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“Ew, the old guy?”

“He still does concrete around here, right?” Laura asked Her father had hired hi lot in the first place

“Ah, yeah,” Hannah confirmed

“Great” Because Laura wasn’t interested in dating, or arden shop looking fresh and in top shape

Hopefully withoutshe’d been known for Laura Baugh decisions Like her ex, for example She was the one who’d fallen for him But that was her curse Her hman, you’re better suited to pick a man from a hat than fro Laura had always picked the wrong e, since not only was she back in town to pick up the pieces of a life she’d left behind, it was her final shot toof herself For herself And that

Yep Zero

Just the thought made her brain—and other parts—throb in protest, but she had to stay strong She’d been celibate this past year going through a messy divorce; as another year?

She shuddered at the thought Granted, her ex, Graham, hadn’t been stellar in the bedroom Once upon a time, she was a naive nineteen-year-old and he was the older, wiser guy who’d blown through toith swagger and iven both those things to Graham, and noith one sexual partner and a d

ecade of disappointing nights under her belt, she could surely forgo sex and inti in either beforehand

“Soyou really okay?” Hannah asked, see in Laura’s silence And the truth was, no, not really Staring at the shop with its white shutters and empty flower bed out front o this week that she’d passed away Ten years ago that Laura had had the choice to stay and help her father with the shop, to grieve, be a good daughter, and step up Ten years ago that she’d chosen to run froht out of town and never look back Ten years ago she’dchoices But she had been a nineteen-year-old in pain Wasn’t an excuse, but it was soht

“I’ood,” she lied “Just need to findin touch, with limited phone calls froe, and the h, so she hadn’t coed after her lue that kept their little unit of three together When she passed, her father’s quirks cahty need to always chase so far away They’d both lost their rock and had been free-falling ever since

And she was sorry

So damn sorry she couldn’t look at herself in theShe’d try She’d help And she’d ht with her father, the shop, and her mother’s memory

“Are you back for good, then?” Hannah asked It was the same question she’d asked several ti home

“Yes That’s my plan,” Laura confirmed