by Codi Gary
Marley had her doubts, but it still didn’t damper the hope that refused to abate. Life had dealt her and her family too many blows.
There was a chance that things could be turning around, right?
“I’ll do it.”
* * * *
Luke got to the Sweetheart Café first, and took a booth at the back, facing the door. He hadn’t talked to Brent since yesterday’s awkward breakfast, and had spent the afternoon driving around the area, checking out the river and a few other places that Rose from the diner had suggested.
But it was thinking about this lunch with Marley that had kept him up half the night.
It wasn’t like he didn’t have a healthy dating life in L.A. In fact, he’d gone out with a woman who he’d seriously thought about seeing again; she was nice, local, and hadn’t minded that he was a cop.
Then he’d seen Marley. Her gray stormy eyes and blonde hair, her skin caramelized, as if she spent a lot of time outdoors. It had been an instant zing when he’d touched her, and he’d wanted to feel that again, preferably with his mouth on hers.
She walked through the door, scanning the restaurant until her gaze fell on him. A smile spread across her pretty face and she walked toward him, that soft-looking dress swirling around her long tan legs.
He stood up and held his hand out. “I worried you might not show.”
“Sorry, I got caught up at work.”
They both sat down, and Rose came over to their booth. To Luke’s surprise, Rose leaned over and kissed the top of Marley’s head.
“Afternoon, sweetheart.”
“Hi, Mom,” Marley said.
“Want a water? Iced tea?”
“How about coffee?”
Rose tsked. “You shouldn’t drink too much. It will make you jittery.”
“It’s the only way I survive most days.”
Rose shook her head and turned her attention to Luke. The look she gave him was a little less friendly than yesterday. “You want some coffee too?”
“Yes, please.”
She nodded and took off for the pot.
“So, that’s your mom.”
“Yeah, sorry if she seemed a little miffed. She frowns on my caffeine intake. And dating tourists.”
“I could always tell her you’re my tour guide.”
Marley set her menu on the end of the booth with a snort. “She’d never believe you. You’re too handsome for this to be platonic.”
Luke choked back a laugh. “Thank you?”
“You’re welcome.”
Damn, he liked the way those gray eyes twinkled like diamonds when the light hit them just right. And he appreciated her lack of filter.
“So, I haven’t been shoved into the friend zone yet?”
She shrugged before crossing her arms on the table top. “We’ll see how this goes. Who knows, you might end up being in the no zone.”
“The no zone?” he asked.
“Yeah, no to everything including friends.”
“Ouch. That’s the last thing I want.”
“Me too.”
Her soft admission actually gave him butterflies, like a school girl with a crush.
Rose set down two cups and filled them with coffee. “What do you two want to eat? Not sure how our French Dip goes with coffee, but we can always give it a try.”
“You should get it. It’s amazing,” Marley said to him.
“Then I’m sold.”
“Hmm…a man who listens to a woman’s opinion and takes it…” Rose teased. “Might be a keeper.”
“Okay, that’s enough of that. I’m going to have the cobb salad,” Marley said.
“With no tomatoes. I’ll get you two some waters too.”
“Thanks, Rose,” Luke said.
Rose went away, and Luke leaned back in the booth. “I’m a little surprised you brought me here. Most women I know don’t want me to meet their moms until after date three.”
“What, they want to know you can keep up in the sack before they take you seriously?”
Luke almost sprayed coffee out of his nose and mouth. “Yeah, actually.”
“Maybe I wanted her to see what you looked like in case I disappear.”
“Fair enough.” He took another tentative drink, afraid she was going to say something to make him laugh again. When she didn’t, he picked up the conversation. “So what do you do?”
“I’m a wedding consultant.”
“Like a planner or something?”
“Yeah. How about you?” she asked.
“I’m a cop. SWAT officer.”
Marley froze, her coffee cup resting just before her mouth. “A cop in L.A. That’s a pretty dangerous job, isn’t it?”
“No more than any other big city. I was in New York prior to that, and Afghanistan for four years straight out of high school.”
Her frown deepened and he wondered if she was going to hold his job against him. “Were you in the military?”
“The Marines.”
For whatever reason, she didn’t seem as impressed by his professional history as some women were.
“So, are you a thrill seeker or do you pick these kind of jobs because you genuinely want to help people?” she asked.
Luke had never been asked anything like that and for a half a second, he wasn’t sure whether he should be offended. Trivializing his work…that was a bold move.
“I guess it started out as a way to get out from under my father’s thumb and from there I just…I wanted to make things better. To protect people.”
Marley nodded, and he wanted to ask what that meant, but their food arrived. As they dived in, Luke asked, “Did you always want to consult on weddings?”
“No, not at all. I’m trying to get out of here and go to New York, get a job in publishing. I want to be a book editor.”
“Yeah?” Luke studied her, a slow smile creeping across his face. “I don’t know. I can’t picture you in New York.”
“Why not?”
