Page 5 of Hearts Like Hers

“No one,” Olivia said, mimicking her tone.Weren’t they two peas in a pod? Both blond, tall, beautiful, and feeling sorryfor Autumn.

“Oh, no. I wanted to be here. For both ofyou.” God, that tasted awful coming out of her mouth.

Olivia glanced around. “Misty said you’dbrought a girlfriend, which we’re just thrilled about. At last you’ve foundyour footing. I’d love to say hello.”

“Oh, no. Not—”

“You don’t have to worry about it beingweird,” Misty said, stepping in. She turned to Olivia. “This is Hadley.”

“Oh, I know Hadley,” Olivia said as if Mistywere an idiot. “Good to see you again.”

Hadley nodded. “Congratulations to you both.”She glanced with hesitation at Autumn, who smiled nervously back.

“So…where is she?” Olivia asked, wide-eyedand expectant. “This mystery woman. I need to meet her.”

“She’s right here,” Misty said, againpointing at Hadley, this time with extra emphasis.

Autumn decided to help clear up theconfusion. Confession time. “Hadley is my date for tonight.”

“Your date?” Olivia glanced from Autumn toHadley and back. “Oh, so you two are seeing each other? I didn’t see thatcoming. At all. You always said Hadley was a Disney princess hopelessly lost inher own fairy tale.”

“No,” Autumn said, embarrassed now. “We’re notseeing each other exactly. Had’s just here to keep me company on the longdrive. In a friend way.” She turned to Hadley and dropped her voice. “TheDisney character reference was a compliment, by the way.”

Hadley nodded. “I embrace Disney. I can workwith that.”

“Oh, well then, where’s the actual date youmentioned?” Betsy askedAutumn, smiling in satisfaction at what she probably already knew. Betsy hadnever been much of an Autumn fan and had worked meticulously to pull Oliviaaway from her. She was going to actually make Autumn say it out loud.

“I don’t have a date-date,” Autumn said,feeling about two feet tall. “Just me and my friend.”

“Ohhh,” Olivia said, making a sympatheticpouty face. “Well, that’s okay.” She touched Autumn’s arm supportively. “You’llfind somebody one day.”

“Tell you what,” Betsy said. “Come by my gymin a couple of weeks once we’re back from Jamaica and we can get you on yourway to a romance of your own.” She made a circular gesture in Autumn’sdirection. “Turn that physique right around.”

Autumn gulped and tried to recover from thebitch slap. “I think I’ll just keep my less-than-desirable one.”

“Autumn’s got atonof prospects,” Hadley said, with maybetoo much confidence to be believed. “Many admirers at the coffee shop. Shefights ’em off. It’s getting ridiculous.”

“How quaint,” Betsy said, which was clearlycode for “boring.”

“You should really take Betsy up on her offerto train you,” Olivia said. “It will change your life. Changed mine.”

Autumn got to watch the happily marriedcouple exchange a lingering kiss right in front of her. Wasn’t that just toocute for words? Her stomach turned and she sucked in air. Why was there less ofit?

“We should greet our other guests. I hope youtwo have a nice time on our very special day.” Olivia waved as if she were theQueen of England and turned to her larger grouping of subjects.

“That’s the goal,” Autumn called after theirperfectly silhouetted forms.

“Sorry about that,” Misty said, shaking herhead sheepishly. “I guess I misunderstood.”

Autumn forced a smile. She’d always likedMisty. “Not your fault. I should have been more clear.” The end result had beenno less mortifying, however.

Once they were alone, she turned to Hadleyand blinked back the hot tears. The day had been hard enough, but nowembarrassment overwhelmed her. The best part was that she didn’t have to sayanything to Hadley at all. She just knew.

“I’ll drive.”

Autumn nodded, grateful for Hadley, who wasthere to catch her on one of her more difficult days. While she might not haveit all wrapped up when it came to life and love and her place in the grandscheme, Autumn was well aware of the fact that she’d hit it out of the parkwhen it came to friendship. In the years since she’d opened the shop, thosethree women, first Hadley and Gia and more recently Isabel, had grown to meanmore to her than she could possibly express.

“Hadley,” she said, as they walked to thecar.

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