Chapter Sixteen
D elilah stood at the kitchen sink, scrubbing the remainder of the dinner dishes and humming along to a Sam Hunt song playing on her parents’ Alexa. Her dad was in the garage tinkering with Marie, while her mom sat at the table, dishing out dessert. So far, they’d avoided the topic of her writing and living several hours away from them, but Delilah could feel the moment coming.
“So, I haven’t wanted to annoy you,” her mom prodded, drumming her nails on the tabletop, “but I am curious about Anthony.”
Delilah paused in her scrubbing but didn’t turn around. “What about him?”
“I’ve just never heard you mention him before. Last time you talked about anyone, it was that red-haired loudmouth.”
Delilah snorted. “You mean Pike?”
“Yes!” her mother said, a tinge of disgust in her tone, “Good-looking man but kind of obnoxious from what I remember.”
“He’s really not, but it doesn’t matter.” Delilah returned to her scrubbing as she added, casually, “I’m not interested in him anymore.”
“Because of Anthony?” her mom asked.
Delilah didn’t want her parents latching on to this relationship before it became something. It was still too early. “Partly, but also because I decided that I deserved more. I deserve to have my dreams come true, to be someone’s first choice and not just a convenient one. I’ve decided to stop hiding and figure out who I want to be.”
“And who is that?”
“I’m not sure,” Delilah said, scrubbing the last dish and putting it into the drying rack. She turned around to face her mother, who was watching her with keen interest, hanging on her every word, and that was both wonderful and terrifying. “But I’m trying new things to see what I like. I wore a dress out to a bar last week and multiple men hit on me. It was flattering.”
Her mom flashed a sly smile. “Was Anthony one of those men?”
“No, he just made sure I got home okay.”
“See, I knew I liked him,” her mom crowed.
Delilah rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I also started going to the gym. I want to get in better shape to try some new things.”
“Like what?” her mom asked.
Delilah felt like an idiot even saying the word out loud. Her mom was going to see right through that. “Snowboarding?”
Her mom laughed. “You hate being cold!”
Delilah shrugged. “I still want to say I tried. I haven’t done anything except play it safe.” She took a seat across from her mom with a sigh. “Even my writing.”
Her mom frowned. “I thought you had an agent taking out your stuff?”
“She is, but no one wanted my manuscript.” Saying it out loud was a struggle past the lump in her throat. Before her mom could catch on to her emotional meltdown, she cleared her throat and continued, “But one of the editors is interested in working with me on another project. I think I will take the series they rejected and self-publish it. See if I can find an audience for it.”
“How will that help you get in with a publisher?” Her mom asked.
“If the book does well in the indie space, those sales make me more marketable with a built-in audience.”
Her mom nodded, although the expression on her face still had an air of confusion. “Well, I hope it works out that way for you.”
“Why do you say it like that?” Delilah asked.
“Like what?”
“Like it isn’t going to happen?”
Her mom snapped the lids back on the pies with a huff. “I swear, Delilah, I don’t know what you want me to say. If I tell you my concerns, you get angry with me for not supporting you, and then if I wish you luck, I’ve got some kind of hidden message. Either way, I’m the bad guy.”
“No, it’s just that I already know how you feel about my writing, which is why I don’t like to talk about it.” Delilah wiped her hands on the towel and headed for the door. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Delilah! What about your pie?”
“I’ll eat it when I get back. I just need some air.”
Delilah hooked up Leia to her leash and stepped out the front door, closing it behind her. Her breath fogged in front of her face as she walked down the walkway and onto the driveway. When she hit the sidewalk, Delilah turned right and listened to the evening sounds of the suburbs. She could hear music coming from a house down the street. Cars passing out on the main road. Laughter erupted from someone’s backyard.
She passed by a parked gray Subaru and suddenly stopped when Leia barked excitedly and started jumping on the passenger door. Delilah checked the license plate. It was her car.
Delilah returned to the passenger side window and bent over, peeking inside the car. Anthony was in the front seat, hat pulled low over his face. He appeared asleep, and she knocked on the window, noticing him jump a foot in the air. She waved at him, and he rubbed at his face before rolling down the window.
“Hi,” he said.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Sleeping.”
“Why? I thought you would be at your dad’s and getting a hotel for the night?”
“I was going to do that, but there was a bunch of family drama. My brother and I left and went out to eat at the closest place that was open. Afterward, I tried to get a hotel room, but they were all booked unless I wanted to spend almost five hundred bucks and I wasn’t going to crash in my brother’s hotel room with his family. I figured I’d sleep in the car and head home tomorrow. Even if I come back Sunday to grab you, it would be cheaper than that hotel room.”
“Why didn’t you text me?”
