue exhaled slowly. “I don’t want to own a boutique here.” But the weird part was, she’d felt a little sizzle of excitement at the thought of being her own boss. Designing what she wanted.
“Obviously you’d have to buy in because you couldn’t make everything. But you could make some things—for custom orders that come in online,” Zoe said.
“No,” Blue said.
“Try again, but put more force behind it,” Jay drawled.
“Drink up. We’ll take a look at that room,” Phoebe said.
“No,” she said again.
“Until you’re ready to commit to being here full time, it could just be a place you go and start building toward your boutique,” Zoe added.
Jay snorted.
“Why are you looking like a deer in the headlights?” Ryder asked Blue as he arrived with more food and coffee.
“I’ve got this,” Jay said, the lines at the side of his mouth crinkling. “Your sister and Phoebe have decided Blue should run a boutique called Star By Right because apparently we need one here—sorry, the womenfolk do?—”
“Would you stock men’s clothing, too, Blue?” Phoebe demanded.
“No,” Blue said again.
The women thought about that and then nodded.
“I think that would be best. Men can be notoriously fickle,” Zoe added.
“You’re not actually serious with that comment,” Ryder said as he began unloading the tray. “I’ve never known a woman withmore clothes than me, and don’t get me started on the put-on-and-discard method we go through every time Libby leaves the house.”
“Just for that, I’m not sharing these with you,” Libby said, following her man to the table.
She was a chocolatier and came from a well-known family in the industry. Since falling in love with Ryder, she’d moved here and started making her own specialty line.
Blue looked at the display shelving that was new on one of the walls in the cafe. It held some of Leah’s pottery, pretty wrapped chocolates, plus other things locals supplied.
“Pick me,” Blue said raising her hand. “I love chocolate.”
A large hand beat her to the plate Libby held out, and Jay took the first chocolate.
“No ladies-first policy with you?”
“You only want ladies first when you think it suits you. Usually, you’re all equal rights,” Jay said to Blue.
“He’s not wrong,” Ryder added before heading back to the coffee machine while eating one of Libby’s chocolates.
“Damn, girl,” Blue said after biting into the confectionary. “These are so good and could be my new favorites.”
“Raspberry and pepper,” Libby said. “Great, right? Ryder didn’t believe they would be.”
“Changed my mind!” he called back to her.
They ate and drank coffee, and it was surprisingly comfortable, even considering Jay was close and Phoebe and Zoe continued convincing her about the boutique.
The man was a good conversationalist. So maybe they could do this—be friendly after a night of the best sex she’d ever had.
