Page 67 of A Perfect Fit

“I’d love to see it, Anna,” I say.

“You’d better.”

Anna leads me to her and Lucy’s table, which is at the front of the coffee shop, closest to the counter. We sit down, and Anna picks up a colored pencil, finishing off her drawing.

Isabelle’s working away and taking orders, her eyes sparkling under the fluorescent lights. When she spots me, a small smile blossoms on her face. I give her a tiny wave, smiling back.

I’ll stay with Anna until Lucy’s back, and then I’ll go up to Isabelle.

My mind trails back to the memory of Isabelle drunk at the reunion and the vulnerability she showed when she was telling me about her fashion show. The peaceful look that permeated her face when she fell asleep on the couch. The way she fit perfectly in my arms when I carried her from the couch to her bed.

Something’s shifted in the air since the reunion, something I can’t yet pinpoint.

I told her not to think about our kiss, but I’m not sure how much longer I can keep it up myself and pretend it never happened. The voice of reason inside my head is shrinking the more time I spend with her.

Anna’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Uncle Jace, I’m almost done with my drawing.”

“That’s great, Anna.”

“Isabelle, is it?” I overhear a customer speaking in a British accent. “What a beautiful name.”

My head jerks up as I glance toward the counter, bitterness rising in my chest when I notice the blond man talking to Isabelle. He looks like he’s around my age.

Yeah, I’m definitely not liking this at all.

“Thank you,” Isabelle replies.

“I’m Brendan,” he says. “I’m visiting from London. I have a feeling the coffee here is incredible, and I’d love to get one before I head to the train station. Do you have any recommendations?”

Something nasty twists in my stomach. I don’t like Brendan either, and I couldn’t care less if he was late for his train.

Also, I hope a bird shits on him the moment he steps outside.

The ugly feeling in my stomach intensifies when Isabelle laughs at something else he says.

Shit. She’s laughing at another man’s jokes.

“Uncle Jace, you’re not listening to me!” Anna exclaims. “I asked if you want to see my drawing.”

I return my attention to Anna, an apologetic smile slanting my lips. “Sorry, Anna. Of course, I’d love to see your drawing.”

Anna flashes a toothy grin. “You’re forgiven.” She holds up her drawing for me to see. It’s a sketch of a sunny sky and a pink and blue castle, with a man and woman standing in front of it, both wearing crowns.

“That’s a great drawing, Anna,” I say. “What’s the story behind it?”

“Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who lived in different kingdoms and hated each other,” Anna narrates. “But they began to spend more time together and realized the other person wasn’t so bad. One day, at a magical royal ball, the king asked the queen to dance. The queen was wearing a pretty dress, and the king thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.”

I sneak another look at Isabelle, who’s grabbing a to-go cup from the shelf behind the counter.

“And what happened after that?” I ask Anna.

Anna beams. “Well, they fell in love, got married, had two princess daughters, and lived happily ever after.”

I smile. “I’m glad they did. That’s a great story.”

“Uncle Jace, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”