Sweet, Sexy Heart – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

  “I want to grab the large glass jar from the kitchen for the gift card raffle.” She’d come up with a great idea to have everyone who showed up for the signing enter to win a gift card by signing up for her newsletter.

  “And why do you need to rush out of bed to do that? The signing isn’t until ten and it’s not even six yet.”

  “So I don’t forget.”

  “Babe, between your excitement over meeting my family, worrying over finding a dress for the fundraiser, and today’s book signing, you’ve barely slept the last two nights.” He was worried about her. Last night when they’d made love, she’d gotten teary-eyed, and when he’d asked about it, she’d brushed him off. He’d let it go, but he had a feeling all of this nervous energy might be partially due to his leaving. God knew he wasn’t thrilled about it.

  “Can you blame a girl for being excited?”

  “No. I’m glad you’re excited, but don’t jump out of bed. Stay with me. I promise to remember the glass jar.” He lowered her down to her back and moved over her. “You’ve gone over the details for today with a fine-tooth comb. There is nothing left to do but show up and sell books while I sign. What’s really going on?”

  “I’m just nervous about your signing. This is a huge day for you. One you’ll remember forever, and tell your kids and your grandkids about. It’s your debut. The kickoff to your author life.” She was talking a mile a minute, her heart racing against his chest. “The pictures Hawk takes will be all over the internet, and I want everything to be perfect for you, for Shea, for Story Time.”

  He held her gaze, caressing her cheek. “Are you sure you’re not feeling funny about me leaving tomorrow?”

  “Mm-hm.” Her eyes drifted away from his, focusing on his mouth instead. “I’ll miss you, but we’ll talk on the phone and it’s only a couple of weeks. It’s not a big deal. I’ll be busy at the store and with the book club. I need to finish reading the book for it, and the Halloween bash is coming up, so I need to figure out a costume…”

  She was so cute when she was nervous, he was tempted to let her keep rambling.

  “I’m going to hate being away from you, sleeping in hotels without you,” he said, bringing her eyes back to his. “All the while knowing the cowboys around here will probably be trying to get you to ride off into the sunset with them.” That earned him a soft laugh. “I’ll even miss my buddy sneaking up on the bed after we’re asleep.” He glanced at Reno stretched across the foot of the bed. “But I’ll miss this the most, getting to hold you, read your thoughts through your beautiful eyes. I think you’re worried about me leaving, but if I’m totally off base and you’re cool with being apart, then I guess I’m just reading you wrong.” He started to move off her.

  “Wait.” She grabbed his arms. “I am nervous about you leaving. I’m going to miss you a lot, and I don’t know what to do with those feelings. I got used to you being here and seeing you every day. I’ve never had to deal with this before, except with my sisters and Axsel, but that’s different. And now I’m rambling, and getting all worked up, and you’re not even gone yet. I can’t think about it or I’ll be a mess at the signing, and keeping myself busy is the only way I can stop thinking about it.”

  “I know a much better way to keep your mind busy.” He lowered his lips to hers, tangling his fingers in her hair, desperate to heal her sadness, to fill the void he knew he’d leave behind. And if he was lucky, there might even be a little bit of them left to fill the emptiness he’d carry with him when he was gone.

  AFTER A MORNING spent lavishing each other and an incredibly sensuous shower, they were both riding high when they arrived at the bookstore two hours early. He watched her hustling around the shop, gorgeous in a pretty paisley dress that hugged her waist and skimmed her thighs, the mix of golds and greens bringing out her eyes, and knew he could spend morning, noon, and night loving her, and he’d never get his fill.

  “Babe, where do you want the glass jar for the raffle?”

  “On the table by the front door, which reminds me. I have to print the entry forms. I’ll be right back.” She headed into her office.

  Dash set the glass jar on the table by the door just as the flowers he’d ordered arrived. The delivery man wheeled in a cart with two large bouquets of Amber’s favorite flowers and an empty mason jar with a pink ribbon around it. Dash put one bouquet by the register and the other near the table where he’d be signing books.

  After the delivery man left, he locked the door and brought the mason jar into Amber’s office. “Hey, babe?”

