Charmed at First Sight

by Sharla Lovelace

“Oh, shit,” I repeated, glancing down at myself. “Why does he always have to see me like this?”

  Thatcher made a gesturing move down the front of himself.

  “Ready for whatever the day brings,” he said. “Just saying.”

  “Bite me, Thatch,” I said, wrapping the blanket better around me. As bad as my hair was, I knew what it would do if I let it down, so I left it alone.

  “Hey,” he said, making me look up at him as I stood. “This time around, you don’t need anyone, Micah. You’re older and wiser.”

  “That supposed to be a pep talk, big brother?” I said under my breath as Leo dismounted his bike.

  “That’s supposed to tell you to quit second-guessing yourself,” he said, heading for the door. “You did what you had to do to change your life. It might not have been pretty, but you did it.” He gestured toward Leo with his chin. “And he’s still circling. Trust your gut.”

  He went in and shut the door, just as Leo stopped at the steps, looking up at me. Dear God, the way he looked at me. My stomach tightened up in a ball and I gripped the nearest post.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey.”

  Just the sound of his voice sent my skin into hello mode. Standing there in worn jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, his hair a little messy from the helmet, he looked like fifty kinds of delicious. I licked my lips, just thinking of my hands in that hair and the taste of him. Those damn eyes—they were killing me—

  Jesus, back it up, Micah.

  “I’m sorry. I know it’s early,” Leo said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

  I shook my head and leaned against the pole before I fell over. “I’ve been up.”

  “It’s good to see you,” he said, chuckling when I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, even looking like that.” His eyes went serious and my heart squeezed. “Especially looking like that.”

  I’d left with very little more than I’d arrived with, minus the five-hundred-pound dress, and slipped out with no fanfare. In all the craziness of our week, we’d never exchanged numbers, so I left him an old-fashioned note under his door, telling him I was going home for a little bit and “needed to do some things.” I signed it with “Roman-off,” thinking that conveyed affection without saying it. And then obsessed over it since.

  I thought it to be a good thing that there were no calls to wait for or phone stalking to do, but I found myself thinking of nothing else. Seeing him in front of me now—my breaths couldn’t keep up with my heart rate.

  “So—” I began, and then cleared my throat. “You found us. You on your way somewhere?”

  “No,” he said. “I just wanted to—” He blew out a breath, and the intensity in the air between us nearly choked mine clean out of me. “I wanted to tell you I’m moving into Carmen’s rental house,” he said. “I’m starting today. Should probably be done in about fifteen minutes,” he added, making me laugh. “So—when you’re done with your ‘things,’ you can come get your place back.” A small grin pulled at his lips. “You’ll have the bathroom to yourself.”

  “Well, until some freak moves in across the hall,” I said on a chuckle and a too-high voice. “I don’t know that I want to chance that.”

  I met his eyes and wished I could dig my fingernails into the wood. He’d driven all the way here to have this conversation, and he was going to have it.

  “You aren’t coming back?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said, the words hardly making sound.

  “Micah.”

  “I’m not staying here,” I said. “Gabi and I have a business thing we’re gonna do, so I’ll need to be closer than this, but—I don’t know that I can be in Charmed.”

  “Because of me?” he asked, his brows furrowing.

  “No,” I said. “Yes.” I rubbed at my face. “I can’t face people there, Leo,” I said.

  “No one blames you, Micah,” he said, stepping up one step. “If anything, it’s attached to me, and I don’t care. Nick and I are—we’re getting better. They’re building a new diner. Bash Anderson is being sworn in as mayor tonight and announcing it. Life’s moving on.”

  Leo moved up another step closer and my eyes fluttered closed. I could feel his energy and it was intoxicating.

  “And if it’s about me—I’m sorry that I wasn’t honest with you,” he said. “Part of me went into protector mode—” He held up a hand as I opened my eyes. “I know. But I can’t change that.” He took a deep breath and let it go. “Another part said this was fucking real, and that scared me. Not too many things do that, Roman-off, but you scare the hell out of me.”