“I didn’t want to intrude on your family’s Thanksgiving.”
“That is ridiculous. Get out of the car and come inside.”
“Delilah, I’m okay—”
“You are not sleeping in the car, Anthony. I forbid it.”
He laughed. “Forbid, huh?”
“Absolutely. Grab your bag and let’s go inside.”
Anthony climbed out of the car and headed for the trunk. “Why are you out here?”
“You aren’t the only one who gets aggravated with your parents.”
“I bet my aggravation trumps yours.”
“It probably does, since I planned on going back inside. Wanna talk about it?”
“Not at the moment. I’m still processing it.” He slung his bag over his shoulder and wrapped an arm around her, his warm embrace making her nipples peak. “What happened with your parents?”
“Same old thing. My mother wants me to get a real job, preferably close to them.”
“Are your parents pretty good overall?”
“Yeah, they are. You were going to say I should suck it up and humor them?”
“I would never presume to give you any advice about family. I do think that your mom is coming from a place of love.”
“I know that. I just want to stop having the same argument repeatedly.”
“The only way you’re going to stop the argument is by not engaging.”
“Hey, Russo, stop making sense. Nobody likes that!”
Anthony chuckled and pressed his lips against the top of her head. “Sorry, beautiful. Won’t happen again.”
They reentered the house and Delilah stopped in the doorway of the kitchen. Her mom and dad were at the table with their pie untouched.
“So, I went for a walk and found a stray. Can I keep him?”
Her mom spotted Anthony first and smiled. “Anthony! Did your family’s dinner end already?”
“It did. Unfortunately, my hotel plans fell through and I planned on bedding down in the car, but Delilah isn’t having it. I just want to be clear that I don’t want to impose or cause a problem.”
“It’s no problem at all,” her dad said. “We’ve got a couch that folds into a bed downstairs in the basement. I’ve slept on it a time or two when I’ve said the wrong thing.”
“Really? We’re going to make a guest sleep in the basement when the guest room bed is a queen?” Delilah asked.
“Are you suggesting I sign off on you two sleeping together under my roof?”
“Dad, you realize I’m an adult, right?”
“The couch is fine, sir. I want to assure you that I would never disrespect you or your wife’s hospitality in any way.”
“I appreciate that,” her dad said.
“Honey,” her mom said, putting a hand on his arm. “Anthony and Delilah can share the guest room.”
“Really, ma’am. I’ll be fine downstairs.”
Delilah scowled at him, but her mom just shrugged. “It’s up to you. If it gets too cold or the couch isn’t comfortable, you have the option.”
“The man said he’s fine, Natalia,” her dad said. “Are you going to stay through the weekend?”
“I’d planned on heading back to Mistletoe tomorrow morning and coming back for Delilah on Sunday.”
“Well, that seems like a waste of gas! If you don’t have anything that requires your attention, you should stay the weekend.”
“I’ve got to talk to my business partner. We’re planning the Mistletoe Winter Games and the committee wants us to pitch activities tomorrow.”
“What kind of a winter games?”
Bernard sat forward. “We’ve thrown around a couple of ideas. Snowmobiling. Skiing.”
“What about keeping it simpler?” Bernard asked. “Igloo building. Snowball fighting. Sledding or tubing. You don’t need fancy equipment to make things exciting.”
“That’s true,” Delilah said. “Plus, if you make it simple, even people who aren’t necessarily big winter sports enthusiasts can enter and kick butt.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Anthony said. “I’ll shoot Pike a text and discuss it with him.”
“Wait, your business partner is Pike?” her mom asked, shooting Delilah a heavy look. Delilah figured her mom was wondering why she was interested in Pike’s partner, but she couldn’t exactly explain to her mom in front of Anthony that it was a happy accident.
“Yeah, he is. We’ve been best friends our whole lives and decided to go into business together.”
“I think that’s great,” she said. “Do you want some pie?”
“No, I’m okay. My niece fed me most of hers and mine.”
“How old is she?” Delilah asked.
“She’s five and her little brother is two. They’re my brother Bradley’s kids.”
“I will never know what it is like to have nieces or nephews because my parents refused to have any more children,” Delilah said, shooting her folks a sour expression.
“Why bother when we got it right the first time?” her dad teased.
“Besides, you can have them if you marry someone who has siblings.”
Delilah’s face burned. “Touché.”
“Should we play a game before bed?” her mom asked.
Her father groaned. “Why is it anytime we’re sitting around relaxing, you insist we play a game?”
“Oh, wah wah! Anthony? Have you ever played Hot Words?”
“No, ma’am, I haven’t.”
“It’s actually really fun,” Delilah said, getting up from the table. “Anthony’s my teammate.”
“Rude!” her father called after her.
