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“Good to know,” Julie said faintly.
“Anyway, our first meeting will be tonight.” She looked around the store to make sure that no one was listening. “It’s time to put my respiritualization on the back shelf and take care of the man who is plotting my demise.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Bea asked.
“Julie shared some interesting intel with me yesterday. It seems that Ken is taking his assholery to new heights, and it’s time to show him where the hard line is drawn.”
“I need details,” Bea lamented.
“Tonight,” Lucy replied firmly.
“Do you all have a secret handshake and code word?” Julie asked with a smirk.
“No, but we do ask that you bring a bottle of wine.”
“Okay,” she said with a short laugh, “maybe this whole lady friendship thing won’t suck.”
Bea gave Julie a side hug. “You’re going to love it.”
“And to be clear, we don’t always plot the demise of someone who has crossed us. Sometimes we skinny dip in the lake when there’s a full moon or play poker.” She patted Julie’s arm. “We know retribution isn’t the best expression of an evolved soul, but sometimes it’s necessary.”
“As the resident spiritual advisor and guru, I can’t condone payback, but as a friend, I can support your need to draw boundaries,” Bea said firmly.
Lucy nodded. “Good. Because we’re going to cook someone’s goose and need all hands on deck.” She gave the women a satisfied smile and prayed that the low-life lothario who thought he could mess with her world wouldn’t see them coming.
Linc parked his motorcycle in front of the house and saw Julie lift a box out of the back seat of her car. “Need help?”
“No, I’ve got it.”
He shoved his helmet into the storage box and ambled in his friend’s direction. “How did it go today?”
“Great.” She set the box on the front steps and then dropped down on the top one. “Lucy introduced me to everyone who walked through the bookstore’s door, and I have three jobs lined up.”
Linc joined her and stretched out his legs. “Guessing that means you plan on staying in Haven for a while longer.”
“Yeah,” she glanced over, “that is if it’s okay with you and Zane.”
“I’m okay with it, but it’s Zane’s home, so the decision is up to him.”
“He’s not growling nearly as much.” She lifted her hand toward the tub that now gleamed white in the afternoon sun. “His project seems to be soothing his beastly soul, so he may not mind having a squatter on the third floor.”
“I’m betting if you promise to finish the mural, he’ll be down with you staying for as long as you’d like.”
“Are you okay with me hanging out for a while longer?”
He leaned back on his hands and gave the question some real consideration. He didn’t want to pop off an easy answer and then regret it in a week. “Before I can answer that, I need to know if you’ve given up on the idea of anything romantic happening between us.”
“I’m not going to throw myself at you anymore. Don’t worry.” She looked down at her sandals. “Lucy suggested I only pursued you because I needed the distraction, and she’s partly right.”
“What’s the other part?”
“If I’m completely honest,” she twisted her hands together, “there was probably a part of me that always thought we’d eventually get together.”
He focused on the wordwasand let out a breath. “I apologize if I did anything to make you believe that was possible.”
Julie snorted. “Linc, either you are obtuse or completely detached from reality.”
“What the hell does that mean?” He pushed himself up. “I didn’t lead you on or anyone else, for that matter. That isn’t how I roll, and you know that!”
