Page 65 of Chasing Shelter

“You’re right. And I don’t want that to cloud our day.” I glanced at the next stall and grinned. “I want to see what Duncan has.”

Thea looked over and waved at her boss from Bloom & Berry. “I didn’t know he was going to be here. Looks like he’s got some mums ready for the fall décor hounds.”

“Fal, does your mom like mums? Maybe I could bring some as a thank-you tomorrow.”

She shook her head but did it with a smile. “You know you don’t have to bring anything.”

“Iwantto,” I argued. “And since my cooking skills aren’t exactly up to snuff, flowers are a much safer bet.”

Fallon laughed. “How’s the new range treating you?”

“I used it safely this morning, I’ll have you know. But I did have supervision.”

That piqued her interest. Her smile widened. “Sleepover? You dog, you! Who?”

“No, no, no,” I said quickly. “Trace and Keely came over this morning.” Heat hit the apples of my cheeks. “He, uh, knows that cooking isn’t my strong suit, so he offered to teach me how to make a scramble.”

Both Fallon and Thea stilled, turning to me.

“Trace Colson?” Thea asked. “The same Trace who follows a schedule by thirty-minute increments and never deviates?”

“I, uh, didn’t know about the schedule. But, yes.”

Fallon burst out laughing. “You know, he made our chore chart growing up.” She turned to me, mischief in her dark eyes. “And I’ve never known him to deviate from his Saturday pancake routine on the weekends he has Keely.”

“Oh.” It was all I could manage to say.

“Veryinteresting, him breaking that streak,” Fallon said.

“It’s not like that,” I argued. “We’re just…frenemies.”

Thea made a choked sound. “Frenemies?”

I shrugged. “I love giving him shit and trying to force him to have a little fun. He loves trying to give me demerits and lecturing me for almost setting my house on fire.”

Fallon struggled to keep a straight face. “So, you got revenge by putting him in that truly incredible pink Hawaiian dog shirt.”

“Oh, no. I can’t take credit for that. That was all Gremlin and Curtis at Feed & Friends.”

Thea lost it then. “You are exactly what Trace needs.”

“Amen, sister,” Fallon said, holding out a hand for a high five.

Thea slapped it. “I feel like they need a reality show.”

Fallon nodded. “I could sell that.”

But I was still stuck on Thea’s words.“You are exactly what Trace needs.”I held them close for a moment too long because the reckless part of me wanted that to be true.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the trio of terror,” Duncan said with a grin as we walked up.

Fallon moved in to give him a quick hug. “Here to wreak mayhem and destruction.”

“Maybe I need to call Kye to keep you in line,” Duncan shot back.

Fallon stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t you dare ruin my fun by calling that overprotective oaf.”

Thea gave Duncan a hug, too. “Plus, this is a girls’ day. No boys allowed.”

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