“Make it a hot one,” she said, watching his bottom flex as he walked away. “Warm up those cold feet.”
He stopped and gave her a look over his shoulder that made her suck in another breath. “Nothing’s cold when I’m with you.”
When he went into the bathroom and shut the door, she fell onto the bed and covered her mouth with both hands, laughing. Except she also felt like throwing up. And peeing again.
With great self-control, she sat up, smoothed out her dress, and chewed off a fingernail while she listened to the water running in the other room.
Ten minutes later, she was gnawing on a third finger when he strode out with a towel slung around his hips. “One thing I’m kind of wondering here,” he said. “I’ve told you how I feel, but I haven’t heard your side of things.”
“I’m wearing a wedding dress. I don’t do that every day.”
“That is some comfort.” He dropped the towel.
“Is that what you need? Comfort?”
He reached into the closet, took out the suit he’d worn to the Downton Abbey restaurant, and lay it on the bed next to her. “I don’t need anything but you.” With a smile, he unfurled a fresh white button-down shirt from a plastic bag, and shoved his arms into it, never looking away from her. It was like a strip tease in reverse. Maybe he’d give her money.
The sound of her own giggle made her jump to her feet and march into the bathroom for some cold water and perhaps a rhino tranquilizer. She hadn’t packed any, but maybe the hotel included some with the shampoo, lotion, and miniature soap. She waited in there until he came to the doorway.
“I’m ready,” he said.
She got up from where she sat on the closed toilet seat, checked her lipstick in the mirror, and then shut the door in his face so she could vomit in private.
12
The chapel bore a suspicious resemblance to a well-known chain of fast-food Mexican restaurants. But the marquee at the parking lot entrance—WEDDINGS 24/7 OR DRIVE-THRU TIL MIDNIGHT—told them they were in the right place.
Hugo parked their rental car near a vintage pink Cadillac and took Trixie’s hand. “Well?”
It was a lot harder to maintain her courage when Elvis was only a few steps away. Not making a move to get out of the car, she played with Hugo’s fingers and stared at the building’s stucco arches through the windshield, her voice a whisper. “I don’t want to hurt you. What if being happy makes me unhappy?”
“How would it do that?”
“Doing things for other people makes me happier than doing things for myself,” she said. “Being with you might mess that all up.”
“Just because you’re with me doesn’t mean you can’t do things for other people anymore.”
“You won’t be jealous?”
“Will you be jealous of me taking care of other people’s animals?”
The only feeling she might get is excessive lust. Watching him work had always turned her on. He was so calm, competent, caring. “No, of course not.”
“We both have our jobs to do,” he said, which made her smile.
“I’m serious about this. You didn’t believe me, but I’m serious. Here we are.” She brought his hand to her lips. “Can you believe we’ll make this work?”
He turned his hand to stroke her cheek with his knuckles. “How can we not?”
She wanted to believe him, she did. But it had been so long. They were two old rivers that had worn down separate paths through rock and earth. Maybe it was too late.
Well, too late for him. She knew she was fine. If he wasn’t willing to go through with this now, she’d know he never would be. Better she found out now.
He dropped her hand, climbed out of the car, and strode around to her door. Before she could argue, he reached inside and pulled her out to join him.
He caught her face in both of his big, warm hands. “Listen to me. I can change. So can you. We can turn off the TV and live the life of the living. We can leave the audience and join the stage.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her. “Dance with me, Trixie.”
Love swelled in her chest. Either that or she was having a heart attack, which would totally ruin the moment.
Tilting her head back, she looked him right in the eye. “I love you, Doctor Hugo.”
His eyes looked a little watery. Being a man, he scowled and ducked his head for a moment. His voice got rough. “Good. Because you’re about to marry me.”
“Elvis is doing the marrying.”
“Only because you insisted,” he said.
She put her hand on his cheek, brushing a tear away. “I do.”
13
Several days later, Trixie and Hugo checked into a motel in Boulder City, Nevada. The young woman behind the counter didn’t give them a second glance as she took Hugo’s credit card and handed over the key cards, no doubt assuming they were no different than the countless other married couples that came through the town. Just two more tourists getting the senior discount.
“We’re on our honeymoon,” Trixie told her, popping a free chocolate square into her mouth.
Surprised, the woman drew her chin back, which wrinkled the tattoo of a hummingbird she had on her neck. Then she smiled, jiggling her platinum lip ring. “Congrats.”
At first distracted by the tattoo and the piercing—the hummingbird reminded her of the dogs back home, the piercing of the ridiculously extravagant ring Hugo had bought for her at the jeweler in Vegas on Monday—Trixie gathered her wits and said, “Thank you. We’re going to the Hoover Dam tomorrow.”
The woman assured them they would enjoy it, congratulated them again, and encouraged Trixie to take as many free chocolates from the desk as she liked.
Ten minutes later, after they’d settled into their room, Trixie unpeeled another chocolate and looked out the window at the desert.