“Because you look like you should be chasing butterflies through a meadow.” He caught the shadow that fell over her face and quickly added, “I just mean that you have a soft, happy look about you. It’s a nice quality. New Yorkers are tough as nails.”
“Yeah, if that was supposed to make things better, it’s not working. I’m stronger than I look.”
Luke felt his ears and neck warm. “Sorry, sometimes I put my foot in my mouth and it’s too big to pull out. New York would be lucky to have you.”
A slow teasing smile split her lush red lips and he relaxed.
“That’s better.”
Chapter 4
Besides that slightly awkward chat about New York, Marley was enjoying herself. Luke was funny, charming, and nice to look at. Of course, as attracted to him as she was, it could never be anything more than a little fun. He lived in L.A. She was moving to New York. And then there was his job…
Not that she didn’t think being a police officer was noble, but it was also dangerous. She’d already lost two people she loved: her father, when she was eight and Beth was four. Her parents had been coming back from Jackson, and been hit by a drunk driver. Her mom had been wearing her seat belt but dad had always been bad about that. She hated the fact that something so simple might have saved his life.
When they lost Beth eight years ago, Marley had cut people out, withdrawn into herself for months, and if it hadn’t been for her mom, she wasn’t sure she would have survived the pain.
There was no way she’d ever get serious about a guy who put on body armor and busted down people’s doors in a hail of bullets. She couldn’t go through loving and losing someone like that again.
Okay, so she watched too many action films. Didn’t mean it changed the score. Luke was a distraction; she could enjoy him
, but she didn’t need to get attached.
He stood up and put several bills on the table, jarring her from her melancholy.
“Our food was comped, you know,” she said.
“Yeah, but this way, your mom gets a nice tip.”
Marley had already told him that her mom owned the café, but if he wanted to pay for their free meal, she wasn’t going to stop him. As they passed by the glass display, Luke paused.
“What?”
“What the heck are those?” he asked.
Her gaze fell to what he was pointing at and she smiled. “Strawberry cream cheese tarts.”
“Yeah, we’re getting two of those.”
She laughed, and went around to bag up two of the tarts. They were her favorite too.
Luke put another ten up on the counter and she placed the money in the till. As they left the café, she waved at her mom, who gave her a thumbs up. She supposed that meant she approved of Luke, not that it mattered.
“How much longer do you have for lunch?” Luke asked.
“I have another meeting at three, but nothing until then.”
Her stomach flopped over as he grinned at her. “Good. Then why don’t you point me in the direction of a nice spot to eat these.”
“Well, there’s a park just up the road along the river.”
“Sounds perfect. Wanna take one car?” he asked.
“Sure, I’ll drive.”
They climbed into her white Malibu, and she headed down the road to the park. Marley laughed every time Luke opened the bag and inhaled.
“God, these smell good.”
“If you keep sniffing them, I’m going to let you have them both.”
“Cause you don’t want to deprive me? You’re so sweet,” he said.
Marley made a face. “No, so that I don’t accidentally eat one of your boogers.”
Luke roared with laughter, and when she pulled into the parking lot, he was still guffawing.
“I like that you don’t monitor everything you say carefully, afraid of offending someone,” he said.
Marley’s happiness dimmed a bit, thinking of Beth, who had never pulled any punches. Her sister had always been brutally honest, even when she knew she was about to die.
“If you let mom pick out the dress I’m buried in, I’ll come back to haunt your ass.”
“Yeah, well, life’s too short to pussyfoot around. You got to take it by the balls and enjoy every minute of it.”
“Agreed.”
“Besides, I spend too much time holding my tongue with clients. No way I’m doing it in my personal life.”
Luke climbed out first and Marley followed, trying to push Beth from her mind. She didn’t like to think of her vibrant younger sister, who would forever be sixteen. Beth was still the only thing that could break her; just a flash of memory and she’d be weeping into a bottle of tequila like a hysterical baby.
When Luke took her hand, she jumped at the shock that shot up her arm, focusing on his concerned dark eyes. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’m fine.”
He didn’t push for more, just held her hand as if they were in high school walking to class instead of on their first date. Could it be considered a date, if she knew there was no future? A hangout then. She wouldn’t mind hanging out with Luke again, since he was coming back for the next two months. She could show him around, maybe even break her own rules on ‘no casual hookups’.
After all, the last time she got laid was last year, when she was dating Garrett Ryan, before he transferred to a fire station in Montana. How was it that she had always seemed to be attracted to guys who put their lives on the line at their jobs?
They sat down on a bench facing the river, and Luke, after inspecting the pastry, handed it to her. “Booger free, I promise.”
Marley chuckled softly. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Luke took a bite of his, some of the white cream cheese filling smeared across his bottom lip and her fingers itched to reach out and remove it. With just a glide of her thumb across his mouth…
She crossed her legs and moved a bit away, eating her tart silently. Yeah, she was definitely up for a little under-the-covers playtime, but she wasn’t quite sure about how to go about it. Although she was outspoken, she had never been the first to make a move. And with Sweetheart being so small, pickings were slim.
