“That one,” she said, pointing at Cade with a wink, “has kept me so busy in the recording booth that I haven’t even explored the city yet. Are there any hip places within walking distance from here you can recommend?” she asked, folding the bags up now that they were empty.
“Oh, do you live in the area?” I asked curiously. This neighborhood was really expensive. Bridgette had only just started making music.
She peered over at me. “Yeah. In the building. A few floors down. Cade arranged it.”
I turned to him.
“Bridgette needed a place to stay. Last week an apartment on the tenth floor came open. Bridgette is subletting it,” he hastily explained.
“Nice. And very lucky for you, Bridgette.”
An awkward silence filled the air. Bridgette tucked the folded canvas bags beneath one of her arms and shifted her weight back and forth.
She stared at Cade, but he refused to look at her. Instead, he watched me, trying to read me.
“You ready for dinner, babe? I’ll make your favorite,” he offered with a tentative smile.
Right on cue, my stomach rumbled loudly. As far as I knew, Cade had never cooked my favorite meal before. So I was anxious to see what he’d come up with. “I’d love that.” I rose on my tiptoes and pecked his lips.
His hand drifted from my waist down to cup my butt.
Bridgette cleared her throat. “So, about the local club scene around here … Do you have any suggestions?”
Cade’s hand slipped away from me like he’d been burned, but he stayed pressed against my side. He was acting weird, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to sort it out at the moment.
“There aren’t that many close by. Top Shelf is a pretty cool bar, but it’s kind of swanky and caters to an older crowd. The Luxe is nice too. Thursday nights have the best music there. But if you want to dance pretty much any night and you don’t mind going a few blocks away, I’d recommend Las Deux or Loco Motion. Those are the only ones I can think of,” I offered with a shrug.
“I’ll definitely check them out.” Her gaze cut to Cade again, who still wasn’t looking at her. “Well, I guess I’m going to get going so I can fix myself some dinner.” She made no motion to leave.
Was she waiting for an invite? I wasn’t feeling that hospitable.
My stomach growled again, breaking up some of the tension. Cade laughed loudly and planted his palm on my abdomen. “I think that’s my cue.”
“Cade, you want to walk me out?” Bridgette asked, strutting around the kitchen island to stand closer to us.
Cade finally turned his attention to her. “Actually, I’m going to let Willa see you out so I can get started on our dinner. Got to show my girl just how good of a husband I’m going to make so she doesn’t change her mind,” Cade said and squeezed me tightly.
I hated the uncertainty in his tone. Because at some point I had changed my mind, and I had no idea why.
Bridgette’s face fell for an instant before she plastered a bright smile back on her lips. “No problem. But I’m sure Willa knows just how lucky she is to have you.” She sauntered past us on the way to the door. Her hips swayed seductively, but only I noticed. “Hey, Cade?” she called over her shoulder.
When she finally had his attention, she asked, “You still planning to go with me to LA to audition the session musicians?”
“Uh … the trip kinda slipped my mind. I’m not sure I can get away now. Willa really shouldn’t be left alone yet. And we’ve got wedding stuff to take care of,” Cade stammered.
“But we’ve been planning those auditions for weeks. I hate to delay the album’s release any longer,” Bridgette whined.
“I don’t know. I’ll talk with Mack … maybe he can go with you,” Cade suggested.
She huffed out an exasperated breath, causing the hair around her face to flutter. “I understand. Just let me know what you figure out,” Bridgette said before spinning and prancing toward the door.
“I will,” Cade mumbled. He made his way to the cabinet and pulled out a pot and frying pan.
“I’ll see Bridgette out,” I whispered, anxious to eliminate whatever this weird vibe was pulsing in the apartment. I followed the path she took.
She stood silently by the door. What she was waiting for, I had no idea.
“Thanks for bringing the food by. It really was very thoughtful.” I gave her a tentative smile.
