by Maggie Gates
With one hand, I brushed her long tangles of hair out of her face and cradled her head against my chest. With the other, I took her hand in mine and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and then into her palm. Quietly, I asked, “Is it too soon for me to tell you that I love you?”
Maddie looked up at me with eyes wide. She stammered and stuttered for a moment, pushing away from me and beelining to the other side of the little deck. She crossed her arms over her waist and shook her head. “Luca, I — I can’t…. I just…. I’m not ready. I-I… ”
Slowly, I got up and walked toward her. Maddie looked shaken and I wasn’t sure if it was from the I love you or talking about her dad. Either way, I wasn’t running. I stood in front of her, toe to toe, and held her pink cheeks in my hands. I cradled her jaw and took in the symmetry of her heart-shaped face. Her flawless skin with its beautiful, natural sun-kissed glow. The way her silver eyes widened. Her pink lips that were so good at kissing. There was not a damn question in my mind whether or not I loved that girl.
I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips and then rested my forehead on hers and said, “That’s okay, Tesoro. I have enough love for the both of us. You just use it until you’re ready.”
30
———
MADELINE
Hot Guy from the Gym in L.A.: Have a great day, beautiful. I love you.
I smiled at the text from Luca before pocketing my phone into my chef whites. The damage from the hurricane wasn’t severe, so it was back to business as usual two days after the storm passed. Luca had some business to attend to in Los Angeles. He begged for me to come with him, but since I was already leaving the kitchen for our New York trip, I passed on the offer.
Every morning he was gone, Luca set his alarm so that he would wake up when I got to work, and every morning like clockwork, he texted me that he loved me. It had me feeling terrified and utterly disarmed.
“Madeline Lee Dorsey,” Hannah Jane said as she traipsed into the pastry kitchen, her heels clicking across the floor. She was the perfect image of a modern southern belle. Her leopard print pencil skirt hit just below her knees. She had a breezy blouse tucked in at the waist and a pearl necklace around her throat. “Where the hell have you been?!”
I looked around the busy kitchen, “Um… working?”
“Not what I meant!” She hissed. “You always ride out hurricanes at Steve’s house! You had us worried sick!”
I looked back at the wedding cake on my turntable and went back to piping delicate tiny beads around each tier. “I was at Luca’s,” I mumbled.
Her eyes widened, and she let out a restrained squeal. “Hell yes, ma’am! Please tell me you two are finally done dancing around each other? I heard about the kiss out behind the restaurant. Me and Kris pulled up the security camera footage from outside the inn. Watched the whole damn thing.”
I huffed and set my piping bag down. “We’re about as official as you can get,” I admitted. I looked left and right before lowering my voice and adding, “He said I love you.”
Hannah Jane bounced up and down so hard I thought she was going to snap a heel. “Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!”
“Will you shut up!” I hissed in a stage-whisper.
“That’s it. I’m going. I need to get started planning your wedding. I’m clearing my whole calendar for next summer. We’re gonna have to plan a trip to Raleigh to go dress shopping at Alexia’s. Oh, and a cake—I have a girl for that. You’re not making your own cake.”
Before she could ramble anymore, or hell—shove me in the damn white dress herself, I slid off my stool, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into the walk-in fridge.
Hannah Jane shivered and rubbed her arms. “It’s cold in here.”
I just shrugged, “You get used to it.”
“Why are we in the fridge?”
“Because this is where I come to scream when I’m pissed off, and the staff knows not to come in.”
Hannah’s face bleached, “Oh God—you’re gonna kill me, aren’t you.”
I rolled my eyes, “No, I just don’t want rumors about me and Luca gettin’ started more than they already have.”
“Because you made out with him in front of the entire restaurant,” she pointed out. Hannah’s voice softened and she smiled warmly. “Mad, you’re crazy about him. Stop pretending like he’s still the guy you thought was an asshat. I think we all know he’s one of the good ones.”
“He wants me to meet his family when we’re in New York.”
“So? That’s how these things go, Mad.”
