by Taylor Hart
“She’s cool.” Mike did an uppercut to the gut, actually landing it.
Dom grunted. “Nice.”
Mike paid the next second when Dom dragged him to the mat and put his fist up as if he would hurt him. “Do it,” Mike challenged. “Do it, and I’ll let Mom and Lacey eat you for dinner for hurting my pretty face before pictures.”
Dom laughed and rolled off of him, springing to his feet and taking off the wraps. “You’re right. Your mom and sister scare me.” He winked at Mike. “And I want to keep the bride happy today.”
“You better be keeping me happy,” Mike heard Lacey say. He turned to see her and Zoey pushing open the sliding door that separated the dance studio from the gym.
Adrenaline kicked through him. Zoey had her hair pulled back and was in the same sweats from last night, but she looked good. She was beautiful without trying.
Dom broke from his stance and bounded to the side of the ring, hopping over to join Lacey. They started kissing like they were in a scene from a movie.
Zoey’s eyes met his. She grinned, walking toward him. “Nice place.” She looked around.
There were cardio machines, weights, and the ring. He thought about how different her life was. His heart ached to think about the apartment with no Christmas decorations, her parents who died in a plane crash, and her husband who was dead.
Yet she was here, fighting for her dream. It was like the comeback from Rocky with the Russian. He grinned and thought she might find that funny.
“What?” She looked up at him.
He hopped over the side and landed right next to her. “I was just thinking how you’re like Rocky.”
She frowned. “Hmm, I can guarantee I don’t know how to box.”
“Not what I’m talking about, but I’ll tell you later.” He glanced at Lacey and Dom, who had their foreheads pressed together and were whispering.
“I like your gym.”
“My parents believed we should do what we love. Since we live clear out here, they built this place so we didn’t have to go far to train.”
She pointed to the walls. “Are those all yours?”
His eyes followed her finger toward his photographs. He didn’t even notice them anymore. “Yes.”
Zoey moved forward to give the photographs a closer look. Some were framed, and others were just posters he’d had printed and put up. There were various shots of Snow Valley, Billings, the mountains, and the town. She paused by one of Snow Valley lit up at Christmas on Main Street. “I love this.”
His heart warmed, and he thought that this town had only gotten its charm back when he’d begun seeing it through her eyes. “This town does it up.”
She softly reached out to the photograph, just short of touching it. “I love the feel of this town.”
It made sense she would love it so much. Her whole situation humbled him.
Letting out a breath, she turned and looked at Lacy and Dom, who were now holding each other, still whispering. She leaned into Mike. “They’re cute.”
Mike took off his wraps and leaned back into her. “They’re obnoxious. About time they get married.”
Dom turned his head and grinned at Mike. “I heard that. Tonight, man.” He picked her up and spun her. “Tonight.”
“Yay!” Lacey said, smooching his face all over again.
Mike shook his head and walked toward the sliding door. “I bet Mom sent you out here to get us for breakfast.”
Lacey broke from Dom and slugged Mike in the shoulder. “You know you have pancakes to eat.”
Mike laughed, thinking about how great his mom was.
“They smell good too,” Zoey added.
Lacey squinted, then dramatically turned to Zoey. “You know, Ann, I have to admit I was skeptical of the Boston girl, but you’re all right if you like pancakes.” She shrugged. “Mike told us about the restaurant with the snails, and I was seriously dying that you would eat that.”
Zoey played it off well, nudging Mike. “Snail pancakes are the best.”
They all groaned, and she laughed.
After three pancakes and a substantial pile of scrambled eggs, Mike put his hand on his stomach and praised his mother. “Your cooking’s going to add ten pounds to me while I’m here.”
His mother sat in the seat next to him. She’d been giving everyone warm pancakes. “I think you’re fifteen pounds down, so I’d like to give you some of them back.” She scrunched her nose. “You’ve lost too much weight.”
“Naw.” Mike didn’t really pay attention to his mother’s worries about his weight.
