Page 32 of Trust

“There’s only one Hawker in residence. I saw Asher tear out of town a couple of hours ago.”

“Oh,” she replied quietly. “Then Zane will have to deal with the town’s beauties on his own.”

“The only woman he’s interested in is you.” Bea took her hand. “His aura is very murky. He doesn’t know how to handle his feelings and is engulfed in gray. Poor thing.”

“His aura is not my concern. Nor is his chi.” She fixed the ribbon in her hair. “Or anything else about his person.”

“We both know that’s not true.” Bea frowned. “The man is working overtime not to fall head over heels in lust. And since we're more evolved, we must extend grace while he goes through the process.”

“Is that what you were doing with Asher at the kissing booth?”

“The man certainly doesn’t deserve an extra ounce of it,” she huffed. “There are few people who cause my good intentions to falter, and that…that…infuriating man would test anyone’s desire to be a good human!”

She snorted louder than was polite. “Perhaps we should discuss your situation and not mine.”

“No, thank you,” Bea said firmly. “Since Asher Hawker is of no interest to me.” She pushed her fingers into her pocket. “What did Zane say anyway?”

“He told me in no uncertain terms that he had no interest in the chaos I would bring to his life.”

“He used the word chaos?”

“I’m almost certain he did.” She looked up and then shrugged. “That was the gist, anyway.”

Bea rolled her lips together. “That was fear talking. Not his heart.”

“It doesn’t matter since my crush has evaporated.” She snapped her fingers. “Disappeared.”

“That kind of nonsense needs a glass of wine.”

She whistled for her dog. “We’re going for a walk first. I’ve eaten most of my feelings for the last three days and need to stay away from my pantry for a while.”

“Fine.” Bea patted Bella’s head. “We can discuss your chi on our walk.”

“Must we?” she whined as they crossed the road and headed into the woods. “I’m tired of dissecting my dead dreams and unrequited lust.”

Bea rolled her eyes. “I see you’re honoring Margret and giving into theatrics.”

“I don’t even know him.” She took her best friend’s hand. “How did he get ahold of me so quickly? It’s not like he’s got some great personality and showed me why being friends would in any way not be torture.”

“What one’s heart desires rarely makes sense.”

“My heart never had a chance to get in the game.” They tromped through the woods, and she felt some of her more wretched feelings soften. “It was just a stupid crush and likely rooted in nothing more than fantasy.”

“If that’s true, and I’m not saying it is, then those feelings can be worked out quickly and dismissed.”

“I suppose so.” She plucked a flower off a plant. “I haven’t enjoyed the company of a man in a while. Maybe I just need some sweaty sex and confused my initial feelings for something more.”

“Only one way to find out,” Bea said with a knowing smile.

She heard her watch beep with a reminder. “Oh, shoot, I almost forgot; Hoyt is coming over later to see if he can get the Ferris wheel working.”

“I bet that’ll make Zane crazy. Nothing a man likes less than having someone encroach on their territory.”

“Zane doesn’t have any territory where I’m concerned,” she replied as Bella ran ahead, barking loudly.

“Let me ask you this…”

“Uh-oh, should I be concerned?”

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