Page 1 of The Comeback Road (Leaving #2)

Lexie

Nine months ago

Do not panic, I internally scolded myself. This is no reason to panic. My eyes scanned the abysmal wine section at what I kept calling the Piggly Wiggly , noting that there wasn’t a single flippin’ moscato on the shelf. I will not panic.

“Hey! Magnolia’s friend!” a booming boisterous voice rang out, and I was fully aware that they must be talking to me—I mean, who else ?

But I was busy, my mind currently cataloguing every wine I could and storing it for research later.

While I didn’t have a photographic memory or anything like that, I was insanely good at remembering small details of, well. . anything , if I put my mind to it.

“Earth to Lexie? I think it is?”

Doing my best to pull myself out of my inner turmoil, I found myself staring right into those perfect hazel eyes I had been introduced to a few days before… Jace. A quick flick of my gaze to his left hand confirmed the wedding ring was still on, and I found myself frowning instead of responding.

“You okay over here?” His puzzled expression only added to his charm and delayed my already late response.

“Oh, uh, me? Yeah. Fine. There’s just no wine here!” I threw my hands up in frustration.

“No wine?” His expression was filled with humor as he took in the rows of wine around us.

“No wine! Of course, I told my best friend I’d move to this town with her. Of course I did , but what kind of town doesn’t have moscato? And I can’t not move here because of the wine selection, right? I mean, that’d be insane.” I knew I was rambling like a crazy person. I felt like a crazy person.

“You’re moving here?” Now he looked very interested, and I felt my cheeks heat under his blatant perusal as he stepped in closer to me. “Now, that’s some very, very good news.”

I felt my mouth dry at his words as I looked up at him. I was tall, but he was taller. “Good news?” I mumbled out, my frustration over the wine completely forgotten.

“You’re cute, Lexie. I think you might do this town some good.”

“You’re married.” My eyes shot down to the ring on his hand.

“Not really.”

“Does your wife know you tell people that?”

His laugh met my ears. “I tell you what, if you can find her for me, I’ll let you tell her yourself.”

Now that is interesting.