He hooks my cane to the edge of the desk beside me, but refuses to break eye contact. “Ashe is no loss, but how could you lose your job over this?”

“I no longer met expectations.” The words tumble out—me forgetting to use my top-notch, finely-meshed filter.

A fire sparks in his eyes. “Those motherfuckers said that?”

“Not exactly. What does it matter? Ashe and I are history, and Sunny’s didn’t feel so sunny for me anymore. Cora arranged this opportunity.”

“This isn’t an opportunity, Marina. This is a fucking joke. You don’t belong here any more than I belong in customer service.”

I chuckle, trying to imagine Grady forced to smile and chit-chat. “I understand your point, but I’m lucky to have this job.”

“How is this lucky?” He groans.

“I’m making nearly what I made at Sunny’s—that’s pretty good for someone without a degree,” I say, hating myself a little for it. “Other grocery stores and retailers like to hire managers from within, so getting another job like that would mean starting at minimum wage again. I can’t do that, Grady.”

“So, your years at Sunny’s mean nothing?” he asks like he doesn’t believe me.

“Not nothing. My experience matters. I took Sunny’s from mediocre to magnificent during my career there, and everyone knows it. But retail employers don’t equate experience monetarily when hiring someone new. That’s all. Until I find just the right opportunity, this is great.”

“There’s nothing great about this. You deserve better.”

I smile at his kindness. “Better will come along. Eventually.”

“It’s not just the job, Marina.” He edges onto the armrest of the office chair, his features softening. “You’ve suffered loss. I know something about that. Carrying on business as usual isn’t healthy.”

His voice catches like his words are difficult, caught in his throat, especially about loss.

“Tell the truth,” he urges. “This bothers you, right? You must be… hurt.”

All my instincts tell me to smile wide and lie, to bank my emotions rather than spend them and engage my superior filters.

But this is Grady. How can I lie to the one person who’s been there for me through all this?

“I am devastated,” I admit finally, “but I can’t let them break me.”

His lips curve into an approving smile. “Good. How can I help?”

A little laugh bubbles from me at his genuine intensity—having someone on my side feels good. “More cute dog pics would be nice.”