She set a hand on her stomach. “I must be hungrier than I thought.”
“You’ve definitely whet my appetite.”
“What do you mean?” She’d never taken their flirting seriously, but he’d ramped up the innuendo. He’d teased her with at least a dozen sexually charged double entendres since he’d arrived. Even though she knew he wasn’t attracted to her, it threw her.
“I mean that I’m starved. I didn’t eat breakfast. It was too early when I left. And I hate airplane food. What’s good here?”
Okay, so maybe it was her imagination. Her lack of sexual gratification must be making her super sensitive. How could she have forgotten the deep timbre of Heath’s voice, smooth as expensive whiskey? Or his heavenly scent, like a pine forest on steroids. Or that his eyes sparkled like dark jewels when he laughed.
He’d asked a question, hadn’t he? Her libido was short-circuiting her brain. “Um, everything—fajitas, quesadillas, tostadas, you name it.”
“Have you eaten anything besides those pistachios today?” He opened the door for her, and she went in ahead of him.
“Nope, no time. You wouldn’t believe how crazy this week’s been.” It took her eyes a moment to adjust from sunshine to the dimly lit interior. She was glad to see the restaurant busy even in the off hour. Mariachi music filled the air.
Henry, the old man who owned the place, shuffled over to greet them. “There’s my girl. I’ve missed you this week.” He gave Heath an assessing once-over. “Nice to see you on a young man’s arm for a change. You’re too pretty to always be alone. So this is your boyfriend, eh?”
Heat suffused her neck and ears. “N-no, this is my friend, Heath Castillo. The baseball player. We’re not… We’re just friends. We’ve never… Oh, Lord.” Okay, now she was really sticking her foot in her mouth.
Heath slipped his hand around her waist and drew her close. “If you say so, sweetheart. I’m a little insulted that you’re keeping us on the down low.”
She threw him a warning look, which only made him grin wider. “For heaven’s sake.” She twisted out of his grasp.
“You’re a very fortunate young man. She’s a real gem. Did she tell you she brings me the flowers from her weddings every week?” Henry pointed out the large floral arrangements in two corners of the room. “I could never afford to get fresh bouquets like those. And I don’t know how she came up with twenty-five tablecloths, but she did. Saved my life. She’s something else.”
“Henry, stop. You’re making way too much out of it. What was I going to do with all those red linens?” She looked at Heath to explain. “They were from a Valentine’s Day wedding.”
“Don’t be so modest, darling.” Heath winked at her and damned if that fluttery thing didn’t start up again.
And holy crap, her nipples were hard. She folded her arms over her chest as she glanced around for an empty table. “Where do you want us, Henry?”
He picked up two menus. “How about a nice romantic spot near the fireplace.”
She ignored Heath’s chuckle as they headed toward a two-top. She needed to find someone for Henry. Clearly, he was lonely since his wife’s death. Maybe her mother…no. She wouldn’t do that to the poor man. Besides, her matchmaking mojo was telling her that that Deputy Mayor Quincy was a better choice.
As soon as Henry left, she leaned in and kept her voice low. “I’ve known Henry since I was a kid. I played with his granddaughters a few times. They used to stay with Henry and his wife, Rosita every summer. She passed away last year, and he’s been having a hard time making a go of it. But the building’s been here forever. I think it was a bar way back when.”
Heath’s jaw ticked. He darted his gaze around the room. “Sure was. It was called The Rusty Nail then, and it was a dive.”
Oh no. This must have been one of his dad’s favorite bars. But before she had a chance to apologize, a familiar voice called her name. She glanced over her shoulder and cringed, but managed to paste on a smile at the last moment. “Oh, joy. Look who’s here. Vivi, what a lovely surprise.”
“You’re a lousy liar.” Vivi stood way too close to Heath and set her red-tipped fingernails on her impossibly tiny waist. “And you, sir, are even more handsome than you were in high school.”
Heath narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m sorry, have we met?”