  “Back at you,” I breathed.

  “I’ve spent my entire adult life keeping people at bay,” he said. “Not letting them in. Not investing in anything, because I was a walking lie.” He shook his head slowly. “I’m done with that. Someone threatens my family now, my brother and I will kick their ass together.” He stepped up one more, putting him face to face with me. I held my breath when he grabbed the front of my blanket and pulled me to him, his lips brushing my cheek. “I’m not walking away anymore. No more lies. No more secrets.”

  My mouth searched for him, and goose bumps covered my entire body when his lips covered mine. It was soft and wet and warm and everything I’d missed about Leo. How he could kiss me so lightly and yet put everything he felt into it. My eyes burned with tears as I kissed him back, and we parted. I wanted so badly to pull him back. To wrap myself up in him and kiss him for days.

  “Whenever you make up your mind,” he said, his voice raspy. One finger trailed my cheek and he backed down the steps. “You know where to find me.”

  “You’re headed all the way back home now?” I called out when I found my voice again.

  He straddled his bike and turned the key. “Unless you want to go for a ride.”

  More than anything I’d ever wanted in the entire world. More than my next breath, I wanted to go for a ride with him. But then what? We’d end up pulling over in Gladys Park, attacking each other behind a tree, and—yeah, I just needed to stay off that bike.

  “Rain check,” I said instead. Because—me.

  Leo nodded and put his helmet on, and there for one moment before he slid the face shield down we were back there. We weren’t Leo and Micah; we were a guy on a motorcycle at a stoplight and a spastic stressed-out girl on a sidewalk with a giant dress and a decision to make.

  The seconds moved in slow motion, clicking in my head forever until he slid the shield down and broke the moment. Watching him back up and drive away was the hardest act of restraint and willpower I’d ever exercised. In my mind’s eye, I ran after him till he stopped, got off, and kissed me into tomorrow.

  “Reality sucks,” I said, listening to the thrum of the Harley get farther away.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  All that day, I found things to keep me busy. I looked at Gabi’s plan, played with some ideas, knocked around some names, made myself laugh on a few, paced the laundry room, and stalked the clock. At around four, I got antsy. And by five, I was dressed and ready to go and texting Gabi. If Thatcher had been around, he would have been proud. Or not really, considering he’d been there for around twelve hours already.

  I had nowhere to go, actually, except the mayoral announcement at the Charmed pavilion, which Gabi told me started at six. So…if I were to go, then this would be the time. Theoretically.

  I stared at my keys and told them to be strong. Stronger than me.

  An hour later, I pulled into the park’s parking lot and gazed upon the crowd mingling around the pavilion. If Leo was here, great. If he wasn’t, well, I knew what was next but I wasn’t going there yet. The last time I was there, I bought a man, went home, and got felt up on the balcony.

  “Fight or flight,” I said softly.

  Once I got out and started walking, however, I knew something was of
f. People were dispersing. Several groups still hung out, talking and laughing, but some were passing me on the way to their cars.

  “Micah!” Carmen called, waving at me from her little group.

  My stomach came up in my throat as I scanned through Sully, Lanie, Bash, Allie, Nick, and a couple of other people for Leo, but he wasn’t among them. I smiled anyway, hoping my disappointment wouldn’t show.

  “Don’t you look adorable?” Lanie said. “I love that dress.”

  “Thank you,” I said, doing a mock little curtsy. “It makes me feel pretty. And ordinary.”

  I hadn’t dressed sexy. I wasn’t going for that. I was comfortable in a soft blue sundress made of T-shirt material, and flip-flops. The one that had been in my honeymoon backpack. No diving cleavage, no bare back, just simple. My hair fell down around my shoulders, and I wore minimal makeup. I didn’t want to stand out. I didn’t want to make a show. I’d done enough of that.

  “Oh, Micah,” Carmen said. “You could never be ordinary.”

