Jet’s sister’s debut. Maybe the gang wil go out to dinner before.”

Silence.

Then, “Sorry, I thought I heard you say you were going to Smithie’s tonight.”

“You did.”

“Roxanne,” his voice was low and discouraging.

“Hank,” I tried to mimic his tone and failed.

More silence while I suspected Hank fought for control.

“Did anything Tex said to you this morning penetrate that stubborn f**kin’ brain of yours?”

Hank obviously lost the fight for control.

“I promised Jet I was going.”

“I’m sure she’l understand.”

“Hank.”

“You aren’t goin’.”

I ground my teeth.

Then I said, “I’m going, Hank. Bil y Flynn is not control ing another f**king second of my life.” Another beat of silence then, “Shit, you’re stubborn.” I think I got to him.

“Damn straight,” I replied.

Then he said, “I spent al day tryin’ to concentrate on work, and when I wasn’t concentratin’ on work, I was tryin’ to concentrate on handlin’ your shit. Instead, I found I spent most of the day concentratin’ on al the ways I want to f**k you breathless.”

I went breathless at his words and nearly dropped the phone.

“You’re damn lucky you make me hard just rememberin’

the taste of you or I’d think you were a major pain in the ass.”

Holy cow.

“Whisky.”

He talked over me as he gave in. “Try not to burn down Smithie’s. Smithie is a good guy, he doesn’t deserve whatever mayhem he’s got in store tonight.” I couldn’t help myself, I smiled at the phone. “I promised Luke I’d be good.”

“You’re good al right.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant by that but I found it made me both annoyed and my ni**les went hard.

Then he carried on. “You get home before I do, don’t wear anything to bed. I won’t be in the mood for obstacles.” I was sure what he meant by that and I felt a spasm between my legs.

Final y he said, “Stay safe.”

“You too,” I said back, my voice soft even though we’d had an argument. I didn’t know what his “operation” was about but I didn’t want to hang up the phone with him on angry words.

More silence. So much that I got confused.

“Hank?” I cal ed, wondering if he was gone and didn’t disconnect or something was wrong with my phone.

“I’m here,” he said, his voice had changed, gone husky.

“Hank,” I said again and even though I didn’t mean to let it show, a lot could be heard through my saying his name.

“See you later, Sweetheart.”

Then he disconnected.

I flipped the phone shut and noticed Duke looking at me.

“You’re al right,” Duke told me on an approving nod.

“I am?” I asked.

He turned to me, leaned a hip on the counter and crossed his arms over his black, leather vest.

“You are. These boys need women who can take the heat without meltin’ like butter, and sometimes that heat is fiery. They need women who can give back their shit so they don’t walk al over ‘em and get bored out of their f**king skul s. And they need women who can go soft when the situation demands because they get hard knocks on a regular basis, sometimes literal y, and comin’ home to somethin’ soft is the only way to cope.”

Holy f**king cow.

“You think I’m a woman like that?” I asked him.

“I think there are a fair few women like that in the whole f**kin’ world. And yeah, you’re one of them.” Um… wow.

“I’m not, you know,” I whispered.

He glared at me. “You made a mistake with your old boyfriend. Don’t make another one.”

“Duke –”

“You told Hank that Flynn wasn’t gonna control your life and stil , you’re lettin’ him.”

I felt the wind go out of me, like I’d been punched in the stomach.

He leaned into me. “Get smart girl. You don’t, you’l only have yourself to blame.”

Before I could retort, the bel over the door went and Tod and Stevie waltzed in.

Tod was carrying what looked like a scrapbook gone amok. It was way overstuffed and there were bits of paper and other stuff sticking out of it everywhere. He walked to the book counter and slammed it down.

“Glad you’re okay, girlie,” he said, giving me an across-the-counter air-kiss. Then, obviously on a mission, he yel ed, “Indy, get over here!”

Stevie came around the counter and gave me a genuine cheek kiss.

I was feeling funny about my conversation with Duke.

Where everyone else had failed, somehow, what Duke said got to me. No one ever likes it when someone thinks badly of them, and, of al the folks I’d met in the last week, outside Jane, I knew Duke the least. Yet I found this driving need not to disappoint him and I felt I had.

Indy, Daisy, Jet and Annette walked up to the counter.

Jason had long ago disappeared into the bowels of bookshelves and had not returned.

Tod flipped open the book. Where he opened it, one page was ful of fabric swatches stapled to it, the other one had only two, an orange and a brown.

“Al y tel s me you settled on pink and ivory for your wedding colors,” Tod said to Indy accusingly.

“Yes,” Indy said. “And?”

Tod pointed at the orange and brown swatches. “I thought we’d decided on tangerine and chocolate.” I made a gagging noise at the very idea of a tangerine and chocolate wedding.

Stevie gave me a look that said both, “I agree” and “Not now”.

I felt a touch on my shoulder and saw a hand there. I fol owed the arm attached to the hand and saw Duke was beside me, he gave me a shoulder squeeze and walked away.

I felt relief slide through me, Duke wasn’t angry with me. I closed my eyes and leaned against the counter. I opened them when Tod started speaking again.

“I’m cal ing an Emergency Wedding Summit. Tomorrow night,” Tod announced, then his eyes shifted to Annette.

“Who’re you?”

“I’m Roxie’s friend, Annette.”

He took her in, top-to-toe. “You going to Daisy’s gathering?”

She nodded.

“Got something to wear? It’s formal,” Tod went on.

She shook her head.

Tod swung his eyes to me