Charmed at First Sight

by Sharla Lovelace

  Gabi jogged over to me—like, literally jogged, sneakers and all—and stopped to grab hold of the booth like she might hurl.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  She held up a finger in lieu of words as she bent over and held her side.

  “Don’t puke on Nick’s food,” Lanie said, walking up with a huge hot tray of finger foods and wraps. “I’m fighting that already, and one of us is enough.”

  “Why are you running?” Allie asked, coming up behind Lanie with another tray. “I don’t see any wild animals or gun-wielding psychopaths. That would be my only reason.”

  “Changing things up,” she wheezed. “Health—feel—good.”

  “Yeah, that looks awesome,” Lanie said, heading back to Nick’s truck for more.

  “Should you be carrying that stuff?” I said, following her.

  “She’s pregnant, not broken,” Allie said, rolling her eyes with a grin as she twisted her dark hair up into a hair tie and handed me a pan of dessert samples and grabbed a meat tray. “Not that I haven’t heard that ten times already this morning.”

  “Well, Nick has probably heard twice that,” Lanie said. “So everyone should get the message,” she added in a playful whisper.

  “So, are you wishing for one or the other at this point?” I asked as we carried the loot to the booth.

  Lanie shrugged. “Nick already has a grown daughter, so a son would be nice.” She smiled to herself. “But having had neither, I’m good with either one.”

  “Daughters are awesome,” Allie said. “But drama. Wish for a boy.”

  “I’m so happy for y’all,” I said. “And Leo—”

  I stopped, unsure what the boundaries were with Lanie.

  “I know,” she said, smoothing her shirt after she placed the tray. “That’s a hot mess. I wish Nick would stop being so hardheaded about that.”

  “Leo is over the moon about the baby,” I said. “And he wants his brother back so badly, but I don’t know enough about what happened between them to have any answers.”

  “Girl, I’m married to one of them and I don’t know much more,” she said. “And most of that came from his ex-wife, so that tells you how closed off he is on this.”

  “Wow.”

  “All I know is that Leo was probably into some shady things, but it kept them in clothes and food,” she said. “I think he disappeared around the time Nick found out that Tara was pregnant, or right after Addison was born—I’m not sure.” She shook her head. “He doesn’t talk about it, so I don’t know if it was connected.”

  “Interesting,” I said. “Leo did say that he let Nick down.”

  “It’s so, so frustrating.”

  “Family means everything to him,” I said, starting to hear myself.

  “Are you getting to be friends, you and Nick’s brother?” Allie asked. There was a knowing tone in her question, and my first response was to nix it.

  “I guess,” I said, averting my eyes. “Friends. Yeah.”

  Friends with benefits? No. That wasn’t me. Then what the hell were we doing? And when did I become Leo’s advocate with his family?

  “I can tell,” Lanie said. “And I’m glad. You’re both new here, and it’s nice to have that. He seems so much like Nick, too, it just breaks my heart that they aren’t acting like brothers. This little person is going to need an uncle,” she added, patting her belly. “Maybe we can keep working on them,” she said, touching my arm and then pointing off in the distance. “And speaking of which, there’s him and Addison.”

  She excused herself and wandered off to meet her husband and what looked to be a gorgeous female version of the McKane genes, and I turned to where Gabi was sitting in a folding chair gulping down water and stealing a miniature cream cheese wrap drizzled with strawberry remoulade.

  “Hey, this is for customers,” Allie said, picking another one up for herself and popping it into her mouth with a giggle. “God, that’s good,” she said around a mouthful.

  “So good,” Gabi agreed.

  “This is a lot of food,” I said.

  “Well, the Blue Banana has been at the heart of Charmed for as long as anyone can remember,” Allie said. “Certainly my whole lifetime. So what better way to showcase the Taste of Charmed—Taste Test Fest—whatever they’re calling it now—”

  “Aren’t you the queen?” Gabi asked on a chuckle.

