“Too late. I messaged the cupcake for you.”

SEBASTIAN IGNORED THE vibration of the phone in his pocket. Cupcake wouldn’t stop messaging him, and it was driving him up the wall. Fucking Tyler.

“Sit,” he said sternly to Crabby, who hovered his booty about an inch off the ground while his front feet danced. It was the closest they could get to a real sit. Better than nothing.

Sebastian leaned forward over the crates of produce at the Grand Army Plaza farmers market and picked up two eggplants, comparing them. This was one of those times when he really lived by the old adage fake it ’til you make it. He had no idea what to look for in an eggplant, so he chose the purpler one and set the other back.

Now he just had to Google eggplant recipes. And then find some way to trick his son into eating it.

He chose some kale and lettuce, bypassed the bok choy and snatched up the last good bunch of carrots. He paid the vendor, pushed everything into the tote bag over his shoulder and checked his watch. He had approximately nine minutes before Matty’s karate class was over. Just enough time to pick up a cup of coffee. Perfect. Sebastian clicked his tongue at Crabby and the dog sprang forward like he’d been born to prance through that farmers market.

Sebastian sidestepped a loudly arguing couple and tossed some change into a hardworking saxophonist’s case. Traffic whizzed by on all sides of the plaza and it seemed like every driver was extra appreciative of their car horns and middle fingers today. Ah, the soothing sounds of Brooklyn.

He stopped at the coffee truck on the other side of the plaza and was grabbing his cup of coffee when a soft, familiar voice spoke from just over his shoulder.

“Oh, hi!”

Sebastian looked back and immediately bobbled his coffee. “Miss DeRosa! Damn. Hot. The coffee, I mean.”

She pulled a napkin from her purse and handed it over so he could mop the coffee off his hand. “Via.”

“Sorry?” He looked up at her and blinked.

“Via. You can call me Via, now that Matty’s not in my class anymore.”

“Oh right. Then you can, of course, call me Sebastian, Seb, whatever.” Brilliant, Sebastian, a real wordsmith. He balled up the napkin and tossed it, thanking God when it banked into a trashcan. At least he didn’t look like a complete doof. “Via’s a pretty name.”

“Short for Violetta.” She crossed her arms and smiled down at the dog who was once again hovering his butt above the ground, his tail thumping with the regularity of a windmill. “And who’s this?”

“This is Crabby.”

She chuckled, flashing slightly crooked teeth at him. “Matty named him?”

Sebastian nodded. “He put his foot down, said it was either Crabby or Sebastian. I think I chose wisely.”

That made her really laugh; her head tipped to one side, her hair dusting her shoulder. Had she been this pretty when Matty had been in her pre-K class? Her glossy, dark hair was shorter now. It was in a blunt cut just above her shoulders, still just as wavy, though. She wore a bit more makeup than she used to, making her look a touch older. Her dark eyes took up nearly half her face, and her small, slightly squished nose was just like he remembered. He hadn’t remembered that mouth, though. Small and plump, her lips were a lovely mauve against her golden skin.