“Damn, these are good. Your mom made these?”
“Yep. If you like these, you should try my friend Rylie’s stuff. She made these chai chocolate chip muffins that have just about become my new favorite treat.”
“Really? Does she have a shop in town?” he asked.
“No, but she wants to open up a gourmet bakery eventually.”
“Well, if they are anything like these, then I’m all for it. Sweetness is my weakness.”
He popped the last of his tart in his mouth and hummed in clear appreciation. Marley took the bag from him and put the other half of hers inside, full.
“You’re not going to finish?” His expression was one of horror, and she giggled.
“I just had lunch. I’ll save it for later.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Do you want it?” she asked.
“Hell yeah.”
Marley made a face. “You sure? It’s got my germs on it.”
Luke threw back his head and laughed. Marley’s gaze trailed over the thick muscles of his neck as they moved, and she was surprised at how turned on that deep rumble made her.
When his mirth dissolved into a simple grin, her heart skidded a bit.
“Believe me, your germs don’t bother me a bit.”
Marley swallowed past the sudden dryness in her mouth as his gaze dropped to her lips. “Then be my guest.”
He really didn’t seem to have any qualms about eating after her, and inhaled the rest of her tart.
“Better?”
“Oh, yeah.” He opened his eyes, their brown depths slightly dreamy and it was a warm, soft look that made butterflies erupt in her stomach.
As if sensing her mood change he slid closer, his arm going along the back of the bench.
“You know, I had an ulterior motive for the tarts…”
“And that was?”
He bent his head towards her slowly, giving her every chance to pull away and her breath caught in her throat. Marley’s heart beat rapidly as just a hairsbreadth away he whispered, “Because I was hoping you’d let me kiss you. And I wanted it to be sweet.”
Marley melted into him as his lips covered hers, a gentle sweep that tightened the muscles between her thighs like corded knots. She leaned into his kiss, her right hand resting on his knee as the hand along the top of the bench came up to cradle the back of her head.
He had been right; it was sweet, and not just because his mouth tasted of sugar, cream, and strawberries. It was the way he lingered, his tongue tracing the inside of her bottom lip until it tangled with hers. Her body coiled up with every stroke, wanting to deepen the kiss and slide her leg across his lap until she was straddling him.
The sound of a car coming down the gravel road to the park reached her ears and she broke away to find Mrs. Baker in her silver minivan staring at them through the windshield, her mouth wide open in surprise. Mrs. Baker had been her freshman English teacher, and Marley remembered her in her early twenties, wearing bright skirts and her hair always perfectly pulled back in neat, intricate styles.
Oh good. Mrs. Baker’s four kids were peeking around their mother’s shoulder, looking at them too.
“I think I should probably get back to work,” she said, softly.
“Only on the condition that you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow.”
She chuckled, one eye on Mrs. Baker as she opened her door and let her rambunctious brood out. Two seven
-year-old boys, a five-year-old girl, and a three-year-old cherub ran by, hollering, “Hi, Marley!”
“Hey guys.” Marley smiled at Mrs. Baker, who walked by with a large bag, probably packed full of water and snacks. “Hi, Mrs. Baker.”
Since she’d quit teaching to stay home with her kids, Mrs. Baker had dropped the pristine image for a messy top knot, and yoga pants and preferred Marley call her Hailey. But it was still hard to break the habit, even though they were both adults.
“Hey there, Marley. You know you make me feel old when you call me that.” She didn’t even stop. In fact, she seemed to be jogging to keep up with her kids.
“Bye.” Marley shook her head. “Sorry, I would have introduced you, but seems like she’s in a hurry.”
“It’s fine, but what do say about dinner tomorrow night?”
Marley gave him a wide smile. “I guess having dinner with you wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Now, there’s a vote of confidence,” he teased.
“No, really, it sounds good. I’ll look forward to it.”
Luke’s arms slipped around her waist before she could start walking back to the car. “Hey we still have a five-minute drive back. The dates not quite over.”
“Except I’m not kissing you in front of my mother’s café.”
Luke gave her a wolfish grin. “Then we might have to make a pit stop.”
Chapter 5
Marley walked into Shotgun Wedding Bar and Grill, the blast of a Chris Young song vibrating through the speakers. She was a little surprised that Sonora had wanted to meet here instead of Bow Ties, their upscale Italian restaurant. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Shotgun or its food, but it was just so…loud.
She recognized Sonora from Beth’s old CD covers and the poster her little sister had hung on the back of her door, but honestly, she’d have stood out anyway. While the rest of the patrons were wearing jeans, tube tops and tanks, Sonora was in a flashy silver dress, the thin spaghetti straps showing off her tan shoulders and arms that almost seemed to glitter in the bar lights. Her hair spilled around her shoulders in a fountain of waves and her make-up was on point, highlighting her eyes and lips brilliantly. She was definitely a knockout.
