39. Prologue
Prologue
Stone
“We want to meet the lady who was able to tie Stone Harper down!” Gracie Helms and my sister, Stella, smush their faces together to fit into the parameters of the phone screen. The two nosiest women on this side of the Mississippi River, if you ask me.
“One day, Gracie. I promise.” I smile through the lie at the buoyant blonde. I can’t promise anything because Lucy May Spence won’t give me the time of day despite all my advances. I’ve thrown everything at her—charm, wit, my handsomeness, and even a little money.
No, not like that. Just meant that I’ve offered to take her out to nice restaurants and have bought her little gifts and such.
She might be the only girl in the world immune to me. She’s certainly the only one who has made me chase her this long. Which is why every passing day I grow more and more agitated at the situation.
Four whole months. Once I made my mind up at the Valentine’s Day swing dance back in February that I wanted to get to know my now-permanent assistant more, I started to stop by her office at random for nothing more than a chat or to issue a compliment. That led to me asking her on the occasional business lunch and scheduling work dinners for everyone. I wanted time with her, though, so lately I’ve started asking her out on private dinners…
But she hasn’t said yes to one of those yet. Even with my blatant attempts to flirt and make my intentions known. She always has an excuse, the most frequent one being you are my boss. And the challenge is making me want her even more…
“She’s so pretty in her social media photos. Did you know her twin got engaged to the Crown Prince of Korsa yesterday? Of course you did. You were probably there. Why have we not gotten pictures? And why do you two not post pictures together?” Stella asks without taking a breath, giving a fierce eyebrow raise in my direction. I know that look—the look of doubt.
I sigh, as if the reason is the most obvious one in the world. I’ve already concocted an explanation because I knew my sister would ask me eventually. “Because she’s my assistant and we haven’t told everyone at the community center.”
Stella’s eyebrow still rides high as her gray eyes bore into me. “Scared people will accuse you of nepotism or something?”
“Yeah, he probably wanted her as his assistant just so he could keep her around him all the time.” Gracie laughs, but I only grin through tight lips. She’s not wrong…
“No. Lucy is skilled with management and has proven herself capable of performing assistant duties such as planning events, which is her forte. That’s why I merged the assistant and events planning roles back in April when we started dating.” Also not wrong. While I did want Lucy working closer with me (more opportunities to get to know her and flirt with her), she’s also a competent woman who is phenomenal at event planning. She’s responsible for the West Coast Swing night that opened my eyes to just how downright tempting the woman is.
Then sometime in April I decided to tell my family I was dating her so that they would stop nagging me about settling down.
“We’re just teasing you, bud,” Gracie claims, but my sister looks suspicious as she tugs her brunette ponytail tighter.
“We need to meet her soon, Stone. Or else we are going to have to think you’re lying to us.” Stella’s pointed stare sends panic racing down my spine. Why in the world did I even tell my family that I was dating Lucy? I’m regretting that right now, but ultimately, I was tired of hearing that I needed to settle down and stop going through girls like I was trying on new clothes. With Stella marrying Lucas over a year ago, all-eyes turned to me with the expectation that I was clearly next. Mama began to question me, Stella and Lucas straight up told me that I needed to start looking into settling down, and Jared, Gracie’s husband, began to try and set me up with women.
The easiest out, being that I now live in Juniper Grove, which is six hours north of Dasher Valley, was to state I had a girlfriend. That led to me having to give them a name two months ago, and the name that spewed out without a morsel of thought?
You guessed it. Lucy.
“I don’t have plans to come home anytime soon, Stells. I’m busy with the community center.”
“You could take a couple days off, Stone. And road trip down and show us your lady friend. You haven’t dated someone for this long since Lacey. Lucy is apparently special, and we want to meet her. Don’t make me pull the Mama card…”
Disdain and discomfort stir at my sister’s mention of my ex-girlfriend, Lacey Fraiser. But I shake the feeling off and narrow my eyes. “You wouldn’t.”
She smirks. “You used it on me to get me home for Christmas, remember?”
“Revenge!” Gracie hollers, pumping her fist in the air. Stella high-fives her and they let loose an evil laugh. Gracie’s seven-month old son proceeds to scream in the background, so Gracie hands off the phone to Stella.
“My dearest brother, you know that our lovely and caring mother is sick. You know as well as I do that her rheumatoid arthritis is disabling her even more with everyday that passes. And lastly, you know how pleased she would be to meet the girl who has captured your heart.”
I cringe as my sister bats her eyelashes, clasping her hands together underneath her chin. Regardless of her show right now, she’s right about Mama. Everytime I talk to her she sounds tired. I know her new husband is taking care of her, but it still worries me. And Mama has been subtly pushing me to bring Lucy home; it’s nothing compared to Stella’s agenda, however. Maybe I can just appease her now.
“Okay, Seester,” I say, using my own variation of sister as I have since I was a child. “I’ll have to check my calendar, but what if I came home in October for my birthday?” As I say the words and watch a wide grin stretch across her face, I know something mysterious and unfortunate will happen, souring my plans to go back to Dasher Valley.
Then I think I need to break up with Lucy.
Man, I’ve dug a hole for myself with this lie.
“You’re going to stay with her for four more months? This feels like a ploy for a ‘breakup.’” Stella says. This woman. Too sharp and perceptive.
“I plan to still be with her,” I say nonchalantly, then I change the subject to ask how Lucas, my brother-in-law, is doing for a few more minutes before ending the call and kicking back with a beer and chicken wings.
Overall, I’ve got a good life going for me, even without Lucy saying yes to my advances. Though it’d be the icing on the cake if she would. I don’t know what it is about her that is simply and utterly captivating. The primal need to experience her is something I’m slowly losing control of. It’s impacting my dating life.
My real one that I keep on the down-low.
My phone lights up with a notification—a message from a girl I dated in college at Juniper Grove University. I read it; she’s wanting me to come over. But then Lucy’s freckled face and hazel green eyes and messy curly hair come to the forefront of my mind, and I wish it was her I was going to see.
What’s with the hold this lady has on me?
I shake it off and shoot back a text to Gabriella, telling her I’ll come over for a movie.
Might as well entertain myself, even if Lucy saturates my vision all night.
As I get ready to leave, my phone rings again, and I answer my buddy’s call.
“‘Sup, Tate?”
A nervous laugh proceeds his speech. “Hey, man. Glad I caught you. Julia and I decided to get hitched, and well, we aren’t wanting a huge wedding, but I do need you by my side. We are doing a simple ceremony at the church in two weeks. You’ll come down, right? I’m sorry it’s not much of a notice. We just decided it was time, you know how it is.”
I’m silent for a beat because I don’t know how it is. How does someone just decide to get married? Isn’t there supposed to be months and months of planning? There are women out there who don’t want a huge barn-style wedding with the whole town present? I wanted to marry Lacey, sure, but I wasn’t prepared to hitch myself to her after two weeks. The engagement was simply supposed to be the next right step.
Key word: supposed.
The engagement never happened.
I swallow my thoughts. “Of course, man. Congratulations. I’m happy for you two. I’ll be there. Text me the details.”
After we chat a bit longer, and I lock up my front door after stepping outside, the thought zooms by me like a baseball while I’m up to bat: I’m going home to Dasher Valley in two weeks for my buddy’s wedding.
Strike one.
Which is a wedding my sister and Gracie will most likely be attending since Julia is Gracie’s little sister.
Strike two.
And the two of them are going to want to meet my girlfriend.
Strike three.
Batter out.