"Yes, it''s nothing serious," Joshua replied.


    Ste had told Abby about Laurel Quinn, but this was the first time Abby had met her. She studied Laurel with curiosity.


    Meeting Abby''s gaze, Laurel gave her a polite nod in greeting.


    Sensing that Laurel wanted to speak with Joshua privately, Ste said to Abby, "Abby, will youe with me to buy a few things?"


    Abby nodded. "Sure."


    Once they were out of the room, Abby couldn''t help butment, "The head of the Quinn family seems to know Joshua pretty well, doesn''t she?"


    "They must be good friends," Ste said. "Otherwise, she wouldn''t have given us such a huge deal."


    Abby nced back toward the room and lowered her voice. "Star, she''s young and beautiful."


    "Yes, Ms. Quinn is very impressive," Ste agreed.


    Abby said with some exasperation, "Star, Joshua is the total package—status, intelligence, looks. He''s the best of the best. You have to lock that down. Don''t tell me you still just see him as a friend."


    Ste didn''t answer.


    As Ste''s childhood best friend, Abby knew her all too well.


    "Star, you have feelings for him," Abby pressed. "And being with him will only help your career; it won''t interfere with you taking over your family''s business. Why not give it a try with him? Are you still hung up on the fact that he helped Rachel Pearce?"


    Ste shook her head. "No."


    "If you''ve moved past the Rachel situation, then what''s holding you back?" Abby asked.


    Ste said, "Actually... Joshua was married once."


    The revtion stunned Abby for a few seconds.


    "Joshua was married? Howe I''ve never heard him mention it?" she blurted out. The moment the


    Words


    left her mouth, she realized how foolish the question was st because he''d been married didn''t mean he had to talk about it. His silence on the subject likely meant it was either too painful or simply


    irrelevant.


    If it weren''t for Keen O''Brien, Ste probably wouldn''t ever want to bring up Haynes either.


    Abby studied Ste''s face. "Star, does his past bother you?"


    Ste shook her head. "I have a past, too, so I don''t care about his. It''s just..." She rubbed her temples. "I''m a little worried his ex mighte back looking for him. Haynes''s 1. Haynes''s ex,


    Rachel, was a traumatic experience.


    forme. And just a few days ago,


    Noah''s ex kidnapped you?"


    Abby understood. "Are you worried Joshua won''t handle an ex properly? I think Joshua is different from Haynes. He would never be like that."


    "Haynes was a jerk, but he wasn''t an evil person," Ste said. "And his professional skills are impable. But being smart has nothing to do with being able to handle rtionships well."


    Abby opened her mouth to argue but had to admit that Ste was right. Joshua might be perfect in every other aspect, but that didn''t guarantee he could handle the reappearance of an ex. People are often blind in their own affairs.


    If he couldn''t handle it... the pain Ste would suffer would be even deeper than what she went through with Haynes.


    "Why don''t you talk to him about it?" Abby suggested. "Maybe you could try to gauge his attitude toward his ex?"


    Ste shook her head. "If he wants to talk about it, he''ll bring it up himself."


    "That''s true," Abby conceded.


    Ste and Joshua weren''t even


    together yet, she had no right to ask


    about his ex. Even if they were,


    was all in


    e past Bringing up exe often just drains the life out of a rtionship. It was something Joshua had to initiate.


    The two of them went down to the supermarket in the building and bought some daily necessities. On their way back, they ran into Leonard at the hospital entrance.