And Then One Day

by Samantha Chase

  She’s certainly not any of those things right now…

  Maybe the fact that she was days away from moving was distracting her, but damn, he wished she didn’t look so sad and alone. He was about to go over and talk to her but quickly decided against it. She never seemed to have a problem laughing and joking with Kyle or even Hunter, but whenever he was around, she usually clammed up.

  Or walked away like she did when they were on the deck.

  It was probably because while they were all growing up, he had to be like one of the parents–always watching his younger siblings while his father was at work and making sure no one got into trouble. It was a lot of responsibility on him and he took it seriously.

  Especially when his mother died.

  After that happened, he was even more protective of his family and tried to fill the void of losing their mom.

  So he was the serious brother, the rule enforcer, and…it sucked.

  Before he could think any more about it, the announcement that dinner was being served was called out. He took his place at a table along with his brothers, father, grandfather, and…Courtney.

  Smiling, he held out a chair for her and she softly thanked him. Taking the seat beside her, he thought maybe it was prophetic that she was sitting with them. They could talk and he could try to figure out why she was being so quiet.

  And maybe he’d finally be brave enough to…

  “There you are,” Scarlett said as she came walking over. She grabbed Courtney’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “I want you sitting with me up at the head table. Sam and Shelby are sitting with us too, so…” Then she looked at her brothers and smiled. “Sorry for making this the lone guy table, but…”

  “Or maybe we should call it the lonely guy table,” Kyle joked, and Hunter punched him in the arm. “Ow!”

  “No worries, little miss,” their grandfather said, ignoring the spectacles beside him. “Although, I was looking forward to having such a beautiful girl sitting with us.”

  “Oh, stop, Tommy. You rascal,” Courtney said before walking over and planting a loud, smacking kiss on Dean’s grandfather’s cheek. “You better save a dance for me tomorrow!”

  “You know it!” he called out and Dean swore the old guy was blushing.

  Before he could even process where Courtney was going, their meals were being served. Conversation around the table flowed and once everyone was done eating, speeches were made by both Scarlett and Mason–thanking everyone for coming and talking about how excited they both were for the wedding tomorrow. Honestly, Dean was happy for them. Never in a million years did he imagine his sister marrying into one of the wealthiest families in town, but he knew that had little to do with their relationship. Still, he was happy that Scarlett would hopefully never have to struggle again.

  They’d done that enough while growing up.

  He raised his glass with everyone to toast the happy couple, enjoyed a celebratory cupcake when they were passed around, and was more than a little thankful that the night was coming to an end. Tomorrow would be even longer and undoubtedly more draining, and right now the only thing Dean was looking forward to was going home and enjoying a little peace and quiet before going to sleep.

  Yeah, just call me Mr. Excitement…

  Walking across the room, he wanted a chance to say goodnight to Scarlett and Mason. As he got closer, however, he could see his sister looked upset.

  Again.

  Damn pregnancy hormones. He swore his sister had cried more in the last seven months than she had in her entire life.

  When he was beside her, he carefully asked, “Hey, what’s going on? What are you upset about now?”

  Mason was the one to answer. “Scarlett feels like Courtney had a little too much to drink and is worried about her driving home and…let’s just say things got a little tense.”

  “Dean,” Scarlett began pitifully, “you have to make sure she doesn’t drive! She won’t listen to me and I realize she doesn’t have far to go, but…you have to go after her! She’s probably still in the driveway. It’s a little chaotic even with the hired valet and…”

  “Isn’t she sleeping by you tonight?” he quickly interrupted before she got herself even more worked up. “I thought that was the plan–Courtney was staying with you at your place.”

  “She is, but she’s mad at me and said she’s not staying over!” she sobbed. “How could she do that? She’s my maid of honor and…and…”

  Dean looked at her and then Mason before he nodded. “Okay, okay, don’t worry. I’ll make sure she gets to your place safely.” Then he paused. “Wait, when we say your place, do we mean your old place or your place on the beach–Mason’s place?”

  “The place on the beach is our place,” Scarlett corrected. “But yeah, I mean my old place. We wanted one last night to hang out there like old times, and now she said she changed her mind!”

  And she was crying again.

  “I’ve got this,” he said firmly. Shaking Mason’s hand, he added, “Take care of her and I’ll…I’ll deal with Court.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  With a quick kiss on Scarlett’s cheek, Dean made his way across the room and out to the large entryway while trying to find Courtney. He hadn’t seen her leave, but she could’ve stopped to talk to someone on her way out.

  “You leaving too?” Hunter asked when he spotted him in the foyer.

  “Uh, yeah. Have you seen Courtney?”

  “I think I saw her go out the back door. How come?”

  Dean quickly relayed the situation before excusing himself and walking back through the house. With no other choice, he stepped outside and headed down to the yard. Several people were still milling about and he scanned the property to try to figure out where she went.

  A lone figure on the pier caught his eye.

  Courtney.

  Her shoulders were hunched and shaking and he knew she was crying. With a muttered curse, he started walking across the yard and down the pier. When he got to her side, he stood there and looked out at the Sound like she was.

