Chasing His Kickass Luna Back novel Chapter 256

Abby

The door to the restaurant swings open with a familiar creak, and the scent of fresh coffee and bread reaches my nostrils.

It’s been two days since Karl left town. Things are finally back in full swing after the competition, but I took the weekend off to recover—not just from the cook-off, but from everything else, too. Now, though, I feel a little more prepared to take on my work.

“Morning, Abby,” Ethan greets, his eyes meeting mine over the bar. He’s neck-deep in paperwork; we’re all playing catch-up, considering how everyone was sick with food poisoning. I still wonder where that came from in my impeccably clean kitchen, but I suppose that accidents happen.

But then again, after the fire, the ingredient sabotage on the cooking competition, and the food poisoning, I’m beginning to wonder whether anything really was an accident.

I muster a smile. “Morning. Feeling better?”

Ethan nods. “Much. Although, Karl isn’t here yet. Have you heard from him?”

That’s when my facade starts to crack. Of course I knew that everyone would have to find out eventually, but I guess I just wasn’t expecting to have to talk about it right now. But there’s no time like the present, right?

“He’s…” I pause, clearing my throat, as though that will somehow hide the tremor in my voice. “Karl is gone. He’s no longer working with us.”

Ethan raises an eyebrow. Chloe, who just walked into the room with a cup of coffee in her hand, freezes on the spot.

“Karl’s gone?” she asks.

I nod. “Yep. The plan was for him to head back home once the cooking competition was over. Well, it’s over.”

Ethan and Chloe exchange glances. I know what they’re thinking, or at least what Chloe’s thinking: that something else happened. And in a way, I guess it did. But Karl was going home regardless; he has Alpha duties to attend to, and despite everything, I’m wholly grateful for the time he spent here these past few months just to help me.

“Well, that’s a shame,” Ethan says, flipping to another page in his notebook. “I kind of liked Karl. He was a huge help, too.”