I pulled my hair out of the bun it was in and rubbed the sore spots on my head. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” I groaned. “He’s just so sure of himself all the time. He says he wants this and that he loves me and all these sweet things that I should be really happy about, but I’m not!”
“You know what you need? G.N.O.—you, me, Kris, Bee, and Mel. We’re going out tonight, we’re getting good and wasted, and we’ll call the boys to get us home.”
“Luca gets home from California tonight. He’s coming to my place as soon as he gets in.”
“Great! He can be your designated driver. Have him pick you up at the bar. Problem solved.”
“Han—”
It was too late. Her thumbs were already flying across her phone as she rallied the troops. “Eight-thirty at Jokers. Be there. Look Hot.” She pushed the door to the walk-in fridge open and added on, “I gotta go convince a bride that no matter how much bourbon she buries, an outdoor reception without a rain plan is a recipe for disaster.”
✽✽✽
I pulled on my favorite pair of cowboy boots and wiggled my toes to make sure they were just right. We didn’t joke around about girl’s night out. It was a revered tradition of drinking, dancing, and flirting shamelessly. Usually we went to a bar in Morehead City or drove down to Emerald Isle to get away from Beaufort, but Bridget had to work, so Jokers it was.
“You ready, Mad?” Melissa called out as she let herself into the houseboat. “Steve’s driving us.”
I tucked the hem of my Smooth as Tennessee whiskey, sweet as Strawberry Wine tank top into the front of my denim cut-offs and let the back hang loose. I slipped a hair tie on my wrist, knowing I’d need it when we got good and rowdy. “I thought we were meeting at the bar? What are you doing here?”
Mel shrugged and leaned against the wall of my bedroom. “I had leftovers. Dropped them off with Steve so he’d have something in his freezer if he didn’t want to cook.”
“Kind of how I always happen to have stuff from the restaurant for Kris?” I gave her a knowing look. “You’ve been spending a lot of time over there lately.”
She pointed her finger at me and waved it in my face. “Don’t you start with me. We take care of our friends.”
“Come on, Mel. Admit it—you’ve always had a little bit of a crush on him.”
“Is it that obvious?” She grimaced.
I waved her off dismissively and grabbed my bag. “Nah, he’s a man. They’re not exactly great at picking up on subtle hints.” Then again, Mel was about as subtle as a bull in a china shop.
She let out a sigh of relief and picked up the picture frame I had by my bed. “When was this?”
I glanced over and couldn’t be bothered to hide my smile. “California—the night Luca and I went out. You know—before I knew who he was.” It was a great photo, even if it had come from some slimy paparazzi. Luca told me about how Astrid had gotten her hands on the images to keep them from being released to the tabloids. For once, I was actually thankful for her. I had no interest in being the headline of some trashy grocery store checkout magazine. Still, when I found the frame in my locker at work the morning he left for his business trip to California, my heart did that stupid pitter-pat thing that made me feel like a damn Disney princess. All I needed were some singing mice and a couple of blue jays to help me get dressed, and I’d be set. The little Post-it note he stuck to the front of the glass didn’t
help me recover from the serious swooning I was feeling in the slightest.
The night that changed everything. -L
That photo was now the first thing I saw in the morning when I woke up and the last thing I saw before I fell asleep. The strings of market lights painted us in a magical glow. We were dancing, and Luca was whispering something dirty in my ear that made me giggle. My eyes were crinkled shut, and my smile was wide and full of laughter. His hands were on my ass, and my arms were wrapped around his neck. We didn’t have a care in the world. Somehow, I trusted Luke, the stranger, more than I was trusting Luca.
Maybe it was because I thought Luke and I would have one spectacular night and then never see each other again. The thought of an indefinite thing with Luca scared me, and I hated that. In my mind, people left. They always would, and there was nothing you could do about it except not need them.
“Y’all are so freaking cute,” Mel giggled.
There was a rough knock at the door, and Steve bellowed, “Y’all comin’ or what?”
“We’re coming, we’re coming,” I shouted. One last check in the mirror, and we were off.
