“I’m a physical therapist. I’m really fortunate to get to work with patients, you know?”

“His patients are the fortunate ones,” Finley responded dutifully.

“How do you two know each other?” Dakota asked.

“I drove one of my friends to therapy appointments with Derek when she was recovering from surgery,” Finley answered. “We met then.”

“I’ve been trying to convince her to go out with me ever since,” Derek said. “And here we are. How did I get so lucky?”

A tendon in Luke’s neck hardened.

“Love’s in the air tonight.” Dakota smiled.

Derek had expressed interest in Finley several times and had taken it well when she’d told him that she still wasn’t over Chase. After all, Derek had no trouble in the dating department and certainly hadn’t sat around, crying into a hankie, waiting for her.

Earlier this week, Bridget had encouraged Finley to invite him tonight. “Valentine’s Day is so much more fun with a date!” she’d said. “If you’re going back on the market, who better to start with than Derek? He’ll do great in a party setting. He’s nice and he likes you, and we already know he won’t be upset if you decide you don’t want to go on more dates with him.”

Derek asked about Dakota’s job. She told him about her love of books and her responsibilities at the library.

Finley and Luke painstakingly avoided looking at each other. Even so, the air crackled with tension.

“Where are you working these days?” Derek asked Luke.

“I’m at the Center with Finley.”

Derek’s head pulled back. “What?” he said to Finley. “You didn’t tell me that you’d brought Luke on board, did you?”

“It must’ve slipped my mind.”

Derek slung an arm around her shoulders. “Finley runs the best shelter in the country. How do you like working there, Luke?”

Slight pause. “It’s not really my thing.”

Not his thing? Not his thing! Frustration shot her body temperature up precipitously.

“Weren’t cars your thing,” Derek asked, “back in the day?”

Was Derek innocently referring to Luke’s affinity for cars in high school? Or was the comment a barb, referencing Luke’s years working at a chop shop in Atlanta?

Luke’s restraint did not crack. “Yes. Cars were my thing.”

“Do you still work on them?”

“At the moment I’m working on my sister’s 1970 Pontiac.”

Hmm? Luke had told her nothing about this.

“A Firebird?” Derek asked.

“Yes.”

“Awesome car, right?” Derek took a sip of his drink.

“My grandfather owns a 1957 Plymouth Fury,” Dakota told Luke. “I have the best memories of driving around with him in it. I’d love to hear more about your interest in cars.”