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  Kevin shrugged. “The mailman just delivered it a little while ago. And I’ve been busy with customers.” Scratching at the polo stretched across his barrel chest, he lumbered to a cask that served as a side table and picked up the Pineville Gazette. “You made it above the fold,” he told Izzy as he flipped the paper onto the bar in front of her.

  Izzy stared down at her photo, the same one she had on park benches and the sides of buses in the tri-city area. Lydia turned the paper so they could both read it if they cocked their heads.

  “It’s about your dog rescue!” Running her index finger along the sides of each paragraph, Lydia skimmed the article.

  Izzy didn’t want to read it. The headline was bad enough: Local Real Estate Agent Preapproved for Hero Status. She knew marketing well enough to know what would be in the article. Glowing praise over a selfless act. Silly puns about dogs. Everyone liked a feel-good story.

  “Brad,” she said, her voice grim. “He did this.”

  “Well, he did want to advertise the banquet in the papers. This is great press.” Lydia flipped to page five.

  Great. A multi-page article on a fake story. “How bad is it? How good do they make me sound?”

  Kevin tilted his head. “Sounding good is a bad thing?”

  Yes, if it was undeserved. Her stomach went queasy.

  Lydia pressed the tip of her tongue to her upper lip. “It’s rather detailed. About how you shimmied through a busted window, braving broken glass, not knowing what you were going to find, but compelled to investigate anyway.”

  “Shimmied? Compelled?” Those had to be Brad’s words. The local reporters weren’t so flowery with their language. And there hadn’t been any broken glass.

  “I like this bit best.” Kevin stabbed a thick finger on the second to last paragraph. “‘After carrying five animals into the shelter, Ms. Lopez formed a bond with the adult female dog. Seemingly she is the only human the dog will respond to. According to shelter owner, Bradley Cohen, Ms. Lopez was so distraught over the condition of the dogs, she vowed to punish those responsible for the animals’ abandonment should they ever be found.’ Then the last paragraph gives information on the banquet.” He nudged Lydia with his elbow. “You never told me Izzy was such a bad-ass.”

  “Climbing through broken windows. Vowing revenge. Who knew Crook County had its own Rambette?” Lydia leaned into Kevin, and laughter shook their bodies.

  “I didn’t say that!” The back of her neck grew hot, and she slugged back a shot of wine. “None of it happened that way. Well, except for the window. I did kind of have to shimmy through it. My skirt was too tight to climb through normally.”

  They laughed harder.

  “It wasn’t funny,” she told them. “I couldn’t get my legs through and fell on my ass into an empty apartment.”

  “Stop it.” Lydia wiped her cheeks. “Oh God, I wish I’d seen that.”

  The door opened, and Izzy’s four o’clock stepped in.

  Picking up her wine and water, Izzy slid off her stool. “If you guys are done yukking it up, my appointment is here.” Plastering a smile on her face, she set her drinks down on the side table with her purse and portfolio and greeted Mr. Yu with an outstretched hand.

  The meeting went longer than expected, and not thirty seconds after he left, her next meeting strolled through the door.

  “Mr. Carelli. Nice to see you.” She shook the developer’s hand. “Thanks for meeting with me.”

  “Of course. And, please, call me David.” He slid onto the stool across from her. “When lots of this size come on the market, it always piques my interest.”

  “It’s not on the market yet. We want to see what sort of interest there is first.” She waved at Lydia. “Would you like a glass of wine?” she asked David.

  “Just water, please.”

  Izzy pointed at her water bottle, and Lydia nodded. She brought it over along with a fresh plate of cheese and crackers. She gave the handsome blond man a wide smile. “Are you sure I can’t get you a glass of wine? Our reserve shiraz is really quite good.”

  “No, thanks.” He took off his jacket and draped it along the back of the stool. Izzy could practically see her friend drooling at the man’s shoulders. “I don’t like to drink and talk business at the same time.”

  “Well, any night you’re tired of talking business, come on by.” Lydia tucked her shoulders back, giving her girls a little oomph. “I’d be happy to give you a taste of all we have to offer.”

