Page 77 of The Coffee Bar on Camellia Court

Juno clapped a palm to her forehead. What had she been thinking? Of course, Alex would be one of the first to know; he worked for the company. "Why… why would he do this?" she asked quietly, shame and regret radiating through her. "I've been such a jerk to him."

Penny sighed and pulled her into a hug. She was so gentle, so kind, so when she simply asked, "Was it your father? Did he steal from you?" it was almost jarring in its directness.

But that's when the tears started. Tears of grief and shame over what a fool she'd been not to see him as clearly as everyone else had, but also tears of relief at not having to carry the weight of his betrayal alone anymore. Juno pulled away and grabbed a napkin off the counter, pressing it to her eyes carefully so as not to smudge her makeup. Her friends, in an almost synchronized motion, circled around her, huddling close.

"You guys remind me of elephants," Juno sobbed, loving them even more than she had only moments before.

"Elephants," Candy echoed, chuckling, but also sounding slightly offended.

"In the best way," Juno clarified, grinning through her tears. "I saw this show the other night. Sitting all alone in my apartment by myself. Alone."

"By yourself with no one else; yes," Liz clarified. "I think we got it."

Candy hip-checked her cousin, but Liz only laughed.

"This baby elephant was being attacked by a lion," Juno went on, feeling the love and support of her friends in a way she never truly had before. "And all the other elephants circled up around the little guy and ran the lion off."

"Well, if your father walked in right now, I'd run him off," Claire retorted, and the others echoed the sentiment.

Just then, the kitchen door swung open, and Alex entered with Lena, his hand resting protectively on his daughter's shoulder. He cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt. Uh… Hazel said you were in here. Lena wanted to say 'hi.'"

"Juno!" The little girl broke away from her father and darted between the women to wrap her arms around Juno's waist in a fierce hug. "I'm so glad I get to see you tonight! Daddy said you were busy with your daddy, but I just missed you so much."

Juno returned the embrace, her throat tight with emotion. "I've missed you too, sweetheart."

She looked up to find Alex still in the doorway, keeping his distance both physically and emotionally. Gone was the easy confidence he usually wore; in its place, an uncertainty that mirrored her own inner turmoil.

Claire observed the silent exchange between them and leaned down to Lena. "Hey sweetie, have you seen the dessert table yet? Mrs. Poleman made those rainbow cupcakes you love so much."

Lena's eyes widened. "Really?" Turning to Alex, she asked, "Daddy, can I go get a rainbow cupcake?"

Claire winked at Juno over Lena's head, then led the girl away, Candy and Addison following closely after them. At the door, Candy stopped and turned back to Liz, who had returned to her stool at the counter and looked like she was just settling in for the duration.

"Get your butt moving, cuz," Candy ordered.

Liz made a big show of being disappointed. "And just when things were starting to get juicy." As she passed by Juno, she leaned in and said in a low voice loud enough for them all to hear, "Good luck, baby elephant." When she approached Alex, who still stood almost blocking the door, she gave him a not-so-gentle shove in Juno's direction, and she followed the others out of the room.

For a long moment, neither Alex nor Juno spoke. Then Juno held out her hand to him, surprising both of them with the gesture. "We need to talk," she said, her voice barely audible. "But not here."

Alex nodded, his fingers closing gently around hers. "Lead the way."

Juno lead him across the kitchen to the back door that opened into Hazel's private garden. The evening air with the breeze off the water was cool after the warmth of the crowded B&B, and the garden was peaceful, illuminated by a few strategically placed solar lights in the borders.

She led him to a stone bench beneath an arch draped a purple clematis, then pulled him down to sit beside her in the intimate space. Only then did she release his hand and turn to face him.

"Did you do this?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Alex shook his head. "Your friends pulled this off, not me."

"But it was your idea."

He didn't deny it. "I brought it up to Claire. The rest was all them." He paused, then it was his turn to take her hand. "I didn't know how else to help you, Juno, and I didn't want you to have to deal with the fallout of… of what happened alone."

"You can say it, Alex. My father stole from me. He swindled me out of more than forty thousand dollars, and he stole from some of my customers, too. You were right about Mrs. Harrison. He stole a credit card from her." She heard his intake of breath, but pressed on. "I practically handed him my life savings on a silver platter by letting him back into my life without any evidence that he truly was a changed man."

"It's not such a bad thing, believing in people, Juno," Alex said, reaching up to brush her cheek with his thumb.

Juno took a shaky breath, willing herself not to cry over his tenderness. "I know. I just need to be better about choosing who to believe in. I'm apparently not a very good judge of character, am I?"

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