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“It was just dinner.” My voice remained neutral despite the smile tugging at my lips. “You know that meal that happens in the evening?”

“But this was with Ethan?” Olivia leaned forward as Mickey nodded. “You have to tell us everything.”

I should have known I couldn’t keep anything from them. But the memory of last night—the conversation, the delicious food, the walk by the pond, what we did next to the pond—made me want to hold on to the details for myself a little longer.

“It was nice.” I took another sip of coffee.

“That’s all we get?” Olivia protested. “Nice?”

“I’m going to excuse myself here.” Wade looked at their watch. “I’ve got some B-roll I want to shoot.” They looked at me with a gentle smile. “I’m glad you had a nice dinner, though I think it sounds like it was a lot more than just nice. Don’t let these two make you say more than you want to.”

“Thank you, Wade. I’ll check in with you later today. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do. See you all later.” Wade shook their head and a soft chuckle trailed after them.

“I’ll head out too.” Olivia stood, collecting her bag. “The Palette’s staff is coming in early so we can prep some things.”

As they left, Mickey settled back in his seat, crossing his arms. “So, now that it’s just us…”

I groaned and scrubbed my hand over my face. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope.” Mickey’s voice was gentle despite his teasing tone. “Come on, you’re practically glowing. And it’s not because the festival’s ready.”

I met his patient gaze. Mickey had been there through all my relationship ups and downs, offering support without judgment. If anyone deserved to hear about this, it was him.

“It was perfect.” The words rushed out. “Not in a fancy way but in all the right ways. He cooked dinner, we ate on the deck looking out over the woods. And we talked about everything.” I paused, remembering how comfortable the conversation had been. “He actually asked about the camp.”

Mickey leaned forward. “How’d that go?”

“Better than I imagined. He suggested we might be able to team up.” My heart sped up when I thought about that moment. “Can you believe that? After I basically attacked him for buying the land?”

Mickey’s smile was knowing. “I had a feeling you two would click once you got past the high school stuff. Teaming up on an enormous project like that is beyond what I expected, though.”

I traced the rim of my coffee cup. “We’re more than clicking. We went for a walk along the pond after dinner and…” I trailed off as warmth rose in my cheeks. This wasn’t the place for private details.

“Ah.” Mickey’s expression softened. “That good, huh?”

“Yeah.” I wondered if Mickey had been the one Ethan had his first time with. They were friends back then. Of course it could’ve been anyone, but I kept trying to guess.

“You deserve a night like that. Have you heard from him this morning?”

“No.” A hint of anxiety crept into my voice because I’d been back and forth on if the silence meant anything. “But he’s probably busy with the hockey camp. And we’re both swamped with the festival starting today. I haven’t reached out either.”

Mickey studied me for a moment. “But you’re worried.”

It was a blessing and a curse how well he was able to read me. “Is it crazy to be thinking about what happens after the weekend? After the summer? He does live in Seattle most of the year.”

“Not crazy.” Mickey’s voice was steady. “But maybe don’t get ahead of yourself. See how things develop in the near term first.”

“I just… I really like him. More than I expected.” I sighed as I leaned in. “And it’s not only the physical attraction, though that’s definitely there.” My cheeks warmed again. I was thankful my dark skin made it more difficult for the blush to show. “He’s thoughtful and kind, and when he talks about the community, you can tell how much he cares.”

“Have you told him any of this?”

“Not exactly.” I shrugged. “Isn’t it too soon?”

The buzzing of my phone cut Mickey off as he started to respond. I glanced at the screen, expecting a message from Ethan. Instead, it was an unknown number from Burlington.

“I should see who this is,” I said as I tapped the connect button. “Hello. This is Andre.”