by Dianna Love
Finally. After a pat for the girls, Frankie stood to join the cougar and Lucie, who had pulled the leash closer to keep the dogs from chewing on a rack of toys. They flopped onto the floor with a whimper.
“I’m Jeanette Owens. I own the store.” She turned to Frankie, held out her hand and nearly purred at him. “And you are?”
“Frank Falcone.” To his credit, he tried to make the handshake quick, but Jeanette gave his fingers a squeeze. He slid his hand away and took a step closer to Lucie before he got sucked into cougar quicksand. “Luce, honey—” the honey couldn’t hurt, “—why don’t you bring some samples by to show Jeanette. Your products would fit right in.”
Jeanette turned her attention to Luce. “Yes. I’d love to see what you have. I’m always looking for new items. Let me get you my card.”
She cruised her bombshell body over to the register, leaned over the counter and gave Frankie an unimpeded view of her rear. Ho-kay. Not looking. Not looking.
The sound of Luce rummaging through her messenger bag drew his attention and she pulled a stack of business cards.
“Are you here tomorrow?” Luce asked. “I could stop in with a few things. Maybe around this same time?”
Jeanette moved back to them, her eyes square on Frankie. He bent to pet the dogs. Mr. Innocent. That was Frankie.
“That would be fine.” Jeanette handed Lucie a card. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Out on the crowded sidewalk, Lucie couldn’t contain her frustration a second longer. What was he doing pushing the accessory line when they had this tiny problem of a stolen diamond holding them captive? She cracked Frankie across the arm.
“Ow.”
“You did it again. Completely ignored what I asked you to do.” A few pedestrians sent her horrified glances, but she was beyond that. “Are you out of your mind?”
“At times, yes.”
“What?”
“You asked a question, I answered.”
Typical deflection tactic. She leaned in. “Are you forgetting about the dognappings? The hijacked accessories?”
He waved her off. “Doesn’t matter. Your father put the word out to leave you alone. And my father told me he’s on it. From now on, you’re good.”
Wonderful. That made her feel so much better.
“And another thing,” Lucie said. “That woman was looking at you like her next meal.”
An iron stab of jealousy flooded Lucie and she despised it. After all this time, she’d thought she’d accepted women being attracted to Frankie. Obviously not. Frankie might have been putting on a show, but Lucie felt like the extra in that little extravaganza. A sick feeling rumbled in her stomach.
“I got you in there,” he said.
One of the girls stopped to sniff a fire hydrant. “By pimping yourself.”
“Please. With all this drama, I should call you Roseanne. You know I was playing her.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t know that. She thinks you want to have sex with her.”
“My goodness,” an elderly woman hissed as she went by.
Frankie stopped walking. “You’re pissed because I flirted with her? You had to know what I was doing.”
The steam inside Lucie scalded her. No. He would not make this her fault. “I’m not pissed that you were flirting. I’m pissed because she’s attractive.”
There. She said it.
He burst out laughing, but it was an incensed, you’re-next-on-line-for-the-psych ward laugh. “And that’s my fault?”
“She was sexy and you went for that. A little voice in my head kept whispering at me that maybe if I weren’t there, something would happen. We are broken up.”
The crowd on the street suddenly gave them a wide berth. A tall man with dark hair and shoulders the size of a Buick walked by with a knowing, entertained grin.
Frankie, his face resembling granite, dragged her and the dogs down the side street so they could keep the conversation semi-private.
He held her elbow and spun her to face him. “Are you serious? You think I’d do that to you?”
When he put it that way, it sounded bad. Really bad. She closed her eyes and tried to unbunch her shoulders. Relax. How to explain herself? “No. But everyone always silently questions why you’re with me.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not.”
A ball of self-doubt spewed open inside her, submerged her in ways she normally had enough self-confidence to ignore. But this time, it picked at her, bullied her, made her sick with wonder because she loved this man and didn’t want him with anyone else. Anyone more desirable. Combining that with losing the job she had worked so hard for, the job that made her someone other than Joe Rizzo’s daughter caused a vile sickness to swell in her throat.
“What do you see when you look at me?” The words came out soft and strangled and Frankie stood there, his mouth slightly open.
Say something.
A truck roared around the corner and honked at them. Frankie, with the ease of a man ordering a beer, reached his hand over his head and shot the driver the bird. Then he stepped back. She needed something from him, anything, and he moved away. What did that say?
“Frankie.” She reached for his arm. “I’m having a rough time here. Between all this craziness in my life, I’m desperately trying to hang on. Everything is an emotional trigger and sometimes, sometimes, when we meet new people they look at you first, then me, then back to you. I wonder if they’re thinking you should be with someone else. Someone more stunning. And right now, the way I’m feeling, watching you flirt with that woman just destroyed me.”
He stepped back again and continued to stare at her as if she’d shot him. “Please say something.”
But he closed his eyes and slid his head side to side. His lips moved, but nothing came out. Talking to himself. He did that.
“Frankie?”
When he opened his eyes, he stepped forward, pulled her into him and squeezed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know.”
