“You know, I think that would be a way more fun arrangement to use that room for, but no. Well, it’s not what I came for but if you’re offering…”
“Oh my God, I wasn’t offering.” She laughed and put both of her hands on my chest. “It’s just that you don’t usually come by when we don’t have plans.”
“I was kind of hoping we were about to have plans, though.” I took a deep breath and realized that we were standing much too close together. If a customer came in and saw this, Luna would never forgive herself for her lapse in professionalism.
“How so?” she asked.
Taking a step back, I ran a hand through my hair and forced my racing heart to calm the fuck down as I kept my eyes on those blue ones of hers.
Fuck. Tropical ocean blue. I wonder if that’s a thing. I—
“Cyrus?”
I cleared my throat. “Peter and Jenny have invited me to dinner tonight. They asked me to bring you because they know you’ve been helping me with everything. They want to say thanks.”
Luna paused, a guarded look entering her eyes. “Are you sure going won’t make it weird between us? I mean, they know we’re not dating or anything like that, right?”
“Absolutely. They know you’re just a friend and that you’re helping me. It won’t make things weird. I promise.”
“Okay then.” A smile spread slowly across her lips, her eyes lighting up as she relaxed. “It would actually be pretty cool to finally meet them. I feel like I know them already and it’s going to be so much easier to help you once I get a feel for who they really are.”
“Great. They’re really excited to meet you, too. I’ll pick you up at six thirty?” Why the fuck does my heart keep racing like that?
Luna’s smile spread even wider. “Sure, but would it make any difference if I reminded you that you really didn’t have to come pick me up all the time?”
“Nope. I’ll see you tonight.” Before she could argue or my heart could randomly explode from whatever the fuck it was pulling in my chest, I got the hell out of there.
After spending the rest of the day checking out some potential new investments and having lunch with Jimmy to discuss the growth of his business, I went back home to get ready to pick Luna up.
Despite having gotten out of the shower literally two minutes before I put on my shirt, my palms were sweaty and my heart was thudding again. Although it wasn’t quite racing like it had earlier, it was definitely up to something in there.
Scowling at myself as I thought back to the last time I’d felt like this, I realized that it had been when I’d taken the woman who had eventually become my wife on a first date. Fuck that.
I’d planned on dressing down for dinner with my brother and his fiancée, but I donned another suit instead. It was better this way, almost like it would help me keep my guard up around her.
Though fuck even knows why that’s necessary. I shouldn’t have been feeling any of these things at all.
Since I couldn’t bring myself to call dinner off, considering that they were all really excited to meet one another, and I also still couldn’t quite convince myself to text someone else to come over after, I decided to just roll with it. Whatever it was, it would blow over. That much, I was one hundred percent sure of.
When I got to Luna’s apartment building, she was waiting again. A pretty, electric-blue sundress brought out the color of her eyes and complemented the shiny, loose waves of her hair. Oh God, did I really just think that?
“You’re looking ridiculously smart for a dinner at your brother’s house,” she teased when I got out of the car to open the door for her. “Should I run back upstairs and grab some evening wear? Maybe my ‘heart of the ocean’ necklace?”
“You look perfect.” The words were out before I could stop them.
Luna’s forehead creased on a soft frown before she laughed it off. “Sure. So perfect. You look good, though, I’ll give you that. You wear these suits so well.”
“Thanks.” I brushed a whisper of a kiss against her cheek and felt her shiver against me. I knew it wasn’t because she was cold, though. Whatever chemistry had been brewing between us since day one seemed to have matured into something much more… dangerous.
Luna climbed into the passenger seat without another word, turning to face me once we got on the road. “Peter and Jenny, what are they like? I know we talk about them a lot, but what should I be expecting from them tonight?”
“A ton of questions. Definitely. But they’re nice people, so they won’t make you feel like you’re facing the inquisition.”
It was true, but then why did I feel like I might be after this? Peter knew Luna was just a friend. I’d made it clear to him again when he’d called with the invitation, but I knew he was hopeful my relationship with Luna would turn into something more.
Between the two us, Peter always had been the more optimistic one. Even when I’d sworn off all women just after the divorce, he’d been the one insisting it was just a temporary thing. He had this idea in his head that one day, I’d meet the right woman for me.
Given everything he knew about Luna and about how she was helping me, I suspected he thought she was the elusive and mysterious “one” he was more determined than ever I would eventually find.
Considering how I felt like I was about to introduce her to my mother when we pulled up to his house, I knew I was going to have to be careful to hide my nerves. If Peter so much as saw a tremor or a bead of sweat on me, he’d go into matchmaker mode faster than I could even blink.
That would be a very, very bad thing for him to do. Luna still hadn’t answered me about Italy, hadn’t slept with me in a week, and was a little more skittish about seeing me than she used to be. If Peter pushed things now, I might just lose her.
Why the fuck does that thought bother me so much?
Chapter 23
Luna
I’d lied to April.
Well, not lied lied, but just lied. Sort of.
