I glanced at the lamp, still clutched like a makeshift club.
Right. Totally normal behavior.
“I, uh—” My voice came out croaky. “Had too much to drink.”
Sheryn smirked. “Pretty sure the bartender’s still icing his wrist.” Then, she stretched up on her toes, peering over my shoulder.
“Is he here?”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Shit. Is he?
No. Right?
“No one’s here,” I said quickly, pushing the door open wider so she could see for herself.
She didn’t look convinced. Nick chuckled beside her, his hands tucked into his pockets, clearly enjoying whatever drama he thought this was.
My mind spun, trying to piece together anything I might’ve done last night that could make her think Noah had stayed over.
Nothing came.
Maybe that was for the best. He’d be in my rearview mirror soon enough.
God, that thought hurt more than I expected.
I’d let it slip into my mind once or twice. Staying. This town had a pull that worked like a slow drip, gentle yet impossible to ignore. I could work with Mrs. Appleby at Butterberry Oven, my days filled with genuine smiles from getting something as sweet as the place where people remembered your name. Maybe even?—
No.
Maybe even letting someone like Noah mean something more.
“Hey, don’t look so panicky. What happens in Buffaloberry, stays in Buffaloberry,” Sheryn said with a giggle, her eyes sparkling from more than just champagne. Then her voice caught just slightly. “I just wanted to say thank you,” she added, glassy-eyed as she pulled me in for a hug. “You made my wedding perfect.”
Damn her and her sentimentality. It cracked my heart wide open because for the first time in forever, I wanted to stay exactly where I was.
“Thanks, Maya,” Nick added, his voice warm.
Sheryn sniffed, regaining her composure. “We’re off to our honeymoon! Bozeman to LA, then straight to Baja, baby!”
I squealed in excitement. “Amazing! No felony-level trouble, okay?”
She cackled and pulled me into a chaotic three-way huddle, her arms wrapped tight around both me and Nick. I laughed without meaning to, pressed between the two peoplewho’d somehow turned this town into something that almost felt like home.
Then she let go, but not before giving my arm one last squeeze.
“Oh! I almost forgot,” she said, wriggling one hand free to dig into her clutch. “Saw this earlier. You’re gonna scream.”
She shoved the screen in my face. At first, all I saw was a massive diamond flashing, then the face came into focus.
Annamaria Belrose.
Internally, I was buffering.
“Ifshecan get engaged,youcan too!” Sheryn crowed, totally in bestie mode. “Okay. Maybe you won’t land a billionaire who can afford a Cartier vintage whopper or a wedding planner in a Swarovski cape, but you’ve got a maybe-groom, don’t you?”
The corners of my mouth lifted, but everything else stayed still.
