Home Is Where You Are

by Melissa Grace

  “How can I turn down an offer like that?”

  “You can’t.” I tossed a smile at him over my shoulder.

  “I think we should turn this into a little game,” he said as I flicked on the kitchen light. “Make it a little more interesting.”

  “Uh-oh.” I started rummaging through the cabinets, plucking out everything I needed to make a pot of spaghetti. “Another round of Never Have I Ever?”

  A mischievous grin spread across his face. “I had something else in mind.”

  I paused for a moment and crossed my arms, leaning against the counter. “Like what?”

  He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and started scrolling. “We take turns picking a song with the sole purpose of trying to make the other person dance. The first to dance to three songs loses.”

  “I can take you down and make dinner at the same time. I’ll even let you go first.”

  “Bold move,” Jax said. “Head and shoulder movements count as dancing too, so you can’t be doing any of this.” He swayed his shoulders and bobbed his head from side to side.

  “Quit making up these bullshit rules so I can beat you at your own made-up game.” I stepped closer to him, my hand on my hip.

  “And she’s a trash-talker. I like it.” He closed the space between us in one stride, standing so close that his warmth could have melted me like a forgotten ice cube on the floor. “We’ll see if you’re still this cocky after I make you dance to three songs in a row. First, we need to determine a prize.”

  I raised my brows at him. “Besides bragging rights?”

  “Obviously. I’m going to need something to show off my victory.”

  “Fine. What do you want?”

  “I want what every man wants.” He leaned into me, lightly pushing me against the counter.

  My breath caught in my throat and every nerve in my body tingled.

  He placed one hand beside me, bracing himself as the other reached behind me and grabbed the clear canister off the counter containing one cookie. “The last snickerdoodle.”

  “Deal.” I squared my shoulders, tilting my face up to his in what I hoped was a challenging stare and not like I wanted to devour him like a snickerdoodle. Because that thought definitely hadn’t crossed my mind more than half a dozen times.

  I moved around him to start chopping the onions and garlic as his first pick began to play. He danced beside me, bouncing his head wildly like he was in Night At The Roxbury.

  I shook my head. “Your first choice is ‘Party In The U.S.A.?’ Really?”

  “What?” Jax started doing the sprinkler, and I choked on a giggle. “This is a classic.”

  I added some olive oil to the skillet on the stove and leaned against the counter, overjoyed to have a front-row seat to this show.

  He pouted as the song ended, handing me his phone. “Your turn.”

  I quickly searched for my selection as I started sautéing the fragrant vegetables. The opening notes to “Ice Ice Baby” began to play, and I spun around, rapping into my spatula. He gritted his teeth and gripped the counter trying to keep himself from dancing, but by the time I got to the chorus his shoulders had started to rock.

  “Shit.” He laughed. “Beginner’s luck.” He took his phone back while I added the tomato sauce and my signature blend of spices to the skillet. I filled a pot with water, placing it on the stove to boil as the opening notes to “Thriller” began to play.

  “That’s cold. You already know I love this song.” I poked him in the chest. “No one can resist the siren call of the King of Pop.”

  Jax howled along to the creepy background sounds of werewolves, and once the music began, I shimmied to the left, clapping my hands above my head. When I repeated the motion to the right, he joined in. I paused long enough to set the pasta sauce to simmer, but I bounced right back into place when the chorus started.

  “You want to play dirty?” I asked, snatching the phone from his grasp. “We can do that.” I smirked and hit play on “Can’t Touch This.” I started doing a terrible rendition of the running man, and Jax couldn’t stop himself from dancing with me.

  “Dammit.” Jax laughed while I dropped the noodles into the boiling pot of water. “I’ve got to make this next one count.”

  “Do your worst,” I said, checking on the sauce.

  “Oh, I will.” He grabbed the phone, making his selection, and “Walk This Way” started to play.

  I groaned. “You’re onto me and my love for Steven Tyler.” I was dancing before the first verse kicked in. “Dinner’s almost done, and I still need to give you my last pick since you’re going to lose and all.”

