My belly quivered, and I tried to squelch it with a bite of my turkey sandwich. Unfortunately, I had no appetite. The more time I spent with Finn, the harder it was going to be to say goodbye. I wasn’t in love with the guy—please—but…

“Your turn, Adina.”

I dropped a card facedown onto the table. “One seven.” With my side vision, I could see Finn eyeballing me—a dare to lose my cool—and raised my gaze to face him head-on. I’d be damned if he called bullshit, even though it was.

“I’m going to let this go,” he said. “But only because the pile is down to one card. It would be a waste.”

“Thanks for clarifying your motivations,” I responded dryly. My legs bounced under the table. Damn it. Test or no test, I liked him more than anyone else I’d “dated” in ages.

“You two seem awfully familiar for two people who just met.” Emma’s blue eyes passed between us with obvious curiosity.

“We’re two New Yorkers trapped in the sticks for a work assignment,” Finn said. “Lots to bond over. Right, Adi?”

I nodded my agreement. It was a better answer than the one I’d come up with: It’s bizarre how much you can learn about someone when your clothes are off. “We’re both staying at the B&B. Although I’ll be leaving soon.”

My stomach clenched. I had no love for Pleasant Hollow, but this—sitting outside on a cool autumn day, playing cards and shooting the shit with Finn’s crew—was nice.

“Oh, right. Your story. Did the blueprint I showed you help?”

“Immensely,” I said with a knowing look to Finn. What was the harm in Johnny thinking he’d done something positive? It was bad enough his coworkers had assigned him the moniker Clumsy Smurf. “I sent it along yesterday and am waiting to hear back from the editor.”

“Anything juicy?” Emma asked.

“Let’s just say I doubt Pleasant Hollow will be on anyone’s list of vacation destinations if they read it.” I winced. “None of you guys actually live here, do you?”

The question was met with a chorus of “No way,” “Definitely not,” and “Hell to the no.”

“Phew.” I wiped my brow in mock relief.

Finn glanced at his watch. “Ten-minute warning.”

“Yes, Chef!” Emma said with a salute and everyone laughed.

For the next few minutes, Finn joked around with his staff while subtly pushing them toward finishing their lunches and getting back to work. Warmth spread through my chest. It must be challenging to be simultaneously friendly and authoritative, yet Finn made it look easy. His crew seemed to genuinely like and respect him. Maybe his past made him more sensitive, or maybe he was born that way. As if reading my mind, he looked my way and grinned.