His Complete Polar Opposite

by Theresa Paolo

  “Is there any natural remedy for a sprained ankle?” Enzo wasn’t expecting a miracle, but if there was something he could do that may help Cami heal sooner, then he was going to try.

  “There is a natural remedy for just about everything.” Martha floated over to the essential oils and scanned the bottles. “Here we are. This one.” She plucked a bottle off the shelf and handed it to him. “This one and this one.”

  She handed him the bottles, and he read them aloud. “Cypress, frankincense, and peppermint.” Martha explained what each oil did and Enzo didn’t realize he should have brought a pen and paper with him to take notes. “Do I mix all three together?”

  “Oh child, no. Pick one and stick with it.”

  “Then why are you giving me all three?”

  “They all have their own scent, and I’m not sure which one Cami will like best. Let her decide. Though, frankincense will help with stress and anxiety, and if I know Cami, she’s probably wound tighter than an eight-day clock.”

  “You definitely have that right.” Enzo remembered the conversation at the coffee shop. “Didn’t you say something about lavender?”

  “Yes, I did. I have the perfect thing.” Martha spun, her turquoise shirt floating behind her like a cape. Enzo followed her over to the bath area where Krissy’s soap had a large display on a table. Martha reached to the left of the soaps, grabbed a small bag, and handed it to him.

  “That there is lavender bath salt. Draw her a nice bath and sprinkle it right on it.” Martha gave him a wink.

  “I think she can handle it herself,” Enzo said, not wanting Martha to think anything was going on between him and Cami. They hadn’t exactly told the world about it. Their relationship had been pretty much behind closed doors.

  “We’re going to play that game? Okay…”

  “What game?” he asked.

  “The game where you two act like you’re not a thing when everyone and their brother knows you are.”

  “I wouldn’t say we’re a thing.” Thing sounded so impersonal.

  “You’re something.”

  “Okay. We’re something.”

  “That’s what I thought. You might want to take some of this, too, then.” She grabbed a bottle and handed it to him.

  “Ylang ylang?” he said. “What’s this for?”

  “Promotes relaxation, lowers blood pressure, and increases sexual desire.”

  Enzo’s feet came to a halt. He didn’t need help with his sexual desire when it came to Cami. All she had to do was walk in the room.

  The shock of Martha’s suggestion wore off, and he made his way to the register, placing his haul on the counter.

  Martha rang him up and the bell above the door chimed. Joe Prescott strolled in, wearing his signature Hawaiian shirt, hair slicked back, and a big smile on his face. Martha’s lips curved up, a blush filling her cheeks. Speaking of keeping a relationship under wraps, Martha and Joe had been sneaking around for a few months now. Though, they weren’t really trying to hide it anymore.

  “Enzo.” Joe patted him on the back and held his hand out for a shake. He picked up the bottle of ylang ylang. “This stuff is great,” he said and that was more information than Enzo needed.

  “So I’m told,” he said.

  Martha swiped the bottle from Joe’s hand and placed it in the bag before he could tell Martha to put it back on the shelf. “You’re all set.”

  Enzo took his purchase. “Thanks for your help, Martha.”

  “Anytime. Now in a few months you come back, and we’ll look at some fertility bracelets.”

  Enzo swallowed and scrubbed a hand over the back of his head. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  “I have a good feeling about you two.”

  Enzo hurried out of Mind, Body, and Soul before Martha could show him anything else. Fertility bracelet. She was out of her mind. He and Cami were nowhere near the talk of having children together.

  Though, his thoughts went back to the Lobster Shack, the vision of the boy and girl that looked eerily like them, clouding his mind. It was a vision that didn’t scare him, but instead, gave him hope for the family he always wanted, but never thought he would have.

  ***

  Enzo had done so much for Cami, and she wanted to do something for him. Cooking dinner seemed like a good idea, except trying to move around a kitchen with only one good foot was a lot of work. Exhaustion curled around her, and a light pain throbbed in her ankle—a constant reminder that she was still on the mend, as if she didn’t already know.

