No. There was no way.
Was there?
She never left clothes sprawled across the floor. Not to mention all she was wearing was his shirt.
Of course, she slept with him.
So much for the thirty-day rule!
All she wanted to do was slither back to Los Angeles where no one would remember her name. In Silver Ridge, the walk of shame took on an entirely different meaning. The town was too small to get away with anything. Everyone probably saw Sam coming home with her last night and never leaving until…
When would he have left?
Middle of the night?
Early in the morning?
Someone was bound to have seen him leaving her cottage.
Dina collapsed back on the bed and let out another groan as her arms fell over her face to block the light.
Why had she drank so much? She turned over slowly and stared at the empty side of the bed. How long had Sam been here during the night?
Her thoughts fell back to the simple sheath dresses waiting for her back at the shop. She had work to do and couldn’t worry about an accidental one-night stand. She was an adult. He was an adult. They’d both move on.
Exactly.
This was no biggie.
Happened in small towns across the country all the time.
Shoving her comforter off her bare legs, she clutched the flannel shirt from the chill and noticed how good the fabric smelled. It was earthy and fresh, just like Sam.
She rolled her eyes at her own unwanted observation and made her way to the bathroom. She didn’t have time to worry about anything that took place last night. Maybe later Autumn could shed some light on the subject, but right now, she had to focus on getting to the shop.
Dina took a quick shower, pulled on a pair of jeans and a beige wool sweater before dabbing on some lip gloss and mascara to get herself ready for the world. She had precisely four hours to finish adding the floral embellishments along the hemlines of the dresses before she sent them off. She’d planned on another six or seven hours to complete the dresses, but that wasn’t how life was working out.
The very reason she’d moved to Silver Ridge was to get away from the drama that managed to surround her and dive into the peace, calm, and tranquility that this little town offered.
So, she was off to a great start…
By the time she pulled her hatchback in front of the store, Sam had faded to a distant memory, and her day seemed right again until she opened the door to her shop and saw the blinking red light frantically flashing on her voicemail across the room.
She knew whom the messages were from and dreaded pressing the button, but she flipped on the store light and darted to the phone.
“You better not want a different fabric color,” Dina grumbled under her breath as she pressed the button to listen to the five messages that had appeared since the night before.
And sure enough.
“Hi, Dina. I’m so sorry, but I really need to speak with you about my bridesmaid dresses. This is Sara Lumford and something has come up.”
Dina rolled her eyes and ground out a sigh as she leaned against the counter and waited for the next message to play.
“Let me guess. You want sea foam green silk instead of pink,” Dina said to no one in particular.
A little chime sounded behind her as someone entered her store, and she quickly hit pause on the voicemail.
“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Autumn teased as she wandered into the store. “Did you just happen to stroll in recently while I’ve been up and slaving away at my B&B?”
Dina laughed and let out a relieved sigh as she saw her friend’s smiling face analyzing her.
“I’m so glad it’s you. Hold on a sec. I’ve got to listen to these messages.”
She hit play and the next several messages from Sarah echoed into the room. It wasn’t until the final message that Dina realized what was actually going on. It had nothing to do with the color of the bridesmaid dresses and everything to do with a cancelled wedding.
“Okay, so I hope you haven’t sent the dresses yet. I…” Sarah’s voice huffed over the recording. “I’m sure you deal with things like this all the time so I’ll just get it out there. I wanted to tell you in person, but the wedding is canceled. I called off the wedding last night, so I obviously won’t be needing the dresses. He’s not right for me. Or maybe I just never loved him. I don’t know. It’s not nerves. I’ve known in my heart he’s not for me and anyway…my parents will pay whatever balance is due. I’m sorry for the hassle. I couldn’t go through with it. It isn’t the right time or the right guy.” And then she hung up.
Simple as that.
“Did you hear how flippant she was?” Autumn asked.
“You mean like this kind of thing happens all the time?” Dina attempted to rub the headache out of her temples.
Hearing the bride-to-be sound so cavalier and disconnected from her fiancé made Dina wonder what went through her own ex-fiancé’s minds when they’d made the decision to leave Dina. The thought kind of made her sick, actually. She wanted to believe it had always been a tough decision, but hearing the levity in Sara’s voice made her unsure. Sara sounded almost jubilant.
“When was her wedding?” Autumn asked, bringing Dina back to reality.
“Nine days.”
“At least you won’t get stiffed for the dresses.”
“Her parents have been amazing throughout their daughter’s entire engagement. You know how the bridesmaids usually pay for their own dresses? Well, her parents paid for them. Wasn’t that sweet? They’ve paid for so many design changes and fabric changes.” Dina bit her lip for a split second and dropped her gaze to the floor.
“What?” Autumn asked, bringing her hands to her hips.
“As someone who’s had her wedding called off more times than I care to admit, I really—”
“Hold up. I know exactly where you’re going with this.” Autumn waved her hand in the air. “You know I love you to death, and the only reason I ever tease you about the engagements is because I firmly believe it wasn’t your fault. You weren’t the weirdo in those situations. You were never the problem.”
