“You’re young to know so much about horses,” one of the women said to Holden.

“I’ve been here since I was fifteen,” he said.

“You’re not a Capriotti.”

“No,” he said. “But they took me in as if I was.”

“Oh,” she said with a soft smile. “You’re the young man she always brags about. She took you in off the streets.”

“Yes, ma’am, she did.”

“And you went into the army to make something of yourself. She’s so proud of you.”

“And I’m grateful to her,” he said. “To all of the Capriottis. If you bring your business out here, they’ll take care of you, I can promise you that.”

River had turned to look at him, but he didn’t meet her gaze, just went about handling the large group with what looked like effortless ease. Later, when everyone had gone and they stood in the reception area once again, she stared at him. “You must think I’m a self-centered, spoiled bitch.”

“I don’t think that at all.”

“What do you think?” she whispered.

“That I’m grateful our thoughts don’t appear in bubbles over our heads.”

She laughed a little, but considered the look in his eyes. It was something different. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure of what this look was, but it made her heart beat a little too fast and sent a rush of happy straight through her body. She was still staring at him when his cell phone buzzed. Without taking his gaze off her, he reached back and silenced it.

“What if it’s work?” she asked, feeling panicked that he’d risk getting in trouble for her. “Holden, please. Get it.”

And the moment he did, reluctantly, she scooped up her stack of things that needed copying and beat it to the employee staff room.

When she got back to her desk five minutes later, Holden was gone and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Or so she told herself.

She’d been so spoiled these past few weeks here, forgetting what it was like to worry about her next meal or if she’d have enough gas to run the heater when she got cold at night. Forgetting also that she wasn’t the only one with a shitty past. But she didn’t deserve Holden, or even to get to know his past. She didn’t deserve any of this. Cora and the Capriottis had her worries easing away, and knowing it—and the real reason she’d come here—had guilt eating her insides away.

TWO DAYS LATER Lanie came by to get her for lunch, as she did every day now.

Like they were more than coworkers. Like they were friends. Lanie treated her like she meant something to her.

It both warmed River in ways she hadn’t realized she needed warming and also only served to increase the weight of that ball of guilt seated heavily in her chest.

The tables were already filling up as everyone came outside. She and Lanie took the very end of the far table because Lanie preferred the quietest corner and liked to lay low.

Fine with River, since she felt like an imposter.

That’s because you are, a little voice in her head whispered nastily.

Lanie looked over at her and gave a small smile, and a little bit more of River’s happy bubble burst. Every time Lanie was nice to her, every single time, it was a visceral reminder that she shouldn’t still be here. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“Do what?” Lanie asked.

“Be nice to me.”

“Yes, but they taught us in kindergarten, so . . .”

River choked out a laugh, but it rang hollow because it wasn’t funny. Not in the slightest.

“You feeling better?” Lanie asked.

“Yes,” she fibbed. “Much.”

“And you don’t have to do that,” Lanie said.

“What?”

“Lie.”

River met Lanie’s knowing gaze. “I’m a pro at it, you know,” Lanie said casually. “Pretending to be good. Really good at it. I’m maybe even the queen, but you’re close.”

“So I’m what, the princess of being full of shit?”

Lanie laughed. “Yeah. You can be the princess.”

Which made them family. She could see Lanie take in the same thought as well and she gave River a little smile that she absolutely did not deserve. Not one little bit. Because as much as she wanted it to be true, as much as she wished she’d never started this stupid deceit, that she could indeed be family with Lanie, she couldn’t. She’d screwed that up and there was no taking it back.

Except, of course, to tell the truth . . .

Which she absolutely couldn’t do.

“Something’s bothering you,” Lanie said quietly. “And before you deny it,” she added when River opened her mouth to do just that, “remember I’m the queen.”

River shrugged. “Do you ever feel like you’re just a kid playing dress-up? But that no one knows it but you?”

“You mean you don’t think you really fit into this world,” Lanie said.

“I know I don’t.”

Lanie gave a wry smile. “I don’t think the Capriottis worry about that sort of thing. They don’t seem to mind that we’re from different worlds.”

River was surprised. “You fit in.”

“No,” Lanie said quietly. “I’m playing dress-up, just like you.”

That couldn’t be true. Lanie was refined and smart and sophisticated and . . . just about everything River wasn’t. But Lanie didn’t say things she didn’t mean—River knew that much about her already—and for a beat they just looked at each other before River shook her head, trying to come up with something to say.

Thankfully Mia came over, muttering about not giving a “flying fuck” about something.

“You still mad about the girls not doing their fair share?” Alyssa asked from across the table.

“No,” Mia said. “As I mentioned just now, I don’t give a flying fuck.”

“Well, you should give a fuck,” Alyssa said. “You really should—but only about things that set your soul on fire. Save your fucks for the magical shit.”

River thought that was the smartest piece of wisdom she’d ever heard. From now on, she was saving all her flying fucks for magical shit that set her soul on fire.

Mia took a sip of water and eyed her sister. “I heard Owen ate your last two cookies yesterday and you needed an exorcism. But by the look on your face now, you’ve made up.”

“Last night,” Alyssa said, “I came home to a note on the door that said: ‘Hey, baby, welcome home—I’m hiding in the house with one of our two Nerf guns and here’s the other. Loser cooks dinner tonight. May the odds be ever in your favor. Love you!’” She grinned. “He lost. He cooked. Both in the kitchen and the bedroom, if you know what I’m saying.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “I only wish I didn’t know what you were saying.”

“Your problem is that you’re going for the wrong guy,” Alyssa said. “You know what’s sexier than your usual bad boy? A grown-ass man with his shit together. Maybe try finding a guy not on a dating site.”

Mia nodded. “I’m one step ahead of you. I’ve moved on to pizza delivery guys because at least I know they have a job, a car, and pizza.”