Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction

Chapter Four Friday Night Lights

Cruickshank was a football town when it came to Mount MacCallion High School. The stadium was always pretty full for home games, the bleachers packed with parents, teachers, alumni, and everyone else. That Friday night, it was no different. The Fighting Goats were currently undefeated and were playing the St. Sebastian Spartans in the regional finals.

The snares from both bands were playing as spectators filed into the stadium, the cheerleaders’ shouts carrying across the air accompanied by the shrill whistles from the coaches as the players warmed up on the field.

“Doesn’t this make you super nostalgic?” Sasha asked as they made their way through the line at the concessions stand. Neither of them had gotten dinner before the game and both were looking forward to an ice-cold soda and the chicken sandwich that Mount MacCallion was famous for. Lucy was just a little bit more excited for the sandwich than Sasha, as she hadn’t gotten one on Monday.

“It does, actually.” Lucy had always loved going to football games. First it had been to watch Jeremy, who was a few years older than her. Then it was to watch Oscar, Gavin, and even Theo when they’d all been in school together. The longer she worked at Mount MacCallion, the more she realized not all of high school had been so bad for her. There had been bright spots scattered in among the darkness.

When they got to the front of the line, Sasha ordered eight sandwiches, four double fries, four Cokes, and one Diet Dr Pepper for Lucy.

“Who are you getting all that food for? The football team?”

“The guys are coming. Oscar asked me to grab something for them to eat too.”

“All of the guys?” Lucy asked before she could stop herself.

“I’m assuming Theo is coming.” Sasha gave her a sly grin before grabbing a handful of napkins and shoving them in her purse.

“I didn’t say anything about Theo. How many times do I have to tell you nothing is going on with him?”

“Luce, you could tell me a hundred times, or a thousand times, and I still wouldn’t believe it.”

Lucy just rolled her eyes as she grabbed the food and took a step back. “There are more guys than just Theo, you know.”

“I do know that.” Sasha nodded as she wrapped her fingers around the handles of the drink holders and followed Lucy out of the line. “But you were the one who told me Max and Jeremy weren’t coming because they had a meeting for the hotel remodel with that one city council member and someone from Bergen and Hennings. And I knew you weren’t asking about Gavin.”

“Why wasn’t Lucy asking about me?” a deep voice said from behind them.

They both turned to see Gavin and Oscar behind them.

“Oh, perfect,” Sasha said as she passed her brother one of the drink holders. “We needed more hands.”

Gavin took the bag of chicken sandwiches from Lucy before he repeated, “What weren’t you asking about me?”

“If you were coming,” Sasha answered.

“Then who were you asking about?” Gavin waggled his eyebrows.

“No one.”

“No one being Theo?” Oscar asked.

“I was just trying to mentally prepare myself if I had to be in his presence.” Not an untrue statement. She did indeed need to mentally prepare herself. She was still confused by what had happened the other day at Harvest Market . . . and how they’d weirdly fought and flirted. And then his response to her text message . . .

Not that it mattered, none of it mattered. He was dating someone else.

But why did she need to keep reminding herself of that fact?

“Well, then start mentally preparing yourself, sunshine.” There was a knowing look in Gavin’s eyes . . . one she was getting all too familiar with when it came to her friends. “He’s here. He had to find Gia first. She didn’t bring enough money for food so he’s doing his brotherly duty.”

“I’m sure he’s thrilled.” Sasha looked over her shoulder and flashed them a grin before she led the way up the bleachers. “Good thing he only has four more years until she goes off to college.”

“You think it will end when she goes to college?” Oscar asked from behind Lucy. “The big brother responsibility never ends.”

“And it isn’t even big brother responsibility. It’s just brother responsibility,” Gavin said as they scooted into a row, Lucy and Sasha in front and Gavin and Oscar behind them.

“True,” Oscar continued as they settled into their seats. “And it extends to other kinds of sisters too.” He set the drink holder down before he reached over and tapped Lucy’s nose. “Like ones we’ve personally adopted.”

