“She has that effect,” I said, hating that such an insecure, mean woman affected Chloe after all these years. Magnolia had always been the most heartless mean girl of them all but had kept a foot in the popular crowd by virtue of the lavish parties her parents would throw for her, and later, the parties she’d throw when they were out of town. “You shouldn’t worry about her anymore. You’re prettier, more successful, kinder, and a decent human to boot.”

That drew a smile from Chloe, and she momentarily leaned her head into my shoulder, squeezed my arm, and affectionately tweaked Harrison’s little nose.

A few minutes later, I’d just handed Harrison across the table to Zane to put him in the high chair when I heard Chloe’s intake of breath. At first I thought it was because the baby was so damn cute, but when I glanced at her, it was alarm I saw on her face. I followed her gaze to the main door, saw what she saw, or rather who, and I was still confused.

Chloe

My heart skipped a beat when my parents walked into the diner. Their appearance threw me off for two reasons. First, because my parents had never gone to restaurants much, other than when they came to Nashville and I treated. They’d never had the money for going out. The second reason I was shaken was because I had insta-guilt for not inviting them to this celebration.

“We should’ve invited them,” I said quietly to Holden.

“We’re having dinner with them in two days to celebrate,” he said. “They’re welcome to join us though.”

He was right on both counts, and I relaxed slightly—I didn’t know if I would ever fully relax when out in the heart of Dragonfly Lake, frankly—and stood, slipping between the two tables to make my way toward my mom and dad.

Before they spotted me, I was taken aback again as my mom beelined for a table along the front window. I slowed down as my dad followed her. They greeted a couple close to their age, my mom hugging the woman and my dad shaking hands with the guy, and then before I could get there, my parents slid into the booth across from the two.

They had a breakfast date with another couple? My parents, who’d had no social lives to speak of for all the years I’d lived with them? It was obvious they were close to these people.

I realized I’d slowed almost to a stop in the middle of the diner and forced myself to head that way.

“Mom? Dad?”

They turned toward me as I reached the table, and my mom swatted my dad’s forearm to let her back out of the booth.