  Izzy forced her eyes to remain unrolled. Sometimes her friend was over the top. But David just chuckled. “I’m sure my fiancée would love to visit this place.”

  Lydia shrugged, good-naturedly. She was always willing to take a shot, something Izzy admired even though she didn’t want to emulate it. And when the shot didn’t pan out, Lydia let it roll off her back. Something else Izzy admired. “Let me know if you need anything,” Lydia said, and strolled back behind the bar as another group wandered in for a tasting.

  Izzy spent the next half hour answering questions and going through the financials. “I’d like to have a strong offer of intent to bring to my client, something robust but fair. He wants to sell; he only needs the proper motivation.”

  “Oh, I think you’ll do quite well,” he said. “But it won’t be Carelli Construction making an offer.”

  Her stomach clenched. “Is there something about the properties that’s a red flag to you?” She hadn’t been able to get her four o’clock to show much interest either. Especially when she’d floated the four million price tag as her opening bid. Was she wrong about this property? Reading the current market incorrectly?

  “The height restrictions the zoning board created would limit the uses. One-story strip malls just aren’t bringing the same rate of return as they used to. I’m looking for space where I can build multi-story office parks.” David stood. “But that was a great presentation. I’m sure you’ll find someone who will see its potential.” He shrugged into his jacket and stuck out a hand.

  She took it and prayed he was right. So far, she didn’t have much to report back to Burker. “Thanks for your time.” She waited for the door to swing shut behind him before slumping her shoulders.

  Lydia placed another glass of wine in front of her, this one a delicate pink color, and sat down across from Izzy with her own glass.

  “No deal, huh?”

  Planting her elbows on the table, Izzy propped her chin in her palm. “I haven’t got one offer. It’s early yet, but I’m worried I raised the owner’s hopes on the price.” And raised her own hopes. She thought of Ana’s emaciated college fund. She needed this commission to fatten it up.

  Kevin strolled over. He placed a large block wrapped in gold foil in front of them. “You look like you could use chocolate.”

  Lydia rolled her eyes. “Chocolate isn’t the answer to everything, Kevin.”

  Rubbing a hand over his slightly rounded gut, he lifted his shoulders. “It’s Belgian. Good stuff.”

  “Thanks.” Izzy gave him a smile and unwrapped the block. It wasn’t a two-hundred-thousand-dollar commission, but he was right. Chocolate helped. “This is good,” she said around a bite. She held it up to Lydia, but she shook her head. Must be on another crash diet. No other way her friend would turn down chocolate.

  Kevin gave Lydia one last look and wandered away, his footsteps heavy.

  Izzy shook her head. “A man who makes you laugh, looks at you like you walk on water, and brings you chocolate. What is wrong with you?”

  “What?” Looking over her shoulder at her partner, she spun back around and shrugged. “He’s a nice guy, but not what I’m looking for.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  Lydia gazed past Izzy’s shoulder. “I want someone extraordinary. Is that so wrong?”

  “Someone caring, dependable, and who sticks ar
ound is extraordinary.” She shoved another square of creamy chocolate in her mouth. Since Kevin and her friend owned a business together, he couldn’t just up and leave her on a whim. Tannert Winery was a safety net of sorts if Lydia wanted a relationship with her partner. And safety nets were very good things. “You’re passing up something that could be great in hopes of a perfect that doesn’t exist.”

  Lydia tore off a square of chocolate for herself. “Just because you picked a bum in your first marriage doesn’t mean I should settle.”

  Izzy froze, the chocolate clogging her throat.

  “Shit.” Lydia covered her hand with her own. “I’m sorry, Iz. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “It’s okay. I did pick a bum.” God, she’d been stupid at twenty. Dropping out of college to work two jobs while Javier “made his films.” She’d paid for the latest software programs for him to edit and splice and whatever the hell else, believing his shtick that a big break was just around the bend. That Hollywood would come calling when they saw the short films he posted online.

