A Little Secret About Love

by Karice Bolton

  “I’d gladly do it all over again.”

  Dina chuckled. “Well, I can guarantee you won’t have to. No more pre-drinks for me.”

  “Pre-drinks?” Sam asked, tilting his head.

  “Never mind.” She laughed. “It will only make me sound even worse. So, what’s up? Why’d you stop by?”

  “To check on you. I was worried.”

  “Worried?”

  “Well, you’d had a lot to drink and yeah…I was worried.”

  Probably only in a little sister kind of way.

  “Well, other than the headache still pounding from embarrassment, I’m doing pretty good.”

  He nodded and rubbed his fingers along his jaw. “So, I’m guessing you might not remember agreeing to go out on a date with me.”

  Dina froze in place. “A date? I don’t remember that at all.”

  “You told me we couldn’t go on a date until after your grand opening party.”

  She nodded reluctantly. “That sounds like me.”

  “So are we still on?” he asked again.

  “That whole thing last night didn’t turn you off?” Her brow arched, and he had to hide a laugh.

  “Uh, no. I definitely was not turned off.” His smile only widened, and Dina’s entire body lit up at the sight.

  He was so charming, and even though he had every reason to be overly cocky, he managed to keep himself in check for the most part, which was completely the opposite from the men she’d dated before.

  “And you agreed to let me teach you how to ski on the indoor mountain since it sounded like your ex-fiancé couldn’t hack it.”

  Dina laughed at the minor jab at her ex and secretly loved hearing it, but it also made her wonder what all she’d revealed to Sam the night before.

  “I never go back on my deals so I look forward to our first date.”

  “Second date, really.”

  “Nah.” She shook her head. “Since I can’t really remember it, let’s not count that one.”

  “Whatever you say.” He winked at her and softly touched her chin, which somehow managed to set off another batch of fireworks.

  “Are you coming to the grand opening?” she asked.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Are you sure you don’t need any help setting up?”

  “I’m sure.” She held in a sigh, realizing that must have been yet another topic of conversation she had no recollection of. “I’ll make sure to bring your favorite flannel on our date.”

  “Good plan. We might need it again.” He took another step closer and his gaze settled on hers.

  “I hope not.” She looked into his eyes and felt the same charge she’d felt the moment she met him. “But thank you for making sure I got home safely last night.”

  He nodded as her eyes fell to his lips, but instead of kissing her, he ran his thumb along her cheek and tucked in a piece of stray hair behind her ear.

  For some reason, he didn’t want to rush a thing with her, no matter how big or small.

  He knew once they had their first kiss, there would be no getting that moment back, and he wanted to enjoy every single thing about getting to know Dina Romano, even if that meant a lot of cold showers.

  There was just something about her that made him want to slow down. And he also didn’t want to promise her things he couldn’t fulfill. She’d already had too many men let her down. That he was sure of.

  “I better get back to party planning and finishing my dresses.” Dina took a step back, sensing his reluctance and picked up a stray piece of pink fabric left over from the day before.

  Sam nodded, but took a step forward and quickly slid a kiss along her cheek, which immediately sent a blaze of heat through her. She wanted to close her eyes and pretend more was on the way, but he’d already made it to the door.

  “See you at the party,” Sam said, turning around one last time.

  “See ya and thanks again.” She smiled, and he nodded before making his way out of her little shop.

  Dina touched her cheek where his lips had last been, and she wondered if there was more to the story last night. Regardless, she looked forward to spending more time with Sam North and hoped that she wouldn’t embarrass herself like she did last night.

  And for some strange reason, she was pretty sure it was a good thing she couldn’t remember everything or she’d be hightailing it out of Silver Ridge, and so far, she really liked the place.

  Chapter Five

  “Let me die now,” Dina whispered under her breath the moment she saw Sam North waltz into her party.

  He looked incredible.

  Sexy.

  Confident.

  Strong.

  Capable.

  All things that turned her insides into a complicated mess of emotion and made her want to toss out Emilia’s thirty day rule.

  Or maybe it was purely lust, but as of last night, she started remembering bits and pieces from her night with Sam, and now she was about to come face-to-face with him again.

  “I turned into a stripper in front of Sam,” Dina sped through the words while continuing to keep her voice to a near whisper.

  The party was in full swing, and there were guests parked in every direction, but the one she’d been holding her breath for finally showed up, and now she didn’t know what to do.

  Autumn chuckled and gave her friend a hug. “I’m sure you’re exaggerating. You can’t even dance.”

  Dina glared at her friend and only spoke two words. “I know.”

  Dina could feel Sam coming closer, which only made her stiffen.

  “You’re serious.” Autumn’s eyes widened as she studied her friend.

  “That I am.” Dina smiled.

  “You did a striptease for Sam that night and you slept with him?”

  “I didn’t sleep with him, but I did attempt to dance for him.” Dina shuddered as the memories drifted back. “And I tripped.” Dina’s shoulders sagged. “I think I tripped right into bed.”

  “That sounds about right.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?” Dina chuckled and watched Sam scanning the crowd.

