Chapter 4
Dante couldn’t help but be charmed by Prim as she sat across from him, animatedly telling him about a sunset cruise she’d taken with her college boyfriend.
“It was a warm autumn night,” Prim said.
“We’d just gotten back on campus, and my boyfriend said he wanted to take me on a sunset wine cruise around the sound, which at the time, I thought was the most romantic thing in the world.
” She rolled her eyes. “Just for the record, a bunch of strangers who are getting boozy on a party boat isn’t romantic. ”
“Could be fun, though,” Dante said, trying to be diplomatic.
“Oh sure. If my sisters had been there, or my friends from college, we’d have had a grand time.
But my boyfriend didn’t even like wine. I later found out that his friend’s mother had slipped the tickets into his back pocket after she’d stuck her tongue down his throat in the middle of her son’s birthday party.
” Prim took a long sip of her wine before she continued.
“So when he found the tickets, he naturally decided to take me. You know, since the tickets were already paid for. Only he didn’t know that his friend’s parents were also going to be on the cruise.
It turned out the mom got off on messing around with younger guys right under her husband’s nose.
So twenty minutes into the cruise, I found my boyfriend and Mrs. Robinson going at it in one of the bathrooms.”
Dante blinked. “No.”
“Oh, yes.”
“What happened? Do I even want to know? Please don’t tell me that you blew up the toilet.”
Prim started to laugh. She laughed so hard that tears streamed down her face and her cheeks turned a deep maroon from the lack of oxygen as she tried and failed to suck in air.
Dante reached over and covered her hand with his, trying to calm her.
It worked instantly. She looked at their joined hands and abruptly stopped laughing. She sucked in a long breath, pulled her hand back, and said, “Let’s just say that the woman’s dress didn’t make it, and she had to sit down wind from everyone else on the cruise as we motored back into port.”
“Oh man,” Dante gasped out as he started to laugh. Eventually he had to wipe his own eyes while Prim chuckled softly along with him.
“I have to say, that might be the only time I didn’t regret my magic flaring out of control.”
“I bet,” Dante said. “They got what they deserved. A big pile of shit.”
Prim was still laughing when the waitress brought their bill. Kimmie took the time to scowl at Prim, making her laugh even harder.
Dante barely held in his chuckle, only breaking once Kimmie had disappeared back into the kitchen.
“You might need to find a new restaurant to frequent unless you enjoyed being drooled over,” Prim said with a wink.
“Or just bring you with me when I come,” he quipped, enjoying their banter. It had been forever since he’d had so much fun on a date.
Non-date, he mentally corrected himself.
“Anytime, Dante. Anytime.” Prim pulled some money from her wallet and moved to lay it on the bill.
He blocked her and said, “No way. I’ve got this. Put your money away.”
She frowned. “But you already spent a small fortune just to take me out. It’s the least I can do.”
“Forget it. That was for charity. I’ve got this. You can get it next time.” Next time? What was he doing?
Friends. They were going to be friends. There was nothing wrong with that, was there?
There wouldn’t be if he hadn’t just had the urge to find out what she tasted like.
“Ready?” Prim asked as she stared at him.
“Huh?”
“To go,” she said, giving him a confused look.
“Oh, right. Of course.” He stood and held out a hand to her, helping her from the booth.
“Thank you for dinner,” Prim said. “I really had a nice time.”
“So did I.” He tightened his grip on her hand, loving the warmth of her fingers in his.
She glanced down at the connection, smiled, and then gently pulled away. “I’m going to use the restroom before we go.”
Dante reluctantly released her and then waited patiently by the front door. When she reemerged, he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her outside. “I had a really nice time tonight, Prim. Thank you for joining me.”
“You’re thanking me?” she asked incredulously as she gazed up at him. “Seriously? I can’t think of a time in recent memory when I’ve had so much fun. I just feel terrible that you had to pay so much for the privilege.”
“Stop. My bidding was for charity, remember?” he said, shaking his head, frustrated that she still hadn’t let that go. “And as far as dinner is concerned—”
“Dante!”
The sound of the familiar voice had ice snaking down his spine as he jerked his head up, scanning the street until his eyes locked on the redhead who was nearly running toward him. “Gwen?”
“Since when do you call your mother by her given name?” his mother cried as she nearly tackled him with a hug.
Dante stiffened, standing completely stock-still as she tightened her grip around him, pressing her head against his shoulder.
“I’ve missed you so much, sweetie!” A sob got caught in her voice as she unleashed tears.
A coil of anger started to seize his gut, and he had to work hard to keep from pushing her off him. Instead, he awkwardly patted her shoulder and said, “What are you doing here?”
Gwen pulled back slightly and stared up at him with troubled eyes. “I spoke to Shari.”
Everything inside of Dante completely shut down and ice crusted over his heart at the mention of his ex-fiancée. “Did she send you?”
“She’s worried about you, honey,” Gwen said as if they had a normal mother-son relationship. As if she hadn’t spent the majority of his life down at the Magical Cantina, pickling her liver with dream enhancing elixirs and magic bombs that kept her drunk for days on end.
“I’m no concern of hers. Not anymore,” he said as he took a few steps back, putting plenty of distance between himself and his mother. “If she’s why you came, you can turn around and leave right now.”
Gwen held up her aging hands in a surrender motion, panic flashing in her dark green eyes.
For a woman who was in her midfifties, she’d lived a hard enough life that if he didn’t know better, he’d say she was pushing seventy.
