“Gemma!” a woman screamed as she climbed out of her car.
Liz was early. She barreled across driveway and pulled Gemma into a death squeeze—her trademark, which went perfectly with her saucy red curls and dimpled smile.
“I. Love. It!” Liz squealed. She drew away and took in Gemma’s hair.
“You do? I got it done yesterday.”
“If I hadn’t recognized your car, I wouldn’t have known it was you,” Liz said, hugging her again.
Gemma laughed then gasped for breath. “You don’t think it’s too much?”
“Drew is going to freak, and then he’ll start taking pictures.” Liz finally released her. “What does Randy think?”
“Oh.” For a moment Gemma had forgotten. The familiar burn started at the back of her eyes. “He didn’t say much about it. In fact, we broke up last night.”
Liz’s jaw dropped, and for a weird moment, Gemma admired her dental work. Her teeth were white and even, like a dental implant commercial.
“I didn’t know. I’m so-o-o sorry.” Liz’s eyes rounded. “What happened?”
“Let’s go inside,” Gemma said, not wanting to have this conversation on the side of the PCH with cars whizzing by. She grabbed her suitcase from the trunk then followed Liz inside the beach house. They rented the same one every year from a nice Japanese couple who divided themselves between continents. Somehow their place was always available during spring vacation.
“You are so getting the master bedroom,” Liz said, linking her arm through Gemma’s as they walked into the living room. The place was immaculate: pale blue walls, white couches, and gorgeous Turkish rugs.
“No, that’s okay,” Gemma said quickly. The master bed was massive, and it would make her feel even more single if she had to sleep in it. “I’ll take my usual room upstairs. It’s my favorite one.”
“Really, you can have the master. My boyfriend isn’t coming, and I don’t think Drew’s bringing anyone.”
Gemma hoped he wasn’t bringing anyone. Then again, she’d probably be on better behavior if he did. She would definitely sulk less about her pathetic breakup.
“Come in the kitchen,” Liz said. “While you spill the details, I’m making you brownies.”
That was Liz. Even before she had a kid, she’d been the mom of the group, always feeding them and watching out for everyone. “You’re amazing,” Gemma said.
“It’s just from a mix,” Liz said, pulling out a box from one of the grocery bags on the counter.
Gemma perched on a stool, and as Liz prepared the batter, Gemma told her about last night. Then she summarized the past couple of months with Randy. “I guess you could say I saw it coming, but maybe I didn’t want to know, so I never confronted him. And it turns out I was right. Things between us had changed.”
Liz reached across the counter and squeezed Gemma’s hand. “It sounds like with his eyes and brain wandering, his body would have been next.”
Gemma propped her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her hands. “I know. It’s just that we’d dated for so long, I thought we were past all of that.”
“About two years, right?”
Gemma nodded. Liz slid the pan into one of the ovens. Gemma couldn’t imagine why the owners needed more than one oven with just the two of them. Maybe they entertained a lot. Liz pulled out a bag of licorice from another grocery sack then offered it to Gemma.
“If you keep this up, I’m going to have to go to the gym tomorrow,” Gemma said.
Liz laughed. “Monday. We’ll all go Monday, but not a minute sooner.”
“Does your daughter know what a junk-food addict you are?”
“No one knows,” Liz said, her dimple showing. “So we have to eat it before Drew gets here.”
Gemma snatched the bag and ripped open the top. If she couldn’t have love, there was always sugar. They settled on the couch, and their conversation turned to Liz’s boyfriend, Sloane. Gemma encouraged her to tell the latest, keeping a smile on her face. She didn’t want Liz to know that inside, she wanted to go crawl into the bed upstairs.
When a knock sounded at the front door, Gemma glanced at the clock. They’d been talking for two hours. The time had flown. “Is that Drew already?”
Liz jumped up and ran to the door. By her squeal, Gemma knew it was him.
She stood and turned to watch him enter. He smiled when he saw her, but there was something soft behind the smile, as if he was remembering their conversation on the phone. His dark hair was shorter than last time, but it still had its spikey look.
