by C. M. Albert
Zade nodded. “Is LuLu still with Annalise?” he asked. It was always hard when young people were in the ICU. But he thought about the three patients who weren’t so lucky and was grateful she still had a fighting chance.
“She is. I told her to go home and shower since Maura’s here too. But she won’t,” she said. “You grabbing dinner tonight?”
“Yeah, heading over in a bit to meet Connor at Del Vecchio’s. Want to come?” When Zade saw her eyes light up, he raised his hand. “Don’t even go there.”
She pouted. “Zade, we’re not kids anymore. You can’t keep me from dating your friends.”
Zade growled, memories coming back of arguments with friends who tried to hook up with his baby sister. He guessed he could relate to Brecken better than he thought. “It’s not that, Zada. He’s got some history with the owner of the shelter. Kinsley, I think.”
Zada’s shoulders slumped. “Damn. There aren’t enough single men of my caliber in this town,” she said. “I may have to move with you to Dallas when you go back.”
It wasn’t something Zade had even considered. He thought Zada loved it here. “But you have a lot of friends here, don’t you?”
“Sure, I have a few. But I miss the nightlife of a big city. Eligible men for miles,” she teased. “Okay, okay,” she conceded when she saw the doubtful look Zade gave her. “Just something I’m considering.”
“You know you’re always welcome wherever I live, Zada. We’re the only family we have left now,” he said, getting a little choked up. Zade cleared his throat. “So, are you in or out tonight?”
“I’m gonna pass, but thanks. Maybe I’ll ask Martina to go to a movie.” She shrugged. “Netflix and wine sounds fun, too, though,” she said and giggled.
“Have fun!” she called out over her shoulder as she slipped from his office, her arms hugging the large stack of patient charts.
Zade locked up for the night and walked over to Del Vecchio’s, loving how the summer months lured more people out onto the streets at night. The restaurants along Main Street were bustling, their outdoor seating packed full. Kids of all ages spilled over into the street while waiting in line for an ice cream from Cherry on Top, and the bluesy notes of a local folk band floated across the street from the new Irish pub.
When Zade walked through the doors of Del Vecchio’s, he couldn’t help but smile. Sal greeted him with an enthusiastic handshake, the man’s warm smile brightening his deep blue eyes. “Dr. Zampogna! Welcome.”
Zade took his outstretched hand, clasping it. “Sal,” he said affectionately. Even though it had been more than five years, Zade missed his father terribly. From the slight Italian accent, to the shiny black hair even in his early sixties, to the warm, affectionate greetings, Sal resembled the man Zade had idolized his entire life.
“You grabbing a table tonight, or taking it to go again?” Sal asked, reaching for the menu as if Zade hadn’t memorized it already.
Zade nodded to the bar. “Meeting Connor tonight. Mind if we eat at the bar?”
“Not at all,” Sal said. “I’ll have Maria come get your orders.”
Zade bee-lined for the bar, patting his friend on the back as he waved to the bartender. “Hey, Journey,” he said, pulling out his seat. “Can I get my regular?”
Journey winked in his direction, letting him know she’d heard him as she bussed the dirty mugs at the other end of the counter.
“Hey,” Connor said, “what’s shaking in your world these days?”
Journey slid Zade’s mug across the glistening mahogany bar to him, her eyes lingering a little too long. “Can I get you anything else, doctor?” she asked playfully.
“No thanks, Journey,” he said. “I think Maria’s coming to get our orders in a minute, so I think we’re set for now.”
Journey’s rich brown skin flushed as her cheeks warmed to a rosy shade of pink. Connor kicked him under the bar and snickered to himself, though it was loud enough for Zade to hear, which also meant it was loud enough for Journey to hear.
“Sounds good,” she said. “Holler if I can get you anything else,” she said, slipping his order ticket into the empty glass in front of him.
“What the hell was that all about?” Connor asked after Journey headed to the other end of the bar to help another customer.
Zade shrugged. “Nothing I’m exploring,” Zade said. “Journey may be pretty, but I’m not looking.”
