Page 82 of The Marriage Mistake

An invitation out with a couple of girlfriends. As rare as unicorn poop. Throat tight, I nodded. “Sure.”

“Good.” Caroline nodded, then nodded at my hand. “Nice rock. Don’t remember seeing that when you came into the bakery.”

I flushed, glancing down at my ring. “It’s new,” I said.

Sadie whistled and waved at me to show off the ring. I extended my hand, and I couldn’t keep the smile from spreading over my face. They cooed over the diamonds as I beamed.

Then Caroline pulled back and glanced out the big picture windows as the sound of a car rumbled down the drive. Her eyes narrowed. “I think it might be time for me to leave.”

Sadie followed her gaze and lightly rolled her eyes. “He’s not that bad, is he?”

“He’s the devil,” Caroline grumbled. “All the Marses are.” She paused, then added, “Gideon’s okay.”

“And Jack?” Sadie prompted, looking at me and then at Caroline.

Caroline just grumbled.

“He’s still barred from Knead More Bread,” I said. “We learned that on my second day in town.”

“Caroline!” Sadie glared at her friend.

Caroline shrugged. “What can I say? I have rules and I stick to them. Gideon is the exception, because he surprised me.”

Sadie huffed, clearly wanting to laugh. Gideon chose that moment to walk in through the door leading to the garage. He was a tall, intimidating man with scarring up his neck and jaw. His eyes were the same piercing blue as Jack’s, and I saw a lot of my husband’s features in Gideon’s face, though Gideon’s features were harsher somehow. Behind him, Knox loomed. His eyes were a darker blue, and he was broader and taller than all of his brothers.

Knox’s eyes scanned the room in a second and zeroed in on Caroline. He went from looking like a stone-faced giant of a man to an apex predator.

Caroline stood, drained her wine, and set the glass down on the coffee table. “See you two ladies tonight.” She looked at the men and nodded. “Gideon.”

She walked away without saying anything to Knox, but I saw the way his eyes tracked her all the way out the door. He watched her get into her car and drive off, and it wasn’t until she was out of sight that his attention returned to us. Interesting.

“How’d the dress turn out?” Gideon asked, pressing a kiss to Sadie’s temple.

“Amazing,” Sadie said, her face going soft when she looked at Gideon.

“Sadie is really talented,” I added. The need to repay her rose within me. People didn’t just do nice things for me. “You really won’t let me give you money?”

“Of course not!”

Knox moved to the kitchen and got himself a drink out of the fridge. He glanced at the three of us, gaze assessing as it swept over me. This was a man who stayed quiet but saw everything. I had the nonsensical thought that he could tell all my secrets just from looking at me. No wonder Caroline had wanted to run.

I turned my attention back to Sadie. Between the dress and the invitation to go out tonight, I was beginning to feel like all I did was take. But there was one thing I was good at. “You’re going to be setting your business up in the burned-out shop on Main Street?” I’d learned this at Sunday lunch, along with the dramatic story of how the fire had started.

“Yep. Just waiting on Etta’s insurance to get moving, and then I’ll sign the lease and take over.”

I nodded. “You’ll need business insurance, right?”

Sadie tilted her head. “Yeah. Why?”

“That’s my bread and butter. I could help you find the best policy and also let you know what to put in the applications to make sure you’re covered.”

She straightened. “Really?”

“Sure. I want to do something to thank you for the dress.”

“Girl, working on the dress was fun.” Sadie laughed, and I watched as Gideon’s eyes went soft at the sound. She shook her head at me. “You don’t have to do anything for me in return, but if you feel like helping me with my business insurance, I would be eternally grateful.”

I smiled, relieved. I wasn’t just an encumbrance on her life. “No problem.”