Page 54 of Heart Breaker

My thumb taps once against the steering wheel. “Glad we could provide entertainment,” I say dryly.

“Oh, please,” Victoria says. “You two are the most interesting thing to happen to this company in months. Now tell me, what are the newlyweds doing tonight?”

I glance briefly toward Lottie before looking back at the road. “I’m taking her somewhere. It’s a surprise.”

Lottie’s brows lift immediately.

Victoria gasps dramatically. “A secret date? Wes Winters, look at you being all husband-y.”

I roll my eyes while Lottie bites back a smile beside me. Victoria makes a soft cooing sound that immediately irritates me. “That is disgustingly cute. Alright, I’m hanging up before you two start feeding each other strawberries or something.”

“There will be no strawberries,” I deadpan.

“We’ll see,” she singsongs. “Ciao, ciao, lovebirds!”

The line disconnects and the car quiets again, the city lights sliding across the windshield while Lottie shakes her head softly beside me.

“She’s insane,” she mutters.

“Tell me about it.” I exhale.

A few seconds pass before Lottie suddenly straightens in her seat. “Oh crap.”

I glance over immediately. “What?”

“Do you mind if we make a quick stop at the drugstore?” she asks, gesturing to the Shoppers Drug Mart in the mini mall on the corner. “I just remembered I need to pick something up before it closes.”

“Yeah, of course.”

I pull into a parking spot and kill the engine, then round the front of the car to open the door for Lottie.

She takes my hand when I hold it out to her. “You know,” she says casually, “you’re getting good at the husband thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm.” She lets go of my hand and glances back at me. “You open doors. You remember things I say. You’re taking me on an actual date.”

I fall in step beside her as we walk toward the store.

“Even the storm-cloud energy seems lighter lately.”

I stop walking for a moment, surprised. “What the hell does that mean?”

“You get all quiet and tense sometimes,” she says, stopping at the door. “Like there’s something heavy constantly sitting on your shoulders. One minute you’re all cocky charm and bedroom eyes, looking at me like you’ve got several illicit thoughts in your head.” My gaze drops automatically and she points at me immediately. “See? That. Exactly that.” A smirk tugs at my mouth despite myself. “Then the next minute, you’re back to being all mysterious and up in your head.”

There’s a lightness in her voice, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling the weight of her words. The truth is, she’s right. I have carried a weight on my shoulders for a long time. Long enough that I don’t really remember what it feels like not to.

Lottie is looking at me now, her expression teasing but also perceptive as I open the door for her. I can tell that she’s trying to figure me out. “I never know what I’m going to get with you.”

I feel that stupid tightness in my chest again.

“I can handle your moods, Wes,” she says, sounding more serious now. “I just get the sense that you’re constantly bracing for people to leave, and I hate that.”

Her eyes search mine as I swallow the lump that has suddenly formed in my throat. “Maybe you’re right,” I say roughly. “I’ll try to do better.”

It’s not much but I can feel the tension in me ease just a bit, as we walk inside. Before I can think twice, I reach for Lottie, sliding my arm around her shoulders and pulling her into my side. I press a kiss to the top of her head and for one brief second, she melts into me. Then she goes completely stiff.

I glance down and see that her expression has transformed and she looks like a deer in headlights. I follow her gaze to where an older couple stands, both staring directly at Lottie. The woman smiles like she recognizes her, and judging by the way all the color drains from Lottie’s face, she recognizes them too. The man looks tired and drawn in a way that makes me think he’s not well, and then a flash of recognition crosses his face as he looks at Lottie and his entire face instantly softens.