Page 36 of Bronson

Her hand flies to her bare wrist. “Oh my God.” She takes it from me, clutching it against her chest. “This belonged to my grandmother.”

Sentimental.

One of my rules.

Shame burns through me as I realize how close I came to breaking it.

“Thank you,” she says. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“I think I do.”

When I return to the counter, Alice smiles at me. Not because she knows what I almost did.

Because she only knows what I chose to do.

“Alice, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She studies my face. “You mean the butterfly?”

My stomach drops. “You knew?”

“Not that day. Bronson told me later.”

“And you still became my friend?”

Hurt flickers behind her smile. “I decided the woman who returned every Saturday mattered more than the woman who walked in once and made a terrible choice.”

Shame presses against my ribs. I swallow. “I’m sorry.”

Alice reaches across the counter and squeezes my hand. “I know. But don’t make me regret trusting you.”

“I won’t.”

My eyes go to his office.

I want to march over, open the door, and yell, If you don’t want me, Bronson Bachman, then don’t be a grouch when I finally have a decent man ask me out.

But that would mean that I’d be admitting to him that I want him.

And possibly have to face his rejection.

My neck aches from tension. I feel a headache coming on. I’m overthinking the situation.

Bronson is way out of my league. He’s not an option for me. Even if he is fighting feelings for me, this isn’t going anywhere.

A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. I think that’s what Ms. Jones is always telling me. It means better to take what’s offered to you, rather than spend your life pining away for a man who just wants to feed you and spank you. I pull my phone from my dress pocket. I type a message to Peter.

Can’t wait for tonight! So sweet of you to surprise me!

“What are you doing with that?” Bronson growls.

I jump about a foot in the air. “Where did you come from? You scared me half to death.”

“We have a strict no cell phone policy here at Bachman’s.” His brow narrows. His face is taking on a dangerous look—one that I haven’t seen before. It makes me feel shaky.

I jut my chin, feigning confidence. “I know, but you are nowhere in sight today⁠—”

“So you use your phone whenever I’m not around? Even though you know it’s against the rules?” He’s seething.