Chapter 12
“Hi, Bea,” I coo at my goddaughter as I join the video call. Beatriz, which means “she who brings joy,” is already living up to her name. I watch as her brown eyes light up at the sound of my voice, and her little mouth stretches into what might be a gummy grin. “Is that a real smile or just gas?”
“Probably a bit of both.” Dee gazes adoringly at her miracle baby, cradled in her arms, and kisses the swirl of curly hair so much like her own. After the year of hell she and her husband, Mick, went through, I love seeing her glowing with happiness.
“Oh my God, you’re so precious,” Jordyn sing-songs to Bea. “It’s only been a week since I’ve seen her, and she’s already grown so much.”
“They change every day at this age,” Dee says. “Here comes Cayo.”
Mick appears on the screen holding Bea’s twin brother. The eleven-week-old, cute and pudgy like his sister, kicks his legs and gurgles at the camera, making his proud parents grin.
Jordyn’s voice pitches to another high squeak over her godson. Seeing this side of her is hilarious. “Look at you two! I still can’t believe you have twins.”
“Neither can I some days,” Dee chuckles. “It’s never a dull moment around here.”
Mick nods, then makes a face. “You’ll have to excuse us—little man’s got something explosive in his diaper. Wish me luck.” But before he leaves, he adds, “Seems Bayside is treating you well, Lexie.”
“It is. Thanks.” The tease in his voice tells me Dee’s already given him the scoop on Chaz. But my friends don’t know the latest.
“How was your movie date?” Jordyn asks.
“Nothing like planned, but it was a real turning point.”
Their eyebrows shoot up, and I spill everything—from Miranda’s call to the massage, my meltdown, and the aftermath. The intense night was an emotional rollercoaster that should have sent Chaz running. Instead, he stayed for the entire wild ride. Unshakeable. A man who told me I was the prize.
“He sounds so sweet and romantic,” Dee says.
“And hot,” Jordyn adds. “Sensitive men make the best lovers.”
That ticks up my panic meter. “What if I can’t ever finish? I’d hate to make him feel like it was his fault.”
“Lex.” Jordyn’s voice centers me. “Chaz doesn’t sound like the type whose manhood is going to be offended if you don’t orgasm. I think he’ll just keep trying by introducing you to all kinds of good stuff.”
“That’s just it. I don’t even know what all the good stuff is. Maybe I can find a checklist online.”
“Please don’t,” Dee groans. “If you start researching, you’ll just overload yourself. Pleasure isn’t about ticking boxes—it’s about feeling and experiencing. If you ask Chaz what he likes, it might open your eyes to things you’d like to try, too.”
“How am I supposed to ask him that?”
“Easy,” Jord says. “C, baby, how you want me to handle that big D of yours?”
“Oh my God.” I slap a hand over my mouth. “I think you missed the beginner lesson and went straight to advanced.”
“Really?” Jordyn frowns. “I thought that was tame.”
Dee shakes her head. “Lex, just be yourself. Chaz likes you for who you are.”
True enough. He texted this morning, like he does every day, asking me to stop by the café.
I dropped in on my way to pick up a birthday gift for Sophia.
He made me a French vanilla mocha topped with a foam heart.
Beneath the mug was another note on a napkin with a drawing of two coffee beans kissing.
I rolled my eyes at his corniness as if my heart wasn’t flipping in my chest. The napkin is now tucked inside my panty drawer, next to the one from yesterday. Something tells me I’m going to have quite the collection before the time is up.
Later that evening, I take a long, hot shower and get ready for dinner.
I chose a simple, black knit dress with long sleeves and a wide neck that subtly dips off one shoulder.
I sweep some of my hair up, leaving a curtain of bangs and the back to fall in waves against my neck.
Gold hoops and a dab of makeup finish off the ensemble.
It’s not the sort of pretentious armor I hide behind in Chicago; it’s a look that makes me feel comfortable in my skin.
I pull up to the Vargas’ house ten minutes early, my tires churning in the snow.