“Hey, I already have an overly protective big brother,” she said, swatting him off. “I don’t need two more.”

Lucy glanced to the track to see if she spotted Theo, before her eyes moved to the field as the football players cleared off, making their way to the locker room for a pregame pep talk.

“What do you mean, two more?” Oscar asked as he grabbed his soda. “Try three more.”

“Oh, I forgot about Max. Yeah, he’s just as bad as Jeremy now that he’s back in town.”

“I wasn’t talking about Max.” Oscar shook his head. “I meant Theo.”

Lucy let out a loud laugh. “Maybe when it comes to Sasha, but you aren’t talking about Theo when it comes to me.”

“What aren’t they talking about when it comes to you and me?” a voice said from their right, and Lucy looked over to see Theo sidle into the row.

Gavin shifted over, giving Theo more space. “That there isn’t any brotherly and sisterly love between the two of you.”

Theo’s blue eyes moved to Lucy’s face, where they lingered for a moment too long. It was a cold night, but something warm slid along her spine at the look. “I’m going to have to agree with Lucy on that one.”

“Hey! You agreed with me on something last week, and you promised it wasn’t going to happen again.”

“I’ll do better.”

“Hey, Luce, how’s the musical going?” Oscar asked. “I haven’t heard any updates in a while. Have you gotten all the music figured out?”

This year’s winter musical was different from anything that had been done before, a brainchild of Lucy’s that had been approved by Mrs. Griffith. The students were the ones coming up with the story . . . and picking their own songs to sing. It had been a process, but one that Lucy had very much enjoyed.

“We’re in the home stretch.” Lucy nodded. “Costumes are all settled now that Caro is fixing my lead’s dress. Though I think the real stars of the show are Gia and Chloe. Those two are scene stealers for sure.”

“Really?” A smile turned up Theo’s mouth.

Lucy liked it way too much. Which was probably why she couldn’t help herself with the next thing she said. She grinned in that taunting way she liked to do with him, tilting her head to the side. “Speaking of Gia, I heard you took my taco suggestions, and that they were the best ever.”

“I knew she was going to rat me out.” Theo shook his head as Gavin handed him two sandwiches.

“Yeah, your sister is good at that.” Sasha ripped the top off one of the bags of fries and set it between her and Lucy before she turned her focus to Theo. “She and Chloe were at the café the other day getting some hot chocolates and they were telling me all about meeting Joss. So, what is going on with the two of you? You’ve been dating for a couple of weeks now.”

Theo frowned at her. “What makes you think I’m going to tell you anything about Joss?”

“I’ll tell you about my date with Adam,” Sasha countered.

“That’s a deal you’d need to make with one of them.” Theo pointed a french fry at Gavin and Oscar. “They’re the two gossips.”

“Hey! We take offense to that,” Oscar said.

“Take offense all you want. You two are the most meddlesome men I’ve ever met in my life.”

“We’re not meddlesome.” Oscar put his hand to his chest in mock offense. “We just like to know what’s going on so we can chase off any guys who aren’t good enough.”

“So, are we going to need to chase Adam off?” Gavin asked.

“I’m saying nothing unless Theo does.” Sasha made a zipping motion over her mouth.

Lucy couldn’t help but smile. Sasha was doing the Lord’s work trying to get information. There might not be anything happening with Lucy and Theo, but she was still pretty curious as to what was going on with him.

“Then you’re out of luck,” Theo said.

But not a moment later did Oscar answer the question. “They aren’t dating anymore.”

Everything in Lucy stilled. Theo wasn’t dating Joss anymore?

“Hey!” Theo looked at his friend. “What the hell, man?”

“You deserved it. You called us meddlesome and it isn’t like they aren’t going to find out anyway.” Gavin gestured grandly to Lucy and Sasha. “I don’t know if you’ve ever met my sister, but Lilah knows all and tells Caro and these two pretty much everything. Anyways”—he turned to Sasha—“spill.”

