by Addison Cole
“You don’t look like a guy who finally got his girl,” Rick said.
Before Rick and Dean had fallen for their significant others, they’d dish about the women they’d gone out with. There was no way Drake was going to share any intimate information about Serena. “Yeah? Well, you look like a guy who’s about to get his butt kicked.”
Dean snickered.
“Tabling this discussion,” Rick said with a smirk. “Moving on to more important things, like why didn’t anyone warn me that there was so much stuff to plan for a wedding?”
“Emery said you were having a simple beach wedding,” Dean said. “What’s so complicated? Get someone to officiate, throw on some nice clothes, and get hitched.”
“You’d think so,” Rick said. “But Desiree is arranging tasting sessions with Brandy up in P-town. Tasting sessions. It’s a cake. It could come from the grocery store and no one would care.”
“Brandy’s doing the catering for our grand opening, too. Don’t you remember Serena and I doing a tasting with her last month? And that’s not a wedding. You really don’t understand women,” Drake said. “Desiree’s probably been dreaming of her wedding day forever, like most women. She wants everything to be perfect.”
“I’m glad you understand, because she wants all of us, guys and girls, to go to the tasting. She said our wedding plans should include all our friends.” Rick smirked.
“Great,” Drake said flatly.
Rick chuckled. “And flowers? Who knew picking them out could be so hard? Desiree set out pictures of different bouquets all over our bedroom. She said she needs to see which one feels right.”
“I knew I liked her,” Dean said. Having previously owned a landscaping business, he was all about flowers and plants. Now, not only did he manage the grounds of the resort, but he also maintained the gardens at the hospital where he’d once worked as a trauma nurse, as well as at LOCAL, where his grandmother lived.
Rick scowled. “You just wait. When are you and Emery going to tie the knot?”
They split up to run around a couple sitting on the beach, and while Dean and Rick talked about weddings, Drake’s mind traveled back to last night, to the moment he’d lifted Serena into his arms and had finally kissed her—and then he revisited every touch, every taste, every one of her sweet sounds. He’d made a liar of himself. But now, in the light of day, listening to Dean and Rick talk about their weddings, when he should feel selfish and apologetic, he didn’t. And given the chance, he’d do it all over again. That probably made him even more of a selfish jerk, especially since he’d been right. On the cusp of what should be the most exciting time of Serena’s life, he’d confused her.
“Drake!” Rick grabbed his arm and yanked him around a log he’d nearly run into. “Whoa, dude. Now you look like the guy who got the girl. What happened? You zoned out for that last two miles.”
“Serena,” he said absently as the resort came into view. Wow. He really had zoned out. He hadn’t even registered turning around. “She happened to me.”
“It’s about frigging time,” Dean said.
“Does that mean you’ve given yourself permission to be a mere mortal?” Rick asked.
Drake was not in the mood to be given grief. “What…?”
“The other day you said you were man enough not to mess with her head,” Rick reminded him. “It took you four years, but you finally realized you’re only human? C’mon, Drake. If I’d have known that all it would take was for her to get a new job, I’d have practically kicked her out the door ages ago. Do you have any idea how painful it was to watch you two together every time we went out?”
Try being in my shoes.
“There is so much sexual tension between you two, I’m surprised you don’t leave a trail of fire in your wake,” Dean said. “That’s obviously why she’s never gone home with any of the guys who hit on her.”
Good. Drake had been the one to drive her most of those times, but he wasn’t fooling himself. She’d never hidden the fact that she’d gone on occasional dates, and each and every time had been excruciating for him.
“Don’t get your hopes up too high,” Drake said as they slowed to a walk by the inn. “She’s on her way to Boston, and my life is here. I meant it when I said I’d never make her choose or stand in her way.”
“It’s only a half hour flight from P-town,” Dean reminded him. “An hour and a half by car without traffic.”
“What’s your plan? You can’t just sleep with her and let it go at that,” Rick said protectively.