  Pasta had seemed like the easiest option, until the water was done boiling and she had no idea how to carry the pot of water to the sink to drain it. She tapped a finger against her chin. She was a smart girl; she could figure something out. She’d already retrieved a pasta bowl, a task in itself. Now she just needed to get the pasta in the there.

  She opened a drawer filled with silverware, but a fork and spoon didn’t seem like much help. She closed the drawer and moved to the next. Spatulas, wine bottle opener, can opener, and a pair of tongs, stared back at her. She was starting to lose hope when she picked up the tongs. “These could work,” she said aloud, a smile crossing her face.

  With a hip check, she shut the drawer and hobbled over to the pot. To her surprise, the tong worked perfectly. She mixed in some olive oil, fresh basil, lemon and pepper then gathered the cut Roma tomatoes and asparagus she had heated up in a skillet and tossed it on top, mixing all the ingredients together. She topped it off with some fresh cracked pepper and a little parmesan. She hopped back, admiring her dish. See? She was perfectly capable of going back to work.

  Her thigh was screaming from holding most of her weight, and her other foot was cramping slightly, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. She’d worked through a bad case of hay fever, a broken finger, a carpal tunnel flare-up, and a minor bout with food poisoning. A twisted ankle had nothing on her.

  The door opened, and her heart warmed when Enzo’s voice floated up the stairs. A wave of foolish excitement buzzed inside her.

  “I’m in here,” she said.

  “Why aren’t you resting?”

  She poked her head out. “How do you know I’m not resting?”

  He took her face in his hand and kissed her sweetly, yet toe-curling at the same time. “Because you’re standing,” he said as he drew back and kissed her forehead. “And something smells delicious.”

  “That would be dinner.”

  “I told you I would whip something up,” he said.

  “And I decided I’d rather cook for you. You’ve already done enough. This is my way of saying thank you.” She held her finger up and pointed it at him. “I see your lips parting, and I know you are not about to give me a hard time about this. If you are, you can eat your dinner in your truck on your way home.”

  “I didn’t realize I was getting dinner and a threat.”

  “Better than a show.” She winked, and he felt it in his groin.

  “I got you something.” He pulled a bag out from behind his back, and Cami stared at him in shock.

  “Here I am trying to do something nice for you since you’ve done so much, and you return with a gift. You’re making me look bad.”

  “You could never look bad.”

  He held the bag out to her, and she recognized the label from Martha’s store. Curious as to what he could have possibly gotten there, she opened the bag. “What is all this?”

  “Stuff to help you heal faster. I don’t know if I believe in all that mumbo jumbo, but I figured it’s worth a try.

  Overcome with affection for this sweet, sweet man, she not so sexily hobbled to him, lifted up on her good toes, and kissed him.

  “Thank you,” she said against his mouth. He took the bottles out of the bag one by one like an excited kid. It was such a different disposition than she was used to with Enzo, and she loved getting to experience all the sides of him.

  “Martha said the cypress will increase circulation and
reduce inflammation. The peppermint and the frankincense will also reduce inflammation and help with the bruising.”

  “Perfect. And what about this?” She held up the lavender bath salts.

  “It has Epsom salt in it, but Martha said to wait on the hot bath because heat can actually contribute to inflammation, and we don’t want that.”

  “Definitely not. We’ll just put this aside for now.” Thoughts of sharing a bath with Enzo popped into her mind and heat filled her cheeks. She pushed the bag of goodies to the corner of the counter. “You hungry?”

  “Starving.” He cupped the nape of her neck and pulled her lips to his. By the time they got to dinner it was cold, but it was the best meal Cami ever had.

  Chapter 20

  Enzo rushed through his day, wanting to get back to Cami. He wanted to make sure she was resting, but more than that, he just wanted to see her. Plain and simple, he missed her.

