Page 25 of Pin-up Girl

“You’re a freaking supermodel,” Aubrey called back. “We all know you’re going to look amazing.”

“Unless the dress isn’t amazing.”

I bristled on Aubrey’s behalf, even though Sylvie had picked out the dresses, and sang out loudly, “There she is, Miss America.”

“Save it till you see me, show-off.” Sylvie didn’t sound impressed.

I shrugged. “Everyone’s a critic.”

Sylvie emerged a moment later, with Dee a few steps behind. The dress looked amazing—a sleek silhouette that highlighted Sylvie’s figure—though I couldn’t help but imagine how much better Aubrey would look in it. “You’re stunning,” I said.

Sylvie rolled her eyes. “You’re going to say that about all of them.”

“No. My dad is honest.” Dee jumped to my defense.

Except for that whole marriage thing I haven’t told her about. Hello, guilt.

“Clint’s right. You look incredible.” Aubrey approached and made a spinning motion with her finger.

Sylvie obliged us with a twirl. “Am I a princess?”

“You’re a queen.” I assured her.

Sylvie stopped and fixed me with a scowl. “Queens are the villains. Hello—have Disney movies taught you nothing?”

“Yeah, Dad.” It was clear to see whose side Dee was on.

I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine. I’ll be the queen. Leave the dress for me on the rack when you’re done with it.”

Sylvie shook her head and grabbed her next choice, then she and Dee disappeared behind the screen again.

“Why?” I settled back in my seat, going back to the Brodie conversation.

Aubrey twisted her lips. “He met Grandma on the plane here.”

Ah. I’d need details, but I could guess at some of them. I hated the way Aubrey’s grandmother treated her.

And if she’d bad-mouthed Aubrey on the plane…

Brodie was my first boyfriend, in high school. He was also everyone’s knight in shining armor. He hated to see people suffer or be misunderstood.

He was a lot like Aubrey that way.

Except that Brodie left. He walked away from Haddarville—from me—when we graduated, because this wasn’t the place to pursue his dreams.

Yeah, I remembered Brodie, though I’d managed to keep him out of my thoughts for a long time. These weren’t memories I wanted rushing back. I didn’t want to think about how infatuated with him I’d been, or that I was heartbroken when he was gone.

Nope. I wasn’t focusing on any of that. Not even because he was engaged to my wife. Brodie was the past, Aubrey was now, and he was welcome to walk away again when this was all over.

8

brodie

It was nine on a Monday morning, and the only business open on Main Street was the coffee shop.

Some things never changed. Though last time I lived here, that was a little bakery rather than the Kingu Kafe—an offshoot of a national chain—that it was now.

The pastries were better than I remembered and so was the coffee, so I hadn’t minded spending the last few mornings here. I tried to convince myself since I arrived on Friday that this was just a long weekend. Since I’d wanted to be house hunting instead, that didn’t work. It was hard to look at houses when there weren’t any available in the area I wanted to buy in.

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