Page 19 of Dream Chaser

I’d never been one to beat around the bush, but I sensed it wasn’t the time to satisfy my curiosity.

The paella arrived, and Nova dug right in. I held back a grin—she was eating so fast it was like she’d never eaten anything so delicious. I brought a forkful to my mouth—not bad. Definitely better than the frozen paellas some overpriced restaurants fooled tourists with in Spain.

“What’s your verdict?” I asked once the food was gone.

Nova speared a single grain of rice with her fork. “It’s the first time I’ve tried it. It’s really good.”

“It’s decent,” I said. “I’ll make sure you try paella in Spain next week so you can compare.”

“Next week,” Nova echoed as if it was the first time she’d heard about the race, even though I’d attached the racing schedule to the very first email I’d sent her.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, Mr. Guerrero. None.”

Mr. Guerrero. Better than man and bro, but it made me feel older than I was.

“Alejandro,” I said. “We don’t really use the mister thing in Spain much.”

She glanced up from her plate. “I’m sorry, mister—Alejandro.”

Nova was still uncomfortable in my presence, but I had no clue how to change that without risking being accused of workplace harassment.

“Tell me about the changes to Asher’s marketing strategy you mentioned.” Work was a safe topic, and it’d hopefully put her at ease.

“I think he could benefit from more personal content,” she said. “His fans might want to see more of him beyond the required posts.”

It was good to know we were on the same page—I’d been telling Asher exactly that since he started racing for Vortex. Now that he was more famous, the changes Nova mentioned made lots of sense.

“Agreed,” I said. “Anything else?”

The buzz of a phone rose over the cries of seagulls and the chatter of patrons at nearby tables.

“Sorry,” Nova mumbled, reaching into her purse. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she glanced at the screen.

“You can take it,” I offered.

“Thanks,” she said. “But it’s the wrong number.”

She switched the cell off and slid it back into her purse. “Um, I also put together a content plan for one of the sponsors.”

I wanted to see it. But more than anything, I wanted to know why her voice shook after the call she refused to answer.

CHAPTER SIX

Nova

August

If I slept in my car one more night, my back would hate me for the rest of my life. Though probably not as much as Preston, who’d been blowing up my phone every day for the last week.

He was in the middle of his campaign. Most events were scheduled for September. If things had gone according to his plan, right until the November elections, I was supposed to play the part of a devoted wife, smile, chat with his supporters and befriend other politicians’ wives. Without me, Preston’s carefully crafted image of a family man who’d carry on his father’s legacy was at risk. And I knew who he’d blame if he didn’t win.

None of that was enough to make me go back to Millford. We were flying to Barcelona this afternoon, and although seeing one of the cities I’d dreamed of visiting all my life was a huge deal, having a comfortable bed to sleep in was what I looked forward to the most.

I’d pawned my engagement and wedding rings so I could buy food and pay for a gym membership where I could shower. That money was dwindling. Soon, I’d have to rely solely on the fruit Alejandro thoughtfully put in the bowl at the office for us or hope he’d take me to another lunch like last week.

He’d be back from his lunch break any minute now. I groaned, rubbing my palms over my face. How the hell was this my life?