But this time it isn’t Ash trying to reach me for the hundredth time. Hell, it isn’t even Sebastian, the only one of them respecting my wishes and keeping his distance.
It’s Dorothy, our landlord.
Dorothy: I wanted you to be the first to know. I signed the papers this morning, dear. The new owner will contact you soon. All my best.
Great.
Just fucking great. I’d almost forgotten with everything else going on that our building was being sold. Let’s add that on top of the pile of shit I need to deal with.
I put my head in my hands and groan.
“Cheer up, buttercup,” Jade says, placing a comforting hand on my back. “At least they’re not still coming in here every day, right?”
It’s a small sliver of comfort, but she’s right. After I’d put my foot down with Ash, their presence fully disappeared from our shop. And that is something to be thankful for, even if I do miss the money they spent.
Not that we aren’t doing well financially this month. Even without all three men here buying out our bakery case and Staff Picks book display, we are well on track to have our most profitable quarter ever.
I don’t want to think about how much of that success is because of Ashton sponsoring a social media campaign for our store, generating more online buzz and business than I’d ever thought possible. Just one more way in which the three of them felt perfectly at ease inserting themselves into my life. I may not be angry that we’re doing well, but Iamangry that my business is now tied to them, however tangentially. If I didn’t even know Alec was married, how am I supposed to know how their…illicit activitieswill affect my store? How this might come back to hurt me?
When I finally drop my hands from my face and look over at her, I catch Jade frowning at the empty table Sebastian used to sit at every day.
“Don’t tell me you’re missing them,” I say with an accusatory tone.
“Oh, please.” She shakes her head. “I miss the big tips, that’s all.” Her smile turns devilish as she turns to me and says, “Maybe you’re missing their big, big tips too, hm?”
“Oh, shut up.” I laugh, rolling my eyes. Only Jade could make such an ill-timed joke and still get a laugh out of me.
“But no, I don’t miss them,” Jade assures me. “I’m team Sydney all the way. And until they’re back in your good graces, they sure as hell aren’t in mine.”
I smile. “Well, that day may nevercome, but I appreciate the support. Love you,” I tell her. The bell above our shop door chimes as someone enters.
“To the moon and back,” Jade answers with a wink.
“Please don’t tell me you twostillsay that to each other?” A familiar voice asks with a chuckle. “I thought you stopped that back in high school.”
Jade and I both turn in surprise, and there, standing in the doorway of our shop, holding Ash’s stuffed bee…is Justin.
Jade’s little brother.
I don’t have time to hide my shock at seeing him before Jade is moving, racing out from behind the counter and screeching like a banshee as she barrels into his arms.
“Easy!” His laugh is low and warm as he pivots the stuffed animal away from her, protecting it from being crushed between their bodies. “You’re going to damage the giant carnival gift someone left for you!”
“It’s for Sydney. And trust me, she doesn’t want it,” Jade says, voice muffled against his shoulder as she squeezes him tighter.
“For Sydney, huh?” he asks, looking over at me and grinning. “I should have guessed.”
Justin is only a year younger than us, and even though we practically grew up together, I haven’t seen him in years, not since he left to get his PhD at some fancy Ivy League university on the other side of the country. But now he’s here and…all grown up.
Justin was always lanky and a little awkward, built like a fence pole. Puberty only made it worse, leaving him a little too tall and a little too thin. But now he’s filled out. Broad shoulders,sculpted arms, and dark hair that flops across his brow in a way that probably breaks hearts on a daily basis.
He’s handsome, all grown up and in the flesh, but to me, he doesn’t hold a candle to Ashton.
Or Alec…
Stop it, I admonish myself, clenching my fists at my side.Stop thinking about them.
“Wait.” Jade pulls back from their hug, narrowing her eyes at her brother in suspicion. “You only ever show up when something’s wrong.” Her voice lowers, threateningly. “What did you do?”