“Don’t mention it. I was happy to help Cade out.” She shrugged. “He’s done a lot for me.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry about throwing a kink into your plan.”
“What plan?” she asked in a high-pitched tone.
I frowned. “Your trip to LA.”
“Oh. Yeah. We’ve been working on trying to find the right fit for a few songs. It’s been such a pain. But I understand he needs to take care of you and everything. No biggie. Anyway, have a good night. I’ll see you later.” Bridgette twisted the knob and walked down to the elevator.
Quietly, I closed the door. The smell of tomatoes and basil filled my nostrils as I made my way back to the kitchen. Ground beef was browning in a pan with garlic while a pot of water was just beginning to boil on another burner.
“Hey, babe. All good?” Cade said as he dropped a handful of noodles into the water.
“Yeah.” Spaghetti wasn’t my favorite meal, but it was my next favorite. So Cade did get a few points for that.
“Why don’t you go shower while I finish this up?”
“OK.” I kissed him on the cheek and went to do as he suggested.
After my shower, I meandered back into the kitchen to find the table set with real plates and wine glasses. Heaping portions of spaghetti topped with meat sauce filled the plates. A lit candle flickered in the center of the table and the overhead light had been turned to dim. Soft music played over the surround sound.
“There you are. My beautiful fiancée.” Cade smiled widely at me. He brought a basket of garlic bread to the table. “No wine tonight. The paperwork from the hospital said no alcohol.” He grabbed the pitcher of iced water and poured it into the empty wine glasses. “Let’s eat.” Like a gentleman, he pulled out my chair for me.
I sat and picked up my fork. Twirling it like a pro, I wound a mouthful of noodles around the tines of my fork. “Mmm,” I groaned around the bite. “This is so good.”
“It’s your mom’s recipe. I got it from her last night. Bridgette was wrong. I went to the grocery store this morning and stocked the kitchen.” He sounded annoyed that anyone doubted his ability to take care of me. Shaking his head, he erased the irritation from his features. He took a healthy bite of his creation. “Not bad for my first time making pasta,” he said as he slurped a stray noodle that tried to escape his fork.
Reaching across the table, I rested my hand on his. “This was so sweet of you.” I was touched that he’d gone to so much trouble for me.
“I wanted to give you a little taste of what being married to me would be like. I needed you to know that I could take good care of you.” He squeezed my fingers then let go to break off a piece of bread and promptly dragged it through some sauce on his plate.
“What made you think of calling my mom?” I took another forkful. I was impressed at how closely his meal resembled my mom’s famous spaghetti.
He swallowed the mouthful of bread. “I remembered that time your mom made it for us. You talked about how as a kid, you loved Wednesday nights the most because your mom always made her spaghetti. So, I thought it might make you feel better.” He took a big gulp of his water.
Tears filled my eyes at his thoughtfulness. He’d always been a good boyfriend and had been sweet. But I couldn’t recall a time when he’d been this thoughtful.
Whatever reservations I had, they had to be unfounded. “So, about your trip to LA—”
“Don’t worry. It’s not a big deal. I promise. I’ll get someone else to go in my place,” he said hastily.
“I’ll be fine. I have
n’t had any dizzy spells today,” I tried to reassure him.
“Willa, you just got out of the hospital. You were swaying a little bit ago when you got off the couch. The trip to LA is not an overnight deal; it’s at least going to be several days. But if the first guys don’t work out, we were planning to run a second round of auditions. You need me here, not across the country.” He gripped the back of his neck.
“I understand it might not be a quick trip. You’ve had to work around me being in the hospital. But I’m out now. Life has got to start getting back to normal. For you. For me. For us.” I tried to keep the frustration out of my voice. I wasn’t aggravated with him, just my circumstances.
“I wouldn’t be able to focus on the job if I was worrying about you.” He looked at me so earnestly.
“You were able to work the past few days,” I reminded him. Picking up my sweating glass, I took a drink of the iced water.
“Only because you were safe in a hospital room with professionals around to watch over you,” he explained.
