“As for my rule against dating men with money, well, I’ve had that one since college. Chace. Chace Miller. My high school sweetheart. He grew up on the West Side and I grew up on the East. I didn’t have money. He did. We met at the movies when I was fifteen, got into Northwestern together, and we dated until sophomore year of college.” I looked down at Shadow, suddenly unable to meet anybody’s eyes. “I knew deep down he’d never treated me well. But it wasn’t until my best friend Greer started to hound me about his behavior, I realized I had to break it off. He always made these comments, little offhand comments that he tried to sell as jokes, that I was lucky to be dating him. And he’d condescend to me about things, especially about cars and clothes and anything materialistic, mansplaining these things because I hadn’t grown up with money like he had.

“And I realized Greer was right. I’d been so grateful to him for choosing me, and he made me feel ashamed of where I came from. Inferior. There was no balance between us.” Finally, I looked up and saw Milly staring at me in sympathy. “Years of this subtle negativity had a big effect. He fucked with my self-esteem and it took a long time for me to fix what he broke.”

“He sounds like a prick,” Roane said. “You shouldn’t shut yourself off from different people because of one bad example.”

I smiled at him. “You’re probably right but I’d rather not take the chance, Farmer Robson.”

For a moment we just looked at each other, his lips pressed together as if I’d displeased him. The desire to lean over and kiss those gorgeous lips was so strong, I reared back to stop myself.

Roane’s eyebrows drew together.

“I’ll get us another round,” Dexter said. “Give us a hand, Roane.”

The men left and my cheeks burned as I realized I’d just spread most of my life story out before these strangers. I glanced sheepishly at Milly. “I don’t think I should have another.”

“Don’t be embarrassed, lass,” she offered kindly. “By the time your holiday is over, you’ll know all of our entire life stories. That’s just the way it is in Alnster.”

My eyes seemed to move across the room to Roane with a mind of their own. “Everyone knows each other, huh?”

“Aye. And Roane Robson is a well-known bachelor along the entire coast.”

This knowledge irritated and disappointed me. “A player?”

“Oh God, no.”

Milly’s vehemence surprised me.