“Don’t you think I know that? I’m the one who”—loves her. Holy cow. I really do love her—“has been watching out for her all this time. And we didn’t sleep together.”
They looked at him like he wasn’t making sense.
“Then what’s got your shorts in a knot?” Dean asked.
Rick grinned. “That he didn’t sleep with her, obviously.”
Drake glared at him.
“Come on. I’m starved.” Rick started up the path toward the inn. “You can expect eggs Benedict or something equally amazing today, and yes, I expect a thank-you.”
Dean scoffed. “Real men don’t brag.”
The last thing Drake wanted to do was to sit around the breakfast table watching those two make out with their women while his girl was setting up house in Boston. “I’m out of here.”
“You going to be around later?” Rick called after him.
Drake turned around. “Yeah. Why?”
“We’ve got to talk about hiring someone. She’s gone, man, and you know Serena. Even if she hates her job, she’s not coming back to run the office.”
“Emery and Harper agreed to help out, but we need someone permanent,” Dean pointed out.
Drake’s gut twisted. He hadn’t even realized he was holding on to the hope that Serena might come back. Rick was right. She’d see it as a failure. She was all about moving forward. Her voice traipsed through his mind. I won’t end up like my mother, running through quicksand with the hopes of someone else creating a life for me. Every time she got her foot on solid ground, she’d meet a guy and backslide into the muck of wishful thinking. Wishes don’t make dreams come true. Only hard work can do that.
He looked at Rick’s and Dean’s expectant faces. He’d been pushing away his true emotions for so many years, he had a feeling the ones he’d finally unleashed were only skimming the surface. He hadn’t realized how messed up he’d been over Serena’s leaving. He was darn lucky they’d put up with his attitude.
“I’ll be in the office later,” he said. “We’ll go through the résumés and bring back the best three candidates. I’m sure one of them will be fine.”
He jogged across the sand toward the office, imagining Serena’s car parked out front. His heart sank. The exact opposite of the reaction he’d had every time he’d seen it, day after frigging day.
He went into the office and stopped in front of her desk. Harper would be there soon, and then Emery, and then some other person. As he headed upstairs to his apartment, he tried to come to grips with the reality that he’d never again see her beautiful face behind that desk. It felt strangely like one of their connections had severed, even though another one had developed.
Taking the stairs two at a time, he threw open his apartment door, grabbed his phone from the dresser behind the door, and thumbed out a text to Serena on his way to the kitchen. Just got back from my run. Miss seeing you already. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and guzzled it down, contemplating the text. He set the bottle on the counter, deleted the text, and typed, I bet Boston looks brighter with you in it.
“Darn it.” That made him sound like a chick.
He deleted the message and headed for the shower, catching sight of a picture hanging on the wall in the hallway. Mira had taken it right after they’d started working on the resort. He was standing on the office porch having a heated conversation about renovations with Rick and Dean. Serena sat on the steps, her knees
touching, making a silly face by sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes. She was pointing behind her with both thumbs. Her hair was shorter then, and it was spring, too early for the summer sun to bring out her hair’s golden highlights, which had always bewitched him.
The resort belonged to her just as much as it belonged to him and the other guys. Maybe more so, since she’d had to figure out how to work with the three of them and overcome so much between each of them to help make their dreams come to fruition. They’d fought her tooth and nail when she’d wanted to pretty up the office and cottages to make them more feminine and when she’d instituted procedures that took more time than they would have liked. In the end she’d been right. Their systems were efficient, their project management structure sound. And don’t even get him started on the music stores. Had it not been for her, he’d have made a few big mistakes that would have cost him dearly. He had no doubt she was going to excel at her new job, and there was no way he’d stand in her way.
He thumbed out the message, Thanks for putting up with all of us and for putting your heart and soul into the resort and the music stores. They’re all better because you had a hand in them. Go kick butt, Supergirl. You’ve got nowhere to go but up.