  He filled a drink order then went to check on Chris to make sure he was keeping with the pace. Enzo found Grandpa in the back, helping Chris plate fries before grabbing two plates and heading for the door.

  It didn’t matter how old he got; Grandpa never stopped going. Enzo admired his drive and dedication to the business after all these years, even if Enzo worried about him more than he should. Enzo wanted him to slow down, but maybe that was exactly what he didn’t need. The restaurant gave him purpose—a reason to live outside his grandchildren.

  “Scusami,” Grandpa said.

  Enzo didn’t even bother to offer to take the plates this time. Grandpa would only shut him down, and Enzo would be frustrated. He didn’t need to be frustrated; he needed to realize that he didn’t have to protect everyone. It was okay to let Grandpa do his thing and trust that when the time came he would know when to slow down.

  After Enzo checked with Chris, he headed to the bar. Marco strolled in the door and gave a nod when he spotted Enzo. Now with Marco here, Enzo could get back to Cami.

  “Thanks for covering me,” Enzo said when Marco approached the bar.

  “You rarely ask for a favor. Don’t worry about it.”

  Enzo grabbed his keys and patted Marco on the back.

  “Where you heading anyway?’ Marco asked.

  Enzo had no idea if Marco was playing dumb, or if he hadn’t heard the town gossip yet. “Cami hurt her ankle. I’m going to her place to see if she’s okay.”

  “Why not just call her?”

  “Would you just call Aubrey when you could show up on her doorstep?”

  Awareness crossed his tanned face. “Oh, it’s like that.”

  Enzo shrugged; there wasn’t much else to say. Marco could read in between the lines.

  “Well shit. Never saw that one coming.” Marco laughed. “She is going to knock you on your ass.”

  Enzo smirked. “She already has.”

  Marco’s laugh followed him out the door.

  It was another hot day, but the humidity was at a reasonable low, and there was a nice breeze coming off the ocean. Enzo wanted to make a quick stop by the Local Bean, so he could report back to Cami that everything was still running fine. Not that she probably hadn’t called over there a million times to make sure.

  He gave a wave to Martha who was fixing something in her store window. A smile brightened her face as she waved back.

  The Local Bean had a few people standing off to the side waiting for their drinks and a few people filled the chairs. Ella was behind the register while Paulie made the drinks.

  Ella greeted him with a ridiculous smile. “Hey,” she said. “And before you ask. Cami has already called six times before noon, and four times after. Everything is running smoothly, and the place is still standing.”

  “I can see that.”

  “Do you want anything?” she asked.

  “My usual.”

  Ella rang him up, and he handed over the cash. She didn’t hand him his change, instead sticking it into the tip jar.

  “Brat.” He laughed.

  “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I have someone coming in to stain your wood floors,” Ella said, and when he arched his eyebrow she continued. “Remember? I told you I think they would look better if they were darker, and you agreed.”

  “I didn’t realize you were actually going to have someone come in and do it.”

  “Why else would I bring it up?”

  “How much is this costing me?”

  “I’m still within budget so don’t worry about it. The only thing is that you can’t be at the house for the next two days. So looks like you’ll be bunking at Grandpa’s like old times.”

  “I have somewhere I can stay.”

  “Oh?” Ella said, looking down at her nails as if she wasn’t interested, but Enzo knew damn well she was waiting for Enzo to spill the beans. He was surprised Cami hadn’t already. Or maybe she had, and Ella was just looking for what he had to say on the matter.

  “I’ll stay at Cami’s.”

  “I didn’t realize you two were so serious. Spending the night together is a big deal.”

  “Considering we’ve done it multiple times already; I think we’re okay.”

  Ella’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know this.”

  “Cami didn’t tell you?”

  “I’ve only spoken to her on the phone, and she only cares about what’s going on here. I haven’t seen her, and I’ve been meaning to stop by her place, but between filling in here and wanting to get your place done before I leave, I’ve been a terrible friend.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve been occupying her time just fine.”

