I pretend to wipe down the windows as I stare out at the birthday party in the town square.

The streamers and balloons were already hanging around by the time I got to work. Presents and cupcakes all stacked up on a table with a cooler full of tiny, individual cups of ice cream. Loud music, fun games, free prizes for all.

And I wasn’t invited.

Not that I ever expected to be invited to a birthday party for Sara Myers’ spawn but I’m fairly sure everyone else has passed by the toy store windows at least once with smiles and sprinkles on their mouths.

My eyes land on Will and mine aren’t the only ones.

He races across the grass at half speed with Andy and a dozen other children trailing behind him. He fakes a trip to his knees and they all dogpile on him, laughing and shrieking, while other women all over the place stare and swoon over him. A hard-working, educated man with that body and a fondness for children? I can practically hear their ovaries bursting from behind this glass.

I’d feel jealous but he ate me out this morning and I performed some of my best work on him, so...

Sorry, ladies. He’s a little taken at the moment.

I abandon the window and wander back over to the cash register to sit down for a little bit. The entrance bell chimes behind me and a woman emerges with a cupcake sitting on a napkin in her palm and a warm smile on her motherly face.

“Hello, Jovie.”

I smile back. “Hey, Dr. Myers.”

“Rachel,” she corrects me.

I shrug. “It’s been a while. Just making sure…”

“It’s always Rachel to the significant others of my children.”

“Oh, we’re not—”

“Jovie, I know my son. If you two really did part ways for good after your little town square spat last night then he wouldn’t be smiling like that today.”

She points out the window behind her and my cheeks burn.

“Okay…” I chuckle. “You got us.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t say a word.” She halts across the counter from me. “How are your teeth?”

I press my lips together. Somehow, I’d forgotten all about Rachel and Dave’s patented awkward greetings. “They’re fine,” I answer.

“When was your last x-ray?” she asks.

I try to think back far enough. “Uh…”

“Oh, that’s not good.” She shakes her head. “Come and see me soon.”

“I’ll have to check my schedule.”

“So, you’re missing quite the party out there,” she says, pointing through the windows.

“Well, someone has to hold down the fort in here in case all those wacky party-goers feel the sudden urge to buy oodles of toys all of a sudden.” I gesture around. “Also, I wasn’t invited, so…”

She sets the cupcake down in front of me. “And that someone deserves a secret, stolen pastry for putting up with that bullshit.”

“Thank you,” I say, admiring the perfect spiral of blue frosting on top. “Tell your grandson happy birthday for me.”

She nods. “I will.”

“He’s a cute one.”

“He takes after his dad,” she says, lowering her voice. “Sara was never that cute.”

My lips curl. “And thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome.” She takes a deep breath while her eyes wander my face. “You, on the other hand, look more like your mother than ever and she was the most gorgeous woman I ever met in my life.”

I pause as my smile fades. “Oh, wow.”

“Wow, indeed.” She tilts her head. “Did I ever tell you about the time she and I started a book club?”

“No.”

“This was ages ago, obviously. Everyone was doing it. Oprah was doing it, so naturally, we started one, too. Every Wednesday morning, a few of us moms would get together at my house, shove you little kiddos in a playpen, and talk about whatever book was hot at the time over a box of wine.”

I laugh. “Sounds like fun.”

“It was while it lasted.” She smiles. “Joanne... well, she had different tastes than the other moms. They were more Mr. Darcy and she was more Mr. Grey, if you know what I mean.”

“I might.”

“Anyway, after a few months, things got a little rough for her and she started showing up less and less. Hank was no help at all so she would bring you over from time-to-time and I’d watch you while she went to her doctor appointments.”

“I don’t remember that,” I say, thinking back.

“You were still so tiny at the time,” she says. “Whenever she brought you over, Sara would throw little fits. She was so envious of you, even back then.”

I roll my eyes. “Sounds about right.”

“But William...” She smiles. “He’d plant himself on the floor next to you and he wouldn’t move again until Joanne came to pick you up. He adored you from the moment he first saw you.”

I look out the window, quickly finding him in the crowd across the street. He stands tall with Andy balanced on his shoulders and a pointy party hat on his head, laughing and screaming along with the other kids.

