His wife.

“Excuse me?” I said, the words coming out of me weak and thin.

“I’m Gracie.” She smiled a friendly, polite smile. “Lukas is my husband.” She hesitated a moment, then asked, “Are you a friend of his? Should I get him?”

My mouth dropped open at her words.

Here I was, dressed in a red silk blouse, a narrow skirt and a pair of fuck me heels, and she was offering to get her husband.

Suddenly, I understood what an oh, honey moment was.

I wanted to start sobbing out an apology, but when I spoke, the words that came flying out were anything but an apology.

After all, I wasn’t the one who’d made vows.

That was her fucking husband.

“Your husband is a lying, cheating bastard, Gracie.” That said, I turned on the heel of one of the fuck me heels I’d bought with Lukas in mind and stormed back to my car.

She called out behind me, but I ignored her.

I had to get out of here before I started to scream.

She’d asked if I was a friend of his.

And what pissed me off was the fact that I couldn’t even say yes.

* * *

There was something to be said about long, monotonous drives in cool, clear mountain air.

They proved to be very eye-opening.

I’d had some reservations about moving to Denver from the beginning. After the plane crash, they’d gotten stronger, but I’d never been one to quit just because things seemed hard. Then there was the mess between Aaron and Terri. Well, at that point, it would have felt like quitting, but maybe I should have just been okay with quitting.

Mom and Dad had told me they wanted me to get experience elsewhere before I went into the family business, and I understood the sense behind that, although I sometimes thought it was more that they’d rather I had my first major fuck-ups elsewhere than with the family non-profit.

But I’d actually had job offers while I was still in school. Maybe it was time to look into one of those. I didn’t need Aaron or my family name to get me a job. I could do it – had done it – on my own.

And one thing was clear…I was done with Denver.

I should have left after the plane crash, and if not then, after finding Aaron and Terri practically in the act.

But I was a glutton for punishment.

By the time I pulled up in front of the small condo complex where Breanna lived, I’d made my decision.

I was quitting the firm. I’d wrapped up the project for the non-profit. What few odds and ends needed to be dealt with, Breanna could handle. She had more experience than I did anyway. I’d write up my resignation and send it off…fuck two weeks notice.

Something of what I was feeling must have shown on my face because Breanna took one look at me and the spoon full of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream froze halfway between the carton and her mouth. “What is it?” she asked warily.

“Men,” I said, my voice full of venom. “They suck.”

Without bothering to elaborate, I continued onto my bedroom and sat down on the bed with my laptop.

I wasn’t surprised when Breanna appeared in the doorway. She lazily ate another spoon of ice cream as she watched me, swallowing before she asked, “Is this about Aaron?”

“No.” I shot her a look and debated less than fifteen seconds before I answered, “Lukas.”

Her brows shot up into her hairline, and once more, the spoon froze. It was empty this time, and to my surprise, she ended up putting it into the carton and leaving it there as she came closer. “You and Lukas?” she whispered. She pumped a fist in the air. “I knew there was something going on between you two! I could smell it. The chemistry…the pheromones…” She fanned a hand in front of her face, then went back to her ice cream. “So. What did he do?”

I bared my teeth at her. “He forgot to mention he was married?”

This time, the spoon didn’t freeze. She did, and her hands must have gone numb, because the ice cream and spoon slid right out of her hands and hit the floor.

She didn’t even notice. After a few seconds, she blinked and rubbed her eyes. “What did you say?”

Instead of answering, I pointed to the floor. “You’re wasting good calories.”

She scowled and scooped up the pint carton and spoon, turning around and hurrying into the kitchen.

While she was gone, I launched the word processing program on my computer and started typing up my resignation letter. She was back before I finished and done with cleaning up the small mess the ice cream had made. As she sat down next to me, I tried to ignore the press of guilt. I didn’t really want to leave one of the few friends I’d made.

But those few friends weren’t worth the misery that had come along with this job.

The plane wreck.

Finding out my boyfriend was cheating on me.

Then finding out I’d been made into the other woman.

“You’re leaving,” Breanna said softly, resting her head on my shoulder.

I knew she had to be reading the scathing resignation, but I didn’t do anything to stop her.

Instead, I answered her question. “Other than you and a couple of other friends, I really haven’t found much reason to stay. Now this thing with Lukas…” I shook my head. “It’s too much, Bree. It’s just too much.”

She was silent as I finished typing up the letter.

Skimming it once, I decided it was good enough. I saved it before opening my email. Without giving myself time to think, I drafted a quick note to Lukas and the head of human resources, then attached the letter. I huffed out a breath as I hit send, then closed my laptop.

“Feel better?” Breanna asked quietly.

“No.” Looking around my room, I took in the bedroom suite I’d just bought, the few furnishings I’d allowed myself to get as I tried to make this strange place into a home. I hadn’t even had a chance. “But I will sooner or later. You want to keep the bedroom suite? Maybe use this as a guest bedroom?”

She gaped at me.

I shrugged. “It’s not a big deal, but I can arrange to have it transported back home if you don’t.”

Which was smarter since I’d need it for when I found myself an apartment because I wouldn’t stay with my parents any longer than necessary, that was certain.

“Um…I’ll think about it,” she said slowly. Then she grinned. “Maybe I’ll donate mine and take yours.”

I laughed. It almost felt good.

Rising, I went to lug my suitcase out of the closet, one of the nice things about the condo where Breanna lived. It was spacious and open, the kind of place I’d probably have to pay three times as much for to get in New York. Which meant I wouldn’t get anything like this right away. My parents would float me the money, but until I got the bulk of my trust fund at twenty-five, I had to be careful.

“Anything I can help with?” Breanna asked, her voice husky.

I glanced up and saw that her eyes were wet. I went to her and hugged her. “I’ll miss you.”

She hugged me back. “Let’s get this done before I try to talk you out of it,” she said, pulling back almost immediately.

We worked in silence for almost twenty minutes and would have likely kept that up until we were done if it wasn’t for the ringing of the doorbell.

Breanna sniffed and looked at me, grimacing. “Do you mind? I don’t do goodbyes well, and I looked awful now.”

I nodded and paused to hug her again before slipping out of the bedroom.

Shooting a quick glance at the clock, I saw that it was almost nine. I didn’t think Breanna was expecting anybody, and I knew I wasn’t so I had no idea who it was because I knew it wouldn’t be Lukas.

I sure wouldn’t have minded a pizza delivery guy right then though.

My belly rumbled demandingly, almost on cue, as I opened the door. Face flushed with embarrassment, I went to greet my visitor.

But the words froze on my tongue.

It was Gracie.

Lukas’s wife.