Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
May had always wanted to live on the water. Being able to purchase her own lake house had been a dream come true. Before then she’d lived in a small condo near Endless Avenue. It was a great spot for shopping but lacked the privacy she coveted.
She’d purchased her current, cozy residence with the shared dock shortly after she and Prescott had split.
She had fallen in love with the lake view.
Those first mornings on the dock had soothed her aching heart.
It had been a strange thing to be heartbroken and in love at the same time.
If asked then, she would have said it was the most beautiful view she’d ever seen.
But not tonight. Tonight, she’d argue that her beautiful lakeside view paled in comparison to the man standing on her front stoop.
Xavier Dane was wearing cognac-brown pants, a fitted wool blazer over a navy-blue button-down shirt, and tooled-leather shoes. A pair of sunglasses shielded his eyes, his beard was trimmed and neat, and his hair was its usual perfect coiffed masterpiece.
She was holding her breath when she opened her front door. Her date delivered a smile that weakened her knees, and when he removed his sunglasses, she nearly collapsed in a heap at his feet.
“Wow. You look amazing,” he said.
“So do you.” She smoothed a hand down her vegan suede dress.
She’d chosen a new style from Zest for the wedding.
The maxi-length mauve dress featured a high slit that stopped just above the knee.
The neutral floral design was both Victorian and exotic, and the flutter sleeves were lightweight and romantic.
She’d opted for brown leather cowboy boots, which Xavier complimented next.
“I like those shit-kickers. A bold choice.”
“Thank you. I’m daring when it comes to my wardrobe.” She glanced down at the dapper pair of wingtips and shook her head. “How did you gain this level of personal style? I’ve never known a man who dressed better than me.”
“Come on. You have incredible style. Did you pair this ensemble with a clutch or a satchel bag?” One of his eyebrows arched like he knew he’d impressed her with his handbag knowledge.
“Neither.” She picked up the red velvet coin purse from her end table and then slipped the short bronze chain onto her wrist. “It’s vintage.”
“It’s perfect.” He offered his arm, and together they walked out to his Range Rover.
The vehicle was sleek and refined, its paint a subtle metallic sunset gold.
It was moments like these she was reminded that Xavier had the money to buy a vehicle that cost over six figures.
He had a quiet wealth vibe about him. He didn’t come off the least bit pretentious, but he liked what he liked.
As she settled in the seat, she inhaled deeply.
The interior smelled like leather and something woodsy and expensive.
Like him. Xavier had always been easy to like, and now that she knew his financial status, she was more impressed.
He wasn’t someone who flaunted his money.
He wore it the way he wore everything else—with confidence and zero need to impress. It was maddeningly attractive.
Once they were on the main road, he flipped off the radio and asked, “So, are you ready to reunite with your ex’s entire family? Anything I should know about them beforehand? Will your ex want to kick my ass? Should I be prepared to fight for your honor?”
She laughed, but the sound was weak. Xavier coming with her today hadn’t completely erased her nerves.
“Prescott prides himself in being stalwart. Steady, unwavering, the kind of guy you could set your watch by.”
“Sounds boring.” Xavier took his eyes from the windshield to send her a smug glance. “You two were mismatched.”
“At the time, I was craving stability. He appealed.” She inhaled and finished her thought.
“We’d been dating only a few months when my mom passed.
Shortly after, my dad stopped talking to me and moved away.
My aunts and cousins grew more distant. I was alone.
Fragile. Prescott’s family filled the void. ”
“That sucks.” Xavier’s brow furrowed.
She wanted to kiss him for not saying “I’m sorry.” She’d heard the phrase so many times after she’d lost her mother that it’d practically lost all meaning.
“Two years passed, and it became evident that we weren’t right for each other.
I stayed because I was so connected to his family, but that’s not a good reason to stay in a relationship.
” She rested her elbow on the edge of the window and watched the passing landscape through the glass.
“I don’t know. It was a confusing time.”
“You stayed because you loved his family. There are worse reasons to stick around. Was the breakup mutual?”
“Hmm.” She considered her answer for a beat. “I broke up with him immediately following his sister’s destination wedding.”
