“And…and we can all stop talking about my wasted life, because I have to tell you that one really great thing happened… I got into pastry school. I just found out. I was waiting to tell you until we were all together.” She thought about how encouraging and positive Leo was as she’d stared at that letter. How he’d held her hand and made her laugh and calmed her nerves.

“Oh, honey.” Her mom hugged her. “I’m so thrilled for you.” Everyone got up from their seats to join in. Except Cosette, who jumped off her lap before the sister avalanche hit and fled to the familiarity of Juliet’s bedroom for some peace and quiet.

“So Leo was just doing what Mom asked him to do,” Vivienne said after they’d all sat down again. “So go make up with him.”

“I wish it was that simple.” Tessa smiled sadly. She’d hurt him badly. Broken their trust. But he had too.

“I put Leo in the middle,” her mom said. “I thought telling you was a huge mistake, that you’d never hear of me selling off the bakery. I didn’t mean to drive a wedge between you and Leo.”

Yes, Leo had been put in the middle. But when Tessa had discovered the secret, she’d jumped to logical conclusions. “Leo should have told me,” Tessa said, crossing her arms. “Husbands don’t keep secrets.”

That had slipped out. Tessa reminded herself that Leo wasn’t her real husband. But she’d thought at the very least that he was her friend. She’d trusted him. But he’d chosen to keep things from her. Just like Sam.

Unlike Sam, Leo hadn’t done selfish things. He hadn’t used her to get the bakery for his family. Or coerced her mother. He’d shoved the proposal into a drawer and kept it there.

But then he’d said goodbye. No strings. Just for fun. Replaceable. Each phrase hit her like a blow.

They’d both said terrible things.

But the bottom line was, Leo didn’t want a relationship. He didn’t do relationships. And if she’d thought what they’d had was special, she was wrong.

“But you two are in love,” Juliet said. “Everyone could see it. I just can’t believe—”

Tessa saw everything now for what it was. “Leo made it clear from the beginning that our arrangement was business-only.”

“Lovers have differences,” Gram said. “But if it’s true love, they aren’t unsolvable.”

“He doesn’t love me, Gram. He kept something really important from me. Even if he meant to make things better, it was wrong.”

“Tessa,” Gram said, “it seems that you were very fast to accuse him of the worst, too.”

Yes, she had. She totally had. But he’d played his hand. He’d told her what they had was nothing special.