Best Of My Love

by N. D. Jackson

  They followed Eli and Zoe to the go-karts, paying for three rides each before stepping back to watch. Shayna turned to her with that indulgent smile she loathed. “Your dream doesn’t have to change Dre, just your location. Think of all the money you’ll save on rent. That’s millions in your pocket.”

  Except then she would spend more time travelling to clients. “I think we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. He hasn’t said anything about this becoming something more so I think the rest of it is premature.”

  “But you’re thinking about it which means something, even if you’re not ready to admit it.”

  “I hate it when you’re right,” she grumbled. The simple fact that she was obsessing over it meant she’d already figured out how to make it work. But the truth was that Erick hadn’t said a word and she wouldn’t be the first one to jump in. Not this time. “Damn.”

  “One more thing,” she smiled, “and I swear I’ll drop it. Orchid loves you already Dre so if you don’t plan on sticking around maybe you should walk away. It wouldn’t be fair to uproot her life when you could easily relocate your business here.”

  That had definitely given her something to think about, not that she would be able to think of anything but that for the rest of the day. “Okay, thanks Shayna. Now can we please talk about something else?”

  “Sure. What are you wearing tonight?”

  Dre looked down at her jeans and tank top, then back up at her friend. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

  With a shake of her head, Shayna tried to stifle her laughter. “Good grief girl, how do you get men to fall at your feet?”

  “Not by wearing something a hooker would, that’s for sure. I’m confident when I’m comfortable and men respond to that.” Usually, anyway. “You think I should dress up for mac & cheese with a kid?” Was this what normal dating was like, overdressing for every occasion?

  “No but maybe a nicer top or at least not a t-shirt?”

  “Fine,” she groaned. “I have an off the shoulder blouse I’ll wear. It shows off my freckles and he’ll love that. And if it makes you feel better I’m wearing sexy lavender lingerie underneath.”

  “Of course you are.”

  “You got me a raspberry?” Orchid looked at the small computer and frowned up at Dre. “It doesn’t look like a raspberry.”

  Dre laughed and squatted down so they were eye to eye. “This is called a raspberry pi and it’s a tiny computer that I’m going to teach you how to do something fun.”

  “You are?”

  “I am, but not until after dinner.”

  Orchid laughed and grabbed her hand. “Come on! Dad said we’re putting you to work.”

  Erick hadn’t been kidding about it either. She’d chopped onions and garlic, grated cheese alongside Orchid and ate more lobster than she chopped. “Okay my work is done,” she said with a smile, drying her hands on the Chicago Bears tea towel hanging over the oven handle.

  “You think so?”

  “Of course, you little tyrants have worked my poor fingers to the bone!”

  Orchid laughed and Dre let the happy sound wash over her. “That’s just the first one Dre.”

  Her eyes went wide. “You mean all of that was just for one dish? You guys are serious about your mac and cheese.”

  Erick brushed up against her back, hands on her shoulders as he whispered. “That’s not all we’re serious about.” The dark look in his eyes seared her to her soul.

  She shivered and shot back a heated look over her shoulder, wondering who this sexy confident man was smiling at her like he wanted to eat her up. Knowing Erick was a dad and seeing him in all his dad glory were two separate things and Dre found she liked the latter version best. “Yeah?”

  His head slowly bobbed up and down as a slow, sultry smile curved his lips. “Oh yeah.” So light it was merely a whisper, he brushed his lips across hers, only breaking apart at the sounds of Orchid’s girlish laughter.

  “Daddy and Dre, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!” She giggled again, so hard she nearly toppled over. “Dre?”

  “What’s up?”

  “What does a kiss feel like?”

  Erick tried to hide a groan with a cough but she just smiled. “It feels soft and nice. Electric. Warm. Like a hug but for your mouth.”

  “Can I kiss a boy?”

  “Yes you can. About a million years from now,” Erick answered with a dark scowl that made both females laugh.

  “This is nice,” she told him as the thought occurred to her. She used to have nights like this regularly when her mom was alive, especially the nights Al pretended to work late so he could run off with Annie. Dre knew she needed to get over it but she wasn’t sure she ever would. Something else to work on, she thought with a sigh, watching Erick’s hands move efficiently as he chopped broccoli and assembling another casserole dish before sliding it into the oven, keeping her eyes on his magnificent ass. His long powerful legs. “Now what?”

  “Now we wait. We hang.”

  “Okay. I can do that,” she replied just as her phone rang, playing the I Like Boys song from one of her favorite eighties movies. “Sorry it’s my VP,” she told them and picked up the phone. “Burke! What’s up?” He’d hardly called at all since she’d been gone.

  “What’s up,” he scoffed, “is that Stephanie broke up with me. She dumped my ass. Over the phone.”

  “What?” Though she never liked Steph, Dre could admit surprise the woman would give up such a lucrative earner like Burke. “Want me to hack her life?” They’d been together for five years. Hell, they were planning their wedding. “What happened?”

  “She went to Cabo and fell in love with some resort owner. Now they’re planning a beach wedding.”

  Shit. “I’m sorry B, that sucks. Tell me what I can do? You know I can get her a temporary spot on the no fly list.”