He had a point. My lips pursed in concentration. “What if I stay at my place with Sydney? I’ll go to work with her and try to remember the stuff at work I forgot. And I can do wedding stuff when I’m not doing work.”
He looked a little concerned by my suggestion.
I hastened to add, “Syd won’t leave me alone. You won’t have to worry about that.” He didn’t say anything. It really was the perfect solution. I didn’t understand his hesitation.
“If you’re sure …”
“I’m sure.”
“Then I’ll take you over there tomorrow.”
20
Trystan
♪ Missing You by Reklaws
I stepped off the elevator, my heart hammering like a trapped bird in my chest. When Syd messaged me earlier and asked me to check on Willa, I jumped at the opportunity to see her. It had been days since I stopped by her hospital room—the same day of our meeting with Mack—but it felt like months since I’d gazed upon her beautiful face.
My knuckles rapped on the door. From the other side, I heard slow steps approach. When Willa pulled the door open, she stumbled. Instinctively, I reached out and caught her.
Having her in my arms was blissful torture. She winced in my embrace.
“What’s wrong?” concerned words tumbled from my lips as I loosened my hold on her.
She waved off my concern. “It’s just my cracked ribs. I keep forgetting about them and move in ways that aggravates them. It’ll be fine in a few minutes. I just need to not breathe.”
I stepped back and lifted the hem of her shirt to see for myself. Part of me recognized that I shouldn’t be touching her in such an intimate and familiar way, but I couldn’t help myself. A loud gasp escaped as I took in the purple and blue splotches leeching from beneath the padded gauze protecting the worst of her injury. With gentle fingers, I traced along the wound. Guilt slammed into my chest, stealing my breath. If I’d just insisted on walking her down to the street to catch a cab …
“I’m so sorry this happened,” I whispered, my fingers still on her exposed skin. Heat infused my flesh where it brushed hers.
Emotion flared between us. I eased her shirt back down, shut the door and then helped her over to the couch.
“That looks really painful,” I said, nodding at her abdomen.
“It is,” she admitted, shifting to a more comfortable position.
“Should they have released you yet?” I asked as I sank onto the cushion next to her, our knees kissing from the proximity.
“The hematoma was almost gone, and I wasn’t experiencing anything major from the head injury … aside from the memory loss and some headaches.” She shrugged. “So how did your meeting go at the record label? You never came back to tell me.” Her eyes were alight with excitement and anticipation.
“It was amazing. I still keep pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t all just a dream.” I was giddy like a kid at Christmas.
♪ Dream Lover by Bobby Darin
She leaned over and pinched my thigh.
“Hey!” I scolded with a laugh, though secretly I relished her touch.
She smirked at me. “Just confirming the reality for you.”
“Anyway, the guy, Mack’s his name, had us go in a studio and lay down some preliminary stuff. He listened to all our original stuff. And …” I stared deeply into her bright eyes. I couldn’t tell her about Mack loving the song she’d inspired. Songs.
“And what?” She bounced in her spot until she was reminded of her hurt ribs. “You’d think I’d remember by now. Anyway, don’t leave me hanging,” she admonished.
I paused a few more seconds for dramatic effect. “And he loved it all, especially our newer stuff.”
“So, what happens now?” She seemed genuinely interested.
I propped my elbow on the back of the couch, still facing Willa directly. “We’ve been going to the studio to practice and get all the kinks worked out. Mack’s going to make a demo to pitch to the bigwigs on our behalf.”
She mirrored my position. “How long does that take?”
“I think we’ll be ready to do the demo soon.”
“That’s awesome. I’m so happy for you and … Wait, I don’t know your band’s name.”
“Thanks. And we’re Tryst Disrupted.” I blushed bashfully.
“Love the name.” She tilted her head as she considered me for a moment. “So, where are you from?’
