Chapter 8
“Morning,” Braxton said from behind the checkout counter.
“Good morning.” Dante’s voice was a little too loud and just a little too happy.
His friend jerked his head up and eyed him suspiciously. “I take it the date went well?”
“It did.” There was no way Dante was going to give Braxton any details, but there certainly wasn’t any need to lie about it.
“So you broke your no dating moratorium?”
Dante just shrugged. He’d been more than clear with Prim the night before that he wasn’t looking for anything serious, but after the night they’d shared, did he really think he was going to be able to stay away from her?
The answer was a solid no.
As long as he didn’t let things get serious, they could still see each other, right? What could be wrong with that?
“I see,” Braxton said with a chuckle. “Is it too early to say welcome to the family?”
Dante shook his head at his friend. “Don’t start. It was just one date.”
“But you’re going to see her again?” Braxton pushed.
“Probably,” Dante hedged, even though he was already planning to call her when he got off work.
The chances of his mother leaving town were pretty slim.
From past experience, he knew she wasn’t likely to go anywhere willingly until she got whatever she came for or she found some man to latch onto.
There was a high chance she’d still be staying at his apartment.
A small shudder ran through him as he briefly wondered what had brought her all the way to Befana Bay.
Money was probably the answer. He supposed he could just pay her off, but that would just reinforce her behavior and she’d never really be out of his and Mateo’s lives.
Last night, when he’d been with Prim, he’d successfully forgotten all about his mother being in town.
But now, in the light of day, he was faced with having to figure out what to do with her before she got to Mateo.
That sour taste appeared at the back of his throat again, and all those happy endorphins he’d brought with him to work seemed to vanish.
He pulled out his phone and dialed his mother. It rang and rang and rang and then an automatic voice told him her voice mail was full.
Dante knew he should warn Mateo that she was in town. But as his fingers hovered over the screen of his phone, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He shoved the phone into his back pocket and called out, “Brax? Do you mind if I run home for a few minutes?”
Braxton’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you forget something?”
“No, I…” He trailed off, not quite sure what to say.
If he told him the truth, he’d have to admit that he hadn’t slept at home the night before, and he really didn’t want to spread his and Prim’s business around.
On the other hand, Braxton was his best friend.
It wasn’t like the man was going to be gossiping about his sex life.
“What’s wrong?” Braxton asked. “You look like that vein in your forehead is going to explode.”
Dante pressed two fingers to the space just above the bridge of his nose and groaned. “Gwen is in town.”
Braxton scowled. “Seriously? Why?”
“No idea, but I’m sure we can both give it a good guess. I just need to try to get her to leave before Mateo sees her.”
“And she’s at your apartment? You let her stay there? With you?” Braxton’s expression was one of pure disbelief.
Dante gritted his teeth and glanced around, making sure there weren’t any customers to overhear his confession.
“She stayed there because she arrived in town without any reservations and everything is booked up. The inn is full of movie production people and there’s a beer festival in Poulsbo.
It was either that or let her sleep on the streets. Or worse, track down Mateo.”
“How in the world did you survive being trapped in that tiny studio all night with Gwen?”
“I, uh, didn’t stay there.” Dante felt his lips curve into a small smile and immediately schooled his features.
Braxton eyed him suspiciously and then laughed. “I see. Well, that’s an interesting development. Sure, take off. Just don’t do anything that will require bail money. I’d hate to have to close down the shop in the middle of summer to haul your ass out of jail.”
“I’ll do my best,” Dante promised and took off.
A few minutes later, he pulled into the quiet drive that led to his apartment.
He’d originally intended to rent Niko’s house in Hansville, but when Mateo expressed an interest in it, Dante decided to let his brother take the space since it was closer to the bookstore.
So Dante had rented the living space above a garage from a nice couple who traveled a lot and wanted someone who could keep an eye on their property when they were gone.
This summer they were on a four-month cruise that crossed the globe.
He couldn’t imagine being trapped on a giant ship for that long, but they’d been excited about it.
