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owner of this place. Tell him, Justin.”
    “What Tabby said,” Justin said obediently, without moving a muscle. “Easier to go along with her than argue, because you’ll never win. Trust me.”
    Sloan stuffed a few dollars in the empty tip jar by the register. “You won’t give that back, because I know it gets split among your crew.” He took a sip from his mug, turning his gaze to Justin again. “You in town for the long weekend? Going to play in Colbys’ pool tournament?”
    Tabby busied herself restacking the pastry boxes. Justin would be gone by nightfall just like always. He never stayed the entire Thanksgiving weekend. At least on that score, she could relax a little.
    “I’m here until January. But no, I leave the pool games to my brother.”
    She accidentally dropped the boxes and they scattered. “January!”
    As Sloan leaned over and picked up the boxes that had landed on the floor, the radio attached to his belt crackled. He adjusted the sound and set the boxes on the counter. “Sure I’ll be seeing more of you then,” he said. He gestured with his mug and picked up his own pastry box. “Thanks, Tabby.”
    “You bet.” She waited until the deputy departed before she focused on Justin again. “January?”
    “I know the thought’s horrifying to you, but try to dial it down a little.” He came around the counter and refilled his coffee mug.
    And even though she wanted to tell him to get back on his own side of the counter, she couldn’t very well do so.
    Like it or not, he was her boss. It didn’t matter that he’d always left the decision making to his brother when it came to Ruby’s. But Justin was still half owner. It wasn’t something she dwelled on, but when they were standing right there in Ruby’s, it was kind of hard to forget.
    She mentally counted to ten and tried again. “You’re here until January?” Calmer or not, her voice had still gone a little hoarse at the end. But she held up her chin as if it hadn’t. “Why is that?”
    “I’ll be working on a project here for CNJ. At the hospital, mostly. My aunt cleared it last night, though she’s going to have me jumping through a few more hoops than I expected because of it.”
    Tabby let his answer roll around in her head a few times. “Why can’t you work on it in Boston at that big state-of-the-art laboratory you love?”
    “Too many distractions there.”
    “Gillian being one of them?”
    “Yes, but not the way you th—” He went silent when the bell over the door jingled again, and Sam strolled in.
    She hadn’t yet changed from her jogging gear into her uniform. Tabby waited for the usual male reaction to register in Justin’s expression as he took in the sight of Sam’s figure lovingly outlined from neck to ankle in vibrant, clinging purple fabric.
    But he didn’t do the typical double take like all the other guys.
    Instead, he nodded politely at Sam and turned back to stare into his coffee mug while Tabby rang up a dozen rolls.
    If he was so crazy about Gillian that a beautiful woman like Samantha didn’t even merit a glance, what was he doing making Tabby’s life harder by sticking around Weaver for the next few months?
    The thought was more than a little irritating. “Sam, you haven’t met Justin Clay yet, have you? He’s Erik’s brother.”
    Sam turned her bright eyes back to Justin. “No kidding? You’re the genius scientist who works back East.” She stuck out her hand, cocking her blond head a little to one side. “I guess I see the resemblance to Erik,” she said with a smile. “Except you’re prettier.”
    Tabby nearly choked on her amusement when Justin flushed.
    “He’d argue that,” he said and nearly yanked back his hand from Sam’s.
    “Sam’s one of Max’s deputies,” Tabby told him. “Like Sloan.”
    “Well, I wear a badge like Sloan,” Sam allowed wryly. “But nobody calls me their boss like they do Sloan.” She picked up the box of rolls. “Still warm. Wonder if