He backed away, but continued to hold her arms. “Luce, when I looked at that woman, yes, I admit it, I thought she was stacked. And, okay, she has a nice ass. I’m a guy. We’re stupid that way. When I look at you I think, yeah, she’s stacked and she’s smart and funny and when the world kicks her to the curb she fights her way back.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Yeah, I do. I’m the idiot who never tells you that when light hits your eyes a certain way they twinkle, and I think, she’s mine and I’m proud because for whatever reason, a smart girl like you, someone who can go anywhere and be anyone, chooses to be with me. At least when we’re not broken-up. That’s what beautiful is to me. You are beautiful to me. You’re the whole damn package and that’s nearly impossible to find. You, Luce, are the one thing I couldn’t stand to lose.”
She leaned back against the building, flattened her palms against the dirty bricks and concentrated on drawing air into her lungs. Breathe. She needed to breathe. He thought she was beautiful and smart and capable. He’d said it a hundred times before, but somehow, this time it meant so much more.
She reached up, slid her hand over his cheek because this was Frankie, her Frankie, the man she’d loved for years. Even before they’d gotten together, she’d had a mad desire for him. Those schoolgirl feelings had been pounded into submission because…well…what would he want with her when he had an army of girls chasing him? Such a fool.
She went up on tiptoe and kissed him. His arms came around her in a tight squeeze and she leaned in, savoring the feel of his body next to hers. “I wish I would have said something sooner.”
“No kidding.”
The girls woofed. They didn’t want to be hanging around doing nothing. Lucie gave the leash a tug. “Let’s walk.”
He held a hand for her to go first and Lucie, needing the contact, slid her hand into his. Ready to offer the comfort she needed, he laced his fingers with hers.
His
eyes narrowed…the thinking face. “What?” she asked.
“Do you want to go to dinner with me?”
“A date?”
“Yeah. A date. Dinner and a movie. A fresh start. Again.”
She thought about it a minute. Let the idea of dating roll around her brain. Had they ever really dated? She didn’t think so. They went from being friends to having lunch a few times and—bam—they were a couple and everyone was ecstatic and talking marriage and babies.
A date meant working on their relationship. It couldn’t be casual between them, not with all the baggage. Still, that feeling in the pit of her stomach, like a rose blooming couldn’t be ignored. “I’d love to.”
Chapter Seven
The next day, Lucie had finished the dog walks by four-thirty and was home sorting her inventory to see how many collars, coats and leashes she had ready to sell. Ro sat to her left, thumbing through fabric samples and separating them into what she considered acceptable versus unacceptable piles. The unacceptable pile had a large pool of candidates.
“Mom, forget the coffee. We need to get started.”
“Coming.” Her mother entered from the kitchen carrying a carafe and three mugs. “It’s too bad Roseanne won’t let us eat sweets. I have a nice coffee cake in there.”
“No cake,” Ro said.
With the coffee poured, Lucie set her mug aside. “This is the first official meeting of the Coco Barknell executive team.”
“Ooohhh.” Ro clapped.
Mom’s eyebrows cinched. “What?”
“I met with the owner of Sammy Spaniel today. They sell dog accessories. The owner placed an order. A big one. Can I count on you two?”
“Of course,” they said in unison. No thought necessary. This was love.
“We have three days to make forty coats, collars and leashes.”
“Three,” Mom said.
“Forty,” Ro said.
Lucie nodded. “Ro will do the designing and I’ll help sew. We’ll have to buy extra beads and stones. And we’ll need more fabric.”
“You should go to that place in Pineville,” her mother said. “Best fabric around. It’ll cost more, but it’s worth it.”
Ro nodded. “She’s right. You can’t go cheap with these high-end people.”
“Can you go there with me after we’re done here? We’ll hit there and the craft stores so we can start sketching right away.”
“Sure. I have some ideas and none of the fabric you have will work.”
Lucie perused her notes as the unintended insult hit home, “Also, the store owner wants me to be on hand the first day.” She shifted her gaze to Ro. “Are you available to do the, ‘I’m-beautiful-and-you’ll-do-what-I-tell-you’ thing? If you say buy a two-hundred dollar collar, they’re going to.”
“Absolutely.” Again, no questions asked.
The front door opened and in came Frankie. That familiar ping flicked in Lucie’s chest. She didn’t know where their upcoming dinner date would take them, but for now, the idea of them coming together instead of drifting apart was enough to make her hopeful.
Frankie bent to kiss Lucie’s cheek. “Did you get done early?” she asked
“I had to go in early and they owe me a couple hours anyway. Figured I’d stop in and check on you.”
“We’re having our first official executive team meeting,” Ro said.
Frankie stared at her then turned to Lucie. Half of what Ro told Frankie was a crock and he never knew whether to believe her or not. “Luce?”
“She’s not kidding. Your wannabe sex slave placed a big order today.”
Mom tsked. “Lucia, what a thing to say.”
“Mom, if I’m lying you can send me to confession. The woman was all over him yesterday. It’s okay though, he got me the sales opportunity.”
“Nice.” Ro held her hand up for a high-five from Frankie. She could appreciate the finer points of him using his charm to get something accomplished.
“Your good work got you in there,” he said.
“Guys,” Ro interrupted. “Do I care? All that matters is that she’s in.”
