Heath came into the living room and handed Tori the drink.
She widened her eyes for a split second, like a kid who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She mouthed a thank you. “Listen, Lily, our families go way back. I know you, and your staff can handle the event. I don’t have anyone else to turn to. The caterer we’d planned to use is…well, their staff came down with…a virus.”
Tori had called the catering company from the van after they’d left Henry’s place. Apparently, the servers and chefs had all eaten the same leftovers that they’d given to Tori’s assistants. And everyone had gotten sick.
“Yes,” Tori said. “We’ll put signs out announcing that the savory dishes are being provided by Medici.” She squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her fingers. “Oh, thank you, Lily. I owe you so huge.”
After she hung up, she started making another call.
“So that’s great,” Heath said. “You’ve got the food covered.”
She shook her head. “I’ve only got the main courses so far, and the cake from Sugarland. That still leaves appetizers and other desserts. I’m going to hit up Cove Cat Café for some pastries and coffee. Luna Halpern is a good friend of mine.”
“Is she the woman with the blue braids?” The cat café was a relatively new addition to the town. He’d kept up with the local scene by occasionally reading the digital version of the local newspaper, The Cove Courier, which had run an article about the brother and sister owners.
“Yup, that’s her.” After gulping down the tea, she tried her call again.
He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, which was in the shape of a cupid. The bow-shaped hour hand pointed to four. “I’m going to change. Unless there’s something I can do for you.”
Tori waved him away as she spoke into the phone. “Luna, thank goodness. I need a huge favor.”
Heath headed to the bathroom to shave. All he could think about was what an amazing woman Tori had become. In one day, she’d come to an old man’s rescue, dealt with her manipulative mother, and done the jobs that three other people normally handled.
He’d probably added to her stress today by sending her mixed signals about the two of them. As much as she’d been hurt by William’s betrayal, Heath couldn’t continue the sexual relationship with her. He never should have allowed himself that indulgence, although, God, it had been amazing. So amazing that he hadn’t been able to think about anything else all day.
He went to turn off the faucet, and it broke off in his hand. Water shot straight up in the air. Grabbing a towel, he plugged the hole, muttering curses under his breath.
“Everything okay?” Tori called from the other side of the door.
No way could he dump yet another problem on her, not now. “Sure, fine.” He’d call a plumber later, or fix it himself if he could. It was the least he could do after everything she’d done for him—for everyone in her life.
He opened the cabinet under the sink, found the shutoff valve, and turned it off.
What the hell? He’d never seen anyone have such rotten luck as she did.
After he finished dressing, he grabbed his tux and waited for Tori in the living room. He heard her talking on the phone as she got ready.
“That’s perfect, Lily,” she said. “I owe you one. I’ve got another call. Gotta run.” A moment passed before she started another conversation. “Of course, Mr. Quincy. I can assure you I’ve got everything under control.”
With a few minutes to kill, he explored the small laundry room off the kitchen, hoping to find a wrench he could use later to fix the bathroom faucet. Giving the area a quick scan, he spotted what he needed on a shelf over the window.
Movement outside caught his attention. Was someone hiding behind the palm tree in the backyard? Heath’s protective instincts roared to life. He opened the back door and stepped outside to investigate. But after a thorough search of the property, he gave up. He was sure he’d seen someone. They could have hurried away before he’d made it outside.
When he returned to the house, he locked the door and checked all the nearby windows. What if someone broke into Tori’s house when he wasn’t there to protect her? The idea terrified him. He couldn’t let anything happen to her because…because he was madly in love with her.
He wanted to keep her safe, and fix whatever broke in her house, and even drive her around when he could. The realization hit him like a tidal wave. In previous relationships, he’d only thought about his own needs. He’d been selfish and immature.
Tori brought out something entirely new and different in him. He wanted to put her first—to nurture her and be there for her. Making love to her had cinched it. She was the real deal, the woman who made him want to be a better man. His heart thundered in his chest.
Hearing Tori come out of her bedroom, he headed to the living room. He yearned to tell her how he felt about her, but she had way too much going on at the moment for him to have that heavy conversation with her. Although he had to warn her about the possible prowler.
“How do I look?”
The moment she came into view, his breath locked in his chest. Her sleek red gown hugged every delicious curve. New York runway models had nothing on Tori. She’d corralled her curls on top of her head, letting a few dangle freely around her neck and the side of her face. Her makeup was pure perfection—crimson lips, and a hint gold shimmer over her eyes and cheeks as if the stars themselves lit up her face. She’d never looked lovelier.
“Is it too much?” she asked.
He’d barely heard her over the pounding of his pulse. He searched for his voice. “It’s…perfect. You’re gorgeous, Tori.”
A rosy blush stained her cheeks. “I am not.”
Closing the distance to her, he took her hands and raised them to his lips. “Yes, you most definitely are. You’re stunning.”