It was true that I wasn’t under any delusions about getting more with Cyrus. We had what we had and that was fine. What I had fibbed a little about was making it sound like I didn’t sometimes want more from him.
I knew I wasn’t going to get it, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about it every once in a while. A prime example of such a time was when I walked into his brother and future sister-in-law’s house.
Peter and Jenny must have been waiting for us because Cyrus had hardly shut off the engine of his fancy car when the front door to their small, suburban-looking single-family home was jerked open and the couple themselves spilled out onto their lawn.
Jenny was a beautiful, curvy woman with intelligent hazel eyes and long blonde hair. The photos Cyrus had shown me of her to prove it wasn’t his wedding really hadn’t done her justice.
She was tucked under the arm of a man who had to be Cyrus’s brother. Even if I hadn’t known who we were having dinner with and even without having seen him in the pictures, I’d have been able to tell the two were related.
The sandy brown hair, the green eyes, and even the shape of those eyes matched too perfectly for them to be anything other than related. There were also obvious differences, though.
Peter’s face held the finest lines around his mouth and eyes. I knew he was the older brother, but those lines also made it clear that he was the one who was more carefree, who laughed often and wholeheartedly.
His skin was also more tanned and his hair a little messier, giving him a more rugged appearance than his brother. When he shook my hand, his palm was also rougher. Calluses born from at least a decade in a blue-collar industry.
“Luna, it’s so great to finally meet you,” he said, stepping away from his fiancée and clasping my hand in a gentle but firm grip. “It’s about time, too. I hear you’ve been putting in some hard hours with Cyrus to plan the wedding.”
“It’s been my pleasure,” I assured him, giving him a smile of my own.
Jenny took his p
lace when he stepped away, but instead of shaking my hand, she threw her arms around me and wrapped me in a tight, warm hug. “I’m so glad to finally get to meet you. Thank you so much for everything you’re doing for us.”
After only a brief pause, my arms wound around her and I hugged her like she was my long-lost best friend. “It’s really no problem. I’ve loved every minute of it. Thank you for letting me help.”
When she released me, she put her hands on my shoulders and pulled away to look into my eyes. Hers were misty with unshed tears and she swallowed once before speaking again.
“You’ve been an absolute angel. Cyrus would have been lost without you. I’m pretty sure we’d have ended up getting married in the bar if not for you.”
“Hey, the bar would have been a great venue,” Cyrus said. “No one makes better wings and the beer’s always cold.”
Jenny shook off the emotion and popped a hand on her hip as she turned to face him. “I love the wings there, and the beer’s good too, but there’s no space for a dance floor, and I’m not sure Father James would have been happy marrying us in between stacks of beer kegs.”
He shrugged, humor dancing in his bright irises. “Did you ask him? I’m sure we could have convinced him to do it. As for a dance floor, I’ve got one word for you: sidewalk.”
Jenny rolled her eyes at him but then opened her arms and hugged him as well. Peter and Cyrus shook hands and exchanged a few quiet words with their heads bent together.
A warm, small hand landed on my elbow. Jenny raised a brow at her future husband and his brother and smiled at me. “Come on. Let’s leave those two gossips and go inside. I wasn’t sure what you liked to drink, so I made lemonade, margaritas, and put some water with cucumber slices in the fridge. What’s your poison?”
“Margaritas.” My answer came without any hesitation. I was going to need something stronger than cucumber water to get me through this.
Despite Cyrus’s assurances that they knew the score between us, I had a feeling these two were in the post-engagement bliss stage where they just wanted everyone around them to couple up and be as happy as they were.
“A girl after my own heart.” Her smile spread wider as she led me into their modest home. It was much more my speed than Cyrus’s luxury penthouse. “Let me give you a quick tour so you know where to find the bathroom and all that. Also, Peter and I are terrible hosts. We’re those people who tell you to make yourself comfortable and actually want you to do it.”
“Sounds good.” April and I were the same. “If you show me where to find a glass, I can refill it myself.”
She shook her head and gave me a knowing look. “I’m sure Cyrus can manage to keep your glass full. What I meant was, kick up your feet, grab a snack, and make yourself at home.”
“I can do that.” I didn’t bother with the comment about Cyrus keeping my glass full. If my suspicions were correct, nothing was going to deter these two in thinking we might either be together or on our way to getting together.
The front door opened up to a small but neat entrance hall, walls covered in pictures of the two of them and people I assumed were both their families. The frames were mismatched, and in between the pictures, there were quirky sayings about love and family also framed.
“Okay, so on the left is the TV and dining room. In front of us is the kitchen, and if you go down that hallway to the right, you’ll find three bedrooms and two bathrooms. One is in our bedroom, which is right at the end. If there’s someone in the guest bathroom, the second last door to the left, just use ours.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Voices filling in the entrance hall once Jenny pulled me into the kitchen told me the men had finally entered the house as well. I still couldn’t make out what they were saying, but Jenny turned the volume up on her own voice anyway.
She took a pitcher out of the fridge and poured our drinks into glasses she already had waiting. “So, how did Cyrus manage to con you into planning the wedding with him?”
