Page 65 of Hearts Like Hers

“You don’t have marshmallows?” Suede asked.

“It’s the soul-crushing fortitude it wouldtake to hand you that kind of drink that I don’t have, sir.”

Steve stepped to her side, his voice low. “Igot this one, Autumn.”

She looked up at him. “You sure you want it?”

“Yep.”

Pulling the towel from her shoulder, shedecided to take five. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hadley, who hadbeen reading a crime novel at a table close by, put down the book and followher out of the shop.

“How you doing?” Hadley asked gently, joiningher on the sidewalk out front.

“How does it look like I’m doing?” Autumnasked back, feeling frustrated with the world and her lack of control over it.Her spirits had taken a hit, which carefully stripped her of her ability tocope with even the most mundane.

“Like you might lunge across the counter andchoke that customer out.”

She turned to Hadley, a small smile creepingonto her face. “Is that an option?”

“I vote no.” A pause. Hadley placed her handson the hips of her designer jeans. “You’re missing Kate.”

Autumn sighed. “It’s been a little over aweek, and everything just seems to…matter a lot less.”

“Have you talked?”

Autumn shook her head. “We decided not to.Clean break is better, you know? Why drag it out?”

“Makes sense. The old ‘ripping off theBand-Aid quickly’ mentality. Wanna sit?”

Autumn nodded and followed Hadley to the curb,where they took a seat and watched the traffic whiz past, the sound extraoffensive, which Autumn knew was just her projecting.

“Being bad sucks, I’ve decided,” Autumn said,her gaze fixated on the horizon. There were people on the beach just a coupleof blocks away, frolicking, having fun, living their lives. Meanwhile, hers hadfizzled like a defective firecracker on the sad little sidewalk.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I think walkingon the wild side has its perks. I also think that you experienced a few juicyones.”

Autumn smiled at the memory of said perks.“That part’s true. Bad girls get perks.”

“Bad girls get perks,” Hadley repeated. “Weshould put that on T-shirts.”

“We’d make a killing.” A fist bump wasobviously in order, and they both went for it at the same time.

“Aren’t you glad it happened, though?” Hadleyasked. “That an amazingly kind and hot and sensible woman came into town, sweptyou off your feet—”

“And changed me forever?” Autumn nodded,letting the question settle. “Depends on how long it’s going to hurt like this.When do I stop missing her? Wanting to pick up the phone and hear her voice,even though we said we wouldn’t go there?” There were those pesky tears again,springing into her eyes without consulting her at all. She was the equivalentof an emotional blender lately, all tossed together and lost in the whirringshuffle of feelings.

“Hey, now,” Hadley said, wrapping both armsaround Autumn. “I didn’t mean to upset you. You have so many exciting things tolook forward to. Just think about that.”

Autumn nodded, knowing that Hadley was right.She just had to focus on the positive, the future, her self-proclaimed newlease on life, right? Surely she’d find a way back to that newly found spunkand move herself out of the sadness that had settled at Kate’s departure.

Hadley released Autumn and met her gaze. “So,where’s your head as far as…the rest of your future plans?”

“Are you asking if I’m still having thisbaby?” She looked at Hadley, feeling a little bit of light drift back to her.“Yes. I most definitely still want to be a mom. Not even a question in myhead.”

“And the big insemination day is?”

“Back on track for this month. I gave them acall. Three days from now, which means no more alcohol after that point.”

“No more alcohol? Say no more.” Hadley smiledinnocently. “I think we’re going out tonight.”

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