“His filthy, rusted, beat-up, in desperate need of a trade-up truck is still in front of your house, that’s what’s up,” was Martha’s greeting and my eyes moved out the kitchen doorframe and toward the front window that was still covered by closed blinds.

Then I asked, “How do you know that?”

“Because I swung by your place on my way to work to check and see how crazy stupid you’re being with a smokin’ hot guy and I found out you’re being off-the-charts crazy stupid with a smokin’ hot guy.”

“Martha!” I snapped.

“Am I wrong or did his truck not start last night and he hitched a ride home?” she asked.

My eyes went to the microwave then they went to the kitchen counter. “I cannot believe you. You are the one who’s crazy. First, you don’t leave for work for an hour, and second, my house is thirty minutes out of your way to get to work.”

“I am committed to the mission of stopping you from making another very bad mistake,” she returned.

I heard the fridge close but I didn’t need to hear it to be very aware that Brock was in the room and he could hear every word.

“I can’t talk about this now,” I told her. “Come by the bakery tonight after work. We’ll have a cupcake and a chat.”

“Girl, I’m single and my best friend just dropped ten pounds and got a three hundred dollar hairstyle. There is no way I’m eating one of your cupcakes because eating one means eating four and I don’t need those cupcakes on my fat ass when I’m out on the prowl with you. No one looked at me before, what with you and your bodacious ta-tas and the look on your face that says to all comers, ‘Isn’t it sweet, the whole world is like Disneyland!’ I eat your cupcakes, which never fail to settle on my ass, I’ll become invisible.”

“That isn’t true,” I told her.

“Which part?” she shot back.

“All of it,” I answered instantly.

“Girl, wake… up.”

I sighed. My eyes moved to Brock to see him, hips against the counter, open jug of milk in his hand, and I was pretty certain I missed him drinking straight from it.

A drawback.

He grinned at me and I felt the sweet hum in the air, saw his eyes dancing, and knew he was grinning in order not to burst out laughing.

Okay, cancel drawback. He could drink straight from the milk jug all he wanted as long as he filled my kitchen with that great vibe and grinned at me while looking all morning hot guy.

“Hello!” Martha snapped in my ear and I jerked my eyes away from Brock.

“I’m here,” I told her.

“Ohmigod, he’s right there muddling your head,” she muttered.

She wasn’t wrong about that.