by LuAnn McLane
Reese arched a dark eyebrow. “More like I was super badass and you didn’t want anything to do with me.” His tone remained teasing, but something flashed in Reese’s eyes that gave Gabby pause, making her wonder if there might be more than what he was saying.
“Oh well, thank God that high school is over, right? Would we really want to do that again?”
Reese shrugged slightly. “I might have done a thing or two differently.”
Gabby wasn’t sure what Reese meant by his comment, but he didn’t seem to want to elaborate. “Well, by seniors, I was referring to the senior citizens at Whisper’s Edge. It’s a dance where they raise money for charity. A lot of the town attends.” She grinned. “I was actually invited.”
“Sounds like a blast.” Reese rolled his eyes.
“Hey, don’t be fooled. I recently provided flowers for a birthday bash. Trust me, the Whisper’s Edge residents know how to throw a party. All I can say is beware of the punch.”
Reese chuckled. “So, are you going?”
“I don’t have a date,” Gabby answered without thinking.
Reese arched an eyebrow. “Does that mean I have a second chance to take you to the prom?”
Surely he wouldn’t tease her about prom for a second time. Caution warred with attraction and when he gave her a crooked grin, attraction won hands down. “It’s this Saturday night. Don’t you have to work?”
“I’m pretty sure that Mom and Uncle Tony will be able to cover for me.” He paused and then said, “In fact, I know they will. Until the grand opening of the actual restaurant, we’ll be pretty slow, but we planned it that way. We wanted to get all of the kinks out with a soft opening. And, you know, hopefully get a little buzz going with how good the pizza is. Restaurants rely on word of mouth and can also go under pretty quickly with bad press.”
“Well, if all of the pizza is as good as the one I had, you don’t have a thing to worry about.”
“Thanks, I hope you’re right.”
“So . . . so, what brings you here?”
“I wanted to know if you liked the cannoli,” he said.
“I . . . I did,” she replied, but it wasn’t the cannoli that suddenly popped into her mind. She looked at that amazing mouth of his and swallowed hard. “I bet it would be really delicious.”
“Would be?” He frowned slightly.
“Oh yes, I’m sure,” Gabby said, and then suddenly snapped out of it. “I mean, yes, it was,” she amended, and started fussing with the flowers strewn across the table.
“The best you’ve ever had?”
Gabby nodded slowly and her heart thudded. “I have to say . . . yes.” She looked up and met his gaze.
“Good. I was hoping you’d say that.” He walked closer until he stood right in front of her.
Gabby wanted to back up, but her feet would not budge. She tried to look away, but her eyes refused to as much as blink. She could feel the warmth of his body so close to hers and she remembered how intoxicating it felt to be wrapped in his strong arms. When he reached forward her heart hammered in her chest. He leaned even closer and caressed her hair with his fingers. If he kissed her she was afraid she’d be powerless to resist, but she stood there motionless. Waiting . . . hoping.
“Here.”
Gabby blinked at Reese. “What?”
“This was tangled in your hair.” He took a small step back and handed her a sprig of baby’s breath.
Gabby’s emotions bounced around like a pinball. Was he toying with her? Flirting? “Reese, why are you really here?”
“Flowers.”
“Flowers?”
“Isn’t this a flower shop?”
“Um . . . yeah.” Trying to be flippant, Gabby responded by giving him a shove. But the moment her palms met his rock-hard chest, she wanted to fist her hands in the cotton of his shirt and yank him forward . . . and kiss him as if there were no tomorrow. Instead, she took a big step backward and came up against the craft table. For a moment she thought he was going to step forward. She imagined him putting a palm on either side of the table, trapping her, leaning in for a hot kiss. For another long, heated moment she wanted him to.
Reese licked his bottom lip and his chest rose and fell more than simply standing there warranted. Gabby wished she could read his mind. She studied his face, noticing a small scar on his chin, a tiny mole on his cheek, and flecks of gold in his eyes. “Well?” The deep timbre of his voice felt like a caress, causing her breath to catch.
