The woman at the register beamed at me. “It’s about time you two got hitched. You make such a lovely couple. Are babies on their way? Is that why you’re getting married now?”

  I about choked. “I’m sorry, what?”

  Deek snickered next to me. “Mrs. Landstrom, I can assure you that Jill and Greg aren’t expecting. I hear they’re planning on at least a year-long engagement.”

  My face felt hot as I glanced around the room. Everyone was watching me now. I took off the apron I’d just put on. “Deek’s right, no babies on the way. Maybe a second puppy soon. But I do need to leave. I just remembered I have a lunch date.”

  In the back room, I sank into my desk chair and laid my head on the desk. Seriously? Was that what everyone was thinking? That I was pregnant? I glanced over at a batch of double Dutch cookies that Deek had pulled out of the cooler to warm up before putting them in the sale case out front. They were better at room temperature, but I went and grabbed one anyway. It was cold to the touch, and I really wanted a cup of coffee to dunk it in. But I didn’t want to go back out to the dining room in case I’d be asked more questions.

  I wondered if Amy had been getting these same questions about her recent marriage? Or maybe it was just at the engagement stage that people liked messing with the newly engaged. I dialed city hall, hoping Amy was back from wherever she and Harper had taken off to.

  She picked up on the first ring. “South Cove Mayoral Office. Amy Newman speaking. How may I help you today?”

  “I thought you were taking Justin’s last name?” Ouch, maybe everyone was too involved in this marriage convention, even me. “Never mind. I didn’t mean that. Anyway, are you free for lunch? I need to clear my head.”

  “I saw Greg give your ring to you. Did you forget it at home again?” Amy’s tone dropped from professional to that of a caring friend. Way different that the random woman at the counter.

  Deek knew her name, I just knew her coffee order. Large regular coffee with two squirts of chocolate sauce to add some flavor, like a mocha without as many calories. I’d even suggested she try it when she’d been complaining about needing to give up the sweet coffee treat for her diet plan. Now that I thought about it, there were a lot of customers that I could rattle off their coffee and treat preferences and even the last book they’d bought, but I had no idea what their names were. Or their stories. I needed to get better about that.

  “Jill, are you still there?” Amy broke into my mental wanderings.

  “Sorry. Yes, I forgot the ring again. Greg thinks it’s a red flag that I’m giving up on the marriage idea.”

  Amy was quiet for a minute; then she asked, “Are you sure it’s not?”

  “Amy, I love Greg. You know that.”

  “Look, I’ve got a couple of things to finish for Tina before I can leave, but I’ll meet you at Diamond Lille’s in about fifteen?” Amy’s voice had changed back from her worried friend tone to professional.

  “She’s standing right there, isn’t she? Don’t answer that. I’ll see you at Lille’s.” I hung up the phone and looked around for something I could do for a few minutes since I was still hiding from the customers.

  I pulled out a piece of paper and listed out the things I knew about the woman who’d asked if I was pregnant. Then I wrote the name Deek had called her—Mrs. Landstrom. I tried to remember all of my commuters and put names to the ones I knew. It was about half. Tomorrow, I’d check their credit cards for names. Then I’d add them to my list. By the time the week was over, I should know most of my morning customers by name. The other shifts, well, they weren’t on phase one of this new Jill plan.

  I wasn’t quite sure my brain had enough room for all these new names, but if I could remember how someone liked their coffee, I could remember their name. It was just a matter of focus.

  Pleased with my new personal development goal, I put my notes into my tote. It wouldn’t do for my aunt to find them and question the fact that I didn’t already know my customers by name. Aunt Jackie had run a coffee shop with my uncle Ted before he’d died, and I was certain she knew each and every one of her regulars. But my aunt was like that. I’d rather chat with someone about a book they loved than about their three kids and the house they were remodeling.

  Maybe I was a bad small-town business owner.