  “I was just thinking about the setup. Do you think there’s enough space around your signing table?” She turned from where she stood by the printer. “Where’d you get that?”

  “I knocked out a guy who was delivering flowers and took it from him.” He set the jar on her desk.

  “You knocked him out, huh?”

  “Yup. We needed someplace to keep this.” He reached into his pocket for the acorn they’d picked up when they were at the creek and dropped it in the jar.

  “Dash,” she said with a hint of disbelief. “You saved it.”

  “Of course I did. It’s the start of our many wonderful things.” He gathered her in his arms and kissed her. “As I recall, we have notes to write, and the guy I decked didn’t have any paper.”

  “I think I can cover that.” She grabbed a pink notepad from the desk drawer and cut out two hearts, handing one to him.

  “I like your style, wild thing.” They wrote their notes, folded them in half, and as they put them in the jar, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw Dawn’s name on a FaceTime call. “It’s my sister.”

  She grabbed the papers from the printer. “Talk to her. I’m going to put the entry forms up front.”

  He pushed the green icon to answer the call and followed Amber out of the office. She said, “Oh, Dash! They’re beautiful!” as both of his sisters’ faces appeared on the screen.

  “Look at that, Andi. We got the toddler grin,” Dawn teased.

  “Who was that? Shea?” Andi asked.

  Dash watched Amber setting up the raffle table. “No. Shea and Hawk should be here in a little while. That was the most beautiful girl in Oak Falls, the one and only Amber Montgomery.”

  Amber looked up, pink cheeked.

  “That sounds like she’s someone special,” Andi said.

  “I knew that cake meant something!” Dawn exclaimed.

  Dash held Amber’s gaze, closing the distance between them. “Yeah, it meant something, all right.”

  “Hello? Dash! We’re over here,” Andi teased.

  He looked at the phone as he reached for Amber’s hand, drawing her into the camera frame. “Sorry. Dawn, Andi, this is Amber. Amber, these are my sisters.”

  “Hi, Amber,” they said in unison, beaming curiously.

  “Hi. Dash has told me so much about you guys.”

  “Well, it’s good to know he didn’t leave us all in the dark.” Dawn gave Dash her best scowl, which always made him laugh.

  “Chill out, Sis.” He put his arm around Amber and kissed her temple. “You’re meeting her now.”

  “I almost forgot,” Amber exclaimed. “Dawn, thank you for the tiramisu crepe cake. It was delicious. I’m a huge fan of your show.”

  Andi’s brows knitted. “You made her a crepe cake? You’ve never made me that crepe cake.”

  “You get everything else I make,” Dawn said.

  “Yeah, leftovers from the show,” Andi complained.

  “Pfft.” Dawn rolled her eyes. “You want a crepe cake? I’ll make you a crepe cake, but you have to set me up with Sutton’s boss.” Sutton worked for Clay Braden’s younger brother Flynn.

  Andi’s jaw dropped. “I will not set—”

  “Hey!” Dash snapped, silencing them. “Did you call to talk to me or to bitch at each other?”

  “Sorry,” Andi said with genuine regret, while Dawn gave him a smug look.

  He narrowed his eyes a
t Dawn. “You’re not going out with Flynn. That would be a nightmare waiting to happen when you got bored of him after two dates.”

  “Whatever.” Dawn rolled her eyes. “Clay’s looking awfully good this season.”

  “Dawn,” he warned.

  “I’m kidding. We called to say good luck at your signing, but now that we know about Amber, how about you go sign some books and let us get to know her?” Dawn motioned with her hands, shooing Dash away.

  “How long have you two been going out?” Andi asked.

  Before Amber or Dash could respond, Dawn said, “Did he win you over with his toddler grin?”

  “I love his grin,” Amber said.

  “You have to say that because he’s standing there,” Dawn said. “We all know it’s too toothy.”

  “Man, you are harsh.” Dash shook his head. “Listen, Amber’s coming home with me before the fundraiser in a couple of weeks. You can grill her then.”

  “She is?” Dawn’s excitement radiated through the screen. “I cannot wait to meet you in person!”

  “Me too,” Andi exclaimed. “You guys must be pretty serious. Dash has never brought a girl home before.”

