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My stomach dropped, practically splattering on the concrete floor of the locker. There was a woman in the front seat, with a soft swoop of jet-black hair, and a perfect, pointed nose. One I’d brushed my own nose against a hundred times.

She stood up, raising her own perfect red umbrella. “Hello, Eli.”

I swallowed. “Kelly. I thought you weren’t coming by until next week?” Her letter had given me two months’ notice for when she was going to close the locker, but of course I’d squandered all of it.

“No,” she said, as she and Neil strode closer to where I was standing, still under the cover of the storage unit. “This was the week I indicated in the letter.”

She said letter in a way that made me know she was still miffed about me blocking her email. I don’t know why; she knew I was all-or-nothing as well as Seamus did. And with Kelly, I wanted nothing.

She looked beautiful up close. Fancier than she ever did with me.

“Those eyebrows are new,” I said, I couldn’t help the bitterness in my tone.

“Jesus,” Kelly snapped.

“Ooh!” Neil grinned, his overly white teeth sparkling. “Kelly said you were a hot potato. You sure you’re not interested in food, Eli? You’d do great on one of our shows.”

Shows. Shit, that’s where I’d seen him before. Just today, on a billboard on the highway, while driving with Chelsea. Chelsea had even pointed it out, chewing her nails and explaining that was the show Seamus loved so much.

“So you guys are”—I danced my finger between them.

“Together?” Kelly said. “Yes.”

Apparently Kelly was into food shows, enough that she was fucking the host of one.

She saw my look and narrowed her eyes.

“What? Neil seems very nice.” He did, actually. If there was no connection to Kelly at all, I’d probably think he was awesome. Gregarious as shit, kind of like people said I was when I wasn’t being pummeled over the head by the fact that my ex-wife had done oh so much fucking better than me. “Sure leveled up from Kent.”

Kelly’s jaw dropped, but Neil thought that was hilarious. He leaned way back and gave a giant laugh. I couldn’t help the bit of pride at that.

“Well. How about you, Eli?” Kelly asked, her jaw tight. She, unlike her boyfriend, was not amused. “Are you seeing anyone?”

My stomach swam. Shit. Here’s where I had to say something to cover up for the fact that no, I hadn’t seen anyone in months, and when I had, it had been single-date affairs.

If you could call them dates.

I hadn’t seen anyone seriously since Reese Franco, who I’d met here in Jewel Lakes. I ended things badly with her. She’d been amazing—smart, beautiful, funny, and she could sing like an angel, I’d learned later. But I knew I’d gone headfirst into a new relationship way too fast. All or nothing. And I still hadn’t been over Kelly.

Then, in a very bad twist, Cass had ended up hiring her at the hotel.

Kelly’s eyes were twinkling. She knew I was trying to come up with something to say to cover up that shitty truth—that relationship-wise, everything had gone to hell after her.

I pictured Reese, then. If only I’d dealt with this fucking locker when we’d been dating and run into Kelly with Reese. Kelly would have been plenty jealous of Reese’s… everything. Her sexy, wavy, dirty blonde hair and sparkling eyes. The way she laughed with her whole throat. She’d been flirty and outgoing—it was why I’d been fooled into thinking it would be a good idea to date her. Though she was a lot more subdued these days. Was that because of me?

“I guess that’s a no,” Kelly said, barely hiding a little smirk playing on her lips.

Anger flared in my chest. “No, that’s a yes.”

What the hell was I doing?

Kelly blinked. “Oh.”

“Yup. Her name is Reese, and she’s incredible. She runsL’Aubergineand has turned it around from ho-hum to the best fucking restaurant east of New York City.”

What the absolute motherfu—

“L’Aubergine?” Neil said, his interest clearly piqued. “Where’s that?”