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

by Melissa Foster

  “Then don’t,” Sable said.

  “I don’t think I have a choice if I don’t want to risk having more seizures.” Amber looked down at her lap, the truth cutting like a knife. She met the eyes of the women who she knew would give anything to fix this for her. “What my heart wants and what my body needs are two sides of a war that I can’t win.”

  “Oh, Amber, don’t say that.” Pepper’s compassionate gaze felt like an embrace.

  “Have you talked to Dash about this?” Jillian asked.

  “Not really. He’s been wonderful, and I know if I told him my worries, he’d make sure I was asleep at a reasonable hour every night and change everything. Including his own wants and needs. But would any of you want to tell the hottest, sweetest, kindest guy on the planet—the man of your dreams—that you need to slow down and ruin his fun, or that you can’t have sex with him if the urge hits late at night?”

  “No, but this is different.” Grace leaned closer to the screen. “You’re not saying you don’t want to be with him. You’re suggesting you do what’s best for your health. Is there a part of you that’s afraid you might lose him over this? Even a small part? Because if that’s the case, then that’s an issue in and of itself.”

  “No, that’s not it, Gracie. I know he loves me for who I am and he accepts all of me. I’m meeting his family in two weeks, for Pete’s sake, and he’s taking me to meet his friends at a big fundraiser in New York City. I mean, think about it. He told me he loved me right after my seizure, when I was literally lying in my own urine.”

  “That was pretty incredible,” Lindsay said. “We could all feel his love for you.”

  “He was upset that he didn’t get to make the first time he said he loved you a magical event,” Sable said. “I’m not into all that touchy-feely stuff, but that got me.”

  Amber looked at her curiously. “He said that?”

  “Sure did, when he got back from the signing looking like he hadn’t taken a breath since you went down,” Sable said.

  “I love that he wanted it to be special for you,” Morgyn said.

  “I must be missing something,” Jillian said. “If he’s that crazy about you, why can’t you tell him you might need to slow down? Isn’t that what being a couple is all about? Compromise? Doing what’s best for each other?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want to tell him because it would be a lie,” Amber said. “If we cut our intimate time short, I’d probably lie awake wanting him anyway and negate the purpose of telling him in the first place. And as far as the rest goes, he’s always on the go, and he enjoys doing things for others, like I do. I love that about him. I don’t want to take any of it away from him or limit him. I want to be part of those things with him.”

  “He does seem to like doing things for others. Mom told me she’s been walking with him and a bunch of women in the mornings,” Pepper said. “She very proudly told me that she can do two pull-ups.”

  They all laughed.

  “I’m sure that’s more than I can do,” Amber said. “Did she tell you that Dash made exercise schedules for the group, and he’s making time to video chat with them while he’s on the book tour?” There was a round of surprised murmurs. “Now do you see why I’d rather jump off a cliff than hold that man back?”

  “Well, I can’t help with that,” Brindle said. “But I am an expert at fitting sex into busy lives. I think you should skip dinner and go to bed early sometimes. Sex always trumps food in our house.”

  “You don’t even need to skip dinner. Just go to bed a couple of hours early when you want to fool around,” Morgyn suggested. “Sometimes Graham and I go to bed at six.”

  “And you stay there until noon the next day,” Lindsay said. “The entire town knows this about you two.”

  “You know, Amber,” Pepper’s serious tone drew everyone’s attention. “Everything you just told us is enough to stress any of us out. Talk with your doctor about your concerns. I’m sure you’re not his only patient who’s gone through this.”

  “You’re probably right. I’ll talk to him and figure it out one way or another. And I think I will talk to Dash after his book tour is over. He doesn’t need relationship stress on top of his chaotic schedule, and if they do tweak my medication, that’ll give me time to adjust to it. That way we can enjoy the weekend with his family and the fundraiser, and then he can finish the last two weeks of the tour, and once he can breathe again, we’ll figure it out.”

  Everyone agreed that sounded like a solid plan.

  “Thanks, you guys. I feel a lot better getting it off my chest.”