“Huh?” Connor said, taking a long pull from his bottle. “Why’s that?
“I told you a few weeks ago,” Zade reminded him. “Rosalie.”
He didn’t say anything else, as if just saying her name shut down any further conversation and was a complete enough answer on its own. Connor wasn’t having it.
“Brecken’s little sister?” he asked, looking amused, a smirk splitting his mustache–beard combo and exposing his super white teeth. “What’s she got to do with anything?”
“Shut the hell up,” Zade said, laughing. “I told you already. That woman’s something special, and the more I get to know her, the more I’m certain we’re meant to be together.”
“Huh,” Connor said again, stroking his neat, dark brown mustache. “I didn’t think you were serious. I thought you were just a little tipsy and got all fired up because she’s a hot little tamale.”
Connor whistled when he saw the darkness cloud Zade’s eyes. “Okay, okay. I got ya, man. It’s serious.”
Zade growled, lifting his mug to his lips and taking a long, slow pull. “It’s serious on my side,” he said. “I don’t think Rosalie knows what to do with my attention, though. I always seem to fluster her, and she’s a little hung up on the money.”
Connor laughed. “Aren’t most women?”
“Yeah, but that’s the thing. It’s not like that with Rosalie. She’s hung up the other way. She doesn’t give two licks about money, and I think my wealth actually scares her—or turns her off.”
“I’ve never met a woman who was turned off by money before,” Connor snickered. “But if you say so.”
“I’m telling you, she’s different. I can’t explain it. I just—I feel drawn to her. I can’t get the girl out of my mind, and it drives me nuts because she’s playing hard to get. Which is both sexy as hell and really confusing. Not to mention Brecken.”
“What about him?”
Zade smiled as Maria headed their way, order pad in hand. “Buonasera, Maria! I’ll have your delicious kale and pistachio pesto spaghetti, with a side of antipasto. No bread tonight,” he said, patting his completely flat stomach. Maria offered bread sticks with everything, as if she were a bona fide pusher.
“One of these days you’ll try my bread sticks,” she said in her thick Italian accent. “Then you’ll never turn me down again.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Zade said, laughing.
Connor ordered his normal pizza loaded with meat. Zade wasn’t sure why his friend even bothered with crust. The top was so jam-packed with toppings you could hardly see the cheese or bread beneath.
“So,” Connor said after Maria left, “what’s stopping you?”
“Nothing’s stopping me,” Zade scoffed. “Okay. So, Brecken’s not too keen on the idea of me pursuing Rosalie, to say the least. Oh—Zada says hi, by the way.” Zade did his duty and passed on her greetings. He’d do no more to interfere, especially since he suspected Connor might still be sweet on his old crush. “I already told her you weren’t on the market.”
Connor threw back the last of his bottle, wiping his mouth with his hand. “I’m certainly not off it, though,” he said, his voice gravelly and hoarse. “I don’t think Kinsley even knows I’m home. She sure as hell hasn’t made any effort to see me if she does.”
Connor had been back in town for over six months now, giving his parents’ old florist business a complete facelift. What was once “Blacks’ Buds & Blooms,” a quaint floral shop with a red and white awning on a side street far away from town center, was now a bustling busin
ess, with modern black and silver lettering and Connor’s edgy new “Mums N’ Roses” skull-and-flower logo splashed across the front window right on Main Street. The shop was definitely a dude’s floral shop—if there was such a thing. Zade appreciated the riff off the old eighties band, Gun N’ Roses, which completely fit Connor’s rough, edgy image.
“Have you made an effort to see her?” Zade asked. When Connor snarled in his direction, he said, “I’ll take that as a no.”
“She wasn’t exactly too happy when I left, let’s just put it that way,” Connor said, turning his gaze away from Zade and glancing across the restaurant as if he was waiting for her to walk through the door at any moment.
“The last thing she said to me was basically ‘Fuck off, Connor Prescott Black! If you leave me here, don’t you bother coming back,’” he said, his voice mimicking his ex. “Then she threw the promise ring I’d given her in high school into a cornfield and stomped off in the opposite direction toward home. There was nothing I could’ve done to make it right. I had to go.”