  “I think he’s looking for you.”

  “Great. It was much easier to face him when I couldn’t remember my night.”

  “All the North brothers have a great sense of humor and he’s no different. Hey, what do you think your blogger lady would say about this?” Autumn waved at Sam right as Dina gently kicked her in the ankle and refused to dignify her question with a response.

  “Are you trying to give me a heart attack by calling him over?”

  “No, but he’d find you eventually. Might as well get it out of the way. After all, don’t you have a date tomorrow?”

  Dina nodded and let out a breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding in.

  “Yeah.”

  “So the stripper moves didn’t scare him off. Nothing to worry about.” Autumn giggled.

  “It’s funny how when certain women say they performed a striptease, it sounds all sexy and like the men would come running, but when I mention I tried one we know that wasn’t how it turned out.” Dina shook her head in defeat.

  “We know that you’re cute as a button and you gave it your all.” Autumn grinned and stepped aside as Sam came over.

  “What a great turnout.” He smiled and brushed a quick kiss on Dina’s cheek, which only made her insides swirl into a heated pool of lust.

  It was only a simple kiss on the cheek, but feeling his whiskers up against her skin, and smelling the fresh, clean scent of Sam made her mind go immediately to places it shouldn’t. She had a business to run, another failed engagement to forget, and a new town to settle into.

  She certainly didn’t need the complication of Sam.

  Yet here he was, looking as incredible as every other time he managed to sneak into her orbit.

  “Thanks. I never expected to see so many people come out for wedding dresses.” She smiled proudly and glanced at the bartender stationed in the
corner. “Or maybe it’s the free drinks, but either way, I never expected to have so many people tour my little shop.”

  “Has this always been your dream?”

  The question caught her off-guard, not because it was an odd question, but because he asked it. Most men she ever wound up with never stopped to recognize she even had dreams.

  “Yeah. I’ve always wanted a retail space. When I first started my online business it was strictly veils, gloves, and shrugs that I made for brides. Then I dabbled in bridesmaid dresses and finally stepped into wedding dresses. I never imagined people would be willing to take a risk on me. I mean it’s not easy to get exact measurements from a distance, but I came up with a formula, and for the most part, it has worked. But having a place where brides can come and look at past designs or even buy off the rack is pretty awesome.”

  “It is.” He nodded, noticing how she became even more beautiful when she talked about her shop. “It’s an incredible achievement. I bet your family is proud.”

  Dina’s eyes darkened slightly and she shrugged, looking away. “If they are, they haven’t really told me.”

  She kept her focus on the crowded room, hearing the clank of champagne glasses, and the constant hum of chatter circulating throughout the small store.

  “They’re not here tonight?” His brows shot up in surprise.

  “No. I didn’t expect them to be. We’re not exactly close. I think I disappointed them long ago, and they decided to throw their energy into their other two kids.” Dina glanced at him and grimaced. “Sorry. That probably sounds harsh.”

  He shook his head. “No, I actually get it more than you know.”

  “Really?” She looked across the room and spotted his grandmother and mom.

  Dina didn’t know much about the North family other than they owned much of Silver Ridge and seemed to have a pretty tight relationship.

  “Yeah.” He pointed at his mom and grandma. “Those two women over there are the foundation that holds our family together. My father wasn’t really in the picture, but he certainly loves his new family.”

  “I never would have guessed.” Dina saw a quick flash of pain dart through Sam’s gaze, but it vanished as quickly as it came. “Does your dad live in Silver Ridge?”

  “No. He left a long time ago and never came back.”

  She nodded slowly and thought back to her own family. She hadn’t seen her parents in several years. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to visit them, but it had never worked out. She’d offered to fly to Iowa every year since her shop started making money, but they always had a reason why they were busy at the times she picked to come.

  Dina had also found out through her sister that her parents had visited Los Angeles a couple of times over the years and never reached out to see her. So, while she wanted to tell herself hearing that didn’t sting, she didn’t candy coat their actions. There was always something a little off about how her parents treated her.

  “Well, family comes in all shapes and sizes.” Dina saw a woman admiring a tiara and veil with her daughter, and her heart filled with gratitude and pride. She loved seeing people’s reactions to her work and that was definitely something that couldn’t be achieved online. “But it can be a real complicated mess. Excuse me for a second while I go check on that mother and daughter over there.”

  “Absolutely.” Sam took a step back and watched Dina make her way over to the women.

  There was no doubt about it. Dina was in her element. She carried herself with such amazing confidence, and pure joy radiated from her as she greeted potential clients. It was hard to imagine her parents not taking an interest in her and congratulating her on her achievements. Although, he had a dad who seemed to have forgotten he’d fathered several sons so there wasn’t a lot of worthwhile speculation he could do either.

  He knew if he ever had a family, he would never do what his father had done to him and his brothers. But that right there was the reason he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to settle down. He never wanted to hurt someone that he loved and there were endless ways to do that. For starters, he worked a lot and threw himself into new projects with all his might. Sometimes it would be midnight before he even remembered to eat dinner. A person can’t do that when they’re a husband or a father.

