I shrug. “I mean, I think he was just excited for the pastries.”
She nods, accepting the answer. I think.
I don’t think she wants to know the real one.
“I really love the catering company you went with,” she says as the visiting team misses a field goal. “I think it’s perfect for my place. I’m really impressed that you put in that much work to find it.”
The place is a few towns over and offers so many different choices that it was hard to narrow down. But I knew that brown butter gnocchi would pair perfectly with her baked goods, and they use different flavors like sage and pear in their recipes, which, for whatever reason, is hard to come by around her.
“I’m really glad you’re excited about it! The place is beautiful, and I can’t wait to see how everyone loves it.”
The two of us settle into a comfortable silence. It’s been hard getting to know her again. While she didn’t hurt me like Cooper did, there’s a part of me that still gets upset that she didn’t call me either.
Heidi sits down next to us with a huff, a pastry shoved in her mouth. “These are literally the best things I’ve ever tasted in my life, Natalia. Thank you.”
“Anytime.” She smiles, looking around at everyone.
“Okay, so tell me who everyone is,” she whispers, leaning in.
I go through everyone that I know. Heidi, the one whosedad did cake Sundays, a tradition that she’s kept long after he passed. Isla, my artist friend who started the entire football player curse. Mila who was the entire reason I moved here in the first place.
Well, her dad was.
And finally, I point out Briar, explaining that she’s a newer friend, and that I met her because she’s Owen’s sister, and Leo’s now wife.
Natalia looks confused.
“Wait, so Isla, who’s Leo’s sister, started dating Owen, who is Briar’s brother, and then later on Leo started seeing Briar?”
“Ye—p.”
“That,” she pauses, leaning in. “I feel like this circle is a little incestuous.”
“Listen,” I lean in too. “You’re just saying what we’re all thinking.”
The two of us giggle, earning looks from the others.
“We’ve joked about that, too. When Owen first found out that Briar was even just involved with Leo, he thought it was to get back at him.
“You guys have lived really interesting lives,” she chuckles. “There’s not much that goes on back home. Well, except for the stupid lawyer’s office that moved in across the street. That guy is such a damn prick, and now I have to deal with him all the time.”
I frown. “And you just got that place, too. I’m so sorry.”
She waves me off. “It’ll be fine. I’ll win him over at some point. No one is immune to my baked goods.”
I shake my head with a smile. “Absolutely no one.”
CHAPTER 40
COOPER
Weeks go by in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, it’s the day that Leo always, like clockwork, starts panicking about his Thanksgiving party.
“Just cook a regular turkey!” we groan at practice.
“I just feel like that’s really fucking lame,” he moans.
“Just do the damn turkey.”
