Page 39 of Bloom

Universe, I internally shriek.Come on.

I take my time turning around. Before I do, I briefly close my eyes and pray some other member of the Jackson family has started going by their surname—I’d even take Lottie. I would gladly face chaos incarnate if it meant I didn’t have to face my ex-boyfriend in our regular date-night spot.

Unfortunately, my prayers have long since gone ignored, and as I glance aside, I find that hasn’t changed.

To his credit, Jackson smiles down at me, but it’s strained. More like a frown, which is just par for the course, really.

“Hi,” I cough out, my gaze darting around the bar and clocking all the eyes on us. Any minute now, someone’s going to whip out a camera and document this rare public appearance. “I was just collecting something. I didn’t know you were here.”

When the not-quite-a-frown starts to scrunch some more, I don’t stick around to hear what that downturned mouth opens to say. Or at least I try not to—my escape attempt is thwarted by a holler of my name.

Cradling her son with one arm, Lux waves me over with the other becauseof courseshe’s here too—as are the rest of her sisters. The whole family is squished into one booth, the table laden with the remnants of a meal, and I suddenly remember it’s Sunday; every Sunday morning for as long as I can remember, the Jacksons have come to Bishop’s.

Every Sunday for as long as I can remember, I haven’t.

I never took it personally. I knew it was a strictly family kind of thing, no exceptions.

Wasbeing the operative word.

I’m not mad about Luna’s presence. Really, I’m not. It would be weird if she wasn’t here. But the ranch hand who’s been around for all of a few months having a seat at the table settles heavy in my chest, does something ugly to my mind.

Of course, Hunter’s here. He’s part of the family now. Part of the ranch. An essential piece of Serenity who everyone wants around.

I avert my gaze before he catches me staring, but as my skin itches, I fear I was a second too late.

“You wanna join us?”

The offer barely leaves Jackson’s mouth before I’m shaking my head. Pity invites aren’t on my agenda for today. I’m too fragile for it.

“C’mon,” he inexplicably insists, soft and careful. “Lux will kill me if you don’t at least come say hi.”

Yeah, well, I might cry if I do, and I don’t think anyone will appreciate that. “I really can’t.”

I really don’t want to. Please don’t make me.

Mouth flattened in a grim, straight line, Jackson rakes a hand through his long hair. “Listen, Caroline—”

“Line.” An arm winds its way around my shoulders, and I mentally curse the universe again. Jackson is hard enough to say no to; his sister is impossible. “What’re you doing here?”

Flashing Lux a smile, I flounder for a lie. “I, uh, left something.”

“You left something,” she repeats skeptically. “Here? Really?”

My barely audible hum clearly lacks conviction because Lux doesn’t drop the matter. “You never come here.”

“Well, I did.”

“But you don't drink.”

“Didn't know I had to drink to come to a bar.”

Lux's eyes drift behind me for a moment. “Apparently not.” Linking an arm through mine, she tries to tug me towards the table. “Tell me about it over lunch?”

My phone dinging saves me. Feigning an apology, I dig it out of my purse, planning on using the unopened message as an excuse to get out of here, no matter what the content. But when half a dozen more roll through in milliseconds, Nova’s name flashing on my screen each time, a bad feeling settles in my gut. “Sorry.” I slip out of Lux’s grip. “I really have to go.”

The store is chaos.

Flowers and ribbon and gift baskets are strewn everywhere, and Nova stands in the center of it all, her eyes wild and glossy.The second she starts blabbering about missing orders and wrong dates, dread settles in my gut.

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