The speed at which her mother’s lucidity could disappear made Franchesca’s head spin. Still lost in her mother’s previous comments, it took Franchesca a moment to catch up to her mother’s last question. Over the past few visits, she’d figured out her mother would talk about her own siblings as if they were her children. The past got jumbled in her head and people in various time frames meshed with family members from another time. It got confusing, but Franchesca had learned to respond with as vague an answer as she could. Her mother nodded and looked out the window again, content to sit in quiet.
Franchesca was too. Although it was far from straight advice, her mother’s words resonated. Would she regret not giving New York another try? Or would her regret come from walking away from the only man who’d stolen her heart?
Chapter Fourteen
Franchesca parked her car and sat a moment before getting out. Wes and Noelle were throwing a party at Grey’s Saloon to celebrate their marriage. Although they hadn’t been living in Marietta full time for very long, they’d become entrenched in the town quickly. Of course, Daniel St. Claire was involved in various business ventures that helped with the growth of the town and Wes having been in the Bachelor Bake Off over Valentine’s Day also plugged the family into the community.
Franchesca watched as people entered the saloon. Wes had rented out the place for the night. The oldest building in Marietta, Grey’s dated back to the late 1800’s, complete with food, drink, and the occasional gunfight.
Every weekend it was filled with locals looking to blow off some steam after a long week. Wes and Noelle chose it because it was the place they’d first met, so the perfect spot to celebrate their future together.
Franchesca thought about what her mother had said earlier. Before that, she’d been sure she’d say thank you to Daniel and move on, embracing her life now and letting an acting career be a part of her past. But now she wasn’t so sure. Would she end up like her mother if not, sitting in a home somewhere looking through photos and talking of what could have been?
She had a feeling her mother had intended to keep her thoughts close to the vest, maybe never admitting regrets to Franchesca. Maybe now that she was grasping to hold on to memories she deemed it something Franchesca should know.
It was interesting to see what a different view of her parents she had as a child versus how she saw things now. Grateful for the security and love they provided, she hadn’t seen them as people. As individuals who’d loved and lost and sacrificed or even a couple who’d had to put effort into a relationship they made look effortless.
She thought of Annalise. So much heartache already for such a young child. To lose her mother and worry about her father at the tender age of six was huge. How would she see Mike and Franchesca’s relationship? Would she view it as good or bad? Or would she take it in stride, believing and putting her trust in the adults in her world?
Franchesca shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. “Okay, Stone. You’ve done more thinking in the past few days than your entire lifetime. Get past it and go party.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me.”
She jumped out of her seat at the sound of Mike’s voice. While pondering life, love, and all her other issues, she’d forgotten her window was down and anyone passing by could hear her.
With a hand to her heart, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart rate down. “Holy crap, you really scared me.”
“Sorry. I seem to keep doing that.” He opened her door for her and offered her his hand. “I saw you sitting here and waited a few moments to see if you were coming in. Looks like you have quite a bit on your mind.”
She grabbed her keys and purse and took his hand. As she stood, she took in the sight of him. Dark T-shirt, tight in all the right places, with black jeans and black cowboy boots to complete the look, made her heart race for a whole other reason.
He pulled her to him and kissed her cheek, his breath warm in her ear. “You look beautiful.”
Oh Lord, if the man didn’t scramble her brain in all the right ways.
“You look pretty nice yourself.” With great effort to move away from him, she turned to lock her car and drop her keys in her purse. “Okay. I’m ready.”
He put an arm around her waist. His eyes twinkled. Those deep pools of chocolate would be her undoing. “Me too. For the first time in a long time, a night out with other grown-ups sounds fun.”
She laughed. Being a part of his daily life now, she saw firsthand what he went through as a single dad. How much it took to raise one little girl. Even with his family to help, at the end of the day, Annalise was Mike’s, and he took that responsibility seriously.
“Not much of a party guy, Mr. St. Claire?” she teased.