  He laughed just as she intended. “Everyone else has only offered sympathy.”

  “Sympathy sucks.”

  “It does, but I do appreciate the offer. Promise me you won’t do anything though, okay?”

  “Fine,” she sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’ll just, you know maybe its best if you don’t know.”

  Now he laughed outright, so hard his body shook. “Do you plan on coming home anytime soon?”

  Her heart twisted at the thought but she could hear how much Burke needed her. They were great friends after all and she should be there for him. But casting a glance at Erick who watched her expectantly she had to answer honestly. “I don’t know.”

  She could almost see his ears perk up. “Does this have anything to do with the boy who broke your heart? The same one who’s the reason you never go home?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Oh shit, for real? You stay out there in Timbuktu and I’ll be there as soon as I can. Hell maybe cornfields and Midwestern girls are just what I need to heal my broken heart.”

  “Burke, wait-,” she tried to stop this idea. To talk him out of flying to Emerald Creek but he cut her off.

  “Nah. See you soon baby girl.” Then the call was over and she was left staring at the phone in disbelief.

  Burke was coming to Emerald Creek. Stranger things have happened, she reminded herself with a shrug, lifting her gaze until it slammed right into Erick’s wary one. “Sorry about that.”

  “Everything okay,” he asked but she knew that wasn’t what he really wanted to know.

  “Yeah. Burke, my friend and VP was just dumped in the worst way possible.”

  “Dumped where?” Orchid’s question held all the innocence of a child and it made her smile.

  “The woman he was going to marry has decided she’s going to marry someone else instead.”

  The little girl gasped and covered her cheeks with her hands. “That’s mean!”

  “Yep. Exactly what I said.” She kept her gaze on Erick who seemed unhappy for some reason she couldn’t quite figure out.

  “I want a piece with a strawberry,�
� Orchid said, their previous conversation already forgotten.

  If only life could be that easy. Again.

  “Are you going to pout the rest of the night or tell me what’s wrong?” Dre stood in front of him, hands on her hips as her hazel eyes blazed angrily.

  “What are you talking about?” They both knew his attempt at playing dumb was failing but he refused to give it up. Yet.

  “That’s how you want to play this? All right. Good night, then.” She turned on her heels and suddenly his chest felt so tight, breathing was nearly impossible. He knew if he let her go now he might not ever get her back.

  “Dre, wait.” She didn’t wait, she marched through the kitchen and past the dining room, scanning the family room for her things. Things that, if she found them too quickly he might not convince her to stay. To talk to him. To listen to him as he apologized for being an ass. “I’m sorry.”

  She turned to face him then, one sculpted eyebrow arched in question. “Why are you sorry?”

  Erick sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sorry because I’m jealous, all right? I don’t like the way you were smiling and laughing with some other guy. A guy I’ve never even heard of!”

  “It’s not like you’ve asked much about my business or my life in California.” If he had, he would have known all about Burke and their friendship.

  “I ask questions,” he insisted with that little dip between his eyes that told her he was thinking hard about what he knew of her life.

  “But not too many, right? Because if you found out too much it would all be too real and you could forget what sent me all the way out there in the first place!” Fuming she went back to gathering her things because she needed to get out of there before this argument turned into something that might be irrevocable.

  “Christ Dre! How many fucking times will I have to apologize for that? I’m sorry, okay? Sorry I ruined everything between us but I can’t, no I won’t spend the rest of my life apologizing.”

  Unbelievable! “It’s a good thing I’m not asking you to. In fact I never asked you to!” All she had ever asked was for him to…no, she hadn’t even asked for that. She’d just taken it as truth because he said so. “I’ll see you around Erick.”

  “Oh great, you’re running again? Careful Dre you might run out of places to hide from your life.”

  Bag hoisted on her arm she turned and gave him a sad look. “I’m not running Erick. I just know when I’m not wanted. Good night.”

  “Dre, wait.” He grabbed her arm and spun her around. Eyes blazing with heat he pulled her closer, skimming his hands up her hips, waist and over the curve of her shoulders before burying his fingers in her curls. “I seem to keep screwing up when it comes to you.” His lips brushed hers gently and he pulled back with a smile. “Please Dre, forgive me.”

  She wanted to give him what he so obviously needed but she couldn’t. Tonight just proved that their past wasn’t as in the past as they would like to believe. “Just kiss me.”

  And he did. He kissed her like his life depended on it. Like the air in her lungs was all that would sustain him. Arm tight around her waist, Erick’s mouth took her higher than she remembered a kiss ever taking her. He was strong and sweet, demanding and insistent.

  It was raw.

  Hungry.

  Dre couldn’t get enough of it.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I can’t believe you did four different logos, Dre!” Kira lounged on one of the Adirondack chairs in the backyard while Dre had her hands buried in soil, planting and replanting flowers and herbs.

  “I told you I’d come up with a few for you to choose from. My clients sometimes take a few days with their options to see if one grows on them but more often than not they figure out what they don’t like which makes it easier give them what they do like.” Pulling weeds was shit work but it needed to be done and rather than pay someone, Dre had planned to use the time to get her head on straight. Then Kira stopped by.

