Love Resurrected (Love in San Soloman Book 5)

by Denise Wells

  “That’s awful.” I stop and stare at the screen. Brad locking himself away reminds me of how both my dad and I reacted after my mom left us.

  Sadie is still moving about her room. “Right? It hit everyone hard. Kat was just one of those people that everyone loved, you know? She was so beautiful, and funny, and really, like, the glue that kept their entire group together. It’s still so sad.” She looks at the screen, her eyes watery. “Ten?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Please don’t die.”

  I laugh. “I’ll do my best, but it may happen someday.”

  “Just not any day soon.” She wipes at her eyes.

  “Gorgeous, you about ready?” I hear Ethan yell in the background, and I smile at the warmth in his voice. He loves my Sadie so fucking much. “Hey, Ten.” He waves to the screen and I wave back. “You want us to pick you up on our way?”

  “No, thanks though. I’ve got a bunch of stuff in my car already, and I need to stay late after to finalize stuff.”

  “I’ll unload it for you when we get there, how’s that?”

  “Aren’t you just the sweetest? You sure you don’t have a brother, E?” I tease.

  He puffs out his chest. “The world can’t handle more than one Stone man.”

  I laugh.

  “True enough.” Sadie leans in and kisses him on the cheek. He grabs her around her ever-expanding waist and dips her slightly, kissing her neck and growling. She screeches and giggles. I’m genuinely thrilled for my best friend and it makes my heart soar to see her so happy.

  Ethan unloads my car for me as I finish up with the vendors. Sadie takes a box he brought in and starts arranging bid paddles on the tables.

  “Do you need anything else before I head out?” he asks me.

  “No, you’ve been awesome, Ethan. Thank you.” I give him a hug, which he returns, then steps away, his hands still on my upper arms.

  “My plan is to have Brad here tonight, but he’s really digging his heels in about this. The girls plan to ambush him, but you didn’t hear that from me. Anyway, maybe just be patient with him when he shows?”

  I’d told Ethan about my run-in with Brad last night, so he knew I’d encountered both Brad’s Jekyll and Hyde.

  “I will do my best.” I smile. Ethan gives me a kiss on the cheek, then heads over to say goodbye to Sadie.

  People will begin arriving in about an hour. I don’t think I’m nervous. I’ve got everything planned, down to the smallest detail. Brad Matthews is my only wild card. If he shows, everything should go smoothly. If he doesn’t, I’ll have to scramble last-minute for something to fill the time slot.

  Sadie and I finish putting the final items on the tables. I make sure the girls in reception have everything they need, then we slip into a back room to change our clothes. My outfit is low key: a slim-fitting turquoise-and-white maxi skirt with a hibiscus print along the bottom, white cami, and low sandals. My hair is curled and pulled back on one side, with a real hibiscus tucked behind my ear,

  Sadie has changed into a white strapless knee-length dress with an empire waist, and wedge heeled sandals. Unless you looked at her from the side, you wouldn’t even know she was pregnant. She looks radiant and beautiful.

  Remi and Lexie arrive soon after that.

  “Oh, thank god,” Remi says. “Finally, someone I can do shots with.” She pulls a small bottle of tequila out of a bag, along with a Dixie cup to use as a shot glass, saltshaker, and a small container of lime wedges. “My three little Bs are at Grammy and Gramps for the night, and Momma needs a drink.” She does a shot order, then lines one up for me.

  I love this woman!

  We do two shots, following each with a whoop and a high five. Then I get a good look at the newcomers. Lexie looks adorable in an off-the-shoulder flower-print tea-length maternity dress, and low-heeled sandals. Her hair is pinned up with flowers tucked around a bun. She pulls Sadie to the side to tell her about something baby related.

  Remi is stunning in a tight white-and-yellow flower print dress with a sweetheart neckline and halter straps. Her hair is curled and pulled up on one side with a flower, similar to mine, and she has on a pair of nude strappy sandals with a kitten heel.

  “Wow, you ain’t messing around,” I tell her with a wolf whistle.

