Page 42 of Promised Love

“Autumn’s husband. Have you seen him?” My best friend grabs a pecan from her plate and pushes it into her mouth.

“No.” Suzie shakes her head. “Is he handsome?” She looks between Chiara and me.

“He’s hot!” Chiara squeals.

I throw my hands up in the air. “You haven’t seen him yet.”

“You wouldn’t be blushing so hard if he looked like an ogre, Auttie.”

Chiara is going to kill me with her comments today.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Suzie has already turned away from us and is now whisking something.

“You aren’t surprised?” I ask her.

“I knew, kiddo.”

Of course she did.

“Where is he now?” Chiara asks. “I didn’t even shower because I wanted to see him. Also, I’m returning back to work at the inn.”

“Why? You were only working here temporarily.”

“I asked your mother, and she thinks it’s a good idea if I help you now that you have a lot on your plate with this upcoming wedding and your husband.”

As if I don’t know why she’s here.

“Where is he?” she asks again, taking a bite of her pancake.

“He texted me that he’s in the gym.”

“Then let’s find him.”

Leaving our half-eaten breakfast, we march out. This is possibly the first time there’s been something more appealing than Suzie’s breakfast.

We reach the back of the inn, where there’s a recreational area that includes a children’s playroom, a small library, a quiet meditation and yoga room, and a gym with the latest machines.

The door to the gym is half-open, and spotting Lukas is an easy task.

He’s facing away from the door toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that give a beautiful view of Lake Cherry. Any other day, I’d have admired the beauty of our town, but today, I can’t shake my gaze away from Lukas in a squat position. His black sleeveless muscle shirt is drenched in sweat, and all I can think about is last night.

“He’s…good,” Chiara whispers quietly, but that’s enough for Lukas to realize he’s no longer alone.

He spins around fast. With a smirk on his face—which should be declared a war weapon—he tips his head to the side.

He approaches us. “Chiara, right?”

“Um…y-yeah,” Chiara stutters, surprising me. I’ve never seen anything render my best friend speechless before. But she finds her voice fast. “How do you know me?”

“From Autumn’s emails. She talked about you a lot.”

My heart trips at the mention of the emails Lukas and I shared after we got married.

“Of course she did. But unfortunately, she hasn’t been very forthcoming about you.”

“Then your friend must have a very good reason.” Lukas tips his head to my side, and a volcano of heat bursts in my chest.

Be cool, Autumn. Be cool.

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