  “I see what you mean. I really love the black and white but the pink and black is calling to me.”

  She listened as her sister prattled on, about what was anybody’s guess but she let her keep going and turned her focus to the garden trough she’d bought to put just below the porch for an herb garden. She figured it would be useful for whoever rented the place next. “Like I said, take your time. You don’t want to pay for a logo you the and be stuck with it forever, or worse change it after you’ve already started marketing.”

  Kira sighed and groaned. “You really do think of everything. Shayna said you were crazy good at this but seriously, you think like a million steps ahead don’t you?”

  Dre grinned and swiped her forearm across her face, reaching for a bottle of ice cold water. “I’ve been doing this for a while Kira and I work with other business owners.” It had taken her a long time to learn everything she had and now she happily passed along any knowledge she’d gained through her experience. “How is the rest of the opening prep going?”

  “Good. I’ve reached out to quite a few designers and I even got two jewelry designers from down in Mustang Prairie to send me a few pieces! It’s all coming together.” Her smile came easy and pride shone in her eyes as she talked about her dreams for the store. “We’re starting a little later today because that lawyer you hooked Shayna up with is in town. Don’t bother denying it because that woman was wearing Louboutin stilettos and the most amazing Prada suit. Only Prada can make you seem like a shark in lavender.”

  “So what else needs to be done?” Dre briefly wondered if the store would be ready to open by the time she left Emerald Cove. Whenever that might be.

  “Right now we’re just cleaning and getting the store layout taken care of so we can have shelves put in and then we can get started on the displays and the window!” She clapped excitedly and even let out a squeal. A loud, ear splitting squeal. “I can’t wait until it starts to look like a store. Inventory will start coming in next week and I even have a few dresses ready for opening day.”

  Dre turned to her sister and grinned. “I’m proud of you Kira. You had a vision and you turned it into a plan, and now you’re putting it into action.” The road ahead might be tough but Kira seemed like she could handle it. “How is your mom dealing with it?”

  Kira rolled her eyes. “She’s waiting for me to fail but pretending she’s not and now Dad is totally on my case because I won’t let her help.”

  “I understand that. This is your business and you need support but you also have to know when to stand your ground.” She had more to say but decided to leave it at that. Nothing good would come of her saying what she really thought about their family, but dammit, holding her tongue seriously pissed her off.

  “Well I should be off so I can get some sketching in before Shayna comes back. Thanks for this Dre,” she said holding up the flash drive and stepping forward to squeeze her in a hug. “You’re the best. I’m happy we’re sisters for real now.”

  Before Dre could say a word in return Kira bounded down the stairs the sound of her engine the only clue she’d ever been there. That girl is a whirlwind, she thought as she sipped her water she remembered the energetic, affectionate little girl Kira had been when they’d first met. She gave out hugs and smiles like all was right with her world. Another life, she thought with a lighter heart and turned her attention back to the garden. She’d bought basil, rosemary, mint, parsley and sage so even if no one ever used it, the scent would be earthy as she liked and relaxing as she required.

  She went back to work on the herb garden, getting her hands dirty and focusing on the physical work as she wondered if there was a future for her and Erick. His jealousy of Burke only highlighted that they hadn’t done much talking over the past few months. The summer was at its end yet she planted herbs as though it was spring. Dre knew she had to face facts that they probably wouldn’t have a second chance at love. And that made her sad because it made her realize just how much she wanted them to be more
than a missed opportunity. But she would have to uproot her life because, as Shayna had pointed out, she couldn’t ask him to uproot Orchid’s life.

  Not that he asked me to stay anyway. Which was why she refused to spend another moment obsessing over it like some lovesick teenager. She had been that girl once—for this same man—and it hadn’t gotten her anywhere but sad and alone on the other side of the country. So this time she would play it her way. Cool and casual.

  Until then she would focus on the things she could control. Like the garden. And her company. Her work had always been there when she needed something to do, a distraction from thoughts of Erick. Burke would arrive tomorrow and they could hash out a few things for the rest of the year. There. Now I have a plan.

  Dre had gotten so lost her in her thoughts she didn’t know how much time passed, only that her back ached and her arm muscles burned from the rigorous garden work. Reaching for an icy cold bottle of water, she took several deep gulps and then she went still at the sound of a little girls voice. The sound was strange because there were no little girls who lived on her block.

  “You’re not supposed to be here. Dad will get mad.” It sounded like Orchid but she wouldn’t be walking around unsupervised. Still that voice belonged to a kid so she rounded the side of the house just to make sure. Then she saw two lopsided blonde pigtails that she recognized. “Orchid? Is everything okay?”

  She turned with a bright, wide eyed smile. “Dre!” With an energetic pace she ran to Dre and tightened her arms around her legs. “I’m fine. Mom stopped by to say hi but she’s leaving now, right?”

  That’s when she noticed the petite woman in a blue compact car, now stepping out of it since she spotted Dre. “What is the problem?” Because there was definitely a problem. It was written all over Orchid’s face and in the stiff set of her mother’s shoulders.