“I think you know the answer to that question.” He looked down at her tucked into the crook of his arm, a teasing scowl on his face.
“Well, then. I believe you’re due for a good time.”
They’d been walking across the street toward Grey’s. He stopped them on the sidewalk and pulled her to him. “You, Franchesca. You’re my good time.”
She looked up at him. People may have passed them, but she didn’t know or care. Her eyes found his and held. “I’ve never been anyone’s good time before.”
“I doubt that.” With one arm wrapped around her waist, he held her close. He swept his fingers down her cheek with the other hand and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
“We’re never gonna get inside if you keep doing that.”
“Doing what?” He kissed her again, his lips trailing from her mouth to her cheek to her ear and back again.
Her hands gripped the front of his shirt. “Driving me crazy.”
The bar door opened, and Wes stuck his head out. “Hey, you two. Stop making out in the street and get in here!”
Franchesca leaned her forehead against Mike’s chest as he answered his brother. “Go away. You have your own woman to take care of.”
Wes’s laughter floated through the air as the door shut behind him, the quiet of the night returning.
“Take care of, huh? Is that what you think you need to do with me?” Franchesca teased, but a tiny part of her bristled.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” His hands were now in her hair, giving her head a soft massage and fooling with any good sense she had left. He liked her hair, she’d learned, and took every opportunity to touch it.
She laughed. “I honestly don’t know what to do with you, St. Claire.”
“How about you take me inside and dance with me all night?” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down, spurring her on to laugh even harder.
“Okay. That’s a good start.”
With that, he took her hand and led her into Grey’s Saloon.
Mike sat at the bar with his brothers. He, Wes, and Lucas had been dancing all night, Wes with Noelle, of course, and Mike with Franchesca. Lucas didn’t have to look far for dance partners. Most of the local girls had been after him whenever they were here. None had ever turned his eye though. The fact Lucas hadn’t moved to Marietta full time had surprised Mike, but Lucas didn’t talk about it much, if at all.
After their mother died, they all grieved in their own way. Their sister, McKenna, chose to travel more. Wes had poured himself into his work, only to start having a more balanced life when he met Noelle. Mike had Annalise to think about and his own pain from losing Anna not long before his mother. Lucas, well, he dove into work like Wes. But Wes was born and bred for it, Lucas wasn’t. Mike was sure his brother wasn’t happy being trapped in an office all day, but hadn’t had the chance to approach the subject with him. Now wasn’t the time either. For tonight, he wanted to enjoy his friends and family. Real life could happen tomorrow.
Man, it had been a long time since he’d let loose and he had to admit, it felt damn good. He spun on his barstool and took a look around. The dance floor was full of people but they weren’t dancing. Not really. More like hopping around and singing along wit
h Franchesca and Noelle who now stood on a small stage beside a karaoke machine while belting out some country song about a girl trying to keep it cool around the guy she likes while wishing his arms wrapped her up tight.
Franchesca held a microphone in one hand, the other waving to the beat of the music. To say her face lit up was an understatement. And he wasn’t the only one mesmerized by her. Even Noelle was watching her, trying to follow along, but not quite nailing it the way Franchesca was. She was born to be in front of people.
“They’re nuts.” Wes took a pull from his beer bottle and shook his head.
“You two sure can pick ’em,” Lucas said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mike nudged his brother’s shoulder with his own.
“Don’t get all wadded up. I meant it as a compliment. I like ’em. I like ’em both a lot.”
“Thanks.” Wes smiled at Lucas then looked again at Noelle. Mike still wasn’t used to his stoic big brother getting googly eyed over a woman.
“I like that goofy grin on your face, too.” Lucas lifted his beer in a toast toward Wes. “Looks good on you.”
Wes’s “Shut up” was said without his eyes ever leaving Noelle.
“I love you, too.” Lucas blew a kiss at him.
Mike laughed. Man, it was good to have them all together again.
“How long are you staying?”
