Page 88 of Best Kept Vows

“Starving, baby.”

I was proud to walk him through Savannah Lace and into the café.

Like everything here, it was beautiful, bright, and thoughtfully designed. The exposed brick walls gave it a cozy, industrial-chic vibe, while the large, arched windows flooded the space with natural light. A long wooden counter displayed fresh pastries and an array of colorful salads, quiches, and sandwiches.

The scent of fresh herbs and toasted bread drifted through the room, making my stomach rumble.

I handed Sebastian a tray. He looked around, assessing the people I worked with and the space I worked in.

We filled our plates and joined Luna, Aurora,Nova, and Stella at our usual table. I introduced Sebastian to Nova; he’d met the others at various social events and knew them in passing.

“You look suspiciously happy,” Nova noted as she speared a potato off hersalade nicoise.

Luna smirked. “She’s got the look of a woman who’s about to get laid.”

Sebastian nearly choked on his water.

Aurora snorted. “Don’t mind her. She’s feral.”

Luna shrugged. “I call it as I see it. I hear you did a big thing today, Sebastian.”

He looked surprised, I think, by how open we all were at work. I hadn’t expected it either at first, but that was Savannah Lace—and I loved it.

“I did,” he admitted.

“What did you do?” Stella asked.

“Sebastian left Boone Metals today.” I glanced at my husband, feeling a mix of pride, relief, and something achingly close to love twist inside me.

Aurora’s eyes widened. “Wait—really? Just like that?”

“Well, it’s been in the works for a while,” Sebastian explained.

Nova whistled. “Damn. That’s huge.”

“It is,” I agreed softly.

Stella lounged back in her chair, holding a cup of green tea, her usual drink. “It’s never easy, is it with the family? The pressure to keep up the family name.”

“Tell me about it,” Luna drawled. “Lev is running thefamily business, and I know there are times he’s just about ready to dump the whole thing.”

“Why doesn’t he?” Sebastian asked.

Luna lifted her shoulders in a helpless gesture. “Legacy?”

Sebastian smirked. “I’ve come across that particular reasoning myself.”

“I keep asking him for whom is he saving it? I mean, we’re both single, and who knows if we’ll get married and have children, and even then, who knows if those children would even want to run a freaking lumber business.” Luna dipped some focaccia in the red bell pepper hummus Mira made to avoid riots because it was in high demand. “Our kids might be tree-huggers, and then we’re all screwed. But Lev…I think he wants to show the old man that he’s better than him.”

This time, Sebastian and I both laughed.

Luna looked at him blankly.

“That’s the reason why I killed myself for three years,” Sebastian admitted. “You should tell Lev that if he doesn’t love what he does, then he needs to stop doing it. Life’s too short”—his eyes softened as he looked at me—“to lose sight of what’s important.”

“And what’s that?” I asked him.

“It’s you, baby.”