They met Mike at the Rendezvous Scoops ice cream stand on Route 14. Hazel ran to him the moment she saw him, talking a mile a minute about the interview. Zoey followed more slowly. It warmed her heart to see her daughter and her best friend laughing together. Mike had always been a part of Hazel’s life, of course. When she was younger, she’d called him Uncle Mike, but a few years ago she’d asked him if just Mike was okay, and he’d told her it was fine, but she could drop the just because no man wants to be just anything. Hazel had giggled then, just like she was giggling now over something he’d said. They had the same irreverent sense of humor, so heaven only knew what it was about.

He’d ordered Zoey’s favorite sundae without even having to ask—soft serve chocolate with marshmallow cream and chopped peanuts. When he turned from the window, he let out a wolf whistle.

“Dang, woman! You look like a movie star!”

“Right?” Hazel answered. “She was a queen on that interview. You should have seen her, Mike. I had two ring lights on her, set on soft light, of course. Then the guy noticed the old manuals you put on the shelf, and from that point on, she was fire.”

Mike looked over Hazel’s head to Zoey. “Fire is good? You nailed it?”

“I think so,” she answered. They took their seats at one of the picnic tables. “I hope they don’t expect me to look like this when I’m crawling behind some restaurant freezer unit, but...it worked for today.” She touched her fingers to her cheek. “Let me know if my face starts melting off. I’m not used to this stuff.”

He took her hand and pulled it away from her face. But he continued to hold her fingers, giving them a gentle squeeze. “Keep your hands off it if you want it to stay put. You look nice.” He turned back to his ice cream—a banana boat sundae. “But you don’t need makeup to look nice.”

“Aww,” she replied. “Look at you being all sweet and stuff. You’re a good friend.” Her voice was teasing, but she saw immediately that her words hit him somehow. His jaw moved side to side as he stared at his ice cream. When he looked back to her, his eyes were darker than usual. Was he angry? “What did I say?”

His mouth opened, then snapped shut. He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just... I meant it. I wasn’t saying it as a friend.”