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“Maybe go ahead and accept that position since it’s a sure thing.” My nod was so fake it was a wonder my head didn’t snap off.

“Well, I mean…it’s not really for sure, for sure, but the interview went really well.”

I had to hold back the shriek of frustration.

“Thank you for your time.”

There. Super professional.

I stood, feeling the burn at the back of my right thigh. Not exactly pain but rather an imprint.

I bit down on my lip as a rush of the memory assailed. The way Trevan had looked as he stared up at me. Fierce jaw clenched and something in his eyes rarely seen.

A shiver raced as I thought of the way it’d felt to have him touching me. It felt intimate and stolen. But I had a way of convincing myself things meant something different than they actually did when it came to him.

“Fine.” She shrugged a shoulder and walked out the door while I stood gaping at her back.

The antique bell hung above it jangled as it clattered closed.

I turned, stumbled toward the counter, and dropped my forehead to the hard surface. “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

I could feel Trevan shift around, the clomp of two heavy footsteps before he pressed his hands to the counter on either side of my head. “What in the world are you talking about? You did great.”

Huffing, I peeked up at him. God, why did my stomach have to go and flip?

“Great? I basically had to run her out of here, and I didn’t like the feeling of it.”

“You have to do hard things when you’re the boss lady.”

“But I don’t want to be the boss lady. I just want to have a store,” I whined.

Chuckling low, he reached over and tugged at my braid. “It’s all a part of it, and it’s clear you have it handled. Besides, you had plenty of other contestants to pick from.”

I had. Honestly, it was a great day. I was just feeling overwhelmed, which I’d read enough when I’d been preparing for this to know that I would.

It was a lot to tackle.

The pressure of wanting to be successful and do everything right, up against the snags you were bound to hit.

I pushed upright. “Yeah, I guess I do, don’t I?”

“Yup.” He swiveled and reached for a tray on the far counter along the wall. He set the platter in front of me. “Here.”

Apples and cheese.

My chest swelled, and I brushed off the significance and instead groaned as I grabbed one of each, plastering them together to make my favorite flavor.

“You do love me.”

I was famished. I was used to Meems trying to stuff me every minute of the day.

Trevan grunted as he popped his own apple slice into his mouth. “So, which one of the applicants are you going to pick?”

I contemplated as I chewed. Or maybe I was just daydreaming as I watched Trevan chew his.

“To me, there were really only two viable candidates,” I finally said.

“Heidi?” he surmised, lifting his thumb as if he were making a check list.