Page 54 of Reluctant Chemistry

“If you say so.” Molly grinned at Tayla.

“But he does have a certain something, doesn’t he?” Tayla continued the tease. “It’s those moody eyes and that knowing expression.”

CeCe smiled at the memory of Luka’s moody eyes watching her undress in the back of the Kombi. The same moody eyes that searched for her as he’d entered the library and, later, watched her from the front of the classroom. The moody eyes she’d told herself she never wanted to see again.

“Okay. Question time,” Molly said. “Who’s your ‘one that got away’?”

“Don’t look at me,” Tayla replied with a grin. “I’m a married woman, and besides, I don’t have one. How about you?”

“Ah, that would have to be Jessie, my drummer boy. He was amazing in bed—well, until he went all weird on me. I haven’t seen or heard from him since the night he told me to leave his place after professing his love for me only hours before. It’s like he dropped off the face of the earth.”

“Yeah, I remember that. Itwasweird,” CeCe said.

“So, if Luka wasn’t yourone, who was?” Molly asked.

CeCe looked up in thought and grinned. “I haven’t met him yet.” She turned to Tayla. “But getting back to Luka, I still can’t get my head around him and Mitch being friends, so please warn me if he’s going to turn up at any family gatherings.”

“He’ll be at Mitch’s birthday party next month.”

“Of course he will.” CeCe rose from the table and puffed out a sigh as she collected their plates. “Right, let’s get this cake frosted. And please, no more talk about Hot Chopper Guy. I don’t want to spoil my dessert.” She noticed the smirk on Molly’s face. “What?”

“You still have the hots for him, don’t you?”

Did she?“Yeah, my knees go weak and my heart skips a beat just thinking about him. Not!”

“Liar.”

26

The Grudge

CeCe studied her recent ‘pride and joy’ acquisition—the viscometer her parents bought her when they sold the orchard and moved to Clifton Falls back in March, two weeks before lockdown.

With the music cranked up, she was eager to get to work. But as she bent over a carton of supplies, someone knocked on the open door.

“CeCe?” he uttered her name with surprise. But that voice; she’d know it anywhere. Soft. Cultured.Turn around and look at me.

A swarm of butterflies invading her stomach, she glanced up into eyes that had once been so familiar. “Luka.” She reached for the remote and turned down the music. “Are you looking for Mitch?”

“Yes.” He checked over his shoulder as if expecting to see one of the orchard workers. But the staff had all left for the day. “I heard a noise and thought it was him. I didn’t realize he’d finished lining the lab. It looks great.”

“Thanks.” CeCe placed a jar of coconut oil on the counter and bent down for another, her hand unsteady. “I’m not sure where he is. Have you texted him?”

“Earlier, but I got held up in town.” Luka smiled as he studied the space. “I see you must have got the hang of bond energies, systems in equilibrium, and periodic trends in behavior in the end.”

She had to stop herself from smiling back. He’d remembered what she’d said to him that day in the classroom. “I did okay. I won’t say it was easy, but I managed.”

“That’s great. I’m pleased for you. So, what are the bases for your formulas?”

CeCe hesitated. At thirty-two, Luka had a relaxed air about him, a confidence that comes with knowing who you are, but he made her nervous, and she didn’t want him in her space, acting all interested and friendly. “I’m still at the testing stages. It’ll be a while before I sort that out.”

He nodded, appearing genuinely curious, but she had no desire to return the favor right now. The memory of him had fascinated her for almost five years; however, that didn’t mean she should surrender to that fascination.

“I guess one of the main things is to get the feel of it right.”

As CeCe’s hackles rose, she shot him a pointed look. “Yes, as with most things in life.”

Luka’s expression settled into a frown, his smile fading as he held her in suspension with his gaze. “Was that a dig at me?”

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