“I beg to differ,” she said, remembering the way he looked when she arrived.
She lifted the cracker for another bite and he grabbed her wrist, bringing the food to his own mouth instead, finishing it off.
“Hey!”
“You’re not one of those people who can’t share food off of your plate, are you?” he asked when his mouth had emptied.
“No, but I wasn’t expecting that.”
“I guess not.” He spread some cheese spread onto another cracker and fed it to her. “Let me return the favor.”
They stood in the kitchen, talking and eating for a long while before she finally gave into the inevitable. “I probably ought to head home. It’s getting late and I have to be at the office early tomorrow.”
He slid a hand onto her waist, moving closer to her. “Stay here.” The words were rushed, as if Jeremy didn’t want to think better about the invitation. “Come on, it’s not that far to get home from here. Just stay with me.”
Delphi considered it for only a moment. It was a good sign that he wanted her to stay, wasn’t it? He must be feeling at least some of what she did. “I’d love to. I’ll have to be up early.”
“No problem.” He covered the cheese still left on the serving plate and stashed it in the fridge. When he took her hand, he added. “I just want to be with you tonight.”
She couldn’t argue with that.
Jeremy hadn’t expected to wake with Delphi still in his arms—she had said she would have to leave early—but he only vaguely remembered her rousing him for a goodbye kiss before she took off. Now the sun was shining and his clock read 8:32. He sighed as he pulled himself from bed. He needed a shower before going down to work that morning and time to think about what was happening between him and Delphi. The memory of their night together made a smile rise to his lips. Had he once called her an ice queen?
The hot water beating on his head helped clear the cobwebs. He was still trying to process the fact that she had spent the night with him, after everything she’d said about no strings only a couple of days earlier. What did that mean? Did it mean anything, or was he thinking too hard about it? All he knew for sure was that something had changed, and not just their physical relationship. Something between them, something about her.
He hadn’t expected to feel this way about her, or about any woman, though he still didn’t know what it was. She was right that the no-strings rule had somehow disintegrated, though, and wondered why it didn’t bother him. A woman getting too close had always had him backtracking before.
Delphi defied all explanation. She was reserved and self-contained most of the time, even while she put on a great public face of openness and friendliness for clients and employees. She protected herself, keeping everyone else away, but with him she had been so open, talking about her hardest moments. And all of that passion that she kept hidden inside her just exploded when she let it. The night with her had been amazing and he couldn’t wait to get her back to his place again.
And she loved the freedom of her motorcycle. He could tell from the smile on her face when she rode it in Denver on Saturday and the way she hooted with joy when she rode behind him.
He loved that side of her.
He still couldn’t believe none of the girls had been aware that their father had hopes and dreams for them in the romance department. How come he told most of the guys but didn’t mention it to the ladies? He thought of Delphi and realized her father had been pretty smart—she was just stubborn enough to have run the other way. That would have been a real shame.
Jeremy dried off from the shower then wiped at the mirror so he could see to comb his hair. He remembered seeing that hint of lipstick she’d left on his cheek the previous day. It had been deliberate, and for her mother’s benefit, he had no doubt of that. It was her little streak of rebellion, or claiming her right to make her own decisions.
She lived her life to suit herself, even while she strove to please her parents—even if she said differently. She gave up a date to sooth Zelda when things were rough, and she left the lipstick to get Zelda’s attention, as if torn about what she really wanted. He knew how exhausting that could be and wished he could make it easier for her.
By the time he left the bathroom, he had firmly turned his thoughts away from Delphi. Or he told himself he had, and was back to work. His new computer was supposed to arrive that day, and he would be stuck spending most of the day networking it into his system, getting the programs installed and then loading the data from his backup service. But first he pulled out his phone and sent Delphi a text message.
We’re still on for tomorrow night? I have plans for you and your pixie.
When she responded back a minute later, he had to smile.
Me and my pixie are looking forward to it.
He was already making plans. While he had his phone out he dialed the sheriff’s office, if only to make sure his case hadn’t gotten dropped to the bottom of someone’s list.
“Dinner at home at five thirty,” Jonquil stuck her head into Delphi’s office just before four. “Rosemary is back and she wants to take a little while to catch up with everyone.”
“She can’t wait until the executive meeting tomorrow morning?” Delphi had been distracted and off her game for most of the day—and she was blaming Jeremy for it, though she couldn’t really complain. She had just hit her groove. She hadn’t planned to leave her desk until at least six, maybe seven that night, which would be early enough to deal with Rosemary.
“She might have, but I got the feeling she brought back souvenirs, and she wanted to see how Sage and Lana are both doing. Plus I hinted to her that a lot had been going on in her absence and she probably ought to catch up in a non-work capacity.” There was a teasing glint in her eye.
Delphi sighed. “Almost being run off the road is getting to be such a ho-hum thing in our family compared to some of the other things that have happened since we moved here that I’m surprised any of us even blinks when something happens.”
“That wasn’t what I was referring to, exactly, but I’m sure she and Harrison will want the deets on that too. The guys are all going to be there, so you might want to send Jeremy an invite. Since you’re apparently more than bike buddies now.” She wiggled her brows.