“Ouch. Bet that was uncomfortable to attend.”
“You could say that. Prescott was pretending everything was normal after I’d told him how unhappy I was, and I attended solely for his family’s sake.
Now, here I am, three years later. Attending a wedding, and enduring being around him, solely for his family’s sake.
Thank God he doesn’t have more sisters.”
Xavier laughed.
“What about you? Any past-relationship skeletons in your closet?”
“Oh, yeah.” He huffed. “Not an appropriate pre-wedding story, but I’ll tell you about it sometime. Maybe after several shots of tequila.”
“Give me a hint. I just admitted that I was clingy, needy, and squeezed a free trip to Fiji out of my ex before dumping him on the plane ride home. You gotta give me something.”
“On the plane ride? Brutal!” He was teasing her, and honestly she liked that he’d made light of it. “Long story short, she cheated on me with my boss.”
She sucked air through her teeth. “Did you witness this?”
“’Fraid so.”
She echoed his earlier sentiment. “That sucks.”
“All breakups suck. They’re the death of hope. No way to make that fun.”
She considered how true that statement was. When she’d ended things with Prescott, she’d lost quite a bit of hope. Hope of marrying into his family at the top of the list.
“Today is not about the past, even though you’re going to encounter a bit of yours,” Xavier said. “Do you think he’ll bring a date?”
“Definitely.” There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Prescott would bring a date for his sister’s wedding.
As far as she knew, he was single, but he’d never attend stag.
Especially knowing that May would be there.
Prescott’s number-one rule was that he was fine.
Stable. Him showing up alone would threaten that belief.
“Does that bother you?”
“Only if she’s prettier than me,” May joked.
“Impossible.” Xavier delivered the borderline cheesy comment with sincerity. He wrapped his fingers around hers and kissed her palm before resting their joined hands on her thigh.
She glanced down at their hands, his fingers wrapped around hers.
The contrast between him and Prescott was more than their finances or their skin tones.
He was a totally different style of man than she’d dated before.
Sure, Prescott had been attractive, but he hadn’t been fun like Xavier.
And Prescott’s confidence was forced. Xavier’s confidence emanated from him as naturally as smoke from a campfire.
He was a man who knew who he was, which was damn refreshing.
“I appreciate you coming with me. Lisa offered, but I turned her down.”
“Showing up with a girlfriend looks like you’ve brought reinforcement. But showing up with me looks like you have a hot date.”
See? No shortage of confidence.
She was smiling when she said, “I guess I’ll stop feeling bad for dragging you to a wedding.”
“Hey, I was the one who asked you on a date.” He lowered his voice to say the word date. “Since you’ve never gone out with me before, I’ll let you know what to expect. I’m fun. I’m chill. I’m capable of entertaining myself. I don’t need to be coddled or checked on. Or paid.”
May put her other hand on her forehead and groaned. “Never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“I’ll keep it up as long as it continues to reveal that shadow of a dimple on your cheek.” He blew out a breath. “Do anything for a glimpse of that.”
He was too much, and at the same time, exactly the right amount. “As a self-proclaimed fun guy, what do you take seriously?”
“My work,” he answered without hesitation. “I take pride in it. Even the beer brewing.”
“That’s evident. I’m not a beer girl, but I’m a Xavier Dane beer girl.” That made his smile widen. “You said ‘even the beer brewing’ like that wasn’t your life’s work. I thought the bar was your passion.”
He seesawed his head in thought. “More of a sideways distraction from my real passion. When I developed the app, I was in my sweet spot. Then I sold it and got laid off. I was going crazy without something to do. My hobby became my business when I bought Salty Dog. It’s been fun, but slinging beer is hardly my life’s work. ”
“As a fellow analytically minded person, I understand how you’d miss building software. Why not continue to develop apps?”
“Eh, Tipsy was a one-off idea.”
“Yes, but there are businesses looking to build apps that don’t have the capability. Like where I work.”
“Zest is wanting to build an app?”
“Jewell, my boss and friend, and owner of Zest, and I have talked about the idea on and off. She asked me to head it up, but I don’t really know what I’m doing. It has been backburnered for months now.”
