“Can one of you please tell me why my customer just walked out of here like she saw a ghost?”

I don’t even have time to process what just happened before Claire starts in on us. She stands behind the counter wearing an incredulous expression, her head cocked to the side and a hand pressed to her hip.

I swallow as my eyes flit back to the door just as Aurora’s petite frame slips out of view. My heart lurches in my chest, toward her, and I’m not opposed to chasing after it.

Aurora June. With her round-shaped face and prominent, deep-set blue, she’s still a vision of innocence and beauty, with a defiant edge. I’ve never met a more curious girl in my life. I always did feel like she could see right through me, too. Just like last night as she stared back at me through the window. And today, the moment our eyes locked.

“That’s all your boy here,” Tanner says, tipping his coffee at me with accusing eyes. “Seems nothing has changed. Am I right?” He raises his brows at me in a challenge. I clench my fists and roll my eyes. Now is not the time for Tanner to start shit with me.

He must notice my agitation because he lets out a knowing chuckle and shakes his head. “I need to run back to the station, doll. Let me know if you need anything while Danny’s covering for Pops.”

Tanner tips his hat at Claire and then leaves—without paying, as usual. By now, she’s used to it, so she doesn’t even bat an eye. The dick could at least leave a tip.

Claire’s husband and my best friend, Danny Andrews, has been working round the clock for three days while Sheriff Brooks helps a rescue team up north search for a helicopter that crashed somewhere in the woods. When Danny got the call from Sheriff Brooks to cover him, he didn’t hesitate one bit. I imagine Tanner’s pretty peeved about that, since they’re both in the running for sheriff once Brooks hangs his belt.

I look up to find Claire’s eyes trained on me. I’m not sure what to tell her, so I aim for humor. “Seriously, though. Did you really just give her the last croissant?”

Claire rolls her eyes and shoves my coffee at me. It splashes through the hole of the to-go lid and lands on the counter. “I sure did. Paying customers first, Jax. You’ll have to get your fix from Meg.”

I groan. “Seriously, Claire? You know I can’t step foot in that bakery.”

“Why not? C’mon. Meg’s a sweet girl and she really likes you. Like, really likes you. Just take her on another date and see how it goes. Give her a chance. For God’s sake, give someone a chance. It might as well be her. You’d be a hell of a lot better for her than Tanner. And she’d be a whole lot better for you than that Valerie chick.”

I cringe at the mention of Valerie. I’d almost managed to forget my fling with the socialite from Asheville. It was fun while it lasted, but it was never meant to be more than a stolen fuck in a hotel room every few weeks. And Claire can’t stand her. I think that’s why she’s been pushing me off on Meg, which I don’t understand at all. Just because Meg and I are both single doesn’t mean we belong together. I’ve been single for seven years. In fact, the reason why just walked out that door.

“Just drop it with Meg, okay? Tanner is insanely in love with the girl.”

“And she’s insanely in love with you.”

“And she’d probably be insanely in love with Tanner if you’d stop filling her mind with unicorns and rainbows.”

Claire lets out a breath of annoyance. “You, sir, think far too highly of yourself.”

Shaking my head, I step back. “C’mon, Claire, give me a break. I’m on two hours of sleep and I’ve got other stuff on my mind. You’re going to have to play matchmaker with someone else.”

She sighs dramatically. “Fine. Tell you what. You explain what just happened with Aurora, and I’ll get your precious croissant for you while you watch the café.”

Now she’s speaking my language. “Deal.” I hop onto the counter and take a sip of coffee.

“What are you doing?” Claire squeals. “Get your butt off. I already sanitized this morning.”

“No one’s here,” I say, gesturing with a wave of my hands.

“That’s because you scared our only real customer away.” Claire’s eyes harden. “Now get off.”

She grunts as she leans her entire upper body into mine, shoving me, but I won’t fight a pregnant woman. I hop off the counter and spin around to find Claire already wiping away my invisible ass print.

“Lacey got freaked by the storm last night and ran off. I went to Henry’s old place to find her, and Aurora was there. She thought I was lurking around. I wasn’t.” I shrug. “All got cleared up. Now, hurry off to the bakery while I watch your empty café.”

Claire stops her circular motion at some point, my words clicking together in her brain. “Wait. Aurora was at Henry’s last night? Why the hell would she be there?”

Claire didn’t grow up in our small town, but she’s been like a sister to me ever since she moved here five years ago with Danny. There isn’t anyone here that doesn’t know the name Henry June, and Aurora’s name often trails in conversation. For almost four years, the June family made our dot on the map as close to famous as it’ll ever get. Every now and then a group of hikers would come along to search the woods for the bodies that were never recovered, but they wouldn’t pay for a guide or a tour. They’d go off-trail and scour the woods on their own. The June Expedition became its unofficial name.

There’s a stigma attached to the June name that I’m not sure Aurora’s even fully aware of yet. No one wants to remember that time. And when word gets out that their local celebrity has graced them with her presence—well, let’s just say they won’t be bringing her fruit baskets.

“Aurora, as in Aurora June. Henry’s daughter.”

Claire’s hand covers her mouth. “Oh.” Her eyes become soft as realization hits. “Oh my God. She’s your Aurora.”

I look away, knowing my expression would reveal every ounce of pain that’s ailed me over the past seven years. “She hasn’t been my Aurora in a long time. She’s someone else’s now.” I swallow, the words sticking to the surface of my throat. “A fiancé.” That shouldn’t hurt, not after all this time, but the thought of her with anyone else is like a knife twisting in my heart.

“I’m sorry, Jax.”

I wave away her sympathy, feeling the walls of the room slowly moving in on me. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I imagined seeing Aurora again, but this was not how it played out in my head.

“It’s fine,” I say with a shrug. “It’s not like she’s sticking around.” My words sound hollow as I speak them. “Aurora never sticks around for long. This time, it’s for the best.”

And that’s the truth.

The faster Aurora leaves Balsam Grove, the better.