“Well . . . what?” Gabby had the urge to reach over, tug his shirt from his jeans, and feel her hands on his skin. A hot shiver ran down her spine at the thought. When had merely standing in the presence of a man affected her in this way?
The answer was easy: never.
“I need two dozen flowers.”
Gabby heart plummeted. “Well, now what did you do wrong?”
“Wrong?” He frowned for a second and then grinned. “Not for a woman. We want to dress up the tables in the restaurant with fresh flowers. Tessa bought small vases and wants to fill them with whatever flower you suggest. I’m guessing it should be something that will last. And include shades of red, I think she said.”
“Oh. . . .” Gabby cleared her throat and tried to switch her brain back to business. “Well, um, carnations or mums can last for several days or more if you snip the stems at an angle and keep the water fresh and the vases clean. Plus, they come in a variety of shapes and colors.”
Reese nodded. He still stood close. Too close. And then not close enough. “Mom suggested that you could leave a business card by each vase.”
“That’s sweet of her.”
He smiled softly. “Well, we’d like you to reciprocate by having our flyers on your counter.”
“Easy enough. Like I said, I already know the pizza is fantastic.” She swallowed hard. “And the cannoli.”
“Good.” Reese hesitated and then said, “I’ll throw in an endless supply of cannoli in exchange for talking us up. And I’ll soon have other decadent desserts for you to sample.”
“You’re going to make all of them?”
“With my own two hands. Pretty amazing for a badass like me, huh?”
Gabby tilted her head to the side. “You’re not just a delivery guy, are you?”
“Part owner. Sous-chef. And my real claim to fame: maker of amazing desserts.”
“Anything else?”
“I graduated from the Brooklyn Culinary Institute, but my specialty is desserts.”
Gabby sighed. “Why on earth did you lead me to believe otherwise?”
Something flashed in his eyes. “I didn’t. You assumed.”
Had she? Gabby supposed she’d never given him the chance to tell her any of that before. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” He shoved his hands in his front pockets and glanced around before bringing his gaze back to her. “You were preoccupied with dou . . . uh . . . Mr. Mayor. By the way, how was your big date eating something so much better than pizza?”
Gabby shot him a grin. “In my opinion there’s nothing better than pizza.”
“Good answer, but you failed to address the question.”
Was Reese jealous? The thought shot another thrill down her spine. “After getting the prom order I’ve been too busy for a date.” Actually, she’d turned Drew down, giving that same excuse. She still wasn’t sure if it was true, though.
“Well, I’m sure he won’t give up.” Reese looked at her closely as if gauging her reaction to his comment. “But at least he isn’t the one taking you to the senior prom.”
Gabby laughed. “Well, if you’re serious, the prom is a fifties theme, so dress like James Dean or something.”
“Yeah, I used to have that whole rebel-without-a-cause thing down pretty well, I guess,” he said lightly, but his gaze flicked away again
.
“Hey,” she said, trying to draw his attention away from the pain of his past. She knew where much of his angst had stemmed from. And she remembered the sweet kid he’d once been. “Reese, I understand how it feels to lose someone you love.”
His gaze returned to hers. “Your mom didn’t have a choice. My dad did.”
“But I imagine that the emotion feels somewhat the same.”
“There’s more anger involved.”
“There were times when I was really angry at my mother for dying,” she quietly admitted, although she hadn’t told anyone until now. “I threw a few things against the wall. It’s not surprising you reacted with rebellion.”
“Yeah, well, it really wasn’t fair to do that to my mother.” Reese sighed and then scrubbed a hand down his face. “She had enough to deal with. I should have been there for her instead of acting out.”