Jokers was unusually packed for a weeknight, but that didn’t stop us from taking over. Steve and Chase decided to stick around and shoot some pool, most likely just to keep an eye on us. Melissa and I strutted in. There were a few catcalls from some old-timers, and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that it was because my shorts were three inches shorter than indecent.
Bridget smiled from the long line of taps as she poured a beer and slid it across the bar to a customer. “Well, well, well—Hey, stranger. Nice of you to show your face around here,” she teased.
I rolled my eyes as I plopped down on a stool and drummed my knuckles on the bar. “Fireball and fast, babe.”
Bridget let out a sharp whistle, and Kristin and Hannah Jane crowded in. She lined up the shot glasses and poured out five shots. We each picked one up and clinked them together before knocking them back.
Kristin groaned and wiped the taste off her mouth. “Yep,” she hissed. “Still hate that.”
I giggled and slung my arm around her tiny shoulders, “Don’t worry, peaches—we’ll have you corrupted in no time.” Someone cranked up the jukebox, and Trace Adkins started blaring over the speakers. Bridget poured each of us another shot, and faster than we could blink, four of us were running to the dance floor while Bridget danced around behind the bar.
Peanut shells and stray pretzels crunched underfoot as we boot-scooted to our hearts’ content. Three or four or ten songs later, we were out of breath, a little more than tipsy, and starving. Chase mother-henned us into a booth and shouted orders into the kitchen for fried everything.
“Ugh—Han, you were right,” I mumbled as I took a big bite of a mozzarella stick. “This is exactly what I needed.” I waved my hand in the air, “Everything changed after California. I’m ready for it to get back to normal.”
“What if they don’t?” Hannah Jane asked as she snagged a fried pickle and dragged it through the cup of Ranch. I frowned as Bridget slid in and muttered something about being on a fifteen minute break. Hannah finished her bite and took a big gulp of water. “I’m just saying—change isn’t a bad thing, Mad. You’re dating Luca. Bee’s with Kyle Kingsley.” She shrugged, “We’re growing up and it’s about damn time. If I’m not next, I swear I’m gonna become a cat lady.”
“You hate cats,” Kristin pointed out.
“Exactly,” Hannah said. “I’m thirty, Mad’s turning thirty this year, Bridge and Mel aren’t far behind. Kris, you still have time, but the rest of us aren’t fresh out of college anymore, y’all.”
I rolled my eyes, “You make it sound like we’re gonna turn into pumpkins at midnight if we don’t marry off and have the required two and a half kids.”
She glanced over her shoulder, checking to make sure Steve and Chase were out of earshot. “I mean, Steve is our age, and he was married for years before… you know.”
A moment of silence blanketed the table as we remembered Heather. Finally, Melissa broke the silence. “You’re just saying that because you spend all your days surrounded by happy brides and weddings. Your biological clock is fine.”
Hannah shook her head, “My point stands. Mad, Bridge—lock ‘em down, ladies. The rest of us need to go man hunting.”
I shook my head, “Enough of this. This is girl’s night out, and we’re doing way too much talking about boys and not near enough drinking.”
“I still have ten minutes on my break,” Bridget whined. “Please just give me ten minutes, and then I’ll get margaritas all around.”
The opening fiddle notes of Shania Twain’s “Any Man of Mine” played through the speakers and we cleared the booth faster than a bull out of a stall at the rodeo. Chase abandoned Steve at their pool table and made a beeline for me. “C’mon, Mad Dog—you and me.”
He took my hand and spun me three times under his arm. Most nights when we drank at the bar, Chase and I would end up dancing together. Tipsy or sober, we were actually fairly good. Country swing was fun and one hell of a workout. He grabbed my waist, and I jumped. Our hands connected as he swung me through his legs, and I twisted back up to my feet. I laughed and whooped as he pulled me back in, and we floated across the dance floor.
A shadow loomed over my shoulder, and a familiar voice said, “Mind if I cut in?”
Chase chuckled and let go of my waist, “Good to see you, man.” He offered Luca a handshake that turned into a bro hug. Chase left us to find Bridget and drag her out from behind the bar for a dance.
