“What in the hell did that kiss mean?” Zeke had brushed the softest, most sensual kiss of my life against my lips and that was after he’d taken care of a sick Max all afternoon and then left my favorite dinner warming in the oven. “And why did he vanish? Again.”

Vivi sighed but when she spoke I could hear the smile in her voice. “Maybe it means that things aren’t as over as you’re trying to convince yourself they are.”

I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. That couldn’t be it. “It was probably just habit because he was back in the house and helping me out with Max. Zeke was just trying to comfort me. That’s all.”

Vivi laughed out loud and I frowned at the phone. “Sounds like you’re trying hard to convince yourself that it’s true.”

She was right. Absolutely right. “You suck,” I told her seriously and that only made her laugh harder. “It doesn’t matter. I haven’t heard from him in three days.” That’s how I knew it was a fluke. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t on my mind. Constantly. It didn’t help that the whole house along with High St. Fashions smelled like a field of lavender and jasmine. All because of Zeke.

“You haven’t?” The skepticism in her voice drew me up short.

“Okay,” I sighed. “In a way I have heard from him. He’s been sending these little notes. At home and at work.” Some were sweet, and some were so hot, I couldn’t hold the paper without burning my fingertips. “But that’s it.”

“And that’s not enough?”

“It’s not that, Vivi. I don’t like games and it feels like that’s what he’s doing. He feels guilty or something and I don’t want or need his guilt.” If Zeke wanted to be with me he would do more or make some concrete efforts to apologize for starters.

“I think you’re lying to yourself, Maddie.” That was Vivi, honest to a fault.

I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me while I kept busy hanging up a new shipment of slacks and blouses. “Vivi, one kiss and a few letters won’t make up for the fact that Zeke emotionally abandoned me after begging me to come with him. He let his family attack me and then didn’t have the balls to not just stand up for me, but to apologize for it!” I was getting worked up again when I promised myself I wouldn’t. New York was nothing but an awful memory and I vowed to keep it in my rearview. Permanently.

“Maybe the letters are his way of apologizing.”

That brought to mind the letter that was currently burning a hole in the pocket of my jeans. I refused to read it because I wasn’t some hormonal teenager. I was an adult with a full life, with responsibilities that did not include pining after some coward. A totally hot and funny and sweet coward, but a coward nonetheless. “We’re adults, Vivi. Apologizing is how you fucking apologize.”

The line went silent and I wondered if my outburst had offended her. It was possible though unlikely since Vivi was the one with the tendency to cuss like a sailor. “Whoa, you’re serious.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.

“I am. I let myself listen to my heart when it came to Preston and it steered me wrong. He wasn’t excited about the pregnancy from the moment I told him but I let myself believe it was fear. It was a big change and that eventually he’d come on board. He never led me to believe that, but I believed it.” I swiped a tear at the memory of the young fool I’d been back then. “Same thing with my parents. I can’t, no, I won’t do that again.”

Tyson’s cries sounded in the background and though I felt terrible, relief swamped me. “We’re not done with this conversation but I love you too much to make you listen to this hungry monster while he wails. Talk later.”

“Bye,” I practically whispered and returned to the task of unpacking the new shipments of clothes. I got lost in the mundane task while I mentally designed new dresses for the fabrics I’d gotten in New Orleans this week. It had been a long but productive day but Zeke’s appearance had tossed a wrench into my creative flow.

The bell above the door sounded and my shoulders fell, which wasn’t a good thing for a shop owner and I gave myself a mental pep talk. “I’ll be with you in a moment!” Two deep breaths and big bright phony smile later, I stroke into the front and stopped. “Bastian, what can I help you with today?” As far as I knew the town lawyer was single so there was only one reason he would come see me.

“I have some news and I thought it best if I delivered it in person, Maddie.” His permanently somber expression, as always, dimmed his dark good looks and made him seem dour when he was actually very pleasant.

“I’m listening.” Arms crossed defensively, I braced myself for whatever he said next.

“The building has been sold.”

Damn, that wasn’t what I expected to hear and my sense of dread grew even stronger. My head fell forward and my legs wobbled, forcing me to grab on to the counter to steady myself. “Okay. Do you have any idea what they plan to do with the space?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t been told much, but I have a letter here.” He pulled it from the inside pocket of a sharp navy blue jacket and held it out to me.