  “No, I’m really needing ordinary tonight,” I said, to which she nodded.

  “I hardly even notice you’re here,” she amended.

  “Why, thank you,” I said on a chuckle. “Did I miss it? Gabi said six.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Gabi said, rushing up behind me with a quick hug. “They started early because it’s supposed to rain. I’m so sorry! I should have called you.”

  I looked around, feeling my buoyancy fall and all my insecurities come pouring back in. “No, it’s okay,” I said. “Congratulations, Bash!”

  “Thank you,” he said, beaming. “I mean, I was the only one running, so the win was kind of a token thing, but now I have to get my butt in gear.”

  I gave Nick a second glance, wishing I could just go back to my car and not be standing in front of these people I’d taken so much from. “How is everything?”

  He looked down at me, eerily familiar dark eyes smiling. “Everything as in work? Or everything as in my brother?”

  I felt my skin go warm as I smiled back. “Just everything.”

  “We’re rebuilding the diner,” Lanie said, eyes happy as she linked arms with a tired-looking but smiling Allie. “Insurance covered most of it, and I think a certain somebody in the woods is fronting the rest.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “That guy sure gets around for someone who hides in the woods.”

  “You have no idea,” Sully said, rubbing at his eyes.

  “I’m thinking of calling it the New Blue,” Allie said. “The original name was a thing between my parents, and that would give it a modern twist.”

  “Allie, I’m so—”

  “Don’t,” she said, laying a hand on my arm. Her eyes misted over, but there was warmth there. “It’s not on you.”

  I swallowed hard and choked back the emotion that wanted to sink me. I blew out a slow breath instead.

  “It’s so good to see you,” Lanie said, putting a hand on my arm next to Allie’s. “We’ve missed you, Micah.”

  “I’ve missed y’all too,” I said. “I didn’t realize just how much till right now.”

  “Funny how one little week can get somebody all under your skin, isn’t it?” Gabi said, widening her eyes to be cute.

  “You’re just not right,” I said.

  I know, she mouthed.

  “But guess what?” I said. “My brother said yes to the proposal.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Oh, my God.”

  “Yep.”

  “We’re doing this?” she breathed.

  I laughed, realizing this was kind of like when I first got to town, committing to days. It was that moment.

  “I think we are.”

  “What?” Lanie asked. “What are you doing?”

  “Holy shit,” Gabi gasped, fanning her face. “I’ll tell you at Rojo’s.”

  “We’re gonna go get some dinner before the sky falls,” Allie said. “Want to come?”

  The thought of Rojo’s made my skin flush all the way to my scalp, but Gabi laid a hand on my arm.

  “Or since I heard one of the bartenders there mention that he’s not working tonight because he took the night off to finish moving into his new rental house,” she said, leaving the sentence hanging.

  “At 1111 Erna Lane,” Carmen added.

  “You might not want to bother going to Rojo’s,” Gabi finished with a casual shrug. “I mean, I’ll be there gushing about wildflowers and shit, but he’ll be—moving heavy things around and flexing. Just saying.”

  * * * *

  I pulled onto his street and slowed down, thinking maybe that would force my heart to do the same. Not even a little bit.

  “Shit, Micah, having a heart attack in his driveway isn’t sexy,” I said under my breath. “Pull in. Stop the car. Remember the key. Dear God, what am I doing?”

  I’d never chased a man before. Or—I wasn’t chasing, was I? I was just—responding. To a conversation. With what? He said when I made up my mind. I hadn’t made up my mind about anything. I was just here. Because evidently the Earth’s magnetic force decided I needed to be, and Gabi mentioned flexing.

  I was such a girl.

  The little house was cute and it had a porch. I tried to focus on logistical things like that, but all my brain could see was Leo’s eyes on me early this morning, telling me the things he told me. Along with my own words that night as I held him up after the fire. What was I going to say? Hello? I still don’t know where I’m landing, or if I can trust my own judgment anymore, but I’m losing my damn mind over you?

