Poppy frowned. “Does he want you to collaborate on a project with him?”
“No, he said it’s personal, not business. I genuinely have no idea what it’s about.”
“Do you want to talk to him?” Poppy asked. “It sounds like you might.”
Wren wrinkled her nose. Of course, she was curious as to what Alex had to say. What had changed between the last time they met and now? What could be so important that he wanted to run it by her just a few weeks before he was to marry Jess?
“I’m not sure. I think I’ve moved on, and I don’t want to reopen that wound,” she told Poppy.
“Helped, I’m sure, by flirting with Hot Doc,” Poppy interjected.
Wren ignored her statement. “But seeing Alex might open it up all over again.”
“And let’s not forget, you’re properly attracted to Hot Doc,” Poppy persisted. Wren placed her hand on the glass of the huge window that looked out onto Main Street. Talk of the devil, Dane was walking by, carrying two takeout Spirited Grounds coffees, heading, she hoped, to her.
She was wildly attracted to the man, something she hadn’t experienced with Alex. Alex had been comfort and security, someone she knew deeply. There hadn’t been any sparks or flutters, hot faces and stuttered words. Dane made her feel jittery and off-balance. Whenever he was around, she felt like he switched on the current to electrical wires running under her skin.
Man, Dane was a perfect candidate for a summer fling: hot, smart, funny, not planning on sticking around. She took in his rangy body, his loose stride. He was simply dressed, in a white T-shirt, loose-fitting cargo pants, and expensive trainers on his big feet. He hadn’t shaved for a day or two—or three—and looked a little wild, a lot sexy.
Wren’s mouth dried up, and she felt that slight tug in her womb. Of what? Lust? Need? Recognition? All three? Was this what real attraction felt like? And if it was, what did she really feel for Alex back then? Her eyes widened as she saw Luna racing down the sidewalk, the wind blowing her hair over her face.
“Oh, shit,” she muttered.
“What’s going on and why did you go quiet?” Poppy demanded.
“Luna has just accosted Dane on the street, and she’s jabbering at a mile a minute,” Wren said, watching her godmother wave her hands in the air. Then she reached inside her huge tote bag and pulled out a plastic file thick with paper. “Ah, dammit, Luna.”
“What now?” Poppy asked, resigned.
“I think she’s hassling Dane to buy Dr. Morris’s practice. She’s just handed him some documents.”
“Did he take it?”
“No, his hands are full, he’s holding two coffees, and he’s shaking his head. Oh God, now he’s just looking stubborn andshe’s put the file back in her bag.” Wren sighed. “When will she realize Dane isn’t someone she can push around?”
“Has the irresistible force met the immovable mountain?” Poppy asked, smiling.
Wren shrugged. “Maybe.”
“So, about Alex?—”
Wren didn’t want to talk about him anymore, mostly because she still felt like a fool for falling for him, for being hurt when he chose Jess over her. For leaving her alone, for moving on to someone better. It wasn’t that she was still in love with him; she still felt raw because he had left her. Just like her dad did.
Over thinking and dissecting her feelings, Wren turned and gestured to the empty studio. “I need to get going, I have to start thinking about a routine for the kids to perform.”
“You seem to be enjoying yourself in the studio. You sound brighter and happier.”
“I’m having fun, but don’t you dare tell Luna that.”
“I won’t. It’s nice to see you smiling, it reminds me of the old Wren. Now, about Alex?—”
“Nope, not talking about him.”
Poppy narrowed her eyes at her. “You always avoid the Alex subject when you feel cornered,” she pointed out.
And that was the problem with a friend who knew you better than you knew yourself. They always saw the wobble beneath the smile.
* * *
