Page 96 of The Sugar Maple Inn

Had her mom really said that?

Grace turned to see Sophie was watching her with that steady, knowing look she got. The one that said she could see right through whatever bullshit Grace was trying to sell. Her brown eyes traveled all over Grace’s face then she nodded, got out her phone and started typing. Grace’s phone beeped and she pulled it out to find a message from Sophie.

You shagged the hot billionaire.

Grace’s face went hot and she grabbed Sophie, pulling her out back. “Is it that obvious?”

“Absolutely. And I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Yeah,” Grace admitted, biting her lip. “I shagged him and now I’m a mess.”

Sophie’s face broke into a huge grin. “Oh my God. Tell me everything!”

“Sophie, my mom’s next door.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t deprive me. You spent two nights in a tower with a man who looks like a Viking had a baby with a Ralph Lauren model, and you’re going to hold out on me?”

Despite everything, Grace laughed. “A Viking had a baby with—”

“You know what I mean! Was it good? Please tell me it was good. You deserve good. No, you deserve great.”

“It was…” Grace closed her eyes, remembering. The firelight. His hands. The way he’d looked at her like she was the only person in the entire world. “It was the greatest kind of great.”

“I knew it!” Sophie actually did a little victory dance in the walk-in cooler. “I knew he liked you! From the first time I saw you two together at the Harvest Festival, I said to Luke, ‘There’s something there.’ ”

“Yeah, well. Doesn’t matter now.”

Her smile faded. “Why not?”

“Because he’s in Cuba, Sophie. Dealing with billionaire problems. And I’m here, in Solace Springs, serving coffee and barely keeping my head above water. We’re from completely different worlds.”

“So? Luke and I were from completely different countries.”

“But you probably have the same zeroes at the end of your savings accounts. It’s not going to work! Reese is going to realize I’m just some waitress who can’t even afford to buy the inn she’s been dreaming about, and he’s going to move on to someone more his speed. Someone who fits into his life.”

Her phone buzzed. Another text from Reese. She ignored it.

Sophie looked at Grace’s phone. “You’re ignoring his texts?”

Grace shrugged. “Maybe.”

“You are the queen of self-sabotage!” Sophie grabbed Grace’s shoulders, forcing Grace to look at her. “Have you considered that maybe he’s wondering if he fits into your life?”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“You’re assuming you’re not good enough for him. But maybe he’s terrified he’s not good enough for you. Maybe he’s in Cuba right now freaking out because he slept with this amazing, smart, funny woman, and now she won’t even return his texts. Or,” she said, looking over Grace’s shoulder, “he’s managed to get his private jet ready and flown straight from Cuba to be with you.”

“What do you mean?”

Sophie gestured behind Grace, and Grace turned to see Reese standing in the doorway of Blossoms & Brew, his white button-down wrinkled and streaked with soot, bringing the smell of smoke into the small café; a café which had suddenly gone quiet.

His eyes locked on to Grace’s across the café, while everyone else’s eyes bounced between him and Grace like spectators at a tennis match.

“Reese, what are you—”

“I just wanted to take you to lunch,” he interrupted. “If that’s okay with you.”

He said it simply. Like it was the most reasonable thing in the world to fly thousands of miles to take your…whatever Grace was…to lunch.