Delilah grabbed the game from the closet, keeping one ear on their conversation.
“Usually we invite Delilah’s aunt and uncle over to play, but they traveled to Salt Lake City to visit their son for the holiday. You showing up worked out perfectly.”
“Glad I could help,” he said.
She sat back down and let her dad help her set up the board while her mom explained the rules. After one round, it was obvious that Delilah and Anthony made a really good team, but it was after round two that her mom called foul.
“Alright, you two need to be separated! You are too good together.”
Delilah blushed, avoiding Anthony’s gaze as she set up for one more round. Anthony looked down at his phone and after a moment’s hesitation said, “I’m sorry, I need to take this.”
“No problem, I’m getting tired anyway,” her mom said.
When the front door opened and closed behind Anthony, her mother leaned across the table and whispered, “You didn’t tell me that Pike and Anthony were business partners.”
“It’s not relevant.”
“So you really aren’t interested in Pike and using his friend to get his attention?”
“No, Mom. If I’d wanted to date Pike, I could have. He asked me out yesterday and I told him no.”
“Why?”
“Because I realized that Pike was an infatuation and Anthony is someone that I could have real feelings for.”
Her mother sat quietly for several moments, watching her thoughtfully before nodding. “Well, he seems quite taken with you. I notice that when you speak, he watches you like he wants to truly absorb everything you say.”
“Mom, that’s weird.”
“I think it’s romantic.”
“Him staring at me and trying to absorb my words sounds creepy.”
“He seems like a good egg to me, although I’ve been fooled before,” her dad said.
“Stop!”
The door opened again and Anthony walked into the room and sat down. “Everything okay?” Delilah asked.
“It’s fine,” Anthony said, but Delilah could tell he was distracted.
Her mom seemed to pick up on the tension and yawned dramatically. “We were just saying it’s probably time to call it a night.”
“Yeah, we can’t keep up with you kids,” Delilah’s dad said.
They both got up from the table and her mom kissed her on top of the head. “Good night, sweetheart. Sleep well, Anthony.”
“Thanks, you, too.”
Her dad held his hand out to Anthony. “Good night.”
“Good night, sir.”
When it was just the two of them, Delilah watched him, noticing the knitted forehead.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong or do I need to beat it out of you?”
Anthony shared a weak smile with her and it made her heart ache for him. “Maybe in the morning? I don’t have the energy for anything but sleep tonight.”
“As you wish,” Delilah said. “I’ll show you to the basement. Unless you changed your mind?”
Anthony chuckled as he climbed to his feet. “I don’t think your dad was thrilled with the thought of us sharing a bed.”
Delilah pushed in her chair with a huff and led the way out of the kitchen and through the living room to a carpeted staircase. “The guest room is the first door on the right, if you change your mind.”
“Duly noted.”
Delilah sighed and descended the stairs in front of him, opening up the door at the bottom. Delilah flipped on the light and pointed to the left. “Bathroom is over there.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll grab the sheets and help you make up the bed.”
“I appreciate that. I think I’ll take a shower after. I don’t like crawling into bed dirty.”
She took out a sheet set and a couple of blankets from the linen closet, trying not to think about Anthony naked and wet. Ever since last night she’d had a hard time not imagining him in some form of undress, but not only had he vowed not to have sex, he’d also promised her dad he wouldn’t even touch her!
Anthony had the bed pulled out by the time she returned and they stood on either side of it, tucking in the sheets and spreading out the blankets. When they finished, Delilah hesitated. They’d had the chance to share a bed and he was choosing to honor his vow instead?
Celibacy was for the birds.
“Well, good night.” She took a step toward the exit and Anthony caught her at the door.
“Were you really going to leave me without a proper good night?”
“What would that be?”
Anthony lifted her off the floor and pinned her to the wall. “A kiss, at least.”
His mouth covered hers and Delilah’s arms and legs circled his shoulders and hips, returning his kiss enthusiastically. Her hands tangled in the short strands of his hair as his body plastered against her, pressing her into the wall. Delilah rolled her hips, rubbing her center against the hard bulge in the front of his pants.
He broke the kiss, his breath coming out hard and fast. His hands gripped her waist as he lowered her to the ground, kissing the top of her head.
“Night, beautiful.”
Delilah’s eyes narrowed as he pushed away from her and picked up his bag, disappearing into the bathroom with a click of the door.
Frustration coursed through her and she bit her lip, a plan formulating as she climbed the stairs. While she understood Anthony’s reasons for taking his vow, Delilah had set out to attract a sex-god and she wanted Anthony, all of him. She’d do whatever it took to win him, but first, she wanted to make him as crazy as he was making her.
By the time she was done with him this weekend, Anthony’s iron control was going to snap.