Page 51 of Hearts Like Hers

Kate smiled lazily. “Been practicing thatone.” They ate for a few moments, all the while watching each other, theanticipation of the evening present like a third guest at dinner. So manyunspoken thoughts, swirling in the sea air between them. What Kate wouldn’tgive to know what Autumn’s were.

“I’m just going to go there. I like you morethan I should,” Autumn finally said, granting Kate’s wish.

Kate took a moment, paying attention to thebolt of excitement she got from the declaration.

“And the problem is that I’m getting used toyou. And yes, I think you’re beautiful and kind and the chemistry hovers beyondthe stratosphere, but that’s not all.”

“Then tell me,” Kate said holding her gaze,reveling in their connection. “I want to know.”

“You’ve become my friend. You’re there forme, and I’m freaking myself the hell out because I don’t want to get attached,but I’m—”

“Getting attached.”

Autumn nodded solemnly and Kate took amoment, because they were entering the dicey waters they’d worked so hard toavoid. But honestly, was there really any way around them, other than stayingthe hell away from Autumn—a suggestion she knew was damn near impossible forher?

“Me too,” Kate said, simply. It wasn’t themost eloquent sentence, but Autumn was better with words. “So, what are wesupposed to do with that?”

“I don’t know,” Autumn said. “Maybe we justeat dinner and enjoy the beach. If I had a magic solution, I’d offer it.”

“I like the enjoying the beach idea.”

“Then that’s two of us.”

They did just that, and Kate understood thatwhen it came to take-out, Autumn Primm didn’t mess around. The meal wasphenomenal, as was the view. Neither matched the company. Talking or nottalking, she enjoyed the serenity of being there with Autumn.

“Olivia was gobsmacked by your mereexistence,” Autumn mused, her fork making twirly circles as she lost herself inthe memory. She was so cute when something excited her. “The look on her facewhen I said the word “firefighter” was worth every difficult moment she put methrough.” She squinted. “Well, almost.”

“Were there a lot of those?” Kate sat upstraight, not liking the thought. “Bad moments.”

“Do nights spent on my own and the absence ofany truly meaningful conversations count?”

“Yeah. Those count a lot.”

“Then yes.” Autumn stared off into thedistance, thoughtful. “I guess I didn’t realize how awful the relationship wasuntil I was out of it, and then it was all about the heartbreak of beingunceremoniously dumped for a woman with a third of my body fat.”

“I don’t like it when you say stuff likethat. You’re beautiful.”

The comment seemed to have resonated withAutumn, and she placed a hand over her heart. “Man. You stun me silent, youknow that? And I’m a chatty person. Known for it, far and wide, in fact.” Apause. “I guess I haven’t felt that way about myself in a while. Attractive. Ihave lately.”

“Good. It’s beyond me that you wouldn’t. Doyou think it has to do with the breakup?”

“Probably a portion of it.”

“So, why’d it end?”

Autumn took a moment as if trying to answer acomplicated question simply. “We’d been drifting apart for a while. Olivia hadalways been searching for something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Then oneday she joined a gym, and I saw a shift. She spent more time in front of themirror. Highlighted her hair and started counting every carb that went into hermouth. The owner of the gym, Betsy, took a special interest in her case, andfrom then on, it was, ‘Betsy said we should be doing forty-five minutes ofcardio every morning to start our day. Betsy thinks it would be better if westopped going to restaurants. Betsy says no more popcorn at the movies.’”

Kate stared at her. “Betsy sounds like a buzzkill.”

Autumn smiled sardonically. “In more waysthan one. But it got worse. As Olivia fell deeper into it, the focus shifted tome, which was…hard. How I should come work out with her, and look into tamingmy hair, or work more on my tan when I had time off. I didn’t realize it at thetime, but I’d never felt more like a loser in my life. Well, until she left mefor Betsy.”

Kate was worked up and hating every detailshe’d just heard. She sat up straight. “Thank God she did. Because that kind oflife sounds awful. Getting away from Olivia might be the best thing that everhappened to you.”

“Well, so far,” Autumn said. They let thesentence linger. “What about you, though? Tell me about your history. When wasthe last time you were in love?”

The word was a tricky one for Kate. Love. Shewasn’t exactly sure what it meant, what comprised love in the romantic sense.“I don’t know that I ever have been. Yet.”

“Oh.” That pulled Autumn up short. “But youdate?”

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