“How? What...?” I soak her in. “I was about to be so mad at you for forgetting my birthday.”
“Told you she would be.” Theo chuckles, but I can’t see him on account of the hair.
“You know me too well. Icouldn’t call. You’d figure it out,” Mia says.
“I forgive you because you’re here,” I exclaim.
Mia pulls back, and I see the moment she spots the tiny bruise still on my forehead. It’s mostly faded, only a tinge of yellow left, but she zeroes in on it. “What happened?”
Blood rushes to my cheeks. I give her the same answer I’ve doled out for the last week. “Bumped into an open cabinet.”
Instinctively, my gaze bounces to Theo. He’s standing by the door, the tiniest smirk pulling at his lips, looking downright delicious as always—hands shoved into his dark-wash, fitted jeans, broad shoulders taking up all the air in here, and a nice button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up to reveal those thick forearms.
The audacity of this man for coming here, looking likethat. Ihate how much I want to bite him. Respectfully. Disrespectfully. Somewhere in between.
“Damn. That must’ve hurt,” Mia coos, steering us toward where Logan and Theo are waiting. “Bree’s here, too, but she got a work call right as we pulled into town. Fancy lawyer shit and all that.”
I narrow my eyes on Logan. “Is this why you’ve been suspicious all day?”
He paws at his beard. “This guy didn’t tell what time they’d be here,” he grumbles, tipping his head toward Theo. “Just told me to, ‘Make sure she stays around the shop.’ Feels like I’ve been babysitting all day.”
A laugh tumbles out of me. “Lucky for you, I was on my best behavior.”
“Except when you were too pushy with Mabel.” He grimaces. “Trying to get us to go see the botanic gardens together.”
Mia wiggles her shoulders. “That sounds like a great date idea.”
“Right? That’s what I said!” Logan scoffs, but color rises on his cheeks. “You’re coming to dinner, right?” I ask him.
“Oh, no.” He shakes his head. “I’ve got stuff going on.”
Mia straightens to her full height—all six feet—and levels him with a stern look. “You’re coming to dinner.”
He ducks his chin to hide a grin. “Well, okay then.”
Once I grab my stuff—and offer Theo the last cupcake, which he devours in two bites—Mia steers me out the door. “I need to make one quick stop at the coffee shop,” I say, turning us in that direction. “We’ve got to convince Mabel to come to dinner too.”
Chapter 19
Theo
“Wait. You two are coaching soccer now?” Mia shouts over the country music playing through the Branch.
Fable’s smile is the widest I’ve seen it in a long time. She’s two margaritas deep, and the bartenders here make a mean drink, so she’s adorably tipsy at this point—all giggly and uninhibited. “You should see your brother on that field. Running around, decked out in sparkly rainbow unicorn gear, with his little unicorn-minions running around behind him.” She titters into her glass. “He looks ridiculous.”
“—ly handsome,” I finish for her, slinging my arm over the back of her chair. “I caught you smiling a few times.”
She glares up at me, but there’s no heat behind it. “Fine,” she says to Mia and Bree. “It’s so cute, actually. Those girls love him already.”
“Knew it.” I clink my water cup with her now-empty glass. “Thank you, Ethan, for this magical truth serum.”
Mia flips her hair over her shoulder. “Who would’ve thought we’d see the day when you two were workingtogetheron something?”
That catches Mary’s attention. She leans over and nudges Mia’sshoulder. “Maybe I should sneak over to a practice and see them in action?”
Mom perks up beside me. “I’ll come with you!”
“Bring the fancy camera,” Dave adds. “Get some good photos.”