  “I had no idea you and Dash were so serious,” Grace said. “I’m really happy for you.”

  “Me too,” Pepper said. “Meeting his family is a big deal.”

  “I know.” Amber told them about her conversation with his sisters and how she remembered his mother from Boyer. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, but between that and meeting his friends at the fundraiser, I’ll admit that I’m a little nervous. I don’t have any idea what to wear to either.”

  Jillian’s hand shot up in the air. “Fashion afficionado to your rescue.” She was a sought-after fashion designer and owned a high-end boutique. “I have several perfect meet-the-family dresses that you’d look gorgeous in, but tell me more about the fundraiser.”

  “It’s hosted by Brett Bad’s family to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.” Amber told them about the old-Hollywood themed casino night.

  “I’m jealous. You’ll get to see Sophie and Brett,” Lindsay said. “I wish I could go to the fundraiser, but I have an event that weekend.”

  “Amber, you’ll get to meet Harlow Bad,” Grace said excitedly. Harlow was the actress playing the lead role in the movie based on their friend Charlotte Sterling’s book, Anything for Love, for which Grace had written the script. Charlotte was Amber’s LWW sister, and she was married to Graham and Nick’s oldest brother, Beau. “You’ll love Harlow. She’s super sweet. She’s been apologizing to the director for the last two weeks about taking that weekend off to go to the fundraiser.”

  Jillian scoffed. “At least one of the Bads cares about their career. If Johnny is supposed to go to the fundraiser, he’ll probably cancel at the last minute.” Harlow’s brother Johnny was a bigger rock star than Axsel. He’d hired Jillian to design his wardrobe for an upcoming tour, and after she’d put off the release of her new clothing line, he’d canceled it.

  “I think you mean at least two Bads care about their careers. Their brother Kane owns half of the East Coast,” Grace pointed out.

  Jillian sighed. “Okay, fine, whatever. Johnny Butthead aside, I have great old-Hollywood gowns. You should come to Maryland next weekend and check them out.”

  “Yes, please,” Trixie pleaded. “I want to see you guys.”

  Amber let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Jilly. That sounds great. I’ll get Phoenix to cover the bookstore.”

  “I’m going with you,” Lindsay exclaimed.

  “Me too,” Brindle and Morgyn said.

  “Have fun with that,” Sable said.

  After they made plans for next weekend, Grace told them about the filming of Charlotte’s movie, and then they chatted about costumes for the Jerichos’ Halloween barn bash next weekend. For the first time ever, Amber wasn’t counting down the days to one of the barn bashes. Now that she had someone special in her life, she knew she’d spend the whole time thinking about how much more fun it would be if Dash were with her.

  Lindsay leaned close to Amber and said, “You can be my date for the barn bash. I’ll even let you call me Dash.”

  “We should come up with a schedule to keep Amber company so she doesn’t miss Dash too much while he’s gone,” Morgyn suggested, and the others chimed in their agreement.

  As they pulled out their phones and began making plans, penciling their evenings around Amber’s schedule, noting the nights of her book club and the Meeting of the Female Minds, Amber filled with gratitude. It didn’t ma
tter where they were in their lives or what they had going on. When one of them needed something, they were all there to help, and she knew it would always be that way. Her thoughts tiptoed back to Dash taking care of his family as a teenager, his sisters calling him the morning of the signing, and the love she’d seen between them. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have found a man who treasured his family as much as she treasured hers, and she couldn’t wait to hear his voice in four and a half hours.

  Not that she was counting down the minutes or anything…

  DASH STEPPED FROM the elevator into his luxurious waterfront penthouse in the heart of Tribeca, a hip area in New York City that was thankfully overlooked by many tourists. That was only one of the reasons Dash had settled there. The slower pace of Tribeca and the aesthetics of the cobblestone streets reminded him of Port Hudson. He also found the trendy boutiques, restaurants, and old industrial buildings more appealing than the skyscrapers, neon billboards, and frantic pace of other areas in the city.

