by Mari Carr
“How have you been?” she asked.
“Fine. And you?”
“I’ve been…” She paused, and he caught just a glimpse of the sadness he’d spotted earlier before she pasted on a smile and said, “Good. Busy with auditions.”
“Any parts coming your way?”
She shook her head. “It’s a very competitive atmosphere. Between waiting tables, taking acting classes, and auditions, I’m lucky if I get six hours of sleep every night.”
“You knew it would take some time. I’m sure you’re right there on the cusp of something big.”
Allison nodded, clearly not agreeing. “I’m thinking about moving back to Baltimore.”
Landon wasn’t sure how to respond to that. If she’d told him the same thing a year ago, he would have been thrilled, excited, ready to jump right back in where they’d left off. Mercifully, that hadn’t happened, because he couldn’t begin to imagine wanting that life over this one. Even with Sunnie still fighting her feelings for him.
“Allison. It’s only been a year or so. Are you sure you’ve given it—”
“I started dating someone right after I moved to New York.”
Her abrupt right turn caught him off guard. “Okay.”
“He was an actor too. We’d go to auditions together and around Thanksgiving, we moved in together.”
Landon thought back to Thanksgiving. He’d eaten lunch with his mom and stepdad, then headed to the Collins Dorm later that night for a Tom-Hanks-giving marathon. He had still been nursing a broken heart, down in the dumps and missing Allison. Sunnie and Finn knew, of course, and had come up with the movie marathon as a way of keeping him distracted.
Obviously, Allison had rebounded a hell of a lot faster than he had.
“Why are you telling me this, Allison?” he asked, wondering where this conversation was going and hoping she’d get to the point soon. He really wanted to return to the bar to keep an eye out for Sunnie.
“The first time he hit me was Christmas day.”
Landon’s stomach dropped. “What?”
Allison forced a smile that didn’t fool him, lifted one shoulder—feigning a casualness that didn’t work, then said, “Not all guys are nice.”
“Allison.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand as she swiped away a tear with the other. “I’m sorry.”
* * *
Sunnie wasn’t two steps in the pub when she was surrounded by Finn, Darcy and Miguel.
“What’s up, guys?” she asked, trying to look around them for Landon, the task impossible, thanks to the wall they’d built.
“Not much. How are things with you?” Darcy asked, her voice way too cheery.
Sunnie instantly went on the alert.
Kelli had already moved around her, heading to the bar to talk to Padraig. Yvonne, also unimpeded, followed her.
Sunnie noticed when they both saw something and stopped mid-step.
That was when they came back and added two more bricks to the wall.
“What the fuck?” Sunnie insisted, trying to dodge them.
“Why don’t we all move the party upstairs?” Yvonne suggested. “You can change out of your scrubs and we’ll turn the intervention into a slumber party.”
“Great idea,” Kelli said.
Sunnie wasn’t fooled for a minute, but she pretended to be. “Sure. Sounds like fun.” She took a few steps toward the stairs, then deftly dodged to the right, around their circle—immediately spotting Landon sitting in the corner booth, holding Allison’s hand.
“It’s not what it looks like, Sun,” Finn murmured, placing one hand around her waist, still trying to guide her to the apartment. “She showed up here unexpected, just wanted to visit for a little while, catch up.”
Sunnie stared at the table. She couldn’t see Landon’s face. Hell, she couldn’t see more than the back of his head. But she could see his hand, holding Allison’s. And Allison’s tears. “It looks like more than that.”
“Sunnie—” Yvonne started.
“You guys stay down here,” Sunnie said, forcing her gaze away from the table. “I do need to change my clothes, freshen up.”
Watch something.
“I’ll be right back down, okay?” Sunnie didn’t wait for a response. Instead, she headed for the stairs to the apartment, allowing herself one last peek at Landon’s table.
He was still holding Allison’s hand.
* * *
“I don’t know why I stayed with him,” Allison continued. “Why I kept forgiving him. He swore on Christmas it was just a mistake, too much stress over not landing a big part he’d been hoping for. I believed him. Then he gave me a black eye in January…kept me in bruises through February and March.”
Landon’s temper rose at the idea of any man hurting her, hurting any woman. He recalled the bruise on Sunnie’s cheek after the mugging, then pictured Allison with the same. “What’s the man’s name?” he asked darkly.
Allison released a loud breath, part laugh, part cry. “I knew you’d ask me that. It doesn’t matter. I broke things off a month or so ago, got out.”
“I’m glad.” He gave her hand a friendly squeeze, then released it, resisting the urge to turn around and look for Sunnie.
“I saw the video,” Allison admitted.
Landon rolled his eyes, groaning in a way he hoped would make her laugh. She was clearly still fighting some strong emotions.
It worked. This time her laugh was genuine. “It reminded me of what I’d had. What I lost.”
Landon didn’t like where this was headed. “Allison—” he started, trying to head her next words off at the pass.
“I made a mistake. I never should have left you.”
Landon sucked in a deep breath, preparing to tell her about Sunnie, but she kept talking.
