Sugar Plum Serenade (Seawolf Beach #2)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

More than one glass of wine wasn’t a good thing. At least, not for her. Whether it started in a can or a bottle, she needed to be more careful. Thinking back on last night…

She hadn’t made any huge mistakes, and she hadn’t been so far gone that she couldn’t remember what had happened, but still, she’d probably said a few things she shouldn’t have.

Olive was doubly thankful that Saturday was a short day at Dawn’s Radiance. The regular customers were aware of the hours, so the morning was busy enough that she only thought about her upcoming date a time or two. Maybe ten. The red dress hung in her closet, waiting. The shoes were magnificent. She did hope Tuck didn’t expect her to walk far to wherever they were going for dinner.

Time to be honest with herself. She didn’t give a fig about dinner. She hadn’t felt this way about a man in a very long time. Her time in Seawolf Beach would be short, and she didn’t want to waste a single day. She wasn’t looking for a permanent guy, a real relationship, a forever love. But that didn’t mean she should waste her time here, ignore whatever this was with Tuck. He was unexpected, a surprise of sorts. A Christmas surprise ?

The matter was decided. She was going to sleep with Nathaniel Tucker. Tonight.

As if he knew she was thinking about him, he walked in five minutes before closing time. Shoppers had cleared out, leaving her alone to handle a few bookkeeping details before locking up. He smiled. Her stomach knotted. Tonight .

“I thought I’d run you to The Magnolia to pick up your car as soon as you’re done here.”

“Thanks. Almost ready.”

He nodded, then browsed a shelf of creams and lotions while she took care of end-of-day paperwork and storing the bank bag of cash in the back room safe. Most people charged their purchases, but a few paid with cash and she had to keep an appropriate amount of change on hand. Monday she needed to make a trip to the bank before opening the shop.

She didn’t want to think about Monday, banking, or customers. Tuck was on her mind. Boy, was he.

His truck was parked at the curb. She locked up. He opened the passenger door for her and held her hand while she stepped up and in, and they were on their way. He didn’t talk much during the short drive and neither did she. When they pulled into the parking lot of his bar, she wondered if she’d wasted an opportunity. She wasn’t going to be here long. She needed to make the best of whatever time she had with Tuck.

Half an hour after leaving the boutique, she parked in her driveway. Tuck, who’d been right behind her, pulled into his. She had a few hours to get ready for their date, more than enough time, so when he headed her way she didn’t protest.

“Got any coffee?” he asked.

“Always.”

“Make me a cup?”

“Sure. I could use one myself.” And maybe a cookie.

“Sold,” he said with a charming grin .

Was she an idiot, falling for that grin? Maybe. She didn’t really care.

Olive kicked off her shoes, dropped her purse in an empty chair, and headed toward the kitchen. Pod coffee and store-bought Christmas cookies were hardly gourmet, but they’d do. Tuck stood in the kitchen doorway and watched her. He looked better than he had the last couple of days, less stressed. More himself. Whatever had upset him had been resolved or forgotten.

He took the cookies into the living room and placed them on the coffee table. When she walked into the room with two mugs of coffee, the lights on her tree were twinkling. He’d turned them on. She didn’t mind at all.

She handed him a coffee cup and sat beside him. He’d kissed her here, on this couch, a few days ago. If she was smart she’d move her purse and sit in the chair, to avoid temptation. Where Tuck was concerned she wasn’t smart. Not at all.

“Where are we going for dinner tonight?” she asked.

“There’s a really great seafood restaurant in Biloxi. I made reservations.”

“It’ll have to go a long way to beat Maggie’s,” she said, then she placed her half-empty coffee mug on the coffee table by the cookies she had no appetite for, at the moment.

“Trust me,” Tuck said.

Did she trust him? Yeah, she did. “I’m sorry if I was… difficult last night.”

“Difficult?”

“Okay, woozy. I overindulged. I was kinda drunk.”

“Kinda?”

“Fine. I was a lightweight wino who criticized your wine containers and then drank too much. You had to drive me home when I’m sure you had other things to do. ”

“None of them would’ve been as fun as spending a little more time with you.”

That was a nice thing to say, but was he honest or full of shit? Was he spinning a tale so she’d sleep with him? Should she tell him he didn’t have to work so hard? Of course not. She’d lose her woman card if she did. Maybe he didn’t need to work too hard for her, but that didn’t mean she wanted him to think she was easy.

“You’re a good neighbor and a good friend.”

He placed his coffee cup beside hers, leaned in, and kissed her. Last time he’d kissed her on the couch it had been amazing, but they were closer now than they’d been then and she knew without a doubt that she wanted him. For today, for tomorrow, while she was in Seawolf Beach… a hunk for Christmas…

This kiss was different, deeper. She felt it all through her body, as if just their lips touching meant he was already a part of her. She leaned back; he stayed with her. She wrapped an arm around his back; her legs spread a little as she tried to make their bodies fit.

They wouldn’t fit until all these clothes were out of the way…

She pulled her mouth from his. “I don’t suppose you have…”

“I don’t, not with me. Are you on…”

“No. It hasn’t been… necessary.” Not for a very long time.

“I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything, and I don’t think I’ll make it until tonight. Wait right here while I run home and grab what I need.”

