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town?” Cooper asked.
    â€œThe Old Quarter here in Cadence is my neighborhood now,” she said smoothly. “Let’s just say I have my sources.”
    â€œRight.” He nodded, evidently satisfied, and picked up his sandwich. “Your mother phoned and told you I was on my way here to Cadence.”
    â€œWell, yes, as a matter of fact. She called me this afternoon to warn me.”
    He looked amused. “She thought that my impending arrival warranted a warning?”
    â€œShe’s my mom. She didn’t want me to be taken by surprise if you decided to show up at my shop.”
    â€œShould have remembered that moms are inclined to do things like that.” He drank some beer and lowered the bottle. “So, how’s life in the big city?”
    His mesmerizing blue eyes were even more riveting without the transparent shield of his glasses, she discovered. Or maybe she had just forgotten how compelling they were.
    â€œLife here is great,” she said briskly. “A whole new world, in fact. I always knew that Aurora Springs was staidand conservative compared to a city like Cadence, but I didn’t realize just how old-fashioned and behind the times the place really is until I got here.”
    â€œBeen an enlightening six months for you, has it?”
    â€œIt certainly has. Did you know, for instance, that the local Guild is making a major effort to go mainstream like the Resonance City Guild? There’s talk of turning it into a corporation.”
    He shrugged. “Mercer Wyatt will probably be able to make the Cadence Guild resemble a mainstream business enterprise. But I can guarantee you that when it comes to the inner workings at the top, things aren’t going to change much.”
    â€œHow do you know that?” she demanded. “Look at the Resonance City Guild. They say the former boss, Emmett London, managed to turn it into a respectable corporate entity before he resigned. It even has a representative on the Resonance Chamber of Commerce, for goodness’ sake. Talk about mainstreaming.”
    â€œI’ve got nothing against taking the Guilds mainstream. Up to a point. Got a few plans of my own for Aurora Springs.”
    That stopped her. “You do?”
    â€œYes.” He raised his brows. “But that doesn’t mean anything will actually change much in the executive offices.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause,” Cooper said with an air of great patience, “although you can change some aspects of how the Guilds function and how they are perceived by the public, at their core, they are fundamentally different from mainstream corporate entities.”
    â€œWhy?” she demanded.
    â€œThe Guilds are a cross between business enterprises and emergency militias. That mix requires a management style that is different from that of mainstream businesses.It also requires more emphasis on discipline, tradition, and a degree of secrecy that true corporations can’t maintain.”
    â€œThis is ridiculous.” She sat back in the seat and flattened both hands on the table. “I don’t know why I’m bothering to argue with you. Talk about a waste of time. If you want to keep the Aurora Springs Guild mired in outdated traditions, that’s your problem, not mine.”
    â€œTrue,” he agreed. “You gave up any right to comment on the subject when you threw my ring back in my face, didn’t you?”
    She stiffened. “I didn’t throw it back. I just sort of set it down on your desk.”
    He shrugged. “We each have our version of events. Want some fries?”
    She was suddenly and uncomfortably aware of the fact that she had not eaten dinner. That would put her last meal at shortly before noon, she reflected.
    She looked at the fries, mouth watering. “No, thank you.”
    â€œSuit yourself.” He ate another fry.
    She cleared her throat. “Those things aren’t good