Margot remained frozen as I unexpectedly hurtled down the stairs, across the shop, and enveloped her in a hug. My most natural course of action to break the ice, however unwelcome. She hesitated before wrapping her arms around me.
I wiped the sudden tears before they fell. Four years since I’d seen my old best friend—four yearssince they all filed into the church, too afraid to look in my eyes when they reached me at the end of the receiving line. They each wore black and identical, pitying smiles. Not one of my fondest memories.
“How tall are those heels?” I said, pulling back and peering down at her feet. “I could’ve sworn the Margot I knew was shorter than me.”
There was a laugh in my voice, but when our gazes met, her red lips had drawn thin.
“Your mom said you were coming in a couple days,” I tried again. Stepping away, I absentmindedly smoothed my hair down with my palms.
Margot exhaled and tapped her pristine set of nails on the oak table where the register sat beside us. “You know my mom, schedules were never herthing.”
“Oh.” Realization dawning, I grimaced. “No one was there to pick you up from the airport?”
A curt nod. “One hundred fifty dollars and three hours in a taxi.”
I laughed nervously and wrung my hands together. “Do you want to… go get coffee?”
A beat of hesitation passed.
“Okay.”
I bid Joe goodbye and followed Margot out the door. She strode down the sidewalk at a breakneck pace for her size, unnervingly confident about her blade-thin heels across the uneven cobblestones. Her ponytail swung like a pendulum with each step, no strand daring to spring out of time. I swallowedthickly and kept pace behind her, wracking my brain for conversation topics that didn’t veer into anything as pathetic as the weather.
We were about to cross the street when someone cleared their throat behind us.
I whirled around and narrowly avoided falling off the curb. “Rhett,” I said, barely registering his presence before the word tumbled out.
“Listen,” he began, voice firm. “I don’t know what happened back there, but if we’re going to be working together—”
“This is Margot,” I hurriedly cut in, motioning to the woman with a hawk-like stare trained between us. “We grew up together.”
Margot raised a flawless brow as he briefly acknowledged her.
“You interrupted me,” Rhett continued pointedly, fixed back on me.
“I… sorry?” I mumbled with a flush.
He crossed his arms. “We don’t have tolikeeach other. But we should at least be civil.”
My cheeks deepened in color. I wasn’t sure what I had done to deserve his dislike. He, on the other hand, was selfish, blunt, and unconscionably rude. If anyone warranted disapproval, it would be him.
“Fine.” I huffed a curl from my face. “Margot and I are going to the Morning Bell.”
Rhett’s jaw flexed. “You’re just going to leave the shop open like that?”
“It’s across the street,” I said, gesturing. “If anyone comes in, I can be back in a few seconds.”
He gave a faint, humorless sound—half-laugh, half-exhale. “That’s one way to run a business.”
Something I didn’t know I had in me snapped.
“You know what your problem is?” I said, chin lifted. “You act like nothing’s worth caring about. Must be nice, not to feel tied to anything.”
Rhett blinked, once, then shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away. My pulse refused to slow. I didn’t recognize myself lately—and maybe, in some instances, that wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
Margot’s eyes were hot on my neck as we crossed toward the Morning Bell.
Chapter Five