“Just give me the highlights,” I told him, refusing to grab hold of the envelop.

“Maddie,” he insisted, pushing the letter closer to me. “Read the letter.”

“Fine.” I snatched it from him and shoved it into my back pocket along with the other letter. What in the hell was with all the letters, did I got to sleep and wake up in the nineties? “Thank you for letting me know.”

He stood there with the same blank expression I usually appreciated in a town where no one hesitated to tell you their opinion, whether you asked or not. I resisted the urge to lean across the counter and tighten that tie around his neck. “Read it now, please. I’m under strict orders from my client to make sure you’ve read the letter.”

And now I was officially pissed off. “Whatever.” I snatched the envelop from my pocket and tore the side off, tipping it over until the paper drifted to the glass counter. The writing was vaguely familiar only miles neater, I realized as I unfolded it and began to read.

Mads,

This is yours no matter what else happens between us, because I am in awe of you. Your strength and your courage astound me every damn day. Your brilliance makes me proud that Aunt Mae’s terrible sorcery gave me a chance to exist in your orbit.

I’m sorry for too many things to list here, but I need you to know that I am so, so sorry that I wasn’t the man you needed me to be in New York. I always knew you were too good for me, and now you know it too.

Consider this a very, very belated wedding gift.

When I looked up at Bastian, he beamed a grin I’d never seen on him, not since he moved to Belle Musique in the fourth grade. It transformed his entire face, a thought which allowed me to think of something other than Zeke’s beautiful words. “What does this mean?”

Instead of speaking Bastian handed me another envelop that was much thicker than the last. “It means that you are now the proud owner of one of the most lucrative pieces of real estate in town.”

“No.” I shook my head not because I didn’t want it but because I couldn’t believe it. It was completely unbelievable, wasn’t it? “He didn’t…he couldn’t have…,” I was too shocked to think, much less speak in complete sentences.

“He did. And he had me set up a company, MadMax Holdings, so that you can accept rent payments without the entire town knowing your business. Zeke’s words, not mine.”

For some reason, hearing Bastian say his name, to confirm my suspicions, made my breath catch in my chest. Zeke. “He bought me a building.” A whole block, in fact.

“Yes, Maddie. We’ve covered that.” I glared at Bastian but he was unfazed and only smiled in response. Before he pulled out another envelop. A thick yellow envelop that killed the smile and the hope that had nearly bubbled over just moments before.

It took a moment to unravel the cotton thread around the tabs but my shaky fingers got the job done and I pulled the papers out with a gasp. Divorce papers. My shoulders sank as reality set in and I didn’t know why. Divorce was inevitable and if he hadn’t done it, I would have. But seeing the words ‘dissolution of marriage’ hit me hard. It was another failure in my life.

Another mistake.

I let the papers fall to the counter and looked up at Bastian. “Thank you, Bastian. I’ll take a look at the papers and them to you soon.”

“Read it,” he insisted sharply.

“You’re not my lawyer, Bastian.”

“I know,” he sighed and raked a hand through his hair, a move completely uncharacteristic of him. “Just read it. Please.”

There was a folded piece of blue notebook paper clipped to the legal document and I didn’t need to guess the handwriting.

I don’t want this, Maddie. Not at all. I love you. I know this is the most terrible way in the world to tell you for the first time but it’s true. I am madly in love you Maddie and I know I don’t deserve you—or Max—but I want to deserve you. Both of you.

But if you don’t love me back, if you can live without me then I will learn to live with the ache of living without you.

P.S. I had Aunt Mae draw up the divorce papers just in case. I did tell you I didn’t deserve you, right?

The last part made me laugh as tears fell down my cheeks.

“So, we’re all good here?”

I nodded at Bastian with a smile. “We’re good. Thank you, Bastian.”

With a short nod, he turned on his fancy Italian leather shoes and left the shop, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

And my tears.

And hope.

I picked up the phone and dialed. “Yeah?”

“Vivi, I need you to come watch the shop for an hour.”

She paused for several long seconds. “Ty and I will be right there.”