  As I was tucking the pages into my tote, I saw a note in my aunt’s handwriting. “Jill and Jackie at Exquisite Gowns at one p.m”. I checked the date. Yes, this was the third. How could I have forgotten the appointment that my aunt had called me about three times last week? I checked my watch. I was meeting Amy at eleven thirty. And Harper’s shop was right across the street from the diner. I’d be fine, but I set an alarm on my phone, just in case.

  Aunt Jackie didn’t like it when I was late. And I didn’t like it when my aunt was angry at me. She was like that superhero who turned green and into a raving monster. Except Aunt Jackie got quiet and her face froze into a polite blank stare. For weeks.

  It was awful. I wasn’t going to make her mad just before my and Greg’s engagement party. It would be horrible. I tucked the tote under my arm and left the store through the back door just to avoid the people out front.

  Yeah, I worried too much about what others thought. But in my defense, I did live in a small town where the rumor mill was active and vicious.

  Chapter 2

  Amy walked into Diamond Lille’s and saw me in our favorite booth. She hurried over and slipped into the bench across from me. I’d already ordered dessert to eat first. A slice of apple pie and a scoop of ice cream sat half-devoured in front of me. “I came as soon as I could get away. What’s wrong? Well, besides Sherry’s stunt at the coffeehouse. And Greg and the ring.”

  “Wow, I am a little predictable, aren’t I? It’s not about Sherry. Or Greg.” I stopped talking when Carrie, our favorite waitress, paused by the table.

  “What can I get for you?” Carrie asked Amy. She nodded toward me. “Jill’s already ordered fish and chips to go along with her dessert. Do you want your usual? Cheeseburger with fries? Or are you going to do dessert first too?”

  “I’ll take the cheeseburger. No dessert, thanks.” Amy pushed the menu away. “And an iced tea.”

  “Sounds normal. Not like your friend here.” Carrie shot me a pained look, and I felt my face heat.

  Amy leaned down after Carrie left. “Okay, now you’re scaring everyone. What’s going on?”

  I would have stopped eating the pie, but Tiny, Diamond Lille’s chef, made amazing apple pie. “I don’t know. I just feel like everyone’s expecting Greg and me to be this couple and pop out babies and, I don’t know, just settle down? Did that happen when you got married?”

  “He asked you to marry him, not give away all your brain cells and become a Stepford wife. And when did you start worrying about what other people thought?” Amy thanked Carrie for the iced tea and then waited for my answer.

  My breathing slowed, and for a second I felt sick after eating that pie so fast. Tiny would be ticked if I got sick. I pushed the almost-gone pie away and then broke off a piece of crust and popped it in my mouth. So good. “Okay, so that was weird.”

  “It was probably a panic attack. You’ve been on the edge for weeks now, since Greg asked you to marry him. You’ve really got a keeper there.” Amy saw my eyes widen and patted the air in front of me. “Calm down. You know that’s true. Why are you freaking out about this marriage thing?”

  “I’m not good married. I already ruined one relationship. Why should this one be any different? Maybe I should just break it off now. We’d both be better off.” I wished I had a paper bag to breathe into. Maybe that would work. I started digging in my tote to see if I had anything. I found a bag with two brownies inside that I had taken home for dessert. I took the brownies out and set them on a napkin, then started breathing into the small Coffee, Books, and More bag.

  Amy watched me and sipped her tea. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. She was barely keeping from laughing at me to my face.

  Finally, I sat the bag down. All my efforts had done was make me hungry for another brownie. The bag smelled like chocolate and, with every deep breath, reminded me of the brownies on the table. I stuffed them back in the bag along with the napkin, careful to not break them. Then I tucked the bag back into my tote.

  “Do you feel better?”

  I shook my head. “All I managed to do was make myself hungrier. I guess I could just wait to gain a ton of weight and have Greg cancel the wedding himself.”

  “Greg would love you no matter what size you are.” Amy caught my gaze. “I didn’t know you when you were married, but from what you’ve told me, neither you nor your ex-husband were willing to put the relationship above your careers. You and Greg aren’t like that. You both accept each other the way you are.”