  Ella jabbed her fingers into her ears. “Okay, I don’t need the details.”

  “She’s also been resting.”

  “Cami? Are you sure we’re talking about the same person?”

  “It wasn’t an easy feat, but she’s been keeping her foot elevated for the most part and catching up on some much needed sleep.”

  “You tamed the beast.” Ella laughed.

  “She didn’t need taming.” Cami just needed someone to see past her façade.

  ***

  Cami was losing her mind. She felt like a prisoner in her own home, and while she would begrudgingly admit that she’d enjoyed the few days off, she was ready to get back to work. She’d been away from her shop for far too long, and while Enzo, Ella, and Krissy insisted everything was running smoothly, she needed to check on it herself.

  Her ankle was still bothering her, and according to the internet it could take five to fourteen days to heal. Fourteen days… She didn’t even want to think about it. She hopped on one foot, using the wall for balance until she made it to the landing. Hopping down the stairs was out of the question. She didn’t need to lose her balance, hit her head, and add a concussion to the list. She plopped on her rear, and with her good foot, she slid on her butt from one stair to the next.

  She was halfway to the bottom when the door opened. She looked up, her eyes looking right at Enzo’s blue ones.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he asked, amusement in his tone.

  “I can’t be in here anymore. I’m leaving.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Anywhere but here.”

  “And how do you plan on getting there?”

  “I still have one good foot. I can drive.” She crossed her arms over her chest, determined to sit there all day if she had to. There was no way she was going back up those stairs.

  “Where do you want to go? I’ll drive you.”

  He had already done too much for her. She had a slight injury; that didn’t make her incapable. “I don’t need a chauffeur. Or a chaperone, for that matter.” Enzo looked at her, plopping onto the next stair in an attempt to go through him. She felt like a child who wouldn’t take no for an answer, but this was the longest she’d been cooped up since she had the chicken pox when she was five.

  Enzo bent, his arms wrapped around her, and picked her up off the steps.

  “Put me down you barbarian.”

/>   “You want go out, don’t you? I’m taking you out.”

  “I just told you—”

  His kiss cut off her words, and she melted into his arms. “Now that I have your attention,” he said. “I’ll take you down to the boardwalk. Even have something for you in the car.”

  “Another present? I will admit I do like being spoiled. What is it?”

  “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  She sighed, throwing her head back and turning into dead weight in his arms.

  Enzo laughed. “You always did have a flare for the dramatics.”

  They got to Enzo’s Jeep, and he placed her on solid ground. She balanced on her good foot while he ducked into the backseat. He straightened, pulling with him a pair of crutches. “Surprise!”

  “Where did you get these?”

  “Found them in the closet at my grandfather’s. Still there from when Marco broke his leg.”

  “That was almost fifteen years ago.”

  “They still serve their purpose.” He held them out to her. “Want to give it a try?”

  She took them from his hand and placed them under her arms. She’d never used crutches before, but it wasn’t exactly rocket science. It took a moment to figure out a good system, but once she did, she was flinging herself all about.

  “Before you hurt yourself,” Enzo said and glanced down at her ankle. “Again.”

  “Hey this”—she pointed down her leg—“was not my fault.”

  “Still, I don’t want to take any chances, or you’ll be going right back upstairs to bed.”

  That was the last thing Cami wanted. She turned herself toward the car and gathered the crutches in one hand, holding them out to Enzo. “Let’s go.”

  She got into the car with minimal effort, confident in a few days’ time she would be back to her normal routine. Enzo pulled out of the driveway, and Cami rolled the window down, savoring the hot breeze on her face.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Your new hire starts tomorrow.”

  “Excuse me?” Cami snapped her head back in the car, turning an icy glare on Enzo. “What new hire?”

  “I asked Paulie if he knew anyone looking for a job. He spread the word and a few people sent in resumes. I picked one, and I think she’ll be exactly what you’re looking for.”