The morning sun was almost milky behind a soft white haze of cloud. Sally sat against the window of Lulu’s Cafe, playing eye tennis between the street traffic passing by and the person she was sharing breakfast with. Oscar was telling her about his education at an all-boys boarding school. She’d heard one of the stories before, but the one about sneaking a stray puppy into their dorm room was new. He was very entertaining and Sally smiled, enjoying his funny antics. It was all so British and foreign to her, but his smooth voice and charming accent held her attention.

She was glad she’d called him.

She’d opted for breakfast, feeling it was the safest meal. It felt less like a date and definitely less romantic than a candlelit dinner. She was sure Oscar would’ve arranged something like that if she’d let him, but shifting from family friend to an intimate date was a little like whiplash. He’d made the transition pretty easily, which made Sally wonder if he’d been secretly harboring feelings for her for a while.

“Anyway, enough about me.” Oscar waved his hand in front of his face. “I want to know what you were like as a child. Your father always says how sweet and gentle you are. Were you always that way? I bet you were the kid everyone loved.”

Sally chuckled and shook her head. “I may’ve been sweet, but I wasn’t gentle. I was always too busy trying to keep up with my brother Emmett.” She tipped her head back. “Oh, man, he was my superhero, and I must’ve been so annoying, constantly following him around. He was really good about it. Annabelle, she was the lady. She’d rather paint nails than play soccer.”

“Yes, I definitely know that.” Oscar grinned. “Although you still strike me as very elegant.”

Sally blushed and shook her head. “You’re too nice. I just get so sick of Mom and Annabelle harping on about the fact that I’m a grown woman now. I basically wear a little makeup and brush my hair just to keep them off my back.”

Oscar laughed. “I love your family. You’re all so involved in each other’s lives.”

“Yes, we’re close. Some probably think we live too much in each other’s pockets.”

Nate always had.

“I think it’s lovely. I come from a family where affection like that was never encouraged. My boarding school mates were more family than my own parents were.”

“You don’t have any siblings, do you?”

Oscar tipped his head, then gave an awkward shake. “Sadly, I’m all alone.”

“Oh, that’s right. The car accident. You lost your parents.” Sally’s heart pulsed with sympathy. “That must’ve been really hard.”

“It was. Very sudden and traumatic. It took me a while to find my feet. Actually, that’s one of the reasons I came to America. I just needed a change, to get away and start afresh. With my grandmother being a Chicago native, I managed to secure a work visa. Things just sort of snowballed from there, and then I got that entry-level job at Richmond Construction.” His lips twitched with pride.

“You’ve worked your way up the ranks pretty fast, but my dad adores you.”

“He’s an amazing man.” Oscar’s smile was broad and grateful.

Sally shrugged. “He knows quality when he sees it.”

Oscar brushed her compliment away with a shy smile. “Your family has been so wonderful, welcoming me in the way you have.”

His expression helped Sally understand why he was so drawn to her family. It was kind of sweet.

A figure paused by the table, her long fingers smoothing down her black apron as she asked, “Is everything good here? Can I get you more tea?”

Sally glanced up at Rosie and smiled. Blaine’s girlfriend had really grown in confidence the last few months. It was so nice to see. She remembered her from high school. They’d run in very different circles and hadn’t had anything to do with each other. But since dating Blaine, they’d shared a few meals, and Sally discovered that she really liked her.

“No, I’m good. Thanks, Rosie.”

“I’ll take a top up of tea, if that’s alright.” Oscar held up his cup and saucer.

“No problem.” Rosie took it with a grin and walked away to refill it. She shared a quick glance with Sally that told her she thought his accent was cute or he was cute…or something to that effect.

He really was.

Leaning his elbows on the table, his sparkling brown eyes gave her his full attention. “So you were a bit of a tomboy, then, I take it?”

“Yeah, you could say that. I’m pretty sure my mother was close to giving up on making a lady out of me, but high school and crushes on boys helped bring out my feminine side.”

Oscar laughed and clapped his hands together before asking her another question.

He really seemed interested in her, and she was struggling to adjust to being the center of someone’s attention for such a length of time. Being one of four, she’d always been competing, and then with Nate and his work, she was used to being an afterthought. He was able to ask her about her day and focus for most of her report back, but within minutes his eyes would start to drift, and his mind was back on whatever case he was currently working.

Sally had learned to keep things short and simple, but Oscar just kept on asking for more details.

She was halfway through a story of a family trip to Hawaii where she’d been stung by a jellyfish when Oscar’s phone rang. She stopped immediately and pointed to his ringing pocket. “I’ll let you get that.”

“It can wait.” He tapped his pocket and let the phone ring.

She raised her eyebrows. “I really don’t mind.”

With a gentle smile, he reached across the table and took her hand, lightly running his thumb over her knuckles. “I’m in a very important meeting right now. Whoever’s trying to call me can wait.”

Her swallow was thick as she blinked and started tracing the grooves in the table with her free hand.

“So, that jellyfish…how mean was he?”

Sally blinked and struggled to smile. Oscar’s warm fingers around hers felt foreign and out of place. She was used to Nate’s slightly rough hands, the soft calluses and broad fingers. She could still remember the feel of them tracing every inch of her body. His tamed strength, his protective tenderness. Her body still yearned for those moments.

But they wouldn’t come anymore, because she’d walked away.

“Sally?” Oscar lightly shook her hand.

She swallowed, forcing Nate from her mind. “That jelly was mean,” she finally said. “Really mean, and then of course Emmett wanted to pee on me because apparently that takes the sting away. You can imagine my reaction to that.”

Oscar chuckled. “I bet you screamed the beach down.”

Sally grinned. An image of Nate’s face flashed through her mind. When she’d told him the jellyfish story, he’d kissed her cheek and playfully whispered, “I would’ve peed on you, baby. Anything to make the pain stop.”

She’d melted at those words, her breathy giggle swallowed by his kiss. Nate had always affected her so strongly.

But Oscar was sweet too, just in a different way.

Besides, he was there. He was attentive. Those were all good things.

Nate wasn’t part of her life anymore. Was she always going to pine for him?

She was aware the break up was still fresh and she shouldn’t feel pressured to rush into something new, but the idea of missing him with such intensity was a heavy burden…especially when the chances of reality changing were slim. Nate was married to his work, which left no room for her.

Maybe moving on would help dampen the pain.

Would being with Oscar help her get the life she wanted?

Or would Nate always be with her, no matter what, haunting her moments and making it hard to breathe?