“He FaceTimed his mother during dinner.”

“What? You can’t be serious.” Oscar had been taking a sip of his Coke, but his mouth fell away from his straw.

“Yes, she was doing his laundry, which she apparently has never stopped doing even though he’s thirty years old. And she needed to know if one of his shirts could go in the dryer. He also didn’t tip our waitress.”

“Oh, double red flag.” Gavin shook his head. “What else happened?”

“He ordered chicken cordon bleu without ham and cheese.”

“Isn’t that just chicken?” Theo asked. Lucy couldn’t help but look over at him, and she could tell he’d asked that question against his better judgment.

Their eyes caught for just a moment and so many questions ran through Lucy’s mind. She wanted to know what happened with him and Joss. Wanted to know why they weren’t dating anymore. Had Joss ended it? Or had he?

Too bad she wasn’t going to ask any of those questions . . . so she focused on Sasha instead.

“Yes, it is just chicken, Theo. He also brought up his ex. Seven times.”

“You counted?” Lucy asked.

“Well, what else was I supposed to do? He didn’t really stop talking long enough for me to say anything. See, Luce, you think your love life sucks. Just look at what I’m dealing with.”

“I don’t have a love life.”

“You can’t really have a love life if you aren’t dating,” Oscar said.

“Look. Who’s. Talking.” Lucy frowned at him.

“I’ll have you know that I have a date tomorrow.” His mouth split into a grin.

“With who?” Sasha said in mock outrage. “And how am I just finding out about this?”

“Because it happened about two hours ago. And it’s with Edward.”

There was a beat of silence in their little circle before Lucy said, “Edward Roberts? Max’s assistant?”

When Max had left New York to turn the Kincaid into a hotel, Edward had come with him to help with the remodel. He still worked for Bergen and Hennings and went back and forth between Cruickshank and New York.

“Yes.” Oscar shifted his shoulders in an excited little wiggle.

“Edward’s gay? How did I miss that?” Sasha asked. “More importantly, how did I miss that you were into him?”

“I got a vibe last time he was at the bar. And then I ran into him at Kathleen’s Corner Bookstore after work today. The vibe was still there. He was looking for a good read. I made a suggestion. He bought the book. He said we should get together to talk about it when he was finished. I said why wait? So, we’re going out tomorrow.”

“Smooth.” Theo fist-bumped Oscar.

“Yes, well, it’s always good to go after what we really want.” He held Theo’s gaze for a beat too long.

But this particular conversation came to an abrupt end as a loud voice boomed through the stadium: “Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Friday night footballllllll!”

Everyone’s attention moved to the field, where students from both schools were lined up, creating a path for their respective teams to run through. The announcer was introducing St. Sebastian’s when Lucy felt Theo’s mouth at her ear.

Her skin immediately broke out into goose bumps.

“I’m calling dibs on a cliché for our bingo game.” His warm breath on her skin made her own catch in her throat.

Lucy straightened, barely turning so that she could look at him. “Which one?”

“If we win, the writing is on the wall.” He pointed past her, and her gaze followed to the side of the school where that week’s mural from the art department showed the mascot, Thaddeus the Goat, running off a group of Spartans.

Lucy looked back to him, her eyes narrowed. “Technically that’s a picture and not writing, but I’ll allow it.”

“How magnanimous of you. You must’ve woken up on the right side of the bed this morning.”

There was a glint in his eyes that made her stomach do a weird little flip. It had her picturing him on the right side of the bed . . . or any side of the bed, actually. But their gaze broke a second later as he pulled back and looked to the field.

“And now for the Mount MacCallion Fighting Goats!” The announcer’s voice boomed through the stadium.

