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Apparently, when I’d arrived home last night, neither my mom nor Carmen had noticed anything was wrong. Then again, I’d prepared myself before even walking into the house, forcing a bright smile on my face, and even insisting I’d had a great night.

Technically, I hadn’t been lying.

Of course, I saw the questions lingering in their expressions. I hadn’t stayed out all hours of the night, returning home by just a few minutes before eleven, but I’d been gone longer than the three hours they’d insisted upon from the beginning.

I’d wound up having a better night than I could have hoped for. It was spectacular. The problem was all that came after when realizing what I’d done. Because as much as I enjoyed myself with Liam, there was no doubt we’d skipped over a few steps. And as I laid in bed beside him last night, I asked myself question after question about why I’d done what I’d done, especially when I knew how badly he was hurting.

Had I taken advantage of his vulnerability? Had I used the love he had for me to avoid telling him the things he deserved to hear?

It was safe to say I was disgusted with myself and the decisions I’d made once again. Why he’d even be willing to do what he had with me last night was a mystery to me.

Now that I was still so caught up and confused about things with Liam, the last thing I wanted to do was share the details of my evening with my mom.

I held her gaze, hesitating, not wanting to get my mom’s hopes up. Because it was almost a guarantee that ifshe knew I’d seen Liam last night, she’d be ecstatic. And while I understood why and couldn’t have wanted for more in a perfect scenario, there were far too many unknowns when it came to him.

So, I inhaled deeply and considered my options for sharing with her. Maybe I could turn my mood around while talking about the things that had happened before I ran into Liam. Maybe that would be enough to satisfy my mom’s curiosity.

“I went to see Jules.”

She blinked in surprise. “You did?”

Nodding, I explained, “When she saw me outside the consignment shop, she’d urged me to come visit at Westwood’s, so I could see her new bakery.”

“Was she surprised to see you?”

I smiled. Evidently, there wasn’t much I was going to be able to get past my mom. “Just as surprised as I was that I’d driven myself there.”

She returned a knowing smile. “I’m proud of you for that. So, you got to see her bakery?”

“Yes. And honestly, I can’t wait until you’re feeling better and able to walk around on that leg, because you need to check it out. She treated me to a brownie, and it was easily the best thing I’ve tasted in years, possibly forever.”

“Jules always was a wonderful baker, if I remember correctly.”

“Her talent is unmatched,” I agreed. “And the bakery itself is perfect for her. Cooper built it, which is the sweetest thing. It’s not too big, and judging by the veryfew treats left when I arrived, it’s obvious she’s doing well there.”

I was smiling, feeling genuinely happy, and had felt my spirits lift a touch. But apparently, that wasn’t enough.

“That’s excellent. I’ll look forward to checking it out when the doctor clears me for a bit more activity. By then, I’m sure I’ll be ready to get out of the house for a while. So, did you spend all your time out with Jules, then?”

My mother was no fool. She probably already knew the answer and just wanted me to admit the truth to her.

I shook my head. “No. I did visit with her for a while, but at her suggestion, I made my way over to The Westwood Hotel. Ivy is the one in charge of it now, and after Jules had mentioned days earlier that she’d run into me out in town, apparently Ivy had been bummed she hadn’t had the opportunity to catch up with me.”

“Ivy’s running the hotel now?” The disbelief in her tone was undeniable.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it? I still haven’t quite wrapped my head around how much has changed since the last time I was on the Westwood’s campus. I mean, Jules was still in high school at the time, and Ivy was in college. They’ve both come such a long way.”

As soon as I’d gotten the words out, I felt something squeeze in my chest. I’d been working my tail off in hopes of finding similar success, but it hadn’t happened for me. I’d run off to the big city expecting big things, and noneof my dreams had come true. I’d failed miserably, in more ways than one.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that you are still on such good terms with that family.”

Warmth moved through me. I couldn’t deny that they’d had every reason to never want to speak to me again, and yet, they were beyond gracious. “It’s been so lovely and unexpected, that’s for sure.”

I watched as a questioning look flitted through my mom’s expression, but she quickly recovered. Whatever she’d been thinking, she didn’t share. Instead, she asked, “Are they married?”

The question caught me off guard. “I… I don’t know.”

“They didn’t mention it?”