by Cindy Kirk
“My pleasure.”
She smelled like his shampoo and he found himself wanting her again. But first he had to win enough hands to rid her of all her clothes.
The zipper slid down easily, and when the jacket gaped open he realized that she wasn’t wearing a shirt—or anything else—beneath it.
“You-you’re naked.” His gaze lingered on her breasts, on those erect nipples surrounded by a dusky peach color.
“Not yet.” She shrugged and the jacket fell and pooled at her feet. “I hope to be soon.”
“Let’s play another hand.”
“I’m tired of cards.” Prim gazed up at him through lowered lashes. “I can think of a better way to spend our time together.”
No, this was not the Primrose he thought he knew. As he scooped her into his arms to carry her to bed and she shrieked with laughter, he wondered just what other secrets he would discover this weekend.
By Sunday night, Max was a goner.
Despite his earlier agreement, he realized he didn’t want to take things slow. He wanted to walk down the street holding Prim’s hand. He wanted to wake up, like he had the past two mornings, with her beside him in bed. He wanted to sit across the dinner table from her and talk. Not only about sudoku and magic squares but about her thoughts and feelings.
He liked that family mattered to her. That had been evident last night. Marigold had unexpectedly called and Prim had taken an hour to console her baby sister.
Prim stood at the counter now, tossing a salad, humming while she worked. Love washed over him in a tidal wave of emotion.
Marigold called again just as he finished seasoning the steaks for the grill. He’d lingered on the patio longer than necessary, wanting to give them some privacy.
Prim was off the phone and adding slivered almonds and mandarin oranges to the romaine when he stuck his head in the door. Opening the door fully, he stepped inside.
Prim glanced over her shoulder. “Steaks on the grill?”
“Yep. They’re sizzling away.” He slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Just touching her, just being close settled him. “How’s your baby sister?”
“Better.” She rested her head back against his chest. “Marigold heard through the grapevine that Steffan and his boyfriend are fighting and that’s why he’s been so owly. Though it doesn’t excuse him taking out his frustrations on his employees, she feels better now that she understands the Jekyll-Hyde act.”
“I hope whatever personal issues he has clear up soon, for her sake.” Max tightened his hold, liking the way her soft curves fit against him. “Is she going to be able to come home for a visit?”
“If the stars align and Steffan doesn’t go bat shit in the interim, she hopes to still be here for the Fourth. We conferenced Ami in on the call.” Prim smiled. “She wanted Marigold to stay with her, but she’ll stay with me. Ami and Beck are newlyweds. I reminded Ami that she’s still at the stage where you love walking around naked just to get a rise out of your husband. In that scenario, three would definitely be a crowd.”
“You get a rise out of me when you walk around naked.”
“I like the way you rise to the occasion.” Prim wiggled her eyebrows and made him laugh, just as the doorbell sounded.
Max lifted a brow.
“Don’t look at me,” she said. “This is your house. Whoever is at the door came to see you.”
It was Beck and Ami.
After greeting Max with a bright smile, Ami shoved a covered dish into his hands. “It’s scalloped potatoes. I wasn’t sure what you were having for dinner, but these go good with just about everything.”
Max shot a glance at his friend, who just shrugged good-naturedly. “I took them out of the oven, so you can thank me, too.”
“Thanks to both of you.” Max stepped aside and gestured them through the doorway.
Ami stepped to Prim and gave her a hug. “Are we interrupting?”
“Actually, you’re just in time for dinner.” Prim looped her arm through her sister’s. “We have two huge steaks on the grill, easily enough for four.”
Prim slanted a glance in his direction, passing the ball to him.
“If you haven’t eaten, stay,” he urged. “We’d love to have you join us.”
He saw Beck and Ami exchange a glance. The way he figured, they might as well know it all. “Prim and I are dating. We’re a couple.”
Ami glanced at him. “You know, Max, I always thought you were a smart guy. Now—”
She paused and Max waited for the punch line.
