Chloe arched a perfectly plucked brow and wordlessly slid the brand-new drink over. “You look like you could use this. Strawberry daiquiri,” she said to Summer’s unasked question. “Most excellent. Cheers, I’ll get more.” She gestured to the bartender, who served them an entire pitcher.

Summer would have rather had a peach smoothie, but she sipped at the drink and had to agree with Chloe, most excellent. Leaning back, she watched the few singles standing around scoping each other out. If things had been different, she might have been in the scoping mood herself.

But damn if a certain fire marshal hadn’t ruined her for other men.

Not permanently, she promised herself. Just temporarily, very temporarily, and when that made her start thinking too much again, she sipped her drink some more, trying to empty her mind. “You didn’t by any chance text message me earlier?”

“On your cell?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t even have your number.”

Summer stared at her as that sank in. It was true, Chloe didn’t have her number. How sad was that? “Chloe, why aren’t we closer?”

“You don’t like people too close.”

That made her suck harder at her straw. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I’m trying to fix that.”

“I know.”

“You do?”

“You’re still here, aren’t you?”

Summer smiled. “Yeah.” She sipped some more and realized Chloe wasn’t being her usual sarcastic self. “So what’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“Where’s Braden?”

Chloe looked away. “Who?”

“Oh, no. You dumped him. I thought you were crazy about him.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I just wanted his body.”

Summer saw through the tilted chin and pride to the misery beneath. “What happened?”

“He dumped me,” she confessed. “Not that you’d understand. I’m betting you’ve never been dumped.”

Summer thought of tonight, and Joe, and took another long sip of her drink. “Don’t bet anything important on that. Did he break your heart?”

“Of course not. I’ve got a heart of steel, no one could—” She broke off, her voice soft and husky as she studied her drink carefully. “He broke it in two, actually.”

“Oh, Chloe. What happened?”

“That’s just it, I don’t know. Things were great. Then today he tells me this isn’t working out for him, he can’t see me anymore. That maybe he’s going to be moving on.”

“You mean, leaving town?”

“I guess. Whatever.” Her thin shoulders sagged slightly. “Good riddance.”

Without the usual cynical light in her eyes, Chloe looked so young. So hurt. Summer put her hand over hers. “You really cared for him.”