13
DAHLIA
With my hands locked in front of me, I stood there on the sidewalk, wondering why I agreed to have lunch with a perfect stranger. I knew nothing about Nick. Sure, he seemed nice and everything, but I was so rusty in the relationship department that I feared I wasn’t the best judge of character. And I’d never really gone out with guys before.
All my life, there had only ever been Jeff.
No one else.
He had been my first everything. And up to now, my last too.
Carter was my best friend, but we never dated, so that didn’t count.
I had no idea how to do this. Dates. Friendship with other men. New relationships.
My heart banged in my chest.
Was I excited or scared? I couldn’t tell right now. I just knew the idea of having lunch with Nick made me all jittery.
Nick stepped outside Hilton and Sons, and my breath halted on its way up. Oh God, he looked so handsome. It just wasn’t fair. He smiled at me, and every molecule in me sat up and vibrated at a higher level. Maybe he was married. Or gay. Or whatever. But right now, I didn’t care. I wanted to spend more time with him. Get to know him. Be on the receiving end of the warmth of his smile.
Side by side, we walked back to Main Street. Silence had felt upon us. Comfortable yet prickly. I chewed on my lower lip, debating what to say. Nick’s proximity did funny things to my body I could only describe as burning awareness, and I relished the sensation of standing in his orbit. His arm rested at his side, and for a second, I wondered if I touched his fingers, the tingles that spread through me when our skin connected earlier would come back.
With his eyes busy taking everything in, I glanced at him, enjoying the curiosity animating his features.
An idea popped up. “Follow me,” I said as I engaged to cross the street. Nick stood there, unmoving. Oh yes, I forgot city people weren’t used to stepping onto the street until vehicles stopped their motion. My hand found his forearm, and I swore I couldn’t swallow anymore, my body too astute to him, spurs of electricity traveling through me.
I removed my hand, sucking in a quick breath. Okay, that was intense. It wasn’t a dream earlier. Those tingles were real. A warm sensation pirouetted around me, ending in my stomach.
Hoping Nick couldn’t notice my body’s reaction to his closeness, I decided to give him a tour of the square as we walked toward my favorite eatery, keeping myself busy.
Nick gave me his complete attention, his gaze pinpointed on me as I introduced him to all the things I loved about the town center.
The conversation now flowed easily as we reached Ivy’s Café.
“Still hungry?” I asked.
“Famished.” Ohmygod, his husky voice, smooth as whiskey, sent a zing to my ovaries. A dull throb started in the deepest part of me. How was it possible? We didn’t even know each other. Nick’s hand brushed my lower back when we climbed the five stairs leading to the entrance. I believed I could dissolve with just this fleeting touch.
I swallowed hard and exhaled, feeling the intensity of his eyes on my back. Every cell in my body spasmed with a desire to be touched. As if he too had been shocked, Nick removed his hand, and the air going to my lungs froze for a split second.
Nick’s palm returned to my lower back as we neared a table on the terrace of Ivy’s Café, a distance away from Dahlia’s Bridal Shop. A shiver traversed through me. I could barely manage to ignore this new stir his hand evoked in me, I glanced in the direction of my newest project, and waves of pride rippled through me. I’d done it, cemented the belief that Jeff had in me.
Since his passing away, life hadn’t always been easy. But the nickname he gave me all these years ago, Princess, held me in good fortitude to stand strong when winds of destruction ravaged me. Calling all my inner reserves, I had taken the reins of my life back into my hands for me and my son, Jack, and carved out my dreams. A flicker of an idea, a vague conversation I had had with Jeff after our wedding, and the Bridal Shop rooted itself in my mind. It had taken me three years to finally make this dream a reality. Something that resembled me, born of my passion to design beautiful creations and turn boring, ugly things into pretty ones, as Carter used to say when we were kids. Proud of what I had accomplished, I intended to make the most of it. Jeff would cheer on me from wherever he was. Because he always believed in me. My abilities. And my dreams.
Nick’s hand brushed my arm as he pulled a chair for me.
My thoughts swam back to him.
More jolts of electricity traveled through me, once again disturbing my capability to stay indifferent to this man.
My heart, which had lain dormant for so many years, did a tiny flip in my chest. Until now, I thought it had forgotten how to feel.
“I’ll be right back to take your order.” The owner offered us the menus.
“Thanks, Ivy,” I said as Nick took them and handed me one.
“You’re a regular here?” he asked.
I nodded with a smile. “Everybody knows everybody in Green Mountain. I have been visiting this town since my teens, so I’ve made some friends long before I moved here three years ago.”
Nick studied me for a moment. “Okay. I’m not crazy, I swear, and this may sound weird, but I feel like I’ve seen you before. As if I already know you from somewhere.” He shrugged. “Must be one of those déjà vu feelings.”
I shut my eyes for a few seconds, debating if I should be honest about who I was or not. When my gaze drifted back to Nick, he watched me with a mix of interest and sweetness, his eyes fixed on me. A warm sensation I hadn’t felt in years filled my belly.
Before I could say anything else, Ivy came back, a notepad in her hand.
“I’ll have the turkey wrap, extra lettuce, please,” I said.
“That sounds good. I’ll have the same,” Nick said, taking my menu and returning them both to Ivy. “And water.”
“Anything else?” Ivy asked.
Nick’s eyes searched my face for a split second before returning to Ivy. He
pointed at something on the menu, flashing her a smile that caused a wisp of envy in me. “Avocados crostini. As an appetizer.”
Ivy smiled back. “Okay then. You’re always ordering meat when Carter’s not around,” she teased me.
“Yeah. I’ve decided to treat myself.”
“I’ve missed you guys. Where is he? Still traveling the world one stadium at a time?”
“He’s actually in town. Got here last night. He’s with Jack right now. They had some catching up to do.”
“Tell him to stop by the next time you see him. I have a new recipe I want him to try before I put it on the menu. His feedbacks are always welcome.”
Ivy had been running her little restaurant forever. When Carter and I had a band years ago, we used to come here to eat every time we were in town. Over the years, Ivy’s Café had become one of our favorite spots in Green Mountain.
“I will.”
Ivy offered Nick a smile. “You two enjoy your lunch. I’ll be back with your food in a few minutes.”
Nick rose to his feet. “Can you excuse me?” he asked as he motioned to where Ivy had disappeared.
“Sure. I’ll be right here.” I watched him as he entered the café. Muscled back. Firm ass. Long legs. My insides ignited at the sight of him, all male. And handsome.
I sipped my water, urging my hyperactive hormones, and my thoughts, to cool down.
For the first time since Jeff passed away, I wondered what it would be like to be kissed by another man. How it would feel to have someone else’s hands on me.
Shivers ran through me.