Luca (Chicago Blaze 2)

“You know my story now, but what about you?” I ask her. “Are you seeing anyone?”

She shrugs. “I went on a date with a finance manager last week. It was okay.”

“Huh. Are you going out with him again?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, what are you looking for in a man?”

She considers. “Not crazy. Not looking for a free personal trainer. And not married.”

I laugh and set my water bottle down. “Let’s maybe set your standards a little higher than that.”

“It’s a jungle out there, girl.” She walks back out onto the exercise mat. “Okay, another round of HIIT.”

I stand across from her, following along as she does burpees.

“Give me high explosions at the end,” she commands.

“Ugh…how about low explosions?”

“Come on,” she calls in her trademark-Percy tone, which is somehow encouraging and threatening at the same time. “Go hard, Abby.”

I push myself to keep pace with her and jump as high as I can. The thirty minutes of HIIT we do are merciless, and I’m wiped out by the time Percy brings over two yoga mats for pilates.

“Hey,” I say as we arrange our mats, “thank you for everything you did for me. Going to Chicago, helping me get home, staying with me…and not expecting me to tell you about things until I was ready.” Tears pool in my eyes yet again. “It meant a lot to me.”

Percy’s expression softens. “I think the world of you, Abby. Anytime you need me, I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, and the same goes here.”

“Okay, stretch your arms down to the floor, and sweep back up.”

Following along with the workout, I say, “Hey, I was thinking, and I’d like to set up a do-over girls’ trip for you and me.”

“Oh yeah? That’d be cool; I love Chicago.”

I sweep my arms up and glance over at her. “I was actually thinking of Fiji.”

“Fiji!?” Percy gapes at me. “As in, Fiji, Fiji? The island?”

“Yeah. We could get in some sunny R&R. Get a couple of those beach huts right on the water.”

“Ohhh, girl.” Her eyes widen. “I appreciate it so much, but that would cost a fortune. I can’t let you do that.”

I laugh and shake my head. “It’s not even a thing, trust me.”

“Yeah, but…that stuff’s expensive, Abby.”

“I’ve got it, okay? So do you want to go?”

She hesitates, then says, “Hell yeah, I want to!”

“Great. Maybe in August or September? I’m planning a trip with Luca and the kids soon, and I just missed two weeks of work so I don’t want to take back to back trips.”

“I’d love to go anytime.”

“Maybe you’ll meet a hot Fijian guy.” I give her a teasing glance. “Is that what people from Fiji are called?”

“No idea, girl. But I can’t wait to find out.” She gives me a wide grin. “A trip with Luca and the kids, huh?”

“Yeah, we’ll find someplace fun for the kids.”

I think about them as we finish our pilates. I miss them. All of them. Coming home to a quiet apartment was a big change after five days in a house with three kids.

I may get my heart broken if Luca and I don’t work out. But for now, I’m taking things as they come and hoping that maybe, this new uplifting brightness in my world is here to stay.Chapter Twenty-FiveAbbyBlue water laps at my toes, which are half-buried in wet sand. The sun seems brighter and warmer here, and life is definitely quieter and simpler.

Luca, the kids and I landed in Kauai six days ago. We’re flying out tonight, and hopefully everyone will be able to sleep on the plane until we land in Chicago.

I doubt it, though. The kids were so impressed by the plane on the trip here that they hardly stopped talking. The flight attendant served them apple juice, ice cream, sandwiches and crackers as they asked about the function of everything in sight. Their excitement was contagious.

“I wish we could stay here forever,” Emerson says, sitting down beside me.

All the kids are bronzed from their week in the sun. We’ve hiked, fished and paddle boarded, but most of our time has been spent right here, on a private beach. We swim until we’re all hungry, and then we go into our beach house and make something simple for lunch. Every night, we order in dinner, play board games and watch movies.

“I kind of do, too,” I tell Emerson. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful place.”

She looks up at me, adorable in her bright green bikini and sunglasses with purple star-shaped lenses. “Did you bring my water bottle?”

“Yep. On your beach towel under the umbrella.”

Luca and Jack emerge from the water, both dripping wet and smiling. They come over and sit down by me, and when Luca puts his arm around me, the cold water from his arm feels good on my warm skin.

“How you doing?” Luca asks me.