Page 4 of My Heart To Heal

‘When do I not?’

She grins widely. ‘That’s my girl.’

Finding best friends not just in Cara but also in Bree and Zoe has been the greatest gift I could have received. I love them so much, and they adore Jonah. It helps, too, that Bree and Zoe’s brother, Cara’s boyfriend, Doug, has a daughter the same age, and they hit it off right away.

Everything here just feels like home.

I love that I live in the same house I grew up in, but it doesn’t feel the same now that it’s just me and Jonah there. I want to live here. Cara wants me to live here, but unfortunately, there’s no hair salon in Forest Falls, so there’s no point uprooting my and Jonah’s lives to just be out of work when we get here.

‘Okay, let’s eat, then we can get to work.’

‘Congratulations, Buck and Lucy,’I say into the microphone, and they turn to look up at me from the dancefloor. ‘I heard a rumor you kinda like this one.’

The band starts to play what Doug’s best friend and the man Zoe’s been secretly screwing, Leo, Buck’s son, told me was their song, and their heart eyes focus in on each other as they dance.

I love singing at weddings. I love standing up on that stage and eliciting different reactions from the wedding guests with the different songs we play. I also love watching people when they don’t realize anyone’s watching. Take Zoe and Leo, for instance. Bree and I know they’re together, but nobody else here does. They’re dancing together thinking nobody is watching, but everybody always forgets the wedding singer has eyes.

I see the spread of his fingers against the skin exposed by her backless dress and the way her fingers subtly trace the peaks and dips of his biceps.

I smile as I sing, watching Buck and Lucy laugh and sing along. Zoe, Bree, and Doug’s mama, Lynnie, and her partner, Merv, are dancing too, and theylook so happy. Cara spins Doug’s daughter, Bowie, around in her little Converse while he watches them from the side, a beaming grin on his face.

As I finish the song and tell everybody we’re taking a little break, Steven, our guitarist, puts on some filler music, and I step down from the stage. I’m walking to get a drink when Bree calls my name.

‘Miss, you’re so good.’ She pulls me into a tight squeeze, and I laugh until she releases me, and I swallow hard at the sight of the man approaching. ‘Nick, hey,’ Bree greets him brightly with a hug, and I await my introduction.

‘Bree, how you doing?’ Oh man, his voice is smooth, deep, rich, and gorgeously Southern.

‘Good, I’m good. Have you met Missy?’

He turns his gaze on me and smiles. Lord, that smile. ‘Not officially, though I’ve seen you around. Hey, Missy.’

I have seen him around, too. I saw him recently at Cara’s barbecue, but I had Jonah with me and didn’t get around to an introduction before Nick left the party.

He’s hot as hell, and I made it known that I thought so. Now that he’s in front of me, though, talkingtome, my bravado is slipping, and I’m very aware that the only man I’ve had sex with since I split up with Bax is Bax… yeah, that was stupid.

‘Hi.’

Bree narrowsher eyes at me, and I don’t miss it. I know she’s wondering where my larger-than-life, ballsy personality has disappeared to, but the honest answer is, I know Nick is out of my league, and I’m nervous.

It’s not that I think low of myself. I don’t. I know I’m hot. Yeah, okay, I have a little more meat on my bones than the rest of our little coven. Cara is tall and toned, Bree is short and strong as fuck, and Zoe is petite in every way. It’s annoying, considering the amount of food she puts away, that she never seems to gain a pound but trust me, I would rather have my squishy butt and fantastic boobs any day. It’s just that Nick is Hemsworth hot,no, he’s Henry fucking Cavill hot — all chiseled jaw and a nose with the tiniest of bumps in it, like he’s not afraid to get rowdy, but he knows how to come out on top. They're not on show tonight but I know he has tattoos on his forearms that are sexy as fuck. He’s tall and lean, and his short dark brown hair and chocolate eyes make my kitty purr.

‘Nick is an old friend of ours, and now he’s mama’s boss.’ She smiles.

‘So, you’re the super vet I heard so much about.’

‘Um.’ He grimaces, and I manage a small laugh. ‘I don’t know about that.’

‘He is, he’s beingmodest. He saved Harley’s life when she got hit by a car.’

‘Oh my god.’ I gasp. Harley is little Bowie’s dog, and we all love her. She’s crazy.

‘Doug got her to me fast — that saved her life.’

‘I’m glad you saved her. She’s the coolest dog,’ I manage, and he smiles.

‘She is pretty awesome. Do you have pets?’

I suddenly realize I need to go to the bathroom and my break is coming to an end.

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