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A Shepherd in the trailer park? He might spontaneously burst into flames if he set foot there.

To make matters more confusing, Maribel was convinced she’d called this a decade ago, and it was all a sign we were meant to be.

“It was one kiss, Mari,” I said. I’d neglected to mention the after-kiss activities.

“Sometimes that’s all you need.”

“All you need for what? A happily ever after?”

Her wide eyes found mine, all Obviously! even as worry crawled over Ravi’s expression.

Monday couldn’t come quickly enough, and when it did, it brought news that should have been thrilling, but set my teeth on edge instead—the city called to schedule a phone interview. I thanked them profusely, and when they offered a set of dates for the half-hour call, I took the latest one. The middle of next week.

Shep would rejoice.

And I should have too. It was what I wanted—what I needed—but I still fought a wave of dread at what lay ahead. I couldn’t keep dreaming a fantasy life into Camden Shepherd, and time away from him could only serve me well.

As usual, Bennett slinked his way onto my desk right after I set down the phone. “Go to dinner with me?”

I gazed up at him warily, searching for the catch.

He chuckled. “And Ivy and Camden, of course.”

“When?”

“Tonight. My treat.” He leaned forward. “My parents are visiting the city for work. I need to have plans for the foreseeable future.”

Well, there was a lot to unpack in that, but I didn’t have the headspace for it, and I doubted he’d spill, so I merely shrugged my agreement. After work, Bennett drove the four of us to a tapas place in the city, and we settled into a four-person booth with wine and a charcuterie board appetizer.

Before arriving, I’d tried to glean from Cam why Ben was avoiding his parents.

“Ben and his dad had a falling out,” Cam had said, a little cagily.

“Over what?” I asked.

Cam eyed me, determining whether he should share the information. Eventually, he replied, “Religion.”

I nodded, loath to pry further.

Now, Ben smiled wryly at each of us, his dark eyes gleaming in the low light of this intimate restaurant. “To friends and avoidance,” he said in toast, and we all clinked glasses. Ivy stared at him, a rare drop of worry in her eyes before she covered it up.

“Well,” Cam said, “I have some news. According to Ryan, we are officially back to pre-Laney sales.”

At our marketing meeting earlier, we’d celebrated with high-fives, but tonight, Ivy whooped loud enough for the patrons at the table beside ours to glance over in curiosity.

“Great work, Shepherd,” Ben said with a smile, then winked at me. “And our sweetheart, too.”

“I spoke with Bobby this afternoon,” Cam said. “They’re going to send over the terms next week.”

I grabbed his arm. “What? You didn’t tell me that!”

He gave me his full megawatt smile. “I know. It was the canned New Old Fashioned idea that did it. He got me in contact with their manufacturer who works with Jack Daniel’s. Thinks we could be in distribution to most of Georgia within just a few months.”

“That’s so great!” I said.

He grabbed my hand. “It was all you.”

Losing control of my body, I canted toward him. His smile softened, and we stared at each other until Ivy cleared her throat. I snapped my head away, but his lips brushed my temple in a brief kiss, and I did my best not to melt.