Ami winked. “Now, I know it.”
“Do you have plans for tomorrow?” Max toyed with a lock of Prim’s hair and tried to keep his tone casual, as if her answer didn’t matter.
Her sister and Beck had just left. Now, he and Prim were enjoying some alone time on the sofa. While Max had enjoyed their company, he was happy to have Prim all to himself for the rest of the evening.
“Lots of exciting stuff on tap. I’ll pick up Boris in the morning, do some laundry, and clean the house.” She lifted her head and looked up at him. “What about you?”
“My mother and I are meeting in the morning at the garden center. I want to make sure she has everything together for our appointment Tuesday with the IRS in Green Bay.”
Prim’s eyes widened. “Is she being audited?”
“Not her, personally, but the business. I do the taxes for the Garden of Eden, so I’ll be attending as her representative.”
Worry filled her eyes. “I hope everything goes okay.”
“It should. As long as she gave me the right figures and has the receipts for those figures.”
“It’s been a busy day.” Two bright spots of pink dotted Prim’s cheeks. “I want you to know that when I mentioned to my sister that I was staying over here for the weekend, I never expected her and Beck to just show up.”
“I like Beck. And I like your sister.” He brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Having dinner with them was enjoyable. We’ll have to do it again.”
“Yes.” She slid her hand down, linked her fingers with his. “This has been nice. Other than Eliza’s three texts, that is. Does she really think we’re so incompetent she has to check up on everything we’ve done?”
“Forget about her.” His voice was a husky caress. “Let’s talk about what you’d like to do with the rest of the evening.”
“Hmmm.” She tapped her fingers against her lips, her gaze thoughtful. When her eyes settled on the cabinet, Max froze.
Not the cards. Not the cards. Not the cards.
“Naked.”
He paused. Had she really said the word naked, or had he said that because getting her naked was on his mind?
“Pardon?”
“Let’s get naked, walk around the house.”
Like newlyweds. His words. Supplied by his mind. Not hers.
“Sounds . . . interesting. Then what?”
As she stared up at him through lowered lashes, her lips tipped in a saucy grin as infectious as it had been in fifth grade. “We see what comes next.”
Chapter Eighteen
Max parked his car down the street from his destination and began walking toward the water. A group of what looked like college students strolled just ahead of him. The willowy woman with blond hair and a throaty laugh made him think of his mother.
He’d spent the morning with her at the Garden of Eden going over receipts for deductions. Vanessa Eden was an intelligent, vibrant woman. Yet for over twenty years, every attempt she’d made to move on in her personal life had failed dismally.
He was surprised she hadn’t figured out the problem before now. How could she expect to have a successful relationship in the present with her feet so firmly planted in the past?
For nearly twenty-five years she’d put his father on a pedestal. The young soldier had become larger in death than he’d been in life. Pictures of him filled her home and office. None of the men who’d come after his dad had stood a cha
nce. You couldn’t compete with a ghost.
Was it the same for Prim? Did Rory still have her heart? At the thought, a pain so sharp it stole his breath lanced his own.
No, Max told himself, Prim had definitely moved on. There was no way she could be so giving and loving with him and still be in love with someone else.
Music spilled from the open windows of the Flying Crane, a popular bar located on the waterfront. Tonight the place hosted a Milwaukee rock band as part of a weeklong Uncle Sam Jam fundraiser. Every penny of the nightly ten-dollar cover went toward the Giving Tree.
The Giving Tree had started back when Max had been a kid as a Christmas gift project sponsored by the rotary. Over the years it had morphed into a way for Good Hope citizens to help neighbors who’d fallen on hard times.
Neighbors helping neighbors.
That attitude was what made Good Hope such a wonderful place to live at any time of year. Though Max hadn’t felt like partying at a bar, last night Beck had urged him to stop by even if it was just for a few minutes.