  He dropped his bags by the door and rolled his shoulders back. The six-plus hour drive had sucked. Especially since he’d spent the first hour debating turning around and heading straight back to Amber. He carried the pile of mail that he’d picked up into the living room and set it on the glass coffee table, looking around the ridiculously spacious room, which at thirty-four feet wide was almost as big as Amber’s entire house. He hadn’t cared about the size of the living room when he’d bought the unit, but the breathtaking views of the Hudson River had definitely been a selling point, once again reminding him of home. He gazed out at the river, but now instead of carrying the comforts of home, it was a stark reminder of how far he was from Amber.

  He pulled his phone out of his pocket to text her and saw that he’d missed two messages from her and one from Damon. He opened Amber’s first as he walked over to the couch, and a picture of Amber with three of her sisters and Lindsay gathered around a laptop, on which her other two sisters and Trixie, the girl who had gotten engaged at the jam session, and another brunette were waving on a video call. Amber was wearing his VSU sweatshirt, her head tilted, hair adorably messy, and the entrancing smile he’d fallen so desperately in love with lighting him up from the inside out. He remembered how she’d given off a sweet girl-next-door vibe when he’d first seen her, and now that he knew her better—now that he loved her—he knew she was so much more than that. He read the second message from her. We might be talking about you. She’d added two kissing emojis.

  “I bet you are.” He took a selfie, grinning hard because it was impossible not to when he thought of Amber, and thumbed out, I’m definitely thinking of you. He added a peach emoji, then thought better of it in case she was still with her family, and deleted it. He typed, Just got in. I’ll call you in a few minutes.

  After sending the message to Amber, he read Damon’s text. Still doodling DP loves AM in your playbook?

  Dash responded with, Hell yes. Still calling your right hand Natasha?

  He scanned the pile of mail, his eyes catching on a pink envelope as his phone vibrated with Damon’s response. He quickly read the text. No. I changed her name to Amber. Dash gritted out a curse as another text from Damon rolled in. I’m queueing up GMA tomorrow at the board meeting so everyone can see my famous brother. Good luck.

  He texted back, Thanks. See you soon, and set his phone down to pick up the pink envelope, instantly recognizing Amber’s swirly handwriting. You sneaky little minx. He sat back and opened the card, filling with happiness at the picture of tiramisu with a smiley face on it, and I TIRA-MISS U written above it. He opened and read the card.

  Dear Dash, it’s Tuesday morning and we’ve just survived our first breakfast as a couple with my family. I’ve never brought a boyfriend to breakfast before, which made ours even more special. I can’t stop thinking about the morning after we first met, when I found you sitting at my parents’ kitchen table with baby Emma on your lap. I think everyone but me and Sable knew you and I would end up together, but I doubt they’d imagined we’d get this close this fast. Actually, I think you might have known that all along. Did you?

  Dash had never had a doubt.

  I already know I’ll miss you like crazy when you’re gone, and we still have several days together before you leave. If they’re anything like the time we’ve already shared, I’ll be twisted up like a crown of thorns when we say goodbye. But I don’t want to think about that right now. We have more important things going on, like your book tour. Reno and I are sending you loads of luck. I can’t wait to watch it all unfold. Have fun, and try not to forget the girl in Oak Falls whose heart you stole. Xox, Amber

  Dash reread the letter. He couldn’t believe she’d thought to send him a letter ahead of time. Tuesday seemed like a lifetime ago. He didn’t even feel like the same man he’d been on Tuesday. In the days since, Amber had become an even bigger part of him. Their relationship had evolved, becoming more important than everything else.

  He picked up his phone to call her on FaceTime. Her gorgeous face brightened the screen, filling some of the empty spots leaving her had created.

  As he said, “Hi, sweetheart. I tira-miss you, too,” he knew the evolution of Dash and Amber had only just begun.

