Page 33 of When We Are Complete

Liam lifts his beer in greeting. “You decided to join us. Thought you’d bail.”

I slide into the chair across from them, setting my beer down. “I don’t have long, fellas. Adele finishes up rehearsal in about forty-five minutes.” Taking a long sip of my beer, I hope it’ll dull the edge of everything swirling in my head.

Liam raises an eyebrow. “So we heard two things today. One, that you won the contract—congrats, by the way—and two, that the new event planner you’ll be working with is none other than Kelly Charleston.”

I shoot them both a warning glance, but it’s too late—Liam’s already grinning like a kid with a secret. “Come on. Spill. What happened today? Do you go for round two?”

Antonio shakes his head, laughing. “I still can’t believe Kelly’s back. It’s gotta be driving you crazy, especially after what happened at the wedding.”

I try to shrug it off, but it comes out weak. “We’re just working together on the festival. That’s it. Nothing more.”

Liam smirks, leaning his elbows on the table. “Is that what you’re telling yourself? Because I’d swear Jake and Kelly 2.0 was on the cards after that hookup.”

I rub a hand over my face, forcing a laugh. “No 2.0. Just business.”

Antonio raises an eyebrow, giving me that look—the one that says he’s onto me. “You sure about that? Because, man, you look as though you’re trying to convince yourself more than us.”

Liam leans back, crossing his arms. “Yeah, and honestly, you’re failing miserably.”

I stare at my beer, thoughts bubbling up—how much I still want her, how every time I see her, the years we were apart vanish. And yes, I want nothing more than to turn whatever spark we have left into something real. But giving these guys more ammo? Not a chance.

“You two ever think of minding your own business?” I lean back in my chair. “Maybe if you focused on your own dating lives, you wouldn’t be spending so much time poking at mine.”

They laugh, Antonio clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Touché. But don’t think we’re not watching.”

They steer the conversation toward Liam’s latest fling, and their voices fade as my thoughts turn back to Kelly. Just knowing she’s here in Harbor’s Edge makes it feel like the universe has set me back on track.

I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I’m willing to wait. She’s worth it.

Chapter 18

Kelly

A week later,I stride into the mayor’s office, notebook clutched as a shield, trying to focus on anything but the fact that Jake is already here. He’s sitting in front of the mayor’s desk in one of the visitor chairs, ankles crossed, exuding that effortless confidence.

He’s so capable without it ever being pushed in anyone’s face. A fixer, good with his hands. And it doesn’t help that he’s still the most maddeningly handsome man I’ve ever seen.

I make the mistake of looking right at him, and he shoots me a wide smile. His dark hair is slightly tousled, jawline scruffed, and those dark eyes—intense, focused—stare as though I’m the only person in the room.

My heart does this stupid little skip—traitor—but I ignore it and plaster on myI’m a professionalsmile as I take a seat beside Jake, both of us facing the mayor.

“Kelly, Jake.” The mayor’s eyes flick between the two of us. “So glad you could make this progress meeting.”

“Elaine,” I say respectfully. “I’ve brought the latest updates on the festival arrangements.”

“Fantastic.” The mayor beams, but there’s a steeliness in her gaze, and I’m going to have to pull out the big guns if I’m going to get her stamp of approval.

“First,” I say, ticking off points on my fingers while ignoring how close Jake’s sitting, “we’ve reached out to local artisans for the craft booths, and the food vendors are submitting proposals in the next few days—mostly organic and sustainable, of course.”

The mayor nods, and I continue to list my progress to date, before Jake gives an update on the installations. They’ve achieved a lot in only a week. The mayor also looks impressed, and she takes a moment to remind us of her grand vision, that this needs to be the kind of event that’ll have social media influencers flocking to Harbor’s Edge. “Every detail must be perfect.”

I scribble furiously in my planner. “Understood, Elaine.”

“I don’t think I can overstate this: the Founder’s Day Festival has to be monumental. We’re talking about reviving a town that’s been sucker-punched by Mother Nature and then kicked while it was down.”

The weight of her expectations tangle with a familiar knot in my stomach, the kind that tightens with each mention ofmonumentalandperfect. Thankfully, I have a good poker face.

“Got it.” My hand reaches out, unconsciously tapping twice on the oak table. “Bigger and better on every front.”

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