Graham stands by the display case like he belongs there.
Polished suit. Perfect hair. Hands in his pockets like he’s browsing chocolates and not destroying Ellie’s life. He looks calm, charming—exactly the kind of man people believe. The kind of man who ruins you with paperwork and a smile.
Mrs. Hargrove will love this.
Graham’s gaze lands on Ellie in the flannel behind me, and his mouth curves.
“Sweetheart,” he says, warm as poison.
Ellie stiffens.
My body steps in before my brain finishes forming words. I close the space so fast Ellie’s breath audibly catches behind me. I plant myself between her and Graham like a wall.
“Wrong name,” I say.
Graham’s eyes flick over me—slow, assessing—then he smiles wider. “Wyatt. Right?”
Levi leans against a shelf, grinning like he’s watching live theater. Sadie stands to the side, quiet and dangerous.
Ellie tries to step around me. I shift, blocking her without looking back.
“Don’t,” I murmur, low enough only she can hear.
Ellie’s breath hits my shoulder. “Wyatt?—”
“I’ve got this,” I say.
Graham’s gaze darts to Ellie again. “I’m just here to talk.”
Ellie’s voice cuts through, sharp. “You’re here to intimidate.”
Graham lifts his hands in a placating gesture that makes me want to break them. “Ellie, come on. You know me.”
I laugh once, no humor in it. “I know men like you.”
Graham’s eyes narrow, just slightly. The mask wobbles, then resets. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“It does,” I say, calm.
Graham’s smile returns, brittle. “Why? Because you’re playing hero?”
Ellie’s hand grips my forearm behind me like she’s anchoring herself. The contact lights up my skin.
I keep my voice even. “Because she’s my wife.”
The shop goes quiet.
Even Levi stops breathing for a second.
Ellie’s fingers tighten on my arm like she’s going to argue—and then she doesn’t. She stays behind me, silent, which is the loudest thing she could do right now.
Graham’s gaze flicks to Ellie’s hand on my arm, then to the flannel, then back to my face. His smile doesn’t reach his eyes anymore.
“Temporary husbands don’t scare me,” he says lightly.
I step closer, just enough to make his posture shift. “They should.”
Graham’s eyes harden. “You don’t know what you’re stepping into.”
