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“Noted.” I cleared my throat. “Just to be clear, we’re supposed to be dating in this scenario you’ve concocted?”

She blanched like the thought disgusted her.

I’m not gonna lie, it hurt my feelings a little bit.

She looked away from me. “I mean, I would think so? Otherwise it’s not much of a surprise, is it?” she said tightly. “But do not touch me.”

She stomped around me in her too large boots and headed the way her parents went.

Well, it was nice while the nice lasted. When she was too shocked to remember that she hated me.

3

ANNA

I STOOD BACK WHILE the rest of my family greeted Jeremy in the kitchen like a pack of excited puppies.

Unreal.

Jeremy Todd. My first love. My only love, honestly. I mean, I’d had others, but once you feel the way I felt for Jeremy, nothing really counts unless it tops it, which nothing had.

And he was a doctor now. And he looked good, which made me even angrier for some reason.

I crossed my arms, waiting for the fawning to stop.

Jodie was grinning at him. “You’re all grown up! I can’t believe how tall you are! I used to babysit him,” Jodie told Ivan, looking proud. “You grew into those curls,” she said, smiling.

I knew exactly how it felt to run my hands through that sandy-blond mop. The hair I used to twist absently in my fingers while he lay with his head in my lap on the living room sofa while we watched a movie.

I’d always loved his hair.

I had to look away from it.

“So when did you move back?” Dad asked.

“Did you?” Mom said. “Move back? You didn’t say anything online.”

Jeremy nodded. “I did, just last month, actually. I took my residency here. Minnesota has some great hospitals. I got a spot at the level one trauma center in Minneapolis.”

“Oh! You’ll be working with Jodie, then!” Dad slapped his shoulder. “A doctor. Can’t say I’m surprised.”

“What specialty?” Ivan asked.

“Undecided. I think pediatrics.”

Of course, because he’s perfect. I rolled my eyes.

He was always good with children. But still.

“Wow, the two of you are a power couple,” Jodie said. “A lawyer and a doctor.”

I watched Jeremy’s eyebrows go up the tiniest bit. So he didn’t know. I guess he wasn’t stalking me the way my ego liked to imagine he did over the last nine years.

I tried to not let the disappointment show on my face. Not that I’d stalked him. I was really proud of myself at how little I wanted to know about my ex. I sort of knew he was going into medicine. He’d always wanted to. I’d heard little things about him over the years, but I had him blocked for a reason.

Mom was practically bouncing. “Take off your jacket, get comfortable.”

Jeremy started peeling off his coat.