Page 7 of Bound Hearts

“Your choice of donut reminds me of my mom. She had this coconut cream pie recipe. It would take hours to make. Nobody ever found the recipe, though. She passed a few years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear. She had good taste.”

He takes a bite of his donut and seems to be at peace with the memory. Some people turn somber, but not him. “Clara Roth most definitely did. Not much of a cook except for that. Anyways, good choice, Sutton.”

It dawns on me that I haven’t heard him say my name, and when he does, it feels sinfully firm yet playful. I like it.

“I hope you are satisfied with my tour guide skills.”

“Very.” This is the man who struts around the office radiating power, yet is known to be fair, always dressed to turn heads. Except now? I get to see him as the man in dark jeans, eating his favorite donut. Yet, the swagger never leaves him, no matter what version of him you get.

“Hey, Sutton,” I hear a man call out, and I turn to see Danny, a guy I went to high school with. Well, actually, we dated for a bit when we were teenagers.

I dread this conversation, and the impeccable timing that we would randomly cross paths. We have before, since he still lives in town and I come to visit my parents.

I tip my nose up to acknowledge him. “Oh, hey.” He approaches, and I feel a heavy set of eyes to my left. Foster is assessing him.

Danny is wearing a beanie, a plaid shirt, and a body warmer. “I thought that was you. Back for the weekend to see your folks?”

“Yeah, real quick. I have things to do,” I say bluntly.

“Shame. Some of the guys and I are heading to the bar tonight, and you’re welcome to join.”

I smile awkwardly. “All good. I’m too busy.” My tone is bristly.

Danny quickly looks at Foster, hesitates for a second, but then ignores him. “Our loss. Hopefully, you’re not staying in and being a bookworm. Remember back in the day? Always busy with the school paper.”

I swipe my tongue along my teeth because I’m in no mood to have a blast from the past. “Well, good to see you, have fun, and say hi to your ex-wife for me.” I smile tightly.

Danny smiles easily because he takes life in stride. “Will do. See ya.” He walks away, and I blow out a long breath.

When I turn back, Foster is standing there with a smirk, clearly entertained. “Do you always wish greetings to ex-wives of someone who clearly has a thing for you?”

“When it’s your high school boyfriend who had no clue how to use his hands, then yes, I do. I’m not missing out on anything, trust me.”

Foster bursts out with a laugh. “You don’t hold back, do you?”

I shrug and consider one aspect. “Sorry. This is probably wildly inappropriate since you’re one of the higher-ups at the company where I work.”

“I’m off the clock, we can call this our friends are getting married, so we need to familiarize ourselves with each other before that whole wedding of the year takes center stage.”

“Solid point.”

Finally, I take one giant bite of my donut, and I let myself enjoy the sugar load. However, I notice that Foster has one eye squinted, and he seems to be studying me.

I slow the chewing in my stuffed mouth, aware that he is processing something in his smart brain. “Yes?” I mumble.

He lifts a finger into the air. “I’ve figured you out.”

Swallowing, I laugh. “As in?”

“I couldn’t quite pinpoint if you are carefree, bubbly, or hiding. So let me guess.” He rubs his chin, pretending to contemplate. “In high school, you were doing the school paper, probably debate team, too?”

I begin to beam a smile. “You might be right. I needed as many extracurriculars as I could to ensure I got into a good college with a scholarship. Not all of us have parents who give endowments.”

He tilts his head slightly to the side and quirks his lips in agreement. “Exactly. You worked hard and you’re smart, and now you have a career you probably dreamed about. You feel comfortable with your checklist checked, and that’s why you are so laid-back for a lawyer.”

“Only out of the office,” I remind him. “Mr. Psychologist, interesting. Didn’t have that as your hidden skill.”