Page 165 of The Romance Adventure

“Happy birthday, bro. Do me a favor, Lally. Spoil him rotten.” Ryan winks.

“Ignore him. My birthday isn’t until next month.”

“Yeah, but you have to prepare in advance or the big four-oh.”

“Ryan, brother, check a calendar. I’m turning thirty-nine.”

“It’s forty-junior. Your last decade as a young man.”

“I hear the forties are when things really get started,” I say, not at all concerned about entering that decade even though I’m still several years away.

“That’s because you’ll make it look good, Lally.” Ryan’s lips twitch with a flirty smile.

Magnus’s nostrils flare and he shakes his head as if recognizing that Ryan is hopeless. “I’d better head over to the store.”

“How about that coffee for the long day of work ahead?” Robyn asks.

“I’ll take one,” Ryan says, already heading over to Beans & Books even though the owner is still out here with us.

“That too,” Magnus says.

“I’ll help you,” I say.

“No, I got it,” Magnus says.

“It’s not a problem.”

“I already have a crew. Hammer and nails.” Magnus pounds his left fist into his right.

Isla erupts into giggles and Robyn heads toward the coffee shop after Ryan.

“For the record, I can handle myself around a worksite,” I say.

Isla points at my feet. “Pro tip: wear sensible shoes.”

I wiggle a flip-flop-shod foot. “I only wear sensible shoes.”

“So, you’re fixing up those old cottages?” Isla asks.

“Magnus has a wonderful business idea that’ll partner vets with retired working dogs and rescues,” I supply.

“Aren’t you a vet?” Isla asks.

“I’m a veterinarian. I meant veterans.”

“You are, too,” Magnus says.

“Not like you. I worked on the medicine side of things.”

“But you were in the field.”

“Okey dokey, I’m going to leave you two kids to sort this out, whatever this is.” Isla spins her hand in a circle.

Yeah, what is it?

Seconds ago, I was all heart eyes, flying high with those pink flamingos and dreaming of kissing Magnus again. Something shifted, and it wasn’t the wind. I think I know what it is and I’m under no illusion that he owes me anything, but what happened to us being on a team? In this together?

Hand on hip, I say, “Weren’t you part of a flight team?”