“I love you, Landon. I want you back.”
* * *
Sunnie stepped into her bedroom and closed the door, leaning against it and shutting her eyes.
“Dammit,” she whispered, recalling the image of Landon holding hands with Allison.
She’d been present for every single second of his relationship with the other woman. Heard every fucking detail, from the first date to that magical fourth kiss, from the hot sex to moving in together, his dreams of the future, the plan to buy an engagement ring, the move to New York, the year of heartbreak.
She’d walked every step of that with him.
Sunnie pushed away from the door, tugging off her scrubs, her temper flaring.
No. No way.
Allison was not about to saunter back into Landon’s life and take another punch at his heart. Sunnie wouldn’t let her.
She pulled on some jeans, searched in the closet for a hootchie-mama shirt. She wasn’t above using cleavage to help her win this war.
Sunnie peered at herself in the mirror, then decided to go for broke. She pulled down her hair, brushing it out, grateful that it held some wave. She put on the shiny pink lip gloss Landon liked, swiped on some mascara, then grabbed her phone and walked to the bed.
Moment of truth.
She clicked on YouTube and searched for the video. She considered turning off the music, as Yvonne suggested, but decided to keep it on. She loved that Faith Hill song, and music always fired her up—either to get her in the party mood or ready for battle.
This time, she kept her eyes on Landon throughout the entire thing, at his face as he knelt down to her, the way he pulled her into his arms to hug her. The fierceness when she stood up and he’d realized she’d hurt her ankle. The way he kissed her.
Even now, she could feel the passion in it.
Then they parted…
And she saw it. Saw what everyone kept talking about.
He looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman on earth. As if she were the only person on the planet who existed. She was the center of his universe—and then she sneaked a peek at her own face, and realized the one thing no one else seemed to have noticed.
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He was the center of hers too.
Then he bent over, picked her up and carried her to the police car.
Landon loved her.
He’d loved her all along.
And now it was time to tell him she felt exactly the same way.
* * *
Landon shook his head. “Allison. You saw the video. You saw…”
“Sunnie?” Allison asked.
There was a tinge of disbelief in her tone that tweaked his nerves. Why the hell was it so unbelievable that he and Sunnie could be together? Hell, even Sunnie had mentioned something about them being too different or a mismatch or some such shit this morning.
“Yeah,” he said. “Sunnie.”
Allison leaned back, and he could see her seriously considering his face, almost as if she expected him to say he was just kidding, or maybe she thought he’d supposedly wise up now that she was throwing her hat back in the ring.
“I’m in love with her,” he said, determined that she understand he was serious and what they’d had was over. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he couldn’t let her leave here thinking there was any chance of a future for them either. That would merely add emotional cruelty to the physical pain she’d endured since the holidays.
She nodded slowly, then smiled. “I’m happy for you.”
“Really?”
Allison laughed easily, and he recalled why he’d loved her. She was kind and understanding, and being with her had been easy. Probably too easy. They’d gone from dating to almost insta-love. There’d been no challenge and precious little passion. Just companionable…boring love.
Sunnie offered him so much more. Life with her would never be predictable or simple, but it would be fun. And they’d set the sheets on fire every single night.
“Really,” Allison said. “I’m sad to have missed my chance. I’ll regret that until the day I die.”
“No,” Landon said, patting her hand gently. “You’re too special. You’re going to find the perfect, nice,” he stressed, “guy. You’ll settle down and forget all about me. You might even think back on this night and realize you’d dodged a bullet.”
He didn’t admit that was how he felt now, about her decision to move to New York rather than remain in Baltimore with him. If she had, he’d never have opened his eyes and seen Sunnie.
“From your lips,” she said.
Landon lifted his pint, clinking it against her wineglass, then did what he’d wanted to do ever since sitting down.
He looked over his shoulder for Sunnie.
Chapter Seventeen
Sunnie emerged from the apartment, back into the pub, and glanced in Landon’s direction. He and Allison were still talking, then they clinked glasses. She was smiling.
Sunnie didn’t want to think about what that smile might mean.
She considered walking right over to their table, but paused briefly, trying to figure out what she would say. She’d royally screwed up this morning. It was going to take some finesse to get him away from Allison so she could fix that.
Glancing around the pub, she realized Pop Pop was at the bar—and he was looking at her.
She decided to go that direction first. Pop Pop gave great pep talks.
“Hey, Pop Pop,” she said, claiming the stool next to him.
He smiled at her. “You finally watched the video.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“And?”
“And Landon loves me. And I love him. And I really fucking hate that he’s talking to Allison.”
“Language,” Pop Pop said, something she’d heard no less than a million times from him whenever she or Finn or Mom cussed.
She issued the obligatory “Sorry,” then continued, “Why do you think she’s here?”
“If she’s intelligent, and I believe she is, I’d say she’s come to ask Landon to take her back. I think she’s regretting letting him go to begin with.”
Sunnie sighed. “Yeah. That’s what I think too.”
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
“He’s mine. I’m going over there and getting him.”