His father strode into the kitchen, grinning like he’d won the lottery. “This smells delicious, sweetheart. Thank you.”
His mother smiled. “You’re welcome. Help yourself.”
His father picked up a plate and loaded it. “So are you ready, Lacey?”
Lacey and Dom were at the end of the table, talking in low whispers. Lacey looked up. “What?”
His father pumped his eyebrows. “Big day.”
Lacey smiled and put her hand in Dom’s. “It is. Thank you all for everything. Especially Mom and Dad—but Mike, I’ve missed you.”
Mike saw her eyes shine with tears, and he grinned back at her, unable to believe they were actually old enough to be getting married. “I’ve missed you too, and today will be great.”
Lacey sniffed, then turned to Zoey. “Dom and I were talking about it. We would really like you to do one of your poems tonight. Maybe after Mike does the best-man toast, you could do one. Do you have any about love?”
Chapter 13
Zoey seriously wanted to gouge Mike’s eyes out at the moment, partly because he’d sputtered out a laugh, then covered it with a cough, and partly because, well, he was just an easy target.
She pasted on an Ann smile, the one Ann might wear after performing said poetry. “Absolutely.” Dang it. She liked Lacey and Dom and Mike’s parents, and she really liked the pancakes, and how had she ended up here? “I know just the thing.” She’d have to make Mike google Shakespeare and help her write a stinking poem.
His father sat at the table. “I studied a bit of poetry. Who is your favorite? Byron? Keats?” He ate a bite of pancake and smiled at her encouragingly.
Nervous angst pulsed through her. “Oh. Well, how can you choose?”
Mike stood and picked up his plate, then reached for hers. “She can’t talk right now because she’s going to come help me make sure nothing is wrong in the tents out there and turn the heaters on. We have to get them going or else it’s going to be freezing at four.”
Zoey stood too, grateful for the out. “We’ll talk about it later,” she said, seeing that his father looked disappointed.
Mike took her hand and put the dishes on the counter, pulling her to the door.
“Sure,” his father said, but Zoey thought he was looking at them suspiciously.
His mother called out to them. “Stay warm!”
Mike grabbed both coats and opened the door, handing one to her. “Let’s go.”
Zoey had known they would be going to check the tents, whatever that meant, but what she hadn’t expected was for Mike to go straight to a snowmobile and hop on. “Want to go fast?”
Zoey hesitated before grinning. “Yeah.”
He laughed and fired it up quick.
“I’ve never been on one.” Which sounded stupid, because she was from Billings, Montana.
“Good. Get on and hold on tight.”
Before she knew it, she was hopping on behind him. He took off like a shot, flying across the sea of white and heading to the tents, veering off course and sweeping across the land. It felt like they could go forever. Out of necessity, she wrapped her arms around his middle and held tight, snuggling into his back and staring out at the bright blue sky and fresh snow powder.
She remembered seeing him in the hot springs last night, shirt off. Pale blue eyes, sexy dimple. Dang, the man was attractive. She compared it to this morning, when h
e’d been fresh from boxing Dom. The man was tough, too.
There was something else about Mike. The way he hugged his mom and tucked her into him, like he would protect her forever. The way he and his dad shared easy laughter. The way Lacey and Dom teased with him. He was a family man. That was his dream.
She sucked in a breath, feeling like this was the first time she’d been able to really breathe since Josh had passed. Or was it before that?
Sure, she’d been fine. She’d had her nursing classes and her work, but being here with his family felt like a life she had only thought existed in those stupid Christmas movies she’d sworn she wouldn’t binge-watch for hours this year.
Now, she felt like she was flying, soaring, going somewhere untouched by humans. It made her smile to think that. Mike was so much more than she’d bargained for. She reminded herself that she was a widow. She’d told Mike that Josh had taken her heart, and he had. But it felt so good to be here with Mike.