  “You want to talk about it?” he quietly asked.

  “Not particularly.”

  Her words were spoken so softly he could barely hear her. Turning his head to look at her, he wasn’t sure what to say.

  “I don’t need a babysitter, Dean,” she said after a minute. “You don’t have to stand here and watch over me. I’m not a kid anymore.”

  Like I haven’t noticed…

  He laughed softly. “Yeah, I got that, Court, but you know you’re not in any condition to drive, so…” And he braced himself for the fight that was sure to come. “Scarlett’s just worried about you. You know that. So why don’t you let me drive you home and we’ll get Kyle or Hunter to bring your car to you, okay?”

  She looked up at him and his mouth went dry. It wasn’t the first time he noticed how beautiful Courtney was–it was something that hit him years ago–but it was the first time he was seeing the vulnerability in her. For once, she wasn’t the sassy, confident girl she presented to the world.

  And he had no idea how to react.

  “I wasn’t going to drive. I know better than that.” She gently swiped her hand over her cheek to wipe away the tears and he wished he had a handkerchief or something to offer her. “I’m more upset because she didn’t need to humiliate me like that in front of everyone. Hell, she could have just offered to let me drive home with her, but instead, she practically shouts it out for everyone that I’ve had four glasses of wine!”

  A small laugh escaped and she shot him an angry glare.

  “Okay, yeah, that was wrong of her, but you know Scarlett’s all over the place right now. We’ve talked about this. So maybe she could have handled it better, but…let’s be honest, Court, you’re possibly making a bigger deal out of it than it was too.”

  And then he held his breath and waited for her to argue with him.

  But she didn’t.

  “Everything’s
changing,” she said, her gaze turning back to the water. “There’s a part of me that knows it’s all for the better–Scarlett’s happy, the baby will be here before we all know it, and she’s found this amazing love with Mason.” She paused. “Then there’s me. I’m unemployed, my parents are off chasing ghosts and turning our home into an Airbnb which leaves me homeless come Monday morning, and I’m moving to a city where I literally know no one.” She shook her head. “I didn’t mean to ruin her night.”

  Unable to help himself, Dean put his arm around her and hugged her.

  And she instantly stiffened beside him.

  Trying not to focus on that, he did his best to encourage her. “I know things all seem bleak right now, but you have to believe it’s going to get better. I’ve been hearing you tell everyone how much you hate living in a small town so…here’s your big chance to find someplace that’s a better fit for you. And…you know you’ll always have a place here. Even if it’s not with your folks, Scarlett would always welcome you home whenever you want.”

  “I know that…”

  “But…?”

  “But…it’s not the same. Everyone’s moving forward and I’m just…I’m not. This whole job thing is making me crazy. I mean why did I have to lose my job now?”

  “To be fair, Dr. Curtis was like a hundred years old. He didn’t exactly instill confidence when you went in for a cleaning.”

  She chuckled. “First of all, he’s only seventy-five, but yeah, he did look a lot older.” She sighed. “I just wish he would have sold the practice rather than close his doors. He’s been my family dentist since I was a kid–and everyone else’s dentist here in town! How could he just leave like that? It’s like he didn’t even care about all the patients who now have to scramble to find a new dentist or his employees who need to search for new jobs!”

  “I’m sure you’re not going to have any problem finding a new job,” he said, hoping he sounded optimistic. “I thought dental hygienists were always in big demand.”

  “Not in small towns,” she murmured, stepping out of his embrace. Turning around, she faced him, and Dean noticed she didn’t look quite as sad as she had a moment ago. “It’s just another sucky aspect of my life! I was the youngest hygienist in the office–everyone else had been with him since forever! Most of them are retiring! And so here I am with no job and no prospects and I have to move across the state and hope I find something!”

  “So…wait,” he said, holding up a hand to her. “Why are you moving if you don’t have a job yet? Shouldn’t you find the job first and then move?”

  “There are a lot of jobs in the Raleigh area so I figured it would be a safe place to start. I’m going to stay at one of those extended-stay hotels while I job hunt and then I’ll find an apartment. It’s not ideal, but with my parents renting out the house to strangers, I had to get creative with what I’m doing.”

  “Wow, Court, I had no idea. I’m really sorry.”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, well…this is my life. Nothing goes my way and no one wants me, so…” She gasped before covering her mouth and turning her back on him.

  No one wants her? What the…? Wait, did she mean her folks or did she mean…?

  For some stupid reason, he needed clarification–knew he’d go crazy if he didn’t know specifically what she was talking about.

  Stepping around her so he was facing her, he asked, “What do you mean no one wants you? That’s crazy! Your parents are just doing their own thing right now. They probably thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to you.”

  Groaning loudly, Courtney spun around and started to walk away. “I’m going to call an Uber. I…I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He didn’t let her go even three steps before he was in front of her again. “Hey, what’s going on? What did I say?”