  Amy had a point. I didn’t know why I was freaking out about a little thing like commitment and a ceremony. I already would do anything for Greg, and I knew he felt the same way. Marriage would just make that bond stronger. Now I just had to convince my head what my heart already knew. “Thanks for calming me down. So tell me how amazing married life is so I can start counting down the days.”

  Amy blew out a breath that moved her bangs. A signature move showing her frustration. Then she took a napkin and started shredding it. Crap, things were worse than I thought. “I can’t say that. I guess I didn’t know what to expect. Justin reads all the time. Or he’s talking history stuff. I try to listen, but maybe we only had fun and surfing in common. Maybe we’re not soulmates?”

  “Amy, there’s one thing I know, and that’s you and Justin were made for each other. I’m sure it’s just a matter of learning to live together.” My friend and her husband had taken the traditional route and not moved in together before the ceremony. Now they were learning what it meant to share a home. “At least Greg and I got that adjustment done early. Good or bad, it’s the way it is.”

  “You guys had problems at first?”

  I laughed as a waitress delivered my fish and chips and Amy’s cheeseburger. “Not just at first. He’s still campaigning for a workout gym in Miss Emily’s painting shed. I seriously think he’d kick Toby out if he didn’t think it would affect him working as a deputy. He’s a lot cleaner than I am. I feel bad that he’s always cleaning something I think I should be doing and that I put off.”

  “Justin makes our bed every morning.” Amy grabbed her hamburger. Before she took a bite, she admitted, “I only made it when I changed sheets. The rest of the time, it looked messy chic. At least to me.”

  We talked about the guys and what drove us crazy about them for the rest of the meal. I pushed away half my fries as we finished lunch. “I’ve got to meet Aunt Jackie at Harper’s shop. She commissioned a dress for me for the engagement party as a surprise. Although, I think she ordered herself a new dress, and then Harrold guilted her into getting me one as well. I kind of love that guy.”

  “He’s a great uncle.” Amy grinned as she took out her credit card for the meal. “I’ll get this since I needed some Jill wisdom today about relationships.”

  “I’m kind of thinking we should split it since I was on the edge of eating the place out of apple pie when you showed up.” I stood and tucked my tote under my arm. “But I’ll get you next week. Thanks for making time for lunch. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem, sis.” She gave me a quick hug and took the check up to the counter.

  I went past the hostess stand, where Lille stood, glaring at me. I knew the restaurant owner didn’t like me, but I thought maybe her animosity would end after Harrold married my aunt, since Lille adored Harrold. In a grandfatherly way, that is. I would say something, but the woman had a mean streak, and I didn’t want to get banned from her restaurant for life. I loved Tiny’s food.

  By the time I’d gotten across the street, Aunt Jackie was already at the front of the new shop. She glanced toward the diner and sighed. “I supposed I can’t hope that you ate a salad when you were having lunch.”

  “Nope. Fried food and dessert. Why are you concerned about my eating habits now?” I put my arm in hers, and we walked into the shop.

  “If you want to look good in your wedding dress, you probably need to lose at least ten pounds. Twenty would be better.” She turned toward the counter, looking for Harper.

  Before she could ring the bell to announce our arrival, loud voices floated out from the back. I stopped my aunt’s hand from hitting the bell, holding on to her wrist in case we needed to make a fast exit. I figured I could drag my petite aunt out of the store before anyone even knew we were there.

  “You need to leave,” a woman said, not in a shout, but the determination in the tone made me turn toward the door.

  My aunt held up a finger, slowing my planned escape.

  “You’re going to regret turning me down,” a male voice shouted, and then a door slammed.

  I waited, but no one said anything else. Now I wished I’d eaten the rest of those fries. “Do you think it’s okay?”

  She nodded and hit the bell. She shrugged out of my grip and whispered, “Keep your phone in your pants pocket. We may have to call Greg.”

  “Okay.” Her words before the argument finally sank in. “Wait, what was that comment about me losing weight? You’re not usually worried about my appearance. What’s different now?”