  “Can you tell I don’t check my e-mail?” she said under her breath. “But anyway, I thought it would be a great opportunity to sample some of Nick’s newer dishes.”

  “Absolutely,” I said. “So is the diner closed with him here?”

  “Nah, we have the second string in play,” she said on a laugh. “Which he’s trained so well, it’s hard to tell the difference. I’ll head back in a bit, and he’s coming in to close tonight, so they get to work on their own for a minute and he gets a break. Win-win.”

  Allie headed off to Nick-and-Lanie-land, and there was a cute, perky-looking blonde girl-woman darting her eyes between the food display and the back of Gabi’s head.

  “Hi,” I said. “Are you looking for Gabi?” I said, pointing.

  The girl looked like I might have just shot her, as she backed up a step and shook her high ponytail. Gabi turned around to see, and the look that washed over her told me all I needed to know. She turned back around without saying a word, but it wasn’t about to be that simple. A tall man with thinning blonde hair and a bright red shirt walked up to join her, tapping something into his phone.

  “Oh, man, stuffed peppers,” he said. “I haven’t had these in forever.”

  Gabi’s eyes closed and she shook her head before scraping her chair around.

  “That’s because they give you the screaming shits,” she said. “So go ahead, Bart, have a few. Have the whole pan.”

  The look on his face was priceless, as all the color from his shirt washed into his face.

  “Gabs.”

  “Gabi,” she corrected. “I don’t have to put up with that horrid nickname anymore. What does he call you, Dixie? Dick?”

  “Gabi, I don’t want it to be like this between us,” Dixie said, lowering her voice. “We were friends once.”

  “We—were not,” Gabi said, standing. “I was your babysitter once. I pulled peas out of your nose more than once. I think I bought you your first bra. And I definitely got you the job with my husband. Friends?” She shook her head. “No, I’m pretty sure friends don’t fuck their friends’ husbands on their desks. I’m sure I heard that bullet point somewhere.”

  Dixie’s pretty blue eyes filled up like she was the sweet innocent victim, and she walked away, hugging her arms to her chest.

  Bart stayed and just looked at Gabi like he was so disappointed.

  “Was that really necessary?” he asked.

  “Are you really that stupid?” she countered.

  He gave her one last look, glanced down at the peppers, and snatched one before walking off after Dixie.

  “I hope it makes him squirt fire for a week,” she said, landing back in her chair and turning it my way. Her eyes shut tight as she tapped a foot madly, her chin quivering.

  I grabbed a napkin and pressed it into her hand, letting her squeeze mine discreetly where no one could see, till she got it under control.

  “You okay?” I whispered finally.

  Gabi took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “I’m good,” she said, blowing out a second breath. “I don’t even like him anymore,” she said. “Why do I still feel gutted every time I see them?”

  “Because they hurt you,” I said. “They did this, and had no consequences, and now they move on while you’re still trying to glue your life back together.”

  She stared at me. “That’s good.”

  I chuckled wearily. “Yeah, I’m great at fi
guring out other people’s lives,” I said. “Not so good at my own.” Gabi took a long drink and peered at me over her water bottle. “Yes?”

  “Speaking of,” she said.

  “We weren’t,” I said. “We were speaking of you.”

  “And now that’s over, so it’s your turn,” she said.

  “I really don’t need a turn.”

  “You and Leo, now?” she began anyway, leaning back in her chair and kicking one ankle up on a knee. “You look adorable today. Have we progressed past the lap dance kiss?”

  Visions of him in all black, sucking my nipple and fingering me to a mind-splitting orgasm floated across my head. And everything in me went hot.

  “Why do you ask?” I said, picking up a to-go menu to fan myself.

  Both eyebrows raised. “Oh, my.”

  “What the hell is wrong with me, Gabi?” I asked, closing my eyes.

  “You mean besides dumping half a paycheck to keep a skank from groping your guy?” she asked.

  My throat closed up. “He’s not my guy.”

  “Did you consummate the purchase?” she whispered.

