“I wonder if Kaylee would be willing to move to this area,” Ethan said as he looked out of the glass wall, studying at the yard. “I’m really into it.”

Noah and Ethan were sitting in Noah’s hot tub. Cynthia had been gone for a day. She hadn’t left anything behind but her intoxicating smell on his sheets. It felt like a giant hole had been punched inside him. He’d tried to call. And text. All his messages had gone unanswered. If Janie hadn’t taken charge of the situation, threatening him bodily harm if he didn’t stay put and get out of her way, he would be in front of Cynthia’s house right now, begging forgiveness. Pledging to do anything to win her back.

He hadn’t slept at all last night. He couldn’t eat. She was it for him. She was everything he wanted. And he’d fucked up out of cowardice and driven her away. It was more than he could bear.

Noah shifted his gaze to the glass wall, not seeing anything.

“Have you heard from Janie lately?” Ethan asked in his laid-back way. Noah knew the crew had chosen Ethan as his waiting companion because of his relaxed demeanor. Nothing got to the guy.

Noah couldn’t relate.

“Not since this morning,” Noah said in a monotone. “You know she stayed up there last night?” They’d talked about it earlier, but for the life of him, Noah couldn’t remember what had been said.

Ethan nodded without comment. If he was annoyed by the repeated information, he didn’t show it.

“Right, yeah. Janie said something about trying to steal Bessie,” Noah said.

Ethan frowned. Apparently they hadn’t talked about that.

“Cynthia’s great-aunt,” Noah clarified.

“Huh.” Ethan nodded, probably not understanding. Then again, unless a person had met Cynthia’s great-aunt—or her uncle, for that matter—they wouldn’t understand.

“Janie said Cynthia was thinking through all the angles,” Noah said.

“She seems reasonable,” Ethan said. “Zany, but intelligent. She strikes me as the kind of girl that relies heavily on facts and deductions. If you explain why you waited, she might have an easier time getting out of the way of her heart.”

“It’s been less than a week since we reconnected. I have no idea how strongly she feels about me.”

Ethan threw an arm over the lip of the hot tub. “Just as strongly as you feel about her, I’d wager.”

Noah shook his head and looked away. He didn’t see how that could be the case. He loved her all the way down to his soul. While he had laughed at all of his buddies for falling so hard and fast for their women, the same thing had happened to him. It might’ve been because they’d all dated so many women over the last couple years, knowing what made them tick, and a woman who jibed with that was easy. It was a tall order to hope that it had happened to her, too.

Silence fell between them, and while blackness pressed on Noah, Ethan projected a light and easy feeling. Noah appreciated it more than words could say. Still, it wasn’t fair for him to drag more people down.

“You don’t need to hang out,” Noah said. “I’m sure you have things to do.”

“I’m doing the things I have to do. I’m sitting here and taking in the day with a buddy while he deals with a nightmare. She’s a helluva girl. Perfect for you, and perfect for our group as a whole. I really hope it works out, brother.”

Noah’s phone chimed and his heart leapt into his throat. He snatched at it, careful not to drop it in the water as he unlocked the screen.

A text from Janie. Charlotte wanted a distraction from things. She chose working on Colton’s playground. The woman does not do peer pressure. I couldn’t get one drink into her. Thankfully, Aunt Bessie was another story. I’ve been banned from the Bell household.

Janie had apparently taken a note out of Bessie’s book and re-named Cynthia.

His thumbs flew as he typed back a response. Has she said anything about me?

He waited impatiently, watching the little dots that indicated she was typing.

“What’s up?” Ethan asked.

“Bessie’s been rubbing off on Janie, apparently, and Cynthia has been working on the marketing plan for Colton as a distraction. Which means she isn’t thinking about me.”

“I disagree. Women can think and feel about a hundred million things all at once. Her heart will be nagging at her mind. Maybe this is her way of cutting out the majority of the noise, and deciphering what comes through the loudest.”

“Maybe,” Noah muttered, staring at the screen.

Janie’s text finally came through. She’s been asking about your personality. About your habits. She’s asked the same things about Colton. Madison says Charlotte is trying to sort out true from false to better judge your real character or something. Charlotte was most interested in how you helped me with Dave’s mom. She asked for a lot of details. Kind of annoying, actually. Thank God for Bessie and her secret stash of whiskey. Btw plain butter is better than you think.

Noah frowned at the screen. “I’m not sure Janie was the best one to go.”

“No one better.” Ethan moved up so he was less immersed in the water; he was probably getting too hot. “Janie will give her right hand to help a friend. That makes her the best person to figure out what needs to be done, and to do it. Madison was convinced that if Janie went, all would work out. I have to agree.”

A few moments passed in silence. His hands itched to text her again, to blow up her phone until she called him back—at the very least, to listen to her voicemail greeting over and over, just to hear her voice. Every time he reached for his phone, though, Ethan said, “Nope. Not wise.”

An unbearable couple hours later, another chime sounded from his phone. A text, this one from Colton. Cynthia is here. Keep your distance. Let the girls handle it. Janie sounds confident, but she’s here to team up with Madison. Have faith, brother. It’ll work out.

The whole crew had banded together to help him. That spoke volumes of their regard for Cynthia. If it was just him they cared about, they’d focus on consoling him and, eventually, helping him move on—not on helping him fix his fuck-up.

“I should’ve just told her,” Noah said, mostly to himself.

“That’s not an easy thing to tell. None of us have had to deal with it but you.” Ethan crawled out of the hot water and grabbed his towel. “C’mon. Let’s get out. Your skin is going to fall off.”

“I told her about getting that scumbag off in the murder case, but I didn’t tell her about this. That’s so backward.”

“Get out.” Ethan leaned down and flicked Noah on the side of the head.

Noah scowled, but did as ordered, taking the offered towel.

“Those two things are totally different,” Ethan said. “One is a legal system that you played, fair and square, and the other is completely illegal. I doubt you would’ve wanted to tell her you were a drug dealer, or an arms smuggler, or something. It was going to suck no matter how you did it. You tried to buy a couple days, and it didn’t work out. Here you are.”

“It’s annoying how nonchalant you are about all this.”

“Not really.” Ethan led them into the house and to the kitchen. “She’s going to be in Colton’s house now. Surrounded by all your friends. It’s just a matter of time before they break her down. Do yourself a favor. Get dressed, make sure you look like a million bucks, and be prepared to beg for your life.”