Lucy moved her own focus to the field goal, where the players clad in blue and white busted through a paper banner that read Go Big Blue! But as she watched them storm the field, her mind was actually flashing through moments of the past. Of their past. She was still thinking about beds . . . discarded clothes littering the floor, tangled sheets, and cozy blankets.

“Hey, Luce.” An elbow nudged her in the side, and she looked over at Sasha, who whispered, “Be careful, your denial is showing.”

* * *

What in God’s name had Theo been thinking? Why had he leaned forward and gotten that close to Lucy? Why had he let his lips touch her skin? And why, why had he taken a deep breath and let that spicy vanilla and clove scent fill his lungs?

Because you’re clearly a masochist who really likes to suffer.

He’d known she was going to be at the game, and the second he saw her all rational sense went completely out of his brain. What was his problem?

She, she was his problem. She always drove him crazy, but this was reaching a new level that he didn’t know how to deal with. But deal he would have to do.

The next two hours were a very specific brand of torture. Her hair was down, and whenever she moved it would brush against his legs or his hands. She had the softest hair, and he couldn’t stop imagining what it would feel like to twine his fingers in the strands. It wasn’t hard to imagine as he had a very clear memory of it.

But the smell of her and the memory of her hair weren’t the only things driving him crazy; there was the sound of her laugh as she joked around with everyone, including him. It was sensory overload.

One of the few things he had going for him was that the game provided a little bit of distraction, especially as it was pretty tight all the way into overtime. Mount MacCallion won, thirty-eight to thirty-five, getting a field goal in the last four seconds of the game. The eruption from the crowd was deafening. Lucy and Sasha hugged as they jumped up and down. It was a moment before they let go and both turned to join in on the high fives the guys were passing out to each other.

Lucy lifted her hand in front of Theo, and he didn’t even hesitate to slap his palm against hers. The gentle sting lasted for much longer than any of the others, not because it had been a harder hit, but because of the feel of her skin on his.

And he apparently wasn’t done with the torture, because when Gavin suggested they go to Quigley’s to celebrate, there wasn’t a moment of hesitation from any of them. The thing was, they weren’t the only ones who had that idea. On any given night at the bar, there tended to be a crowd; that night it was slammed.

Theo, Oscar, and Gavin got there before the girls. When they walked in, they spotted Jeremy and Max at a table by the dartboards, both of them half a beer in.

“I heard we won,” Jeremy said as he pushed one of the empty seats out.

“It was a great game.” Oscar sat down and started telling them all about it while Gavin and Theo headed to the bar to get a round of drinks. It was a little backed up, but there was no waiting as Gavin headed around the bar.

Theo leaned against the counter, looking out and across the room, taking everyone in. But as he scanned the bar, his focus landed on Lucy the second she and Sasha walked inside . . . and it stayed on her as she made her way to their table.

“Soooo, Theoooo,” Gavin dragged out the two words, and Theo turned to find his friend behind him, his mouth split in a massive grin. “You going to tell me what’s going on with you and Lucy or what?”

“Nothing,” Theo said, just a little too fast. He paused for a second, pulling himself together. “Why would you think something is going on with her?”

“Because there is. You just tracked her all the way across the bar, and you’ve barely taken your eyes off her all night. You watched her more than you watched the game. Is that why things ended with Joss?”

“Things ended with Joss?” Caro asked as she stopped next to Gavin, pulling empty glasses off the counter and setting them in a bin.

“Yeah, because he’s into Lucy,” Gavin answered for Theo.

“Ohhhhh,” Caro said excitedly.

“At least one of you has figured it out.” Lilah had just sidled up to their group and passed two drinks across the counter to some patrons.

“What do you mean, one of us has figured it out?” The question was out of Theo’s mouth before he could stop himself.

“Oh, I’m sorry, has he not figured it out yet?” Lilah turned to her brother.

“Apparently not.” Gavin shook his head.

Well, if other people were noticing, he really was screwed. So totally screwed. He needed to get ahold of himself . . . get a little distance . . . but that wasn’t going to be an option anytime soon.

