“Yeah, but I’ll miss you.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’ll miss you too. But we’ll have a celebration with Aunt Meredith when you get back. Deal?”
“Deal,” he murmured, his eyes fluttering closed.
Bebe was next. I kissed her goodnight as she clutched her favorite stuffed animal.
“Mom, do you think Dad will let me paint my wall with pink and glitter?”
I laughed softly. “Probably not, but maybe you can get a piece of pink glittery artwork for your wall.”
She smiled; her eyes already heavy with sleep.
I kissed her goodnight and headed to my bedroom.
I wanted to text Will, just to check in. I knew his kids were back with him. I decided to give him space. We both needed it.
The next morning, I went to The City Center to check on some final details for the bakery, boutique, and restaurant. I was going over the layout for the display cases with a contractor when I spotted Lucas across the space, deep in conversation with another worker.
I froze, suddenly realizing I’d never responded to his lunch invitation.
“Excuse me for a minute,” I said to the contractor, handing him my notes.
Lucas looked up as I approached, his easy smile breaking across his face. “Natalie,” he said, stepping toward me. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten all about me.”
“I wasn’t—well, not on purpose,” I said, feeling a little sheepish. “I meant to text you back, but things have been… busy.”
“Let me guess,” he said, leaning casually against the counter. “The children, work, and the never-ending to-do list?”
“Exactly,” I said, relaxing a little. “What brings you here?”
“I’ve been finalizing the arrangements for the opening week,” he said. “Lori suggested I stop by to ensure everything was in order. I suspect she thinks I’m a bit of a perfectionist.”
We spent the next few minutes discussing details, schedules, events, and some marketing ideas Lucas had. His calm energy and polished tone made the conversation flow casually, and I found myself smiling more than I had all week.
As we wrapped up, Lucas leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “So, what are your plans for Thanksgiving? Spending it with the children?”
“Not this year,” I said, feeling a pang of sadness. “They’ll be with their father this year. It’ll just be my sister and I.”
His face lit up. “Then you must come to mine. Jasper’s cooking, and he’s been positively itching to show off his Thanksgiving menu. Though between us, it does feel rather absurd for two Brits to be presiding over an American holiday. You and your sister are most welcome to come to tell us if we pass inspection.”
I hesitated. “I wouldn’t want to impose?—”
“Nonsense,” he interrupted. “You’d be doing us a favor. Jasper thrives on an audience, and I dare say he’s already planned far too much food. It’ll be quite relaxed, I promise.”
The idea of spending Thanksgiving alone with Meredith seemed dull in comparison. “All right,” I said finally. “That does sound lovely. Let me confirm with her, but I think we’d love to join.”
“Splendid,” Lucas said, his smile widening. Then, leaning in, he kissed me on the cheek.
I was a little caught off guard but played it off as a cultural thing.
As I walked back to the contractor, a flicker of guilt settled in my chest. Thanksgiving with Lucas and Jasper sounded easy and enjoyable, something I should have been looking forward to. But my mind wandered to Will.
We hadn’t talked all week, and even though we said we’d take things slow, everything still felt messy. Agreeing to Lucas’s invitation felt like another layer of complication, one I wasn’t sure I had the energy to unpack. What were Will and I even doing?
My phone buzzed in my pocket, snapping me out of my thoughts. I pulled it out, my heart jumping slightly when I saw Will’s name on the screen.
Will: Hope the week is going well. Let me know if you need anything.