Vivi took a backward step, looking as if she’d just found out about a worldwide peroxide shortage. “Vivi. Vivi Craig. Well, it was Yothers back in high school. I was a cheerleader.” She grabbed the artfully folded napkins from their table and wielded them like pompoms. “Let’s go, Cougars, we’re gonna win.” She winked at him. “Remember now?”
He gave her the most convincing nonchalant shrug. “Sorry, I played baseball, not football. I didn’t hang out with cheerleaders or have time for any of those…games. But it’s nice to meet you.”
Tori mentally hugged him.
Vivi’s face fell. “I’m sure when you see me with Isabel, that’ll jog your memory. We were inseparable in school. Frick and Frack, they used to call us.” She scrunched her face in that annoying, saccharin smile. Then she turned to Tori. “It was nice seeing you at the town council meeting a couple weeks ago. You sure got the better of me, didn’t you?” Another fake smile as she dropped the napkins back onto the table.
“Did I? The deputy mayor was probably just being extra cautious in sticking with a local company to handle the tricentennial.” Tori tried to mirror the same sickly sweet expression back at her.
“I’m sure you do an amazing job with these small-town weddings and little parties, but my Buzz handles some major events. Big city types of events. You’ll have to wow the crowd at three different parties. I sure hope you’re not in over your head. If you are, feel free to give Buzz a call. Or a buzz.” She chuckled at her own stupid joke.
“I’ll take that under advisement.” Tori picked up the napkins the other woman had used as props and deposited them at the far end of the table.
Vivi patted Heath’s shoulder, holding on longer than necessary. “So nice seeing you again, Heath. We’ll catch up more at the tricentennial.”
He glanced up at her from his menu and gave her a half nod.
As soon as Vivi was out of earshot, they both burst out laughing.
Tori squeezed his forearm, which was nothing but muscle. “When you asked her if you’d ever met, the look on her face was priceless. I can’t wait for her to see the amazing job I’m going to do with all the tricentennial events. That’ll shut her ass up.” She had to admit that she was glad Alexa hadn’t been able to pick up Heath thanks to handling her cousin’s wedding arrangements. She couldn’t deny that she was enjoying hanging out with him.
His expression grew serious. “Tell me something.”
“Okay.”
“Why do Vivi and her friend still matter to you?”
She pondered the question a moment. “You know how awful they were to me. They made jokes about my weight and called me every nasty name their cute little brains could think of. It took me a long time to get past my self-esteem issues. Hell, I’m still not completely over them. What’s wrong with wanting to rub their upturned noses in my success?”
He frowned. “Look how far you’ve come. Not that there was anything wrong with that nerdy kid you used to be. I loved her, but you need to move past this. People grow up, Tori. Vivi and her friends must have mellowed in the years since high school. I’m sure they’re not half as mean as they used to be.”
“Even half as mean would be pretty bad. You just witnessed what a bitch Vivi is. I see what you’re saying, though. Wounds from our youth haunt us for a long time.” As soon as the words were out, she wanted to reel them back in. Her emotional scars paled next to his.
The pain etched into his face was plain. “They sure do.”
Her chest tightened. Silence stretched between them until the waitress arrived a few minutes later. After she took their orders for guacamol
e and quesadillas, they talked about the coming baseball season and Heath’s predictions for the playoffs, which didn’t include his own team.
“I think you’re selling yourself short,” Tori said. “The Angels have the best player in the American League, hands down. You.”
His eyebrows shot higher. “You think so? You’re not prejudiced or anything, are you?”
“I’m not.”
He gave her a wink that would melt even Vivi’s frozen heart. “We’ve talked enough about me. I want to hear about your life. I gather from Henry’s reaction to me that you’re not dating anyone at the moment. Which is nuts. Every guy in town must be either blind or stupid.”
Her heart pounded. She wished she didn’t want to kiss him, but she did.