The band had apparently decided loud made up for any number of deficiencies. Still, as Max pulled open the battered wooden door and handed over his ten-dollar bill, he had to admit the beat was infectious. The Flying Crane was more crowded than he’d have expected for a Monday.
A fair number of tourists filled the tables, and that was always good for business. The bar’s placement on the waterfront was a big draw. The inside held some ambience. A glossy curved mahogany bar took up an entire wall. Behind it a long mirror made the average-size bar appear huge.
Unfortunately, the high tin ceiling—while decorative—did nothing to improve the band’s sound. Max let his gaze sweep the main bar area but came up empty. No Beck in sight.
“Can I help you find someone?” Part-time artist, part-time waitress Izzie Deshler stopped beside Max. The petite brunette’s long, wavy hair had been pulled back into some kind of coiled tail. “Or get you something to drink?”
“A beer.” Max flashed a friendly smile. “Whatever you have on tap. How’ve you been?”
“Keeping busy. Beck and Ami are having me paint a mural on their parlor wall.” Izzie returned his smile. “I’ll be starting it next week.”
“I’m sure you’ll do a great job.” Max had seen evidence of her work and had been impressed. “If it’s anything like your work at Muddy Boots, it will be amazing.”
Thanks to Izzie, the hideous wallpaper in a coffee pot pattern of harvest gold and mud brown was now just a not-so-pleasant memory.
“Speaking of Beck, have you seen him?”
“He’s out on the deck.” She winced as the lead singer’s guitar went sharp. “The noise in here can be a bit overwhelming.”
For the first time he noticed the small earplugs nestled in her ears. He tapped his ears. “Smart woman.”
She flashed a smile. “Self-preservation.”
Max wove his way through the tables and out the door onto a large deck protected from the elements by a high-pitched roof sporting ceiling fans. The night was clear with a nice breeze off the water.
All of the tables were full. There were a good number of people milling around talking. Undoubtedly enjoying a respite from the noise, er, music, Max thought.
He found Beck at a table for four next to the railing.
Max pulled out a wooden chair opposite his friend and plopped down. “The band sounds better the further away you get.”
“First sign of getting older, Brody, is when you start complaining about loud music.” Beck grinned. “Next thing, you’ll be eating dinner at four thirty.”
“As if you have room to talk, Cross. I noticed you got a table far from the music instead of taking a stool at the bar and flirting with the female bartender.”
Beck chuckled and tipped the bottle of Corona to his lips. “Aren’t you drinking tonight?”
“Izzie is bringing me a beer.” Max gestured with his head toward the doorway. “Unless she didn’t hear me clearly because of the noise. Then it’s anyone’s guess what will be on her tray.”
It wasn’t until Max reached to take a handful of pretzels from the basket in the center of the table that he noticed the margaritas. “Who’s joining us?”
Not to be sexist, but Max didn’t know a single guy who drank margaritas. That was usually a woman’s drink. Which meant . . .
“Is Ami with you?” Max should have known Beck wouldn’t leave his new bride at home.
“You know how she feels about the Giving Tree. She came to show her support. Ah, there they are.” Beck rose and held out his arms. “The lovely Bloom sisters.”
“Not Bloom.” Ami brushed a kiss across her husband’s cheek. “It’s Cross now. You are the one I married earlier this month?”
Prim held out her hands to Max as if she hadn’t seen him in weeks rather than been naked in his bed twelve hours ago. “Beck told me he thought you might stop by. This is such a great cause.”
He was shocked. And delighted.
Max glanced at his friend, who simply gave him a benign smile and turned back to listen to something his wife was saying.
He squeezed Prim’s hands. “Good to see you, neighbor.”
She flashed that impish smile that made his blood stir.
“Release the woman, Brody, and sit down.”
“Shut up, Beck.” Reluctantly, Max released Prim’s hands.
He pulled out her chair.
She smiled her thanks.
Ami smiled so benevolently at them, Max half expected her to offer a benediction.
He felt like giving thanks himself. Tonight was an unexpected gift. He and Prim. Out together. Taking their relationship public.
