"We're not— We just started dating?—"
"Oh, I know it's early. But everyone can see it's only a matter of time. You two are meant to be." Mrs. Ames patted her arm with surprising force. "Your children are going to be beautiful."
Riley stood frozen as Mrs. Ames shuffled away, her brain stuck on the wordchildren.
She shook herself and headed for the checkout, only to be stopped three more times by neighbors offering congratulations,asking about Grant, wondering when she was moving back to town permanently.
By the time Riley escaped to the parking lot, her head was spinning.
This town was impossible.
She loaded the cream into her car and was about to climb in when she heard a voice that made her spine stiffen.
"Riley Monroe. As I live and breathe."
Riley turned.
Tessa Martin stood next to a sleek black SUV, designer sunglasses perched on her head, cashmere coat draped perfectly over her shoulders. She looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine spread titled "Divorced and Thriving."
"Tessa. Hi."
"I heard you were back in town!" Tessa crossed the parking lot with the confidence of someone who'd never doubted her place in the world. "How long has it been?"
"A while."
"Too long." Tessa pulled her into a hug that smelled like expensive perfume and felt vaguely threatening. "You look great. City life must agree with you."
"Thanks. You look—" Riley searched for a word that wasn'tinsufferable. "Good too."
"Oh, you're sweet. I'm a disaster, honestly. The divorce was hell." Tessa said it lightly, but her smile had edges. "But I'm back home now, licking my wounds, trying to figure out what's next."
"I'm sorry it didn't work out."
"Don't be. Marcus was a mistake from the word go. Rich, handsome, completely soulless." Tessa waved it away. "But enough about my disasters. I heard you're seeing someone."
Riley's stomach tightened. "How did you?—"
"Facebook. Mrs. Henderson is very thorough." Tessa's smile widened. "Grant Lawson. Wow. Talk about a blast from the past."
"Yeah. We reconnected."
"That's so sweet. I always thought you two were adorable together." Tessa leaned against her SUV, all casual interest. "How did that happen? I thought you were done with small-town life."
"Things change."
"They certainly do." Tessa's gaze turned calculating. "Grant's really grown up well, hasn't he? I ran into him at the hardware store last week. Still as dependable as ever."
Something sharp twisted in Riley's chest. "You ran into him?"
"Just for a minute. He was helping Mrs. Patterson load something into her car." Tessa laughed. "Mr. Dependable. That's what everyone calls him, right? Always there when you need him."
The way she said it—like Grant was a tool you borrowed instead of a person—made Riley want to throw her groceries at Tessa's perfect face.
"He's a good person," Riley said tightly.
"Oh, absolutely. Salt of the earth." Tessa tilted her head. "It must be nice, dating someone so...steady. Reliable. After all that city chaos."
"It is."
