****Hello! This is my second novel in the suspicious hearts series. I'm looking to get some detailed feedback this time around, and would love to hear your thoughts! If anyone is interested in doing line by line beta edits, please let me know! So here are some questions: Does this chapter make you want to keep reading? How was the pace? the flow? Do you like the characters? Anything you didn't like? Anything you did? I want to hear about it! Thank you! 3*****

I opened one eye, then the other, searching for the thing that awoke me- a loud noise-likely made louder because I drank too much last night. I pushed the mass of hair from my face to see Whisker's tail slip into the closet. He'd probably knocked something off my dresser again.

Naughty kitty. I smiled, then flipped to my other side determined to get another hour of sleep.

But I wasn't alone.

Not only was I not alone, I wasn't alone with what appeared to be a naked man. I rolled toward the nightstand, grabbed my glasses, pushed them to my face, and whipped back around.

Yep. Definitely naked.

Shit! I squeezed my eyes shut as clips of last night played in my mind like film. The launch party, too many glasses of wine, and the stranger with the perfect ass. The ass that was now naked in my bed.

Oh God. I rolled off the mattress to the floor, grabbed my cell from the nightstand, and crawled on hands and knees to join Whiskers in the back of the closet. He climbed into my lap, and I began typing a message with one hand, as I frantically stroked Whisker's silky white fur with the other. Becky, crazy Becky! Becky who got me into this mess.

Me: Are you awake?

I sent the message, then pushed my glasses to my forehead with my thumb. Why the hell had she let me drink so much?

Becky: I am NOW. What happened with Mr. Hottie with the body?

I took in a sharp breath.

Me: you KNEW?

Becky: Knew what? I'm calling you.

The phone buzzed with an incoming call but I rejected it.

Me: Can't talk. He's still here. I'm in the closet.

Becky: What? In the closet?

Me: Yes. Closet. Why did you let me leave with him?

Becky: I didn't LET you do anything. Why are you in the closet, Day?

I lifted my glasses and rubbed my eyes. Hard. I had a headache. A big one. Two actually, the other was still asleep in my bed.

But then I caught a flash of movement in my peripheral vision and sat up a little. He was awake. I leaned back into the shadows and watched as Mr. Hottie pulled on his jeans.

My phone buzzed again but I couldn't move, my eyes were transfixed on the man I was pretty sure I'd slept with last night. The first in over a year-since Ryan. And I didn't even know his name! He was probably wondering where I was, probably looking for another round of whatever we did last night.

Did I want to sleep with him again? Had we slept together at all? Judging by the fact I was nude I thought we likely had… but when I considered the fact I didn't remember any of it- damn. How the hell would I face him again? How the hell would I get out of this damned closet and not look like the girl who was just sitting in the fucking closet!

I pulled in a long breath and found the braid of feathers in my hair. My fingers twirled and fiddled as I tried to figure out what to do. More buzzing caused me to look down to my phone. Three messages waited for me.

Becky: Why are you in the closet?

Becky: Answer me.

Becky: I'm calling the cops.

My eyes widened and I quickly typed a message before the police showed up at my door.

Me: NO!

Me: It's not like that! I'm fine!

Becky: WTF! Why are you in the closet, Day?

Me: I'm hiding in here.

Becky: Why?

I shook my head. I had no freaking clue.

Mr. Hottie disappeared from view, and I knew I needed to go out there.

Me: I have to go talk to him. I'll call you later.

I put the phone down, smoothed my hair from my face, and yanked a cotton bohemian tunic from its hanger. Shifting Whiskers off my lap, I slipped it over my head, and stood.

Quick like a Band-Aid. Just step out there and pretend you've been there the whole time. Easy as pie.

But when I came out of the closet he was gone. A quick peek to the bathroom revealed he wasn't there either. My shoulders relaxed and I exhaled.

"Okay, deep breaths." I looked to the door leading to the living room but it was only open a crack. "Just go out there, pretend you were using the bathroom. Say, Hi, Mr. Hott-" Shit! I couldn't call him that. What was his fucking name!

I clenched my teeth, balled my hands at my sides and heading to the living room. He wasn't there either. He also wasn't in the kitchen, dining room, or guest bath.

Oh. My. God. I ran to the window and pulled down the blinds. A shoeless Mr. Hottie was practically running down the pathway to the front gate, while Mrs. Sanders watered her gardenia's in the courtyard.

