Jillie skips ahead anyway. "Mom always buys that one."
She points immediately toward a dark roast bag on the middle shelf.
Dark Roast Reserve.
I glance over.
"I know."
The words leave my mouth before I think about them.
Silence. Complete silence. Somewhere behind us, a shopping cart stops rolling.
I look up. Three women are staring. One of them is Mrs. Bellamy. Terrific. Half of Briar
Cove will know I buy Sadie's coffee before I make it to the checkout.
Sadie closes her eyes.
"Colby."
"What?"
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
Jillie looks between us. "Why is everyone being weird?"
Mrs. Bellamy presses a hand dramatically against her chest.
"Oh, they're not weird, sweetheart."
Her smile grows.
"They're domestic."
Sadie's eyes fly open.
"We are grocery shopping."
"Together," Mrs. Bellamy says.
"Accidentally."
"Many great love stories begin by accident."
"This is not a love story."
The second she says it, something in the aisle shifts.
Not dramatically. Not enough for anyone else to notice maybe. But I do.
Because Sadie says it like she is reminding herself.
Not them.
Not me.