Pop Pop lifted his pint glass. “That’s my girl. So what are you still doing over here?”
“I need advice.”
“Lass, it sounds to me like you’ve made up your mind.”
“Oh, not about that. I’m definitely staking my Landon claim. The question is…how? What do you think? Richard Gere style?”
Pop Pop chuckled. He was a sucker for a romantic comedy, a love he’d passed on to his granddaughters. Sunnie couldn’t count how many afternoons she’d spent with him—either in the living room or at the theater—watching everyone from Tom Hanks to Meg Ryan to Julia Roberts fall head over heels in love.
“I’m not sure where you’d find a limo and bouquet of roses at this time of night,” Pop Pop said.
“Good point. Of course, there’s always the Officer and a Gentleman route. I could go over there, pick him up and carry him out of here.”
Pop Pop pretended to consider her upper-body strength, then shook his head. “No. I think you and Landon have already had that moment.”
She gave him a confused look, until he said, “The night of the mugging. Remember? It’s probably too soon in your relationship to start rehashing the big endings.”
Sunnie laughed. “Excellent point. So…should I ask him to meet me on top of the Empire State Building, flash cue cards at him like in Love Actually, sing ‘Grow Old with You’ on a plane, tell him no one puts baby in a corner, or that he had me at hello?”
“You could just tell him you love him.”
Sunnie turned around at his voice, surprised to see Landon standing behind her. She glanced over his shoulder.
“She’s gone,” Landon said. “So…”
Sunnie pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh at his far-too-happy grin. “So, just saying it feels pretty lame, babe. It lacks a certain…”
“Romance?”
She sighed. “Yeah.”
“Don’t you think the beginning was already pretty romantic?”
She considered that. “Going viral was cool. And I do like Faith Hill.”
Landon narrowed his eyes. “Those were the parts you found romantic?”
Sunnie slid off the stool and stepped closer. “Well, the kiss was pretty awesome. And when you carried me to—”
Sunnie didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence when Landon tugged her toward him and gave her another one of those earth-shattering kisses.
“Still trying to shut me up?” she joked.
“Yes.” He kissed her again.
She wrapped her hands around his neck as he cupped her face between his hands. The kiss might have lasted longer if they weren’t interrupted.
“Jesus. Are you two still playing that damn game?”
She and Landon turned to face her father.
Sunnie giggled as Landon cleared his throat. Finn was standing directly behind their dad, arms crossed, grinning.
“Oh for pity’s sake, sugar. You know they were never pretending.” Mom pushed her way by Dad, reaching for Landon to pull him in for a hug.
Dad smirked. “Finally admitting it, Sunnie?”
She nodded.
“I knew it was going to take a special guy to get my headstrong girl to fall in love.”
Sunnie rolled her eyes when Dad shook Landon’s hand, acting like he’d just saved half a dozen kids from a fire.
“No more pretending?” Dad asked.
“No, sir,” Landon said.
“I think it’s perfect,” her mom sighed.
Dad looked from her to Landon, then back at her. “Landon, huh?” he asked with a grin.
“Oh my God. Seriously, you two. Can we please not make this into a big thing? Landon and I are just dating.”
Landon wrapped his arm around her waist. “She’s head over heels for me. I’m already planning our entire future in my head.”
Dad laughed. “Glad to he
ar it. About time you both took your heads out of your asses and realized what was right in front of you.”
“Too far,” Sunnie mumbled. “Everyone is going way too far.”
Finn couldn’t resist jumping in to tease her. “Collins curse claims another victim.”
Dad slapped Finn on the shoulder. “Maybe you’ll be next.”
Finn’s eyes widened, and Sunnie was delighted when the joke was suddenly on him. “Why would you even say that? It’s like daring the universe!”
Mom and Dad walked away laughing as Sunnie turned to face Landon, her eyes narrowed.
“Oh man. I think we all managed to bring on another freak-out,” Finn muttered.
Landon never took his eyes off her as he spoke to her brother. “Twenty bucks, Finn, if you and Miguel guard the exits and keep her from leaving.”
“Each?” Finn clarified.
“Each.”
Finn jerked his head toward Miguel, who was already moving into position. “I’ll cover the pub. You take Sunday’s Side,” Miguel said.
Sunnie shook her head. “Planning our entire future? Like forever future?”
He nodded. “Yep.”
“Is this how slow you’re planning to take things?”
“Yep.”
“You’re going to have to cough up that forty bucks,” Sunnie said. “Because I’m going through those doors in about ten seconds.”
Landon reached out, his hands gripping her waist as he frowned. “Sunnie.”
“I have to. I promised Yvonne we’d spend the night at your place. She’d like to get some sleep tonight.”
Landon laughed and reached for his wallet. “Let’s go.”
He grasped her hand, slipped Miguel a twenty, grumbled when the man kept it, then led her to his car.
She was touched when he opened the passenger door for her. “Quite the gentleman.”
Landon snuck a quick kiss, then his gaze slid lower. “I like your shirt.”