Page 54 of Tempt My Heart

How could that bastard have pretended to love her and then dothis?

So many memories, burned away carelessly. Her mom was safe though, and that was what mattered.

“Are you okay?”

“I want to string Jared up by his balls,” she growled out and then tried to release a deep breath in an effort to calm down.

“That’s… graphic?”

“He deserves it.”

“No arguments here,” Christopher said, tucking his chin on top of her head. “Do you think your mom will repair it? Or just sell?”

“I don’t know,” she murmured, hadn’t even thought about it. “Everything that made this place special has kind of been ruined now, to an extent. So maybe she’ll fix it up and then sell.”

“I’m sorry, Ali.”

“Thank you.”

She turned away from the window with a sigh, not wanting to look at the destruction any longer. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, I know we drove all this way. I just didn’t expect it to be as bad as this. He didn’t just light a match, he tried to raze this place to the ground.”

“Well, he failed.”

“Not by much,” she murmured and shook her head. “What’s done is done. I guess I just have to focus on what’s important now.”

“And what’s that?”

She smiled slowly and it felt twisted on her face. “Luring that asshole to Napa.”

They walked back to the car and hadn’t been driving for very long when Christopher indicated to pull over.

“What are you doing?”

His eyes were focused on the road, but there was a soft expression on his face that she knew was for her. “We’re detouring toLola’s.”

Ali blinked. “That’s my favorite coffee place.”

“I know.”

After the traffic cleared a little, Christopher parked the car a short walk from the coffee house and gestured for her to stay where she was. He was back in under ten minutes with a coffee and bakery bag.

She sniffed and nearly salivated. “Are those cinnamon buns?”

“Yep. And a latte with oat milk.”

“You’re incredible,” she murmured, taking a sip and groaning. When he started the car and turned in the wrong direction for his place she frowned. “Are these break-up buns?” Wait. Were they eventogetherenough to make them break-up buns?

He snorted. “No.”

“Then why aren’t we going to your place?”

“Because I’ve had half a dozen texts from Freya and Jesse since you’ve been gone and, by the way, I have no idea how they got my number which is more than a little unnerving. They’re worried about you, so I’m taking you home and then I’ll come back for you later.”

She swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

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