I lifted my chin slightly, refusing to let him see how much his question rattled me. “It’s work, Will. I’m here to do a job.”
He nodded, his expression unreadable. “Good. Me too.”
That evening, I sat in my new office, trying to focus on sketches for the restaurants. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting back to the meeting.
Seeing him again had been harder than I expected. And knowing we’d be working together—regularly, closely—felt like walking into a storm I wasn’t sure I’d survive.
But this project was my chance to prove myself, to finally step into the career I’d always dreamed of. I couldn’t afford to let anything, not even Will, derail me.
At least, that’s what I told myself.
CHAPTER 4
ACCENT PIECES
NATALIE
Seeing Will had thrown me into a little tailspin. I’d just started to feel like I was leaving him behind, stepping out of the emotional fog and back into my life. Nobody really knew what had happened between us except Camille and Meredith, my younger sister. I’d filled them in on all the messy details—how I’d ended things, how I couldn’t give Will what he wanted, how I felt trapped betweentwolives.
And now,tworun-ins with him in one week.
I couldn’t believe how quickly he’d moved on. Not that he didn’t have every right to. The last time we were together, I was still married. I was the one who ended things for good. Still, seeing him with someone else was a gut punch I hadn’t prepared for. It wasn’t jealousy exactly; it was more complicated than that.
I wondered how Kelly felt about the new woman in his life. Will and Kelly had a history, a shared life with their kids.Did Kelly know about her?
And this woman, she must mean something if Will was bringing her to school. His kids must know her well. That thought was harder to digest than I expected.
But I didn’t want to be bitter. Will deserved to be happy. I’d made my choice, and I couldn’t have it both ways. It was time to get my life back on track.
It was a fresh day, and I needed to focus on the new restaurant.In the morning, I headed to Moda, the tile store. I’d already visited the day before to pick out some initial samples and finalize the design. I wanted to be prepared. Lucas Bennett, the restaurant’s investor, was meeting me there.
When I arrived, Lucas wasn’t there yet. Perfect. That gave me a little time to wander the showroom and see if inspiration struck. The restaurant’s kitchen would be exposed to customers, so it needed to make a statement. I’d been toying with the idea of whitewashed subway tile paired with brassaccents, but I wanted to see if there were any other options that caught my eye.
I was pulling samples, laying them out, and mixing and matching when I heard a voice behind me.
“Are you Natalie?”
I turned, startled, and saw a man standing there. He had a Britishaccentand happened to be gorgeous—green eyes and features so perfectly balanced they seemed almost unfair. His hair was hazelnut-brown and thick, parted slightly to the side, with one longer strand brushing his forehead.
“I… uh, yes, I’m Natalie,” I stammered, suddenly feeling like a teenager meeting a movie star.
“Lucas Bennett,” he said, extending a hand. “I believe you’re the mastermind behind today’s ideas?”
I smiled, trying to pull myself together. “I was just pulling some samples and putting a few concepts together. Let me show you.”
As I laid out my initial vision, Lucas’s eyes lit up.
“Brilliant,” he said. “I love this.”
“I have a few more ideas I can show you too,” I offered, feeling a flush of pride.
“No need,” he said, gesturing to the samples. “I think you’ve nailed it. And the green woodwork idea you mentioned? Absolutely inspired. Paired with the tiles and brass, it’s exactly the look we’re after. Lori said you were talented, but I didn’t realize you’d be this good.”
“Well, thank you,” I said, feeling a little flustered by the compliment. “I’ve already triple-checked the measurements and gone over everything with the contractor. Once we finalize the selections, I’ll work on putting the order together. Most of this is in stock, so it should arrive in three tofourweeks.”
“Perfect,” Lucas said, his gaze steady. “May I ask you another question?”
“Of course,” I said, smiling.