Delphi pressed her lips together for a moment, frowning. “You mean you all are going to grill us about our relationship.” She narrowed her eyes. “Maybe I’ll invite Gage for dinner too. We can’t have you as the only one without a date.”
“You can try to get back at me, but I will not be bothered by it,” Jonquil promised. “You cannot stop me by threatening to invite Gage. Why he’d want to get in on family time with our group, though, I have no idea.” She lifted her nose a little and exited.
Delphi rubbed her hands over her face. The others knew stuff was going on between her and Jeremy, but that didn’t mean that she wanted to have it discussed in committee—especially not with Jeremy there to catch the ribbing.
Things may be different between them, more serious, but she still wasn’t certain where that left them. She didn’t dare hope that he loved her, but she did hope that he might someday. Would the discussion that night scare him away? It wasn’t like he wasn’t familiar with the girls and friends with the guys. Or that he hadn’t seen her family convocations a few times.
After a moment of indecision, she picked up her phone and called him. “Hey, sexy. You interested in dinner tonight?”
“I’m always interested in dinner,” his voice cooed over the line. “I thought you were going to be busy, though.”
“Big family shindig at the house. I get the feeling we’re going to get the third degree, so be prepared.”
“Ah, so not quiet and alone at my place. Bummer. But yeah, I can deal. It is kind of inevitable that they’ll rake us over the coals, you know? Especially since I’ve harassed all of your brothers-in-law at one time or another.”
“Good. And invite Gage. We wouldn’t want J
onquil to be the only adult without a partner of sorts.” It was perhaps a tad mean of her, but Gage fit into the group so well.
“Okay, but, I’ll leave off the bit of him being added as her sort-of date.”
“What’s the deal with him anyway?” Delphi asked, finally sure he would tell her.
Jeremy chuckled. “Your dad had plans for all of you girls, you know. He intended Joel and Sage, Vince and Cami, you and me and Gage—”
“With Jonquil,” she realized wanting to laugh. “Gage is doing what you did when we first met—trying to protect himself from Dad’s well-meaning meddling. But, I have to say, I don’t think she has any more idea about Dad’s plans for them than I did, so Gage being standoffish is just making him look like a jerk.” It irritated her because Jonquil was sweet and thoughtful and really easy to get along with. Gage didn’t know what he was missing.
“So noted. I’ll invite him and we’ll see if he shows up. What time?”
“Five thirty.” They exchanged a few more pleasantries and ended the call.
Butterflies still circled in her stomach but at least Jeremy was on board. Now if she could survive the family party. She was getting better at dealing with her family in crowds, but she’d never been under any real scrutiny before.
She froze for a moment, suddenly realizing she’d been thinking of them as her family instead of as those women she lived with. When had that happened?
Jeremy wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked into the DiCarlo house that night. He’d been over for dinners before—on several occasions—but he’d always just been in the background. Considering the way Delphi talked about it, this might be a different situation entirely.
He reminded himself that after a few questions everything would be normal again and he’d go back to being part of the group—nothing to worry about.
It only took a few seconds for the door to be opened when he rang the bell. Cleo stood on the other side, grinning at him. “Come in. We’re going to eat soon. The food smells so good!”
“Yeah, it does. Has your mom been cooking?”
“Yes. But she bought some of the food because of time.” She said this in a stage whisper, as if sharing a deep, dark secret.
“Hey loose lips, get over here and help.” Rosemary looked their way.
“You talking to me, or her?” Jeremy asked as he walked over.
“Her, but if you want to help set the table, I won’t turn you away.” She looked bright and happy, nearly glowing from her holiday.
Cleo giggled, clearly happy that Rosemary and Harrison were back.
“Vacation looks good on you. You should take one more often,” he said as he grabbed a stack of plates.
“I agree. A week off every month, don’t you think?” She winked at him.
Harrison came up behind her and slid an arm around her waist. “Hey, Jeremy. I hear strange rumors about excitement while I was gone. Involving you. Can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“Excitement isn’t the word I would use, but yeah, there’s been stuff.”
Delphi came up the stairs from the basement. “You made it. Good. Looks like Rosemary put you right to work.”
“She’s all about commandeering extra hands,” Harrison said as he brought over a stack of glasses. He and Jeremy exchanged greetings.
“Speaking of which, you have an empty set of hands,” Rosemary said to Delphi. “Grab some more dishes, will you? We’re ready to eat as soon as this place fills up.”
“Where is everyone else?” Delphi asked.
“Joel and Sage are on the way,” Rosemary said. “Blake said they were running a little behind. He’s being all cute and protective of Lana. The baby is due this week.”
“Yeah, he keeps reminding us about the due date in the morning meeting, mostly I think because he wants her to take it easy and she hasn’t been so much,” Delphi said. “He doesn’t want anyone to bother her with work stuff if they don’t have to.”
The rumble of garage doors reached the kitchen.
“I think he’s about ready to take over her job and kick her to full-time bed rest. Imposed by him, not the doctor.” Harrison pulled ice out of the freezer. “When I talked to him earlier he sounded a little aggravated about how stubborn she’s being.”