He pointed at her. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, Charm Boy.”
He glanced at the supplies on the table and ran a hand over his mouth. The hand over his mouth meant he had something cooking.
“You’ll need more supplies,” he said.
“We’re going shopping as soon as we’re done here.”
Mom held up her hand. “How about some coffee cake, Frankie?”
“No cake,” Ro said.
He crossed his eyes at her. “I want cake.”
Mom jumped from her chair. “I’ll get it.”
With Mom out of the room, Frankie turned to Ro. “I need to talk to Luce. Go grab a smoke.”
“I quit.”
“Then take a whiz or something, but get out.”
Ro stared at the ceiling and held her palm up. Frankie reached into his pocket for his money clip, peeled off a twenty and smacked it into Ro’s hand.
“Thank you.” She shoved the twenty into her cleavage. “I’ll be back.”
Lucie laughed. “She’s been doing that to you for how long?”
“Ten years, but it beats arguing with her. The sooner I pay her, the sooner she’s out of my hair.”
He had a point there. “What’s up?”
“How are you paying for the supplies you need?”
“Probably my credit card.”
“I want to be your investor.”
Just like that. No preamble, no sales pitch, just boom. “Uh.”
She should have known this was coming. Four years ago, Frankie had been an investor when a friend opened a smoothie bar in one of the local health clubs. A year later, after a major juice company bought the smoothie business, Frankie’s five thousand dollars turned into half a million. His share of the sale. Since then, Frankie had investor fever.
“Luce, you don’t want to be jacking up your credit card. I’ll be the very silent money guy that gets you started. You run the show. All I want is to watch my money grow.”
The way Frankie looked at her, his eyes glued to hers so steady and sure, fired her confidence. He believed in her. But was this a good idea? Going into business together had the potential to obliterate the strongest of relationships, never mind the ones in limbo.
Then again, driving up her credit card would put her further in debt, and the more debt she carried, the longer it would take her to get out of Franklin. “You have that much faith in me?”
“No doubt.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. Coco Barknell is going places.”
Lucie held out her hand to shake on the deal. Frankie clasped her hand and held it for a second while the normal buzz shot through her. He pulled her into him and kissed the hell out of her, sliding his tongue along her bottom lip. Mmmm. She had missed the magic of his tongue. The familiar heat fired low in her core and she imagined them together again in his bed, making love the way they used to. Touching every spot they each knew would make the other frantic. She squeezed his hand and moaned and Frankie inched closer, wrapped his free hand around her waist and pulled.
Softly kissing, he worked his way over her jaw, up her cheek to her ear. So good. So good.
Finally, he reached her neck and nibbled her earlobe. “Let’s slip out and go to my place.”
Oh, how she missed him.
“Eh-hem!” Ro glided back into the room. “I thought you two broke up.”
“Her timing always did suck.” Frankie straightened and waggled his eyebrows. “We did. I’m working on her.”
***
“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me about Otis,” Lucie said the following day when she and Joey walked up the Lutzes’ driveway for Otis’s afternoon visit. Only two more dogs after Otis and they were done.
The overcast day held the temperature in the fifties, and the cold from the driveway stones stabbed through the bottom of Lucie’
s sneakers. The whole day had been like this. Raw and damp. She wanted a hot shower and a cup of tea.
“Jeez,” Joey said. “Drop it already. Frankie told me not to say anything. Take it up with your boyfriend.”
Lucie halted and waited for Joey to do the same. He wore his typical tight-lipped expression that silently screamed boredom.
Too bad. “I’ve been dealing with these dognappings for a week. Until we finish examining all the accessories I’ve sold, if there’s an issue, I need to know about it.”
“Are you gonna keep busting my balls about this?”
“Pretty much, yes.”
“Okay.” Joey wrapped her in a headlock and gave her a noogie. “As long as I know.”
Moron.
Two minutes later, Lucie had Otis leashed, and upon seeing Joey, the dog shot toward him nearly tearing off her arm.
“Don’t jump,” she yelled as the tape leash unraveled to its full eight feet. Otis did one of his gravity defying leaps into Joey’s arms and knocked him back a full step.
“This dog is an animal,” he said.
“He’s a little high strung.”
“A little?”
He plopped Otis to the ground. “Luce, I’m thinkin’ Otis needs obedience training. I mean, are you walking him or is he walking you?”
On cue, Otis bounded to his favorite tree and Lucie planted her feet. With gritted teeth and a steel grip, she held the leash with both hands, waiting for the impact when the dog ran out of slack. “He’s just spirited.”
Wham. The leash jammed to a stop and so did Otis. Lucie’s muscles strained and she shifted her weight back.
Joey snorted. “High-strung and spirited? Just say he’s a pain in the ass.”
As much as her brother tortured her, she laughed. Joey always spoke his mind. It might be verbal vomit, but he’d tell you. There were times, though, that his logic made sense.
Luckily, those times didn’t come often. “Thanks for walking with me. Even if I moan about it, I am more comfortable having company.”
He shrugged. “No sweat. You’re my sister. I’ll always take care of you. Besides, Dad would kill me if I didn’t.”