“There was no conning necessary. I offered and he accepted. I adore weddings, and since I’m in the industry, I feel like I have a good grip on planning them.”
“Have you thought about making it your profession?” she asked, hazel eyes warm as she handed me a glass.
“No, not really. Being a florist is my real passion.” It was something to keep in mind, though. Maybe I could add assistance with wedding planning to my list of services to bring in extra cash. It could work. “I’ll keep it in mind. I wouldn’t ever want to stop being a florist, but I do enjoy event planning as well.”
Jenny beamed at me. “From what I’ve heard and seen, you’re really good at it. Plus, doing something on the side to earn a little bit more is everyone’s dream, am I right?”
“Amen to that.” I raised my glass in her direction and waited until she clinked hers against it. “What do you do? Cyrus told me both of you work really hard, but he’s never really mentioned what you do.”
“I’m a nurse at a community outreach clinic. Our shifts are insane, but at least we’re only open during the day.”
“Wow. That’s really admirable work.” My mom used to take me to one of those clinics when I was little. I’d always admired how hard the staff worked and remembered how horrified I’d been at how little they got paid when I first found out.
Suddenly, I had a much better understanding of why their budget was so strict, why they’d insisted on Cyrus helping them and not getting a wedding planner. I also felt even greater motivation to make theirs the most special wedding ever. “Peter’s in plumbing, right?”
“Right.” Jenny’s chest swelled with pride as she spoke about him. “With his help, his company became subcontracted to the city a couple of years ago. It was a big win for them, and he’s moved up some in the ranks there since, but the amount of maintenance they have to do makes for long hours.”
“I can imagine.”
“I’m sorry we haven’t been able to help more with the wedding. I know it’s not fair to expect Cyrus to do everything we’ve asked him to, but Peter insisted he wouldn’t mind helping out, and our working hours are just too long to get it all done ourselves.”
I walked up to her and took her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “It really has been a pleasure. I totally understand. If I may ask, though, why is that date so important to you? Wouldn’t you have liked to have some more time so you could be more involved yourself?”
A wistful smile spread on her lips. “It was my parents’ wedding date. Neither of us want to wait another year and I really want to share an anniversary with them. They were so nauseatingly in love and they set the example of what I want out of my life with Peter. I couldn’t think of a better way of kicking off our marriage than saying our vows on the same day they did.”
“Oh, wow.” My voice was strained, my own throat now closing up with tears. My eyes became wet, and I tried swiping below them before Jenny saw, but she did anyway.
Reaching out to squeeze my hand this time, she lifted her free index finger to wipe under her own eyes. “You really get it, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
Before we could both break down into sobbing messes for love lost too soon and the profoundness of their chosen date, Jenny cleared her throat and nodded toward the door at the back of their kitchen.
“Let’s go sit outside. I’ve set up a picnic table for us out there. It’s too nice out to have dinner inside tonight.”
Peter and Cyrus came into the kitchen and grabbed a beer each before all four of us made our way into their garden. It was small but well kept. Flower beds in bloom lined the white fence, and at the center of the mowed lawn was a wooden table that had a bright pink plastic cloth over it.
Plates, silverware, and napkins were already set on it. Down the middle of the table, Jenny had placed glass jars with electric candles in them.
The sun was setting above the towering tops of the trees beyond their garden, casting
a warm glow over their yard. A contented sigh fell from my lips before I could stop it. Yeah, this is definitely much more my speed.
“This is perfect,” I said to Jenny. “Thank you for inviting me.”
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” she replied, then took Peter’s hand and descended the three steps from their porch to the lawn.
Cyrus came to stand next to me. The back of his hand brushed mine, but he made no move to take it. “You okay? It looked like you guys were crying back there.”
“I’m fine. We just had a moment,” I said and then, because I had to lighten the moment, I teased him. “You wouldn’t understand. It’s a romantic thing.”
“You and Jenny were getting romantic? Because I’d pay good money to see that.” His eyes crinkled at the sides. “Peter probably wouldn’t be too happy though. I’m not sure he’d be okay with sharing Jenny, even with you. He’s convinced she’s the love of his life.”
“I’m convinced of that, too.” I shoved him with my shoulder. “And you know darn well I didn’t mean we were getting romantic. I meant you’ve got to be a romantic at heart to understand why we got a little emotional and you have no romance in your heart.”
“Thank fuck for that,” he muttered, then jerked his head toward the table. “Shall we?”
“We shall.” I took his elbow when he offered it, like he was escorting me into an award ceremony instead of a simple picnic dinner in his brother’s backyard.
Peter watched our approach with interest but didn’t mention how Cyrus wrapped his hand over mine in the crook of his elbow or how close we sat down to one another. He picked up the conversational ball first, asking about my shop, my hobbies, and just getting to know me.
Although I had heard so much about them, I enjoyed asking them about their lives too and soon felt like I’d known them both for years.
“Our office moved to East Alaska Street a couple years back,” Peter said, the fine lines around his mouth deepening on his smile. “I love the look of confusion people get when I tell them we’re in Alaska, Manhattan.”
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