Page 79 of The Cupcake Cottage

“I thought we’d have supper. And talk about things.”

“What kind of things?” she asked slowly.

It had been tense between them since Myles’s wedding, and when he’d texted to ask her to come over, her first thought was that he was going to dump her. Now she was circling back to that fear.

She glanced at the food he was laying out, paused, then came closer. “What is this?” It looked suspiciously like food she loved. Food he couldn’t eat while he was in training. “Are you sucking up?”

“Don’t look so insulted.”

“You left me at Myles’s wedding.”

“I didn’t leave you there.” His cheeks reddened. “You were the one who wasn’t there when I arrived at the reception.”

“After you asked me to the whole entire event, then bailed!” Her voice was shaking. “I ended up wearing the same color gownas the bridesmaids. I looked like I was trying to weasel my way into the family. And you weren’t even there. Everybody thought we’d broken up and I was making a desperate grab for Myles.”

Maverick stared at her. “Who said that?”

“Nobody. It’s just… Never mind.” She inhaled slowly, struggling to rein herself back in.

Maverick was still studying her, and she wanted to hide.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, eyes cast downward. “I didn’t think about what it might feel like to be at your ex’s wedding. I know you two are still friends, and I knew a lot of friends and family would be there, so I didn’t think about how it might feel to not have me there.” He finally looked up, his eyes pained. “Especially on Valentine’s Day. I’m sorry.”

Her anger fizzled.

“Yeah.” She leaned against the counter, feeling strangely defeated. “I should be stronger.”

“You were with him a long time.”

“Not that kind of stronger.”

“The same dress thing?” He tried for a half smile to see if he could coax her out of her mood. His expression was so hopeful, so boyish, she had to laugh. She loved this man. She just wished it all was a little easier right now.

But maybe true love wasn’t supposed to be simple and perfect. Maybe that was all some line that had been packaged and sold to her over the years, and she’d believed it because it sounded absolutely wonderful.

“What are you going to eat?” she asked, gesturing to the fried chicken, bean salad, and biscuits.

“It’s cheat day. And beans are on Athena’s Green list of foods.”

“Yeah, but old farts like you don’t get cheat days. And if you eat only the bean salad, you’ll be an old fart in an all-new kind of way.”

He gave her one of those grins that made her heart flip. She was such a sucker for him. And it looked like he was a sucker right back.

So, they weren’t broken up. And it didn’t look like they were heading there either. The lift of relief felt like a weighted blanket being tossed off of her. She hadn’t even realized how much it had been weighing her down until it was gone.

They still had their issues, of course.

“Here.” He started to dish food out for her. “How much do you want?”

She took over. “I can do it.”

“Do you want to eat outside?”

“Why are you buttering me up?”

“Because I love you.” He seemed nervous again.

“And?”

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