05
table. Of Mary, which would totally bum him out.
06
“That’s Cal. He’s Mary’s older brother. He’s with the pretty
07
blonde sitting across from him with the other blond guy. He’s
08
with her too. And with Cal.”
09
This was the second triad he’d learned of in this group. Was
10
it something in the water?
11
Big brother stares . . . Ah well, he’d had more than one in his
12
lifetime. And this woman was clearly capable of handling her-
13
self anyway.
14
“Would you like a drink, Mary?” He stood.
15
“Yes, I would, thanks.” She stood as well and he couldn’t
16
resist a leisurely tour from the toes of her shoes, up a pair of
17
shapely legs over the breasts— good god, the breasts— the long
18
neck and to her face. Gracious.
19
“The bar is over there.” Mary indicated the opposite side of
20
the yard before she took his arm.
21
“Did you always know you wanted to be a musician like
22
Adrian and his sister?”
23
“My eldest brother Ezra works the ranch with my father.
24
He’d bribe me and my brothers to do chores with the promise
25
of being able to use the barn to practice music in. ’Course he
26
was a wild one too, Ezra.” He’d been in the band for a few years.
27
But the road, the life wasn’t meant for everyone. Ezra’s demons
S28
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01
had been rehab sized and he’d retired from the band to save his
02
life.
03
Last year they’d renovated that barn and made it into a home
04
studio.
05
“My parents are musical. They sang in the choir. My dad
06
plays piano and guitar. They got me drums. Well, actually, my
07
uncle got me drums to punish my dad.” He laughed, pausing as
08
they got to the bar.
09
She ordered a beer and he wasn’t sure why, but he was charmed
10
by that. He especially liked that she left a tip. He’d worked as
11
a server and at parties like this one and had people treat him
12
like crap. From then on, he’d always tipped generously.
13
“Anyway, so we lived in the country so it wasn’t like we could
14
get up to trouble anywhere else. So we rode horses and motor-
15
cycles and then when I was nineteen, Paddy— that’s my next
16
eldest brother— and Ezra started a band for real. Vaughan and
17
me, well we just went along because why not? Once we were all
18
of age, we played shitty clubs and couch surfed and then my
19
mother showed up and would spend a few months at a time with
20
us. She’d rent a house and feed us, take care of stuff for us while 21
we tried to hit it big. And then we did.”
22
“I like your mom already.”
23
“She’s pretty impossible not to like. She’d pester you until
24
you at least faked it. We wanted her to manage us but she
25
refused. But she helped us fi nd someone. That’s how we met
26
Adrian and Erin, actually; we share a manager. To this day our
27
mom keeps an eye on our manager and the money people. She’s
28S
smart about making sure we save for retirement and all that too.”
29N
Mary had to admit she liked that he seemed close with his
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family. Her perception of musicians, especially at his and Adri-
01
an’s level, used to be that of spoiled, self- centered jerks, but all 02
the ones she’d actually met had been lovely and warm. Centered,
03
even.
04
“What about you? Has this been a lifelong thing? Cooking?”
05
“I’ve always liked to cook. When I was little I used to make
06
snacks for my brothers to get them to let me play with them. Of
07
course later I fi gured out they got into a lot more trouble than I 08
did, so playing with them involved punishment and/ or injuries. My
09
god. The stuff they used to do.” She rolled her eyes.
10
“Anyway, it became a way for me to pay for things I wanted.
11
Then I started these dinners at my house. One day a month. Peo-
12
ple kept saying they thought I should go into business. I started
13
to believe it. First I had a food truck, which taught me a lot
14
about business and dealing with regulations and all that. The
15
dinner club grew more and more popular. I started getting a
16
few catering jobs, which began to multiply. So I quit the truck
17
and put down roots in a shop I share with my friend Jules. It’s
18
her shop actually and, oh my god, you just asked a simple ques-
19
tion and here I go. Sorry, I talk a lot.”
20
“I like to hear you talk, so that’s a win. How about we sit
21
over here and look out over the party and you can tell me more.
22
Jules is the blonde with your brother, who was staring daggers
23
at me earlier, right?”
24
She laughed. “He was? Oh, he’s so silly. But he’s my brother.
25
My other one probably did too, but he’s wilier than Cal.”
26
He pulled a chair out for her and she sat, happy to be off her
27
feet ’cause the heels she had on were pretty and all, but they
S28
hurt like hell.
N29
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01
“So hang on one sec.” He dashed off, returning with a tray
02
fi lled with all sorts of small plates. “I’m starving so I fi gured we 03
could eat your food while you tell me the rest.”
04
She sipped her beer. “I warned you. By the way, that sauce
05
there”—she pointed—“is perfect to put on top of the straw-
06
berries.”
