“I know,” Emmy said. “However long you can stay will be fine.” She lowered her voice. “Just get here.”
Seth snatched his keys and wallet from the kitchen counter. “On my way.”
Emmy hung up, and Seth walked out of his apartment, then locked the door. He hadn’t even interacted with his neighbors, mostly because he didn’t want to, but also because he practically lived at the restaurant. His apartment kitchen was a poor substitute for, well, anything. And he refused to use his parents’ kitchen, even though he suspected his dad would be more accepting now. So he’d worked at the restaurant after hours, sometimes far into the night.
He climbed into his car and drove to his parents’ place, mulling over the dessert line he’d been developing that could be frozen, and . . . shipped. Gwen had given him the idea, and if he could get it off the ground, then according to his projections, the business would turn a profit within a couple of months. The set-up would be minimal, since he had full use of the restaurant kitchen, and the only hard costs were the ingredients. Eventually, he’d have to hire someone to help; but for now, he liked being busy. It kept his mind off things like a certain woman who waitressed each night at his restaurant.
Seth turned the final bend leading to his parents’ house. The place glowed against the evening sky, rivaling the sunset. Seth parked behind the long line of cars, then waved to Jon, who seemed to be serving as valet and usher for the night. Seth didn’t bother walking into the house. Instead, he took the cobbled path that led around the house to the backyard.
As Seth stopped to survey the scene, he was surprised to see so many people. His parents had invited plenty of acquaintances. The two fire pits were already crackling and the conversation lively. Music provided a mellow backdrop, and several couples danced on the lowest deck.
Seth picked out his parents quickly. His dad stood with his mom, arm in arm, as they spoke to an older couple who looked familiar to Seth, but whom he couldn’t quite place. Emmy was dancing with Jed, while Ryker hung on her leg.
Seth smiled as the kid persisted until finally Jed picked up Ryker, and the three of them danced together, making Ryker grin from ear to ear.
Then Seth’s heart stilled. A woman stood near one of the refreshment tables, a drink in her hand, as she watched the dancing. Even though her back was turned toward him, Seth knew it was Gwen.
Her hair was pulled into a smooth chignon, exposing her elegant neck. Her pale blue dress dipped low at the back, then cascaded to the floor, and because there was a slit on the side of the dress, he could see that she was wearing red stilettos.
A hundred questions collided in his mind. First and foremost, what was she doing here, and why? He blinked several times, wondering if he was really seeing her or if his imagination had become more vivid.
Then the most extraordinary thing happened. His father caught sight of Gwen and crossed over to her, bringing his mom along.
His mom hugged Gwen. And his dad . . . grasped Gwen’s hand, then kissed her cheek.
Seth felt as if the breath had been knocked out of him. Had his parents invited Gwen? She smiled and talked to them for a few moments, and Seth couldn’t fathom how in the world Gwen seemed to be getting along with his parents just fine—and that she was here in the first place. Surely Emmy would have said something to him about this?
But when Seth found Emmy on the dance floor, it appeared that she’d noticed the same thing, and looked just as surprised.
Then Seth saw Dave making his way over to his parents and Gwen. Oh no. Had Gwen come with Dave?
Seth didn’t think so, because Dave greeted Gwen with a handshake. Seth watched as Dave tried to obviously flirt with her. She nodded as she listened to Dave, but Seth knew her smile wasn’t genuine. Then Dave held out his hand, and even though Gwen hesitated, she took it.
Dave must have asked her to dance, and now . . . they were dancing.
Seth felt as if he’d swallowed a rock. Every second that passed with Gwen and Dave dancing was one too many. Seth wanted to know why she was at the anniversary party. But more importantly, he didn’t want Dave near her, even if Seth wasn’t dating her.
Seth exhaled and left the perimeter of the yard and walked toward the dance area. One or two people might have greeted him, but he didn’t slow to return pleasantries. Moments later, he’d stepped around the dancing couples and laid his hand on Dave’s shoulder.
