Page 33 of Beginnings By the Sea

Luke held up a hand. “First off. Her name’s Kristina. And my mom actually likes her. It’s shocking since she’s never liked any of the others.”

“Yes, I know. She liked me, though.”

Luke snorted. “That’s because you were in school to be a doctor. That’s the kind of woman she wanted me with.”

We reached the top of the stairs, and I stopped to face him. I didn’t realize how much I missed talking to him.

“What does Kristina do?”

His eyes sparkled as he pulled out his phone to show me a picture of a woman with long dark hair and a kind smile, surrounded by a golden retriever and nine puppies.

“She’s a vet,” he said, grinning at the picture a few seconds more before putting his phone away. “We have three dogs at home. I have a feeling there might be more when I get back.”

Noah came up behind me, his voice by my ear. “You still like all the toppings on your pizza, right? Or did you turn vegan on us?” I looked back at him, and he offered me a crooked grin before winking.

I laughed. “I still eat meat, Noah.”

“Good, because that’s what we ordered you!” He disappeared inside, leaving me alone with Luke.

“So, where’s the ceremony going to be?” I asked.

He glanced toward the horizon and smiled. “Hampshire House.”

My jaw dropped and I exhaled a gasp of amazement. “Wow. That’s fancy.”

Hampshire House was the perfect venue for a wedding with its romantic ambiance and elegant décor; just one step into that place made you feel like royalty.

“Yeah, I know,” he said, focusing back on me. “Kristina’s mom and dad wanted her to have her dream wedding, and that’s where she picked. All I needed to know was the date and time to be there.”

Miles and I didn’t have the financial means to get married in a place like that. Nevertheless, I was content with how we got married; the pictures were tucked away in a box in my closet. I hadn’t opened it since the divorce.

I lightly touched Luke’s arm with my palm. “I’m so happy for you, Luke.”

He beamed brightly at me. “Hey, do you want to come? I’d love to have you at the wedding; it’s in three weeks.”

Excitement bubbled in my veins. “I would love to go. Let me see if I can take the time off.”

He pulled out his phone. “Good. I’ll get Kristina to send you an invitation. What’s your address?”

I recited it off to him and he sent it to her. A few seconds later, his phone beeped, and his grin widened. “Done. She’s putting it in the mail tomorrow.”

“Are you two going to stay out here all night, or are you coming inside?”

Miles stood in the doorway, his silhouette framed by the warm glow of the living room. His blue T-shirt was tight enough to highlight his broad shoulders and muscular arms, and I had to take a deep breath to steady my racing heart. He flashed me that same mischievous grin he had when we first met ten years ago, and I could feel the familiar butterflies dancing in my stomach.

Luke stepped around me to get inside, and Miles waved an inviting hand for me to do the same. The moment I crossed the threshold, the smell of pizza hit me like a wall and my stomach rumbled hungrily.

Miles chuckled and shut the patio door behind us. “Can you still eat a whole medium pizza by yourself?”

I turned to him with a playful grin. “You better believe it. We might have to go on a long walk afterward so I can burn off some of it.”

Luke and Noah snickered knowingly, their minds undoubtedly going to more dirty thoughts. There was a time when Miles and I would work off our calories in other ways, but I couldn’t let my mind venture to that.

What was bad was that I really wanted to.

* * *

We finished eating and, true to my word, I polished off my entire medium pizza. It was something I hadn’t done in many years and I suspect my stomach was going to pay for it later.

---