Page 41 of Knox

“Right on,” Colton said, head bobbing in agreement. “I don’t mind knocking on doors. No one here knows me. I’ll say I’m in the market to buy.” He inhaled deeply through his nose and patted the countertop with one of his palms. “I love a mission in the morning.”

“It’s not morning,” Archer complained. “And I’m still hungry.”

The bell jangled again, and Maggie walked in carrying two large paper bags that smelled like heaven. “Did someone order delivery?” she asked. “Because I have fried shrimp, hushpuppies and coleslaw, if anyone’s interested.”

Colton rose and reached for the bags. “Yes!”

My stomach growled in appreciation. “Thanks, Mags.”

“Colton ordered.” Her eyes landed on Sloane and me, and her expression shifted from cheerful to speculative in an instant. “Oh my God. It’s true?”

“Mags—” I started, but she waved me off. “The whole town is talking about this.” She set the food on the counter and fixed me with a knowing look. “It’s the off-season, so you know we cling to any scrap of intrigue we can find. And this is juicy.” She motioned to Sloane and me. “I love the premise, but y’all just met five minutes ago, and Knox never dates. Not since high school, anyway. Which one of you wants to tell me what’s really going on?”

Sloane stood and busied herself with helping Maggie unpack the food.

I looked at the group of faces I trusted most in the world. Suddenly lying to them felt terrible, and I couldn’t do it. “It’s new,” I said.

“Uh huh. None of my business.” Maggie shrugged. “Next time you fall in love I’d like to hear it from you, not my parents’ dishwasher, though. Think you can manage that one courtesy?”

Sloane stole a look in my direction, a smile playing on her full pink lips. “Next time? I thought we were endgame.”

My heart spasmed, and I frowned, because if she was really my girl— No. I cut the thought short and shoved it away. Sloane wasn’t mine. And life absolutely was not fair.

We were temporary roommates, and a partnership with a job to do.

The five of us ate around the service counter. Conversation flowed easily despite the strangeness of our situation. Colton and Archer planned their canvass route. Sloane asked Maggie about local reactions to the investigation. And I tried not to notice how naturally Sloane fit into my circle, or how my friends and surrogate sister had welcomed her without hesitation.

When our plans were set, and the food was gone, Maggie gathered the empty containers and fixed me with a look. “Walk me to my truck?”

The sun was barely visible on the horizon, the world around us was doused in shades of orange and pink as I followed her to her truck.

I braced for what she might say, hating that I’d lied to her about something as irrelevant to her as dating Sloane.

Maggie turned to face me, arms crossed over her chest. “I want to apologize.” She pursed her lips and shook her head. “I thought people were lying about the two of you. Then, I thought, maybe you looked like a couple, because you stepped in to get her ex away from her at the gas station. Sloane made it clear to everyone at the party that she didn’t want him around her, and you’ve had a hero complex as long as I’ve known you.” Her gaze went to the store’s window where Sloane and the guys were visible, heads thrown back in laughter at something unheard.

A joke at my expense, if either of the guys told it, no doubt. I shook my head at the thought.

“You like her.” Maggie smiled. “It’s written all over your big, dumb, handsome face. You are smitten.”

I frowned. “You can’t call a guy dumb and handsome in the same sentence.”

She shoved her bottom lip forward. “But you are. And there are so many of you out there in the world. Sad really.”

“I’m not smitten.”

“Aw.” She pushed her lip out further. “Big, sad, dumb, boy.”

I laughed. “Shut it.”

She unlocked her truck and tossed her things inside. “I’ve known you my entire life,” she said, one hand on the door. “I know what you look like when you’re interested in a woman, but I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you looked at Sloane in there.”

My gaze searched for Sloane again. I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt quite this way before. “We barely know each other.”

“Sometimes you just know.” Maggie touched my arm. “There’s nothing wrong with that. She’s wonderful. Smart, kind, clearly crazy about you.”

“You think so?”

Maggie laughed, the sound bright and disbelieving. “For what it’s worth? Your mom loved her. And Claire would have delighted in seeing you this happy.”