I shrugged. “I don’t have time for a relationship.”
“Oh, bullshit. You always made time for me.”
“You were…” I didn’t know how to finish that thought. She was right. I had made time for her, and we had a great time together. For a while, at least.
“If that head of yours is now dissecting our relationship, then you can stop it. It doesn’t matter how we ended. You making time for me was never the issue, and you know it.”
“Stop being right all the time,” I teased her, even as my stomach turned.
“Iamright all the time,” she joked right back. “But I’m serious, Sam. You, Evan, and Bethany have created this incredible family that I’m so grateful to still be a part of, even if it’s not in the way you wanted when you asked me to marry you. You can make it work. Just give him a chance.”
She got out of the van and took her bag inside. Playing with the keys, I let the music wash over me as Tammy’s words sank in. “Give him a chance.”
Wasn’t that what tomorrow was about?
One song merged into another, and all I could think of was how I was going to drag myself through my shift when Adri would sit in his corner booth, inhaling his espresso.
I got up, shook my already sore legs out, and locked the van. For once, it wouldn’t be my sore muscles that made my post-kayak shift uncomfortable. I almost made it to the door, but I couldn’t make myself go in.
Damn it. There was still time before Adri began his shift at the hub.
I got back in the van, sent Tammy a quick message—gaining a thumbs-up and a string of emojis I’d decipher later—and drove to the hotel. This had to be the second time I’d ever used the manager’s parking space.
My heart raced as I crossed the vast space toward the hotel’s elevator and paused. I couldn’t just walk up to the desk and ask for Adri’s room. Layla would never stand for it. I respected that. The guests’ privacy was important.
Asking Layla herself was tempting, but while she didn’t gossip, she was nosier than my baristas. It was none of her business. I took the stairs to the plaza and sat at the fountain, ignoring the elk and fox standing in the bushes on either side of the hotel entrance. They had appeared there a while ago, sparking more gossip from our staff about rumored royalty.
Gazing at the statue, I pretended to admire it, or at least appear to enjoy the mellow evening air. I should’ve asked for Adri’s number. Should’ve given him mine.
Wait. Hadn’t he mentioned drawing on his balcony? And trees? Only one side of the hotel faced the park. The chances offinding Adri on his balcony were slim, but it beat sitting here, waiting for someone who had no idea I was looking for him.
So, I took the path to the park and gazed up at the balconies, feeling a bit like I was stalking guests. Layla would chew me out if she caught me on camera. There were too many balconies, too many floors, but I checked them all. No Niren in sight on any of them.
I felt more than silly when I reached the end of the building. If I left now, there might still be ice cream when I got home. But as I started turning, movement drew my attention, and Adri appeared on the path. I froze mid-step and stared at him—his tall, lanky figure floating toward me, his skirt brushing the path, appearing to be lost in thought.
I almost burst out laughing. Spending all that time staring up at balconies when he hadn’t even been at the hotel.
My chest tightened when he noticed me and stopped. His expression was guarded, as if he was bracing himself. He was gorgeous, nevertheless.
Taking a breath, I took one step toward him; I couldn’t afford to let him slip away. “Hi,” I greeted him. “I was looking for you.”
Adri seemed to start at that, his eyes drifting away as if he was expecting someone behind him. I approached him and reached out my hand. He stared at me, then at my hand, confused, his own hand hovering as if he wasn’t sure what to do.
“I saw you earlier. At the river.”
He let his hand drop without even brushing mine. “You knew I was there?”
I shrugged. “There aren’t many Niren in Princedelphia.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “None. I checked.”
“Seeing my entire family must have been… overwhelming.” I held off on telling him Tammy saw him, too.
“You have a lovely family,” he said.
I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you.”
“You looked happy.”