  “No, but he consummated me,” I said.

  Her jaw dropped. “Shut up.”

  “And now I’m that girl,” I said. “One toe-curling orgasm, and I’m acting like—like—”

  “Like he’s your guy,” she finished.

  I slapped a hand over my eyes. “I hate my life.”

  “He curled your toes?” she said. “You’re my hero. I’m in awe.”

  He fucking curled everything. I blew out a breath.

  “How’s the business plan?”

  “Are you kidding me?” she sputtered, leaning forward. “No, no, no, no, we aren’t talking business plans right now.”

  “Yes, yes, we are,” I said, widening my eyes as my scalp broke out in a sweat. “Because we have incoming.”

  “Shit, again?” she asked, looking around and landing on an approaching Nick and company. But I wasn’t even talking about them. I was honed in on what was strolling up to my right.

  Leo, Sully, and Carmen walked up to the booth, the guys heavily into conversation while Carmen’s face lit up to see the desserts. All I could think of was that Nick and Leo were arriving at the same time. On Nick’s turf again, sort of. And saying that’s all I could think of was a boldfaced lie. Because the second his eyes landed on me, my composure shattered and splintered off into nineteen different directions of steamy what-the-fuckedness.

  It wasn’t going to stop there. Because in the next millisecond, my eyes automatically tuned in to the man coming up between them, still probably fifty yards out. I’d know him in a crowd even if I was struck with amnesia. He could dress exactly the same as everyone else, and yet would never fail to stand out as the cooler, shinier, richer, more together person than anyone else. With an expression on his face that said he was on a mission.

  “Fuck,” I whispered, feeling the familiar anxiety wind its cold tendrils around my neck and braid themselves through my shoulder muscles. He found me.

  By some strange stretch of magic, Leo read my face, because he turned to follow my gaze, his expression changing as he saw Jeremy. His jaw muscles tightened.

  “Uncle Leo!”

  The squeal from Nick’s daughter yanked me out of what was becoming a slow-motion montage. A fresh-faced young woman with all the best features of her father ran around to the other corner of the booth, winding through the growing crowd and literally stopping Jeremy’s steps as she crossed in front of him to throw her arms around Leo. I instinctively folded my arms over my chest.

  He said he’d kept tabs? He clearly kept more than that.

  Leo laughed and hugged her back, but his eyes were distracted, panning from his brother to me and clearly wanting to look behind him before—

  “Uncle Leo?” Jeremy said, stepping up to the booth, directly in front of me, a smile on his face as he watched them. “That’s so domestic of you.”

  I frowned in confusion over the cold sweat taking over my skin. What the hell was he babbling about now?

  “Jeremy, what are you doing here?” I asked quietly, but he wouldn’t look my way, focusing instead on the two of them.

  “Good to see you, baby,” Leo said, kissing Addison’s forehead and pulling her to his side, almost protectively. Carmen stroked her hair as if feeling the need to double-team it.

  Nick came through the booth as the straightest route. He didn’t look angry so much as bewildered.

  “Addison,” he said. “How do you—when did you meet Leo?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, looking confused by the question. “Last year?”

  “Six months ago,” Leo supplied quietly.

  She pointed at him playfully, looking like a pixie next to a giant. She was tall, but tiny in build.

  “Evidently six months ago,” she said, chuckling. “I was in on break and Mom and I saw him at the store. He came over for dinner.”

  Nick smiled tightly. “How nice that you told me.”

  She widened her eyes. “You tend to get a little tense on the subject.”

  Nick blew out a breath and looked at Leo. “Tara told you where I was.”

  “Was it a secret?” Leo asked.

  “You didn’t think that was worth mentioning?” Nick asked. “That you’d been back home and had dinner with my ex-wife and my daughter?”

  “In the two almost-conversations we’ve had?” Leo said. “No. Didn’t come up.” He tugged Addison to his other side, farther away from Jeremy, who I noticed had been soaking the exchange up like a sponge. “How’s school been?” he asked her.