“There’s nothing to figure out.” Theo frowned at all of them. “Can we just get our drinks?”

“Sure thing, sugar bean.” Caro laughed as she grabbed a pitcher and started filling it up while Gavin stacked the glasses on a tray.

They were barely back to the table when Lucy turned to him, the tip of her nose still pink from sitting in the cold for hours. “Up for a rematch, Theodore?”

His eyes narrowed and his frown deepened as he set the two pitchers of beer on the table. “Are you ever going to stop calling me that?”

“Nope. It’s your name, isn’t it?”

“Yes, one that only my mother and grandmother call me, and just when I’m in trouble.”

“You’re thirty-one. Do you still get in trouble with your mom?” she asked, that grin of hers playing at her lips again.

Her smile always had the ability to distract him, probably because it hadn’t been directed at him very often. And because it was so damn beautiful.

“All the time. I think she’s grounded me three times today. Anyway, you know it annoys me when you call me that.”

“Fine, if we play and you win, I won’t call you that anymore. But if I win, you can’t correct me anymore. Or are you scared of getting beaten again?”

“I’m not scared of anything.”

“Jellyfish,” Lucy countered.

“Hey, you try getting stung by a swarm of jellyfish when you’re five years old and it’s the first time you’ve ever gone to the beach. It’s more rational than being scared of lizards.”

A full-body shiver ran through her. “I don’t like the way they move. Now, are we playing or what?”

Theo sighed as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. “Yes, we’re playing. For the name and the same stakes as last time. I’m getting that bottle of whiskey.”

Lucy’s eyes lingered on his arms for just a second before she looked back up at him. “Fine, I’ll get you your whiskey if you win, but if I win you have to make me that bourbon toffee apple cake for Thanksgiving.”

Theo inwardly groaned. It was the most complicated and labor-intensive cake he’d ever made. He’d done it a few years ago, and while it had been a success, he’d vowed never to make it again. The apples had to be slowly cooked in a bourbon sauce that took hours, the spun sugar was a bitch to work with and had a tendency to dissolve if there was too much humidity in the air, and the soaked sponge had to be carefully layered with frosting.

“Deal,” Theo agreed. He wasn’t making that cake, so he would be winning this game.

Lucy dug around in her purse for a moment before she pulled out that same purple pen she’d used last time. Max passed her a napkin from the dispenser, and she wrote their names across the top. “Same rules as last time?” She looked up at him.

“Same rules as last time,” he agreed.

Sasha slapped a five-dollar bill on the high-top table. “I’m putting my money on Lucy,” she said.

“Me too.” Max threw his money down.

“I’ve got to go with my man.” Oscar added his wager to the growing pile.

“Well, you guys can figure that out.” Lucy indicated the pile before she turned and headed toward the cabinet where the darts were kept.

Theo’s eyes again followed her, just like they always did these days. He was so easily distracted by the sway of her hips. Not wanting anyone to see him watching her again, he forced himself to look away. It was just too bad for him that Jeremy had caught him in the act.

“You okay, man?” Jeremy grinned in an obnoxiously knowing way.

“I’m great. Just great.”

“You sure about that?”

But Theo was saved from answering as Lucy was back in front of him.

“What are you two whispering about?” she asked, handing Theo the green set of darts he always used.

“Theo’s just trying to get me to bet on him.”

“Uh huh,” Lucy said slowly as she looked between the two men. “Well, who are you betting on, then?”

“My money’s on Theo.” There was something in the way that Jeremy said it that made Theo think his friend was talking about more than the game of darts.

“Traitor.” Lucy lightly punched her brother on the shoulder.

“Got to keep things interesting,” Jeremy said.

“I guess so.” She turned to Theo. “Ready to lose?”

“I won’t be losing. You won last, so you’re up first.” He nodded to the board.

