The day out with family was a great stress reliever, but Steph was looking forward to returning to the hotel room and her man's arms. She couldn't believe how much she missed him after just a few hours. It manifested itself as a dull ache in her stomach, like she was grieving the loss of a loved one. The feeling left her empty and antsy to fill that space with something. If Hong Gi wasn't waiting for her, she'd be back at The Flour Pot, raiding the display case of every confection she could find. She would be in the shoe department or bookstore if she was at the mall.
Instead, she shifted from foot to foot as she counted down the seconds it took for the elevator to travel between floors. They had two hours to fill before Mom expected them for dinner. Steph planned to make the best of them by bolstering their spirits before Luke arrived on a cloud of accusations and veiled threats.
