publisher.”
“Why don’t you just call Rocky?” Ethel asked while Daisy diligently typed in her question.
“Really, Ethel. Get with the times.”
Monica laughed and Chloe made a beeline for the kitchen. “I forgot your Moose-a-lotta aprons. Be right back.” While she was at it she’d text Rocky in private. Using abbreviations, something Daisy had yet to master, Chloe quickly thumbed that Devlin had mentioned Jayce took Rocky under his wing. “How’s that going, girlfriend?”
“How’s what going?”
Chloe gasped. “Jeez, Monica. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
“Who’s sneaking?” She followed Chloe into the compact kitchen, gestured to the phone. “Spill.”
“All right,” Chloe said in a hushed voice. “But only because I’m dying to talk to someone about this and, given the circumstances, only you and Luke qualify. You’re here. You win.”
Monica’s eyes widened. “Must be about Jayce.”
Chloe filled her friend in about the mugging and how Jayce had assured Devlin he’d look after Rocky for the rest of her visit in New York. “He took her sightseeing.”
“Get … out! Jayce and Rocky spent the day together? How did that work exactly, what with them being at odds?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping … Well, I hope Rocky took the opportunity to make peace with Jayce. Especially since…”
“Since what?”
Since he’s moving back to Sugar Creek. Chloe had promised Devlin she wouldn’t say anything to anyone. “I’m sick to death of secrets.” Bad enough she was keeping things from Devlin. Equally bad, or worse, he was keeping things from her. Something about his dad. Or mom. Or both. Something that caused Devlin great angst. Something that caused him to work more hours than he should. Frustrated, Chloe whirled away and nabbed two new moose aprons from the linen closet. “I hate that I know about Rocky and Jayce’s … fling and that Devlin doesn’t. And I hate that Devlin…”
“What?”
Cheeks hot, Chloe thrust a custom-made apron at her oldest friend. “Never mind. Just suit up. We open in…” She glanced up at the moose clock (one of three in the café). “Oh, God, ten minutes.”
Monica looped the yellow-and-green polka-dot apron over her neck. “I’m not leaving this kitchen until you finish that train of thought. What about Dev?”
Chloe tightened her ponytail, then smoothed her hand over the embroidered logo of her matching apron. “There’s something going on between him and his dad.”
“Yeah. The ongoing feud about renovations on the family’s department store.”
“No. Something else. Something he won’t talk about.”
Monica raised a brow. “A secret?”
“Not that Devlin’s obligated to tell me whatever it is. We’re not even engaged.”
“Yet.”
“Don’t jinx it—us,” Chloe snapped, hot faced and flustered. Even though she’d known Devlin less than two months, she knew they were both thinking in terms of forever. They’d weathered a rocky start, and their love intensified with every day. Even so, they were still adjusting … and managing family secrets and dynamics. “I just … Devlin seems really tense and I wish I could help.”
“Dev’s not the only one who’s tense. Polish that counter any harder and you’ll wear a hole in it.”
Chloe hadn’t even been aware she’d picked up the dish towel. Not that the counter needed a scrub. She’d tidied and cleaned after her predawn baking spree. The kitchen gleamed. Stomach aching, Chloe looked at Monica with her heart in her eyes. “I don’t want to screw up.”
“Are we talking about Dev or Moose-a-lotta?”
Chloe’s voice caught. “Both.”
Monica pulled her into a hug, smiled against her cheek. “You won’t fail, Chloe. Not on either count. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. When you put your heart into something, you’re unstoppable. Speaking of a formidable force, where is Dev anyway?”
“I needed space to do my thing in
“Why don’t you just call Rocky?” Ethel asked while Daisy diligently typed in her question.
“Really, Ethel. Get with the times.”
Monica laughed and Chloe made a beeline for the kitchen. “I forgot your Moose-a-lotta aprons. Be right back.” While she was at it she’d text Rocky in private. Using abbreviations, something Daisy had yet to master, Chloe quickly thumbed that Devlin had mentioned Jayce took Rocky under his wing. “How’s that going, girlfriend?”
“How’s what going?”
Chloe gasped. “Jeez, Monica. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
“Who’s sneaking?” She followed Chloe into the compact kitchen, gestured to the phone. “Spill.”
“All right,” Chloe said in a hushed voice. “But only because I’m dying to talk to someone about this and, given the circumstances, only you and Luke qualify. You’re here. You win.”
Monica’s eyes widened. “Must be about Jayce.”
Chloe filled her friend in about the mugging and how Jayce had assured Devlin he’d look after Rocky for the rest of her visit in New York. “He took her sightseeing.”
“Get … out! Jayce and Rocky spent the day together? How did that work exactly, what with them being at odds?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping … Well, I hope Rocky took the opportunity to make peace with Jayce. Especially since…”
“Since what?”
Since he’s moving back to Sugar Creek. Chloe had promised Devlin she wouldn’t say anything to anyone. “I’m sick to death of secrets.” Bad enough she was keeping things from Devlin. Equally bad, or worse, he was keeping things from her. Something about his dad. Or mom. Or both. Something that caused Devlin great angst. Something that caused him to work more hours than he should. Frustrated, Chloe whirled away and nabbed two new moose aprons from the linen closet. “I hate that I know about Rocky and Jayce’s … fling and that Devlin doesn’t. And I hate that Devlin…”
“What?”
Cheeks hot, Chloe thrust a custom-made apron at her oldest friend. “Never mind. Just suit up. We open in…” She glanced up at the moose clock (one of three in the café). “Oh, God, ten minutes.”
Monica looped the yellow-and-green polka-dot apron over her neck. “I’m not leaving this kitchen until you finish that train of thought. What about Dev?”
Chloe tightened her ponytail, then smoothed her hand over the embroidered logo of her matching apron. “There’s something going on between him and his dad.”
“Yeah. The ongoing feud about renovations on the family’s department store.”
“No. Something else. Something he won’t talk about.”
Monica raised a brow. “A secret?”
“Not that Devlin’s obligated to tell me whatever it is. We’re not even engaged.”
“Yet.”
“Don’t jinx it—us,” Chloe snapped, hot faced and flustered. Even though she’d known Devlin less than two months, she knew they were both thinking in terms of forever. They’d weathered a rocky start, and their love intensified with every day. Even so, they were still adjusting … and managing family secrets and dynamics. “I just … Devlin seems really tense and I wish I could help.”
“Dev’s not the only one who’s tense. Polish that counter any harder and you’ll wear a hole in it.”
Chloe hadn’t even been aware she’d picked up the dish towel. Not that the counter needed a scrub. She’d tidied and cleaned after her predawn baking spree. The kitchen gleamed. Stomach aching, Chloe looked at Monica with her heart in her eyes. “I don’t want to screw up.”
“Are we talking about Dev or Moose-a-lotta?”
Chloe’s voice caught. “Both.”
Monica pulled her into a hug, smiled against her cheek. “You won’t fail, Chloe. Not on either count. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. When you put your heart into something, you’re unstoppable. Speaking of a formidable force, where is Dev anyway?”
“I needed space to do my thing in
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