“I leave tomorrow. I was gonna go sooner, but Noelle begged me to stay for the party. Tough to say no to that woman.”
“Amen.” Wes turned and smiled.
Lucas shook his head. “Are you used to this yet?” he asked Mike.
“What? Wes actually smiling?”
“Yeah. That.”
Mike shrugged. “It takes some getting used to, but you’ll come around.”
“You leave tomorrow? Because one phone call and I could have the plane ready for you right now.” Wes waved his cell phone in front of them.
Mike and Lucas laughed.
“Lighten up. We can give Mike his turn.”
“His turn at what?” He knew what, but any attempt at delaying the inevitable with his brothers was worth it.
“Your turn to give us the details on you and Franchesca.” Wes’s attention was back to his brothers now.
“No details.” Mike turned on his barstool to face the bar. His brothers did the same.
“Right. Like the details of you making out like teenagers on the street before you came in here.”
“Sounds like great details to me.” Lucas finished the last swig of his beer and set the bottle on the bar.
“What are we? Middle school girls at the lunch table?” Again, Mike tried to deflect the conversation even though he knew surrendering would be the quickest way to be done with it.
“I can braid Lucas’s hair while we talk. Would that help?”
Lucas’s laughter rang loud through the air as applause from the dance floor mixed with, “Do another one!”
“Sounds like the crowd wants an encore.”
The three men turned to see Franchesca work the crowd as she and Noelle chose another song.
“I don’t know, Brother. If she were mine,” Lucas slapped a hand on Mike’s shoulder, “I don’t think I’d shut up about her.”
Mike smiled as the song Franchesca chose started playing. She waved to the crowd, blowing kisses, one he noticed aimed straight at him with a wink for good measure. Her red top accented her lips, lips he longed to taste all day long if he could. Unlike many of the other women in the bar, her skirt wasn’t inching up toward her ass, but was long and stopped mid-shin. It wasn’t loose, however, and showed every perfect curve the good Lord had given her. Strappy, heeled sandals were the cherry on the clothing sundae, her bright red toenails making his body temperature rise to levels his drink could not cool. And her hair. Oh, he could go on for days about her hair. The dark curls flowed down, the light behind her haloing her like an angel. A sexy, spicy, siren of an angel in high-heeled sandals. Why had he ever questioned a relationship with her?
But was it safe to call her his? Outside, when he’d commented about taking care of her, she’d flinched. It was a slight reaction, but he hadn’t missed it. They still hadn’t talked about where things were going, beyond the stolen kisses and flirty texts, but she hadn’t pulled away.
“She’s his nanny.”
Wes’s comment snapped Mike from his thoughts. They all turned to face the bar, Franchesca and Noelle’s voices in the background.
“Damn. Good for you.” Lucas patted Mike on the back.
“Shut up. You know she’s helping me with Annalise.” His brothers were ribbing him. It irked him, but he’d be damned if he let them know that.
“He doesn’t like to use the word ‘nanny.’”
Mike shook his head but refused to engage.
“Seriously, man. I’m happy for you.” Lucas leaned in and gave Mike’s arm a light punch. “You’ve been through a lot. You deserve to be happy.”
“Thanks.”
“He’s right. We like messing with you. But Franchesca’s great for you. And for Annalise.”
Mike nodded, truly appreciating his brothers’ sentiments. “Thanks.”
“But you’re still not going to tell us what’s going on between you two.” It was a statement. Lucas didn’t ask a question.
“There’s nothing to tell.” Mike shrugged and ran his thumb down the beer bottle in front of him. “We agree there’s something between us and we’re going to take our time and see where it goes.”
“That sounds like a good plan.”
Mike thought so, too, even though he hadn’t had that conversation with Franchesca yet. That was where his mind was. He hoped hers was on the same page.
“I have Annalise to consider.”
“Franchesca loves her,” Wes said.
