Roman came home early Friday evening, wanting to show her the hiking paths in the woods behind the B&B. They trekked all the way to Kawawaymog Lake. The stars glittered off the glassy reflection of the water. The lack of excessive city lighting allowed them to shine uninhibited. The entire hike was a ninety-minute round trip, but time passed easily when she was with him. When Roman was around, a contentment spread through her mind and soul.

He often initiated physical contact—brushing her hair out of her face, placing his palm on the small of her back, rubbing her shoulders at the end of the evening. But nothing like that first kiss they shared. The kiss that set every nerve ending on high alert.

She wished he would take it further. Invite her to his room, grasp her neck, and kiss her again. Do something more, for goodness’ sake. But it was too soon. His interest in her was obvious, but she hadn’t been around long. And she was leaving in five days.

Still, she found she was happier in Little Greenfield with these two men—even Logan—than she had been at home for a long while. The realization was sobering. She didnotwant to return to her life with Sebastian. Roman had shown her more respect, more decency, and more understanding than her ex had in…almost their entire relationship. And she wasn’t sure she could count the love bombing at the beginning as decent behaviour. Shithead Sebastian had tainted her life, and she clenched her teeth when she thought of him.

“My time here has been good so far. Getting away was a good decision,” she said, sitting at the breakfast counter with Roman, waiting for Logan to finish cooking. The weekend meant theywere all together. “I’m glad I had enough time banked at work that I could leave for ten days.”

Roman nodded and leaned forward, scooting his stool closer to hers. Logan stood off to the side, making breakfast, clearly listening, but trying to appear like he wasn’t.

“I wish I’d given Sebastian a bigger piece of my mind. Or keyed his car. Or hurt him a fraction of how much he hurt me. That’s petty though, right?”

Roman shook his head. “The feeling is completely valid. Who wouldn’t want to get back at an asshole like that?”

“He has this ratty baseball cap that he wears all the time. I always hated it, but it’s his favourite thing in the world. I wish I would have thrown it in the trash after I dumped him. Ripped it right off his stupid head,” she grumbled, trying to keep the anger from bubbling over again.

She was making headway here. Little Greenfield was opening her eyes. She’d even started compiling a list to sort her thoughts. A pros and cons list for what she wanted in a relationship. One that would allow her to be her confident, outgoing, sociable self. So, she didn’t want her anger clouding her judgement.

“What did you do when you dumped him?” Roman asked, eyes intently locked on hers.

She sighed. “Nothing extraordinary. I told him he hurt me, asked how he could do that to the woman he supposedly loved, then said we were done. I talk a big game, but my follow through doesn’t quite match up,” she said with a shrug.

“And he just let you leave?”

“I mean, when I confronted him about the message, it was a huge fight. But when he started the…name calling, I walked out the door. I’d heard it enough the day before when I tried to ask for what I wanted in the bedroom. I didn’t need to hear it again while I was dumping him.”

“Name calling? What is he, twelve years old?” Logan huffed from the stove, loading three plates with back bacon, frittata, and roasted veggies. “What did he call you?”

She rolled her eyes. “A slut, a nympho, a common whore. I’m sure you can see the pattern.”

Logan slammed down the cast-iron pan on the stovetop. He chucked the tea towel on the counter, stormed past her and Roman, and disappeared through the hidden door into the back of the house.

She was dumbfounded.

What did she do to make himthatmad?

Why was he always so frosty?

After all, he was the one who asked.

“Ignore him,” Roman said, covering her hand with his. “He gets like that sometimes.”

“How do you live with him?” She shook her head. “He always seems ticked off about something.”

He shrugged. “He’s my best friend. And there’s a big difference between Logan being ticked offatyou and being ticked offforyou.”

“And which one is he now?”

Roman stroked his fingers over hers. “I’m not quite sure.”

She looked away and cleared her throat. “Since Logan’s gone, do you mind if I play Sebastian’s message for you? I feel you deserve to have the full context of the situation.”

“Do you want to? Because I don’t need to hear it. It won’t change what I think of you.”

“And what do you think of me?”

“I think you know,” he said, eyes filled with longing.