“To be honest,” Rachel continues, “it was a little disappointing when the two of you split up. I thought you were in it for the long haul.”

“I figured you’d be among those who pegged me a bad influence on him.”

She waves a hand. “It’s not like you two shared needles or went on killing sprees together.” Her brow arches. “Right?”

“Of course not.”

“Well, then, I don’t see anything wrong with a little harmless mischief now and again. You were just kids and you grew up eventually. No harm done.”

I sigh. “I wish everyone else saw it that way.”

“Listen, Clover might not be a big fan of second chances but I am... and with the way my son has been eying this place for the last hour, I think he is, too.”

“You might be right about that.”

She reaches out and lays her hand on mine. “Welcome home, honey.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “Thank you, Rachel.”

She pats my hand and winks before stepping toward the door. “Oh,” she pauses in the doorway, “and Jovie...”

“Yeah?”

“If you break my son’s heart again, I will hunt you down and kill you myself. Got it?”

I stand taller. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Bye, hun.” She grins and steps outside again.

The uneasy feeling wears off quickly and I smile as my attentions lock through the window at Will across the street. His eyes shift in the direction of the toy store and he catches sight of his mother sneaking back over to join the party. He pauses with quiet panic in his eyes and I laugh to myself.

* * *

The sun sets and the party packs it in.

Mr. Trin said I could close up as soon as they do so I rush to lock the doors before any of them get the idea to do a little after-party shopping.

It takes me about thirty minutes to do the closing paperwork and count down the cash register. One of these days, I’ll get that down to twenty, but I take my time to make sure I don’t make any mistakes.

I flick off the lights and slide my jacket on over my tank top.

The phone rings and I pause, silently debating over whether or not to answer it. I’d rather just ignore it and go home but the responsible thing wins out and I reach for it.

“Trin’s Toys. This is Jovie.”

“Count to thirty and then step outside.”

I pause. “Will?”

He hangs up.

“Will?” I ask the silence.

I drop the phone back onto its cradle and bolt for the windows to scan the street outside. Sara and several others still linger in the center of the square, chatting and picking up trash while kids sit around looking bored. I scan the crowd for Will but he’s not there. I suddenly remember that I’m supposed to be counting and I try to estimate how much time has passed since that phone call.

I reach twenty-five and Marv’s tow truck crashes into another car at the other side of the square. My jaw drops as I step outside to get a closer look.

Tucker hops out of the truck and screams at the man in the other car, drawing the attentions of every person left behind in the square.

A red car rounds the corner and halts by the curb in front of me.

“Jovie, get in.”

I look in the window at Will’s face. “Holy shit, Will.” I point at Tucker. “Are you seeing this?”

“Jovie...” He stares harder at me. “Get in.”

I gasp and hop inside. “Oh, my God. You set this up, didn’t you?”

“Just keep your head down.”

“You planned a diversion so no one would see you picking me up.”

He smirks. “Shh.”

I swoon a little harder. “It has property damage and everything.”

“It’s just a little dent. An easy fix.”

“I’m so proud of you!”

“Head down, please.”

I slide into the seat, obscuring myself as we ride away from the square unnoticed. “Wait, whose car is this?” I ask.

“I borrowed it from the shop,” he answers.

My jaw drops. “You stole it?”

“I borrowed it to take it for a test drive,” he says. “We had to rebuild the engine yesterday. It’d be unethical to return it without testing it first.”

“You are so gonna get laid for this.”

He laughs.

We ride for several blocks until we reach Lucky’s bar. Will pulls around back and parks in the shadowed corner of the lot where the Bolt sits there by itself.

“Come on,” he says, throwing open his door. “Before someone sees us.”

I hop out with him. “We’re just leaving this stolen car here?”

“No, Tucker’s going to pick it up later.” He opens the bike seat and takes the two helmets out. “Let’s go.”

I take mine from him and quickly check the strap to make sure it’s in place before sliding it onto my head. “Where are we going?” I ask through the shield.

He straddles the bike and reaches into his jacket for his keys. “I’ll explain when we get there.”

I take the seat behind him and wrap my arms around his waist, enjoying the sudden rush of vibrations between my legs as Will revs the engine.

We take off onto the highway at high speed and Clover disappears behind us.