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She chortles and hugs me back, her palms warm on my back. For a moment, nothing matters. Not the festival. Not the wishes.

My mother is proud of me.

I draw in a shaky breath after hugging her too long, pulling away to look at her.

“I wish I had time to take you to lunch.”

My mother waves her hand. “No, no, I know you’re busy. But at the festival, I expect to meet your… friends.”

I swallow hard. “Maybe.”

She gives me a look.

“Alright, alright. I’ll introduce you.” I pause. “At the festival.”

“Give it your all, mija,” she says, pinching my cheek, and I smile.

She walks over to her beat-up sedan and I watch her, shading my eyes from the bright sun. I shiver. It’s a bright day, but it’s chilly out and I only have a thin sweater dress.

I jump when someone drops a warm coat over my shoulders.

“It’s cold,” Gabe murmurs when I turn to look at him.

I huddle in the jacket, which swallows me whole.

It’s still warm from his body. I could get used to someone noticing I’m cold before I do.

“It is.”

I glance up at him and frown. His brows furrow.

“What’s wrong?”

I huff out a breath. “I think you know.”

His brow furrows further. “I really don’t.”

“Meet me in ten minutes at the pavilion.” I pause. “Bring your friends.”

Gabe pales but I don’t wait for him to respond, walking toward the pavilion.

I spend six minutes walking around the pavilion, nerves rushing through me. And not just because of the three men I’m about to confront.

Suzanne told me I have to make fifteen hundred pastries and create a dessert pavilion. That’s enough to worry about without these three. I chose this pavilion because it’s empty and far enough from Town Hall that nobody will overhear me giving Marcus, Gabe and Cole what-for.

I’m terrified. What if I can’t pull this off? What if⁠—

“Margo?”

Gabe’s hesitant voice makes me turn my head. There they are, all three of them.

Cole, without his ever-present smirk, green eyes almost concerned as he looks at me. Marcus, watching me with steady blue eyes.

And Gabe, who looks like he’s going to the gallows, brown eyes bottomless.

“You’re here.”

“You seem surprised,” Cole speaks up, but I ignore him.