The crowd cheered, and Mack and Millie appeared, hand in hand. My breath stopped for a moment. Millie was beaming, absolutely radiant in the white T-shirt covered with pink and red glitter hearts she’d made. Mack looked pretty miserable at first, but as they made their way to the end of the runway, which bisected the cafeteria, Millie looked up at him and he met her eyes. Seeing how happy and proud she was must have buoyed his spirits, because he grinned back at her and seemed to walk a little taller, puffing his glitter-covered chest out. When they reached the end of the runway, Mack turned Millie under his arm as if they were on the dance floor, bowed to her, and kissed her cheek. The crowd went crazy.

My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear the music, and tears dripped from my eyes, but I couldn’t help laughing a little. It was the kind of thing my dad would have done for one of his girls, too—my sweet, gruff, and gentle dad who’d come into the bakery for coffee that morning just to see me, because he missed seeing me at the inn.

I’d filled his cup, introduced him to Natalie and her husband, and showed him around. “I’m proud of you, peanut,” he’d said, pulling me into a hug. The nickname made my throat close up.

“Thanks, Daddy.”

“Are you happy?”

I’d nodded, my eyes filling. Embarrassed, I wiped at the tears. “Yes.”

And it was mostly true—I was happy with my decision to leave the inn, partner up with Natalie, and work at the shop, but I was heartsick about Mack. He’d left a hole in my heart that couldn’t be filled with anything else.

Watching him now, I choked back sobs even as I clapped along with everyone else when the announcer said, “Millie convinced the committee to rename the fashion show next year to be more inclusive. We hope more fathers and sons will join us for the Healing Hunger with Hearts family fashion show next year.” The show concluded with all the models appearing and taking a final bow, and for a moment, Mack caught my eye.

My stomach flipped. My pulse skittered nervously out of control. We stood with our eyes locked for a full ten seconds, neither of us smiling, and for a moment I felt like maybe he’d been as miserable as I’d been this week and was sorry he’d broken things off.

But then he looked away, and my heart sank.

I decided not to wait around to talk to Millie. Seeing Mack was too painful. I didn’t trust myself to get close to him without crying. Instead, I slipped out of the cafeteria and hurried through the parking lot to my car, where I sent her a text.

Millie, you looked amazing! I am so proud of you and I hope you had so much fun! Sorry I could not stay to chat, I am working at the new shop and have to get back. I will see you soon, I promise!!

Tears running down my cheeks, I dropped my phone into my bag and drove back to work, wondering how long it took to fall out of love with someone.

I wasn’t sure my heart could take it.

Mack

“Frannie came!” Millie exclaimed from the back of the car on the drive home. “She was there!”

“I didn’t see her,” Felicity whined. “How do you know?”

“She sent me a text.” Millie read the text aloud. “Dad, she’s working. Can we go see her at the coffee shop?”

“Not today.”

All three moaned in grand symphonic fashion and followed it up with more whining.

“Come on, Dad. Please?”

“Why not?

“You never say yes to anything.”

“You’re no fun this week.”

“What else are we going to do today?”

“Finally I don’t have ballet on a Saturday and we just have to go home?”

Instead of answering, I put the radio on and turned up the volume.

At home, the three girls gave me pouty faces and dirty looks before trudging upstairs to their bedrooms. I stayed in the kitchen and tried to make a grocery list, but when I saw Frannie’s phone number in her handwriting on the notepad, I froze. Stared at it. Remembered the night she’d written it down for me, how much fun I’d had with her. She’d taken a shitty day and made it amazing. She could make all my days amazing if I’d let her … but I couldn’t. Look how I’d fucked it up already! My kids were furious with me. Frannie couldn’t even look at me. I was probably never going to have sex that good again in my life. And it would serve me right.

I was a United States Marine, goddammit. I should have been stronger. I should have been able to resist her in the first place. I should have known that a woman like her could never be mine.

“Dad.”

I turned around and saw all three of my daughters lined up tallest to shortest, arms crossed and defiance in their eyes. “What now?”

Millie was the spokesperson. “We’re calling a family meeting.”

“You are?”

“Yes. Right now. In the living room.”

“Can’t it wait? I need to make a grocery list.” I had a feeling I didn’t want to hear what they had to say.

“No. It can’t. We’ve decided.”

“Decided what?”

“That you’re being an idiot and you need the hard words.”

I blinked at her. “Well, damn.”

“Living room, please.” She pointed her finger in that direction, and I had no choice but to follow the order.

They trailed me to the couch. “Sit there,” Felicity commanded.

I sat and leaned back, knees widespread and arms crossed, scowling like an angry teenager about to get lectured.

They faced me with matching angry expressions and stubborn sets of their jaws. “We have something to say,” Millie began.

“I know.” I waved a hand toward her. “Get on with it.”

“It’s about Frannie,” said Winnie.

I jerked my chin. “I don’t want to talk about Frannie.”

“Well, you’re going to!” Millie yelled, sounding so much like me it was a little eerie (although I probably would have used the word fuck somewhere in the sentence). “Or you’re at least going to listen, because we can’t take it anymore.”

“Take what?”

“Your terrible mood since you two broke up! We don’t understand why you’re not in love anymore and we want to know what happened.”

My spine snapped straight. “What do you mean? Frannie and I weren’t in love!”

My daughters exchanged the mother of all eye rolls. Someone sighed dramatically.

“Dad. Please.” Millie held out a palm. “You guys were totally in love.”

“It was, like, so obvious,” said Felicity.

I looked at Winnie.

“It was, Daddy,” she whispered. “I saw you in the closet. ‘Member?”

“And I saw you in the kitchen,” added Millie.

“And I saw you all the time, everywhere, with your googly eyes.” Felicity took off her glasses and held them up. “I didn’t even need these!”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Girls, you don’t understand. Even if we did have feelings for each other, we can’t be together.”

“Why not?” Millie demanded.

“Because I don’t have any time for her,” I said. “I’m busy with you guys and with work. It’s not fair to her.”