“Listen, I just came to talk,” he finally says. “If you don’t want to, I understand.” I can't look away from him; his presence is too overwhelming, too filled with a history I’ve been trying to ignore. “You came to talk? Really? Because last time we talked, you made it abundantly clear how you fel
Karl “Watch it, you’re massacring those veggies,” John calls out, glancing over from the stove where he’s sauteeing some garlic and mushrooms. I chuckle, adjusting my grip on the knife. I’m supposed to be julienning some peppers, but instead I’ve lost my train of thought and accidentally begun d
“And you know how much this competition means to her,” my wolf retorts. “If you ever plan on winning her back, you need to show support. Show that you care. And not just about yourself.” “I do care for her,” I shoot back defensively, but my wolf has already withdrawn, leaving me alone with my thou
Abby “Let me help you.” Karl’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. Karl, of all people, wants to help me prepare for the competition that we were only just arguing about? I can’t believe it. “You’re joking,” I murmur. Karl shakes his head, his eyes darting down to the failure of a souffle sit
But I quickly shake off the idea. No, he doesn’t have enough experience. It would be silly for me to choose him as my sous chef. Right? … The next morning, Chloe greets me with a steaming cup of coffee as I walk into the restaurant. “Morning, boss lady. How are you today?” “Good, actually,”
Abby Chloe leaving sends me into a spiral. Hot tears begin to prick at the backs of my eyes as I watch her fading form. Some of my other employees are starting to trickle in, with Daisy at the helm, who nearly ran face-first into the slamming door as Chloe brushed past her without so much as a g
Karl I step out of Abby’s office, my heart still pounding. It’s like a battlefield in there with emotional shrapnel all over the place. But I’m not naive enough to think I’m a mere bystander, oh no. I’m pretty sure I’m the damn cannon that fired the first shot. “Big moment, huh?” My wolf’s voi
Abby My hand freezes on the spreadsheet I’m working on when I hear a knock on my door. A soft, hesitant one that’s almost drowned out by the evening chatter of the restaurant. My heart instantly jumps to my throat. Is it Karl? Has he decided to make another appearance? But when I open the door,
Abby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
Abby “Abby, why don’t you sit down?” Karl looks up at me from where he’s sitting on the sofa, a look of concern on his face. He pats the spot next to him, but I shake my head. “I can’t,” I say, continuing to pace back and forth in our living room. “I won’t sit down until I hear back about that
Abby As I chop, stir, melt, and saute, the others stand around me, watching intently. The pasta simmers on the stove, the air smelling like warm butter and spices. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water. But my focus isn’t on the rumbling in my belly, nor is it even on the lingering pain in my
As we continue searching, I keep thinking back on our last harrowing hunt for black truffles; those poachers nearly shot us. Even now, I can still remember the sound of the bullets whizzing past my head, and the thuds they made when they careened into trees. “We got really lucky,” I say. “If we ha