Lunch was amazing. Good tacos and great donuts. But everything was even better because I could tell Jamie had done extensive research regarding where we should go and what we should eat. Careful consideration wasn’t in his typical arsenal, so it meant a lot that he’d slowed down enough to think about what I might enjoy.

We walked hand in hand down a sidewalk in downtown Blacksburg.

“What are you smiling for?” Jamie asked.

I looked his way. “What?”

“You’re smiling. We’re walking, and you have this goofy grin on your face.”

I squeezed his hand. “I’m just happy.” I was happy. Really happy. Jamie was being thoughtful and kind, and it was stupid I’d doubted what I had in front of me. With him. Suddenly I didn’t want there to be anything going on with Simon. No confusion. No . . . potential for sparks or whatever. If I was going to take Granny’s advice and put him out of my mind, then I wanted to clear the air and be done with it.

“Hey, I think I need to tell you something,” I said to Jamie as we climbed back into the car.

“Okay.”

“I said something really mean to Simon the other day. I’m going to apologize, but I sort of maybe pulled you into it. So I just wanted to tell you what I said. In case it ever comes up.”

“What did you say?”

“You have to understand where I was coming from. Simon was just being so logical and unemotional. And I was the exact opposite. He’d just told me he thought the inn needed to be sold, and I lashed out. He didn’t deserve it though. It wasn’t fair or kind.”

“What did you say?” Jamie asked again. There was a tiny edge to his voice, which only served to remind me that Simon was his brother to whom he was very loyal. He could hurl insults at him all he wanted because that was the kind of relationship they had, but clearly he wasn’t crazy about the idea of those insults coming from me.

“I told him you were right about him. He really is all books and no passion.”

Jamie immediately started to laugh. “That’s all? I tell him that all the time.”

I relaxed. “I know. But I don’t. And the way I said it . . . It’s fine. I’ll call him tomorrow and apologize. I just wanted you to know too. Since I dragged you into it all.”

Jamie picked up my phone from where it sat on the center console between us. “Here. Call him right now.”

“What? No. Today is about us, Jamie. I don’t—”

“Listen, if I know Simon, those words you said are eating him alive. He hates for people to be disappointed in him. Just call him. It’ll make him feel better.”