Although her hair color and skin tone were starkly different from Olivia’s, their similarities in face shape were undeniable, which made it tempting to assume he knew her better than he did.

“With the exception of the little gulch, this seems like the best spot for a cut through,” Yun said as she and Olivia stepped out from the last of the overgrowth. “But Gabe was an Eagle Scout. He could put up a bridge over that in a weekend.”

“I never made it that far in scouting, remember, but thanks for the vote of confidence. A cut through to what?” he asked, giving Olivia a wink in hello.

She smiled, but it didn’t seem to reach her eyes and he could swear he detected a hint of tension on her face, making him wonder what might be going through her head. He closed off the distance between them and pulled her in for a one-armed hug and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. “Missed you,” he said, dropping his voice.

She leaned into him, releasing a soft sigh. “Missed you too.”

Noticing a cobweb she’d picked up, Yun tramped around, waving off the parts clinging to her hair and clothes. “To the property next door.”

“To the jewelry store? What would be the point? I heard that guy hates this place.”

“I heard that too,” Olivia said.

“I hadn’t.” Ava swatted away an invisible gnat or mosquito flying by her face, making Gabe wonder if she was triggered by Yun’s cobweb-removal endeavor. As far as he could tell, the late-afternoon skies were bug-free.

“But after meeting him,” she added, “I can’t say he came across as the animal-loving type either. Honestly, it’d probably be safe to go with not the loving type in general. But if that’s the case, I’ll make sure not to draw any undue attention to your connection here.”

“Are you saying the jewelry store’s for sale?”

“The building’s about to go on the market,” Ava confirmed for him. “From what I gathered, the merchandise is being returned or liquidated. He’s got some nice stuff. If he has a sale, I’m there.”

Finished extracting herself from the cobweb, Yun planted herself a couple feet in front of him. “It’s perfect, Gabe. Just the square footage we’re looking for, and we wouldn’t have to do that much remodeling. And you know what they say about location.” With a touch of dramatic flair, she waved a hand toward the shelter.

“We?” Gabe gave her his best skeptical look. “I don’t remember saying I’m a hundred percent sold on this idea of yours.”