“You’re a sweet friend, but I obviously had something to do with it. I can’t act like I’m not to blame at least a little.”
“Honey,” Autumn’s voice shifted to her motherly tone. “Yes, you’ve been engaged five times, but three of those times happened to be to the same man, who is a total creep. The middle engagement to that other guy was obviously a rebound and we all knew it.” Autumn walked over to one of the shelves where the tiaras sat. She studied the most bejeweled one on display before continuing. “And as for getting stood up at the altar in Vegas, I don’t think that even counts as an engagement. So really, you’ve only been stood up once by the same guy three times.”
Autumn spun around, and her gaze connected with Dina’s.
“See? Not so bad at all.” Autumn’s warm smile melted Dina’s heart.
“It doesn’t sound nearly as crazy when you put it that way.” Dina chuckled and immediately felt better.
This was why she loved her best friend. Autumn always made Dina feel better, a little less crazy than she felt at times.
“Now, spill the beans about last night.” Autumn wiggled her brows, which only made Dina giggle harder.
“I wish I could, but I can’t remember a thing.” Dina wandered over to the display Autumn had left and rearranged the tiaras. “In fact, I was kind of hoping you could fill me in.”
Autumn’s brows pulled together. “How in the world could I do that? We left early.”
A blush floated across Dina’s cheeks as she thought about the night with Sam she couldn’t remember.
Dina turned around to look at her friend and decided to just confess. “I slept with him.”
Autumn’s eyes grew to twice their size, and she leaned against the counter to brace herself.
“Are you serious?” Autum
n’s lip curled slightly. “You slept with Sam on your first date? That’s so unlike you. In fact, I think that’s how you got engaged so many times. You hold out until they can’t stand it any longer. Your blog guru even preaches to wait, and yet, you just couldn’t resist Sam on a first date? That’s saying something.”
Dina rolled her eyes but wondered if her friend had a point.
“For your information, the blog is called Emilia’s Love Pursuit,” she corrected. “And it wasn’t a date.”
“Well, what in the world would you want to call it if you slept with him after drinks?” The slight curl of her lip turned into a wry grin. “At least a date makes it sound less…” Autumn couldn’t think of the word.
“Okay.” Dina propped her hand on her hip. “I was unknowingly on a blind date that was set up by my sneaky best friend, which ended with me sleeping with a man who is looking for no commitment. I’d say your mission was accomplished. Nice work.”
“That wasn’t the mission,” Autumn assured Dina. “But…”
“But what?”
“How was it?”
“Are you serious? That’s what you want to narrow in on?” Dina laughed.
“Just curious.”
“I don’t remember.” Dina let out a disgusted snort. “Can you believe it? I end my dry streak, and I can’t remember a single thing to get me through to the next time.”
Autumn laughed and shook her head. “Well, that was quite the development. I thought I’d hear he tried to kiss you or you fled the scene or who knows what.”
“I’m glad I can keep you on your toes.” Dina motioned for Autumn to follow her into the workroom. “I really can’t believe I slept with him.”
“I can’t either, to be honest.” Autumn scratched her head and glanced at the dresses hanging on the mannequins. “These are really pretty. Were these the infamous dresses?”
“Yup and thanks.”
The bridesmaid dresses actually were really nice. Dina liked the simplicity of the lines and the subtle embellishments she’d planned along the hem. She’d have no problem selling them in her online store.
“Anyway, I don’t know what got into me to invite him into my bedroom, but…”
“If you can’t remember sleeping with him, then how in the world can you be sure you did?” Autumn’s fingers skated along the bottom of the pink fabric.
“I woke up naked with my clothes strewn all about, except I wasn’t completely naked. The only item of clothing I had on was Sam’s flannel shirt, which was barely hanging on me.”
Autumn’s nose crinkled as she thought about what Dina said.
“And I can just tell.” Dina shrugged her shoulders. “He’s the most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I know in my state last night, I wouldn’t have been able to turn him down. He’s way too sexy for that.”
Autumn laughed, knowing her friend very well could have turned Sam North down because that was what she always did. Dina wanted to pretend she was wild and free, but when it came down to it, she wasn’t built that way. Granted, waking up in Sam’s shirt might highlight a new side of Dina, but…
“My head has been pounding since I woke up, I can’t remember anything, and I was wrapped up in my date’s shirt and nothing else.”
“Ah-ha. So it was a date.” Autumn’s smile only grew.
“Whatever it was or is, I’m completely mortified. I’m sure the entire town knows that he stayed over.”
“Silver Ridge isn’t that bad.” Autumn chuckled. “Probably just half the town, and of course if Sam said something, then who knows.”
“I seriously can’t believe I don’t even remember a kiss from him. How could I not remember sleeping with him? You’d think I’d remember so much more with a man like Sam North. He’s just so—”
“Babe, I can guarantee you’d remember so much more.” A low, male rumble of a voice shook Dina to her core as she followed Autumn’s gaze to see Sam North standing in the doorway of her workroom, smiling one of the most infectious smiles she’d ever seen.
But all she wanted to do was wrap herself in several bolts of fabric and never come out again.
