Page 76 of Where We Bloom

“I don’t see why not.”

The bell over the door dings, and I turn to welcome the customer, then freeze.

“Juliet?”

My heart thumps, and I rush around the counter to run to the woman I considered a big sister for so long. I wrap my arms around her, hugging her tight.

She sniffs next to my ear, clinging to me.

“Hey, bug,” she says, calling me the nickname she gave me as a kid. “God, you’re fucking gorgeous, you know that? I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” I whisper as I let the tears flow. “I’m still mad at you.”

“I know. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

I pull back, and she brushes my tears from my face.

“Is it true? Are you really moving back here and opening a restaurant?”

She wipes at her own tears and nods. Her dark hair is a riot of curls, just the way I remember it. She’s not wearing any makeup and dressed casually in a pink tank top and shorts. It’sso goodto see her.

I always thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. I was so lucky that Brooks loved her, and I got to have her as my big sister.

Then the world blew apart, and them with it, and she was just … gone.

“It’s true,” she says. “And you own a whole bookstore, which is so fucking badass.”

“Check it out,” I say, gesturing to the shelves. “It’s mostly all romance, with a little women’s fiction and thriller thrown in. Do you still like to read?”

“Are you kidding? Of course, I do.”

“Good.”

Juliet used to sneak me her romance novels when I was much too young to be reading them, but she’s why I love books so much.

And she’s back.

“What do you recommend?” she asks.

“You need Laura Pavlov in your life, my friend. Brandy Hynes. Marni Mann. Adriana Locke. Come on, I’ll hook you up.”

For the next hour, we talk about books, and Jules builds a stack that she wants to leave with, making me laugh.

“I didn’t expect you to buy me out,” I tell her while I’m ringing her up.

“Are you kidding? I’ll be your best customer.” She winks at me and taps her card to the screen. “How’s your brother?”

And just like that, my smile falls.

“Jules, I can’t?—”

“I just need to know that he’s okay.” Her voice is quiet, her eyes pleading with me, and I let out a breath.

“He’s okay.”

“Thank you.” She holds up her hand. “I know that if I want to know more, I should seek him out. And maybe once I’ve had enough liquid courage one day, I will. But today is not that day, so I’m going to bury my nose in one of these stories, satisfied with the knowledge that there will be a happily ever after in them.”

“Come back often and keep me posted on the restaurant.”

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