  “That’s because he hasn’t had any girlfriends. You know that.” Dawn narrowed her eyes. “Wait. Have you had secret girlfriends?”

  Jesus. “Of course not. We need to go. We have to get ready for the signing.”

  “Fine,” Dawn relented. “For what it’s worth, you probably found the only woman on earth who’s prettier than you are. She just might be too pretty for you.”

  Amber blushed.

  “I agree with you,” Dash said. “But if I keep giving Amber your cakes, she might just stick around.”

  “Good luck today. Give Hawk a hug for me,” Andi said thoughtfully. “Amber, I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”

  “Me too,” Amber said. “You guys sound fun, like my sisters.”

  “How many sisters do you have?” Andi asked.

  “Do you have any hot brothers?” Dawn asked.

  “Five sisters and one very hot, very gay brother,” Amber said. “He tried to pick up Dash the first night we met.”

  “So you’re saying he’s hot, gay, and has bad taste?” Dawn flashed a teasing smirk.

  Dash uttered a curse. “We’re going now. Love you guys. Thanks for calling.”

  “Love you,” they both said. “Bye, Amber.”

  He ended the call and pocketed the phone. “Sorry about that.”

  “Why? I’m excited to meet them in person. They obviously adore you.” She went up on her toes and kissed him. “And you must be crazy about me to buy me flowers and remember our acorn jar. Thank you.”

  “Sweetheart, if anyone deserves thanks, it’s you. For hosting my signing and for reminding me what life should be about.”

  “You mean like kissing?” She rose on her toes, kissing him again.

  “Like kissing you.” He dipped her over his arm and kissed the hell out of her.

  Someone banged on the front door, startling them apart. Shea waved through the glass, her long blond hair falling loose over the shoulders of her tailored navy pantsuit. Hawk stood beside her smirking, as trendy as ever in plumb-colored jeans, a white dress shirt, and suspenders. His thick brown hair was slicked back, and his bearded face was hidden behind his camera.

  “It’s Shea and Hawk.”

  “That’s embarrassing,” Amber said softly.

  “No, it’s not. Come on, you’ll love them, too.” He took her hand and went to let them in. “Hi.” Dash leaned down and kissed Shea’s cheek as she walked in. “Shea, this is Amber Montgomery. Amber, this is Shea Steele.” Dash pulled Hawk into a manly embrace as Shea said hello to Amber and Reno and gushed about how much she liked Amber’s store. “How are you doing, man?”

  “Great. I’ll be rich in no time. I’m selling those pictures to the tabloids.” Hawk chuckled.

  “No, you won’t,” Shea warned, then turned a warmer expression on Amber. “He’s already signed his life away. Pictures from the signing are fair game, but if pictures of Dash’s personal life get leaked to the wrong outlets, I’ll own his ass.”

  Hawk cocked a grin. “Hey, I might leak them just to make that happen.”

  Shea rolled her eyes.

  “Hawk, this is Amber, and her service dog, Reno.” Dash had already filled his brother in on Amber’s medical condition.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Amber said. “I see you share your brother’s charm.”

  Hawk scoffed. “I’m much more charming than Dashell.”

  Amber’s eyes lit up with amusement. “Dashell?”

  “Thanks a lot, man. Way to bring down my street cred.” Dash shook his head. “It’s our mother’s maiden name.”

  “I like it. It’s pretty.” Amber glanced challengingly at Hawk. “It takes a whole lotta man to pull off a pretty name.”

  Dash puffed out his chest, snickering at Hawk.

  “Now you’ve done it,” Shea teased. “They’ll be one-upping each other all day.”

  “Nah. This is Dash’s day. It would be rude to outshine him. It’s no wonder my brother has been blowing up my phone about meeting the woman of his dreams. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Hawk leaned in to hug her.

  “You, too,” Amber said sweetly. “Dash has told me great things about you.”

  “All lies,” Dash teased.

  Shea crossed her arms, staring at Dash. “Why am I just hearing about you meeting the woman of your dreams?”

  “Because you’d tell me not to mix business with pleasure. I figured that was why you thought Amber wasn’t my type.”