Heat ricocheted between them. Their eyes met, and Heath could have sworn that their hearts were pounding in unison. God, he wanted to kiss her, and not only because she was the object of his desire. Tori was a good, kind human being. And she was the only person who truly understood Heath. She knew where he’d come from, what he liked, and accepted all of his flaws. Their relationship was special—more than special. It was unique. All this time he’d been keeping her at arms’ length in order to protect their friendship, not realizing that the friendship was the basis for so much more.
He didn’t trust anyone else to treat her the way she deserved, to cherish her. He was the only man who’d do that for her, the only one in the whole world who knew how amazing Tori was, how precious. If he promised himself that he’d always put her first, why couldn’t it work between them?
He took her face in his hands and kissed those plump, crimson lips. She tasted like mint and sugar, and everything he’d always wanted.
She pressed her body to his, her hands running up and down his back. Yes, she was the one, he knew it in the depths of his soul.
But too soon, Tori centered a hand on his chest. “The gala starts in an hour. I need to be there to make sure everything is properly set up. We ought to get going.”
Much as he needed to tell her about his revelation, to ask her if she’d be willing to take a chance with him, this wasn’t the time. She had to keep her mind on the biggest event of her career. Checking his watch, he nodded. “Yes, we should.”
He considered telling her about the possible prowler but now wasn’t the time for that, either. All that could wait until they got back here. Tonight was a new beginning for them, and he was going to make it magical.
“Do you have the keys to the van?” she asked.
He shook his head, thankful that he’d made other transportation arrangements. “I have something else in mind for tonight.”
On cue, headlights shone through the living room curtains. “I believe our chariot has just arrived.” Offering her his arm, he tipped his chin toward the door.
She narrowed her eyes at hi
m. “Oh?”
When he opened the front door, Tori gasped. “A limousine?” She let out an excited squeal that warmed his heart. “You shouldn’t have. But I’m glad that you did.”
The short, uniformed driver came around to open the door for her. “Good evening, miss.”
“Hello,” Tori said as she climbed into the vehicle.
Heath slipped a fifty into the driver’s hand. “Give my date the star treatment, would you?”
The man nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Heath sat next to Tori and waited while she finished texting. “Everything’s going to be fine,” he assured her.
She gave him a dazzling smile. “Hope so.”
Heath poured them each a glass of champagne from the bottle he’d ordered for the car. “To new beginnings.”
Tori grinned at him as she tapped her glass to his. “You mean for Cat Town Events?”
He meant so much more. Rather than answering, he merely shrugged.
“You’re being so mysterious.” Tori drank her champagne.
The driver turned onto Tabby Road, and the traffic stopped.
Tori leaned forward in her seat. “Whoa. It looks as if everyone in the entire state is here tonight. And the gala isn’t even scheduled to begin for another forty-five minutes.” She took a healthy sip of her champagne. Then she slid closer to Heath and batted her eyelashes. “A kiss for luck?”
Heath pulled her to him and gave her a slow, tasting kiss.
The driver pulled to the curb in front of the community center.
“All set, Cinderella?” Heath offered his hand.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Tori let him help her out of the car.
They stepped onto the red carpet and strode toward the building.
A photographer took their photo. “Mr. Castillo!” A female reporter from CPC-TV, the local news station, stuck a microphone in Heath’s face. “Can you tell our viewers how it feels to be back in Cat’s Paw Cove?”
Heath looked at Tori, still in awe of the beauty she’d become. “There’s no place like home. It feels as if I’ve won the best jackpot of my life.”
Tori raised her brow at him. “Wow!”
Out of nowhere, a redheaded man in a tux stepped in front of Heath and slipped his arm around Tori’s waist. “Your mother said that you needed a date,” the man stage whispered to Tori. “Glad I made it on time.”
Tori looked from the ginger to Heath. “Um…”
Heath recognized him as the guy Tori’s mother had been pushing on Tori at the opening ceremony the day before.
“We should head inside.” The man rushed Tori through the double doors into the building.
Heath’s gut twisted. Oh, hell no.
Chapter Nine
A protest was on the tip of Tori’s tongue.
“Your mother asked me to rescue you from that baseball player,” Dwayne said as he led her down the three steps into the main room at the community center.
Every muscle in Tori’s body clenched. “Did she?”
He nodded. “She said you’ve been trying to get away from him since you had to pick him up at the airport a couple of days ago.”
She should have known that her mother would resort to underhanded tricks to keep Tori and Heath apart. Why did she hate Heath so much? Extricating herself from Dwayne, she thanked him for walking her into the gala. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to check on some things.”
Spotting Luna Halpern setting up the desserts station at the far end of the room, Tori started over to thank her for taking the job on such short notice. She waved at Luna, and was almost there when a loud pop eclipsed the music. The lights went out, and the room went silent for a moment.
Until the small crowd of early birds erupted in a cacophony of shouts of confusion.
Please, not again.
“Tori?” Heath called over the din.