  Sam watched Dina discuss different veil options with the mother and daughter and felt the familiar warmth run through his body as he admired her ability to be so at ease. It was kind of hard to reconcile the two sides of the woman he’d started to get to know.

  On one hand, there was this part of Dina who handled her professional side with grace and confidence, and then on the other, there was the side that he saw the other night. One where she wanted to break free from something that was holding her back, but she couldn’t quite get there. And he wanted her to.

  He watched the women walk over to where several brilliant, sparkly white wedding gowns hung and wondered if it was difficult for Dina to make other brides happy for a living when she’d been so close so many times herself.

  Sam let out a sigh and decided he needed a drink. He was overthinking things.

  Really overthinking things.

  First, they needed to go out on a date that she’d remember, and after that, they’d see where things might lead. On that note, he wandered over to the bar and ordered a flute of champagne. It wasn’t usually his thing, but neither was hanging out in bridal shops.

  His mother came wandering over and greeted him with a quick kiss.

  “So that’s the woman who your brother is sure is the one for you?” His mom chuckled and looped her arm through his.

  “Just because Joel got fooled into the whole love thing doesn’t mean the rest of the North brothers are like him.”

  “Oh, of course not.” His mother teased him. “But she’s pretty adorable.”

  “You’re as bad as grandma.”

  “Worse, probably.” She squeezed his arm and let out a sigh. “But I’d never pressure you into anything. Ending a relationship is a lot messier than starting one, and I certainly wouldn’t want you to have to end one because I pushed you into dating just anyone with breasts and a dazzling smile.”

  “Mom, seriously?”

  “You know it’s true. Just because you’re in your thirties doesn’t mean you can’t be reminded of a thing or two.”

  “Believe me.” Sam laughed. “I’m quite well-versed on how easy it is to sleep with women.”

  “Sleeping with women is one thing, but thinking you may want to start a relationship with one is quite different, and I’m afraid this one’s got you thinking of something I never saw coming.” She gave her son a quick kiss on the cheek. “But you’re a grown man who has always made good decisions when it came to love.”

  “You mean like avoiding it all together?” He laughed and took a sip of champagne.

  “Something like that.” His mom’s smile widened as she caught Dina looking in their direction. “But you’ve always said you didn’t want a relationship, and I’ve come to believe that over the years. You’ve certainly made those choices.”

  “And if I was wrong?”

  “Only time will tell. But I do have one word of advice.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t let your father color your entire view on being married or having a family. You’re nothing like him and never could be even if you tried.” His mom smiled and wandered off into the crowd.

  Her words shocked him into a reality he’d never wanted to think about. Was it his father’s actions that colored everything he came to think about relationships? His mother had never mentioned her thoughts to him before, and he wasn’t sure what made her do so tonight, but it was a chilling observation. One that he certainly hoped wasn’t true. He never wanted to think his father could have that kind of influence on him to that degree.

  He took another sip of champagne and wandered over to where Autumn and his brother were standing.

  “What’s the matter? You look like you
saw a ghost.” His brother laughed and slapped his back, but his amused expression fell quickly when he realized Sam’s expression hadn’t changed. “You didn’t actually see one, did you?”

  Autumn rolled her eyes and slid her arm around Joel’s waist. “No, he didn’t see a ghost, possibly an ex-girlfriend, but not a ghost.”

  “I don’t do girlfriends.” Sam sucked in a breath.

  “Oh, sorry.” Autumn chuckled. “That’s right. Only snow bunnies who ski right into the lodge and right out.”

  Sam laughed and nodded. He couldn’t change his past and that’s what his past had been filled up with until recently.

  “Mom’s merely getting in my head again.” Sam waved his hands in the direction of his mother and grandmother, and Joel only laughed.

  “That’s what she’s best at.” Joel nodded and squeezed Autumn. “Let me guess. It has to do with Dina.”

  “It doesn’t help that you’re in mom’s ear about Dina.” Sam’s brows curved.

  “I’ve barely said anything.” Joel shook his head. “In fact, I can’t even remember what I said.”

  “I can,” Autumn chimed in, and Sam laughed as Dina made her way over to the group.

  The party had been going on for several hours and it seemed to be winding down, which only put thoughts in Sam’s head of getting Dina alone.

  They were going out tomorrow night, but seeing her tonight in her figure-hugging white dress only made him more determined to ask her out for drinks tonight. He didn’t want to wait. He wanted to find out more about her family, her life, what she wanted, what she liked, what she hated…

  “Aw. Exactly who we were talking about,” Autumn teased.

  “You were?” Dina seemed genuinely surprised.

  “We’re really impressed with the turnout,” Sam added. “You’ve done an amazing job.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Did you want me to get you a glass of champagne to celebrate?” Sam offered as Joel and Autumn exchanged glances.

  “No, I think I’ve proven enough this week that I don’t really need to indulge on important nights.” Dina’s laughter floated through the air, and he wondered if she’d started to remember the other night.