He took her hand as they started to stroll down the road.

“I meant to ask you earlier but I was sidetracked. Mind you, I’m not ever going to voice it as a complaint to be sidetracked to have an orgasm. Just FYI. Natalie and I have been renting a house up in the mountains every May for the last few years. It’s usually a girls’ trip for my birthday but this has been such a weird and crazy spring it’s just me and Nat. Well, and Paddy. I wondered if you’d like to come up? Four days, and I know you probably have a lot of stuff to do here so I understand if you can’t. It’s on a lake so there’s kayaking and canoeing and some pretty impressive hiking trails if you’d be up for it.”

He thought about it. Paddy would be there and there’d be sex and hiking, too. It had been a very long time since he’d done something like that with friends. “Yes, I’d like that.”

“Yeah? You can bring Loopy if you like. The owners are dog people and in years past Jenny and Zoe have brought their dog.”

“She’s an outdoorsy dog. If you don’t mind having her along for hikes and the like, she loves it. Though if there was a bear she’d probably try to get it to throw her a ball.”

A romantic trip. He hadn’t gone on anything even resembling one. But he liked the idea of being out on the trail with her. He hoped she wore those formfitting yoga pants when she went hiking.

“All right. I’ll get you all the details.” She picked up a stick and Loop nearly lost her mind with excitement. Laughing, Tuesday tossed it and the dog was a blond blur as she ran past them.

“She’s never going to leave you alone now. You know that, right?”

Loopy brought her back the stick, which Tuesday threw again and again as they made their way to Vaughan’s. His brother had lodged himself in Gresham as Maddie healed after she’d been released from the hospital. He was trying his damnedest to get back in Kelly’s and the girls’ lives. Ezra hoped like hell it worked out because they all deserved a happy ending.

Tuesday played with the dog while Ezra took care of things inside.

“I admire your positive outlook, Loopy.”

Ezra paused at the side of the house, watching her with his dog. How people treated animals said a lot about them. She threw the stick, gently teased the dog about the slobber on it, scratched and generally was kind. He liked it and his damned dog did, too.

Loopy already loved Natalie and Mary, but Tuesday had been in Ezra’s pack, in their house, so the dog would see her as one of them in ways she didn’t with Natalie or even Mary. He sort of felt that way about Tuesday, as well.

Tuesday ran along with Loopy, who barked merrily as they went.

He finally came out of the shadows and called out to them both. “Loopy, don’t get Tuesday tired. I need her later.”

Tuesday snorted as she approached. “Everything all right?”

He put an arm around her shoulders and they set off toward Paddy’s place. “Just fine.” More than fine, as it happened. And he planned to let it keep on in that direction.

* * *

TUESDAY HAD JUST finished stretching a canvas when her phone rang, indicating an unknown number. She considered not answering but did anyway.

“Hello?”

“Is this Tuesday?”

“Who’s this, please?”

The woman on the other end laughed prettily and it sounded familiar enough to tug at her memory but Tuesday couldn’t quite place it.

“I’m sorry. It’s Kelly Hurley. I got your number from Ezra earlier today. Is this a good time to talk a little business?”

“I’m a small business owner. It’s always time to talk business.” Tuesday liked Kelly so it wasn’t a hardship to have a chat. “I’m in my shop right now, though, and it’s been sort of busy today so I can’t guarantee I won’t get interrupted.”

“Do you take lunch?”

“I do, usually at one or so.”

“This has to do with your jewelry. Do you have an inventory at your shop? Let me back up a second. I’d like to take you to lunch to talk about your jewelry and my business and so I’d also like to see your stuff at the same time.”

Tuesday warmed. “Oh. Yes. Today?”

“Yes. The girls are at school so I’ve got the time if you do.”

* * *

KELLY CAME IN as Tuesday was ringing someone up, but wandered through the small space until she’d found the jewelry and began to look at the pieces out on the display tree.

“Thanks for waiting.” Tuesday turned to her once her customer had left.

Kelly’s smile was genuine. “No problem.” She indicated the cases where the jewelry was displayed. “This is all yours?”

Tuesday nodded, joining Kelly at the cases, circling to the back to unlock them and slide the trays holding the more pricey pieces out.

Kelly pulled a necklace free, examining it carefully, including a look at the price tag.

“Are you going to keep me in suspense forever or tell me what you’re here for?”

“Come on.” Kelly put the necklace back carefully. “Let’s go to lunch and I’ll tell you what I have in mind now that I’ve seen your work.”

“Okay. Hang on a few while I get everything locked down.”

Soon enough they’d finished ordering their lunches.

“What sort of inventory do you have?”

“It depends. It’s cyclical. If I find something I like, a material or I come across some stones or beads I tend to create a number of connected pieces all at once. I just started a stall at a craft market in Portland, though, so I’ve recently stepped up production to keep pace with sales.”