When he crossed over to hug her, Gemma said, “Oh my gosh. Do I see some gray?” She reached up to touch his short sideburns, and he swiped her hand away with a laugh then pulled her into a hug.
If there was one thing about Drew that Gemma loved, it was that he always gave the best hugs, ones that made a person feel cared for, which made Gemma envy his girlfriends. She could only imagine what else he did well.
Her face heated. What am I thinking? She pulled away and reached for his hair again. This time he let her touch it, a half smile on his face. “Why do men always look great with gray hair?”
He grabbed her hand. “You should talk. Look at you.”
Oh yeah.
“Don’t you love it?” Liz said, all smiles. She passed them and went into the kitchen to cut brownies for Drew.
“I do love it,” Drew said, his gaze on Gemma. His eyes held a bunch of questions.
She guessed what he was wondering. “I told Liz about Randy.”
He nodded and seemed to relax a bit, but he was still watching her, his hazel eyes greener than usual. “How are you doing?”
She shrugged. “Fine. It’s weird, I know, but I’m fine.” She let out a big sigh.
Drew gave her another hug, and this time Gemma allowed herself to melt against him. She appreciated his height, six-foot something, versus Randy, who was only an inch taller than her 5’8”. Drew seemed reluctant to let her go.
Finally Gemma said, “I’ll be fine. Really.”
“It’s great to see you,” Drew said, releasing her. “Your haircut is awesome.”
Gemma touched her hair. “I think it was the final straw for Randy.”
Drew quirked a brow like he didn’t believe her. “What did he say?”
“It’s what he didn’t say.” Gemma headed for the kitchen.
Liz had piled a bunch of brownies on a plate and was leaning against the counter, texting or emailing on her phone.
“So y’all know my relationship saga,” Gemma said, settling on a stool. “What about you, Drew? Did you invite someone to join us this weekend?”
“Nope.” Drew popped a whole brownie in his mouth. One bite, and it was gone.
Men get away with a lot.
Liz slid a glass of milk in his direction, where he’d sat next to Gemma. He took a long drink then reached for another brownie.
“Not so fast,” Gemma said. “Who’s your new lady love?”
Liz pulled the plate of brownies out of Drew’s reach, joining the game. “Yeah, who is she? A Sports Illustrated swimsuit model?”
Drew groaned and folded his arms, shaking his head.
“One of those runway models from Milan?” Gemma asked.
Drew dipped his head and scrubbed at his hair. “I prefer women who weigh more than a hundred pounds, thank you. Give me some credit.”
Liz smirked. “You get no credit with us. Not after all the women we’ve had to meet and play nice around. Fess up. Is she from France? Beijing?”
Drew cracked a smile.
“I knew it!” Liz said. “She’s Asian!”
“No.” Drew spread his hands out. “She’s not Asian; she’s not anything. I’m not dating anyone.”
Liz laughed, and Gemma joined her. Drew not dating was as rare as a quiet Friday afternoon on a California freeway.
He half stood and snatched the plate from Liz. Before she could stop him, he’d grabbed two brownies. “You don’t ha
ve to believe me, but it’s the truth. I haven’t dated anyone since... well, for a couple of years now, I guess.”
“Two years?” Liz asked. “Since... Valentina?”
“After we broke up, things got really busy, and I was traveling more than anything else.” He popped one of the brownies in his mouth.
Gemma couldn’t believe he didn’t have at least one or two women wondering where he was this weekend, and doubted Liz believed him either. But they had three days to get the truth out of him.
Chapter Four
Liz had taken off to browse a few touristy shops in search of a gift for her daughter, so Gemma decided to join Drew at the beach. He’d brought a surfboard he’d “pulled out of retirement.”
Gemma didn’t remember Drew surfing much in high school, but then again, every California kid surfed at some point.
