“One hell of a crazy week, bro,” Jasper said. “But honestly, I can’t wait to get back home a little. There was so much more to see here, damn it.”


    “We’ll come back,” Daniel replied. “I don’t know when, but we’ll be back.”


    “I don’t know, bro. I wish we could’ve fleshed out a few more stories. It felt a bit flat. Though that bit with the gallows and the jail? That was gold. Straight out of a movie.”


    Ava had gone upstairs to change. Jasper and Daniel stayed downstairs, keeping an eye on Phil while they talked. Phil, meanwhile, was taking everything off the bar shelves, wiping away the dust.


    “I’ve been a bartender,” Jasper said, watching Phil. “That cleaning was the most annoying part of the whole gig.”


    Phil overheard him. He turned and flashed a smile. Sometimes he didn’t look like a bartender at all—more like a geography teacher. All he needed was a chalkboard and a long pointer.


    “Guess we’re not becoming deputy sheriffs now, huh?” Daniel said.


    Jasper tried to muster something like a smile but quickly hid it.


    Ava came down the stairs slowly. She wore simple jeans and a pink T-shirt. Her hair was tied back in a short ponytail, with a few strands falling loosely around her face. Instead of boots, she had on sneakers now.


    “You look like you just stepped out of the future,” Daniel couldn’t resist. The joke felt right.


    “Actually, I’m heading back to the future,” Ava said. “I couldn’t wait to ditch those dresses.”


    “Didn’t you tell me you liked them?”


    “I did while I was here. Seriously, this place isn’t made for jeans or pants—they just don’t fit. But now that we’re leaving…”


    “Not a bad idea, bro,” Jasper chimed in. “I’m sick of these baggy clothes too. If Colin saw us like this, he’d laugh at us for a week straight.”


    “I’d forgotten about Colin, Jas,” Daniel said. “This place totally took over.”


    “Now imagine having to face him…” Jasper paused. “Should we just stay here instead?”


    The two of them laughed. Ava didn’t join in—she didn’t know what they were talking about.


    “What do you guys do?” she asked. “I mean, not here. Here you’re sheriffs.” She stifled a laugh. “In reality.”


    “I’m a broker,” Jasper said quickly, burying his face in his hands on the table. “That’s it.”


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    “And you?” She looked at Daniel.


    “I’m almost a director at a software company.”


    “Almost a director? That’s a new one—I’ve never heard of that job title. Which one of you got the invites?”


    “Me,” Daniel said, raising his hand slightly.


    “Why didn’t you bring your girlfriend?” Ava asked, her tone a little hesitant.


    Daniel glanced at Jasper, whose head was still planted on the table. He was the reason Ava even knew about Emma.


    “She didn’t want to come,” Daniel said. “She figured it’d be boring, some kind of game.”


    “I thought the same at first,” Ava admitted. “But when my boss said it was for work, I agreed.”


    “And he really just wanted to get you into bed,” Jasper said, sitting up.


    “Even if he did,” Ava shot him a dark look, “that was never going to happen.”


    “Why not? It’s not like there aren’t cases where—”


    “Please stop this topic,” Ava cut him off. Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t like it. I haven’t slept with Sam Hayes, and I never will.”


    Even Phil turned at her shout. An awkward silence settled in. Jasper raised a hand and looked at her.


    “Okay, sorry,” he said. “I’m like that sometimes. You’ll get used to it.”


    “Get used to it? In a day, this might be the last time we ever see each other.”


    “I’m not so sure about that,” Jasper said, his grin returning as he glanced between her and Daniel. “I’d bet you two will come back here together next time.”


    Classic Jasper. He said whatever popped into his head, no filter. Most of the time, it was for his own amusement—especially in moments like this. He loved putting everyone on the spot.


    “I don’t think so,” Ava said. “That kiss was just to mess with my boss.”


    “Kiss?” Jasper’s eyes lit up like a cartoon character’s.


    Ava looked at Daniel.


    “I thought he told you?” Her cheeks flushed.


    “We’re not girls who gossip about that stuff,” Daniel said. “If we’d hooked up, maybe I’d brag to him.” It was his turn to be blunt.


    Ava went speechless.


    “I kissed him,” she said, turning to Jasper. “I wanted my boss to see—”


    “Hey, I’m not judging,” Jasper interrupted again. “Do what you want. Daniel’s cool, and that other one doesn’t deserve him.”


    “Jasper?”


    “Come on, bro, enough,” Jasper said. “She doesn’t let you hang out with us, doesn’t let you do anything. You think I don’t see how you two look at each other? You’re all googly-eyed for her, and she’s looking for any excuse to stay away.”


    “That’s not true.”


    “Yeah, sure, it’s not…” Jasper rolled his eyes. “You just need to see yourself from the outside. You’re pathetic when you’re with Emma.”


    The bar door swung open again. Daniel felt a flicker of déjà vu with all these people constantly barging in.


    This time, it was Wesley.


    “So, what do you think of my offer from earlier?” he asked.


    “To shoot ourselves? Bring it here,” Jasper said, sounding bored out of his mind.


    “To come down to the lab with us,” Wesley clarified. “We got the okay from the bosses. You’ll see things from the inside. Could be interesting.”


    Ava’s face lit up. Daniel was happier seeing her reaction than he was about the prospect of seeing the robots again.