  Chapter Eighteen

  AMBER GAZED OUT the airplane window at the late-afternoon, early-November skies, a chilly mix of whites and grays with a dappling of pinks and blues, bathing the city beneath in shadowy layers. The last twelve days had passed in a busy blur with what felt like the entire community stopping in to check on her, but at the same time, even though she and Dash texted as often as they could, the days seemed to take forever until she got to hear his voice at night. She’d seen her doctor, and she hadn’t needed an adjustment to her medications after all. Sleep deprivation and stress had been the culprit of her breakthrough seizure. Her doctor had recommended several ways to alleviate stress, like yoga and meditation, and he’d given her sleep aids, but she hadn’t needed them. With the exception of when she’d been stressed about the signing, insomnia hadn’t been an issue. She’d simply had better things to do with Dash. She hadn’t had another breakthrough seizure and had caught up on her sleep while he was gone. She was prepared for a couple of late nights, and she knew her doting boyfriend would not let her get too run-down.

  The flight attendant stopped by Amber’s seat. “We’re going to be landing soon. Would you like to finish your juice before I take your glass?”

  Amber had been too nervous about seeing Dash and meeting his family and friends to drink it. “No, thank you.” She handed her the glass.

  “You’ll need to put your seat upright and fasten your seat belt.”

  “Okay, thank you.” Amber could get used to the luxurious pampering of first class, which Dash had insisted on. It made flying much less stressful for her and Reno, who was lying in the spacious area at her feet. Or maybe her excitement about finally seeing Dash would have made any flight better.

  He had surprised her in so many ways while they were apart. He’d left his copy of last month’s book club novel on the nightstand, and it had notes and rewrites throughout the margins, which were much hotter than the original scenes. But what she’d loved even more than that were his notes about things the hero could have done differently or things he should have said. Not only had he really read the story, but unbeknownst to Amber, with her blond matchmaking sister’s help, he’d created an account on the book club forum and had popped into the video chat during the discussion. She’d cried happy tears, and all the other girls had been jealous.

  That was the first of many surprises. Like on Halloween, when she’d sent him a picture of her and Lindsay in costume. Amber had dressed as Sandy from Grease, and as promised, Lindsay had dressed as Dash, wearing a football jersey with his name on the back, a man’s wig, and a wide smile. Dash had called Amber on FaceTime, decked out as Danny from Grease, and he’d stayed on the line all night, making her feel like he was at the barn bash with her. Eve
ryone had gotten a kick out of it, most of all Amber.

  He’d sent her selfies at every signing and press event. She’d been shocked he’d called her after they’d taped the Jimmy Kimmel show to introduce her to Jimmy. But he’d blown her away when she’d seen the show, and Jimmy had asked Dash about his personal life. Her whirlwind of a boyfriend had protected her privacy and said he was officially off the market and madly in love. She was pretty sure Dash thought about her twenty-four-seven, which was great, because she’d feel pretty stupid if she was alone in that.

  After the plane touched down, it took all of her willpower not to run through the gate to find Dash. Her pulse was beating wildly. She’d never power walked so fast in her life, and the second she saw him standing there with a bouquet of flowers, that gorgeous smile lighting up his eyes, her willpower shattered. She sprinted to him with Reno by her side and launched herself into his arms, absolutely giddy as they kissed and laughed and kissed some more.

  “I don’t want to put you down, sweetheart. I’ve waited too long to hold you.”

  What was she supposed to say to that? She was in no hurry to leave his arms, either. So she lowered her lips to his, right there in the middle of the busy airport, pouring twelve days of missing him into their kiss. When he finally lowered her to her feet, he loved up Reno, who gave him a face full of sloppy dog kisses.

  Dash hugged Reno. “I’ve missed you almost as much as I missed your mama.” He pushed to his feet and tugged Amber in for another kiss. “How did you get even more beautiful since last night?”

  Her cheeks burned. She’d surprised him last night and had fulfilled his dirty video-chat fantasy. “Shh. We’re not going to talk about last night.” She went up on her toes, pressing her lips to his. “Your sisters are going to tease me about having a toddler smile. I’m pretty sure I’ll look like this all weekend.”