The day before you left for college, she thought.
“After you graduated,” she said aloud, not wanting to ruin the moment with something snippy.
He shook his head as he approached, his gaze locking on hers like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “How is this real?”
The lump in her throat made swallowing painful. Nevertheless, she stood. “I don’t know. This is just…crazy.”
There had been something else she’d planned to say, but then he wrapped her in a hug that took her breath and her thoughts away. She hugged him back and tried not to panic. When they pulled apart, she looked at his face. He wasn’t taller than he had been in high school—she still only came up to just under his chin—but he seemed taller. Broader. Stronger.
He looked down at her, golden eyes warm and searching. They both realized at the same time that they were staring.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, stepping back and clearing her throat. “I mean, what brings you to this place?”
Luke laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “What am I doing here? More like what are you doing here? I’ve had the most chaotic few days—nothing’s gone right—and then bam, I look up and there you are.”
The way he looked at her made her blush, and he must have noticed because he blinked hard and looked away.
“Sorry. I’m here for a wedding,” he added quickly. “What about you?”
She didn’t want to get into everything with him, not now. “Oh, just a trip holiday. Took the chance when I had it.” Technically, it wasn’t a lie.
“Wow.” He smiled, eyebrows raised. “That’s not the Sylvie I remember.”
She smiled faintly and shrugged. “I guess not.”
“Are you here alone?” he asked, glancing past her.
“Uh, yeah. Just me.”
“Mind if I sit for a bit?” He lowered his voice, suddenly more grounded. “It’s kind of nuts seeing you again.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Even though talking longer probably meant telling him about her mom, there was a thrill in having him here. “Sure,” she said, glancing behind him. “But aren’t you supposed to be with the wedding crowd?”
He smirked. “Funny story. Thanks to a perfect storm—food poisoning, a highway pileup, a dust storm at one airport, and a fuel issue at another—I’m the only one who made it.” He raised a finger for each catastrophe.
Sylvie’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding. That’s brutal.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “And my flight was delayed by three hours. By the time they gave out meal vouchers, everything was closed.”
“So you’ve suffered equally with the violently ill and the permanently grounded?” she teased.
His grin widened. “Exactly. You always had a way of cutting through the noise.”
Her cheeks warmed when he noticed the single place setting. “Me, myself, and I,” she said. “The staff here have been ridiculously sweet—set me up with my own table and everything. We’ll need to grab you some cutlery if you’re staying.”
“Wouldn’t dream of imposing,” he said, but he didn’t move.
She smiled back, remembering this about him. He didn’t push. He waited until you gave him the green light.
And just like that, she realized she already had.
Chapter 15
As Luke grabbed a chair from an empty, unset table, Sylvie internally winced, hoping he wasn’t taking it from one about to be set for another guest. She gave herself a little shake—she needed to let go of “work mode.” She wouldn’t be mad if a guest moved a chair. Slightly annoyed, maybe, but it wasn’t even close to the worst faux pas someone could make.
“I still can’t believe you’re here,” Luke said, smiling as he waited for her to sit.
Realizing she was holding him up, she took a seat and sipped her coffee. “Me neither,” she said, unsure of where to go next.
