The clatter of silverware and hum of lunchtime chatter filled the small bistro Harper had chosen.
It was a beautiful sunny day. The walk down to the bistro was enough to ease the tension Ava felt after leaving the office with Xander.
Sunlight spilled through tall windows, painting warm stripes across the table where Ava sat opposite her best friend of twenty years.
Harper looked radiant, even with the faint shadows beneath her eyes, a lingering reminder of her time at the hospital.
There was a glow in her cheeks now, though, and a mischievous tilt to her smile as she swirled her straw in her drink. She looked happy and healthy.
“So,” Harper began, leaning forward conspiratorially. “Are we going to keep dancing around it, or are you finally going to tell me about this mystery man?”
