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laughing as she unbuckled her seat belt. How was it possible that he made her deeply uneasy yet he was so easy to be with?
    It was a question with no simple answers.
    The hotel lobby glowed brightly as she stared out the windows. “It’s nice to be back.”
    “Do you really feel that way?”
    Grier turned back to face him. “Well, yeah.”
    “The town wasn’t all that friendly to you when you arrived. That’s saying something if you still like Indigo anyway.”
    “The town’s incredibly charming. And no, people weren’t all that friendly,” she acknowledged, unable to lie. Those first few weeks had been more disorienting—and deeply disappointing—than she even wanted to admit to herself. “But everyone came around after Sloan showed up.”
    “Does that bother you?”
    His curious tone stopped her up short. “Do you really care about this?”
    “Yeah, actually. I do. I didn’t think your initial reception in town was very fair. Still don’t, but I am glad folks came around.”
    “It’s a lot to ask of people. They’ve known Kate forever and I was the interloper.”
    His gaze drifted back to her. “You’re Jonas Winston’s daughter, not an interloper.”
    “Illegitimate daughter.”
    “You’re his
daughter
, Grier. Don’t let anyone diminish that, least of all yourself.”
    The earnest tone and hard set of his jaw lit a small spark of something she couldn’t quite define. His conviction—his absolute belief in her—was heady. And it was something she’d never experienced from anyone other than Sloan.
    As if he sensed the moment had gotten too tense, a broad smile cracked his face as his blue eyes found hers. “You’re a keeper, Grier Thompson, and I’m damn glad you’re here.”
    “Mick—” She broke off, not sure what to say, because she
was
glad to be here. With him.
    And she didn’t quite know what to do about it.
    “Go ahead on in. I’ll take care of your bags.”
    “Grier!” Avery’s shriek echoed around the lobby of the Indigo Blue as she ran from behind the check-in desk to greet Grier, grabbing her in a huge bear hug. Mick stood off to the side, unable to hide his amusement at Avery’s enthusiastic response to their arrival.
    Grier took in the warm hug and squeezed back just as hard.
    Oh, how she’d missed Avery Marks.
    They’d known each other for only a short time—not even six weeks—but the woman had become as essential to her life as Sloan was.
    A quick nip of gratitude filled her memories as she thought about her first month in Indigo. The chilly reception, with no support from anyone save Walker and his legal advice, had nearly done her in.
    And now she was hugging her new friend as if they’d known each other for years, more at home with her than anyone she’d grown up with or knew in New York.
    Avery turned to buss Mick’s cheek with a quick kiss before dragging them both toward the hotel’s large bar area. “Drinks are on me. I’ve missed you.”
    “You saw me yesterday,” Mick teased her as they moved up toward the dark wood of the bar.
    “Oh yeah, that’s right. I had to use you as a stand-in so I could gossip with someone.”
    “Ooh. You’ve got juicies? Who’s riding the gossip train now?” Grier smiled as she slid onto one of the heavy leather-covered stools that rimmed the edge of the bar, then reached for a handful of pretzels from a small silver dish. “I want to hear all about it.”
    Mick pointed toward the far side of the bar as Avery pulled on the tap for his beer. “That’s my cue to go. I see Doc Cloud just came in, so why don’t you pour me one for him, too? I think I’ll engage in some gossip of my own.”
    Avery reached for another glass and deftly began curling it in her hands as it filled with bright amber liquid. “Discussing—oh, excuse me,
betting
—on this week’s bowl games does not constitute gossip.”
    “Nah, but it’s a hell of a lot more fun.” Mick grabbed the two foaming beers off the counter, then