“Hey, beautiful,” Luca grinned as he cupped my jaw and gave me a toe curling kiss. “Missed you. Sorry for crashing your girl’s night.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, “If you’re gonna crash, you owe me at least a dance.”
The song switched, and Sam Hunt started crooning over the jukebox. I leaned into his arms and he held me close as we swayed. “You know, we haven’t danced together since California?”
“Damn shame,” I sighed happily.
Luca leaned down and buried his nose in my hair. It was the little things like that that made me fall head over boots for him. “You know, I got real jealous when I saw you dancing with another man.”
“It was just Chase,” I laughed.
“I know,” he grinned. “I like that you have them. I felt kinda bad coming straight here instead of waiting for you to call, but I had to see you.”
“You were only gone a few days.”
“Like I said—I missed you.” Luca laced his fingers into mine and kept his other hand securely on my lower back. “But next time, you’ll be traveling with me.”
I blew out a nervous breath and smiled, “I think I’m gonna see if some of the girls will go to Raleigh with me so I can find a dress for the awards.”
He chuckled quickly and tucked my hair behind my ear. “How much would you kill me if I said I had it taken care of?”
I reared my head back and looked at him quizzically. “You… got me a dress?”
Luca nodded.
“Like… for real?”
“For real,” He laughed. “Unless you don’t like it or don’t want it… I mean, the designer who made my suit wanted to make sure we were both wearing his label, so…”
I laughed in disbelief. There was nothing else I could do. I was dating a man who not only bought me a custom designer dress, but had communicated with the designer himself. My plan had been to drive to Crabtree Valley Mall and hit up every department store until I found something that didn’t look too prom dressy. “Luca, I—”
“The fuck is this?!” An angry voice yelled.
Our heads snapped to see a very pissed off Kyle Kinglsey on a warpath over to where Chase and Bridget were dancing. I grabbed Luca’s hand and pulled him with me as Chase let go of Bridget and scooted her behind him, stepping between her and Kyle.
“Chill out, man. We were just havin’ a dance.” Chase jerked his thumb toward me
, “I was dancing with Maddie Dorsey before Bridge and you don’t see her man gettin’ up in arms about it.”
“I don’t fuckin’ care what you do with bitches like that. She’s probably under a new man every night,” he sneered toward me.
“Hey, now,” Luca growled as he and Steve moved in to stand shoulder to shoulder with Chase. “You don’t talk about a lady that way. Especially not mine. And you better straighten out your tone before you even think about speaking to Bridget.”
Kyle had to get up on his toes to be in Luca’s face, but Luca didn’t even blink. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but you best be gettin’ the hell outta here,” Kyle snarled, craning his head around to get a look at Bridget. “You told me you were workin’ tonight, and I came all the way out here to make sure you got home alright and I find you dancin’ with this son of a bitch.”
Before Bridget could respond, Steve stepped forward and put his hand on Kyle’s chest, forcing him to take a step back. “You need to go outside and cool off, Kingsley. Bridget will be here when you’re good and ready to talk to her like a gentleman.” When Kyle didn’t move, Steve put his hand on his shoulder and guided him out the door.
Chase turned around to Bridget, “I’m sorry, Bee—”
She shook her head and waved it off, “It’s fine. I should probably get back to work.” She gave him a sad sort of smile and squeezed his hand, and said, “Thanks for the dance. It was fun,” before going back behind the bar.
Chase nodded at Luca, “Thanks for the backup, DeRossi.”
“Anytime.”
Mel, Kristin, and Hannah Jane swarmed Bridget as soon as she got back behind the scratched up oak bar. Luca put his hand on my cheek, “You alright, Tesoro?”
I let out a furious breath. “Other than wanting to kick the shit out of Kyle, I’m fine.”
Luca’s brow knitted together with worry. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “He was outta line with Bridget and you.”
I dropped my shoulders and looked down at the toe of my boots. “Not exactly. My relationship history isn’t exactly a secret around here. I don’t exactly have a record of stellar life choices.”