Laughter exploded from me. I had no idea what she’d been thinking about with that look on her face. But my accent was not on the radar. “You mean my accent doesn’t scream New York?” I purposely increased the heaviness of the classic New Yorker accent.
“Actually, it does. But I didn’t want to assume. What does my accent scream?” she asked playfully.
I couldn’t let on that I already knew this about her. “South.” I tapped my chin, pretending to ponder. “Hmm. Not quite deep south. Your drawl isn’t as pronounced.”
She nudged my knee. “I don’t have a drawl.”
“You definitely do. But it’s cute. I like it.” I swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably. “So, uh … tell me about your family.”
She ran her finger along the hem of her shorts where it pressed against her leg. “I’m from Kentucky. My dad’s family has raised horses for generation. They have a huge farm and train racehorses.”
“Like for the Kentucky Derby?” I asked excitedly.
“That’s always the goal,” she said with a laugh. She slipped her phone from her back pocket and swiped a few times. She turned the screen around to me, showing me a sprawling classic red and white barn with green pastures surrounding it. Horses dotted the landscape. “My parents have been helping my grandparents for as long as I can remember. They all live in Kentucky, though my parents have been here in the city quite frequently as of late. Anyway, things have been rough for my grandparents recently. Some of their investments didn’t pan out. And then a couple of their most promising horses either got sick or injured. It’s been hard for them. I’ve been trying to help them secure new investors to help save the farm. Cade’s parents are going to form a partnership with them too. That at least keeps all the shares of the business in the family,” she explained.
“I’m sorry to hear they’ve been struggling. That must be hard for you being here while they’re hours away.” I knew all too well the guilt that arose when family needed help and you weren’t in a position to offer it.
“Yeah. It makes me feel pretty helpless. That’s why I jumped at the chance to help them find some new investors. What about your family?” she asked, anxious to change the subject.
“My dad’s not in the picture really anymore. He left when I was in high school. Moved somewhere on the West Coast. He has a new family. We don’t keep in touch. My mom’s amazing though. When we were growing up, she worked two jobs to take care of me and my sister, and she somehow still managed to never miss a game or recital.” Pride underscor
ed my words.
“You have a sister?”
“Yeah. She’s younger. Still a kid really. I was thirteen when she was born. But she never got on my nerves like I expected a kid sister to.” I smiled fondly as I thought back to her toddler years, following down behind me.
“I bet you’re a great big brother,” she said wistfully.
“I try.” I really did. More now than ever.
“You want something to eat or drink? I haven’t had lunch yet,” she asked, swinging her legs around.
It was like she knew I needed the change of subject. The way our instincts were with each other was unnatural for people who hadn’t known each other that long. It was uncanny.
“I’d love some lunch. But you have to let me help. You’re still recuperating.” I stood and reached to help her up.
Her arms naturally wound around my neck as my hands went to her waist. Effortlessly, I lifted her to her feet. But I was standing too close to the couch, so when she was upright, her chest brushed mine. Her breath caught in her throat as her head tilted back to look up at me.
♪ When I Look into Your Eyes by Firehouse
Our faces were so close I could smell the mint of her toothpaste when she finally exhaled. Those mesmerizing eyes of hers ticked back and forth across my face, surveying me. I was frozen in place, over halfway to kissing her. My lips remembered the feel of hers. My fingers flexed on her waist, muscle memory kicking in. The night we’d met, she’d groaned when my hands tightened possessively on her hips.
As if my memory brought the moment back from the dead, she moaned so softly, her breath washing over my lips. The distance between us lessened. I desperately wanted to crush my mouth to hers. Her eyes drifted close, and she tilted her head a little more. Her fingers clenched the collar of my shirt.
Thankfully, my brain kicked in before I did something she’d surely regret, given she was back in a relationship with Cade and was about to marry him. I tucked her head under my chin and held her tightly for a moment. When my heart quit thundering quite so erratically, I pushed myself back from her. “What can I fix you for lunch?” my tone was gravelly and filled with need.
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