“Of course I do. We work together.” Cora had no idea how to stop this conversation.

“No.” He made a kissy face, puckering his lips. “You like her.”

“Don’t be absurd.”

“It’s all right.” He fiddled with his straw. “She likes you too.”

“Drink your milkshake, teenager.”

The grin on his face was huge.

They drank in silence for a few minutes, the heat slowly fading from Cora’s cheeks. How did he know? And was he right? Did Frazer like her, too? Cora was going to go insane with all of these questions.

“Cora?”

Looking up from her almost-finished milkshake, Cora was met by Jack’s intense blue-eyed gaze. “Yeah?”

“Do you think Bug is okay?”

Cora couldn’t stop herself from leaning forward and wrapping her fingers around his wrist. “Yeah, I think Bug’s more than okay.”

“Good.” And then he smiled again, driving the grown-up from his eyes until just Jack was looking back at her. “So, you going to ask her out?”

Cora groaned.

* * *

“Drink, ladies?” Tia was pulling on her jacket. She gave Frazer and Cora an expectant look.

Even though Frazer didn’t need to be anywhere else, she checked her watch. “Yeah, I suppose I could have one.” Because, you know, her fish were waiting at home for her.

Cora nodded, “Okay, yeah, I’m in.”

“Great!”

As Frazer switched off some lights in the back, she heard Cora ask, “As much as I’m all for this programme, Tia, why did you leave a full-time job with great pay?”

Grinning to herself as she turned off the photocopier, Frazer listened to Tia’s answer. Frazer had been just as surprised when Tia had called her to ask for the job. Something, though, had stopped Frazer from prying too much, the topic of Alec one between them that still felt untenable.

“Honey, I’m near retirement. I don’t need a full-time job; my husband’s got that covered. This way, I get to work and feel like I’m contributing to something.”

“I thought you and Alec were friends.”

Frazer froze. Cora hadn’t mentioned Alec since she’d started.

“We were. But, you know, I wasn’t deaf all these years.” Tia’s voice dipped low for a moment as she said something Frazer couldn’t catch. The next moment, she was speaking normally again. “After the threats I heard him say to you and Frazer, I knew it was time for me to move on. And, I did mean it: he needs someone full-time, and I’ve been wanting to go part-time for the last year leading up to retiring; I need that.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re never allowed to retire.” Frazer walked up to them.

The smile Tia tossed her was one that always struck Frazer as affectionate mixed with exasperation.

“Talk to me when you’re my age.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll never be your age.”