Victoria gave her a flat look. “Do you always eavesdrop on your customers?”
“Only the interesting ones.” Lavender winked at Isabel, then strolled back behind the bar.
Isabel grinned and leaned forward, elbows on the table. “So, Captain. Are we plotting or falling?”
Victoria didn’t flinch. “I’d say we’re barely tolerating each other.”
“Speak for yourself. I’m having agreattime,” Isabel drawled, tipping her glass toward Victoria.
And the thing was…shewas.
The usual sharpness between them had softened into something warmer, something Isabel didn’t quite know what to do with. It was one thing to flirt, to poke the bear and enjoy the thrill of getting under Victoria’s skin.
But this? This felt like peeling back layers she hadn’t expected to find.
The shift happened when Isabel, tipsy but clearheaded, let the humor drop for just a moment.
“I moved here for a fresh start,” she admitted, swirling the ice in her glass. “Needed to get away from a city that stopped feeling like home. Thought a change of scenery might…” She trailed off, shrugging. “Fix something, I guess.”
Victoria’s gaze softened, the usual edge of scrutiny replaced by something quieter. “Has it?”
“Jury’s still out,” Isabel said lightly. “But it’s not all bad. The coffee’s terrible, but the company’s improving.”
Victoria’s lips curved, and for a moment, they justsat there.Two women in a corner of a cafe, the rest of the world fading into the soft hum of background music and the clink of glasses.
And then, as if the mood had gotten too heavy, Victoria leaned back and said dryly, “I’m glad I could personally elevate your experience of Phoenix Ridge.”
Isabel laughed, the warmth in her chest spreading.
But it didn’t last. Victoria’s gaze drifted, her fingers tightening around her glass.
“You know,” she said quietly, almost to herself, “when Lily Harper called me after Chloe was taken, she didn’t cry. Not at first. She just… asked if I was the one handling it.”
Isabel sobered instantly, heart tightening.
“She sounded so sure,” Victoria continued, voice steady but strained. “As if she believed I’d have answers before I even knew the questions.” She exhaled slowly. “I’m not sure what’s worse—failing Chloe, or failing her mother’s belief that I wouldn’t.”
Isabel didn’t think. She reached across the table, her fingers brushing Victoria’s wrist.
“You’re not failing,” she said firmly. “You’re the reason we’re this close. You caught the caterer’s lie, kept the team focused, and didn’t let Voss cover her tracks completely. Chloe’s got a hell of a lot better odds becauseyou’reon this.”
Victoria looked at her, something raw flickering behind those sharp blue eyes.
For once, she didn’t argue.
The rest of the evening softened after that.
They lingered longer than Isabel expected—long enough for Lavender to flip the sign on the door toClosedand for Fig to stretch, yawn, and shuffle over to lean against Victoria’s chair like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Isabel found herself watching Victoria more than she should have.
The way the lamplight caught the silver in her hair. The delicate lines around her mouth when she smiled—reallysmiled, not the practiced one she wore at work. The way her fingers curled around her glass, steady and sure.
God, I’m screwed,Isabel thought, the realization hitting like a punch to the gut.I don’t just want her in my bed. I want her in my life.
And judging by the way Victoria’s gaze lingered, like she was memorizing the shape of Isabel in this moment, the feeling wasn’t entirely one-sided.
It was nearly midnight when they finally stood to leave, chairs scraping quietly against the worn floorboards. Outside, the night air was cool, the city quieter than usual. Isabel pulled out her phone to call an Uber, but before she could unlock it, Victoria hesitated beside her.