  “I could still win this.” He grinned wildly.

  “Best you can hope for is a tie, but that’s not going to happen.” He handed me the phone, and I located my last song. “I’m about to pull out the big guns. Are you ready?”

  “I was born ready.”

  I made a dramatic show of pressing play, and the sounds of “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” filled the air.

  Jax threw his hands up in defeat. “Are you kidding me? I wanted to be Patrick Swayze when I was a kid.” He rolled his hips, giving me his best Swayze impression.

  “Victory!” I shouted, taking a triumphant lap around the kitchen and back to the stove. I drained the spaghetti and combined it with the sauce. When I turned to face Jax, he was dancing up to me as though he were reeling me in on a fishing pole. I laughed so hard my sides hurt when he pulled me into him and twirled me around. “Come on. Dinner’s ready.” I attempted to pry myself out of his grasp, but he spun me back into his arms.

  “Not yet.” His grin spread so wide it reached the corners of his eyes. “It’s time for the big finish.”

  “Absolutely not.” I giggled, trying to wriggle out of his arms, but he was much stronger than I was. I shrieked his name as he picked me up around my waist, spinning us around. I threw my head back with laughter, feeling lighter and more liberated than I had in ages.

  When he returned me to the ground, he pulled me close and pointed to the top of the refrigerator where Mama sat looking at us as though we’d lost our damn minds. She meowed with disgust, narrowing her golden eyes.

  “I’m so glad Mama was here to witness your defeat,” I teased. “How does it feel to lose at your own game?”

  “I don’t know.” He pulled me closer, his laughter fading to a contented smile. “Because it kinda feels like I won.”

  I felt all the boundaries I’d tried to put up softening as I allowed him to wrap me in his arms. I sighed, breathing in his calming warmth. He rested his head on mine, and I began to question the game I’d been playing with myself, trying to deny my feelings for Jax. I sensed a crack in the foundation of the walls I’d built around me, but somehow that felt a lot like winning too.

  Chapter 12

  Jax

  “You really don’t have to do all this,” I said, watching Liv flit about the kitchen, rummaging through her kitchen cabinets. She stacked ingredients alongside pots and pans, preparing to make a recipe she appeared to have memorized by heart. The countertops were already adorned with the muffins, pumpkin bread, cupcakes, and snickerdoodles she’d made.

  “I want to,” Liv assured me. “Poor Dallas. He seemed a little sniffly a couple of days ago at the festival.”

  “He said he thought it was probably just a cold.”

  “And my great grandmother’s chicken and dumplings are perfect for fighting off the common cold.” She tossed a smile over her shoulder at me as she pulled some chicken from the refrigerator.

  Mama trotted past us and started meowing wildly at the back door, her paws clawing at the glass.

  I shook my head and chuckled at Mama. “What’s got her riled up?”

  “Who knows?” Liv shook her head and turned her attention to whatever she was searchi
ng for in the pantry. “Sometimes she gets a wild hair and wants to go exploring out by the firepit. Do you mind letting her out?”

  I moved to the back door, opening it for Mama, and she darted off the back deck. I leaned against the counter, watching Liv work. “I know Dallas has quite the appetite, but you’re making enough to feed a small army.” I gestured to the plethora of treats.

  “I can’t very well take Dal a care package and leave the rest of the guys out.” She set to work on the chicken. “Now they’ll all have dinner and plenty of snacks. I also picked up some vitamin C and Gatorade for Dallas. Don’t let me forget to grab those before we leave later.”

  I nodded and flashed her a coy grin. “Do I get to benefit from any of this care package?”

  “Who do you think the snickerdoodles are for, silly?” She raised her brow at me. “And I’m keeping a small pot of the dumplings here for us.” She suddenly seemed self-conscious. “If you want to come back with me, of course.”

  “You know I do.” I thought my heart might jump right out of my chest and into her hands. Not only had she made my favorite cookies just for me, but she’d assumed we were eating dinner together. Things between us felt like they’d been progressing, especially since the festival, and I was beginning to think she could see the potential in us that I saw.

