Page 48 of When the Smoke Clears

“Dinner tomorrow night?” he asked.

I shook my head as the bus turned onto the street a few blocks away from us. “Bridal shower.”

“On a Friday night?”

“Yes.” I giggled. “Everything about the wedding is happening in one week,” I said.

Will glanced over his shoulder at the approaching bus.

“Saturday morning brunch?” I suggested.

He shook his head, returning his attention to me. “The guys are golfing on Saturday.”

I tried to hide my disappointment, but I wasn’t sure why. He seemed equally disappointed.

“I guess I’ll see you at the rehearsal dinner,” I said.

Will frowned. It was cute to see a grown man pout. “Rehearsal dinner.” He grabbed my face and kissed me just as the bus pulled up.

It made my knees wobbly, and he grinned against my lips. I blushed while searching for my legs just as the bus opened its doors. “Bye, William Landry,” I said before biting my lower lip. “Enjoy your strippers.”

He rolled his eyes because the couple exiting the bus heard me and grinned.

There was no amount of advanced reasoning, no amount of genius, that could have prepared my heart for what was to come.

Chapter Seventeen

Will

“Morning, dear,” Liz says, pouring a cup of coffee when Everleigh opens the back door.

I keep my head ducked, filling my water bottle before my tai chi class. The sight of Everleigh in a tiny sports bra and even tinier shorts, skin glistening with sweat, is not what I need.

“Good morning,” Everleigh chirps on her way to the stairs.

“Coffee?” Liz asks her.

“No. I’m going to shower. That will wake me up. Then I’ll have a nappuccino after we look at properties.”

“Good idea,” Liz says.

The shred of self-preservation that still exists in my brain after spending the evening with Everleigh screams for me not to ask the obvious question.

“What’s a nappuccino?” I ask, losing that shred while I tighten my water bottle lid.

“Daniel Pink?” Liz eyes me.

I shake my head.

“Oh.” She takes a sip of her coffee before continuing. “He’s an author. Anyway, in his book he mentions drinking caffeine right before taking a short nap. The effect of the caffeine then kicks in at the end of the nap, and you get an extra boost from combining the nap with caffeine consumption. Everleigh takes one every day. She schedules out time at work. I think around one or two in the afternoon. It’s such a smart idea.” Liz doesn’t question it for a second.

But I do. Who has time to schedule midday naps? Two-year-olds, not doctors with a practice to run and patients to see.

“So smart,” I mumble just as my phone rings. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”

“I think she’s gone.”

“Who’s gone?” I head upstairs to grab my wallet.