I sniffed and blinked a few times, trying to dislodge the emotion that had come over me, but it couldn’t be helped. I was just so happy for Rosie. “I was thinking of my eventual divorce and got weepy at the sheer joy.”
When Lachlan didn’t volley back a smart retort, I glanced up, only to find him staring at me. A heavy feeling flashed in his eyes, and had I blinked I would’ve missed it. But it was there—something sad, a glint of loneliness.
But then he lifted his chin and let his gaze travel the shop. “We’ll have to throw a joint party. Give our marriage a proper send-off.”
Right. “Then never see one another again.”
“A dream come true.” He nudged me with an elbow. “Back to your brief interlude into humanity. Why the tears?”
A woman passed by carrying a stack of Whitney Nicole books. Our book club was reading one of the author’s latest romances this month. “This bookshop means so much to Rosie—to all of us, really. When Rosie announced that she’d bought this building, we thought she was having a grief-fueled nervous breakdown. But she knew what she was doing the entire time. This place represents everything she holds dear—books, community, and—”
“And her family at the center of it.”
“Yes,” I said. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Lachlan went quiet for a moment, letting the thoughts move around in that big head of his. “You’ll miss them if you go to New York.”
That reminder plucked a heartstring with a little too much vigor. “I can’t even think about that.” Sure, I could FaceTime and call my family daily, but when it came to returning to Sugar Creek for visits, I was a realist. It would be eons before I’d have time to leave work and travel home. “Do you have other family you miss? Cousins? Aunts?” I inhaled his familiar scent. “Maybe a favorite barber you ignore?”
“No.” He watched a group of shoppers. “Some friends back in California, but that’s it.”
Do not feel sorry for him, Olivia Sutton. Do not. It was emotional quicksand, and I did not want to take this small step of empathy and find myself sucked into a pit of regret. But still—how terribly sad to not have any family to care for you, to call you, to stick listening devices in your car and run background checks on all the men you attempted to date. “You can borrow my family for the next six months.” My eyes went wide as I realized that offer had come from my own runaway lips.
“Careful, Livvy.” Lachlan turned to me then, and a small smile appeared. “I might want to keep them.”
He almost sounded like he meant it. “And our marriage will end in a bitter custody battle?”
Lachlan reached out and gave a lock of my hair a gentle tug. “You get Sylvie and her knife collection, but I get Frannie and her amazing cupcakes.”
I hated how much I loved Lachlan’s playful side. “No, I get full custody of them both, but you can have summers and two weeks in December.”
Lachlan’s grin lifted those stubbled cheeks and ignited a strange tipsy feeling in my chest. “I guess we can let our attorneys decide.” His eyes locked on mine, then his voice went low as he bent his head toward me. “You’re looking at me funny today.”
“No, I’m not,” I said with a little too much gusto. “I’m…I’m definitely not. Same type of looking. Normal. Kind of irritated and slightly nauseous. The usual.”
He now stood way too close. “By chance have you been thinking about our kiss from last night?”
I slowly shook my head, wondering what spell Lachlan had cast that made it impossible to look away. “I…forgot all about it.”
His fingers captured mine while his lips hovered near my ear. His breath was a caress, sending a shiver down my spine. “Liar.”
“Olivia!”
I jolted and whirled toward the familiar voice. “Rosie.” Could she hear my heart pounding? My cheeks felt warm. Did they look warm? Were they splotchy? Did my skin say, “Flirting with Lachlan does weird things to my insides, and I’m so confused and need it all to stop right now”?
“I’m so glad you two are here!” Rosie enveloped me in a hug, her scent of roses and vanilla as predictable as her vintage dress and cardigan. “Lachlan, I thought I saw you walk in.” Before Lachlan knew what hit him, my sister threw her enthusiastic arms around him as well.
Lachlan’s eyes met mine over Rosie’s head, and I simply smiled at his discomfort. “Our Rosie’s a hugger,” I said. “Get used to it.”
“That’s right.” My sister released him and gave his shoulders a squeeze. “Thank you for the flowers, Lachlan. They’re lovely.”
“You sent my sister flowers?”
“Beautiful pink and white peonies to celebrate the grand opening.” Rosie gestured toward the sales counter. “How on earth did you know that’s my favorite flower?”
Now Lachlan was the one who blushed. “Just a lucky guess. Roses seemed a little too on the nose.”
“They’re gorgeous.” Rosie waved at a friend browsing the mystery section before returning her happy attention back to me.“What a lucky woman my sister is to have such a thoughtful husband.”