It was a gorgeous morning with rays of light filtering through the trees. Birds were splashing in a birdbath, and the small patch of sunflowers had their faces turned to the sun. Usually the pretty grounds made him feel peaceful. That morning all he felt was dread.
He parked in front of the garage and forced himself up the stairs. Dealing with Gwen had never been easy, and he was certain this morning would be no exception. Before he even opened the door, he knew something was off. He felt it deep in his bones.
After a quick rap on the door, followed by no response, he used the spare key he kept hidden under a pot to unlock the door. The moment it opened, he let out a loud curse.
The entire apartment was wet from floor to ceiling. Everything in the place was drenched.
“What the hell?” he cried as he burst inside, nearly slipping on the puddles of water. He stopped in the middle of the room and scanned carefully, noting that Gwen was nowhere to be found. The bathroom door was ajar, and it was empty.
His mother was gone, and his apartment was flooded.
A coil of rage started deep in his gut, making him want to scream.
What had she done?
As far as he knew, the apartment wasn’t equipped with a sprinkler system, and a quick scan of the ceiling confirmed it.
There was only one explanation. For some insane reason, Gwen had used her magic to flood his apartment and then had disappeared.
It wasn’t the first time that his mother had brought chaos to his life. He wasn’t even surprised by it anymore. Not really, anyway. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t mad as hell.
Dante grabbed his phone and called Braxton.
“Everything okay?” his friend asked by way of greeting.
“No, it definitely isn’t okay. My apartment is flooded, and Gwen is missing. It’s going to be a while before I can get back there.”
“Flooded? How? Did a pipe burst or something?” Braxton asked.
“No. Her magical signature is everywhere. And before you ask, I don’t know why. I’m going to run and get an industrial fan and some cleaning supplies and then get to work.”
“Son of a… I wish I could help,” Braxton said. “Do you need help moving furniture later? I can come over after we close.”
Dante grabbed the back of his neck and took a hard look at his couch and bed. They were both definitely ruined. “That would really help. Thanks, man.”
“Sure thing. And Dante? Consider filing a police report this time.”
Dante was silent for a moment, then he hung his head and said, “I’ll think about it.”
There was a sigh on the other end of the line, but his friend didn’t push him further.
Once he ended the call with Braxton, he tapped Mateo’s number.
“Good morning, brother,” Mateo said cheerfully. “How was your date?”
“It wasn’t a real date,” Dante said automatically and then instantly regretted it. Maybe it hadn’t started out as a real date, but it sure ended that way.
“That’s not what I heard,” Mateo said with a laugh.
Dante’s hackles instantly rose. Had he heard from Gwen? Did she tell him he’d stayed over at Prim’s? “Who told you what?” Dante asked, trying to keep the fury out of his tone.
“Just the gossip mill, brother. A couple of older ladies were just here at the bookstore, and they were talking about how Bethany Befana saw you driving into town with Prim this morning. I can only assume that unless you two have decided to start carpooling, you woke up together.”
Dante let out the breath he’d been holding.
He should have known that Grandma Bethany would be gossiping already.
When it came to her granddaughters, the woman wouldn’t recognize boundaries if they bit her in the ass.
“Listen,” Dante said, changing the subject, “I’ve had a leak here at my apartment, so I’ll be here all day cleaning it out.
Just call me if you need me for anything. Anything at all.”
“A leak? What happened?” Mateo asked. “Do you need help? I can close the bookstore for a while if you need me.”
“No, no. Don’t do that. I can handle this.
A… uh… pipe burst,” he lied. It definitely didn’t sound like Gwen had contacted his brother.
Dante didn’t know why not, but at that point, he didn’t care.
As long as she’d left town, there was no reason for Mateo to even know she’d been there.
I’m just going to clean it up and hope a plumber can fit me in today. ”
“If they can’t and you end up with no water, you can crash at my place tonight,” Mateo offered.
Staying at the apartment definitely wasn’t going to be an option.
His bed was ruined, and the place would need to air out for at least another couple of days, so his brother’s invitation was a welcome solution, but Dante had already made up his mind that he had other plans.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. I just wanted to check in.
Anything going on I need to know about?”