With a moment to herself, she climbed the stairs to her bedroom and changed into the new swimsuit she’d bought the day before. It was yellow and white striped, two-piece, and way different than her usual black or navy suits.
But I’m a new Gemma now.
She turned in the mirror, checking the fit. She definitely wasn’t a 100-pound model. She was in decent shape, but could probably be better if she were obsessive about it. Still, she pulled on a tank shirt and a sarong skirt and walked down the steps to the beach.
Gemma spotted Drew’s towel spread out on the sand, but no Drew. Six or seven surfers rode the swells. Gemma couldn’t pick him out, since they all wore the same type of wetsuits, but she set her bag and towel by Drew’s.
She slipped out of her top and skirt, then lathered on sunscreen—a vast difference from high school, when she used nothing but tanning oil. These days, her tans were more like a rash of freckles. The ocean sounds were soothing, filling her ears with repetitive calm. Gulls screeched, but even their cries were no match for the volume of the incoming waves.
Gemma hugged her knees to her chest and closed her eyes, relishing the warm, salty breeze and relaxing with the knowledge that she had no place to be today or tomorrow or the next day. She blew out a breath then inhaled. Her body relaxed. If only she could get her mind to do the same.
On impulse, she dug her phone out of her bag and dialed her mom’s number. Maybe if she got over this one hurdle, she could really relax. She’d already blubbered to Drew and Liz—why not to her parents? Get it done with all in the same day.
When her mom picked up, answering in a cheery voice, Gemma almost changed her mind. But then she decided to plow through and gave her mom the rundown of the Randy breakup.
Her mom was quiet for several moments on the other end of the line. “It seems so sudden, especially after two years together.”
Gemma explained that she’d known something was off for at least a month. Then her dad got on the phone, and Gemma repeated most of the story. Her dad wasn’t quite as understanding as her mom, and used a few choice words to describe Randy.
“It’s better this way,” Gemma said when her dad was done ranting. “I’d rather know now than later, like when we’re engaged or married.”
A dozen yards in front of her, Drew emerged from the water, carrying a surfboard.
Gemma reiterated to her parents that she was spending the weekend on the beach and would see them sometime Monday. She hung up just as Drew spotted her. She waved; he smiled and continued in her direction. Gemma realized she was staring at Drew as he walked toward her in his fitted wetsuit. She forced herself to look away.
When he reached her, he peeled off the wetsuit until he was only in his board shorts, then he dropped down beside her. He was dripping wet and out of breath. “Wow,” he said. “I almost died out there.” He flopped back and stared at the sky, breathing heavily.
“Out of shape?” Gemma asked. He looked far from that. Proof of another man thing: eating a plate of brownies, never working out more than shooting a few pictures, yet enjoying defined abs. She looked away, suddenly aware she was staring too much.
“I can’t feel my feet. They’re numb.” He closed his eyes as if he had completely run out of all energy.
Gemma moved and touched his feet. “They’re still there.”
Drew laughed. “I’ll take your word for it.” His eyes stayed closed, and his breathing started to slow.
She settled back on her towel, but her eyes strayed to Drew’s lengthened body. Was she really checking him out?
What’s wrong with me? Drew is one of my best friends.
With determination, she closed her eyes and let the sun bathe her face, completely ignoring the man next to her.
The April sun was warm, not too hot, just perfect. And maybe it was because Gemma had told her parents about the breakup, or because she was spending a lazy afternoon with a friend, but she surprised herself by falling asleep.
* * *
Something soft and warm trickled on her stomach. It took Gemma a moment to realize where she was. She opened her eyes to see Drew lying on his side, facing her, his hand suspended above her torso as he dribbled sand onto her.
“Excuse me?” She lifted up to her elbows and watched the sand slide off on either side. “I don’t exactly enjoy sand in the crevices of my body.”
Drew’s mouth twisted with amusement. “You were way too clean. No one should be so clean at the beach. It doesn’t even count. You might as well stay at home.”
“Ha ha.” Gemma’s stomach flinched as Drew scooped another handful of sand and poured it on. “What? Are you ten?”
