That didn’t mean he wasn’t still scared as hell. Fighting for his sister was one thing; fighting for Julia, for himself—for what they might be together—was another. Luke stared out at the lake, a sense of wonder and fate washing over him at the thought of these same waves crashing on the shores of the city Julia called home. Penelope was right. He needed to take a chance. Make a move toward his future.

Which meant he was headed to Chicago.

CHAPTER 31

JULIA

Every July, Chicago celebrated its well-documented passion for good food with an epic celebration known as the Taste. For five days, locals and tourists alike flocked to Grant Park, a gigantic, gorgeous spot along the city’s lakeshore, for the chance to sample all that the city had to offer. Everything could be found, from iconic items such as Chicago-style hot dogs and Eli’s cheesecake to more bizarre offerings like shark burgers and fried alligator nuggets.

Julia was having a Pinch me moment—one of those surreal moments where she couldn’t be sure that what was happening to her was actually real. Since moving to Chicago, she’d looked forward to attending the Taste each summer, excited to grab her favorites and explore what was new. So when ChiChat, a leading local talk show, invited her to represent “Local Love” and appear on a panel during the Taste, she’d said yes without a second thought.

She did experience a brief moment of doubt when she arrived at the pavilion where the panel was being held. She hadn’t realized how packed the event would be. Julia had navigated the crowds at the Taste enough to know how wildly popular it was, but she’d never stopped to consider that the speaking events would be busy, because she’d never attended one herself. She’d always just come for the food.

Aside from the sheer size of the crowd, she wasn’t sure why she was so nervous. She just couldn’t shake this strange sense that something big was going to happen—which was stupid. Of course something big was going to happen. Something big was happening. She was speaking on a panel at one of the biggest events in the city, and the whole thing was being filmed live for one of the most watched local TV shows.

In the end, Julia had nothing to worry about. The other panelists were entertaining and informative and the hour flew by in a pleasant blur. Outside, away from the shade of the pavilion, it took a few minutes for Julia’s eyes to adjust to the bright afternoon sun.