“You were a kid.” When Gabby witnessed the pain shining in his dark eyes, she had the urge to pull him into her arms and offer comfort. Instead, she stepped forward and put her hand on his forearm. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” She intended the gesture to be comforting and platonic. It wasn’t. The warmth of his skin, beneath the taut muscle, sent a hot zing through her that she couldn’t deny. Her breath caught and her heart thumped harder. She raised her gaze to meet his.
Did Reese feel it too?
When he studied her for a long moment, the awareness between them felt like a tangible thing. She had the urge to run her hands over the contours of his chest and then tilt her head up in silent invitation. Gabby’s reaction to standing close to Reese felt so strong that she couldn’t move even if she wanted to. Goodness, if a touch, a kiss could make her feel this way, what must it be like to . . .
Make love?
But then Gabby felt a flash of fear tingle down her spine. Feelings this intense carried the power to hurt with them, but when she would have stepped back Reese reached out and ran a gentle fingertip down her cheek. The gesture was so surprisingly tender that she longed to lean her face into his palm and lose herself in the sweet moment. Oh, there had been so many nights when she’d longed for someone to hold her, to comfort her, and to dry her tears. Feeling as if he was seeing too much, Gabby glanced away only to have Reese tuck a fingertip beneath her chin and guide her gaze back to him.
“Okay, I won’t.”
“What?”
Reese smiled. “Be so hard on myself.”
The brightness of his smile chased away the darkness of the past. “Good.”
“I’ve never seen you with short hair,” Reese said, softly changing the subject. “I remember your hair being halfway down your back most of the time worn in a long braid or ponytail that I always wanted to tug.”
“Sometimes you did.” She gave him a slight grin.
Reese remained silent for a moment and then said, “Yeah, but later what I really wanted to do was run my fingers through your hair to see if it felt as soft as it looked.” He shook his head. “I just said that out loud, didn’t I?”
Gabby chuckled. “Unless I was reading your mind.”
His eyes widened. “Oh God, I hope not!” But then he smiled as he reached over and picked up a lock of hair. “Just as I thought,” he observed in a husky tone that had Gabby all but melting. “Why did you cut it?”
“Locks of Love.” She tried to smile, but all her lips managed was a wobble.
“I’ve heard of it.”
“Yeah, it’s an organization that provides hairpieces for kids who are suffering from hair loss because of illness and can’t afford a wig. I donated a twelve-inch ponytail in honor of my mother, who had lost her hair to chemo.” She paused. “And then I shaved the rest off.”
“I bet your mother was so touched by the gesture.”
“At the Locks of Love donation, yes. But when I shaved my head she was so upset. My mother rarely uttered a foul word, but she cussed a blue streak! Said I shouldn’t have done that and then we both hugged and cried like crazy.”
“I bet you were beautiful even with a bald head.”
“I have pictures of us.” Her smile trembled again and swiped at a tear and then sniffed. “Ah . . . well, anyway, when my hair grew back in I decided that short layers were so much easier and so I’ve kept it this way.”
“It suits you. Shows off your pretty face and gives you a sassy side. I like it.”
Gabby tilted her head. “Are you flirting with me?”
“Trying my best but I’m not sure I’m all that good at it. Is it working?”
“I think so.”
Reese smiled. “I’d send you flowers, but . . .”
Gabby giggled. “There’s always cannoli.”
“Ah, so I had you at the cannoli? I’ve got several decadent desserts up my sleeve.” He wiggled his fingers.
“You’re not wearing sleeves,” Gabby joked, but when she looked at his tanned, muscled arms and the hint of the tattoos peeking out of the short sleeves that were stretched by his biceps, she suddenly wondered what he would look like shirtless. The thought brought warmth into her cheeks and she was glad that he couldn’t read her mind either. A hint of what she was feeling must have shown on her face, because his playfulness faded and was replaced with something sultry and . . . hot.
Gabby had dated here and there while in college, but with the death of her mother and starting her business, she’d put any thoughts of romance on hold. Drew was the first guy Gabby had set her sights on and wanted to date. Still, she couldn’t recall ever experiencing this kind of longing or desire so potent.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I might get the idea you’re going to throw yourself at me again.”