“I’m cutting in,” Seth told him.
Dave turned his head. “Oh, hey, Seth. Thought you weren’t coming.”
Seth felt Gwen’s gaze on him, and there was nothing he wanted to do more than to meet that gaze. But first he had to get rid of Dave. “I’m here, Dave, and I’m cutting in.”
Dave narrowed his eyes but decided to be a smart man. “Sure, sure.” He looked at Gwen. “You know where to find me, sweetheart.” Then he stepped away from Gwen, which was a good thing. The intense energy drumming through Seth would have made it really easy to pop Dave in the nose.
Seth stared after Dave as he wound his way around the dancers and headed for the refreshment table. Then Seth turned to look at Gwen, who was watching him. Her blue eyes were filled with an expression he couldn’t define. Was she angry, annoyed? Amused?
“Dance?” he asked.
She nodded. And then she stepped into his arms, one hand resting on his shoulder, and the other hand encased in his. He rested his free hand on the curve of her waist, and everywhere their bodies touched Seth felt like he was burning. The scent of lemon and vanilla tingled his senses.
Although he was dying to ask her what had brought her to the party, and what had possessed her to agree to dance with him, he said nothing for several moments as they danced to the slow music and he tried to comprehend the turn of events.
“I didn’t know you were such a caveman.” Gwen’s mouth twitched as she gazed up at him.
Seth exhaled. “Dave brings out the worst in me.”
“Apparently.” Her gaze turned somber. “I didn’t see you, and he asked me to dance.”
“You came to see me?” Seth’s heart rate sped up.
“Sort of,” she said. “Your dad invited me.”
Seth stopped dancing. “What?”
She hesitated. “A lot has happened.”
“So it seems.” He glanced past her to the greenhouse. “Can we talk privately?”
She shrugged, but he didn’t mistake the agreement in her eyes. “Okay,” she said.
“Come on.” He grasped her hand. She didn’t pull away, so he led her off the dance floor and toward the greenhouse. He was sure people were watching them, but he didn’t care.
He opened the door, and Gwen stepped in first.
The interior was muggy, and Seth shrugged out of his tux jacket. He was already plenty warm. Gwen moved a good distance from him and leaned against the table containing pots of herbal plants. The orange glow from the setting sun had transformed to violet, making Gwen’s dress look even paler.
Seth walked toward Gwen and leaned against the table about a foot away from her. Without looking at her, he said, “Tell me what happened with my dad.”
“He came over to my apartment last night to apologize,” she said.
Seth looked over at her. “That’s hard to believe.”
“I know,” Gwen said. “I was stunned. He even brought me a sack of lemons.”
Seth glanced toward the lemon trees. “What did he say?”
She told him about the apology, and the more she talked, the more it sank in that his dad was truly sorry. He’d gone out of his way to try to make things better with Gwen.
“I think he expected to find you with me, too,” she continued. “But he was surprised when he learned that we’d . . . broken up.”
Seth exhaled. “Not really my choice.”
Gwen’s blue eyes connected with his, and Seth knew that none of his feelings about her had changed. In fact, they were even stronger.
“I know it wasn’t your choice,” she said in a q
uiet voice. “You did nothing wrong. It was me . . . I didn’t want to be in a relationship where I came between you and your parents. I’ve had enough parent trouble to last me a lifetime.”
“I get it.” He might understand her reasons, but he didn’t have to like them. “It’s one of the reasons I moved out. I needed my dad to understand that I’d be making decisions about my own life, especially about the women I date. Even if things didn’t work out between you and me, I needed to move forward without any emotional crippling.”
She nodded. “So are things better with your dad?”
“They will be now,” he said, brushing his fingers against hers. “A lot better.”
A smile crept onto her face.
“In fact, I started a new business.”
She laughed. “What? Don’t you ever sleep?”
