Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
Phoebe
He loved me?
Had I heard him right?
I frowned at the door. Muffled sounds of rearranging furniture and furious scribbles on the wall eased some of the shock.
It all happened so fast. I wanted to replace the dandelion seed he’d mentioned earlier. Seeing him looming in the doorway had me ready to babble about how he told me to redraw it. Or maybe I’d offered. I couldn’t remember, there had been a whole lot of wall action going on at the time.
But for the first time since I’d met him, I saw a new flicker in his misty gray eyes.
I recognized it. The creative spark that turned everything off in the real world and activated something inside the brain no one else could see. Seeing it in Dutch somehow made me love him even more.
I wasn’t sure how that was possible since I was enamored beyond reason.
I left him to it, my legs a little shaky as I walked down the hallway toward the living room and kitchen. The scent of food cooking quickened my step. “Oh, crap.” No need to burn it.
He loved me? I was grinning as I tasted the Bolognese sauce and turned it down to a simmer before I put on water to boil.
The tap of Mouse’s nails on the hardwood as he walked in to sit at the edges of the kitchen reminded me to fill his bowl. I made a salad to go with the meat sauce and dug through Dutch’s pantry, delighted to find pappardelle to go with the sauce.
Leave it to him to go above and beyond the usual staple items.
I wasn’t sure if I should interrupt him to feed him or let him cycle out of the creative fog he was in. I knew I could go hours without eating when I was in it. Knowing it was so hard for him to get there, I decided the food could keep. At least for him. I was freaking starving.
As the sun set, Mouse and I settled on the couch with a book. Unrepentant, I found one of his books from the bottom shelf where he hid them. When a few more hours had passed, and my heart was pounding out of my chest, I took a break from the book.
Dutch’s superpower was the atmosphere he created in a book. And the world definitely shouldn’t be denied his art. I’d make sure he finished this book if it killed me, dammit.
I filled a bowl with the fragrant sauce and pasta and brought it with me down the hall. At least he could eat over his laptop if he was writing.
I knocked.
No answer.
“Dutch.”
I heard the sounds of fingers flying over keys at a rapid pace. Bracing for a growling bear, I eased the door open. He was at his desk; his curls had air dried around his face in a wild halo. His shoulders hunched over the keys in a chair too small for his large frame.
I set the bowl beside him and kissed his forehead.
He barely noticed me.
I was about to leave him and hope the scent of food pulled him away enough to eat when he suddenly turned to me and hauled me into his arms.
“Thanks,” he said against my mouth after a mind-scrubbing kiss.
Off balance, I laughed. “You’re welcome.”
“I’m sorry, I just...” His eyes were still unfocused and I could tell he wanted to dive back in.
“Don’t worry about me.” I brushed a curl out of his face and looped my arms around his shoulders. “Seeing you in your element is hot.”
His eyebrows shot up.
“I’ll show you just how much it does it for me when you come to bed.”
He glanced at his screen. “Are you sure? I won’t be mad if you want to go back to your own studio.”
I shook my head. “I’m enjoying a very enthralling book.”
His eyes grew wary. “One of mine?”
“Maybe.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to know.”
“You’re very talented, Dutch. You know you are, but if I have to tell you every day to remind you of that fact, I will.”
His fingers dug into my sides as he rested his chin against my middle. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Probably not.” I grinned and smoothed my thumb along the bristles of his shorter beard. “Eat.”
He straightened and nodded. “I will.”
“Don’t make me come back down here and scold you.”
He moved his hand down to squeeze my butt. “Promises, promises.”
When I slipped free, he picked up the bowl and shoveled in a mouthful even as his eyes wandered back to his screen. I combed my fingers through his curls before I left him to his words.
I wasn’t entirely sure he realized that he told me he loved me.
And right then, I didn’t want to push the issue. Taking my glow of happiness with me, I returned to the living room with our dog. That was one thing I was sure of at the very least.
Mouse was both of ours.
As the night grew later, I gave up seeing him and crawled into his bed, leaving Mouse snoozing in front of the fireplace in his favorite spot.
In the middle of the night, his strong arms drew me back against him.
Soft murmurs turned to firm strokes of his delicious hands that quickly grew into an ember of a flame.
He held me tight as whatever drove him into his story flowed into me.
The excitement and passion left me staggered and exhausted.
And as our skin cooled, I slipped back into sleep with him wrapped around me.