“Yeah, hot guys are beating down my door every day.” Tori rolled her eyes and laughed, but Heath saw through her bravado.
They’d been friends too long. He knew exactly what that subtle quiver of her lower lip meant. Ever since they were kids, she’d hidden her pain behind self-deprecating humor. He’d seen it every time her mother had reprimanded her for eating French fries or desserts, and when the kids at school had called her one cruel name or another.
“How long has it been since you ended your engagement?” he asked.
Lines fanned out from the corners of her eyes. “A couple of years.”
He leaned closer. “Want me to beat him up?”
That coaxed a smile out of her. “I might have taken you up on that at the time.”
“Pretty rough, huh?”
“Apparently he thought being hundreds of miles away from me gave him free license to screw whomever he wanted.” She let out a sigh that cut straight through him. “I guess it was better to find out then rather than after we’d married, right?” She pursed her lips. “I learned a valuable life lesson, though. You can’t carry on a relationship when you reside in different places. Just doesn’t work.”
The waitress arrived with their meal. Tori seemed overly grateful for the interruption. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought up the subject of her ex, but he’d assumed she’d have gotten over the hurt by now.
He took a bite of his quesadilla. “This is pretty good.”
Tori brightened. “Isn’t it? I come here a lot. I’ve been trying to talk Henry into converting part of the upper floor into a party hall. It could generate a lot of extra income for him and be a great venue for weddings. He lives upstairs, but his apartment only takes up about a third of the space. So far he’s not feeling it, though. Doesn’t want to invest the money right now.”
He gave the room another glance. It looked so different from when it had been a bar. “My dad used to frequent this place, you know. About once a month, my mother would send me to retrieve him.”
Tori covered his hand with hers. “Oh, Heath, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
He shook his head and pulled his arm away. The last thing he needed was her pity. Or the temptation of her touch.
They ate in silence for a minute or two. Finally, Tori said, “How’s your mother doing?”
“Ornery as ever. She has everything now, yet she still finds things to complain about. Linda’s even worse.” His appetite shriveled at the mention of his sister, who was no better than the mooches he’d dated in the last few years, always asking him for more and more.
“Has your sister found a job yet?” She took a spoonful of her clam chowder. A drop remained above her mouth.
“One has to actually search for work in order to find it. Linda hasn’t mastered that concept yet.” He focused on her lips. He’d have loved to kiss away that soup, but instead, he dabbed it with his napkin.
Tori grew still. Her lips parted, and her eyes searched his. The building could have been on fire, and he wouldn’t have noticed, wouldn’t have cared. Not when he was completely mesmerized by her. He couldn’t help himself. Her attitude was so open and artless, so unlike the empty Hollywood shells of women he’d dated wore.
Why hadn’t he fought for Tori years ago? Before he’d wasted years swimming in a dating pool in serious need of chlorine. Part of it was her father’s fault. Mr. Sutherland had nixed Heath’s plan of ever taking her out. He’d pulled Heath aside after a high school baseball game and told him he didn’t like how Heath looked at Tori, that she was too young for him, not to mention the wrong ethnicity. And that Heath would never be good enough for his precious daughter.
Maybe if he hadn’t believed her father, if he’d truly felt worthy of her, he’d have bucked her dad’s wishes and asked her out anyway. But he’d just let it go, convinced himself he’d never measure up.
Acid burned his throat. He had to force himself to look away. “What about your mother?”
She half sighed, half growled. “You know, I used to think she’d adjust to being on her own after my dad died. But she’s only grown more helpless and dependent.”
He tried to reconcile his image of Mrs. Sutherland with the picture Tori painted of her. He remembered her as a formidable woman, one not to be messed with—or talked back to when he was a kid. How could she have changed so much in so few years?
From Tori’s emails, he knew she took care of her mom in many ways. And although Tori recognized her manipulation, she allowed her mother to continue the behavior. Then again, his own mother had also become dependent upon him, but only financially. His mom had been through so much for so long with his father’s drinking and emotional abuse. The least he could do was to take care of her, which he could easily afford, at least for now.
