Page 137 of He Loves Me Knot

Why does this feel like déjà vu?She had that guilty,just caughtexpression written on her face and she lifted trembling fingers to her waist, smoothing out her dress. “Callum. What are you doing here?”

“Friend of yours?” the man asked Sophia.Definitely American.

Callum raised a brow.I don’t even care. Whatever she was doing, it isn’t any of my business.He said nothing,then pushed past her toward the kitchen. Even if she was co-owner, he was still the other owner’s son. That came with some privileges. He dropped his bags in the kitchen, then headed back toward the main door.

The man had slipped out.Probably a lover.Maybe Sophia didn’t want his mum knowing she was getting it on in the office during work hours.

“I’m leaving some things in the kitchen. I’ll be back for them later,” he said over his shoulder, not bothering to look back at Sophia.

“Wait . . . Callum.”

He paused, clenching his jaw.Can this day get any worse?Turning, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Yes?”

“I—” Sophia muttered a curse under her breath in Spanish. “I wasn’t expecting so many people to still be here. Your friends are staying here for the rest of the week, yes?”

Is she embarrassed?I’ve seen her in a more compromising situation than this.

“I believe so.” He nearly rolled his eyes. “And it’s fine. I won’t say anything to Mum, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She nodded, her lips drawing to a line. “Thank you. And I did the same. I didn’t tell her anything I overheard this morning.”

He nodded. This wasn’t a conversation he was interested in having.

As he turned, Sophia said, “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I do mind, actually.” Callum gave her a sharp glance. He wasn’t about to discuss Liddy with her.

The corners of Sophia’s lips twitched, her gaze unreadable. “Thank you, Cal. For making this so easy for me.”

“Was I supposed to?” Just the day before, she’d practically ranted about how their breakup had been his fault.

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Goodbye, Callum.”

This time, Callum was only too glad to escape back outside. Funny how when he’d been young, he went out of his way to find moments to be with her. Now, she just felt ordinary.

Even if their conversations weren’t fraught with tension, he didn’t know what he would have to say to her anymore.

It had been so long since he’d reallytalkedwith any woman, though. Maybe that was why he couldn’t get Liddy out of his head. Everything with her had been unexpectedly effortless. They could talk about anything, even if it was about the fruit in a market or work.

Stop thinking about this, for fuck’s sake.

He’d come here for his friend.Nothing more.

ChapterThirty-Two

Liddy liftedher head as Isla and Hunter came into the small office ofLa Hacienda, plastic shopping bags in hand. She frowned at the sight of rain still battering the outdoors, then shifted some of the fabric she’d been cutting on the floor, so Isla would have a path to walk through.

“Did you find something?” Taryn asked, hopping up fluidly from the floor. She reached for the bags.

“Four options I think will work,” Isla said, then rolled her eyes at Hunter. “And two dresses that Hunter insisted ‘would be sexy as hell’ but I’m not sure are wedding dress appropriate.”

Hunter gave an unapologetic shrug. “I know my girl. Is she back from the spa with the moms? I want to see what she thinks.”

“Not yet,” Kat said, poking her head in from the other room. “She should be on her way in twenty minutes, though.”

Gotta love Kat for being on schedule.

Even though changing plans once again must have added a lot to Kat’s plate, Liddy was surprised at how well the woman had rolled with the changes. She’d taken charge, of course, but Liddy didn’t mind this time. Elle needed someone who had connections and knew what to do to pull this off.

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