He sent the message, wrestling with the things he really wanted to tell her.
Forget it. He took a picture of the photograph in the hall and typed the caption, The dude on the left misses you.
That was frigging lame. They had never been sappy types.
He deleted the message, took a selfie, and sent it off with the caption Does this sweat make me look hot?
SERENA KICKED HER bare feet up on the coffee table in her new loft apartment Saturday evening and sank into the plush, teal-blue art-deco sofa as she video chatted with Chloe and Mira. She had given them a virtual tour and clued them in to some parts of last night’s extracurricular activities. Chloe had peppered her with questions, but luckily, Mira had demanded a PG summary. She had gotten away with saying, Being with Drake surpassed my wildest dreams and we didn’t even sleep together. It wasn’t like Serena wanted to share all the details of her and Drake’s incredible night, but she knew Chloe would have continued pushing had it not been for Mira.
“What on earth are you eating?” Serena squinted into the monitor.
“Sushi,” Chloe answered.
Mira wiped her mouth and said, “Chicken. Matt and Hagen grilled it with all sorts of veggies. It’s delicious. What are you eating, Serena?”
Serena held up a pint of her new favorite ice cream. “BJ’s. Kinky Pleasures!”
“I didn’t know Ben and Jerry’s had that flavor.” Chloe lifted her chin as if it would help her see inside Serena’s container. “Show it to me. What’s in it?”
Serena tilted the container toward the screen. “It’s not Ben and Jerry’s, and it’s full of pieces of chocolate, walnuts, cherries, and toffee. BJ’s ice cream serves only dirty flavors, like Moaning Mocha Masterpiece.” She snort-laughed, making the girls crack up. “This apartment building is insane. Everything I need is right downstairs, including my dinner.” She shoveled a scoop of ice cream into her mouth. “I might never leave the building.”
“I don’t think your boss would like that,” Mira said.
“You’re so responsible.” Serena’s phone vibrated, and Drake’s name appeared on the screen. Her stomach fluttered, as it had been doing every time he texted. Although he had yet to text anything about last night or about the card she’d left at his apartment. She read the text and said, “Hold on. I need to reply to this.”
“Is that Drake again?” Chloe pulled her sweater around her shoulders. She was sitting on her deck, talking to them by candlelight.
“Yes. A bunch of stuff was installed at the music shop today. He’s just catching me up, and he’s also asking questions about the people we interviewed. It sounds like they’re taking another look at the candidates I brought in,” Serena said as she replied to his text. She wanted to ask him what last night had meant, and she worried that maybe she’d been too honest with her feelings in the card. Drake, there was a time when I thought we might end up together. And then I let that thought go. But never fully. Even now, knowing how you feel about me and why you want to keep distance between us, I still can’t let it go. You’ll always be the first boy I fell in love with. I wonder, though, if you’ll also be the last.
It had felt like the right thing to say at the time. She drew in a deep breath and said, “Can I ask you guys something about dating?”
“Hold on. Let me get away from little ears.” Mira got up, carrying her phone.
“I know you mean me, Mom,” Hagen said as she passed him.
Mira bent and kissed his head. “Say hi to Auntie Serena.”
He looked up from the puzzle he was working on with Matt, and his normally serious blue eyes widened. “Hi! Do you like Boston? Did you go to the library yet? Are you eating ice cream? What flavor? I had ice cream after lunch.” Hagen loved libraries, museums, and basically any place where he could learn new facts. Matt and Mira were always taking him on educational outings.
“That’s a lot of questions, buddy,” Matt said to Hagen, then he turned his face toward the screen. “Hey, girls. How’s it going?”
“Hi, Hagen. Hi, Matt.” Serena waved. “I haven’t gotten to the library yet, Hagen, but I will report back when I do. And I am eating ice cream. It’s called—”
“Watch it!” Mira said.
“Yummylicious,” Chloe chimed in.
Matt shook his head with a stifled chuckle.
