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"All right. So how many?"

I didn't want to say. But shehadasked, which meant she probably knew the answer already. "One."

Becka's face fell. "You mean Atlanta, the one we just finished?"

I nodded. "That's it."

"Seriously? So I'm not even needed?"

Something in my chest tightened. "That's not what I said."

"But if you were planning on a solo trip—"

"I was. But not anymore."

"Why not?"

It was a good question. And I had no good answers, or at least none I was willing to admit. But therewassomething I could say, and it was the honest truth. "I like the way you deal with fans."

She gave me a dubious look. "Even Darbie?"

"Forget Darbie."

"After all the drama? I'm not sure I can. Can you? I mean, Darbie and I didn't exactly hit it off."

I put on my confused face. "Derbie who?"

Becka gave me an odd look. "Don’t you mean Darbie?"

"Hell no." I shrugged. "Gotta put that extra 'e' somewhere, right?"

Becka laughed, filling the jet with an emotion that I hadn't felt in a long time – happiness. And that's when I knew, she was even more trouble than I'd thought.

This wasn't good.

Her eyes filled with mischief as she said, "And speaking of 'Derbie', Iknowyou did something funny with that book." Her chin lifted. "But I'mnotgoing to ask."

I didn't believe it.And from the look in Becka's eyes, neither did she. I said, "Is that so?"

"Definitely." She paused. "Okay, maybe." Again, she hesitated. "But just tell me one thing. Do you think I'll ever see it again?"

"What, your book?"

"Yeah."

Again, I couldn’t help but smile. "Maybe."

Chapter 36

Becka

It was more than a maybe.

I found the book fifteen minutes after checking into the new hotel. The book was tucked into the outside pocket of my carry-on, exactly where Darbie had pulled outhercopy in Atlanta.

I yanked out the book and stared at it for a long moment, not daring to look inside.Not yet.Instead, I focused on the book's exterior, noting the classic image on the cover and the spine creased with repeated use.

I studied the book long and hard before coming to an unsettling conclusion. On the outside, it looked exactly like the one Darbie had been waving in my face. Or more accurately, Darbie's book had looked exactly like mine.