“Sometimes I wish I still were.”
Gemma laughed. “Don’t we all. Moms tucking us in bed at night. Dads calling us princess.”
“Speak for yourself.” Drew scooped another handful of sand.
Gemma watched the grains slide from his fingers like a miniature waterfall, then pool on her stomach, only to slide off onto the towel. She made no move to stop him. The falling sand was mesmerizing, like watching the flames of a campfire.
The sand stopped, and she blinked. “Your dad didn’t call you princess?” she said.
“Nope. But I seem to remember being called some other names, ones I can’t say in front of a lady.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. You were like a straight A student.”
His brow lifted. “You remember that?”
“We all thought you’d be a doctor or a scientist or something.”
Drew scooped more sand. “Life has a funny way of changing plans, doesn’t it?”
Gemma nodded, but then stopped, captured by his gaze. It was so intent, so serious, so not Drew. She looked away first and started brushing the sand from her stomach.
“Oh, sorry,” Drew said, his smile back. “I’ll do it.” He ran his fingers along her stomach, clearing off the sand granules.
His touch sent goose bumps along her arms and stomach, and she inhaled. It was strange having Drew this close, his hand on her bare stomach. But this was just Drew, she reminded herself. Her friend. And he was only teasing her, as usual.
“I was wondering about something,” he said, his low voice drawing her out of her thoughts. He moved away, no longer touching her.
I don’t want him to move away. The thought slammed into her, and she blushed. What am I thinking? Thankfully, he wasn’t looking directly at her.
“Why do you think you and I never dated?” And then his gaze slid to hers. His hazel eyes seemed to flash gold.
If she’d swallowed a cupful of sand, her throat couldn’t have been any drier.
“I mean,” he said, rolling onto his back and propped his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky. “We’ve always had fun together.”
“Yeah,” she said in a slow voice, having no idea what else to say—having no idea where he was going with this. “But we did go out once.”
He turned his head toward her. “Are you mad at me?”
Gemma laughed, remembering the joke from a few years ago. “Are you mad at me?”
He grinned. “Never. And that wasn’t real
ly a date.”
“No?”
“No.”
“You took pictures. Doesn’t that prove we were on a date together?” Gemma said.
He moved to his elbow again, facing her. She tried not to let her gaze slide along his torso. His tanned skin and the warm sun playing off his muscled shoulders wasn’t helping her concentration. There was a reason he always had a dozen women after him at a time.
“I think I still have those pictures,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be funny if I found them?”
“That was like three years ago.”
“Two. It was just before you got serious with Randy.”
Two… Drew sure had a good memory. And Gemma realized she hadn’t thought about Randy for several minutes until Drew brought him up.
He pulled out a camera from his bag and snapped a picture of her.
“Hey. I didn’t sign a release form for my picture to be taken,” she said.
A smile touched his mouth. “Close your eyes. With the cloud overhead, the light is perfect on your face.”
She obeyed, and the camera clicked several times. Drew had been taking pictures of everyone forever, but now that he earned big bucks to do it, it was strange to be the focus.
Gemma opened her eyes to find him staring at her. To thwart a blush she said, “Aren’t you worried about getting sand in your camera?”
He glanced at the camera in his hands. “This isn’t one of my better ones. And it’s pretty hardy.”
She sat up. “Can I see it?”
He handed it over then leaned in and showed her the basic settings. She snapped a couple of pictures of him before he could protest. Then she started to scroll through the pictures he’d taken. A bunch of scenic shots, followed by close-ups of plants and rocks. Some of the plants were unique, and quite a few she didn’t recognize. “Where’s this?”
“The South Coast Botanical Gardens. We should go there sometime.”
Gemma ignored the increase in her pulse at his suggestion. “It’s beautiful.” She felt his eyes on her. She continued through the pictures stopping at a picture of a dark-haired woman laughing, sunglasses perched on her head.
A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology) Page 19