Olive responded by leaning up and in, kissing him too quickly, and then jumping off the couch. Who needed a sexy red dress? “Go.”

“I’ll be right back.” Tuck stood and headed toward the door. Before he got there, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID, then answered with a short, sharp, “What?” He listened a moment, then looked back at her. His face fell .

Before he said a word, she knew he was not going to be right back with a condom or condoms.

He stuffed the phone back in his pocket. “Emergency at The Magnolia. I have to go.”

“Will I still see you at six?”

At least he was honest. “I don’t know. I’ll call you.”

Talk about deflated. “Be careful,” she said as he left, leaving her alone. She normally loved being alone…

Olive sighed as the door closed behind Tuck. It was all she could do to not chase after him. If she did, if she opened that door and called his name, that would be all she wrote. It wasn’t like this was going to take long! But she wasn’t on any kind of birth control, and he didn’t have a handy condom. They weren’t kids with zero self-control, and neither of them was stupid enough to think they’d be okay just this one time . “There’s a fine line between brave and foolish, isn’t there?”she muttered. “When have I ever been brave ?”

She decided to be optimistic about whatever emergency had called Tuck away. He’d get things taken care of. She’d don her sexy red dress and heels, they’d have dinner — maybe — then he’d help her out of that sexy outfit. She grabbed the coffee cups, one empty and one almost empty, and placed them in the sink to wash later.

When the knock sounded on the door, she jumped. Tuck , had to be. Maybe the emergency was over, he’d collected what he needed, and… Who else would knock on her door?

He’d just been gone a few minutes; she hadn’t locked the door, not yet. The knob turned; the door swung open. Her heart almost came through her throat.

And then…

“Mike!” she said, hoping she didn’t sound too disappointed. “Girls!”

Her nieces ran into the room. They never walked anywhere. Their preferred method of movement seemed to be tied between running and jumping. They entered her little rental house utilizing both.

“Sorry,” Mike said. “Dawn said you’d probably be here by now, and the kids really wanted to see you.” He lowered his voice as he neared her. “My folks loaded them up with sugar after lunch and we’re paying the price. They were making Dawn crazy, which to be honest isn’t all that hard these days.”

Four-year-old Ava ran to the back corner of the living room, stood by a bookcase, and said, “Arrrrr, matey.”

Willow, a much more mature seven, explained. “Ava likes to visit her imaginary friend who lives here. He’s a pirate.”

“Ava has imaginary friends?”

“Tons,” Willow said.

Mike chimed in from the place he’d claimed on the couch, where minutes earlier Tuck had been sitting. “It’s exhausting.”

Thank goodness Tuck had gotten that call! What if Mike and the girls had walked in at an inopportune time? Another note to herself for tonight. Lock the door.

Willow danced to the Christmas tree. “You used to be a ballerina,” she said as she struck a dancer’s pose. Well, she tried to but that was no pose Olive had ever seen.

“I did,” she said.

“Can you teach me? I want to be a ballerina, like you. Mommy said you were very good.”

Not good enough to survive the fall… “Maybe one day, when you’re a little older, I can show you a few moves.”

Willow tried to spin around, but she stumbled and landed on her behind. Oh, that face! She was disgusted by her performance.

“When you fall, you get up and try again,” Olive said. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. That was good advice. Too bad she hadn’t taken it herself. That was enough about dancing! “A pirate, huh?” she asked as she turned toward her youngest niece.

Ava joined them. “Yes! It’s so hard to tell what he’s saying, sometimes. He growls and mumbles and some of his words sound funny.”

“ Your words sound funny,” Willow said to her sister.

Ava stuck out her tongue, then turned an angelic face to Olive. “His name is Giles, and he’s lived here a very long time. Too long, he says. He likes you better than the last lassie who lived here. She was an old biddy and not as pretty as you and she never kissed anybody like that.” Ava looked over her shoulder. “Like what?” There was a brief pause before the child continued. “I think you’re confused, Giles.” In that moment, little Ava looked an awful lot like her mother. Same bossy tone of voice, too.

“Oh, oh, Giles says you should be brave.”

Olive’s stomach twisted, and for a moment felt like it was going to jump into her throat. Maybe she’d misheard. Where did that be brave come from? Desperate to change the subject, she said, “Who wants cookies?”

Mike groaned. “This is not going to help matters. They’ve had enough sugar!” The girls jumped on their father and argued, as they squirmed, that they had not had too much sugar, proving his point.

With her attention diverted, Ava had stopped talking to her pirate friend. Her invisible friend.

Olive stood still as Mike gathered up his girls and told them, in as stern a voice as he could manage, that they couldn’t have any more cookies. The girls pouted and begged in a simultaneous whine, and Mike gave in. Just one, he said. They each grabbed one cookie from the box on the coffee table, arguing about which shape they preferred. Bells or wreaths? They’d had their outing, now it was time to head home. She apologized to Mike for offering sweets before checking with him, but he didn’t seem all that concerned. The kids had needed a break, and they’d gotten one.

There were hugs and kisses from the girls, one last check of the Christmas tree, and a wave, from Ava directed toward the bookcase. Be brave .

Olive locked the door behind them. All afternoon she’d been obsessed with Tuck and what she wanted to happen, what was going to happen. Now a new thought dominated her thoughts.

Did this charming blue house on Jasmine Street come complete with its own pirate ghost?