Page 68 of The Huckleberry Bookshop

His expression was tender, that same one that had made her feel like she was part of his inner circle. The look, she now knew, was one he used on almost everyone.

She crossed her arms.

“I had to put Banx down.”

“What?” Athena felt as though someone had knocked the wind out of her. She hadn’t even known his cat, Banx the Manx, was sick. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just did.”

“But before?”

“Because he’s my cat?”

“It was like he was mine. For a bit.”

“Until you ditched over that stupid thing with Lauren.”

“It was not stupid. And I cared about Banxie, okay?”

“What were you gonna do? Fly out and see him? It’s a cat.”

“Maybe I would have,” she said.

“You’re busy.”

“How would you know?”

“You always are. Especially when you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset.”

He gave her a smug, knowing smile. “Babe…”

“Keeping busy is how I deal with things.”

She’d started her first cookbook when her mom had needed to use a cane more often and Athena wasn’t still in Texas to help, then had ramped up the project when she’d begun to suspect Lonnie wasn’t as committed to their relationship as she was. Now she was on book two, the project she’d pitched her publisher a week after her dad had bought her mom a wheelchair. And to distract herself from her frustration and her inappropriate crush on Chad last fall, she’d said yes to opening a store with Meddy.

None of that meant she was upset. She just had a lot to deal with, and being busy was a productive way to channel that potential anxiety.

“I’m late,” she said, angling away. “Meddy’s waiting.”

“How is feisty Maddy?”

“Meddy.” She was never sure if Lonnie was truly incapable of remembering her sister’s name, or if he just enjoyed acting as though she mattered so little he couldn’t be bothered.

He rolled his eyes at her correction, immediately bringing back the futile anger from a thousand fights and the dismissive way he’d treated her when she’d confronted him about the woman he was seeing on the side.

“I hope you lose tonight,” she muttered, spinning away to storm down the hallway. She swiped at her eyes, furious at herself for letting him get under her skin.

Or maybe it was the loss of Banx hitting her. The feline had been a good friend during the short time they’d shared Lonnie’s condo. They’d spent many hours waiting for him to come home, and she hadn’t felt as lonely with her furry little pal curled up beside her.

She reached the end of the hall and came to a stop, realizing someone was blocking her way. Tall, wide and looking ready to maim.

The man was fully decked out in one of his retro-cut suits, his fingers covered in rings, his hair a sexy and unruly bedhead mess.

Her boyfriend. The idea made her stomach quiver, then drop out like it had gone over a cliff without her body.

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting dressed?” Athena asked Chad, attempting to push past him.

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