Page 37 of Choosing Happily Ever After

“Dumped you?”

Levi’s head shot up and he once again glared at his cousin.

“Sorry,” Logan added quickly. “But it’s true, right? Maybe she didn’t want to go to Mexico.”

Levi shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. Beer wasn’t helping to clear his head and talking to Loganreallywasn’t helping. He stared out the window at the street outside. “There has to be something else,” he muttered under his breath. “None of it makes sense. And why is Faith here?” He’d almost forgotten that Hope’s twin sister had been at the wedding, too. He’d been so preoccupied with everything else, but maybe it was all connected.

“Faith?” Logan sat straighter on his stool. “Faith is here?”

Levi looked at him sideways. “Why do you sound so interested?”

“I’m not.” His cousin tried and failed to look casual about it, but they both knew there was only one reason why Logan sounded so interested in Faith. It was because hewasinterested. “It’s just unusual is all.”

“Itisunusual.” Levi watched his cousin carefully. As much as Logan tried to appear casual, Levi could tell he was anything but. “She was at the event on the weekend,” he continued. “She was helping Hope.”

“Helping Hope? I thought that’s what you were supposed to do?”

Levi nodded. “I am.” He shook his head. “I was. I…I don’t actually know. Hope said something about how I wasn’t going to stay and—”

“Are you not going to stay?”

Levi waved the question away. He’d turned down the offer from his boss to captain his own boat. It was a huge opportunity, but as of a few days ago, it didn’t matter how big the opportunity was—it wasn’t Hope. Now…no!It still wasn’t Hope.

“Anyway,” Levi continued. “She said she needed someone long term and that’s why—”

“Faith is here long term?”

Again, Logan looked a littletoointerested.

Which was strange, because Faith and Logan had never actually dated. In fact, all he’d ever done was work to piss her off. When they were younger, Logan never failed to miss an opportunity to give Faith a hard time. Areallyhard time. He would tease her, and harass anyone she dated, even guys who didn’t actually date her. It was as though he’d made it his personal mission to piss her off and get in her way of…well, anything. She used to hate hanging out with him when Hope and Levi insisted that they all do something together. Not that they suggested it very often because Logan and Faith and their obvious contempt for each other made any social situation way more awkward than it was worth.

“I have no idea, Logan. Remember how Hope won’t talk to me? So I didn’t really get around to asking her.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled and looked down into his drink.

Levi shook his head and once again looked out into the street and the sunny day that was in direct contrast to how he felt at that moment. He watched the people on the sidewalk, carrying on as if the world hadn’t just completely crumbled, when a flash of blonde on the other side of the street caught his eye.

Hope.

“I gotta go.” Levi jumped up from his stool, tossed some money onto the table to cover his bill, and was out on the street before Logan could protest.

“Hope!” He yelled across the street as he narrowly missed a car from hitting him. “Wait. I—”

Hope turned around, and that’s when he saw.

“Faith.”

She nodded. “It’s me. Sorry.” She actually did look sorry for the mix-up. “It’s nice to see you, Levi.” She held out her arms and Levi gave her a quick hug. It never failed to hit him just how different the sisters were. Not many people could tell them apart so easily—and clearly he was a bit rusty with it—but they really were different.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Faith.” He took a step back. “But I’m not going to lie, I was—”

“Looking for Hope.”

It wasn’t a question, but he nodded in response just the same before looking past Faith’s shoulder.

“She’s not here,” Faith said. “She’s actually in the city today and—”

“Again?” An icy trail of concern worked its way up his spine. “She’s sure going to the city a lot these days. What’s going on?”

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