Lucy pulled out three hot-pink darts from her case before moving into position. A weird little sensation prickled at the back of his neck and he glanced to the group of guys playing at the board at the end. There was a tall blond who wasn’t paying attention to his friends but was instead looking at Lucy.

She was too beautiful for her own good, and it felt like every time he was at this bar with her, he always caught guys looking at her.

He didn’t like it.

A loud cheer pulled his focus back to his own group. Lucy had thrown all of her darts, hitting the one, two, and three.

“Your turn.” She made a grand sweeping motion for him to take the spot to throw from.

Theo moved into place, quickly throwing his darts. He got the one and the two, but just missed the three, landing in the seventeen instead. He blamed it on the fact that out of the corner of his eye, he caught blondie looking at Lucy again.

Get it together, man.

But there was no getting it together. Theo lost the first round . . . by a lot.

* * *

The chill that had set into Lucy’s bones when they’d been watching the football game was long gone. She was warm from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Maybe a little too warm. She was wearing a thick sweater and kept pushing the chunky sleeves up to her elbows . . . where they’d inevitably just fall back into place again. There was also the crowd around them and the crackling fire burning a few feet away. Or it could be the bourbon that was now coursing through her body.

Once the first round of beer was gone, Gavin had disappeared to the bar to grab some spiced apple bourbon drinks. The tumblers had a massive round ice cube floating around the amber liquid, and the cold drink burned in her veins.

But maybe the real cause of her warmth was Theo. She was having too much fun, the two of them trading spaces as they took their turns at the board, and trading jabs while they did it. When she ended up losing their second game of darts, she found that she didn’t care.

And that was when she realized the real reason she was so warm was because she was playing with fire . . . and she wasn’t the only one who knew it either.

At that moment Sasha paused her game with Gavin at the next dartboard over and held her tumbler up in the air—giving Lucy a significant look over the rim—before polishing off the last of her drink. “You guys want another round of these?”

Max, Jeremy, and Oscar were at the pool table a few feet away and they all agreed instantly.

“Perfect.” Sasha looked at Gavin and Theo. “Why don’t the two of you practice for a little bit while Lucy and I go get this round.” And with that, she looped her arm through Lucy’s and pulled her to the bar.

Lilah looked over at them from where she was pouring a scotch. “Whatcha want?”

“Another round of spiced apple bourbons and for Lucy to tell us what the hell she’s doing with Theo.”

“I’ve been wondering that myself,” Caro said as she joined their group. “I can see you flirting with him all the way over here.”

“We all can.” Lilah nodded as she grabbed a tray and set seven tumblers down in a circle.

“Can you please just admit it?” Sasha pulled on Lucy’s arm.

“Fine. There is . . . something. But I don’t know what it is, or if it’s even reciprocated.”

“Oh, honey.” Lilah shook her head pityingly as she gently dropped an ice ball into each glass. “It’s reciprocated. I can practically smell his pheromones from over here . . . and yours.”

“Grossss.” Sasha dragged out the word and did an exaggerated body shiver.

“Shut up,” Lucy told Sasha before she turned to Caro and Lilah. “What do I do?”

“Grab him and kiss him?” Caro suggested.

“Isn’t that what you did with Max?” Sasha asked.

“Well, I was kind of crying at him first, but basically.” She nodded before pulling out a clean pitcher and putting it under the tap.

“I’m not grabbing him and kissing him in here.”

“Ask him to go outside for some fresh air,” Lilah said as she added shots to each glass.

“Seriously? That’s the best you’ve got? I need help here.”

“Well, that’s for sure,” Sasha agreed.

“You know what?” Lucy turned to her friend. “You are no help.”

“Luce, what do you want to do?” Caro asked.

God, she had no clue what she wanted. Well, when it came to Theo she didn’t know. “I . . . I want another drink.” Or three.

“Mind if I buy it for you?” a low raspy voice said from Lucy’s right.

