I dropped my head. All this really had been my fault.
“And stop blaming yourself!” She shook my shoulders roughly. “Seriously, there are at least five people before you to take responsibility, and I’m pretty sure I’m four of them.”
I shook my head, grabbing her hands. “I’ll figure something else out.”
“Not a chance.” She slid them away and roughly patted my cheek. “We’re getting you that money. Honestly, what sort of person would I be if I let Ivy get kicked out?” She sighed dramatically and shook out her hair. “No. No. I’ll go down there and see what Benny Jr. thinks he can do. I’m not scared of him.”
I scrubbed at my face. “I hate this. I'll come find you as soon as I pay her rent, okay? We will make a new plan for you and your boobs.”
She leaned forward to kiss my nose, and I was tempted to kiss her deeply there and then, but I wasn’t sure where we stood now if she could still trust me.
“Okay,” she said, and I let her pull me up to stand.
I looked down at her one last time, cupped her cheek, and kissed her forehead.
Back on the snowmobile, we made it the rest of the way down, coming to a stop in front of the others waiting.
“Looks like you’re not a total idiot,” Benny Jr. said. “For a second there, I thought you were about to do something stupid.” He spoke to me, but he glared at Bee.
I felt her tense at my side. I slipped an arm through hers.
“Come on, really?” I gestured to Office Martinez. “This isn’t necessary. Bee didn’t do any damage to your shop.”
“I bet we can clear all this up without any arrests. She’s just a passing tourist who got confused, no doubt,” Officer Martinez said, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else on New Year’s Day, barely glancing at Bee.
My head dropped back to glare at the bright sky. This was not happening again.
“I just made him his double espresso yesterday morning,” Bee said to me, put out but not surprised.
“I looked up Ms. Perkins, and she doesn’t have a record,” the officer explained.
“Shoplifting!” Benny jabbed a finger in the direction of Bee’s snowsuit.
“Hey, now wait. You made me drag her out in the weather. She needed clothes.” I spoke without thinking, only realizing too late how it sounded.
“Why didn’t she have any clothes?” My boss eyed her suspiciously. “What sort of deviant am I dealing with here?”
Azi and Mateo shared a look before Azi’s gaze lingered on Bee. A protective instinct had me stepping closer to her.
Even the cop looked more interested in being here. His gaze flicked up and down Bee, like Azi’s had. All of a sudden, these men in town took notice of her, and that wasn’t fair, not whenshe’d been here all along. But something about the jump and the stay in the cabin changed her, and she seemed to exude this pheromone that had all the men sniffing around.
I hated it. I ground my jaw and balled my fists.
“Indecent exposure, shoplifting, loitering, and … and breaking and entering!” Benny Jr. listed.
“I didn’t break anything!” Bee shouted, then pointed at Azi. “It was your employee who didn’t see me when doing closing shift duties. I could sue for neglect.”
“She must have been hiding,” Azi said, scratching at the back of his neck, fully avoiding her gaze. “It was an honest mistake.”
“Yeah, right,” Bee mumbled, and I wondered if it would draw too much attention to cover her mouth with my hand. She had confessed to me that, technically, she’d been hiding from Azi in an effort to stay the night.
“See. I’m sure there’s no need for this to go any further,” the officer said. “Come on, Ben. I’m sure we can just call it a day and celebrate the new year.”
“It’s Mr. Gauner.” Anger spread up Benny Jr.’s cheeks. “I’m pressing charges,” he said because he would always do the opposite of any suggestion.
The others rolled their eyes. My own anger pumped blood to my fists that curled for action. I didn’t want to be this person, but I could. I stepped forward and used my bulk to make myself as large as possible.
Benny Jr. flinched back, his eyes darting side to side.