  “Dallas is going to love this. The rest of the guys will too.”

  “I’m happy to do it. The guys are your people, and you’re one of my people, so now they’re my people too.” She shrugged. “I like to take care of my people.”

  “I love that about you.”

  Her creamy skin turned slightly pink. “When I was growing up, my mom was always cooking for people. Food was her love language.”

  “So that’s where you get it.” I grinned. I felt a small tug at the corners of my heart, reminding me of those moments lost with my own mother.

  “My mom was the type of person who showed up with food for every occasion. It didn’t matter if someone just had a baby or a death in the family or if they were sick. She had a dish for all of that. I used to help her in the kitchen, making chicken and dumplings, casseroles, and cakes all the time. I remember standing on a stool to help her cook when I was too small to reach the counter. She was always patient with me, letting me taste the cake batter or take half the day rolling out dumplings. Those are my favorite memories of her.”

  A smile spread across my face as I imagined a mini Liv standing beside her mother, one finger dipped into a mixing bowl.

  “What?”

  “I was just picturing little Liv. I bet you were cute. You still are.” She chewed her lip, and I couldn’t help but think about what it felt like to kiss her the other night.

  Suddenly, Mama’s loud meow interrupted my thoughts.

  “I’ve got it,’ Liv said, wiping her hands on a dish-towel on the counter. She crossed to the back door and opened it, letting out a shrill scream before taking off out the back door. “Oh my God! Mama!”

  “What’s wrong?” I rushed outside to find her chasing Mama around in an attempt to get her to drop the very stunned, or very dead, chipmunk she held in her jaw.

  “Drop it, Mama!” Liv shrieked. “Bad cat! No!” Mama dropped the chipmunk who, much to my surprise, was alive. Seeing it attempt to scurry away, Mama went into attack mode again. I dove for Mama as Liv lunged for the chipmunk.

  Liv’s face crumpled with horror when she realized she’d grabbed the rodent with her bare hands. “Oh my God! What do I do? What do I do with it, Jax?” I howled with laughter because I didn’t know who looked more terrified: Liv or the chipmunk. “If I put it down here, Mama will find it, and I cannot be finding dead baby chipmunks.”

  Mama hissed as I tossed her inside, closing the door. I could barely form words, my body shaking with laughter as I rushed back to Liv’s side and took the tiny rodent out of her hand. “I’m going to go put him over the fence. He’ll at least have a fighting chance out of Mama’s line of sight.” I took the little guy to the farthest point of the backyard and gently set him over the fence, watching as he scampered away probably terrified out of his little chipmunk mind.

  By the time I got back to the deck, Liv was giggling uncontrollably. “I can’t believe I just did that.”

  “You’re a hero.” I chuckled, pulling her into my arms. “You should have seen yourself. You were like Snow White, if she were a fearless ninja.”

  “Fearless, or just plain stupid,” she said, shaking her head. “That crazy cat.”

  “I think that was her way of bringing you a gift.” I snickered. “I remember Dallas had a cat back when we were in school that used to do that. It’s their way of showing they love you.”

  “I guess it’s the thought that counts.” She grinned. “Come on. I need to finish these dumplings for Dallas.”

  Later that evening, we walked through the entrance of the hotel with Brady on our heels. He’d met us out front to ward off anyone who may try to approach, but the hotel lobby was mostly empty, except for Antoni, Cash, and Derek, who were talking just outside the elevator.

  “Oooh, look who it is,” Antoni purred. “How are you, Miss Thing? What’s all this?” He made a sweeping gesture at the crockpot in my hands and the pile of baked goods that Liv carried.

  “Just a little care package I made for you guys.” Liv expertly balanced the goods in one hand, hugging Antoni with the other. “I wanted to make something for Dallas to help him feel better, and I wanted y’all to have plenty to share.”

  “You made all this?” Cash’s eyes gaped open. He looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. His face seemed to soften as he watched Liv.

