Without her he felt like a million snowflakes floating through the air with no place to truly land.

In the months he’d been in Magnolia, the town had come to feel like home. But the shop and Gran’s house didn’t belong to him. His mother had shown little sadness at losing Gran; nor had she given any inkling about her plans now that she stood to receive her inheritance. It might take a few weeks or months to work out the details, but his mom would come for what was now hers.

Leaving Gabe with nothing.

Except that his life in this small town didn’t feel like nothing, even without a purpose. Angi’s mother had slipped into an easy maternal role with him, and he took more solace than was right from Angi given the temporary nature of their arrangement. She, Emma and Mariella had stepped in to help him make arrangements, even hosting a reception at the inn after the funeral.

He stood in the Wildflower’s dining room, which was laden with food that Angi had made, receiving sympathetic hugs and words of kindness from people he knew, as well as complete strangers.

“Since when have you become a hugger?” Mariella asked as she came to stand at his side.

“I’m not,” he muttered under his breath. He took a long drink of the rum and Coke he’d been nursing since the function started.

“Seems to me you’re getting reinvented in this town.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her throw a glare at one more well-meaning neighbor who approached, causing the older woman to veer off in another direction.

“Thanks.” He gave Mariella a gentle elbow to the arm. “Pretty sure you’re the queen of reinvention around here.”

“Not anymore,” she said with a bitter sigh. “I can’t exactly continue with my fresh start when the past has followed me here.”

“That sounds dramatic, like some sort of made-for-TV movie.”

“Reality is often stranger than fiction. What are the chances that a man I never wanted to see again decides to move to Magnolia?”

“In Alex’s defense, I think he needs a fresh start even more than you.”

“Why?” She turned to face him fully. “He’s the sympathetic scorned groom. I’m sure everyone he knows feels terrible for him.”

“Quite a desirable situation for most men.”

“He’s rich, smart and handsome as sin.” She rolled her eyes. “If you’re into smoldering gazes and chiseled jawlines.”

“My favorites,” Gabe answered, feeling his lips pull into a small grin despite his grief. It was the first time he’d managed a smile all day. “What are you going to do? Start over someplace else?”

Her winged brows lowered. “Hell, no. I’m not giving up my life here. If he wants to tangle with me, then so be it. I’ve atoned for my mistakes. As much as I’d like to not have the reminder of the past, I’m done running away. I like it here.”

“Me, too,” he whispered before he thought better of it. Then he shook his head. “But sometimes that’s not enough.”