They went for about twenty minutes before Mike slowed and stopped. She found they were staring out over a valley. She hadn’t realized how high they’d climbed. Mike turned off the engine, and it was crazy how quiet it was. The day was so clear.
She let go of Mike, and instantly she missed being so close to him. “This is breathtaking.”
“Right? You can’t find views like this in Boston. At least, I haven’t.”
“You were looking,” she realized. “That’s why you sent Lacey so many pictures.”
“I’ve been looking for a lot of things for a long time.” He scooted and turned back, and his eyes met hers. “Maybe I’ve found one thing.”
Another zing went through her. “Mike, you shouldn’t say that.”
He leaned in and brushed his lips with hers. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen it coming. She had, but she couldn’t stop this. So why couldn’t she stop it? Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned back, relishing the way his mouth still tasted like syrup. Their lips moved together like they’d known each other a lot longer than they had.
He put his hand on the back of her head and deepened the kiss. A voice in her head yelled in approval, but the other voice piped up too—the voice that was always there. She pulled back. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Mike let her go, but a laugh came out of him. “Of course you should. I’m your boyfriend.” He cocked an eyebrow in challenge.
“Mike, no. It’ll never be this way. I told you I gave Josh my heart, and it never came back from Afghanistan.” Tears filled her eyes.
His face softened. “Zoey, I would never want to take your husband’s place. But tell me you haven’t been feeling something for me the past couple of days.”
She blinked and tried to quell the emotion that had risen inside of her. Yes, she’d been a wreck the last year, but most of the time she was able to keep it controlled. “No, I haven’t. I’m sorry.”
He didn’t say anything.
Guilt plagued her. Yes, she did feel it. But wouldn’t it be betraying Josh to do this? “I’m sorry, Mike, if I—”
He held a hand up, cutting her off. “Hey, it’s fine. This isn’t real. This is just …” He glanced back at her and shrugged. “Just a pity date.”
“Hey, I don’t pity you.”
“Right, it’s a paid date. I knew that.” He grunted, facing forward again. “This must be such a joke for you.” He turned on the engine and took off.
She held to his back tightly and wished she’d never met him so she wouldn’t have seen the hurt in those eyes.
Chapter 14
Mike stood next to Dom and watched his sister walk down the red carpet in the tent that had been prepped for the wedding. He leaned over and whispered, “Take care of her.”
Dom grunted and wiped a tear on his cheek. “Or what? You think you can break something?”
Mike laughed and fought the emotion in the back of his throat.
Lacey held their father’s arm, and tears ran down her cheeks as she walked toward them.
Joy filled Mike, and he glanced to his mother on the front row. She was already clutching ten tissues. His father was proud, and there were tears in his eyes too.
Sitting next to his mother, Zoey gave Mike a gentle smile. He nodded quickly in return, then focused on Dom and Lacey. He’d been polite, but he avoided thinking about Zoey too much. He’d been stupid to think all of this was something it wasn’t.
His father gently kissed Lacey on the cheek as he put her hand in Dom’s. They’d grown up in a very traditional way, and Dom, God bless him, knew that. He was the epitome of faith, honor, and family. He would take care of his sister no matter what. Mike knew that.
Lacey stared at Dom with the kind of look that told Mike everything. She would follow the man into fire. Yes, she was stubborn, and she’d made Dom wait while she danced in New York and lived out her dream. But Dom had been willing to wait.
Pastor James went through the ceremony, and Mike couldn’t really focus on what they were saying. Truth be told, all he could do was try not to look at Zoey. Her red hair had been swept up, and that deep blue, slightly off-the-shoulder satin dress made her look like a model. She was gorgeous.
His eyes surveyed the crowd. There were probably two hundred people here, and he knew more would show up at the reception. A Snow Valley wedding was an event.
He grinned and caught the eyes of some of the town families. Next, he saw Nellie Bells, who was standing toward the back and to the side with her eyes on his. She put a hand on her hip and threw the other one up as if to say, “Really?” He could as good as hear it.