“It’ll be fine,” Hugo said.
Trixie turned. “What will be?”
“You were sighing. Thinking about Sly and Cleo again, weren’t you?”
She sat next to him on the little sofa. He lifted his phone out to her and saw that he’d been looking at their wedding pictures again. Romantic devil, he couldn’t stop reliving the moment.
She leaned closer as he kissed her on the cheek. “This is the hardest part,” she said, as much to herself as to him. “But they’ll figure it out. They have to.”
On a call back home, she’d heard that Sly and Cleo had separated. But she knew it was temporary. It had to be. Those two were made for each other.
“Sly’s been avoiding the real thing for a long time,” Hugo said. “But he’ll cave sooner or later.”
“With Cleo.”
“Yeah, with Cleo. Who else?”
“You’re right. He loves her.” She scratched the wrapper off another chocolate. “I wish he’d hurry up and figure it out.”
“Some people need a little extra time.”
“You’re talking about me now,” she said.
“And me. I should’ve made my move years ago.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t. I needed to get all my kids paired off before I’d ever consider something as silly as falling in love myself.” She gave him a chocolatey kiss on the mouth. “Even with a vet. I’ll get a discount on the doggie care now. You’re not cheap, you know.”
“That’s what this was all about, isn’t it? Paying your overdue bills?”
Smiling, she pushed the chocolate between his lips. “Now I can adopt a few more dogs,” she said. “Zeus would like a girlfriend. Someone small and loving who can see the beauty under the beast.”
“Oh my God, you’re moving on to the dogs now.”
“What choice do I have? My kids are all set. I helped out the neighbors. Even your brother has reunited with his wife, which is lovely but puts me out of it.” She cuddled up against his side and took the phone from him. The Elvis shots were her favorites, but she wouldn’t tell Hugo that. He might get jealous. She didn’t need pictures of him—sh
e had the real man to look at every day.
“There’s no shortage of lonely people in the world,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll find other humans who needs your special talents.”
She liked the sound of that. “Maybe I should get business cards.”
Chuckling, Hugo pulled her into his arms.
“Or a website,” she said between kisses.
“Mm,” he replied.
“And a Twitter.”
“Lots of Twitters,” he mumbled.
But after a moment or two, she changed her mind. “No, that’s not my style. I work under the radar.”
“Whatever you decide, you’ll make it work.”
His confidence in her made her warm all over. “You think so?”
“Absolutely,” he said against her neck. “You’re a miracle worker. If you can love an old pain in the ass like me, just imagine what you can do.”
She gazed over his shoulder out the window, envisioning all the single people at the gym, the grocery store, the dog park, the auto repair shop, the library, the podiatrist—her mind spun as she thought of the possibilities.
“You’re right,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “I’m only getting started.”
Author Note
The previous story, Trixie Does Vegas, is a companion story to this full-length novel:
This Changes Everything (Oakland Hills #4)
* * *
There's more than one way to ruin a beautiful friendship.
Tech entrepreneur Sly has a portfolio of lucrative San Francisco Bay Area start-ups, but while his financial options are unlimited, his romantic options are anything but. Bored with the same old, same old, he finds himself spending more and more time with Cleo, his former piano teacher and current pizza-eating, binge-TV-watching partner.
Already divorced at only twenty-nine, Cleo's not looking for love. Certainly not with a gorgeous workaholic who usually dates high-powered, MBA-toting supermodels. Although, come to think of it, Sly hasn't dated anyone in a long time. And Cleo isn’t the only one to notice he seems lonely…
An unexpected weekend trip to Las Vegas forces Cleo to confront her past while Sly slams into his own demons and realizes he's his own worst enemy. What happens when they cross the line? And then move it, jump over it, trample it, zigzag across it, and forget where the line was in the first place?
* * *
Get it today! This Changes Everything (Oakland Hills #4)
Also by Gretchen Galway
OAKLAND HILLS SERIES
Love Handles (Oakland Hills #1)
This Time Next Door (Oakland Hills #2)
Not Quite Perfect (Oakland Hills #3)
This Changes Everything (Oakland Hills #4)
Quick Takes (Oakland Hills Stories Boxed Set)
Going For Broke (Oakland Hills #5)
Going Wild (Oakland Hills #6)
Oakland Hills Romantic Comedy Boxed Set (Books 1-3)
* * *
RESORT TO LOVE SERIES
The Supermodel’s Best Friend (Resort to Love #1)
Diving In (Resort to Love #2)
About the Author
GRETCHEN GALWAY is a USA Today bestselling author who writes romantic comedies because love is too painful to survive without laughing. Raised in the American Midwest, she now lives in California with her husband and two kids.
* * *
Sign up for her newsletter at www.gretchengalway.com to hear about new books, sales, and special goodies!
For more information
www.gretchengalway.com
Quick Takes Page 15