“Over here,” she responded.
The emergency lights came on just as Heath got to her. “What happened?”
“I have no idea.” Glancing around the room, she considered the consequences if they couldn’t restore power: the DJ wouldn’t be able to play music; the caterers wouldn’t have heat or refrigeration at their disposal; the air conditioner wouldn’t keep the room at a comfortable temperature. Basically, the entire gala would crash and burn.
“It’s not like there’s a storm,” Heath commented.
Thunder boomed outside as if to challenge his pronouncement.
Tori sank into a chair, willing back her tears. “If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.”
Suddenly the lights flickered then went back on. Tori held her breath, waiting to see what would happen. The DJ gave her a thumbs up as the music started.
“See?” Heath said. “It was just a blip.”
“Right, sure.” If that were true, why did she have the feeling that the worst was yet to come? Since her adolescence—right about the time she came into her supernatural power—she’d always known when strange things were about to happen as if that gift was part of her otherworldly abilities. And she couldn’t shake that tingly, uncomfortable premonition that the other shoe was about to fall. In fact, now that she thought about it, she’d had that feeling for weeks.
Heath took her hand and pulled her up. “Remember this song?”
Tori listened. They’d danced to it at Heath’s senior prom. That had been such a magical night. Until the moment she’d tried to kiss him, and he’d turned away. Her cheeks burned at the memory, one of the most humiliating moments of her life.
“I was such an idiot back then.” He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. “I’ve got to tell you something.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s dance.”
She couldn’t take another rejection from him. “I don’t—”
He silenced her with a kiss. “Please, dance with me.”
Rather than answer, she just let him lead her to the floor. He held her against him, swaying to the romantic music. She wished that Heath’s body didn’t feel so right against hers, so perfect.
“Listening to your father that night was the worst mistake I ever made.”
What was he talking about? “My father?”
He nodded. “He warned me not to even think about dating you.”
Tori stood still, unpacking that sentence.
“He said that I didn’t deserve you, I wasn’t good enough.” His anguished sigh cut through her. “My own father had always made me feel unworthy…of everything. I believed that I was trash for so long. My conversation with your father only confirmed what mine had always told me.”
A giant lump lodged in her throat. “Oh, Heath.”
“I want to be worthy of you, Tori.” He drew her closer.
No man had ever said something like that to her. Heat radiated through her. He did want her, and apparently, he always had. “I’m so sorry that my father made you feel…less. You’re a better man than he ever was.” Leaning her head on his chest, she savored the moment. She really did feel like Cinderella.
Guests poured into the room. One song ended, and another began. She wished that the night would go on forever, that Heath would never let go.
Somewhere in the distance, she was vaguely aware of her mother’s voice. Even that didn’t break the magical spell around Tori and Heath. She savored the moment.
Despite Heath’s admission, he lived far away, and he traveled all the time with the team. This week, this magical time together would be all they could ever have. She forced the sobering thought from her head. She desperately needed to get all she could out of their time together, because their expiration date was fast approaching.
As they danced, the floor grew more crowded, and Tori knew her time as Cinderella was running out. In a few minutes, she’d have to extricate herself and go check in with the local dignitaries in attendance, as well as her mother.
She savored the sweet mome
nts with him. When the music changed to a more up-tempo song, she took that as her cue to get to work. “I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes,” she told Heath.
His brow furrowed for a second, but he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I understand. I guess I should mingle.”
She nodded. “The photo area is all set up. There’ll be a line soon of people waiting to have their picture taken with you.”
Heath saluted her. “I’m on it.”
Tori made the rounds, making sure that the town council members were having a good time. She found her mother with Deputy Mayor Quincy.
“Great job, Miss Sutherland,” Quincy said.
Her mother elbowed him. “I told you she could handle it.”
“You look lovely, Mama.” She kissed her mother’s cheek.
Her mother skimmed her gaze over Tori and frowned. “If I were you, I’d have chosen a black dress. That would have been so much more slimming than red.”
Uncomfortable heat surged in the pit of Tori’s stomach. No, she refused to let her mother’s barbs get to her. “Be careful in those shoes, Mama. At your age, you might want to consider more practical footwear.”
Her mother scowled at her, which assured Tori that her arrow had hit the mark.
Jordan strode past them carrying two trays of mini quiches. “Hey, girl.”
“Hey, let me help you.” Tori took one of the trays, thankful for the excuse to get away from her mother.
As soon as they got to one of the catering tables, Jordan relieved Tori of the food. “My mom drives me crazy, too. I recognized the desperation in your eyes.”
Tori chuckled. “Thank you.”
“Hi, Icarus,” Jordan said to Councilman Reynolds’s seeing-eye dog.
Tori waved to the politician. “Nice to see you, sir.” She cringed and mentally smacked her forehead. Since the councilman was almost totally blind, he hadn’t seen anyone in a long time.
“Evening.” Reynolds smiled in her direction.
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