Page 44 of Call It Serendipity

“I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately,” he finally admits.

“Lately?”

“Yeah, since I found myself on the opposite side of a property deal from a certain woman I can’t seem to get out of my head.”

Warmth unfurls in my chest like a slow mist weaving through my ribs and curling around my heart.

“You don’t say,” I manage through the smile tugging at my lips.

“She’s got this way of saying just enough to get me thinking. Especially when she does it with that little twinkle in her eyes.”

“Sounds like a smart woman.”

Jake reaches over and takes my hand in his. His fingers fiddle with mine playfully as our palms press together. “She’s brilliant, and absolutely gorgeous. It’s a dangerous combination.”

A laugh escapes me. “Dangerous?”

His fingers weave between mine and close around my hand. And he looks at me with the kind of intensity that makes my stomach flip.

“Dangerous. You’re wreaking havoc on me, Lucy Hart.”

“I’m very sorry about that.” I lick my lips and watch his eyes drop to them.

Kiss me, my heart screams. But my brain immediately reprimands it. He’s not the one I’m supposed to want. He’s the one I should be helping to run out of town.

I don’t want to be the bad guy in your story, Lucy.

He had worried about as much—that has to count for something. And I have to hope that there’s a way for us to end up on the same side of things.

“Don’t be sorry,” Jake tells me. “I can’t imagine a sweeter demise.”

It’s hard to get Lucy’s question out of my mind once she asks. Are you doing what you love?

Even if I didn’t answer her directly, the voice in my head was firmly shouting no. A voice I had long closed a door on before she blew it back open. I had deflected instead of admitting, and now that we’re walking side by side to her house, I feel like she deserves a direct answer.

Not that what I said was dishonest, it just was a side-step kind of truth. And I don’t want to side-step anything with Lucy, I’m learning.

Her hair tickles my arm when the breeze kicks it up, and I catch the subtle whiff of cinnamon. I wonder if it’s because of all the baking she did today or if it’s just her.

“I’m not doing what I love,” I blurt out. She looks up at me curiously, so I add, “Earlier, I should have also told you that I’m not doing what I love.”

“I had a feeling.” She bites back a grin.

Stopping to check for any rogue motorcycles before crossing the street, I place my hand on the small of her back out of an abundance of caution. When I’m satisfied that we’re all clear, I step out onto the road, but I keep my fingers splayed just above her waist the whole way.

“There are aspects that I enjoy, that remind me of what I was doing before Carpenter Collection.”

“What aspects are those?”

I steal a glance at her as we start up her front walk. Her bangs are tussled from the breeze, and she blinks up at me through them, patiently waiting for a response. I reach out and fix them for her.

“The trips to see our business partners out in the community. Getting to bring new partnerships in.”

“Speaking of businesses in the community…”

We look up to find Claire sitting on the front porch, wine glass in hand and blanket tossed across her lap. Had she really been there our whole approach? Did Lucy notice her?

“What about business partners?” Lucy asks, her shoulder dipping against me as she turns to face her roommate. I adjust my arm to make a more comfortable space for her to settle into.