  Except the films never got posted. She still wondered what the hell he’d been doing all day while she was at work. It had almost been a relief when he’d packed his bags to head out west, searching for his dream. He’d promised he’d send for her after his big break. Two weeks later he’d sent her divorce papers. Ana had come a month later.

  “I know you haven’t had great experiences with men, first your dad taking off, then your loser husband, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get back out there.” Lydia leaned forward. “Maybe you should ask Kevin out. As you say, he is a good guy.”

  “And one that only has eyes for you.”

  “Well, what about that Brad fellow? He got you to adopt two dogs. He must have a silver tongue.” Lydia waggled her eyebrows. “Don’t you want to see what else that tongue is good at?”

  “No,” she said emphatically. Although, yeah, if she was completely honest, she had to admit she had thought of his tongue. And his lips. And other parts of him. Her cheeks heated. “He’s another man who can’t support himself.” She wouldn’t be going through that again.

  Biting down on the inside of her cheek, Izzy tried to force down the guilt. Maybe she wasn’t being fair to Brad. He worked hard, and even though he didn’t have a pot to piss in, that didn’t mean he wasn’t dependable.

  Didn’t mean he was, either.

  “I’m not talking marriage here.” Lydia leaned across the table. “Fun doesn’t have to cost anything, if you know what I mean.”

  Izzy knew what she meant. She just didn’t know if she was the type of woman to have a little no-strings fun. She was a mom. Were moms even allowed to do that?

  “Even if I were ready for a little fun”—she held up her hands—“and I’m not saying I am, it couldn’t be with Brad.” She leaned close and whispered, “I know information that he’d want to know, but it’s info I can’t tell him, and you can’t have fun with someone you’re keeping important info from. You know?”

  “Um, not really? But I’m guessing this has something to do with your work.”

  Izzy nodded unhappily and traced her index finger over the condensation ring her water bottle had left on the table.

  “This might be the wine talking, but I have an idea. A good one.”

  Izzy rocked back. This was going to be interesting. “Lay it on me.”

  “Introduce me to your Brad. If he’s as cute as you say he is, and seeing as how you don’t want him, I’ll take a shot.” Lydia darted a glance behind the bar. “Then I’ll bring Brad here, and when Kevin sees me with someone else, maybe the stars will be knocked from his eyes. Then you two can have a shot together. He’s stable and sweet, and real good with Ana. You two would make a great couple!”

  Lydia saluted her with her glass, a satisfied smile curving her lips.

  No part of that sounded good. Not the Lydia and Brad part, and not the Kevin and Izzy part. In fact, both parts of the idea made Izzy’s stomach cramp. But she couldn’t think of any good reason why that should be, so she forced her lips to turn up and raised her own glass.

  “You and Brad and me and Kevin, huh?” Izzy asked.

  A shadow crossed Lydia’s eyes. “Yeah, you and Kevin,” she said, and threw back the rest of her wine.

  “What the hell?” Izzy clinked her glass against Lydia’s. “Next week you can pick up Ana from the shelter one afternoon. Meet Brad. See what happens.”

  She wanted her friend to be happy. Didn’t want to stand in the way of any possible love connections. But she knew. She knew if Brad asked Lydia out, it was going to hurt. Dig a tiny spike into her chest, a constant pain she wouldn’t be able to shake.

  What she didn’t know was why.

  Chapter Nine

  Stephanie tugged at her leash and lunged toward the soccer field. There was a ball in motion and she wanted to chase it.

  Brad pulled her away from the sideline. Maybe bringing a dog to Ana’s soccer game, especially the excitable Lab, wasn’t the best idea he’d had. But he was here to hand out flyers for the shelter’s banquet, and bringing a representative of the animals he was trying to help had seemed like a smart marketing move. Something Izzy would approve of.

  Ana stood in the backfield as a fullback, looking cute as hell in her green jersey with two darks braids running down her back. Brad scanned the sidelines, looking for the grown-up version of Ana. He didn’t see her, but he did see another female he recognized.

  “Hi there, Vi.” He squatted next to the boxer mix and rubbed her head. Stephanie’s greeting was more enthusiastic, tripping over Vi’s front paws and rolling on top of her.