She turned to the man next to her, looking up . . . up . . . up and into his face. As she’d gone to the football game that night, she was wearing her bright blue Chuck Taylors, and there was pretty much no added height to her five-foot-three frame. As this man was a good six-foot-something, there was a definite height difference.

He was from the group of men who’d been playing darts next to them. His square jaw was clean-shaven and he had blond hair and cool blue eyes. Damn, he was handsome.

But she wasn’t into him.

Probably because she liked guys with brown hair, thick beards, and deep blue eyes that made her feel like she was sinking into a warm bath.

Not guys. Just guy. One guy. She wanted Theo.

“Now, why would you want to buy me a drink?” Lucy asked, trying to figure out how to let the man down easy.

“Because I think you’re beautiful.”

A line like that should totally work for her. Lucy had confidence enough to know that there were plenty of men out there who appreciated her curves. Men who liked a woman with rounder hips and a bigger butt. And she liked it when she was appreciated.

Except he wasn’t the one she wanted to be getting the appreciation from.

“That’s a little forward from a man whose name she doesn’t even know,” Lilah said in her no-nonsense tone as she added the spiced apple mix to the tumblers.

“I guess it is. I’m Joseph.” He stuck out his hand for Lucy to shake, the sheepish smile pulling up his mouth was one that made her think he was a good old southern gentleman.

“Lucy.” She stuck her hand out too. His grip was firm, but not overly so.

“Well, Joseph,” Caro emphasized his name as she leaned over the counter, “you just walked into the lioness den to hit on my sister, Lucy, so I hope you know what you’re in for.”

“So, what you’re telling me is that it was a mistake to wait for her to get away from all of the lions over there?” He waved over her shoulder, indicating the group of guys still at the dartboard and pool table.

“They’re actually much less dangerous than these three.” Lucy indicated the women around her.

“So should I just hand you my number and back away slowly?” he asked, holding his hand out again, this time with a napkin sticking out between two of his fingers.

“No, you should just back away slowly,” Theo said from behind Lucy.

His voice was a little gruffer than usual, and it rasped in her ears. It took everything in her to combat the shiver that ran down her spine, but she managed to keep it under control. What she couldn’t control was the need to look over her shoulder and up into his blue eyes, eyes that were intently focused on her.

He wasn’t even looking at Joseph. Nope, he only had eyes for her. Why did it thrill her so much?

“When did you start answering for me, Theodore?”

“I wouldn’t dream of answering for you, Lucy. I was answering for me. Can I have a word with you?”

Lucy turned back to Joseph, who looked both disappointed and annoyed. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go talk to my friend. It was nice to meet you, Joseph.”

“Yeah.” He took a step back, before sliding the piece of paper with his phone number into his pocket. “You too, Lucy.” And with that he turned around and headed back to his friends.

Lucy waited a couple of seconds before turning back to Theo—purposely not catching the eyes of any of her friends as she did so. “Where would you like to talk?”

“Outside.”

“See.” Lilah lightly slapped the bar with her palm. “Didn’t I just suggest you two go outside to talk?”

Theo looked at Lilah, his eyebrows bunching together in confusion. “What? Who did you suggest that to?”

“No one.” Lucy shook her head before making a motion toward the door. “After you.”

“No, ladies first. I insist.”

“Fine.” Lucy reached out and grabbed Theo’s hand, pulling him away from the bar. He didn’t even hesitate in following behind her. In fact, the hand in hers moved, their fingers twining together as his grip tightened. Meanwhile the other moved to her hip as they made their way through the crowd.

She’d tried to take the lead by pulling him, and here he was guiding her. Yet another thing that thrilled her beyond words. Neither of them let go as they walked through the door, Lucy continuing to pull him to the other side of the building . . . and away from the windows.

The second they were in the clear, she turned to him, reluctant to let go of his hand. “Okay, Theodore, what did you want to—”

But that was all she was able to say before he had both hands on her hips and was pulling her against him, covering her lips with his.