I held his gaze. “I will do it again.”
We stood there, tension thick between us, years of unspoken truth humming in the air.
Then I turned and walked away before I gave him the satisfaction of seeing me break.
Chapter 5
Some offers were not meant to tempt.
They were meant to test how much of yourself you were willing to lose just to keep the peace.
Ashton Miller’s offer did both.
Fifteen minutes later, I was still thinking about it.
The envelope. The money. The way he had said leave as if I were a stain he planned to scrub from the town. His words stirred something reckless and dangerous inside me.
I had not been joking.
I might keep the bakery out of pure spite.
It was childish, starting a quiet war with my ex, but I refused to make things easy for him. I would rather eat dust than hand anything of mine to Ashton Miller.
Hunger eventually won out over pride. I pulled into the same coffeehouse as yesterday, the tires crunching softly against the gravel. Inside, the place was nearly empty. Two customers lingered near the counter, and Shanna stood behind it, her pixie like smile brightening when she saw me.
“You’re back,” she said, waving like we were already friends.
“Guess I could not stay away,” I said. “Must be the latte.”
She grinned. “Told you so. Breakfast?”
“You are dangerously persuasive,” I said. “Club sandwich and black coffee, please.”
“Coming right up.”
I slid into a small table near the window and checked my phone, my thumb hovering over Sissy’s name. I had not decided what I would even say to her when Shanna returned, balancing a plate and a mug.
She hesitated instead of walking away. “You’re from here, aren’t you?”
I looked up. “That obvious?”
“A woman asked about you yesterday,” she said gently. “She bumped into you while you were leaving.”
My chest tightened.
I knew exactly who she meant.
Shanna’s smile softened when she noticed my reaction. “I hope I did not cause trouble. She called someone after I told her your name.”
“It’s fine,” I said quietly. “I used to live here.” I paused, then added, “But trust me, people usually regret being too friendly once they know my history.”
She frowned. “I do not believe in town gossip.”
I glanced at her. “No?”
“Nope. Books have covers. People are more complicated.” She winked. “Eat before it gets cold.”
As she walked away, I let out a breath I did not realize I had been holding.
