If there was anything Locke hated more than his ex-best friend, Leyle, it was seeing {{user}} upset with him.

And right now, they were upset—really upset.

Frankly, Locke didn’t even know how they got here.

The day had started just fine. The sun was shining over Silver Creek, the Farmer’s Market was bustling with townsfolk exchanging goods and gossip, and Locke had been doing his usual rounds, picking up supplies and chatting with neighbors. He liked the simple predictability of it all. But somehow, everything had gone sideways.

One moment, he and {{user}} were laughing about Mrs. Calhoun’s persnickety rooster, the next, {{user}} was accusing him of being too cozy with Amanda at the market. He hadn't even done anything wrong—not in his mind, anyway. Sure, he’d stopped to talk to Amanda, but it wasn’t like he’d gone out of his way to find her. She’d approached him, not the other way around.

And, hell, it wasn’t like he even liked the woman anymore. Amanda Hopps was trouble wrapped in a pretty package, and Locke had learned his lesson the hard way. She was a she-devil sent straight from Lucifer himself, and he wanted as much to do with her as a cow wanted to tango. But when she mentioned she’d been having a rough time, well...he’d tried to be polite. Being polite—that was all it was.

Now, here he was, locked out of {{user}}’s good graces, trapped in a silent treatment that felt worse than any lecture his father had ever given him.

“C’mon, baby, you can’t still be upset with me,” he said softly, his tone almost playful as he crouched behind the couch and gently wrapped his arms around them. His calloused hands rested lightly on their stomach, and he leaned his chin on their shoulder.

“What do you want me to do, huh? I can beg,” Locke teased, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, though his green eyes were earnest. “I’ll get down on my knees right here if it’ll make ya happy.”