Page 5 of Rules

My heart skips. Sue owns Sweet Dreams Bakery just two blocks over. We trade referrals all the time.

"If you'll excuse me for just a moment," I stand, "I need to check on an order."

At the counter, Mary's face is grim, I lean in next to her keeping our voices low. "He said Sue walked in on them. They punched her, broke her jaw, three ribs and he thought her wrist. She's in surgery now."

"Surgery? Damn!" My hand flies to my mouth. "Did they catch them?"

"No. According to Chet, there were four of them all wearing masks." Mary's voice drops. "Your boyfriend's going to be busy."

A flash of movement catches my eye - a police cruiser passing slowly. My pulse quickens until I realize it's not Tobias's vehicle. The disappointment feels stupid. He's made it clear where he stands - or rather, where he won't stand. Our night in the park after the Chamber picnic clearly meant more to me than to him. The memory of his kiss, the way his hands...

"Earth to Ruth." Mary waves her hand in front of my face. "One mention of him and off to la la land you go."

"What? No." The denial sounds weak even to me.

"Honey, you get this look whenever he drives by. Like a teenager spotting her crush in the hallway."

"I do not!" Heat creeps up my neck. "Besides, he's made his choice. Every time I see him now, he can barely string two words together before finding some reason to leave."

"Maybe-" Mary starts, but Jessica's mother's voice cuts through the shop like a foghorn.

"Lilacs? How common."

"Jessica," I paste on my professional smile and return to the table. "Why don't I work up some proposals incorporating the ideas? That way you can see how different elements might complement each other. And the moms can see how this will be the wedding of the season."

By the time I finally shepherd them out, my head is pounding. Joey climbs into my lap, nuzzling my hand sympathetically.

"That was brutal," Mary collapses into a chair. "The way they kept going at each other? Like two cats fighting over the last mouse."

"Can you imagine when they have kids?" I scratch Joey's ears.

"That's not funny." Mary's expression sobers.

"Have any of the other business owners said anything on the chat?" I opened the app I wanted. "Thank goodness, we've got good security."

"So did Sweet Dreams." Mary gathered her things. "Just... be careful, okay? Especially closing up alone."

I wave off her concern, but after she leaves, the shop feels too quiet, too exposed. Joey must sense my unease - he stations himself by the door, alert and watchful. Such a brave little protector, just like the man who found him.

Stop it, I scold myself. Tobias Trenton is not going to come riding to my rescue. Whatever spark existed between us that night has clearly fizzled out. Even if the memory of his kiss still burns...

A noise outside makes me jump. Just the wind rattling the awning, but suddenly Mary's warning doesn't seem so paranoid. I check my phone - no messages, no missed calls. Not that I'm hoping for any from a certain silver-haired sheriff.

I put together a large arrangement and grab my car keys. "Come on Joey," I gather my things. "Let's deliver this to Sue at the hospital then. Pick up Thai food for lunch."

The rest of the afternoon was spent putting flowers together for a ladies church luncheon while Joey slept. At five I locked the door and put the closed sign up. After pulling the cash and closing the till I picked up Joey and headed to my backroom office for an exciting night of paperwork.

I bet if I had the stomach for it, I could have been a surgeon.

Chapter 3

Ruth

"Eleven already?" I stretch in my office chair, my spine protesting after hours hunched over spreadsheets. "Damn, Joey, how do I get so far behind every month?"

My faithful companion snores softly from his plush bed, utterly unconcerned with my bookkeeping woes. One eye cracks open at the sound of his name before promptly closing again.

"Some help you are," I mutter, turning back to my laptop. "If you cared you'd take a course in accounting."

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