Page 28 of Whispers and Wildfire

“It’s been Annika Bailey for a while. I heard you were back in town. How are you?”

“Well, I’m hot off a divorce, broke, can’t seem to find a job, and slightly overwhelmed by life.” Small talk was beyond my capabilities. I either conversed about real things or nothing at all. “But other than that, I’m actually doing pretty well. How about you?”

Her lips parted in surprise. “I’m fine. Sounds like we have a lot to catch up on. Are you staying? We have a table in the back.”

“We?”

“My sisters and I.”

I drew my eyebrows in. “Sisters? Annika, you have like forty-seven brothers.”

“Sisters-in-law.” She shifted so I could see past her. “I have tons of them now. Bailey sisters, Haven sisters. It’s my Haven sisters-in-law today, though.”

Three women, all holding young babies, sat at a table near the back. Two I didn’t recognize. The first wore a blue tank top and had long blond hair tied in a low ponytail. Her baby had a tuft of blond hair with a pink bow and looked just old enough that she could keep her head up without flopping around.

The second woman had dark hair and a friendly smile. The baby in her arms was asleep, but I could see a full head of brown hair.

But it was the third woman who made my eyes widen and my mouth drop open. “Marigold Martin! She’s your sister-in-law? How did that happen?”

“I know. It’s wild, right?” Annika said. “She married Zachary last year.”

That was wild. Zachary hadn’t seemed like the marrying type. And to sweet Marigold? That was not a piece of news I’d been prepared to discover.

Pushing aside the familiar pang at seeing new moms with their babies, I picked my way through the crowded shop to their table. Marigold also held a baby, but hers was sleeping in one of those wrap things that left her hands free.

“Don’t get up,” I said. “But hi, it’s so good to see you. You look absolutely beautiful. And Zachary? Really? I knew I was out of touch, but I think this might be more surprising than the end of the feud.”

Marigold smiled. Her brown hair was styled in perfect loose waves. I remembered her as a quiet bookworm, but she’d blossomed since high school.

“Yes, really, Zachary. And this is our daughter, Emily.”

“I’m sure she’s beautiful even though I can only see the top of her head.” I turned to the other women at the table. “Sorry, I’m Melanie. I used to live here, and it feels like thirteen lifetimes ago.”

“We have an empty chair,” Annika said. “You should join us. And let me introduce you. This is Audrey, Josiah’s wife, and baby Abby. And this is Harper, Garrett’s wife, and this little bright-eyed beauty is baby Isla.”

They smiled and said hello.

Out of nowhere, I almost panicked.

This wasn’t just a table of women. It was a table of Haven women. Luke’s sister and sisters-in-law.

Was it weird?

No, why would it be weird? I’d been friends with Annika before I’d dated Luke. And as I had reminded myself no less than eight thousand times, high school was ages ago. My identity was not Luke Haven’s ex-girlfriend.

“I’d say I don’t want to intrude, but I absolutely do.” I took the chair she offered and sat with my coffee. “Harper? You look familiar. Do we know each other? And if youmarried Garrett, that must mean he’s no longer with what’s-her-name. I hope you all popped the champagne when that ended.” I paused. “I’m so sorry. I have no filter.”

Harper laughed, and her baby smiled. “That’s okay. Whatever happened with Garrett’s ex was before my time. I don’t think we know each other, but I used to visit Tilikum when I was growing up. My aunt is Doris Tilburn.”

“I remember Doris. Angel Cakes Bakery?”

“Yep. I run the bakery now.”

“And she’s a cookie genius,” Annika said. “But you have to tell us about you. My mom mentioned hearing you’d moved back, but you never know what to believe in this town.”

“I heard you won the lottery and were planning on buying the Grand Peak Hotel and turning it into a giant mansion,” Marigold said. “But obviously, I didn’t believe that. I get all the gossip at the salon.”

“Won the lottery would be rather helpful right about now, but no,” I said. “Kind of the opposite, actually. My marriage fell apart, and my ex immediately moved on with a younger woman, leaving me to deal with the house and all the debt, and then tried to weasel his way out of dividing things fairly, which did nothing but cost me an exorbitant amount in attorney fees. But, silver lining, I’m no longer married to a man with delusions of adequacy.”

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