  “I’m not,” she says. “I went to the salon with my sister-in-law earlier, I’ve been waxed and primped and trimmed to the nth degree. This dress is pulling everything together, in one tight little package. I plan to grab my husband when he gets here, find a spot for a quickie, dance until my feet fall off, drink until I can’t think straight, and go home and fuck his brains out. It’s been weeks. The kids all had the flu, one after the other, then Chance was on night shift. I’m going crazy.”

  “I just got a new vibrator that simulates a tongue and mouth,” I tell her. “It’s mind-blowing.”

  “You really need a man,” Sadie says to me.

  “Oh, but I don’t. My vibes are all rechargeable, they don’t even need batteries any longer. I have a weighted blanket to keep me cozy. I need for nothing.”

  The girls laugh.

  “So, hey,” I say, changing the subject. “What exactly do married women do at a bachelor auction?”

  “Drive up the bids, baby,” Remi says with a sly smile on her face.

  I laugh at that. “How does Mr. Bauer feel about that?”

  “He wants his own paddle this year.” Remi laughs.

  “Listen to Mrs. Money-Bags over here.” Lexie jerks a thumb in Remi’s direction.

  “Don’t hate just because I’m practically saving the world and making money at the same time,” Remi says.

  “I heard you sold your design or idea or whatever. Congrats. What happened?” I ask her.

  “The sexist idiots at my last company didn’t have me sign over the intellectual property rights to any of my work. So, when I quit, I walked away with all of my empirical research. Sold it recently to the National Recycling Association for a shitload of money. I never have to work again.”

  “Wow,” I say. “That’s incredible.”

  “Tell her about your book idea,” Lexie urges.

  “Well, I’ve been making notes for a book I’d like to write when the little B’s start school. Part what I experienced with the blatant sexism in my career, and part how to handle it.”

  “You are my hero,” I tell her. “Did you do anything about the sexism?”

  Remi shakes her head. “I got what I wanted—my research and the recognition for conducting it. There was no need for anything else.”

  One of the volunteer runners enters the room, gesturing for my attention. “Ms. Hughes? The mayor is here.”

  I thank her and stand. “That’s my cue, ladies. I will see you out there.”

  I reach the reception area but don’t see the mayor anywhere.

  Instead, I see Brad Mathews.

  And he looks pissed.

  4

  Brad

  I do a double take as the redhead from last night enters the reception area. Her skirt fits like a second skin, and she's in one of those tight little cami tops with a built-in bra. It reminds me of something Kat would have worn, making my heart ache. At the same time my cock jumps—a purely primal reaction.

  I stalk toward her, pissed at myself for having any kind of reaction at all.

  She’s looking for someone and by the way she jumps when I reach her, I can tell it wasn’t me.

  “You got your wish. I’m fucking here. Now what?”

  She looks at me, brows raised. “Excuse me?”

  I raise my arms expectantly. “Where do you want me?”

  “Back where you came from if that’s how you plan to act.”

  I scowl and she narrows her eyes. “The idea is for people to like you enough to pay money for your company.”

  I look at her.

  “You will cost us money.”

  “Oh, ha ha, so funny,” I say drily.

  Her big green eyes look me do
wn and up. “What are you wearing?”

  I glance down at myself, I’ve got on jeans, a t-shirt, and Converse.

  “Clothes.”

  She scoffs. “It’s a luau theme. The idea is to wear beach party clothing.”

  “I’m not changing. Take it or leave it, sweetheart.”

  She opens her mouth to say something just as the mayor approaches. “Tenley, there you are, dear. You look lovely this evening.”

  Her name is Tenley? I know that name from somewhere.

  “Madame Mayor, I’m so happy you could make it. Have you met Brad Mathews, our Bachelor Number Nine?” Tenley and the mayor both turn toward me, and my smile is automatic as I hold out my hand to shake the mayor’s, who is dressed in a brightly colored, loose-fitting flower print dress.