07
He tried it and nodded. “What is this deliciousness?”
08
“Roasted strawberries with balsamic reduction. You like?”
09
“Hell yes, I like. Now, you started working from a shop.
10
Continue. I’ll be eating and listening.”
11
“She runs a bakery called Tart. Probably, as you can fi gure
12
out, the best tarts you’ve ever tasted, along with a variety of
13
other awesome baked goods. So I put out some stuff from that
14
evening’s catering gigs if I have extra so people can buy it along
15
with her pastry. I also moved my supper club to that space twice
16
a week and we’re fully booked for the next fi ve months. So sud-
17
denly I’m very busy, but really excited about the prospects. It
18
doesn’t hurt that my friend is marrying a rock star who gives
19
my card to all sorts of people who like to throw catered dinners.”
20
“Wow. That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
21
“Thank you. To you as well.”
22
Music started up in the background and he shoved a few
23
mushrooms into his mouth. “I’ve got to run. We’re doing a lit-
24
tle something for Miles. He wanted to do a warm-up. You know,
25
before the wedding. Which is a secret, so, god, don’t tell Gillian.”
26
“I can’t wait to hear it. And, of course, your secret is safe.
27
Gillian will be so pleased.”
28S
It wasn’t something she’d really shared with Gillian, but she
29N
did love to watch a man at his art. Be it painting, dance, food
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or music. The sight of Damien up there as he got behind his
01
drum kit made her tingly and a little wet.
02
He rolled his sleeves up before picking up the sticks, waiting
03
for Adrian as he spoke and addressed the crowd and his fi ancée.
04
Gillian, Daisy and Jules stood to her left as they all watched.
05
She was glad she wore the waterproof mascara too, because
06
Adrian and Miles pulled out all the stops, showering Gillian with
07
love. What they had planned for the wedding would be even
08
more sniffl e- worthy. Mary knew it would be a two- hanky day.
09
“You’re so lucky.” Mary leaned in to kiss Gillian’s cheek.
10
“I am, yes.” Gillian sniffed, dabbing her eyes with a hand-
11
kerchief. “Thank you for being here to share it with me.”
12
“Where else on Earth would I be?”
13
14
15
It wasn’t his party. But he liked playing with Mary watching
16
anyway. He liked the way she cocked her head, the sway of her
17
hips. Sensual. Playing music always made him think of sex, and
18
while he did, he watched her watch him.
19
And imagined fucking the hell out of Ms. Mary Whaley.
20
Sadly, they hadn’t any more time to really chat as the party
21
went on but they were never alone after that.
22
He kissed her cheek as he left, liking the way she blushed.
23
“See you next month at the wedding?”
24
“Defi nitely. I’m in it and you’ll be eating my food too.”
25
“Two great reasons to come back to Bainbridge then.”
26
27
S28
N29
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01
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05
06
07
08
2
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10
11
12
13
14
15
T
16
hat dress makes you look so sexy.” Daisy winked as she
17
gave Mary an up- and- down look.
18
Mary laughed, giving herself one last glance in the
19
mirror. They were getting dressed for the wedding, which would
20
start in an hour. Gillian was getting her makeup done and the
21
rest of the bridal party sat around talking and laughing.
22
“Yeah?”
23
“Double yeah. The drummer’s gonna love it.”
24
“I didn’t choose this dress for him.” This was technically
25
true because the dress was one they all wore as bridesmaids in
26
the wedding. Daisy had one on too. As did Jules and Erin, Adri-
27
an’s sister.
S28
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Lauren Dane
01
“Gurl, I saw him looking at you. He wants to take a bite.
02
And you should let him.”
03
“Daisy, I think you should take a class on how to say what
04
you really feel. You’re so shy.”
05
Daisy laughed. “I’d try to fi x you up with Levi’s older brother
06
Jonah, but I think he’s an even bigger handful than Levi and you
07
already have a full- time job. But a little rock- star action sure 08
has done wonders for Gillian. Why not you?”
09
Mary shook her head, trying not to laugh. “You have a one-
10
track mind.”
11
“Because I’m getting some on the regular- like.”
12
“As it happens”—Mary looked around—“he’s pretty smok-
13
ing hot.”
14
Daisy clapped her hands, her eyes lit with mischief. “I
15
knew it!”
16
“’Course you did. I told you.”
17
“Well, you said he was cute and you two had sparks. You
18
gonna get some today?”
19
“I’m a little busy today, it being my friend’s wedding and all.”
20
“So I guess you don’t need to know he was asking about you
21
earlier.”
22
Mary narrowed her eyes. “He was?”
23
“I was in the kitchen grabbing some coffee when he came
24
through with Adrian. Asked all casual and stuff,
‘Hey, anyone
25
seen Mary around?’
I told him you were obsessively scaring