Page 16 of Unbreak My Heart

It wasn’t easy, but he felt like he was starting to finally wake up from a long nightmare.

Bittersweet sadness suddenly washed over him. Amy should’ve been here to see this. She’d loved the Cow. They’d met there, after all, and she’d waitressed for Max for a few years until she’d been offered the job at his mother’s bakery.

He glanced around the site and the large group of people as Angie Schultz from theBialga Daily Newsgot him to move closer to Max for a photo.

Amy would’ve thought this a hoot—him in the papers. He stepped back out of the way as Angie moved in to chat to Max after the photo and caught sight of Eva standing over at the side of the group talking to Cat. She’d brought what looked like a hundred cupcakes with her to celebrate, setting them up on a trestle table near the project manager’s area.

Walking up behind them, Simon stopped near Mali who was talking animatedly with Darby. Without even looking at him, Mali rubbed his arm, her silent support and understanding tightening Simon’s throat.

Mali had been Amy’s best friend. She’d been such a comfort since Amy’s death. He glanced around the large group. Thewhole town had rallied around him, not leaving him to wallow or sink, their support constant and solid. Honestly, he believed that was the only reason he was able to function in any capacity at all, let alone mostly normal like he was now.

It still hurt—a lot—but the intensity was at least bearable now.

Eva glanced at him and he nearly physically recoiled from the disappointment that glared back at him for a moment, then was shuttered away behind a cool, detached, professional expression.

What’s that all about?

Cat smiled at him then headed toward her table of cupcakes. Simon shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and stepped in front of Eva. “Hey.” He motioned around them. “Quite the turnout, yeah?”

Eva nodded, not quite looking at him. “Yes. It’s good publicity.”

He frowned a little. It was as if her entire personality had changed in the short time since they’d previously spoken.

No. Not changed. Just… muted.

He tried to catch her eye with a small smile. “Everything okay?”

That got her attention. She looked surprised that he’d asked. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

He studied her face for a moment, then shrugged. “No reason.”

Eva’s attention flicked to something behind him, and her face paled dramatically as she gasped.

Simon looked over his shoulder. A well-dressed guy was walking toward them.

No. Sauntering, not walking. A wide, shit-eating grin laced his face as his focus homed in on Eva.

The man opened his arms wide as he drew closer. “Leenie! Wow. You’re looking fabulous! Look at all this”—he gestured around them—“Isaac must be so proud of you.”

Simon’s frown returned, deeper this time.

What was she, a puppy?

“Vance.”

That was it. No hello. No introduction. No warmth at all in her hard voice.

“Now, Leenie. Don’t be like that. We haven’t seen each other in so long. I thought I’d show my support and come today. You know.” Vance winked at Simon, which only succeeded in making his blood pressure skyrocket. This guy was a douche. “Be the supportive husband, and all.”

Simon jerked back, eyes wide, and looked at Eva.

“Ex-husband. Ex, Vance. I haven’t heard from you in over three years. Why are you here?”

The strain in her voice was obvious to anyone with ears. So. Divorced, and not amicably, by the sound of it. She was trying to be calm, professional—even he could see that—but it was costing her.

Vance’s smile became strained at the edges, but he kept it on his smug face. “It was a mistake. I should never have cut off all communication. It was wrong. I’ve been following your career since the… incident. I wanted to show my support for your new build here today.”

“Well, thanks, you’ve done so. You can go now.”

---