  Her big green eyes stared up at him and he swore she was going to start crying again, but then…something changed. Her expression went from sad to neutral to something he couldn’t quite define.

  He saw her swallow hard before she seemed to pull herself together. “I wasn’t talking about my parents, Dean. I’m talking about guys. Men! I haven’t had a date in forever and no one in this town has any interest in me!”

  “You’re crazy. That’s just not possible. I mean…look at you!” he said emphatically, motioning to her body–which right now was encased in a clingy sapphire blue cocktail dress. Her long, dark hair was blowing a bit wildly in the wind but she was still a beautiful woman.

  Which is what he told her.

  A snort of disbelief was her only response.

  “Courtney, I’m serious! You are a beautiful woman and if the guys around here don’t see it and don’t appreciate it, then they’re idiots!”

  “Oh, really?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “Yeah, really.”

  “Then I guess that makes you one of the idiots,” she grumbled before trying to walk away, but he stopped her.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. Then you’re an idiot too. Probably the biggest idiot.”

  “Hey!” he snapped. “What the hell? What did I do?”

  Her eyes were blazing with fire when she looked up at him and for the life of him, Dean had no idea why she was so pissed off at him.

  “Because you’re too blind to see this!” she said right before she snaked a hand around his nape and pulled his head down and kissed him.

  Shock held Dean immobile for all of three seconds before he realized what was happening and then…holy crap.

  He had no idea what he was expecting, but Courtney’s kiss wasn’t angry–like her words were getting–but it was soft and sensual.

  He was the one to kick it up a notch.

  Reaching up, his hands cupped her face as he dove in for more of her. She pressed closer and the feeling of her curvy body pressed up against him from head to toe was enough to turn him on more than he’d been in years.

  Maybe more than he’d ever been.

  And just as he shifted and let his hands skim over her cheeks, her throat, her shoulders, and before his arms could wrap around her waist, she broke the kiss and looked at him in absolute horror.

  “Ohmygod,” she whispered right before she turned and ran.

  For the second time in as many minutes, he was frozen in place. By the time his head was clear enough to think, she was out of sight–and out of the yard. Running across the yard, he spotted her in the driveway. As much as he didn’t want to make a scene, he knew he had to call out to her to stop her. Just as he was about to, Dean spotted his brother Kyle standing with her and ushering her toward his car.

  “Son of a bitch,” he hissed and immediately realized this was probably for the best. She’d had too much to drink, was upset, and would more than likely have no memory of ever kissing him come tomorrow morning.

  Which was a damn shame.

  Because there wasn’t a doubt in his mind–he’d never forget that kiss.

  2

  “You may kiss the bride.”

  Courtney held on to Scarlett’s bouquet as her friend kissed her new husband. Tears stung her eyes as she watched them, but when Scarlett turned to her to get her flowers, she made sure she was smiling.

  As the happy couple made their way up the aisle, Courtney smoothed a hand down her purple strapless gown, stepped forward and linked arms with Mason’s cousin Sam, who was the couple’s best man. As they began to walk, she trained her eyes forward otherwise she’d be tempted to glance toward where Scarlett’s family was sitting. There was no way she was going to be able to look at Dean after the way she behaved last night.

  Hell, it had been bad enough facing Scarlett after Kyle dropped her off.

  Although, she had no idea how she could avoid him all day. This was a fairly small and intimate wedding – much like the rehearsal dinner was the night before. At some point she was bound to run into him and for the life of her, she had no idea what she was going to do or say when it happened. True, she could
simply pretend she didn’t remember kissing him and go with the whole I-drank-too-much thing, but that didn’t sit right with her.

  For starters, she didn’t drink that much.

  At least, not as much as everyone thought.

  And secondly, she wasn’t a liar.

  So for now, she smiled and looked like the happy maid of honor on the outside, but inside, she was a mess. There were pictures to pose for, first dances to get through, and there were enough friends here that she could make sure she was never alone.

  In theory, it was a good plan.

  Putting it all into practice, however, was much harder than she imagined. Mainly because she had forgotten that as the bride’s brother, Dean – who looked incredibly sexy in a tux – would be part of all the activities Courtney thought she was going to use to distract herself.

  Well…damn. Now what?

  The wedding was being held at the Magnolia Sound Country Club which sat right on the beach. There wasn’t any place to hide – especially once they stepped outside for pictures – and she found herself holding her breath more than once while the photographer started arranging them all for pictures. If all went well, they wouldn’t have to be in any of them together.

  “Court!” Scarlett cried out, interrupting her thoughts. “Come pose in the family pics. You know you’re practically my sister!”

  It was like her best friend was purposely messing with her, except…she never told Scarlett that she’d kissed Dean.

  Hell, she’d never even told Scarlett she had a crush on Dean!

  There was no way to decline posing with the entire Jones family without it looking suspicious, so she slowly made her way over and kept her eyes on the bride and not on the bride’s ridiculously hot brother.

  Who kissed like a dream.

  Yeah, she wasn’t so drunk that she didn’t remember how incredible that kiss was or how warm and hot and hard Dean felt all over.