Pushing my back against the wall, I collapsed to the floor. He was doing the walk of shame in front of the little old lady who baked me cookies for my birthday! Shit! I banged my head against the wall.

This was the first time I'd had sex in thirteen months, and he was walking out of my apartment without even saying goodbye. I began to laugh as I gripped my aching scull. It was probably for the best. I didn't have time for complications. I didn't have time for sex, dating, or men who walked out of my apartment without shoes.

Then why did my chest feel so damned tight? I planted my palms firmly on the ground and pushed myself to stand. Simply Tuesday's Apothecary would be opening in three months and a relationship was the last thing I needed. Right? I mean that's what I'd been telling myself since Ryan.

I began to pace back and forth as I chewed on my bottom lip. Becky thought I was jaded, but it wasn't true. I'd been building my Etsy business for three years. Three years! And my hard word was about to pay off. I didn't need a man around to distract me, but walking out without saying goodbye?

"Grrrr…" Part of me wanted to follow after him, stand there with bare feet and demand answers. I was a beautiful, intelligent woman. A good catch. Sure, my hair was a little wild, my style a little hippy, but it only added to my character. Certainly nothing to be embarrassed about- though maybe he'd seen me crawl into the closet. My eyes went wide as I walked to the bathroom. Yeah-he must have seen me. He must've thought I was a total nut job!

Something crinkled under my foot and I bent down to pick up a condom wrapper. "Thank fucking Christ!" Even though I was too drunk to know what I was doing last night, at least I was of sound enough mind to use protection. I flipped on the shower, yanked my top over my head, and stepped under the spray.

Twenty minutes later, with my hair still damp, and a toothbrush in my mouth, I heard pounding at my door. "Tuesday, open up, it's me!"

Becky.

I spit into the sink, threw my tunic back over my head, and went into the living room. "Hey," I said, yanking open the door and stepping aside to let her in.

She peeked around me. "Is he still her? Were you guys in the shower?" Her black hair was piled on top of her head and her light blue eyes were wide with worry.

"No," I pulled at my feathers again. "He's gone."

"Shit." She hit my shoulder. "Then why didn't you call me back? I was worried about you."

"I'm so sorry," I cringed. "I've just never been walk of shamed before. It kinda threw me."

"What?" Her eyes grew wider. "What do you mean walk of shamed?" She hopped up on my kitchen counter, grabbed an orange from the basket, and started peeling.

"Well, when I came out of the closet he wasn't there and-"

"Why were you in the closet again?" she asked around a mouthful of orange.

I shook my head. "Would you let me finish?"

She stuck her tongue out, and I made a face before continuing. "Anyway," I said dramatically. "After I couldn't find him in the apartment, I saw him walking out of the gate. He didn't even have his shoes on, Beck!"

"Holy shit. I would've never expected that from Eric."

"Eric!" I said, hitting myself on my head, finally remembering. "Do you know him?"

"Just a little. I've seen him around the set a few times. I think he does modeling or something."

Visions of his perfect ass flashed in my head and I nodded. Made sense. "Why did you let me take him home?"

"Listen, I tried to get you to leave with me, but you said you were having a good time- you looked like you were having a good time, and Eric said he'd call Uber when you were ready to go. Little did I know his plan was to join you." She smiled, one eyebrow quirked. "So… Was he any good?"

I looked up to the ceiling and shook my head. "That's the thing. I don't even remember! The first guy I've slept with in thirteen months and I don't remember. How sad is that?"

She frowned. "If you don't remember, then how do you-"

"I know. I found the condom wrapper." I yanked open the fridge, and took out a bunch of Kale.

"Are you making some of the green crap again? Don't you have any bread or something?" She yanked open a cabinet before I could answer.

"It's a smoothie. And that's where my bowls go. You should know that by now."

I'd been living there for a year and a half-the longest I'd lived anywhere, and Becky was my best friend- more like a sister actually. I'd know her since I was eight, and we couldn't be more opposite. I drank fresh pressed juices and chia seeds, and she drank diet-soda and ate red cheese puffs of death.

"Don't you work today?" I asked, peeling a banana and adding it to the blender.

"Yeah, in a hour." She opened and closed another cupboard. "Nothing but your health crap. I'm going to have to go drive-thru somewhere."

I rolled my eyes. "What time are you off? I'm meeting the contractor again before signing papers. I really don't want to go alone." I batted my eyelashes.

She smiled. "I'm off at three, and I'd love to go. I'm excited for you."

Later that afternoon, I stood outside the rundown building with Becky. "Well, this is it," I said on a sigh.