Gabby fisted her hands on her hips and leaned forward. “I did not throw myself at you! Would you stop saying that?”
“No,” Reese said, and then grinned.
Gabby found herself smiling back. She remembered that after his father left, Reese rarely smiled. He’d obviously done some healing over the years. She understood. After tragedy strikes, you have to pick up the pieces and keep going.
Reese arched an eyebrow. “Well, let me go on record and say that I wouldn’t mind if you did.”
Whoa. Reese really was flirting with her. “I’ll make a note of it.”
“Good. Feel free. You know, don’t hold back. My arms will be wide open.” When he demonstrated Gabby considered taking him up on his offer. Although his tone remained teasing, Reese dropped his arms to his sides and stepped closer, making her pulse kick into overdrive. He might have matured, but he still had that wicked bad-boy edge that felt like a walk on the wild side. And she would do well to remember that. “And hey, if you’d like to stop by the restaurant sometime this week and check out the color scheme so you can plan the flowers, I’ll reward you with lunch.”
“I just might take you up on your offer.”
“Good. The offer includes dessert.”
“You’re making your offer hard to resist.”
“That’s the plan.” He didn’t step closer, but Gabby felt as if he did.
“Oh, but hey, listen, if Saturday night is a problem with work, let me know. I’ll understand.”
“It won’t be,” Reese answered firmly. His eyes dropped to her mouth and for a second Gabby thought he might kiss her this time. But just when her eyes started to flutter shut, the bell over the front door dinged.
“Hello!”
“Miss Patty!” Gabby stepped away from Reese as if getting her hand caught in the cookie jar. She greeted her friend who lived in the Whisper’s Edge retirement community. “What brings you in?”
“I was over at the bakery ordering a big cake for the dance and thought I’d pop in and see your pretty little face.” Miss Patty gave Reese a once-over. “Well, hello there, handsome.”
“Miss Patty, this is Reese Marino. He and his unc
le own River Row Pizza and Pasta.”
“Well, bless your heart for bringing some delicious pizza to Cricket Creek.”
“You’ve had a slice?” Reese asked.
“Sure did at our last craft class. I have to tell you that the crust was to die for. Hand-tossed, I’m guessing?”
“You betcha. I can do some serious flipping-in-the-air action. The sauce is our own too.”
“It’s so good.”
“Thank you.” Gabby couldn’t help noticing Reese’s obvious pride in the restaurant.
Miss Patty gave him a sassy smile. “You didn’t deliver it, though, sugar. I would have remembered. Although the man who did was mighty fine too. I’m predicting you’ll be getting a lot of business from Whisper’s Edge.” She gave him a wink and then turned her attention to Gabby. “I think I might have a date for you for the dance!”
“Too late,” Reese responded in a playful yet decidedly make-no-mistake tone that had Gabby hiding a grin. “Gabby’s going with me.”
“Well, now.” Miss Patty arched an eyebrow and then tucked a lock of silver hair behind her ear. “Do tell.”
“Reese offered to take me to the prom.” A giddy little surge of joy at the announcement took her by surprise.
“Yeah, she’s making up for turning me down the first time.”
“Are you crazy, child?” Miss Patty gave a low whistle and then winked again at Reese. “Just make sure to save this ol’ gal a dance. And make it a slow one.”
Gabby wagged a finger at her friend. “Did you forget that you’re taken, Miss Patty? Clovis might not take too kindly if you dance with another man.”
“Humph.” Miss Patty held up her left hand. “Do you see a ring on it?”
Laughter bubbled up in Gabby’s throat, but then her eyes widened as a diamond caught her eye. “Yes!” She took Miss Patty’s hand. “Oh my goodness, did Clovis ask you to marry him?”
“There’s no fool like an old fool,” she answered, but her eyes glistened with tears. “But he sure as shootin’ did.”