Fully recovered from his own embarrassment he shoots her a sly grin, “What? It’s a bop!”

I let out a laugh, “Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Whatever it’s called, it was a bold choice for a grand entrance, Hot Shot.”

Theo bows at the waist and straightens with a devilish smile and a wink. “Thank you, Selene.” He shoots a playful glare at his aunt. “At least someone appreciates my artistic genius.”

Aubrey shakes her head, her expression torn between amusement and exasperation. “I thought you weren’t coming in today.”

Theo shrugs, glancing at her before focusing on arranging the muffins. “Yeah, well, you’ve been picking up the slack a lot lately, and I figured you could use the break. Mo and I finished earlier than I expected.” He flashes her a grin, but it seems slightly off about it—like he’s forcing it a little too much.

Aubrey narrows her eyes, arms crossing as she leans against the counter. “Okay. What’s going on with you?”

He frowns. “What do you mean?”

She gestures vaguely in his direction. “You’ve been acting weird the past few days. First, you barely answer my texts. Then you say you’re taking today off, and now you just show up out of nowhere? I know you, kid. You’re hiding something.”

Theo laughs, a little too quickly. “Damn, maybe I just missed my favorite aunt?”

Aubrey snorts. “Uh-huh. Sure.” She studies him, her sharp gaze not missing a thing. “Seriously, though. Are you okay?”

He grabs a rag from under the counter and starts wiping down the already-clean surface. “I’m fine, Aubrey. Just been… tired.”

Aubrey watches him for a moment longer, clearly not buying it. “Right,” she says slowly. “You’d tell me if anything was wrong, right?”

Theo flashes her his most charming smile, the one that’s convinced half the town he’s got no worries in the world. “Obviously.”

Aubrey’s expression doesn’t change. She doesn’t press him, but she also doesn’t look convinced. After a beat, she sighs and waves a hand. “Fine. Be mysterious. But don’t think I won’t figure it out eventually.”

Smirking at me, Theo winks. “I wouldn’t dare underestimate you.”

Aubrey huffs, but before she can press him again, he leans against the counter and nods toward the door. “Speaking of things I wouldn’t dare do… I also wouldn’t dare let you overwork yourself any more than you already have. You’ve been picking up the slack for the past few days, Aubrey. Go home.”

She blinks. “Excuse me?”

“Go home,” he repeats, more firmly this time. “Relax. Read a book. Spend some time in your garden. Or hell, just take a nap. But don’t act like you don’t need the break.”

Aubrey folds her arms. “I’m fine.”