  “Brad.” She gives me a tight-lipped smile.

  “Madam Mayor.” I return the gesture. It’s safe to say the mayor and I don’t exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things, stemming from a city-wide fundraising event last year that she was sponsoring, and that I was stuck overseeing the safety of. She went over capacity and I shut it down. There were probably better ways I could have handled it, looking back.

  Tenley looks from me to the mayor and back again. You’d have to be an idiot not to feel the tension between us.

  “Uh, excuse us, please. I have someone I need the mayor to see,” Tenley says as the two turn and head across the room, leaving me to watch them walk away.

  “She’s got a great ass, doesn’t she?” Remi’s voice whispers in my ear.

  “I wasn’t looking at her ass, Remi. Fuck off.”

  “Promises, promises.” She clucks her tongue at me and gives me a once-over. “You look like shit. Luckily, I brought you something to change into. And if you are a good boy, maybe I will share my pre-party tequila shots.”

  “I don’t need to change.”

  She laughs. “Oh honey, not only do you need to change”—she gestures at my body—“but you need to change.”

  “Cute.”

  “Here.” She thrusts a bag into my arms. “Put this on and make us proud.”

  “What is it?” I look inside the bag and see a brightly colored shirt reminiscent of Magnum, P.I. “No.” I push the bag back at her.

  “Would you quit being such a fucking pussy? It’s embarrassing.”

  “If I’m such an embarrassment, then you won’t mind if I leave.” I turn to do just that.

  She grabs my arm to stop me. “Oh, not an embarrassment for me. For you. And for Kat’s memory. That she loved such a grouchy, self-righteous douche.”

  “That’s low, Remi. Even for you.”

  “You have no idea how low I can go, cupcake. Now go change your fucking clothes and stop acting like such a dick.”

  I grab the bag and head for the restroom.

  “Thank you!” she calls, and I flip her off over my shoulder.

  “You still suck at that.”

  She’s right, I do. I can’t flip people off, my fingers just look funny. But the gesture makes me feel better anyway.

  The board shorts fit fine, as do the flip-flops. But the shirt is tight around my arms and chest. I’ve been working out a lot, anything to try to keep a handle on all this anger inside me. Otherwise, I just feel like I’ll snap and do something stupid. And I’m almost positive I’ve hit my stupid quota for this lifetime. It’s why I'm on desk duty at work.

  Again.

  Good news is, if I flex at all, I’m going to Hulk out of this shirt and pop a button or two. Knowing that it’s Chance’s shirt, and that my chest is now more built than his, makes me smirk with satisfaction. Mainly because he’s a cop and I’m a firefighter, and that competition is always waiting in the sidelines to rear its head. I ball up my other clothes in the same bag and head back out to join the others.

  Remi is waiting for me in the near empty hall. She leans up and kisses me on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  I nod.

  “I don’t do this to torture you, you know,” she says. “I do it because I need you to be happy. I can’t handle this.” She motions to me.

  I cock my head and raise my brows, even though I’m sure I know what she’s going to say.

  “I promised her, Brad. Promised her when she was—”

  “I know, Remi. Jesus.”

  “No, you don’t. Listen to me.” Her voice breaks, and she pauses for a moment before continuing. “Yes, you know I promised her we’d watch out for you. And you haven’t let us do that. It’s been three years, Brad. Three years without my best friend. That’s a long fucking time. How do you think I feel when something makes me happy and she’s not here with me to enjoy it? I have so many fan-fucking-tastic things in my life. And I want to be happy. But it’s hard when all I do is miss her. Then I look at you, and you have nothing to make you smile. And I can’t live like this. I can’t live knowing that I’m moving on without her and you aren’t. So, even if you won’t do this for you, do it for me. Do it so I can be a better mom to your godkids. And a better wife to your friend.” She wipes at the tears rolling down her cheeks.

  I take a minute to look at her. Really look at her. She looks amazing, as usual. But she’s right, there is a satisfaction about her I’ve never really paid attention to before. A contentment that becoming a wife and a mother has brought her. And she is the last person any of us ever thought that would happen to.

