Page 58 of Until August

“He wouldn’t have gotten hard if he wasn’t into you.”

“He’s a guy. Of course, he would have.”

“Yeah, okay. You might have a point there. But he’d be crazy not to want you. You’re hot. Just about every guy wants you.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re biased.”

“Oh, please. It’s been that way since junior high and all through high school, and it’s still true now. But the real question is, are you ready to be with him?” She gave me a pointed look.

I sighed and slumped lower in my seat. That was the real question, wasn’t it? Maybe it was why August ran so fast last night. I’d poured out my heart about another man—my husband. What man in his right mindwouldn’trun the other way?

I finished my coffee while I stared at the drifting clouds as if they had the answer.

“I don’t know,” I said finally. “It’s been so long since I even looked at another man, and I….” I rolled my head on the seat to look at her. She smiled, encouraging me to finish my thought. “I want to. I want it more than anything. But I feel so guilty for wanting someone else, you know?”

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “I know. And I know I would feel the same way. But sometimes people come into your life for a reason. Think about it… he showed upnow, not two years ago. I feel like that means something.”

“It means that he was in prison.” I’d told her the whole August Harper story this morning, so now she knew everything. “So it would have been hard for him to show up two years ago.”

She ignored my sarcasm. “See? It’s fate. A sign from the universe. What if this is Cruz’s way of looking out for you? Did you ever consider that?”

I snorted. “No. August Harper is the last guy Cruz would send my way.” Not that I actually believed in any of that. “Cruz had nothing to do with August being here in Costa del Rey. That was purely a coincidence.”

“Well, you never know. Life works in mysterious ways.” She gave me a secretive little smile that immediately made me suspicious.

“Do you know something I don’t?”

“No. But I think you’re ready to start living again. And what better way to get back in the game than to kiss someone? Obviously, you can do more than just kiss him but start there. Right now. Today. Just take a risk and do it.” She punctuated her words with an air punch. She sounded like a Nike commercial.

“Nice pep talk.” I slid my sunglasses down my nose and narrowed my eyes at her. “Why are you being the devil on my shoulder?”

“Angels don’t have nearly as much fun.” Her feet hit the ground, and she stood up from her chair. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ve got this.” With a smirk, she crossed the deck and went inside.

What was that supposed to mean?

It was only when I stood and turned to face the door that I saw what she was smirking about. Scarlett must have left the door wide open. She was the last one out.

For someone who looked angelic, my best friend could be evil sometimes. She was just lucky I loved her.

Which begged the next question.

How much had he heard?

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Nicola

I gotmy answer about an hour later.

As soon as Scarlett left me on the deck, she’d gotten cozy with August in the booth. I had no idea what they’d talked about. After the initial introduction, I’d left them together and retreated to my office, where I threw myself into organizing, tossing, and filing paperwork.

It was the first time in two years that I could see the surface of my desk.

Armed with a pack of wipes and a bottle of cleaning spray, I tackled the wall of shelves next. They were heaving under the weight of hundreds of cookbooks I’d been collecting since I was twelve. Some girls loved reading romance novels. I read cookbooks and chef’s memoirs under the covers with a flashlight. What a geek.

A layer of dust coated the jackets. I ran a wipe and a loving hand over a hardcover edition ofEscoffier, my culinary bible.

A sound from the doorway had me turning.