Page 78 of Vows We Never Made

But that doesn’t excuse her rotten behavior.

Out of habit, I brush a hand over the soft curve of my stomach, pinching the excess skin down there.

Mom always warned me you were fat if you could pinch off more than an inch or two. And I know it’s BS, but I can’t help going back to it.

Always testing, testing, worrying I’ll gain a few more pounds, and then I’ll never hear the end of it until the day an extra cinnamon roll kills me.

“Hattie!” Margot slaps her hand away. “You can’t keep falling for her crap, okay? You’re gorgeous just the way you are. Do you want me to have words with her?”

“No.” I sigh. “It’s fine. Actually, Ethan came to my rescue. He stood up for me.”

“Ethan?” Margot does a double take, blinking like a startled chipmunk. “My dumbass older brother Ethan? The surly idiot who pushed a ring on you to get his money? That Ethan?”

“I was just as surprised as you. He basically insisted I should eat what I want and enjoy, right to Mom’s face.”

“He did, huh? Wow.” Margot chews her lip before dismissing whatever thought she had. “Not gonna lie, it’s suspicious. Then again, if he’s turning into an actual human being for once because Gramps is gone, fine. I didn’t think it was possible, but if I’m wrong, hey, cool.”

I poke her in the side.

“He’s notalwaysawful.”

“I mean, I guess not if he had a secret personality transplant I never knew about.” She looks at me. “Which seems likely if you’re changing your opinion of him.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I rush out. “It was one time, Margot. I was just grateful, that’s all.”

Before she can say anything else or get too up in her head about me admitting Ethan isn’t evil incarnate, the bell to the front door rings and I look out just in time to see a tall man walking into the store.

I must’ve forgotten to lock up after moving some books in earlier.

“Sorry,” I call as I run out, fixing a polite smile on my face. “We’re temporarily closed.”

I point to the sign on the door which saysClosedin pretty cursive.

“Will you forgive the intrusion for a friend?” the man says, flashing his abnormally white teeth.

That smile triggers a memory.

“Cooper Daley?” I frown.

His smile widens with delight.

“You remembered! You’re better than I am with faces, Miss Sage.”

I stare at him, trying to find my own smile again. After the way Ethan reacted, he’d be a hard face to forget.

“That’s great! Although I have to say, part of me hoped you wouldn’t.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I bungled my first impression.” He approaches, giving me ample opportunity to notice he’s wearing a shirt and suit pants that look runway worthy—almost absurdly attractive. “Anyway, I was hoping I could give it another try now.”

What is going on?

I swallow hard.

Margot arrives by my side and gives him a brief once-over, then a smile.

Not the devastating flirty one she uses to impress, but a polite one.