She laughed, the sound drawing curious glances from employees passing by. The office was still adjusting to this new version of Ronan Wilder—one with edges that didn’t cut so sharply, one who lingered instead of retreating. It was a far cry from the icy, unapproachable figure they’d all come to fear. Now they were witnessing a far more unsettling development: Ronan Wilder, in love.
“I have meetings until two,” he said, checking his watch with barely concealed reluctance. “Dinner tonight?”
“I’d like that,” she replied. “But I promised Lucy I’d stop by the bakery after work. I haven’t seen her since?—”
“Since before my last trip to Martha’s Vineyard,” he finished, the stern lines around his eyes seeming to ease. “You should go. She’ll want details.”
“Oh, she’ll demand them,” she said with a grin. “Along with a full character assessment of you.”
“Should I be worried?” he asked, only half-joking.
“Absolutely terrified.”
He laughed—a real, unrestrained laugh that transformed his face and sent a ripple of whispers across the office. Ronan Wilder, laughing at 8:47 in the morning? The world had turned upside down.
“Well then, you enjoy some time,” he said, backing toward his office with a lingering glance. “But how about I pick you both up at seven and join you for dinner?”
“That sounds great. I’ll let her know. She’s been waiting for this moment since I first mentioned your name.”
He stepped in and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
“I’d better get to that meeting,” he said, like he hadn’t short-circuited her morning. And like that, he was gone.
The morning slippedby in a flurry of emails, meetings, and phone calls. But no matter how focused she tried to be, her eyes kept drifting to the sunflowers Ronan made sure were on her desk always. They were impossible to ignore—a bright, cheerful reminder that her life had changed in ways she was still trying to understand.
Julia from Accounting stopped by three times with increasingly flimsy excuses, each visit ending with a pointed glance at the flowers and a failed attempt at casual questioning.
By lunchtime, she’d fielded so many inquiries about her relationship status that she was understanding why Ronan preferred the sanctuary of his glass-walled office. Privacy was a precious commodity in the corporate fishbowl, especially when you were dating the CEO.
Dating. The word still felt strange—inadequate for what had bloomed between them during those moments of pretending and discovery. They were beyond dating, though not at the stage the fake engagement had suggested. They existed in some undefined space between, finding their footing in reality after so long in fiction.
Her phone buzzed as she finished her salad at her desk.
LUCY: Flour delivery running late. Might need to push back our dinner by 30 mins. Still coming, right? I need DETAILS.
She smiled and typed back.
DEVNEY: Wouldn’t miss it. And prepare yourself. Ronan’s joining us. He’ll meet us at the bakery at 7:00.
The typing dots appeared. Vanished. Returned.
LUCY: WHAT?! The ice king cometh to my humble bakery? Am I allowed to ask inappropriate questions?
DEVNEY: Within reason.
Devney pictured Ronan’s face when confronted with Lucy’s unfiltered curiosity.
DEVNEY: Go easy on him. He’s still new to all this.
LUCY: No promises. See you tonight.
The afternoon crawled by,her anticipation growing with each passing hour. Not for Lucy’s reaction to Ronan, but for this next step in their relationship—introducing him to the most important person in her life. It felt like blending two worlds that had existed in parallel until now, and she wondered if bringing them together would be awkward.
At exactly 5:45, she gathered her things and stopped by Ronan’s office. He was on the phone, his brow furrowed in concentration, but the focused intensity in his face gave way to a warmer look the moment he spotted her in the doorway. She gestured she was heading out, not wanting to interrupt what looked like an important call.
Without warning, Ronan held up a finger—wordlessly asking her to wait—then turned back to his call.
“Davis, I need to put you on hold.” He pressed a button on his phone and crossed to where she stood.