Zade nodded, not wanting to pry. Instead, he lifted a brow, smirking. “Prescott, huh?”
Connor shoved his arm, laughing. “Fuck off, man.”
They were still laughing when their food arrived, Zade devouring it quicker than it could cool. He’d forgotten to eat lunch, as he often did when he was this busy. They talked about Connor’s grand opening celebration, which was in about a month. And what Zade might be able to do to win Rosalie over completely. Zade didn’t mention the job offer that was on the table from North Central or the three deaths he still couldn’t shake off. But they were in the back of his mind the entire night, making him all kinds of distracted.
“Earth to Zade,” he heard, a friendly hand slapping him on the back. “Man, you must be exhausted,” Egan said, laughing.
Zade turned to see Egan and Mitch standing next to him at the bar, amused expressions on their faces. “Sorry, man. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Have anything to do with a pretty little psychic named Rosalie?” Mitch asked pointedly, his eyebrow raised.
“Little bit of that. Mostly work though.”
Mitch nodded. “Yeah, we heard about that DUI. That’s rough. How’s Annalise holding up? I heard her boyfriend was the one driving.”
Zade nodded. It was public record now. The whole messy thing. How Annalise’s boyfriend, Draven, was intoxicated—over twice the legal limit—and had crossed the double yellow line out on Route 57, one of the country roads near the Vega Farm. They were heading back into town where LuLu lived, and Jeraldine and her grandson, Andrew, had been coming home from vacation when their paths collided. It was the worst car accident Arden’s Glen had ever seen, and Annalise was damn lucky to be alive.
“Yeah, it was fucking brutal,” Zade admitted. “Not something I’ll ever forget.”
Pictures of the mangled cars, both of which had caught on fire, had made the paper. The shit of it was that Annalise only survived because she wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the SUV on impact. It had to have been like hitting a brick wall at the speed they were going. She’s lucky she didn’t break every bone in her body, her leg bearing the brunt of the trauma.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Mitch said. “She must’ve had a team of angels on her side that night, judging by the pictures in the paper.”
Zade nodded, dropping forty bucks on the bar, knowing it would more than cover his meal, beer, and tip. He’d lost his appetite and had already plowed through most of his spaghetti. He pushed the antipasto over to Connor, knowing he’d finish it off for him. Connor was built like a freaking Mack truck.
“Bros night out?” Zade asked Egan and Mitch. “Where are Celeste and Dez?”
“Celeste’s friend Kenya is in town, so they’re all putting their heads together over something,” Egan said, grinning. Zade had a feeling Egan knew what that something was, but he wasn’t letting on about it.
“Some things are best left in their capable hands,” Mitch said. “By the way, we’re throwing a housewarming party next Saturday. I’ll add you to the list.”
“Thanks,” Zade said. “Hey, do you guys know Connor?” he asked, forgetting how new Egan was to Arden’s Glen.
The guys did a round of introductions, comparing where they each worked and how long they’d been in town. “Glad I met you,” Mitch said. “I always need a good place to grab flowers for Dez. And I may have her get in touch with you about the party next weekend. I’m sure she’ll want some fancy centerpieces or something, and that’s out of my skillset.”
Connor handed Egan and Mitch his business card, then stood to leave. “Gotta run. I have a delivery coming at four in the morning,” he groaned. He pulled a money clip from his back pocket and peeled off a couple twenties, setting them onto the bar with Zade’s before saying his goodbyes.
“Yeah, I better get going, too,” Zade said. “It’s gonna be a long week.”
Mitch nodded, then turned to Egan. “Hey, mind grabbing us a table? There’s something I need to chat with Zade about real fast.”
“No problem,” Egan said. “Good to see you,” he added, heading back toward the front of the restaurant.
Zade didn’t like the feeling that had his stomach sinking. While he and Mitch were now friendly, they’d gotten off to a rocky start in December when Mitch learned that Dez had slept with the doctor first. Let’s just say that hadn’t gone over too well at the time, even though they’d all gotten past it by now.
