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I adjust my purse on my shoulder and join him in front of O’Dells. “No. There’s an art festival a few streets over on Graber Avenue, and this is the overflow.”

“I wound up parking at the office. Do you think they’ll tow me?”

“Not if you have your parking pass visible. Trust me,” I say as he pulls open the door. “I’ve used that many nights when I’m out this way. Just don’t tell the others. If there’s only one or two of us doing it, we can probably fly under the radar.”

He laughs, waiting for me to step inside the neighborhood pub.

O’Dells reminds me of walking into a sitcom—one of those hole-in-the-wall places that somehow hold up an entire community. The patrons are regulars and the staff consistent. It’s a place where everybody, or most of them, knows your name.

“Oh, I like this,” Joshua says, following me inside. He takes in the tray ceilings, worn wooden floors, and walls peppered with pictures of customers throughout the decades O’Dells has been in business. “It’s so cozy.”

“I love this place, and it is cozy. But don’t come down here on a weekend night and expect to leave with that adjective in your brain.”

He grins as we reach the bar. It’s mostly empty, with only a few stools and tables filled. And, if the sound of the billiards balls clanking in the background is any indication, there are some patrons playing pool and throwing darts, too.

“I believe that. You can feel it. It gives a very hometown hangout during the day and a hip hotspot at night.”

“Perfect analogy,” I say, grinning at him. “Let’s grab a seat, and I’ll see if I can sweet-talk someone into showing us the space in the back.”

Henry peers up from the other end of the bar with a curious look on his face. I wave, certain he’s wondering why I’m in the pub on a Saturday afternoon with a man who isn’t Finn. He shakes his head, amused, before he returns to his conversation with a pretty brunette.

“So,” I say, turning to Joshua. “Your husband passed the bar? Is that right?”

He beams. “Yes, but we found out in April. We wanted to throw a party when his parents were in town, and they just finalized their travel arrangements last week.” His eyes sparkle. “I’m so excited to put this party together and celebrate Darren. He’s worked his ass off and just deserves the world.”

I rest my chin in my palm, grinning at Joshua. He talks about Darren like Branch and Layla talk about each other. There’s genuine warmth, a true sincerity that drips from every word. A small part of me aches with envy. What would it feel like to be that in love, that safe, with someone else?

My mind drifts to Finn and Thursday night, where I sat on Layla’s back porch with Finn’s arms around me. I took a risk, unsure whether it helped my case or his, but I needed some form of physical contact from him. So, I climbed into his lap and rested my head on his chest. He stiffened for the briefest moment before pulling me closer and releasing a contented sigh.

I felt safe with him then, but how could I not? With his arms stretched around me, his thick fingers locked at my waist, the world may as well have been a million miles away. If it were, if we were cocooned away from the pressures and stressors and nastiness of the world, I may be able to squash the soundtrack playing quietly in the back of my mind and simply trust the feeling. Maybe I could believe in us.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Henry says, chuckling. “How are ya, Poppy?”

“I’m good. Thanks for asking.” I turn to Joshua. “Joshua, this is the infamous Henry that I’ve been telling you about. Henry, this is Joshua.” I face forward again. “Joshua is looking for a space for a party, and I told him how amazing your old party space was and that maybe we could talk you into letting us see it.”

Henry gives me a look.

“Please?” I ask sweetly. “Just let us look at it and see if it’s even a contender. Who knows? It might not even work for him.”

“You know I closed that room down a year ago,” Henry says.

I lean forward. “And you know that I wouldn’t bring you a potential new customer if I didn’t promise they’d pay in full and leave the place intact.”

“Oh, yes, definitely.” Joshua smiles. “First of all, my husband is an attorney now, so we’re fancy and have money.”

I laugh, knowing that’s not necessarily true but loving his optimism.

“Second, my mother’s coming to this event,” Joshua says. “She has a hard and fast rule that you never leave a place worse than you found it. The last party that she attended, they tried to hire her afterward because she left the place so spotless.”

Henry looks at me, and I shrug. “I’m just trying to keep things local for ya, Henry.”

“Let me see if I can find the keys,” he says, grumbling.

“Thank you,” I say.

He rolls his eyes at me and heads to the office.

“Are you playing in the charity golf tournament next week?” Joshua asks. “Our department’s sending a team, and I wasn’t going to play but got talked into it. I think you usually play, don’t you?”