And that’s when Aidan’s radio went off with a fire call.

Aidan swore, then grabbed the radio and headed to the door. As he passed Lenny, he stopped and sniffed. “Have you been drinking?”

Lenny tried to brush past him, but Aidan put a hand on his chest. “I can smell it on you.”

Lenny knocked Aidan’s hands away. “I’m out of here.”

“Good,” Aidan said. “And you’re wrong about—”

“Lily?” Lenny stopped in the doorway. “You sure about that?”

Aidan wasn’t sure about much when it came to Lily, but he was sure she’d never hurt him purposely. “About practically being a Kincaid,” he said. “Kincaids don’t turn on each other. Ever. You’re done here at the resort, Lenny, and not because we’re losing it. You’re done because I no longer trust you.”

“Maybe Gray feels differently.”

“Gray wanted to let you go a long time ago. Your job here was a favor to me. Favor revoked. Get your stuff and get the hell out.”

Chapter 24

Lily took a quick break between appointments and checked her email. Still no responses to any of her resumes.

None.

Zip.

Zilch.

She waited for the usual ball of panic to kick in, knowing that this left her still stranded here in Cedar Ridge.

But the panic didn’t hit.

Instead she got a brand-new feeling. A warm fuzzy. It confused her at first, until she realized that it meant she was okay with being stuck here indefinitely.

Maybe even permanently.

“Liking that smile,” Jonathan said. “Did you get a response on a resume?”

“No.” She turned to look at him. “The opposite actually.”

Jonathan looked confused. “And this is making you happy because …?”

“Because maybe I’m not in a huge hurry to leave anymore.”

He grinned. “Well of course not. Not when you’re getting all the orgasms.”

Outside the shop, a man got out of a truck and walked toward the salon.

“And look!” Jonathan said. “It’s the orgasm donor in the flesh.”

Aidan walked in wearing his firefighter polo, cargoes, dark lenses, and no smile at all.

Jonathan’s faded. “Hey. You okay?”

“Need a moment with Lily,” Aidan said.

“Take as many as you need.” Jonathan moved toward the front of the shop, turning to Lily behind Aidan’s back to fan himself.

“Hey,” she said to Aidan as evenly as she could, which wasn’t all that evenly, because being this close to him still made her pulse leap and her heart kick.

He walked past her without touching her. Unusual because one, lately he always took any opportunity to touch her, and two, the space was small and he was as broad as a mountain. In the back room he turned to face her, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back on one of the counters.