“Nope,” Mateo said. “Other than it appears your personal life is now being broadcast around town, everything is normal. I’m doing inventory today between customers, and we’ve gotten a few bookings for private dinners, but other than that, there’s nothing else to report.”
“Good. That’s… good.” Dante’s gaze fixated on a puddle right in the middle of the room. The sun shone off it, reflecting light that turned into a prism. It was beautiful and devastating at the same time.
“Dante?” Mateo asked.
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe I should close up the store and come on over there.”
“No, no. Sorry, I’m just a little distracted.” Dante forced out a chuckle. “A little might be a bit of an understatement, but I’ve got this.”
“All right, but seriously, call if you need anything.”
“I will.” Dante ended the call and then strode out of the apartment, ready to get to work.
An hour later, as Dante was mopping out the puddles of water, he heard footsteps on the stairs. He stiffened, his hackles raised, expecting to see his mother appear in the doorway. His hands closed into fists, and he took a step back, trying to keep himself in check.
“Dante?” Prim’s soft voice floated into the apartment just before she appeared, holding a cup of coffee and a pastry bag.
She’d changed into jeans and a T-shirt and had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, making her look a good five years younger than she had that morning when she’d been wearing that incredible dress.
“There you are,” she said, giving him a sympathetic smile. “I thought you could use a pick-me-up.”
Every ounce of Dante’s being relaxed as he strode over to her and kissed her cheek. “You are definitely a sight for sore eyes. You must have talked to Brax.”
“Lily, actually. Braxton told her and she called me.” Prim glanced around the room and winced. “Is anything salvageable?”
“The dishes?” Dante couldn’t shake the pure disgust that overwhelmed him every time he thought about what his mother had done. He just didn’t understand why. Usually she just stole from him or used him to get her way. But destruction hadn’t ever been part of her MO.
“I figured you could use a hand. I have some time if you want some help,” Prim offered.
“What about your shop?” Dante asked, knowing she had a lot of work to do before filming started next week. “I don’t want you to get behind.”
“I won’t.” She waved an unconcerned hand. “My grandmother is there with her weekly group. She’s keeping an eye on things for me right now, and Viv’s coming in to work this afternoon. Honestly, with all their tongues wagging about us, I was more than happy to escape for a while.”
“Do I even want to know what they are saying?” Dante asked, both slightly annoyed and mildly amused.
It wasn’t like anyone had any details. All they knew was that he’d had a date with Prim the night before and that he’d driven her to work.
Though he supposed that was quite enough for them to get the full picture.
“Not really,” she said, shaking her head. “Not unless you want to hear about the wedding details they’re cooking up for us.”
Dante felt his lifeforce leave his entire body as he went ice-cold. “Wedding?” he croaked out.
Prim threw her head back and laughed. “You should see the look on your face,” she sputtered through her giggles.
“Relax, Dante. I’m not hearing wedding bells in my immediate or distant future.
You know how my grandmother and her friends are.
If they can manufacture a reason to throw a party, they will.
And a wedding is the holy grail of parties.
Next week they’ll be shipping someone else. Don’t worry about it.”
“A wedding,” he muttered. “Never again.”
Prim sobered and really looked at him. “Your ex really did a number on you, didn’t she?”
“That’s an understatement.” Dante took the pastry bag from her and pulled out a chocolate croissant. After tearing it in half, he offered her the bigger piece. She took it happily, and they munched on the treat, both smiling with pleasure.
Once they were done, Dante handed her the mop and then went to work on his desk, bagging up a pile of paperwork related to the bookstore that was now ruined. Thank goodness for digital backups, otherwise he’d have been in a world of hurt.
When all the water had been pushed out and everything but the large pieces of furniture had been bagged and carried outside, Dante eyed the space and said, “I think that’s it for now.
Braxton is going to help me with the furniture after the shop closes.
I’m going to take my clothes to a Laundromat and then”—he eyed her for just a moment—“head to your place if the invitation is still open.”
“Of course it is.” Prim’s blue eyes flashed with just a hint of desire when she added, “This time I won’t pass up the offer to have you wash my back.” Then she winked and walked out.