Tomorrow, he’d be in Green Bay. By the time he returned, Callum and Connor would be back from Appleton. In a matter of hours, everything would go back to how it had been before the weekend.
Other than he and Prim were dating. The thought made him smile.
“How’s the parade planning coming?” Ami asked.
Max exchanged a glance with Prim.
“Fairly well, I think,” Prim told her sister. “We made a few changes to the lineup to make it more efficient. Those who it affects have been notified.”
“Prim and I also walked the parade route.” Max glanced at Beck. “We found a construction area that we thought might be an issue, but I checked with Jeremy. He assured me all construction in the parade route will wrap up this week.” Max rubbed his chin. “I’ll keep checking on it myself, just to be sure.”
“Smart.” Beck nodded approval.
Izzie brought his drink and added more pretzels to the bowl. The music from the band spilled out onto the deck and became a pulsing beat in his blood.
Max shifted to Prim. God, she looked pretty tonight in her sleeveless cotton dress of pale yellow. For a moment he felt sixteen again, about to ask a girl out for the first time. Only back then, the only girl he’d wanted to ask out had been already taken.
He pushed back his chair and stood, held out a hand.
Prim cocked her head.
“What are you up to now?” Beck took a long drink of beer, straight from the bottle.
“Prim and I are going to dance.”
Warmth flooded Prim’s eyes even as she lifted a brow. “Is that right?”
Ami pushed back her chair with a clatter. “I want to dance, too.”
“Ahh, sweetheart.”
But his wife was already on her feet, so Beck set down his bottle and slowly rose. He shot Max a glance. “You owe me.”
Because he agreed, Max didn’t argue. If Beck hadn’t asked him to come down to the bar, he wouldn’t be about to dance with the woman he loved.
Max enjoyed the energy of the crowd during the fast songs, but he inwardly cheered when the tempo slowed and gave him an excuse to embrace Prim. She remained cosseted in his arms as the band launched into its second slow song of the set.
Ami leaned close, her arms still looped around Beck’s neck. “Why don’t you
and Max stop by the house for coffee and dessert? I realize it’s a weekday, but I’ve got this new card game I’m dying to try out.”
Max grimaced. “I’m not into card games.”
“I’m sure it’s a lot of fun.” Prim chuckled. “What’s it called?”
“Snap. Kids or adults can play it. I picked it up for the boys, but I thought we should check it out first.”
Though he hid it well, the slightly pained expression on Beck’s face said he wasn’t any more eager than Max to play the game.
The music stopped. Everyone around them poured from the dance floor as the band took a break.
“It sounds like fun.” Prim’s enthusiasm garnered a bright smile from her sister. “I’m up for it, but I can’t speak for Max.”
“I’m with you.” Max’s gaze never left hers. “Count me in.”
Max decided there was something special about being out with Prim as part of a couple. Being with her made an ordinary evening fun.
Even though he and Beck had groaned at the thought of playing Snap, a children’s card game, they had competitive natures, as did the two women. From a quick read of the rules, Max learned the game had been around since the 1800s and was promoted as a game of skill requiring accurate observation and quick reactions.
Was it any wonder Prim was winning?
Three sets of eyes were on Max as he flipped over a queen of hearts and placed it on the pile in front of him.
“Snap.” Prim’s voice rang out an instant before Beck’s.
“She did it again,” Beck grumbled.
“One of these days you’ll say it first.” Ami brushed a kiss across her husband’s cheek.
Max slanted a sideways glance at Prim.
She grinned at his thumbs-up, then added both Ami’s and his own cards to the bottom of her growing facedown pile.
“You’re a sharp one, Primrose Bloom,” Beck told her.
Prim offered a smug smile. “Children’s card games are a particular specialty of mine.”
“Watch out, Vegas.” Max’s droll comment made them all laugh.
Ten minutes later, Prim jumped to her feet. “Snap for the win.”