Page 167 of Until August

At night, the copper pendants made the room glow. It was sleek, sexy, and upscale. Initially, I thought I’d take a page from David and Kristen’s playbook and go small, but apparently, that wasn’t my style.

Go big or go home. So here I was, embarking on a new venture. Fulfilling another dream.

Nash and his crew did the entire construction project from start to finish. He was the only guy I’d trusted for the job. “Couldn’t have done this without you,” I told him. “You do good work.”

“Glad you’re finally happy with it.” He scowled at me. “There were a few times when I was ready to throw in the towel or punch you in the face.”

I scoffed. “Bullshit. You’re just as much of a perfectionist as I am.”

He sighed. “It’s a curse.” He clapped his hands together. “Okay. We’re done for the day. I’ll come back tomorrow and finish the snagging, and then you’re good to go.”

I bumped his fist and gave him a bro hug, then thanked the guys from his crew. After they were gone, I lingered a few more minutes, staring at the sign above the door while I finished my coffee.

It was a decade later, and I’d done a lot more living, but I still felt the same thrill as the first time I opened my own restaurant. Maybe, even more, this time. My journey had been fraught with so many life lessons that I was humbled and grateful this time around.

“Looking good, Harper.”

I smiled at Felicity as she came to stand next to me. I lifted the cup in my hand. “This coffee is the shit.”

“I’d never steer you wrong.” She smiled up at me. She was pretty and petite with long, dark hair and big brown eyes. My kryptonite. But her eyes didn’t have shards of amber and gold in them, and her nearness didn’t make my heart beat faster.

Nor did any of the other women I’d met since Nicola. Fucking heart.

Since when had I allowed it to call the shots?

Always.

“Thanks for the coffee.” I jerked my chin toward the front door. “I have some work I need to do.”

“Okay, yeah, of course.” She lingered, her eyes hopeful. “So, I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah. I’ll be here.”

She laughed. “Well, okay…” She hesitated a moment and looked like she wanted to say more, but I didn’t give her the opportunity.

“See you later, Felicity.”

She nodded, the smile still firmly in place as I strode away.

I knew she was hoping for something more, but I wasn’t going there, so I didn’t want to encourage anything beyond friendly acquaintances.

I went back inside, grabbed my clipboard from the office, and sat at the bar to finish working on my menu for the soft opening next week.

My head was bent over the clipboard, pencil in hand, when Ifelther before I saw her. I stopped what I was doing and almost felt stupid to think it could be her. But curiosity prevailed, so I spun around on my stool, and there she was, standing in the doorway.

She looked the same—long chestnut waves falling around her shoulders, lush lips, and those tits that I shouldn’t even be noticing.

I laughed when I saw what she was doing. Sprinkling a handful of salt on the threshold. Crazy woman. I knew I’d missed her but didn’t realize how much until she crossed the room and stopped a few feet in front of me.

She wore jeans that molded to all her curves and a black V-neck sweater that showed a hint of cleavage.

Now that she was standing right before me, I took in the changes. She looked lighter. Happier. Like she’d shirked off all that weight from her shoulders.

She smiled, and it was fucking glorious. Like the sun shining after a long, dark, brutally cold winter.

Instinctively my gaze dipped to her left hand, clutching the strap of the canvas bag over her shoulder.

Her ring finger was bare. The symbolism wasn’t lost on me. She was free to move on now.