She hadn’t meant to be dramatic. But this was important. And she couldn’t do this without them; she just couldn’t. She took another big breath. “I hope that no matter what you think, you’ll still stick with me.”

“Are you sick?” Lilac went pale, which looked especially pronounced against her violet-hued hair and bright flowery outfit. “Is it cancer?”

“Is it your mental health?” Juliet added. “If it is, I’m proud you’ve sought help, and I’ll do whatever it takes to support you.”

Cosette, her little rescue cat, who was mostly furry yellow but with a little gray, too, darted out from her bedroom and scrambled across the floor, chasing the dust bunnies that had kicked up when she’d dragged out some storage boxes from under her bed. Cosette batted enthusiastically at one like it was a mouse, oblivious to the tension in the room.

“I’ve reconnected with Leo. Leo Castorini.” She avoided looking at Juliet, whose mouth had dropped open. “We…we’re in love. We bought a house. And we’re getting married. Tuesday at noon. Will you both come and support me?”

No one said anything.

“It is a mental health issue,” Juliet said. “We’ve got to get you out of that bakery.”

Just then, Leo showed up in her doorway, wearing a ball cap backward on his head and a gray Pacers T-shirt. On the one hand, her relief to see him was palpable. On the other, she couldn’t believe that she noticed he looked…hot.

“Hey,” he said without batting an eye. While she was freaking. The heck. Out. “Ladies.”

“You remember Juliet and Lilac,” she managed.

He planted a firm kiss on her lips. Except it made an awkward smacking sound. But also made her lips tingle and sent her already skyrocketing pulse through the roof. That was when she noticed that he smelled really good. Even the spot where he’d grasped hold of her arm was tingling. She rubbed the tingles away.

“Are these boxes ready to go?” He looked at the ones she’d dragged outside the door.

She grabbed a roll of packing tape and herded him quickly out to the landing. The door closed on its own behind her.

“How’s it going in there?” he asked with a smile on his beautiful face.

“Great. Considering I just told them I’m moving and getting married to someone I didn’t even speak to last week—in twenty words or less.”

Leo held out his hand for the tape. “Take a break and tell me if you want these boxes labeled,” he requested, ignoring what she’d just said. The open boxes in front of him contained all her books, mostly. And whatever else she could conveniently toss inside.

“You can just seal them up,” she said.

He blinked.

“What?” she asked. “What is it?” Because she really had to get back inside and deal with things.