He was right not to think Sloane bailing on Brady was a big deal. Because it wasn’t.

“Yeah, you’re right. There’s not much we can do on a Sunday, anyway.”

Brady said the words but still found an excuse to leave the apartment. He hadn’t had coffee yet and thought that would fix the off feeling pulling at his gut. The café had become a guilty pleasure, so he headed that way while trying to forget about the festival, social media, and Sloane De Carlo for a while.

And it worked, for the most part.

The café was free and clear of the frustrating beauty, but another familiar face bobbled into view right after Brady paid for his drink.

Roger Norman looked like he’d stuck a fork into a toaster. His hair was a bit all over the place, his clothes were wrinkled, and the bags beneath his eyes had him looking wore slap out. Brady felt for the man before he could say a word.

“Hey there, Brady. How’s it going?” Even poor ol’ Roger’s words were hanging low.

Brady shook his coffee cup. “Better now that I have this. How about you?”

In most places, this was more of a rhetorical question. One where you said some version of “okay” and then went on with your separate lives. But this was Arbor Bay, and Brady knew he was in for a ride when Roger let go a sigh that rivaled any he had been letting out.

“Zelda had to go to the hospital last night up in Huntsville and damn near gave me a heart attack. She and the baby are fine; it was just a false alarm, but I’m still about to go up there. Zelda told me I didn’t have to, but she’s my person, you know? And she’s carrying our person. I gotta make sure they’re okay, and the phone sure isn’t cutting it.”

Brady gave the man a nod that said he understood Roger going to check on his family, even if he’d never been in the same situation before. Felicity had once gotten the flu when she was out of town for work, but there had never been talk of him going up anywhere to see her.

Maybe there should have been.

Or maybe he should have just done it without saying a damn word.

Before he could stop it, Brady’s thoughts went to the aloe he’d bought from the grocery store on the way into work the night before. He had planned on giving it to Sloane at dinner as a way to tease her.

Yet, for something meant to tease her, he’d sure spent an awful long time reading all the labels on the different kinds to see which would be best for her.