  She jerked her head back like I’d slapped her. “I didn’t mean to criticize, dear. I guess I assumed you would want to look perfect for your wedding day. It’s a special occasion.”

  I didn’t get a chance to respond to my aunt’s reasoning to question my appearance before we were interrupted.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in. Not to butt into your conversation, but I think Jill looks perfect just the way she is.” Harper stepped out of the back with a tape measure over her shoulder. “Of course, in a gown I make, she’ll look even more beautiful. Have you chosen a wedding dress or designer yet?”

  “Not yet.” Harper’s words made me relax a little. At least someone was on my side. I glanced around the samples she had on mannequins around the room. “We haven’t even set a date yet.”

  “Well, when you do, let me know. I’d love to be considered. And I’ll give you the South Cove discount.” Harper glanced at her calendar. “But you’re not here to plan for the future, are you? I have both of your dresses ready for final fittings. Let’s go get you changed into them so I can see what I need to do to get them finished.”

  “Will they be ready by Friday?” Aunt Jackie asked as we followed Harper into a second room set up for trying on dresses.

  “I’ll have them ready for you at noon tomorrow. I’ve got some things to do this weekend, so I need to get this off my plate.” Harper pulled down two dresses and handed one to me and one to Aunt Jackie. “Let’s see what a genius I am.”

  I took the dress she handed me. The color was a mix between silver and blue, and the touch of the fabric made me shiver. I’d bought designer dresses before on a sale rack, but I’d never had one made for me before. “It’s so pretty.”

  “I thought the fabric would look amazing with your coloring.” Harper smiled as she watched me hold the dress like it was made of glass.

  “The changing rooms are back there.” Aunt Jackie pointed the left of the room. “You try yours on first. Then I’ll go. That way you can get back to your day. I’m sure you’re busy.”

  There was no way I was going to leave my aunt alone with Harper until I found out who had been yelling at her when we came in. I paused before I went behind a curtain. “We heard voices when we came in. We didn’t interrupt anything, did we?”

  “No.” Harper turned beet red. “I was watching television. You must have caught me listening to the soap operas. They’re my guilty pleasure, especially during the day when I’m sewing.”

  I met Aunt Jackie’s gaze. Nope, she didn’t believe it either. But I let it go and went to change into this piece of heaven Harper had created.

  Thirty minutes later, my final adjustments were done and Harper had promised the dress would to be available tomorrow. I sat reading a book and waiting for my aunt, who was still talking about the length of her dress. My phone was close by, but I’d had a minute when Harper had been focused on my aunt to find the back door and make sure it was locked. There wasn’t anything or anyone suspicious in the alley, so I figured the guy must have left.

  Had the man been an ex-boyfriend? Or maybe a rival designer? On the reality shows I watched on the fashion industry, people were always saying snarky and mean things to each other or behind their backs. Maybe it was just that. Although in South Cove, the only rival Harper had was Sherry and Pat’s store, and that wasn’t even a close race. Vintage Duds sold estate items, not custom, made-to-order dresses like the gown I’d just tried on. It was lovely, and I was going to wear it to every formal event I attended for the next ten years.

  If I still fit into it. Aunt Jackie’s words made me want a milkshake, just to be contrary. But maybe she was right. I hadn’t been running with Emma in weeks due to the weather. Today, I’d change that. Food could be managed with just a little exercise. Look at Amy. The girl ate more than I even thought possible, and she was stick thin. Mostly because she surfed most weekends. Or biked. Or hiked. She had a lot of active hobbies.

  I read books.

  Okay, maybe a little exercise and a little less sugar and fat. I tried to focus on the story. Finally, Aunt Jackie was done and we stood together outside the shop. I nodded to a bench in front of the building that held Amy’s apartment along with the bike rental shop. “Can we talk a minute?”

  She checked her watch. “I’ve got a little time. Harrold probably has dinner ready. We like to eat early on days when I work so he can come with me. I swear, all his old cronies have been showing up for coffee while I work. It’s just a little social hour for him.”