  “That wasn’t why, although it is a good reason,” Shea said. “When I spoke to Amber on the phone, she was sweet and soft-spoken and fairly reluctant to host a signing for a sports figure. Remember, Amber? You said you weren’t sure he was a good match for your low-key bookstore. Naturally, I didn’t think he was your type.” She looked at Dash. “You aren’t exactly quiet, and you’re always looking for the next mountain to climb. I half expect you to come out of retirement after the signing and get back to playing ball.”

  “That’s not happening.” Dash exchanged a knowing glance with Hawk.

  “To be honest, I didn’t think he was my type, either.” Amber gave Dash that bashful, adorable glance he loved.

  Hawk barked out a laugh. “You mean his toddler smile didn’t set your heart on fire?”

  “It took a hell of a lot more than my smile to get on her radar.” Dash hugged Amber against his side, earning a sexy blush.

  “That’s a relief,” Shea said. “I was worried I was losing my touch.”

  Hawk looked coyly at Shea. “Let me buy you a drink when we’re done here, and I’ll check out your touch and give you an expert opinion on it.”

  Before Shea could get a word out, the bells above the door chimed, and Amber’s mother, sisters, and Lindsay flew into the store with Phoenix and two other young girls. Marilynn was carrying a large tray of cookies. Morgyn and Brindle held fistfuls of balloons. Lindsay’s hands were empty, but she was surveying the signing area, and Sable waved a bottle of champagne over her head, exclaiming, “The cavalry is here!”

  Phoenix locked the door behind them. “I didn’t know you’d called in more help.”

  “She didn’t,” Brindle said. “But did you see the line out there? It’s already almost to the end of the block. It’s a good thing we’re here.”

  “What? Already?” Panic stretched over Amber’s face, and she reached down to pet Reno. “We don’t open for another forty minutes.”

  “Why do you have balloons?” Dash asked.

  “For the signs Amber said she was putting out front,” Morgyn answered. “Lindsay thought they were a good idea.”

  “Where are the signs? We can set them up,” Lindsay suggested. “We need to get a jump on things anyway, to manage the line.”

  “I need to hire you,” Shea said.

  Amber cringed. “I c
an’t believe I forgot to put the signs out.”

  “Are you kidding?” Morgyn put her arm around Amber. “You just agreed to meet Dash’s family, you’re going to a black-tie fundraiser in New York City, and you’re about to host the biggest signing you ever had. It’s a wonder you can think at all.”

  Lindsay’s index finger shot up in the air. “Have no fear. Your troops are here!”

  “I’ll get the signs,” Phoenix called out, and Lindsay followed her toward the stockroom.

  Marilynn rested the tray of cookies on the edge of a table. “I thought I’d hand out cookies to keep people from getting antsy while they waited. I have more in the car, but if that line is any indication of what you’re in for, I’m not sure I brought enough.”

  “That’s okay.” Amber’s gaze darted nervously over the cookies. “Cookies mean dirty fingers on book jackets, but I have napkins in the kitchen. I’ll get them.”

  “I’ll get them,” Brindle offered, and hurried off toward the back.

  “I can’t believe there’s already a line,” Amber said.

  “Take a breath, wild thing,” Sable teased. “I brought a little something for later, so you and Dash can celebrate.” She handed Amber the champagne. “I know you won’t drink much, but you can get Dash loaded and take advantage of him. Win-win.”

  “Thanks, but I can’t think about that right now.” Amber set the bottle on the table and looked at Dash. “What if we don’t have enough books?”

  “Whatever we have will have to be enough,” Dash reassured her.

  “I hate to disappoint customers, but you’re right.” Amber breathed deeply and squared her shoulders, morphing from panicked hostess to professional business owner right before his eyes. With one hand brushing Reno’s head, she made quick work of introducing everyone and began directing activities.

  Dash watched in awe as she took apart her perfectly planned itinerary and checklist, divvying and delegating responsibilities so her sisters and mother each had a job. She looked completely in control, but he sensed that beneath that unflappable facade she was as nervous as a mouse in a snake pit. Not because she couldn’t handle a signing, but because bringing new players into a game at the last minute was nerve-racking for anyone, and she’d put an incredible amount of pressure on herself to make today perfect for him.