She held up her palm, and I slapped it with mine. Her cheek was still smeared with grease like every other time I’d seen her. She usually had a wrench or some other tool in her hand. The way she carried herself reminded me a little of Naomi; she was a little bit tomboy but all woman. Her hair was as dark, and she had a great smile, but unlike Naomi, Reese was patient—to a fault—and I’d never seen her lose her temper. She spent her days in the hangar working on Bobby’s helo like it was carrying her most precious possession, because it kind of was.

Unfortunately for Reese, Bobby was already in love with himself.

“Thank you,” I said to her sister, Lindsay. “You don’t know how much I owe you for letting me use your kitchen. This is like … important. Real important.”

“You mean she’s important?” Reese said, looking a little starry-eyed. She looked at her sister. “Why can’t Bobby act like that when it comes to me?”

“He loves you the way I love my kids’ pediatrician, Lo. You fix his shit, and he loves you for it. Zeke, why can’t you love Reese instead of Naomi?”

“Oh my God, Lindsay! Really?” Reese said, covering her face.

“Uh, I um…” I said, stumbling.

“No worries. You made extra for my family to eat at dinner. You can use my kitchen anytime,” Lindsay said with a smile.

I waved to them with my elbow, carrying everything out to my truck. I tried not to speed, but Naomi would be at the hotel in forty-five minutes, and I wanted to get the table finished. I glanced at the flower in the seat then turned into the hotel parking lot.

I sprinted through the lobby and skipped the elevator, taking the stairs two at a time.

“Hey,” Taylor said, straightening one of the place settings. I found a vase!”

“Thank Christ,” I said, relieved. “And you too. I owe you, man.”

“Bullshit. It’s what friends do. You’d do it for me.”

“I would.”

“I’d better go,” he said, smacking my ass—hard—before yanking the door and letting it slam behind him.

I dropped the flower in the vase, jogged to the shower, and rushed through my routine. Naomi texted that she was there just as I buttoned the last one on my black shirt. I stared at myself in the mirror, checking my teeth, my nose, and making a mental checklist. Deodorant, bed made, room clean, table set, food ready, cards in the dresser, movie list on the nightstand, beer in the fridge.

I blinked then ran out the door and down the hall, making it downstairs in record time. I stopped at the corner just in time to watch Naomi breeze into the lobby, her hair waving with the suction the doors created.