  But along with that is a sadness, when she talks about Kat, it’s just not as prevalent as the other emotions. I pull her into my arms. “I’m sorry, Rem.” I clear my throat. “I forget I’m not the only one who lost her. I keep waiting to wake up and have it be better, for me to feel better, and it never happens.”

  “I know,” she says into my chest. “All we can do is keep waking up each day and moving forward. Keep living. And on the days that it’s harder than others, we remember this is what she wants. As awful as it feels, she wants us happy and living life the best way we can.” She steps back out of my embrace.

  I wipe at the tears on my cheeks and pinch at the bridge of my nose to get them to stop, then clear my throat again. “Thank you, Remi.”

  “I love you, B. You know that, right?”

  “Love you too, Rem.”

  She kisses my cheek, then turns to head down the hall toward the reception area and check-in for the auction. I stay put, trying to collect my thoughts enough to convince myself this is the right thing for me to do. That my promise to Kat to live my life, somehow balances out the betrayal I feel over doing so.

  5

  Tenley

  “We are at five minutes to start. All fifteen are accounted for, mic’d up, and ready, except number nine,” one of my runners announces through the headsets we’re all wearing to communicate with one another.

  “I know he’s here,” I report back. “I’ll find him.” I grab an extra mic and head out toward reception, where I last saw him. He’s not there, or anywhere in the front of the building. I walk through the main room one more time.

  “Hey,” I say when I run into Sadie and Lexie. “Have you guys seen Brad?”

  “Check near the restrooms,” Lexie replies. “Remi was going to make him change his clothes.”

  “Oh, thank god. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.” I leave the girls to continue tittering about all things baby-related and head back out to reception, then down the hall toward the restrooms. He’s changed into shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, which is great. But he’s pacing and talking to himself, which doesn’t seem good at all.

  “You ready to do this?” I ask when I reach him.

  “Do I look ready?” he asks.

  “Well, you changed your clothes at least. It’s a start.” I hold up the microphone and transmitter. “May I?”

  He motions with his hand for me to go ahead.

  I move behind him and lift his shirt so I can attach the transmitter housing to the band of his shorts. His skin is hot to the touch, and he jumps at the feel of mine.

  “Jesus, woman. Yo
ur hands are freezing.”

  “Sorry, I was setting out bottles of ice water.” I rub my hands together to try to warm them before running them up the back of his shirt with the wire. “Can you unbutton the top of your shirt? It’s too tight at the top for me to get my hand through.”

  “I work out.” He says it in a funny voice I think is from a song, then flexes. It makes me giggle and he laughs.

  The shirt loosens enough for me to run the wire and my hand up to the neck. I hang the wired mic over his shoulder then move around to his front.

  “You do work out,” I tell him with a smile, patting his pecs as I attach the mic midway down his chest. It’s as I’m re-buttoning his shirt I see the edges of the tattoo over his heart. I’m not sure how a tattoo can look sad, but his does. I push the material away to see more of it, my fingers grazing his skin.

  He stiffens under my touch and takes a step back, grabbing my hand and pushing it away from his chest.

  “Look, I’ll parade myself around like a fucking fool in front of a bunch of pathetic assholes with too much money, because it’s for a good cause. But it stops there. I don’t like to be touched. And make sure the idiots bidding on shit know that. I’m not fucking some badge bunny just because she pays for it and thinks she’s due.”

  “Uh . . .” I don’t know what to say in response.

  And apparently, I don’t have to.

  “Tenley,” I hear a voice whisper in my ear.

  “Yes?”

  “His mic was on.”

  “Shit. I’m sorry you guys heard that, he’s just a—”

  “Everyone heard it.”

  “What do you mean, everyone?”

  “Um, I think you grabbed the emcee’s mic. It’s rigged to the main speakers and broadcasting.”

  I put my right hand up to my ear and turn away from Brad.

  “Do you mean to say the audience heard what he said?”