“What stars have you met recently?”
Tori’s question brought him back to the present. “None. I haven’t been going out as much as I used to.”
“Oh? Why not?” She looked at him as if it really mattered to her, as if he mattered. He didn’t often get that from people. But then, Tori wasn’t just people.
Her eyes had always slain him. And her lips. Christ, how was he supposed to resist kissing her? He couldn’t help but smile at the warmth she instilled in him. It was more than that, though. Like a pilot light that could ignite an internal furnace so powerful and hot that there’d be no going back if he succumbed to the flames.
She asked you a question, dude.
He forced his concentration back to their conversation. “It’s been safer for me to stay home.”
“Safer?” She narrowed her eyes and jabbed her finger at him. “I know you, Mr. Castillo. What aren’t you telling me?”
That I’ve fallen in love with you. That my bad choices in women bit me in the ass. That my baseball career might very well be over.
“Nothing much,” he said. “I’ve just had some issues with…someone stalking me.”
She gasped. “Seriously? Like a fan?”
He shook his head. “A woman I briefly dated who wouldn’t take no for an answer when I ended things with her.”
“That’s scary.” Something flashed in her eyes, then it was gone before he was even sure he’d seen it. Maybe jealousy.
Yeah, in his dreams.
He waved away her concern. “It’s done now. Honestly, she was never more than an annoyance.” He brushed a stray curl off Tori’s cheek, skimming his knuckles over her soft skin. If he didn’t quit it, he’d do something they’d both eventually regret. “Tell me about your business.”
His request put a smile on her pretty face, as sweet and relaxed as so many of their childhood moments. “It’s going well. I have three great assistants and more jobs than we can handle.”
She entertained him with stories about her quirky staff and some of the events she’d planned. He could listen to her talk all day long, and it could be a long time before he indulged himself in another visit with her, so he kept asking her questions. Didn’t matter what she was saying, he found her fascinating, and way too sexy.
It was clear from the conversation that she cared a lot about her employees, and that it had hurt her deeply when she’d caught one stealing from
her last year. Listening to the way she conducted her business and her life shouldn’t have turned him on, yet it did. She did.
The waitress dropped off the check, and Tori grabbed it before he could.
He held out his palm. “Give me that right now before I embarrass you. I’m not above telling this whole restaurant full of people that you stole a candy bar from Bell’s Market when you were ten.”
She gasped. “I did not.”
“No, but once I plant that seed, they’ll always wonder.”
Pulling out her wallet, she chuckled. “You don’t frighten me, Mr. Big, bad superstar athlete. And by the way, I introduced Flynn Bell to his wife, Suzette. They got married three months ago, and now he’s running the store. He thinks that I hung the moon. He’d never believe that I was a shoplifter in my early life.”
“You were always quite the matchmaker.”
“I suppose I am. I don’t think the guy who’d been practically stalking Suzette before I fixed her up with Flynn thinks so, though. In fact, he probably sees me as the devil incarnate for ending his chances with Suzette.” While she fiddled with her wallet, he snatched the bill out of her hand. “Hey, no fair.”
He almost said the line about all being fair in love and war but changed his mind. “This is the least I can do to thank you for saving me from some stuffy limo driver.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, right. Like I minded picking up my best friend who I haven’t seen in forever.”
After he’d paid the check, she grabbed her purse and stood. “I have to stop by my mom’s to pick up her banking. Do you mind?”
“Course not. She does know that there’s an app for that sort of thing, doesn’t she?”
Tori rolled her eyes. “I’ve been trying to get her to do that. Mama wants nothing to do with modern technology. She refuses to let me teach her anything, or even to let me deposit her checks from my phone.”
Apparently, Charlotte Sutherland was just as controlling as ever. They left the restaurant and headed to the van. Heath held out his palm. “Keys.”
Her Homerun Hottie Page 4