“Sometimes.” He grinned. “I’m testing some frozen gourmet desserts to see how they hold up during the shipping process. About six of them have passed all tests, so I’m getting ready to launch the website.”
Her eyes searched his. “You’re an amazing man, Seth Owens.”
“Well, I think I have you to thank for the idea.”
She turned more toward him, slipping her fingers through his. “Before you launch, they will need my approval.”
“Done.” He paused. Her touch had to mean something between them was significantly different. “So, does all of this mean you forgive my dad?”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, simply looked down at their linked fingers. Finally, she said, “Yes.”
Seth’s heart thumped. “Yes?”
She bit her lip and nodded, still not looking at him.
“Then . . . what does that mean for us?” He moved closer and lifted her chin. Her skin was warm beneath his fingers.
“It means that I’d like you to meet my parents,” she said.
Words he hadn’t expected, but words he was more than happy to hear.
“I spent a couple of hours with them yesterday,” she continued in a tremulous voice, the line appearing between her eyebrows. “I think things are going to be okay between us. They’ve changed; I’ve changed.” She exhaled. “It was really nice to see them again.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “And I’d be honored to meet them.”
She smiled, and it was as if all the burdens he’d seen in her eyes had melted away.
“Gwen,” he whispered, cradling her face with both of his hands, “I’m in love with you.”
Her smile broadened. “I know.”
“You know?”
She laughed. “Your dad told me.” She moved her hands around his waist, drawing him even closer. “That’s why I came tonight. That, and to see what you looked like in a tux.”
Seth traced her cheeks with his thumbs, then leaned in. When her eyes fluttered shut, he pressed his mouth against hers, tasting her warm sweetness. She kissed him back, drawing him closer to her, until he almost forgot there was an entire event going on outside of the greenhouse.
“Seth,” she whispered against his mouth. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”
He lifted his head to gaze into her eyes. All he saw was contentment, so maybe it was a good thing. “Anything,” he whispered back.
“I’m in love with you, too.”
He could have sworn the earth stopped moving. He lifted her against him and spun her around. She laughed and kissed him while he was still holding her up.
“Stars?” he said, when he set her down. He’d just noticed her earrings were blue and silver stars.
She lifted her chin. “I was hoping you’d notice, because I plan to watch the stars with you tonight.”
“My night is all yours.” He leaned down to kiss each of her earlobes.
“Good,” Gwen said, “because I’m planning on being a lot more bossy. You need to put your jacket on so we can rejoin your parents’ party.”
He released her, then pulled on his tuxedo jacket. “I thought you didn’t like to be the boss.”
“I changed my mind.” She grabbed his hand and led him toward the greenhouse door. “First, we need to go mingle. Then, we’re going to dance again. After that—”
Seth stopped her with another kiss, and for a few moments, she let him take the lead. Then before she could say another word, he opened the door. They walked back to the party, hand in hand. Seth’s dad spotted them almost immediately and hurried over before anyone else could intercept.
“You made it,” his dad said, gaze wary.
“I did,” Seth said. “Gwen told me what happened.”
“Are we okay, then?” his dad asked.
“We are.” Seth stepped forward and embraced his dad.
His dad’s hug was fierce, and when they drew apart, his dad grinned, the relief evident on his face. “Your mom is going to be so happy.”
“Then we’d better go tell her.” Seth reached for Gwen’s hand. Their fingers linked, warm, secure. And Seth knew that whatever the future held, waiting for Gwen had been worth it.
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Heather B. Moore is a four-time USA Today bestselling author. She writes historical thrillers under the pen name H.B. Moore; her latest thrillers include The Killing Curse and Poetic Justice. Under the name Heather B. Moore, she writes romance and women’s fiction. Her newest releases include the historical romance Love is Come and Ruth. She’s also one of the coauthors of the USA Today bestselling series: A Timeless Romance Anthology. Heather writes speculative fiction under the pen name Jane Redd; releases include the Solstice series and Mistress Grim. Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
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