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Cat sighed and folded her hands in her lap. She had imagined the moment she would see Hattie again and had played out several different scenarios in her head, but instead of saying anything, she waited.

“Uh, I’m sure you’re angry with me and I don’t blame you,” Hattie began.

“I’m no longer angry,” Cat said evenly.

“I’m sorry I didn’t return your calls or respond to your texts, but you know me, talking about my feelings or important things is hard.”

“Important things? Is that what our relationship was, Hattie? A thing?”

“No, of course it wasn’t.” Hattie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Cat asked as she raised her brows. She thought when she saw Hattie again all her feelings would come back, but there was nothing. However, she didn’t intend to make this easy for Hattie. Whenever they had an important conversation, Cat usually ended up doing all the talking. Not this time. It was Hattie’s turn.

Cat looked on as she saw Hattie take a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I’m sorry for the way I left.” Hattie looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry for leaving. I made the biggest mistake of my life and I’m here to make it right.”

Cat hadn’t seen that coming. She once thought if Hattie came back and apologized then maybe they could work things out. But not now. Cat didn’t feel any kind of affection and certainly not love for the woman sitting in front of her. “And how are you going to do that?”

“By first apologizing then showing you how much I love you and how much I want to make this work.”

“Show me?” Movement over by the register caught Cat’s eye and she saw Elena walk in from the entrance to CeCe’s store. When their eyes met, her heart sped up and butterflies erupted in her stomach. Suddenly she didn’t care what Hattie had to say.

19

Elena had walked into CeCe’s salon to pick up a new product CeCe wanted her to try. When she glanced over at the bookstore she saw Cat talking to someone in the reading nook. It was odd to see Cat sitting in her chair.

“Here you go,” Ryan said to Elena as he walked towards her from his station. “CeCe left early to get things ready for the big family dinner. She said to try this and she’d settle up with you later.”

“Thanks, Ryan.” Elena smiled and took the sack from him.

“Y’all have fun tonight.”

“I’m sure we will,” Elena said.

She walked into the bookstore and over to the register. “Who’s that with Cat?” she asked Jessica. But something inside her began to smolder. “Wait. Don’t tell me...”

“Yep,” Jessica said. “That’s Hattie.”

Elena wanted to march over there and smack the woman that had caused her Cat so much pain. Her Cat? But when her eyes met Cat's, the anger lifted and suddenly the plan came back to her. She knew exactly what to do.

Elena saw Cat stand and smile at her. That’s all she needed to see. Elena started walking towards Cat and without a glance at Hattie said, “Hey, babe.” Then she reached for Cat’s hand and softly pressed her lips to Cat’s. She didn’t expect all the air to leave her body and be replaced with warm flutters that buzzed through her veins. The kiss didn’t last a moment, but what a moment it was. Elena knew she would never forget the feel of Cat’s lips pressed to hers. They were perfectly soft and full as Cat kissed her back.

She intertwined their fingers and inched her lips away and gave Cat a soft smile. Elena couldn’t quite read the expression in Cat’s eyes. It wasn’t surprise, it was more like awareness or recognition.

Cat returned her smile and held their hands together tightly. “Hattie, this is Elena Burkett, my girlfriend,” she stated with confidence.

Elena turned to the woman and didn’t offer her hand. She simply nodded once. “Hello.”

Hattie cleared her throat with obvious shock on her face. “Uh, hi,” she said quietly.

“We have plans, so…” Cat shrugged.

“Right. Um, I’ll come back another time,” Hattie said. She stood and pulled her shoulders back, seeming to regain her composure. “We still have things to talk about.” She walked past them and turned just before she opened the front door. “This isn’t over, Cat.” Then she walked out the door.

Cat released a dramatic breath and looked into Elena’s eyes. “That was so much better than a throat punch.”

Elena nearly doubled over with laughter.

“That was the best thing I’ve seen in a long time. You should’ve seen her face,” Jessica said, walking up next to them. “Of course you couldn’t see because you were kissing!”