And now look where she was. Becca Loftis still had her salon in Painted Barrel, but she was turning thirty, she was utterly single, and now she was being warned that her womb was aging with every day that passed.

For someone that had always said she didn’t want to turn into her mother, she sure was doing a terrible job of breaking that pattern. Heck, according to Mrs. Williams, she was failing children she hadn’t even had yet and—

“Too hot,” the woman under the water cried out. “Too hot, Becca!”

“Sorry,” Becca said quickly, turning the water cooler and trying not to feel too ashamed. Even now, Greg was ruining her life, wasn’t he? “You were saying it was Jimmy’s sixth birthday last week?” She was relieved when Mrs. Williams settled back down in the salon chair and began to talk once more.

Enough Greg. She had customers to take care of.

*   *   *

Becca was sweeping up underneath the chair after her last appointment of the day when the door to the salon chimed. She looked up and inwardly felt a little stab of emotion when Sage Cooper-Clements waddled in, looking like a plump penguin with her puffy jacket and pregnant belly. The new mayor was the nicest woman, and once upon a time, Becca had thought she was the loveliest, most giving person, sweet and shy and eternally single.

Then Greg had decided he wanted Sage instead of Becca.

Then Sage had turned around and married some tall cowboy and immediately gotten pregnant.

Now Sage was the mayor of Painted Barrel and the new darling of the small town. Everyone loved her. Everyone touched her belly when she walked in and asked about her new husband. They asked about her family’s ranch. They gave her advice and doted on her.

And Becca didn’t hate her. Not really. It wasn’t Sage’s fault that Greg had bailed on Becca because he’d thought he was in love with Sage.

It was just that . . . it was hard not to be envious of someone who suddenly had everything you’d always wanted. Not the mayor thing, of course, but a loving husband and a baby? God, Becca had wanted so badly to be in her shoes.

She gave Sage a wistful smile. “Hey, Sage. How can I help you?”