Love and Business

Chapter 2:BBQ Ending

Liz stood there for a moment, frozen, her hand still clutching her glass of iced tea. The faint taste of Rob’s kiss lingered on her lips, a surprising warmth spreading through her chest that she couldn’t quite place. Her mind raced, replaying the soft pressure of his mouth against hers, the way his breath had mixed with hers in that brief, stolen moment.

She couldn’t remember the last time a kiss had made her feel so… uncertain. But it wasn’t a bad feeling—it was thrilling. She could still feel the heat of him, the strength in his presence, and the undeniable connection that had sparked between them, as though the years apart had only sharpened the intensity of what was always there.

Taking a deep breath, Liz set the glass down on the stone railing and made her way back inside. The low murmur of conversation and the clink of silverware on plates greeted her as she entered the warmth of the house. The laughter of old friends, the sizzle of food, the comfort of familiar faces—everything seemed a little brighter, a little more electric now.

She spotted Rob across the room, laughing with his father, Mark King, as they clinked their glasses together in a toast. Rob looked at ease, his usual confident self, but there was something different in his smile tonight. His eyes darted briefly toward her, and she could feel his gaze like a spark against her skin. He smiled and gave her a slight nod, as though silently acknowledging their shared moment.

Liz quickly turned her attention elsewhere, her heart beating just a little faster. She felt the undeniable pull to him again, but she wasn’t ready to confront it yet—not in front of all these people. It wasn’t the right time.

But then again, was there ever a right time?

She tried to focus on the conversations around her—Allison and Rebecca were chatting with some of the other guests, looking as effortlessly gorgeous as always. Liz caught Allison’s eye, and her best friend shot her a grin, her dark eyes dancing with mischief.

Liz gave a small, distracted wave before moving to the snack table. She could hear Rebecca teasing Archer in the background, their playful bickering filling the space with easy laughter. Liz didn’t mind the distractions. She needed to focus, to ground herself, because everything felt too… intense. Too new. Too much.

“Liz!” a voice called from behind her, pulling her from her thoughts.

She turned to find Rob standing a few feet away, his broad shoulders framed by the doorway. He looked like he’d stepped right out of some cowboy romance novel—tall, rugged, and effortlessly handsome.

“Everything okay?” he asked, his tone a little too casual, almost as if he were trying to seem unaffected.

Liz hesitated before answering. “Yeah, just… a lot to take in, I guess. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back in Dallas. I forgot how… familiar everything feels.”

His gaze softened. “I get it,” he said. “It’s easy to slip back into old habits, old ways of thinking when you’re here. But I’m glad you’re back. It feels like… like we can pick up where we left off.”

Her pulse quickened at his words, and she smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Maybe. I don’t know if anything can really pick up where we left off. Too much has changed.”

He nodded slowly, stepping closer. “Maybe. But it feels like we still understand each other, doesn’t it?”

Liz swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. There was no denying the way he’d always been a constant in her life, and in that brief kiss, it felt like everything had circled back to this moment, this undeniable pull toward him. She couldn’t ignore it, no matter how much she tried to.

“I guess we’ll see,” she said, offering him a quiet smile.

Rob’s eyes searched hers, and for a moment, Liz thought he might say something more, something that would break the delicate barrier between them. But instead, he glanced down at his watch and then back to her with a small sigh.

“I should probably get back to the grill before my father accuses me of slacking off,” Rob said with a light laugh, trying to diffuse the tension that had thickened between them. “But I’m glad you’re here, Liz. It’s nice seeing you again.”

Liz nodded. “It is nice,” she agreed, though her voice felt distant, as if she were speaking from a place far away.

As he walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this night would be one she’d remember for a long time. The kiss, the unspoken words, the connection she hadn’t expected but felt so deeply. Everything felt like it was shifting beneath her feet.

Later that evening, after the last guests had begun to trickle out, Liz found herself standing outside again, staring up at the night sky. The stars above were so clear, so bright, reminding her of her childhood. And yet, something had changed. She couldn’t deny it.

She wasn’t sure what she was doing here, or where things were going between her and Rob. The lines between business and pleasure had already blurred, and that kiss—unexpected, tender—had thrown her into a whirlwind of emotions she hadn’t been prepared for.

“Did I just make a mistake?” she whispered to the night.

But as the soft breeze ruffled her hair, Liz realized that maybe the mistake wasn’t kissing him—it was not doing it sooner.