Page 162 of While You Were Trending

Only good boys who don’t drool on the floor can let themselves in to see, I text back.

The front door clicks, and a moment later, Flow rushes me.

“Hello, my good girl.” I bend and rub her fur and take kisses while her back end wags, ignoring the reminder voice in the back of my head that she’ll be leaving when Declan leaves.

He hasn’t said when, but we have all of this year’s harvest fermenting.

We’re shifting into more active business and strategy planning, but wine production itself is hitting a lull.

There’s no reason for Declan to stay and film much longer.

And that hits me harder than the idea of Flow leaving.

I like him.

I like hima lot.

“Ooh, cheese.” He slips an arm around my waist and kisses my temple. “That raspberry Stilton’s almost as pretty as you are.”

I laugh.

Can’t help it.

Not when those warm brown eyes are crinkling at me.

“Adelaide sent a cheese basket to thank us.”

“She left?”

“She left. On to bigger and better things. And she said thank you.” I rub his chest, then squint up at him. “You have a date?”

He’s dressed in a soft maroon button-up tucked into his jeans, and his hair looks freshly trimmed.

“I do. With a pottery wheel.”

“What?”

“Foxy got an invitation to go there.” He shrugs. “So I’ll be out tonight.”

I goggle at him, and he cracks a grin. “Oh. Wait. Did you want to come? I thought you were washing your hair or something.”

“You aresucha dick.”

He grins wider, then threads his fingers through my hair and kisses my forehead. “I really am. Wanna come? I have to get some footage, but I don’t have to film the whole time.”

“Do I want to come?”

“I used to always want to come, but then menopause happened, and now I’m not as horny,” Pip says as she joins us from the hallway. “Oh, who cut the cheese?”

She cackles, grabs the block of aged white cheddar, then disappears into the mudroom. The back door clicks a moment later.

Declan stares after her.

Flow whimpers.

“Do you actually get used to that?” he asks me.

“I’ll consider answering if you tell me if I get to make something if I come with you.”