The fringes of my mind worried over the fact that he was still holding his secrets. But at least they weren’t from me.
When morning came, he was already back at his keyboard.
Well acquainted with a creative streak and how precarious they could be sometimes, I made myself a quick breakfast and some coffee, leaving the same for him.
His kiss was much more distracted than the last time I interrupted him, but I didn’t take offense. I had my own business to run and had an appointment in town for an update to a mural I’d done at the Heavenly Bite, a local sandwich shop.
Since Dutch definitely wasn’t paying attention, I let Mouse out to wander around.
He’d hang out on one of our porches until I got home.
I took a quick shower and pulled on a pair of jeans and flowy paisley shirt since I wasn’t breaking out my paintbrushes for this meeting.
I grabbed my sketchbook, phone, and measuring tape.
Today was to figure out what kind of changes the owners wanted to do with the shop.
March was finally showing off with a hint of warmth in the air.
Enough that I could roll my windows down and enjoy the breeze as the sun blasting through the windshield kept me warm.
A text came through as I was driving down Destiny Street.
When I got to a red light I glanced at my phone.
My truck was too old to have Apple CarPlay in it, though my brother kept telling me he could outfit my car with something to update it.
I didn’t exactly mind keeping analog when it came to my vehicle. Especially since the tape deck still worked well enough for me to plug in my tunes with an ancient adapter.
Lance:
Where are you going?
I grinned and hit call instead of texting back.
“’Lo.” My brother’s voice was disgruntled. “You know I hate the phone.”
I tucked my phone between my boobs to use the speaker. “I’m driving.”
“I know. I just watched you pass me.”
“Where are you?”
“At the café.”
“Well, come over to Heavenly Bite and keep me company.”
He sighed. “I suppose I could.”
“Like it’s a hardship.”
“True. You’re buying.”
I snorted. “Fine.”
He hung up without saying goodbye and I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as I found an empty spot a few spaces away from the front of the shop.
Most of the buildings on our main drag were either stone or brick in varying colors.
Heavenly Bite was a whitewashed brick and was situated on the corner of Destiny and Church Street.
The side of the building was a blank canvas forever luring me in with ideas.
Romeo Ferrara, the owner, came out to meet me on the street. “What’s got you smiling so big, bella?” He opened my door.
“Just looking at all that white brick waiting for paint.”
“Ah, I thought it was a little romance finally.”
“Always looking to hook me up with someone, Romeo.” I gave him a quick hug. The familiar scent of rosemary and Old Spice as comforting as the hug itself.
“No, I’m always looking to hook you up with one of my sons.” He walked me to the door, herding me inside, the familiar bell jangling above us.
“Welcome!” Maria’s voice rose over the sound of the deli slicers in motion. “Oh, hello Phoebe.” Her salt and pepper hair whisped around her temples, peeking from the red bandanna she wore in lieu of a hairnet.
“Tessoro mio, convince her to go out with one of our sons!”
Maria came around the counter. “Oh, yes. I think you’d be prefect for Sal!”
“Absolutely not.” I laughed. Romeo’s sons, Matteo and Salvatore, were both unable to keep a woman for longer than a week before their eyes wandered. No thank you.
“But maybe he’ll settle down if he finds a nice girl,” Romeo boomed.
“You’d make beautiful babies,” Maria said with her hands over her heart.
I nearly choked. “That’s not on my current schedule.”
He threw his thick arm around me, leading me into the dining room. “Just think about it.”
“I’m actually seeing someone.” Surprised that it popped out of my mouth, I nearly wished it back.
Maria waved a hand at me, her dark eyes disappointed. “Sal will never find someone,” she said with a sigh.
“What?” Romeo’s dark eyes lit. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“It’s new.”
He leaned in with a stage whisper. “Who?”
This was not the place to confess about Dutch and me. The whole dang town would know in an hour. “You probably don’t know him.”
Affronted, he leaned back. “I know everyone in this town.” He put his hands on his hips. “Who?” Then his face cleared. “Are you seeing that new boy?”
“Boy?” I laughed.
“What new boy?” Lance said as he came through the door. His usual battered Yankees baseball cap on and a messenger bag slung across his back.
“Not you too.”
“Me too what? I just got here.” He swooped me away from Romeo into a quick bear hug. “Who has a new guy? You?” He let me go and frowned down at me. “Are you dating Atticus?”
Geez. This was not the way I wanted it to come out. Lance was just as bad as Romeo with gossip. “Uh...”