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I shut my eyes, the pain flaring behind my ribs. When did it start mattering this much? When did his cold shoulder start to feel like a punishment?

Hi Hayley, something urgent’s come up with Jack’s schedule. Could we possibly reschedule Friday’s dinner for early next week? I know your calendar is tight, so let me know what’s workable. I appreciate you! – Mia

I hit send before I can overthink it. She’ll probably be annoyed. She should be. And honestly, I don’t blame her.

I toss the phone in the passenger seat and start the car, but I don’t drive yet. I just sit there, staring at the windshield like it holds answers I can’t seem to find anywhere else.

Who’s he having dinner with?

Why didn’t he just say it outright?

And why does it hurt?

Hayley calls me two days later.

The morning sun cuts through the mist over the street as I coast down toward the shop, coffee in one hand, my mind still tangled in the past two days.

My phone rings through the car’s Bluetooth, jolting me out of the loop in my head. The name flashes on the dash: Hayley Bentworth.

I fumble the coffee into the cupholder and tap the screen, infusing a lot of enthusiasm into my voice.

“Hayley! Hey!”

“Hi, Mia,” she says with a small laugh. “I’m so sorry I’ve delayed in reaching back to you. I did see your text, meant to call you earlier, but it’s been chaos over here.”

“No worries,” I say quickly, even though my pulse kicks up. “I just didn’t want to leave you hanging.”

“Honestly?” she says with another short laugh, “I was relieved. I was going to call you to cancel. Something urgent came up with production—I’m stuck in L.A. for the next few weeks. I can’t make it out to Bardstown until maybe… next month?”

I blink. “Wait. You’re in L.A. now?”

“Yep. Since last week. I’ll be here through the end of the month unless something changes.”

My mind snaps into motion. Friday. Jack mentioned dinner in L.A. Friday.

I straighten in my seat. “Well… that might actually work.”

There’s a pause on her end. “Wait—seriously?”

“Jack’s going to be in L.A. too. By Friday.”

Hayley gasps. “No way! That’s perfect! If he’s free, I’d love to meet up then. I can do dinner, drinks, whatever fits his schedule.”

I smile—genuinely—for the first time in what feels like days. “That’s great. Let me… let me check in with him, and I’ll confirm.”

“Yes, please do!” Hayley says brightly. “This actually feels kind of fated now. Like, cosmic timing.”

I laugh, nodding even though she can’t see me. “I’ll call you back soon.”

We hang up, and for a second, I sit with the feeling. The moment of relief. I can salvage this. The whole PR romance plot hasn’t gone completely off the rails.

I reach for my phone, thumb hovering over Jack’s number, heart thudding.

Then I stop.

Before I can even question myself, I turn my car around and head to the cottage. It’s not like I want to see him, duh, he practically shoved me out of his house the last time I was there.

But I know how he is. He doesn’t take anything about this date seriously. I have to stand in his face and tell him he’ll be meeting Hayley in L.A. on Friday. He can’t shimmy or excuse his way out of this.