“What’s up, Mitch?” he asked, standing. If he was going to get the lecture he felt coming on, he at least wanted to look him in the eyes.
“Look, I know this is none of my business, but man to man, I want to offer a little advice,” he said, his voice low.
“What’s that?” Zade asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like where this was headed.
“Rosalie doesn’t have a lot of experience with guys, as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now,” Mitch said.
Zade nodded, definitely not liking where this was headed.
“She kinda had a crush on me last year—which went nowhere, before you ask. But she was a little hurt and embarrassed when she found out I wasn’t interested and had a thing for Dez. So even though she and Dez are good friends now, I know it still stings that Dez and I wound up together. Now—seeing as you and Dez have a past, as well—you might want to come clean about it with Rosalie, sooner rather than later. I don’t want to see her get hurt, or to get mad at Dez again if she gets caught off guard and finds out from someone else.”
Fuck! This was not something he wanted to have a conversation with Rosalie about yet. Sure, he and Dez had shared a night together. But that’s all it was. One night. Had he wanted more? Maybe once. But Dez’s heart was closed then and not Zade’s for the taking. Which worked out for the best, as most things do. Because Rosalie stole his heart in a way Dez never could have. Rosalie might be younger and more inexperienced, but he loved that about her. She was so sweet and genuine. Dez had been pretty jaded and closed off—even after their night together.
“Thanks, man. Really,” he added when he saw the suspicion in Mitch’s eyes. “I appreciate your telling me so I can think about how to handle this. I never want to hurt Rosalie, but whatever this is between us is still so new. I’m not sure when I’d even bring something like this up.”
“It’s weighing on Dez pretty hard,” Mitch said. “She’s friends with Rosalie now, but she feels like it would be better coming from you.”
Zade agreed.
“Oh, and Zade?” Mitch said. “When you come to our housewarming, Rosalie’s invited, too, of course. Might be a good chance to ask her on another date. But don’t tell Brecken I said so. He’d kill me.”
Zade got the protective, big-brother thing. But this felt personal, and he couldn’t understand what he’d done to cause such animosity with Brecken. If he wanted a future with Rosalie, he needed to figure things out so he could s
mooth the road with her brother.
“What’s up with him anyway? He sure seems to hate me.”
Mitch sighed. “Look . . . it’s not my story to tell. It’s Rosalie’s. I don’t think it’s anything personal, but let’s just say her brother has reasons to distrust older, well-established men around his little sister, okay? So tread easy and prove to Brecken that you’re different. That you’re not just interested in her because she’s young and has a killer body—”
“Watch it,” Zade snarled.
Mitch lifted his hand, as if in surrender. “Easy, killer. I’m practically a married man. But I do have eyes, and I can’t deny she’s a gorgeous woman. But she’s also young. And I worry she’s a little too young for you. So does Brecken.”
“What if Dez had been younger?” Zade asked. “Would that have stopped you?”
“Nothing would’ve stopped me from pursuing Dez,” Mitch said. “When you find the one—even when it threatens to destroy every wall you’ve ever built to protect yourself—it’s not even a choice.”
Zade nodded. “If you can help Brecken understand that, too, I’d appreciate it.”
Mitch laughed. “He hasn’t found his person yet, Zade. He won’t ‘get it’ till he does, and till he understands he’d go to the ends of the earth to love her. Then he’ll get it.”
“Thanks, Mitch.”
“For what?”
“For understanding that what I feel for Rosalie is the real deal. She’s not some piece of ass I’m chasing. Rosalie is different. . . . She’s like no woman I’ve ever met before. She challenges me, and is wise beyond her years. She’s fascinating and smart and funny—”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Mitch said, whistling low.
“What?”
“You’re already falling in love with her, aren’t you?” Mitch narrowed his eyes at Zade. When he saw the look of torture on the doctor’s face, he threw his head back and laughed. “Ah, man—you don’t stand a chance with that woman.”
That’s exactly what Zade was terrified of.