Chapter Four
“You know, I really need to get back to my guests at the B&B.” Autumn gave me a quick hug. “There’s cookies to bake, sheets to change...”
Dina watched her friend slide by Sam and scurry out of the workroom, leaving her alone with a man who may or may not have heard who knows what about her thoughts on the night before. She drew a deep breath and folded her arms over her sweater as Sam’s eyes connected with hers.
“So you don’t remember what happened last night?” Sam’s brow arched slightly as an amused expression rested on his face.
“I mean… I remember some stuff,” Dina lied and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
“Interesting.” He slowly ran his tongue along his bottom lip, and Dina knew he wasn’t going to let her off easy. “So do you remember the kiss?”
“Kiss?” she repeated. “Yeah. Totally. It was great.”
“Nothing I do is just great.” Sam’s smile only widened. “It’s unforgettable.”
“I don’t know about that.” Dina laughed nervously as her arms slid to her hips. Sam’s gaze dropped to follow the curves of her body, and it was all Dina could do not to ask for a repeat of whatever happened last night. “Truthfully, I don’t seem to remember a thing.”
Sam’s low, sweet rumble of a laugh filled her tiny workroom as her cheeks reddened.
“That’s because nothing happened.” He folded his arms over his muscular chest that she shouldn’t be noticing and let the words hang between them. “Not even a kiss, unless you count the one on your forehead at your front door.”
“Nothing happened?” Dina’s brows shot up. “How do you figure? I know what my room looked like this morning and what I…” Her voice trailed off.
“And what?” he prompted.
She swallowed hard. “Nothing.”
Sam looked far too amused for Dina’s liking, but for some reason, she couldn’t be mad at him. After all, she was the one who couldn’t remember anything, and he was the one who held all the answers.
Answers she desperately wanted.
Ignoring his recollection of the night before, she pressed on to get to the bottom of it. “I don’t sleep with men on a third date, let alone a first date, but last night you were so damn good-looking, and I had too much to drink and—”
“So it’s my fault?” Sam teased and took a few steps forward, narrowing the gap between them. “Dina, we didn’t sleep together.”
Dina’s eyes flashed to his, and she cleared her throat. One of the many nervous ticks that seemed to flare up at the most annoying times for her. Why couldn’t she be the calm, cool, and put-together girl who could sleep with a man she found attractive and move on with it?
“I’m pretty sure we did.” She bit her bottom lip as she waited for his reply. “I woke up in your shirt.”
“That’s because someone spilled wine on you at the restaurant, and the temp outside was far too cold for you to be walking around with a wet shirt and no coat. I lent you my flannel shirt, which I do need back since it’s my favorite one.”
Dina shook her head, brows pulled together, scowl fully in force. “No. It wasn’t like you just lent me your shirt.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes narrowed on hers.
“I woke up this morning…” She drew a breath and shifted her weight again. “Completely naked, except I was in your flannel shirt. My clothes were all over the bedroom floor. I’m not one who sleeps naked. I love getting in my pajamas every night. I don’t sleep naked unless…”
“Unless?” His brow arched higher.
“You know.” She waved her hands in the air. “And the kiss?”
“There was no kiss, Dina. I was only teasing. You were in no shape for me to kiss you. I just wanted to get you tucked in and—”
“Wait? Tucked in?”
Sam let
out a deep sigh. He knew most men would have jumped at the chance to sleep with Dina last night. After he kissed her forehead, she looped her arms around his waist and pulled him inside.
He hadn’t expected it.
Had actually hoped for the opposite.
Once she started stripping off her clothes, he knew he was in trouble. Seeing her in nothing more than her bra and underwear nearly undid every ounce of self-control he had.
Not to mention, it only made it harder when she attempted to do a little dance for him. She was so cute and innocent as she wiggled her hips, and he knew the moves weren’t coming easy for her, but the alcohol told her she was on the right track. His saving grace was that she tripped backward on one of her spins and fell onto her bed.
He took that moment to slide his flannel shirt back onto her, pull up the covers, and get the heck out of her house. Why or how she woke up with nothing on under the flannel shirt was anyone’s best guess.
And judging by the look on her face, she would die if she knew what she’d done last night, and he planned never to tell. Everyone deserves a night to let loose and she obviously needed to do exactly that.
He only wished it hadn’t required an hour-long cold shower when he got back to his place, and now the way she was looking at him only made him need another one.
“I helped you into bed, but you weren’t completely naked.” Sam touched her cheek softly and her eyes connected with his. “I don’t know what you were up to after I left, but you had your bra and underwear on underneath the flannel.”
“Wait? What?” Dina let out a mini gasp. “Just my bra and underwear?”
“You kind of started to shake out of your clothes but you fell into bed before you could completely finish. I slipped the flannel back on and took off.”
Now Dina was even more confused. He wouldn’t sleep with her, and she was nearly naked in front of him? Maybe he really wasn’t attracted to her, and all the chemistry she swore she felt with him was made up? Maybe she made it up?
“Well, thank you for that,” Dina mumbled, her gaze falling to the pink dresses. “I’m sorry that’s how your night had to end. It’s really unlike me.”
A Little Secret About Love Page 3