“It’s the DiCarlo curse,” Delphi said. “I’m afraid we all have it in one form or another.”
The door opened and Jonquil walked in from the garage. “Cami and Vince are right behind me.” The noise from the second garage door started before she finished speaking.
“Good. The food is ready.” Rosemary checked her watch. “We’re already two minutes late and half of us aren’t here yet.”
“Because you’re such a stickler for promptness?” Delphi asked.
Rosemary stuck out her tongue in response. Jeremy managed not to laugh.
The doorbell rang and Delphi’s lips twitched as she realized it was Gage. “Jonquil, will you get that? Our hands are full.” She pushed extra serving spoons into Cleo’s hands and winked at her. Cleo smiled back.
Jonquil opened the door and her back stiffened. “Gage, Delphi mentioned she might invite you.”
“Yes, it was nice of her to think of me.” He swept past her with a bouquet of mixed flowers. “Flowers for the cook, since Jeremy said not to bring anything else.” He presented them to Rosemary, who beamed at him.
“A woman can never get enough flowers from a handsome man, not even after she’s married.” She glanced over her shoulder at Harrison. “Honey, can you get me a vase? They’re over the fridge.”
“You’re going to show me up, bringing my bride flowers,” Harrison said, smiling. “I guess the honeymoon is over.” He set a large vase beside Rosemary.
“Never.” She leaned over and dropped a peck on his cheek.
“Glad you could make it,” Jeremy said to Gage. “And thanks for making the rest of us look bad. I should have brought flowers.”
“Some of us are just better at wooing women than others.”
Jeremy glanced at Jonquil, then back at Gage, meaningfully. “When you bother to try?”
Gage’s eyes flicked over to take in Jonquil, who was talking with Rosemary. “Some things aren’t worth the effort.”
“And some guys are idiots.” Jeremy kept his voice low, not wanting to share with the rest of them. “She doesn’t know about George’s plans, you know. You could try giving her a chance to see if you hit it off.”
“What do you mean she doesn’t know?” Gage asked.
“You think Delphi would have looked at me twice if she’d had a clue? Or that Cami would have given Vince a chance? No, George knew better.”
“This is a big change of attitude for you.” He looked over at Delphi. “Did you decide George was right after all?”
Jeremy shrugged. “We seem to be working out for now. We’ll see where it goes from here.” He wasn’t going to think about the theoretical future. He was really enjoying this place in their relationship—whatever it was—and didn’t want to look ahead yet. He caught Delphi’s eye and winked, she grinned back at him.
Gage shook his head. “You’re gone. Protest if you want, but I’ve never seen you like this with anyone else.”
“No one else is Delphi.” Jeremy moved to her side, ready to be done with a conversation that made his back itch.
The door opened and the last two couples trouped in, both men catering to their pregnant wives. Jeremy took a moment to watch—really watch—the couples surrounding him. He remembered the way his parents had acted when he was little, and how they would play kissy-face in the kitchen when they thought no one was looking. If they had argued, they did it in private because he never saw it.
He’d seen so much devastation from friends who had already been through divorces, saw it in Delphi’s eyes when she spoke of Fallon, but then she’d said she would do it again if she could have something like that again. Was he the one who had been missing out by not letting anyone get too close to him? He didn’
t know anymore.
He watched Gage meander through the group, greeting people and sneaking carrot sticks from the veggie tray. He ended up by Jonquil, but kept up a conversation with Harrison, not acknowledging the youngest sister.
Jeremy managed not to roll his eyes. Just barely.
Dinner went well and the DiCarlo third degree wasn’t nearly as bad as Jeremy had expected. There were questions about things with him and Delphi, but either the group held back on the teasing because of the kid in the house or Delphi had been exaggerating. When Delphi walked him out to his car at the end of the evening, he was feeling pretty good about it, over all.
“I saw Rosemary cornered you for a talk while I was passing out dessert. What did she say?” Delphi snuggled closer to him, tucking herself against his side as his arm circled her neck.
“She was worried that I wasn’t taking things with you seriously, and that I might hurt you.” It was a little galling that Rosemary wouldn’t give him the benefit of the doubt, even now. “Nothing she hasn’t said to me before.”
“What?” Delphi stared at him. “Rosemary is looking out for me? My Rosemary—not some good twin who pretends to be the pain in my butt?”
“Yeah.” He grinned down at her, taken aback a little at the shock on her face. “Why wouldn’t she? Don’t you all stick up for each other? I’ve seen you do it for her.”
Delphi blinked a few times. “At work. We all put on a good face at work. It’s part of the job, part of that united front for the public. Haven’t you noticed that Rosemary and I don’t hang out on our own time?”
They reached his car and he leaned back against it, pulling her close. “Yeah, but you don’t exactly hang out with any of them. Jonquil calls you a recluse, and the guys all thought you were standoffish too, but that’s not the free-spirited Delphi I know, so what’s the deal?”
She bit her bottom lip, something he’d only seen her do a couple of times before. “It’s easier that way.”
“What’s easier?”
Wild Hearts (The DiCarlo Brides) Page 18