“On that note, I’m taking this call outside.” Mira held the phone closer as she went outside and whispered, “Eight-year-olds are like little spies. They collect intel and bring it out at the worst possible time. Just this morning he asked Matt if he remembered to stop by the girls’ shop and get new toys.”
Serena and Chloe howled with laughter. Desiree and Violet had first come to the Cape under the guise of their mother needing help due to her failing health. They’d been tricked into running their mother’s art gallery, Devi’s Discoveries, which was on the grounds of the inn. They’d later discovered an adult toy shop in the back of the gallery, which their mother had failed to mention owning. They ran that now, too.
Mira sat down on a deck chair. “Poor Matt had to run out and buy Hagen toys so he didn’t parrot it right back to everyone else.”
“I’m sorry,” Serena said, still laughing. “But that’s hilarious.”
Mira narrowed her eyes. “You just wait until you have children.”
“Not happening anytime soon for me,” Chloe said.
“Me either, but is it safe to ask you my question now?” Serena asked.
Chloe leaned forward, her hazel eyes wide with curiosity. “Ask me anything. I’m like a dating guru.”
“You are pickier than anyone I’ve ever met,” Serena reminded her. “That’s totally not true. You’re like a dating warning sign.”
Mira laughed. “Okay, okay, you two. Keep it PG, please. Drake is still my brother.”
“I know. Don’t worry. This isn’t about sex. I didn’t tell you guys this, but Drake and I almost kissed Wednesday night.”
“What?” Chloe snapped. “You withheld that from us?”
“Thank you,” Mira said.
“You’re welcome. There’s more. Thursday, a full day before Drake and I even kissed, he told me how he felt about me and all the reasons why we couldn’t be together. And his reasons made sense. I mean, sort of. The way he said it, I almost felt thankful that we had never hooked up before. We talked about that almost kiss the summer of the duet, and he said we were in two different places, with him going off to college and me just starting high school. And he was right.”
“That’s really chivalrous of him,” Mira said, “considering most high school guys are out for sex.”
“It makes me wish I hadn’t threatened him back then,” Chloe said softly.
“You threatened him?” Serena and Mira
asked in unison.
Chloe shrugged. “You’re my sister. He broke your heart. I wanted to punch him, but you know, that would have been like punching a brick wall, and I like my knuckles. So I threatened him instead.”
“Gosh, you’re awesome. Thank you.” They had always had each other’s backs, but she’d never known her sister had gone that far on her behalf. “Anyway, he knew I was only filling in temporarily at the resort, and he didn’t want to put me in the position of us getting together and then giving up my dreams or being confused about where I was heading and what I was leaving behind.”
“He meant him, right? Leaving him behind or a relationship with him?” Mira asked. “I hadn’t realized full-on big-brother mode was that ingrained in him.”
“No, not big-brother mode,” Serena said. “Responsible-mode or protector-mode. He made it very clear that his feelings for me were not big brotherish at all. He said that he couldn’t be with me because it would be selfish, and that if we kissed he’d never be able to hold back.”
“Well, that didn’t stop him last night,” Mira pointed out.
“Yes, it did,” Serena said honestly. She’d felt his restraint. She’d been ready to go all the way, and he’d put on the brakes. He’d done it again. He’d protected her.
The man didn’t have a selfish bone in his body.
“Hello?” Chloe waved her hand.
Serena blinked several times to try to clear her thoughts. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”
“So what’s the problem? That he was right? He couldn’t hold back?” Chloe asked. “Because I’d say the man’s a boy scout for going years without touching the woman he wanted. Especially since you guys were always together.”
“I know he is, and no, that’s not the problem. The problem is, I left each of the guys a card Friday afternoon thanking them for everything and telling them that I’d miss them. But since I thought Drake and I had no chance at being together and I was moving away, what I wrote in his was blatantly honest. I basically poured my heart out, and now I worry it was too much. That maybe it scared him off.”