My Beautiful Neighbor (The Greene Family #1) - Piper Rayne Page 0,75

planning with Jed. Cade has made excuse after excuse not to come to the meetings. I’m not an idiot—he’s dodging me after we made love. I almost offered him an out right after I came out of the bathroom and he had his pants on. But I’m done with that. If he wants to break it off, he can come here and tell me himself.

“Is this about the boy?”

“What boy?” I stopped telling my mom about boys after Lincoln because I realized I didn’t want her opinion to tarnish my own.

“That Cade boy you were always talking about. He owns the brewery, right?”

I guess I divulged more than I thought I did. “He does. We’re doing a duo night with them tonight. It’s a big thing in this town.” I pick up one of the beer-and-books markers Jed had made that says which beer goes with which book.

“Oh, this is cute. I should do this for the girls in my book club except it would have to be with wine.”

I get the impression there’s more wine than books going on at her book club, but I guess when your child grows up, you have to find something to do with your time.

I circle around with my arms open. “So what do you think?”

I would love to say my mother’s opinion of my store doesn’t matter, but it does.

She walks around and picks up a book here and there. Touches the wall the apple tree is painted on. Smiles at the toadstools. Frowns at the young adult section. When I hit thirteen, my mom feared how much books could teach me about boys. But that’s still my favorite genre to read.

“It’s cute. You did a great job. I knew you would.”

Then I realize that my dad still hasn’t come in. I thought maybe he was parking the car or something. “Where’s Dad?”

She sets her purse on the counter, near the cash register. “He sends his apologies. He had to work. You know how it is.”

I really don’t, but it’s the same excuse she always gives when it comes to him. “Oh, okay.”

“But he wanted me to tell you how proud of you he is. I think you’ll be getting a special delivery tomorrow.” She winks, which means a giant bouquet is on its way. It’s his go-to move. My dad should invest in growers with the amount of flowers he has to send every year.

“I’m sure I’ll love them.”

She winds her arm through mine. “Do we need to do anything beforehand?”

I look around. “I think I’m ready.”

I could use a bottle of vodka to calm my nerves before I unlock those doors and welcome all of Sunrise Bay. I’m not gonna lie, I wish Cade was here with me, but clearly whatever we were is over.

“Then show me the town,” she says as though Sunrise Bay is Disney World.

“Yeah. Want to do lunch?”

“Not at the brewery though, right?”

Although they have great food, I am not entering that establishment until I have to. “Nope. We’ll find somewhere else. A lot of the places on the bay have opened up now that tourist season is almost here.”

She pats my hand. “I can’t wait to spend the day with you.”

She beams, seeming like she’s genuinely on cloud nine with me. She tried for years for a child and always says I was her blessing, her answered prayer. This might be the first time in a long time that I’m really feeling it though and it took me coming here for it to happen.

As we step out of the store and I lock it, Cade is crossing the road from The Grind, a drink in his hand. He looks horrible. When he glances over, he stops. Mom’s too busy chatting about how the town looks like a place Dad took her up in Vermont to notice.

My eyes lock with Cade’s, and I wish more than anything that I knew what made him do a one-eighty with me. What scared him away? I wish he could talk to me about it.

I turn my mom in the other direction and I don’t look back because as it is, I’m sucking back tears. Where did it all go wrong in such a short amount of time? But my breakdown will have to wait. Right now, I’m going to enjoy the time with someone who wants to be with me.

Clara bites her lip and nods. “Do it.”

I unlock the door and she claps. My mom is busy rearranging the