  Vi stared up at him with mournful eyes, and Brad shrugged. The dog would have to learn to put up with Stephanie’s goofiness, just like everyone else did.

  “I knew bringing the dogs to the game was a smart move.” A tall woman with a mess of big blond hair smiled down at him. “All the cute guys are coming over to say hello.”

  He stood. “You must be a friend of Izzy’s. I’m Brad.” Transferring Stephanie’s leash to his left hand, he held out his right.

  “Lydia.” She looked him up and down, her eyebrows rising with every inch of his body she scanned. It was almost enough to make him blush.

  He grinned. “Where’s Izzy? And the pup?” He still couldn’t get used to calling the poor dude Jasmine.

  “Iz had to work. But the cute little dumplin’ is making the rounds.” She pointed out the puppy in the arms of a big, bearded man. “Everyone wants to hold the baby.” She leaned close and whispered, “I think more people are looking at that puppy than the game.”

  “Puppies have that effect on people.” His shoulders fell, his arms dropping heavily to his sides. “Izzy isn’t at Ana’s game?” The girl in question watched the ball roll past her and darted into action. She tripped over the ball and fell on her butt. The edges of his lips tugged up. How could Izzy miss this?

  Lydia crossed her arms over her chest. “She’s a hard worker. Being a single mom, she has to hustle business whenever she can.”

  Brad thought that point was debatable, but he appreciated how quickly the woman stood up for her friend. He raised both hands, palms out. “I’m a big admirer of her work ethic.” Among other things. “I’m just sad she had to miss this. I’m sure both Izzy and Ana are disappointed.”

  Lydia relaxed. “Well, there was some sulking this morning when I picked Ana up, but that’s to be expected. I think Ana and this one here were competing for grumpiest girl of the morning.” She bent over and patted first Vi, then Stephanie when the Lab threw herself between Lydia’s hands and the boxer. Laughing, Lydia dropped onto the grass and rolled with the dog. Two blousy blondes with a lot of energy.

  Some neurons fired in his brain, and Brad hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets, rocking up onto his toes. “Where do you work, Lydia?” Stephanie could never
have an owner who was gone from nine to five. She was an extrovert who needed frequent attention. “Are you an office dweller?”

  “God no.” Stephanie flopped to her back, legs in the air, and Lydia rubbed her belly. “I own a winery. Tannert’s in Clarion Township. That’s actually how I met Izzy. She sold the vineyard and buildings to my partner and me. We were her first sale after she moved to Pineville.”

  A whistle blew, and the girls trotted to the sidelines.

  “Halftime.” Lydia pulled a phone from her back pocket. “I’m going to text Iz with the score.”

  “Hey, can you watch Stephanie for a bit while I hand out these flyers?” Brad waved the sheaf of papers. “I have potential donors to line up.”

  Sliding her phone into her pocket, she nodded and went back to playing with Stephanie. Brad whistled as he strode away. There’d be one more dog with a forever home by the end of the day.

  He passed the flyers around, stopping to say hi to Jasmine and wave to Ana as she retook the field with her team. Brad was down to his last four flyers and figured that was enough work for the day. Time to enjoy a soccer game.

  He sat with Lydia and the dogs, cheering on the Green Hornets. And when they won by two goals, he was first in line to congratulate Ana.

  He yanked on one of her braids. “Great job, kiddo. You’ve got quite a leg on you.”

  “Thanks, Brad.” She knelt next to the dogs and picked her puppy up. “Did you text Mom that we won?” she asked Lydia.

  “Just hit Send. She texted back the clapping hands emoji.” Turning her phone, Lydia showed Ana.

  Brad’s stomach rumbled. “What do you say we go surprise your mom at her office? Maybe bring her some lunch?” He looked at Lydia and raised an eyebrow.

  “She’s not at her office. She has a showing.” Ana rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t have time for lunch.”

  “But I do,” Lydia said brightly. “Why don’t we go grab some tacos at Celeste’s?” She included Brad in the invitation. “They allow dogs on their outdoor patio.”