I knew it didn't look like much-it used to be a small bakery, but whoever owned it last really let it go. The windows were broken, the paint peeling-but it had all the space I needed and the price was right. Plus, there was something about it that caused a stir of excitement to whirl around inside me. Like it was fate.

"It's adorable, Tuesday. I can see why you love it."

I smiled, then blew out a breath. I didn't realize until that moment how much I needed her to say that. Mom didn't approve. Though she didn't approve of anything permanent. Which was the reason I'd spent most of my life moving from one community to another. It was a miracle I even had Becky. I owed her mom for that. She took me under her wing, treated me like family, and was determined to keep us girls together.

"I'll use the kitchen for product formulation." I peeked through the cracks in the boarded windows. "There's a separate office so I can move my whole production over here. No more storage unit, no more renting from the pervy Mr. Chavez-I was even thinking of allowing local artists to sell their products here. I'll have the room, and-"

But when I turned around, Becky was crying. "Becks, what's wrong?"

"I'm just so happy for you," she wiped her eyes, "you've wanted this for so long."

I took a deep breath and grabbed her hands. "Don't cry. You're going to make me cry and you'll ruin your mascara."

Just then a red convertible, and a big black truck with a JM Construction logo pulled into the parking lot. "They're here." I closed my eyes, then turned around to face them.

I was nervous. My life savings and every drop of credit was going into this project. If it failed- No. I wouldn't let myself think that way. Today was Tuesday. The day I was born, the day I was named after, the day Mom said I was conceived. It was my lucky day.

Shoeless Eric flashed into my thoughts, but even him leaving was lucky. Had he not left, we would have had an uncomfortable conversation where I told him I didn't want a relationship. Yeah, it really was lucky he walked out. Today was lucky. The perfect day to sign papers.

Becky squeezed my hand pulling me out of my thoughts."You didn't tell me your contractor was such a hottie," she forcefully whispered in my ear.

I locked eyes on Jake Johnson as he walked across the parking lot. "Is that all you think about?" I whispered back,"look again. He's wearing a ring." Though I couldn't deny he was gorgeous. My jaw had hit the floor the first time I met him. Tall, dark, handsome, but Becks and I didn't do married men.

A scrawny man in a suit stepped out of the convertible- my real estate agent, Mark. He probably looked even smaller standing next to Jake in his six-foot-something constuction body of goodness. I shook my head. What the hell was wrong with me? Maybe the whole women at thirty rumor was true. My thirtieth was only three months away, and I'd been acting like a teenaged boy lately.

"Sorry we're late," Jake said, as they walked toward us. "I was at an OB appointment with my wife. We've having a boy!"

I smiled. "Congradulations. You must be so excited."

"Relieved actually." He shook his head. "I'd have a heart attack worrying about a little girl."

Becky laughed. "Yeah, they say little girls are God's payback to bad boys."

I elbowed her, but Jake laughed and scratched the back of his head. "So they tell me."

Mark punched numbers into the key box and opened the door. We walked into the dust filled building and my stomach twisted a little. Old broken tables and chairs were scattered around the front room, wall paper was falling off in chunks, and it smelled like some kind of animal had been living in there.

I scrunched my nose and turned to Becky. She threw her arm around my shoulder and rested her head on mine. "It'll be okay. Nothing a little soap can't fix."

"She's right," Jake replied, obviously over hearing. "We'll get a cleaning crew in here before we start construction. It shouldn't take more than a week or two."

Mark scribbled something on a notepad as he followed Jake to the Kitchen. "How did you like that last company we used, Mr. Johnson? Should I schedule them again?"

He nodded, then turned back to me. "Did you still want to demo the place?"

We spent the next hour talking about our plans. First we'd tear out the front. Take out all the booths, the bar, and put up a solid wall separating the product floor from the back room. It was important for me to be able to fulfill orders from the site during the build, so the two phase construction was critical. I'd transfer my product from Mr. Chavez's garage, run my Etsy business from the back room, and when the font was complete, we'd switch.

"We can start as soon as you have the keys Ms. Patil," Jake said to me, then glanced over to Mark. "Are there any complications with escrow I need to be aware of?"

Mark looked down at his notes. "Not that I can see- no liens, we have a motivated seller, and Ms. Patil has put in a solid offer. We should have the keys in thirty days." He turned to me and smiled. "All that's left to do is to sign the papers."

My stomach fluttered and I squeezed Becky's hand. "Do you have a pen?"