  Derek peered into the container at the top of Liv’s stack with a clear lid. “Are those cupcakes?”

  “They sure are.” Liv beamed.

  “Can I please steal one?” Derek asked. “I’m headed out for a bit, but I can’t walk out of here without one of those.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, but can I take one too?” Brady grinned.

  Liv laughed. “Sure.”

  “I’m gonna take one for the road too,” Antoni said, helping to ease the lid off the container, pulling out two cupcakes and handing one to Derek. Brady reached in, grabbing one before pressing the lid closed and immediately taking a bite.

  Antoni bit into his cupcake, closing his eyes. “Girl, I’m gonna have to go to confession. These are positively sinful!”

  Derek took a bite of his cupcake and sighed. “Your cupcakes are the best.” He reached out and squeezed Liv’s arm. “I hate to grab and go, but I’m meeting with a friend who’s in town. Save me some of whatever is in that crockpot because it smells delicious.”

  “Drive safe.” Liv smiled at him.

  “I’ll be right back,” Brady said. “I’m going to walk Derek out.”

  “Later, Derek.” I waved as he disappeared through the entrance with Brady on his heels.

  “Well, that’s my cue too, boo-boo.” Antoni air-kissed Liv. “I’m going home to Texas for a few days to see the fam, but I’ll see you boys in LA. And I hope to see you again soon, Miss Liv.” He gave me a pointed look as he rolled his suitcase behind him into the night.

  “I’ll go up with you guys.” Cash hit the button on the elevator. Liv, Cash, and I made the ascent to the twelfth floor, where our rooms were. “This was really nice of you, Liv.”

  “It can’t be fun being sick in a hotel room.” Liv scrunched up her nose.

  I led her down the hall toward Dallas’s room. “It definitely isn’t.”

  Liv smiled. “Besides, y’all need a home-cooked meal every now and then.”

  “Thank you,” Cash said. “Really, this means a lot.”

  We stopped in front of Dallas’s room, and I knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Dallas emerged, looking miserable in sweats and a hoodie. His eyes were puffy, and he looked exhaust
ed. “Hey, guys. What’s going on?” He rubbed at his throat, trying to soothe his hoarse voice. His eyes settled on the crockpot, then bounced over to Liv and the mountain of goodies she held. “No way. What’s all this?”

  “Chicken and dumplings.” Liv nodded. “And lots of other goodies. I brought enough for all of you and then some.”

  The door across from Dallas’s room opened, and Luca stepped out, his head cocked as he looked at us.

  I chuckled. “Seriously. We could probably feed the entire hotel staff.”

  “You’re a fucking angel.” Dallas sniffled.

  Luca gestured at me and Liv. “Something smells good out here.”

  Dallas beamed. “Liv made us food.”

  “Damn,” Luca said. “You made all this for us?”

  Liv nodded, then twisted back toward me. “Shoot. I left the bag with the other stuff in the Jeep.”

  “Other stuff?” Luca asked. “There’s more?”

  “I brought some paper bowls and plates, that kind of stuff. Dal, I got you some Gatorade and Vitamin C. Oh, and some green tea.”

  “I can go grab it,” I offered.

  “I’ll run down and get it,” Liv said. “You go plug in the crockpot.”

  “Let me at least take these off your hands.” Luca held out his arms, and Liv unloaded the treats on him.

  She dug her keys out of the tiny purse that was slung across her body. “I’ll be right back.” She touched my arm before heading back down the hall toward the elevator. My eyes lingered on her as she walked away, my chest swelling with admiration.

  “I can’t believe she did all this for us.” Dallas shook his head, opening the door further to let us in.

  I found a spot on a table near the door to plug in the crockpot, and Luca placed the other food beside it. Dallas immediately started rifling through the containers. He inhaled deeply. “Wait, is this pumpkin bread? Damn, that woman is amazing.”

  Luca grabbed a blueberry muffin and took a bite. “This is delicious. Cash, you want one?” He held the container out toward him.