Their place is a craftsman-style brick bungalow nestled among white-covered spruce trees.
The string of porch lights twinkles through the last remnants of the sun, and the cold lake air has left a sheen of frost on the front windows. The wintery scene is like a postcard.
Bitsy’s barking greets me as I climb the steps. I take a breath and, juggling my parcels, prepare to knock just as the door swings open. Chaz stands there in dark chinos and a V-neck sweater, dimples flashing and weakening my knees.
“Hey, Blue.” He kisses my cheek and takes the gift bags from me. “Did you buy out the whole store?”
“I might have gotten a little carried away.”
When Sophia mentioned she was into romance novels, I spent an hour, to the bookstore owner’s delight, selecting half a dozen books, from cozy to spicy, with diverse representation. “I kept the receipt in case she wants to exchange anything.”
“I’m sure she’ll love them. Let me put these away, and I’ll grab your coat.” He disappears into the family room, leaving me alone with Bitsy. She sits obediently on her rump, staring up at me, her tail swishing against the maple hardwood.
“Hi,” I say, which has her cocking her head. I hear Sophia’s bubbly laughter and a deep voice that could belong to either Mr. Vargas or Dice coming from the kitchen. Nerves buzz under my skin.
After all, this is Chaz’s family in every way that matters.
Val is a professional mentor and father figure, and Eva is the nurturing mother he and Sophia needed after their tragic loss.
And then there’s Dice, his best friend—protective and loyal and will probably be sizing me up.
That alone has my thoughts whirling. Will they even like me?
I rub my hand over Bitsy’s head, finding her brown and white fur soft and dense under my fingers. Chaz returns, smiling when he sees me petting her.
“Making friends.”
“I get why people find this calming,” I say, scratching Bitsy’s head again.
He takes my coat and peers at my face. “I know it’s a lot, meeting everyone.”
Wait. Had he told them to hang back to avoid overwhelming me? Had he mentioned my meltdown last night? Oh my God, how much do they know?
Bitsy barks as if sensing my tension.
“Shh,” he quiets her. “Lex, look at me.”
I blink, forcing my gaze up to his.
“Tell me an interesting fact.”
That pauses my rambling thoughts. “You want to hear a fact?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Oh.” I sift through the random trivia in my head. “Did you know the hundred folds in a pleated chef’s hat represent a hundred ways to cook an egg?”
“I didn’t know that.”
“About the hat or that there are a hundred ways to cook an egg?”
“Either.” He laughs, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that way I love. “You must kill at Trivial Pursuit.”
“I do. But my favorite board game is Scrabble.”
“Good to know. I think there’s one at the cottage.”
“There is. We should play some time.”
“We should,” he says.
The distraction works to turn down the volume.
Not all the way off, but my mind is quieter.
Chaz used one of my coping strategies without making me feel like a basket case.
Whatever he told his family—assuming he said anything—I know he would have handled it with care and respect.
Because that’s who he is. “I’m ready now,” I say. Or as ready as I’ll ever be.
Chaz takes my hand and gives it a comforting squeeze. “By the way, you look sensational.”
When men comment on my looks, it usually feels hollow. With Chaz, however, it carries weight because I know he likes the whole me, not just what’s on the surface. “Thank you. You look pretty good yourself.”
His quick grin further eases my tension.
Bitsy follows us into the kitchen. This is the family hub.
Lively energy and the savory aroma from a large pan cooking on the stove fill the room.
Fresh herbs line the windowsill, and the granite counters are cluttered with knickknacks and a bowl of glossy red apples.
At the center of it all, Sophia, Dice, and the Vargases sit around the table, a game of dominos in full swing.
Dice slaps a tile down on the wood top with a loud smack.
“Boom!” He leans back with a triumphant grin. “Ya’ll can’t keep up.”
“Dice takes his dominos very seriously,” Chaz says with amusement, his hand still holding mine.
And in the next second, all eyes at the table are on me.