  Whew. I had to let out a breath. She was right. Every time the two of them shared air, the tension could be sliced open. I could just imagine the subject-matter attitude after years of no contact.

  Plus, Jeremy wasn’t helping. Nick might have no clue about who he was, but the vibes he put out were toxic. He wasn’t even looking at me, but my blood pressure was spiking by the minute, just standing two feet from him.

  “Awesome,” Addison said, narrowing her eyes as she glanced back and forth between them. “Did I tell you about the student center? It’s built around a natural amphitheater, so there’s these natural rock stages and people just jump up there and do random shi—stuff when the mood strikes them.”

  Leo chuckled as he watched her, turning his back more and more to Jeremy, as though cutting him off from her. I couldn’t figure that out. But possibly more important, Nick appeared to stand down. He backed up a step, let out a slow breath, and tapped on the table.

  “Get you some food, Add,” he said, and then looked at his brother as if he had to push a button to do it, but he did it. “You too, Leo. There’s more than enough.”

  Wow.

  That was a moment. I got goose bumps. I got goose bumps for my guy who wasn’t my guy but fuck if it didn’t feel eerily similar to what him being my guy would feel like. It was probably for Addison’s sake, but the reason didn’t matter. For this one little moment between them, there was peace in the valley.

  “Hi,” Lanie said, stepping up beside me and smiling at Jeremy. “Welcome to the Blue Banana Grille—outdoors! Help yourself to the samples.”

  Jeremy smiled at her and then finally at me, his eyes panning my appearance with the subtle flicker of disapproval that I would never miss.

  “Micah, you’ve been here what—a week?” he said, his words slow and measured. My skin crawled at the lick of something sinister in his tone. “What do you recommend?”

  “Oh, you know Micah?” Lanie asked.

  Jeremy held out a hand. “I do. I’m the guy she screwed over to come here. Jeremy Blankenship, nice to meet you.”

  And just like that, the peace went poof.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The smile froze on Lanie’s fa
ce as Jeremy shook her hand, but her eyes went wary.

  “I see,” is all she said.

  “Jeremy,” I hissed.

  Oh, my God, if I could have crawled under that table and disappeared into the pavement, I would have in a heartbeat. I was mortified.

  No.

  I was livid.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” he was saying from somewhere in my blood-red haze, “I get wanting to come here.” He made a show of looking around. “You’ve been wanting to ever since this thing popped up, haven’t you, babe?”

  “Please don’t do this,” I said under my breath. It felt like every possible heat molecule in the air joined up to hover over my skin. “Jeremy, let’s walk off somewhere and talk, just me and you.”

  “No.”

  Leo’s voice cut through the air, and Jeremy’s head whipped to the side.

  “Excuse me?”

  “She’s not going anywhere alone with you.”

  Fuck, shit, hell, if I could have strangled Leo with a bacon wrap, I would have. My eyes filled with angry tears as the frustration rose to the surface. If my head could have erupted into flame, it would have.

  Jeremy stared at Leo, his eyes going hard. He tossed a pepper into his mouth and nodded toward Nick as if Leo had vanished. “You must have been cooking your whole life. This is good stuff.” He tilted his head a little. “Nah, you look like you did construction or something before this.”

  Nick’s eyes narrowed. “You knew that before you got here. I worked for your dad, didn’t I?”

  Jeremy shrugged. “Lucky guess.” He snagged another. “My girl loves food—I can see the appeal—but maybe your loser brother she’s fucking on the side is the real reason she’s still here.”

  It was like a wall of men shored up at once. Nick filled the space at my left, Sully loomed behind Jeremy, and Leo had Addison behind him and was nose to nose with Jeremy without me ever seeing him move.

  “Sir, you need to leave,” Nick said, his tone leaving no room for interpretation.

  “And keep going,” Leo said, his voice little more than a growl. “You have no business here.”

  “And you do?” Jeremy seethed, his lip curling. “Was it you on the bike? Was that your grand plan?”