  My phone dinged with a text and I smiled when I read it.

  I went by the house before Rojo’s, Gabi texted. Signed the divorce papers and dropped them at the post office. Chapter two begins. Thank you!!!

  Exactly. Chapter friggin’ two.

  So proud of you, I texted back. High-five to chapter two. And thank YOU.

  I got out and shut the door and made it to the steps before Leo opened the door. My hands went on a full-out nervous flail, looking for somewhere to land or something to grasp, finally deciding to clasp themselves in front of me.

  He had on a button-down white shirt and jeans, the sleeves rolled midway up his forearms, and I had to lick my lips to remind myself I had lips.

  “Roman-off,” he said.

  Fuck. How did he keep doing that to me, taking my knees out with the first sound of his voice?

  “Hey,” I said, lifting my chin so I looked more confident than I felt.

  He paused at the top of the stairs, the exact opposite of how we’d been this morning, and my words froze in my chest. Not that I had any. But what few there were—

  “You want to come in?” he asked.

  “No,” I said. Liar. “I just—I just wanted, or needed, to tell you something, and—well, you weren’t at the thing.” I pointed behind me like that nailed it down.

  “I was,” he said. “But I left when Bash was done.”

  “Really cool, them rebuilding,” I said.

  “Yes, it is,” he said. “Makes things right again. What did you need to tell me?” he asked.

  I closed my eyes. I don’t know. I don’t know.

  Yes, you do.

  “Yes.”

  The pitter-patter of tiny raindrops hit the ground around me and pinged metallically against my car.

  “Yes?” he said, stepping down a step. “Yes to what?”

  Everything, I mouthed, the word not forming sound. “To you,” I breathed, backing up a step, feeling the rain on my face and not caring. “To us. To stepping outside the box, to tr—” I blew out a slow breath on that one and tried it again. “To trusting again. To—to—”

  “Love?”

  All the words fell out of my head. I swallowed hard.

  “Yes.”

  Leo came d
own one more step and I backed up again. He followed.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice thick.

  I laughed nervously. “Of anything else in the world? Of my life? Of where I’m living tomorrow?” I said, my breath coming in puffs. “No. But of you?” I drew in a shaky breath as raindrops stuck on my lashes. “Completely.”

  “That night,” he said, walking out into the rain as slowly as I backed up, “did you—I mean, I’ve been telling myself I imagined—”

  “I did.”

  My backside stopped against my car and he kept coming, until he was inches from my face.

  “Please do it again.”

  My hands ran up his chest as his ran up my bare arms, taking the beaded raindrops with them.

  “Leo,” I whispered.

  “Please.”

  “I love you,” I said, as my eyes fluttered closed and I pulled his face to mine. “I love you.”

  His lips landed on mine and stayed, as he held my head and kept us there. When he broke the kiss, his eyes were raw with emotion as he tried to dial it back. Everything slammed against my heart with that look.

  “You—you undo me,” he said, his voice rough. “I’ve never loved anyone except my brother. Ever.” He took a ragged breath and blinked several times. “Until now.”

  Hot tears fell from my eyes, mixing with the rain on my cheeks. We were a pair, the two of us. Afraid of love, afraid of trust, jumping in with both feet like a couple of lunatics.

  “I love you, Micah,” he said. “You make me crazy, but—”

  “I get it,” I said. “No one drives me crazier than you do.”

  “I don’t know what I’m doing in the slightest,” he said. “I’m probably gonna mess up.”

  I laughed and pulled his forehead to mine. “There’s no probably to me messing up. You can count on it.”

  “But I’ll never lie to you,” he said, more seriously.

  I looked in these eyes that turned my world upside down. That changed me in ways I never imagined were possible. Not to meld to him. To meld to myself.

  “And I won’t run,” I said.

  His hands smoothed back my wet hair and moved down my back to pull me tightly to him, as I wound mine into his hair so that our bodies fit.