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Chapter 1
Megan Fielding wasfine.
“Hey, hey, hey!” she said to the early-morning concierge in her building.
“Morning, Ms. Fielding!” He smiled back. “Happy New Year! How was the wedding?”
“Beautiful. You wouldn’t believe the mountains. And my sister’s clients gave her a handmade animal-hide wedding dress. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“You’ve always told me she was unique.”
Megan nodded. “Made sense she’d have a wedding like no one else.”
Made sense her favorite sister would find a husband in Massachusetts but somehow, they’d both end up settling two thousand miles away from her family. From Megan.
But Megan was fine with it.Fine.
“You’re up early,” the concierge said.
“Yeah. Gotta get back to real life.”
“Well, we missed your smiling face around here.”
Good. That was what Megan did. Made other people’s days better. She adjusted her scarf, ready to face the January air. “Have a great day!”
“You too.”
One human interaction down. A few dozen to go.
Not that she didn’tlikepeople. They just needed…handling.
At least she was up so early, there wouldn’t be many of them at her favorite coffee shop. Oh Beans! had been a staple of her day since she’d first started at Fielding Paper ten years ago. As she moved through the departments of the family business, learning so she’d take over one day, the grumpy owner and crew of baristas at Oh Beans! was the one group she didn’t have to impress. She’d won their affection through sheer longevity.
Her sturdy boots, new ones bought in Taos, were thick and warm and complemented her calf-length shearling coat perfectly. She was ready for her world. Everything was as it should be.
Megan put her hand on the horizontal bar that opened the door as though greeting an old friend.
But the moment she entered, she could tell the atmosphere was off.
It still smelled heavenly, with freshly ground coffee and Roman’s Danishes sweetening the air. The morning baristas who’d worked there when she left for New Mexico were still behind the counter—well, two of them. One was sitting at a table at the back of the otherwise deserted room with a man Megan could hardly make out. This was unusual. Sophia was usually full-stretch into the morning routine. Was the stranger a relative? But then why was the atmosphere so charged?
A dark scruff of stubble all but hid half the man’s face. He wore a baseball cap and hoodie parka pulled up, despite being in the warmth. He wore heavy-rimmed glasses and didn’t look up like the others did when Megan came in.
“Hey, stranger!” Grace called to her from the espresso machine.
“There she is,” Roman, the owner, said in a growl that somehow still carried over the noise of the steamer.
“Hey, guys.” Since they were trying to be normal, Megan would as well. It was none of her business who the other guy was. She loosened her collar and scarf and walked up to the counter. “How’ve you been?”
“You’re in early,” Roman said. It sounded like an accusation.
“I just couldn’t wait to see your sunny self again, Roman.” She smiled. Okay, maybe she had to work a little to get these guys to like her. Not having people like her was anathema to Megan. And since no one ever walked up to her and said, “I like you; you can relax,” Megan kept on working.
“How was New Mexico?” Sophia asked, standing. The stranger was hidden from view behind her back.
“Incredible,” Megan enthused, while Grace went straight into making her drink. A large café au lait with a caramel shot, extra froth. Roman’s pick of the Danishes. “You should’ve seen the mountains in the snow.”
“Your Instagram has been hopping,” Grace said. “Your family is disgustingly beautiful.”
