“As much as I’d enjoy seeing Sloane yell at the TV, I have to work tonight.” Brady gave them each an apologetic smile. “Dixon’s already agreed to cover for me while I work on all the festival stuff. Or else I’d just play hooky.”

Sloane tried to mask her immediate disappointment. She didn’t know if it worked.

“I keep forgetting you two signed up for all of that.” Callum shook his head. “Bless you guys.”

They shared a laugh of understanding at the pain of social obligation before Callum went on his way. Sloane stood and looked anywhere other than Brady. It made no sense, but she felt dejected.

Like she had asked Brady on a real date and he’d given her an aggressive thumbs-down. A thank you, next. When in reality her brother had asked them both to watch a movie. In their living room. With a ten-year-old. And Brady had declined because of the extremely valid excuse of having to work.

There was no logical reason her feelings should have been hurt.

Then again, there was no logical reason for the extremely long blog post she’d written about the one Blue’s Clues episode she’d watched in college where it had been too hard for her to solve. As a twenty-year-old.

“Speaking of the festival, I don’t think we actually landed on a plan for decorating for the party or the parade, or what we’re doing for the pageant,” Brady said, unaware of her slight emotional spiral. “But Cassidy’s is closed tomorrow. Maybe we can get some dinner and figure out a game plan then.”

The sound of screeching tires filled Sloane’s head. First kissing in public, now dinner, too? “Dinner?”

Was he talking pizza and paper plates in his living room? Cute outfits and cutlery at a restaurant? Noodles and naked in bed?

“Yeah, I figured I could pick something up from Crowley’s and you could meet me at the bar.”

Ah, no noodles and naked, then. Just beers and the bar.

“I thought you said it was closed.”

Brady grinned. “It is, but, lucky for us, I know a guy who has the keys. I figured hanging out there might help us brainstorm without distractions. I’ve already shown how susceptible I am to Carol’s weird voodoo. Our luck if we went out would be her finding us, and then suddenly we’re on a hot air balloon ride with the entire Robertson clan and several of her terrifying sun hats.” He shook his head in mock severity. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times? Well, shit.”

Sloane couldn’t help but laugh. “No distractions at the bar is probably the smart play,” she agreed. “And a break from Carol never hurts.”