“That’s not why I came. Or more specifically, that’s not the only reason I came.
I have been worried about you ever since I heard you called off the engagement, but I’m also here because I miss my sons. ”
“You miss your sons?” Dante echoed, not bothering to hide his skepticism. “That’s new.”
“Dante,” she pleaded, staring up at him with a puppy dog expression she’d perfected years ago when she needed to get out of trouble with the law. “I love you. And I know what it’s like to run from someone because of commitment issues. I think if you just gave Shari a chance—”
“Hi, I’m Prim Easton,” Prim said, stepping up beside Dante and taking his hand in hers and squeezing tightly. “Dante’s girlfriend.”
Another shock raced through Dante’s body, only this one was a welcome jolt of pleasure. If there was anyone Dante wanted to date in Befana Bay, Prim was the one he’d want.
“Girlfriend?” Gwen asked, her sharp eyes locking on their joined hands. “Already?”
“Dante has been in Befana Bay for over six months,” Prim said. “You didn’t think he was going to be a monk for too much longer, did you?”
Gwen blinked and then sucked in a sharp breath. “Well, you certainly didn’t need to put it like that.”
“Is sowing his wild oats better? My sister likes to say that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.” Prim turned to Dante, giving him a secret smile. “I’d say that worked, wouldn’t you?”
Dante let out a bark of laughter and played along. “Yes. It definitely did.” He winked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward him until she curled into his chest, placing her hand over his heart.
“Well…” Gwen said. “I suppose this changes things a bit.” She bit down on her bottom lip and then flashed him the smile that had charmed many a man to do her bidding.
“Listen, honey, my trip here was a little spur of the moment. I was going to try to get a room at the inn, but they told me they were full. You don’t mind if I stay with you, do you? ”
“Stay with me?” Dante blinked at her, his mind unable to fully process what was happening.
He’d been low contact with his mother for the better part of a decade.
Surely she didn’t think she could just show up in Befana Bay and crash at his place, did she?
Who was he kidding? Of course she did. His mother was exactly the type to impose on anyone who was of use to her regardless of the circumstances.
He shook his head. “I just have a studio apartment.”
“Surely there’s a place to get an air mattress around here,” Gwen said, glancing around at the already closed stores. Befana Bay was a small town. On any given day, other than when there was a festival, the sidewalks were rolled up by six p.m. Only the restaurants and the one bar were still open.
“Not likely,” Prim said. “Even if the shops weren’t closed, you wouldn’t likely find one of those. Maybe a camping mat.”
“It’s a studio apartment,” Dante said again. “You’ll need to call around to the nearby towns to see if you can rent a room.”
“Oh, honey, how will I get there?” Gwen asked. “I took the shuttle from the airport.” She waved at a suitcase that Dante hadn’t noticed on the sidewalk a few feet behind her. “It’s lucky I found you when I did since you didn’t respond to my messages.”
Dante pulled his phone out of his back pocket, noting that there were several missed calls and text messages. He’d had his phone on silent for his date with Prim. He glanced back up at her. “I can drive you.”
Prim cleared her throat. “I doubt there’s going to be much available tonight. Poulsbo is hosting the craft beer festival this weekend. Her best bet is going to be a short-term rental.”
“I’ll find you something,” Dante grumbled, frustrated that his mother had just landed at his feet and turned her lack of planning into his problem.
After searching for a few minutes, it was clear that Prim was right.
There wasn’t a room or a short-term rental available within sixty miles for the next week.
Acid formed at the back of his throat at the idea of sharing his apartment with his mother for any amount of time.
But he couldn’t exactly tell her to just sleep on the street.
“Everything is booked,” he finally admitted.
He sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“I guess you’ll be coming home with me after all. ”
“Oh, thank you, sweetie. It’ll be great. You’ll see. I’ll even make chocolate chip pancakes in the morning.” She turned to Prim. “He used to just love those as a kid.”
“That was Mateo,” Dante grumbled.
“What?” Gwen frowned. “No, it wasn’t. I remember. You used to love it when I made them into the shape of a puppy face.”
“If you say so,” Dante said flatly, unwilling to argue with her.
He’d never liked pancakes. Not even when she’d stuffed them with candy.
“Let’s just go.” He glanced down at Prim.
“I’m sorry we had to cut the night short.
I’ll call you about that hike, as long as I don’t throw my back out after sleeping on the floor. ”
“Isn’t he a gentleman?” Gwen gushed as she beamed at Prim. Then she laughed that tinkling laugh she always used when she was being as fake as a spray tan in December. “It was just lovely to meet you, Prissy. I’m going to let my son take me home so that we can catch up. Take care, now.”
“It’s Prim,” the lovely blonde said, matching Gwen’s energy with a fake smile and narrowed eyes as she kept her gaze on Gwen.
“Sorry?” Gwen asked.
“It’s Prim. Prim Easton.” Then she turned to Dante and said, “Sweetie, why don’t we drop your mom off at your place and then you come home with me.” Dante blinked at her. Before he could figure out how to respond, she continued. “That way no one has to sleep on the floor.”
Dante knew he should decline. Staying with Prim was a terrible idea.
Especially since he was already having trouble keeping his hands to himself when it came to her.
But when he looked at his mother and envisioned being confined in a small space with her for more than ten minutes, there was no question what he needed to do.
“That’s a great idea. Thanks, Prim.” He raised an eyebrow at his scowling mother. “Ready?”