“At a funeral,” Olivia added.
Maybe it wasn’t too late to disown my sisters. “Thanks for reminding me.”
Olivia set down the cookies, focusing all her attention on me. “It’s time to get back out there.”
I chewed aggressively, wishing Olivia and Rosie would pick a new topic. “Give me one good reason why.”
“Next month, when you go to Ned’s sister’s wedding, you know you’re going to see him.” Olivia didn’t sound sympathetic. She sounded strategic, like someone laying out her carefully crafted plan.
The wedding reminder was not new information, but it was also a fact I’d stored away in a lockbox in my mind, ignoring it completely. I adored Ned’s younger sister, Jasmine, and had been invited to the nuptials. Of course her brother would be in attendance. I’d thought about declining the invitation, but that would hurt Jasmine’s feelings.
“Maybe I don’t go,” I said.
Olivia rolled her eyes at my drama. “You’re not skipping your college roommate’s wedding. Plus, the whole town will be there. You can’t be the only one in Sugar Creek who doesn’t attend.” Jasmine’s fiancé was deputy mayor, so pretty much the entire city had been invited.
“You’ll obviously need a date.” Rosie handed me another cookie to soften the blow.
Avoiding the wedding altogether still sounded like the least complicated solution. “I’m a strong, independent woman who does not need to fulfill society’s expectations and bring a plus-one.”
Rosie stared glumly from behind her round pink glasses. “Jasmine told me Ned’s floozy girlfriend will be in attendance.”
I reached for Olivia’s wine and tossed it back. “The idea of a date is now under consideration. But let’s get back to this bookshop.”
Olivia’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned in. “Tell us what it was like seeing Miller after all these years. Were you gobsmacked like we were?”
“I don’t know.” I did not like where this conversation was suddenly heading. Miller was my boss. Period. “Obviously he’s grown up since he graduated from high school and left town as fast as he could.”
Olivia lowered her glass from her lips. “Apparently taking a jet straight to sexy town.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Then you weren’t looking,” she said.
“Yes, he’s an attractive guy. He always has been. Now can we talk about some books, pour more wine, or Insta-stalk the girls who were mean to us in high school like normal mature grown-ups?”
“Miller has that whole brooding hero thing going on.” Leave it to Olivia to assign Miller some marketable descriptors.
“I guess he has reason to.” Rosie gave into a sad smile. “I do love a good hero.”
We stopped for a mutual moment of silence, all of us thinking of Rosie’s sweet Chase.
After a moment, Olivia rested her hand on my chair. “We’re so glad you’re back in Sugar Creek.”
“It feels right,” Rosie said.
“Don’t get too attached.” My conversation with Miller in his office replayed in my head. I saw his look of barely contained tolerance and a man who already counted my program a failure. “Miller doesn’t even want me working at the farm.”
Olivia’s brow crinkled in a frown. “What gave you that notion?”
“Probably when he uttered the words ‘I don’t think you should be working at the farm.’” I thought of our final stop on the tour today—the horse barn and horse arena. The horses were all there, neatly groomed and getting exercise. I had a cute office in the corner of the barn with a window for sunlight, already stocked with a desk and some comfy chairs for chatting. It was an ideal setup. Except for the scowling owner.
“That boy needs to recognize who he’s dealing with.” Olivia clinked her wineglass to mine. “You are Hattie Kate Sutton, renowned therapist and expert in trauma-based care. If he doesn’t bow down to your expertise, you let us know. We’ll have Sylvie handle him.”
Oh, Lord. Sylvie would drop Miller off at a deserted island in the Caribbean and make him swim back to Arkansas. “The equine-assisted therapy program wasn’t his idea. In fact, he’s against it.” I explained Miller’s weak reasoning. “It was a risk packing up my entire life in Nashville for a six-month job, but I never dreamed I’d be counted out before I even got started.”
“Miller’s very protective of Hope Farms,” Rosie said.“But if his sister created the job,then you show Miller it was exactly the right thing to do. You’ll wow him in no time.”
“That’s right,” Olivia agreed. “You’re the best at what you do. You’re going to change lives.”