“And Annalise adores her,” Lucas added. “When I call that’s all she talks about, her time with ‘CeCe.’”
Mike’s attention snapped to Lucas. “What?”
“She said she calls Franchesca CeCe.”
Mike shook his head and smiled.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Was that a bad thing for me to have shared?” Lucas looked worried. “I don’t want to be the uncle that spilled the beans on something.”
“No. It’s fine.” Except that Franchesca didn’t let anyone call her by a nickname. No one but her mother and now his daughter. That had to mean something right? Maybe he and Annalise were working their way into Franchesca’s heart as much as she was becoming a part of theirs.
“I think it’s time to stop chatting like girls and go dance again.” Wes stood from his barstool.
“Seriously, who is this dude?” Lucas looked at Mike then at Wes.
“I’m a brand new man.” Wes’s grin made both brothers laugh.
As if on cue, Brooks & Dunn starting singing their song of the same name. Franchesca and Noelle made their way to the guys, Noelle grabbing Wes’s hand and guiding him to the dance floor.
“Okay. I think it’s time I show this guy a move or two.” Franchesca winked at Mike but grabbed Lucas’s hand and followed Wes and Noelle.
Mike laughed, happy to give his brother a turn with his girl for a song.
His girl.
Franchesca Stone was all woman. But Mike sure did like the idea of her being his. The wounds of his past were healing, the hope of a new beginning taking its place.
Chapter Fifteen
A slow song started as Mike made his way to cut in on his brother and Franchesca. Lucas had his turn to spin her on the dance floor. Now it was Mike’s. He’d shared her for long enough. He tapped his brother on the shoulder.
“Excuse me, but this one is all mine.”
“The song or the girl?” Lucas teased.
Franchesca laughed.
Mike looked right at her. “Both.”
Her laughter stopped, but the smile on her face stayed.
“They’re all yours, t
hen.” Lucas stepped away, waving one arm toward Franchesca.
Mike moved in, wrapping one arm around her waist and taking her hand with the other. His eyes never left hers. Lucas must have walked away, but he didn’t know. Didn’t care. All that mattered was the woman in his arms. The one who was racing away with his heart faster than the cars he drove.
“Both are yours, huh?” Franchesca smiled up at him as she moved to the steps of the song with him, their bodies one fluid motion.
“Why did I know you would focus on that right away?”
“Getting possessive, are ya?” Her tone was teasing, but he wasn’t fooled. The independent woman he held had to be handled with care. One sign of him threatening that side of her and she would bolt. And yet, at the same time, the feistiness it brought out in her almost challenged him. He liked it. He liked every aspect of Franchesca. He was never bored.
“Maybe. Would that be a problem?” He lifted his eyebrows then swept in for a taste of her ruby colored lips.
She blinked as they pulled back then shook her head. “You keep doing that and I’m gonna forget my own name, let alone how to keep you on your toes.”
“Is that what you’re doing? And here I thought you were declaring your independence.”
She laughed. “Okay, okay. I get it. I’ll back off.”
They swayed across the dance floor, their bodies in motion to the music, Mike falling further and further for the dark-haired beauty in his arms. “Hey now. Don’t you go changing for me. I love the feisty, ‘I can do everything myself’ side of you.” He leaned in and placed a kiss on her neck, just below her ear. “I love a challenge. And I’ll take you any way I can get you, Miss Stone,” he whispered.
She shivered against him as he led them in a different direction on the dance floor.
“You sure know how to make a girl blush, St. Claire. And you’re not too shabby of a dancer, either. I’m not sold on your saying you don’t get out and party much.”
It was his turn to laugh. “My partying days ended a few years ago.”
He was about to say, “When I got married and had a child.” But somehow that made his decision to be with Anna and start a family sound like a bad one. It wasn’t. It was the best decision he’d made up until that point. Falling for Franchesca was fast becoming another great choice. Life had thrown him some curve balls, but he was learning how to hit them.
Winning his Heart Page 11