A nervous feeling circled in his gut. Nellie might try to cause a scene later. She would wait until most of the wedding was through, but he knew she had a score to settle with him. She’d texted him a ton, and he’d finally blocked her. That had probably ticked her off the most.
The ceremony ended. Dom and Lacey kissed, and everyone burst into applause. Mike joined in, loving Lacey’s smile. He hugged her and held her tightly. “Love you, Lace Base.”
She kissed his cheek. “Love you too, bro. And—” She pulled back and winked at him. “—you do a pretty good job of fooling everyone, but I know she’s a fake.”
His heart nearly stopped.
With a laugh, she slapped his cheek playfully. “I’ll keep your secret. Don’t worry, Dom doesn’t even know.” She scrunched up her nose. “Kiss her more, would you? Maybe you’ll end up like me.” Having said that, she danced off to start hugging all of their relatives.
Zoey caught his eye, and he rushed toward the table with his camera, thinking that this wedding day couldn’t get over soon enough. The best thing about having photography skills was that a person could really hide behind the camera.
Mike had made sure Zoey was taken care of. After that, he’d been off to take a ton of pics. He’d paused for dinner and sat by Zoey and his family; then he was back to pics.
People were dancing and talking. There was so much family: so many cousins, his dad’s dad, and his mom’s parents. He loved taking all of them in and getting them on film.
To say it took him off guard when he turned and found Zoey dancing with Morgan, his best friend since high school, would be like saying it was unnerving to have a root canal. She leaned her head back and laughed, and Mike was jealous that Morgan had elicited that response.
Standing there, he could only watch how Morgan said something else that was apparently funny and pulled her closer to him. The song was really slow.
It was stupid, and he didn’t want a picture of her and Morgan, but he lifted the camera and snapped a shot of her. All he had been able to think about was how it’d felt to brush his lips to hers on that snowmobile, how fire had shot through him. Yeah, he would admit it: he’d been attracted to her since that first night at the storage shed. The attraction just kept growing and growing.
“Want to dance?” asked Nellie Bells.
Mike turned and noted that she had a pout on her face. She looked like a little kid
who had gotten in trouble. “I shouldn’t.”
Nellie took his hand. “Mike, you can’t stay mad at me. I had no idea you had a girlfriend when I kissed you.”
Cocking an eyebrow, he scoffed, but he let his camera fall down his chest. It was strapped behind his neck, so it wasn’t as if he’d lose track of it. “You’re right. I can’t stay mad at you.”
Nellie beamed. She wore a yellow halter dress and had her hair in long curls around her shoulders. She smelled like the same flowery perfume she’d always worn in high school. It really wouldn’t matter if he danced with Nellie. Of course, he didn’t want a relationship with her, but they had always been friends. This was just how it was.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Zoey’s eye catch his, but he ignored her. She’d made it very clear she didn’t want to move on. Gulp. That was a lot. He knew that. But fine. Then she wouldn’t care if he danced with Nellie Bells. Nellie was persistent anyway. He knew she wouldn’t leave him alone unless he at least danced with her.
“So, you really like her?” Nellie asked, looking over at her and Morgan.
Mike sighed. “I do, but I don’t know if it will work out with her.”
Nellie’s head sharply turned to meet his eyes. “Why?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It just feels like I might like her more than she likes me.”
Nellie scoffed and pushed him in the shoulder. “I guess now you know how I feel. How I’ve always felt.”
Mike’s heart sank. He moved to step away from her. “I’m sorry, Nellie. I shouldn’t even be doing this.”
She held on to him, leading them into the next steps of the dance. “Wait, no. I’ve always known I liked you more, but it didn’t seem to matter that much because we were here, but—” She blinked. “—I can’t compete with out-of-town girls.”
Feeling guilty, Mike hugged her. “Nellie, you’re amazing. You’re going to find someone who adores you and loves you. You deserve that.” He pulled back and stared into her eyes. “But I’m not that guy, and you shouldn’t want me if I’m not.”