He sent her a look, and she could swear his eyes lit up.
“Maybe you could help?” she offered.
His answering nod said it all, but he played it cool by saying, “Yeah, maybe.”
“Think about it. We could use you.”
“It would give me something to do with my time. I’ve been trying to work less and less behind the bar, but I’m no good with idle hands.”
“No woman in your life to busy those hands?”
“May Glenfield. You offering?”
She could certainly think of a few ways to occupy his hands. And his mouth. His everything. But wait, no. “No hot men” was a rule she’d instated to protect herself. This date with Xavier was bending it. Sleeping with him would be demolishing it.
Why did that sound so good?
“My friends have been attempting to pair me off for a while,” she hedged. “As you have witnessed, I’m not very skilled at dating.”
“I’ll level with you, honey. I don’t think it’s you.” The gravel in his voice sent a lick of heat up her thighs. “Tonight, that changes.”
He slowed the Range Rover to turn onto a narrow lane. “I’ve heard of this place but never been. Gorgeous spot.”
The wedding and the reception were being held at a historical nature preserve. A tall, white barn with black-framed windows and an open-air design sat at the rear of the property. Full, fluffy pine trees and fat-trunked oaks made up the lush backdrop.
He parked near the barn in a lot off to the side and then helped May out of the SUV. Hand in hand, they navigated the walkway, which was flanked by bold red and orange flowers tied with chiffon ribbons that waved in the gentle late-afternoon breeze.
It was classy and cozy—perfect for Posy.
“From the way you spoke about the family, I expected a mansion, not a barn.”
“Make no mistake, the wedding will be suave. But it’s no surprise that it’s also done up in Posy’s style. She loves nature, and old things. A historical site in Evergreen Cove is the spot for her.”
If the luxury barn could be considered quaint on the outside, that notion was blown away the moment they set foot inside.
The entirety of the interior was honey-colored wood, including the exposed beams of the high-pitched roof.
White fabric was draped elegantly over the beams, framing the room in flowy fabric.
A massive chandelier dominated the center of the room, beneath which were round tables circled by gold cane chairs.
To the left was a parquet dance floor near the bar.
The four-piece band played softly in the corner, a violinist and a harpist included.
May admired the centerpieces on the tables—white roses, pale pink posies, and a spray of autumn-colored red, gold, and orange blooms. Those same flower bouquets adorned the second story of the barn.
Everywhere she looked was lush elegance but was also undeniably approachable.
“This has Posy’s signature all over it,” May said with appreciation.
“It’s badass,” came Xavier’s spot-on male assessment.
“Lush was the word I was thinking, but you’re not wrong.” She dropped his hand to wring her fingers. There weren’t many—any?—familiar faces. She assumed that Prescott and the rest of the Stantons were elsewhere, preparing for the outdoor ceremony.
“Champagne?” Xavier reclaimed her hand and angled for the bar.
“That might help.”
“It’ll help.” He leaned in to mutter against her ear, “Trust me. I’m a professional.”
They bypassed the open doors at the rear of the barn. A sea of white plastic chairs awaited guests for the upcoming ceremony. Fabric and more orange and red flowers decorated the aisle as well as the white arch under which the bride and groom would say their vows.
She tensed, remembering Paisley’s Fiji wedding.
The sand and surf had been beautiful, but the sun had been too hot, and sitting next to Prescott had been uncomfortable—for multiple reasons.
She’d felt trapped with no way out, even though she’d agreed to go with him.
She didn’t feel exactly that way now, but the echo of that fated weekend was there.
Xavier, evidently sensing her thoughts, or the death grip she had on his hand, asked, “You okay?”
She blinked his handsome face into focus and offered a jerky nod. “I’m okay.”
“Not buying it,” he said with a smirk. “I’ll check again later.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
He tilted his head to one side and glanced down at her mouth. “Would a kiss help?”
Yes.
She opened her mouth. Closed it. Then settled on biting her lip.
His grin was honey-slow. “Too soon. Got it. I’ll check on that later too.”