me. Andrew, displaying a set of balls I almost had to admire, had called to accuse me of dishonesty while lying through his teeth about why he was meeting with Annie. Not a chance in hell it was simply to catch up.
I grabbed my coffee and left the shop, pulling up the collar of my pea coat against the bracing cold wind that hit me the moment I stepped outside.
What would happen when they met? Would Annie remember why she’d dated Andrew to begin with? Would he win her over like he’d done once before? What if my plan to get together with Annie ended with her starting her relationship anew with Andrew?
It was enough to make me feel ill. Hell, that was an understatement. I was pissed.
I needed to do something to take my mind off the conversation. So, hands in pockets, I headed down the main street of town, taking in the sights of the quaint downtown of White Pines. It was another reminder of why I’d moved there. There were all sorts of mom-and-pop stores, from candy shops to bookstores to everything in between. It was a far cry from the chains and condos of Denver.
One store caught my eye – Grace’s Music Store. I remembered what Annie had said about her love for music, her passion for the violin. Personally, I didn’t know a damn thing about playing an instrument. But I wanted to get something for her, a little gift to let her know I was thinking about her.
A small bell chimed as I stepped into the shop, the scent of the pine and cedar from the instruments rushing up to greet me. A trim, pretty woman was behind the counter and let me know she was there if I needed help.
I immediately spotted what I wanted to get. It was a beautiful music stand, hand-carved out of rosewood, the finish of the wood a glossy sheen. It was perfect.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I took it to the front counter and made the purchase. It was pricy, but I didn’t give a single damn about that.
A surge of confidence ran through me, a pleased grin spreading across my face as I stepped back out into the cold.
Was I now in a competition with my own brother for Annie?
If so, I had two words for him.
Game on.
Annie
“Is he there yet?”
The message blinked onto my phone as I sat at a back table in the bar where I was to meet Andrew. The place was low-key, a classy wine bar where White Pines professionals done with a day at the office could mingle with upscale tourists.
“You’ll know he’s here when I stop messaging.”
I shifted nervously in my seat, my fingers on the base of my martini glass. So Andrew wanted to meet. It might not be all that bad. What if he simply wanted to make sure we were on good terms? There were worse things in the world than being friends with an ex, after all. And truth be told, how Andrew and I left things had always left a bad taste in my mouth, like there was unfinished business we’d been ignoring.
Him coming back into my life in that way wasn’t what I’d expected, but maybe it would be for the best.
“Just don’t fall for it,” Gia advised. “I bet you anything he’s going to try to smooth-talk you into dating him again.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because guys are messed up that way. He might not’ve wanted you before, but now that he knows you’re with his brother? I bet that’s got him all kinds of competitive. It’s a dude thing.”
I didn’t even know to say to that, and thankfully, I didn’t need to say anything. Andrew appeared at the entrance to the bar the moment I looked up from my phone. He was dressed in an expensive suit, the watch I’d bought him on his wrist, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
He was all smiles as he made a beeline over to me.
“OK he’s here!” I rapid-fire texted to Gia before taking my phone off the table and shoving it into my purse.
When he arrived at the table, he simply stopped and gazed at me. “God, it’s good to see you. Come here.” He opened his arms and, not knowing what else to do, I stood up and hugged him.
It was so strange being in his embrace. Andrew was quite different from his brother, but they both had the same solid built and