String Beans (The Girls of Beachmont #2) (24 page)

“I was disappointed with myself for not speaking
up and telling you that I did want you. For letting you go. But it doesn’t come
close to the disappointment I feel right now looking at you. Emma deserves
better than you.”

I closed the door behind me and rushed toward the
stairs. I could hear him calling my name, but I hurried to the doors that led
outside. When I stepped through the glass doors, I realized it was still
raining, and at one in the morning, nothing was open. I couldn’t go back to my
place and my car was parked farther down the road.

The bookstore had a nook with an extended awning
that I decided to take cover under it until I figured out where I was going for
the night.

“Shit,” I muttered to myself. “I should have gone
to Callie’s.”

“Vi!” I heard him call out.

I peeked around the corner and saw him looking in
the opposite direction.

“Viola!”

As I stood outside, avoiding the rain, I weighed
my options. I pulled out my cell and punched out a text to Callie.

Me: Are you awake?

I stared at the phone hoping to see the three dots
that told me she was texting back, but I saw nothing.

“C’mon, Cal,” I groaned quietly.

“Damn it,” I heard Wyatt say to himself.

He was closer than I thought, and tucked myself
into the nook a little tighter. I was looking down at a puddle when his feet
appeared in my view.

“Why did you run off like that?” he asked.

“Why do you think?”

I moved past him to walk back to the building when
he reached for my hand. I hated myself for how much I liked that feeling, but
still tried to pull it away. He tightened his grip and I ran my free hand
through my hair to move it from my face.

“I’m getting wet,” I argued as water ran down my
face. “Just let me go.”

“Not until you hear me out.”

“What is there to say?”

“A lot. If you’d be still for a second and let me talk.”

I tugged my hand away, and that time, he let it
go. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “Okay. I’m listening.”

“Get out of the rain,” he said, trying to pull me
under the awning.

“I’m fine.”

“You sure are frustrating,” he said, and after he
waited for a reaction that I never gave him, he continued. “This was all your
idea, you know?”

“What was my idea?”

“You pushed me to give Emma a chance, right?”

“Yeah. And how does that mean you’re supposed to
kiss me? Most people just say thank you and carry on.”

“Thank you?” he repeated.

“You’re welcome,” I answered quickly and tried to step
away, but he reached out his hand to stop me. I looked up at him and stepped
back to the spot I left.

“First off, I’m not dating Emma.”

“But Dallas said…”

“All Dallas knew was I went out with her
once
. But I never talked to him about
it. I’m not that guy. And when I haven’t been here or working, I’ve been with
my folks.”

“What happened with Emma?”

“Nothing. I mean, we went out, but we realized
pretty quickly that we were just friends.”

“The way she looked at you and talked to me
about
you was way more than friendly.”

“You can ask her yourself if you don’t believe me.
She’s seeing some guy named Mike.”

“I’m so confused,” I said.

Wyatt reached for my arm and pulled me under the
awning to keep me from getting any wetter than I was. I felt cold all the way
to my feet, but I wanted to hear him out.

“You’re upset with me.” It wasn’t really a
question, but I nodded anyway. “Are you mad that I kissed you or mad that you thought
I was with someone when I did it?”

“You shouldn’t have done that. Not when you’re
with Emma.”

“I just told you, I’m not with Emma. I went out
with her like
you
wanted me to, but
there was nothing between us…we both saw that. I haven’t been around because,
like I said, I’ve been helping my dad and I was giving you some space.”

“Did you have to give me so much space?”

“Maybe you can give me the
Viola Manual
so I know what to do, how to do it, and when to do
it.”

“Very funny,” I said dryly until I recalled what
he’d said about his dad. “Wait…is your mom okay?”

His features softened a little and for the first
time I noticed the circles under his eyes and the scruff that had taken up
residence on his face. “She had a minor setback, nothing too serious.”

“What happened? How’s your dad handling it?”

“He’s worried about her, but it looks like she’ll
be okay.”

“I’m sorry,” I said barely above a whisper as I
stared at the rain flowing through the gutter a few feet away.

I liked Jennie. She was quiet and mild-mannered,
though I wasn’t sure if that’s how she had always been or if it was a result of
the stroke. Regardless, it made me sad to think of her not doing well.

Wyatt bent down until he could see my eyes and
waited for my attention. “I appreciate the concern you have for my mom, and she
really is okay. But right now, I’d rather focus on us.”

Us.

“There is no
us
,
Wyatt.”

“And why is that? Because you’re still with the
husband? Nope. According to you, you’re getting a divorce. Is it because I’m
seeing someone? It’s not that either, because like I just told you, I’m not
seeing anyone.”

I couldn’t respond…I didn’t know
how
to respond. His words echoed in my
ears, and when he put the situation out there as plainly as it was, I had no
true argument. Not that I really wanted one anyway.

“Vi?”

I looked up at Wyatt and waited for him to speak.
Part of me wanted to run away from the things I was feeling, and the other part
wanted to stay planted where I was to see how it all played out.

“Did you push me to go out with Emma because you
really felt nothing for me?”

“I felt too much, Earp, and that scared me.”

“Why?”

“Because what if you hurt me like he did?”

“I could say the same thing. But I’m pretty sure
you’re worth the risk.”

I was staring into his eyes, a battle of wills raging
inside of me. I didn’t have time to decipher them, because Wyatt extended his
hand tentatively and touched my face. I hooked my finger into the belt loop of
his jeans and pulled him to me forcefully. I lifted my chin and wrapped my arms
around his waist, holding him tighter than I’d ever held anyone else. His arm
was pressed against the brick façade behind me and his other hand rested gently
against my neck. No words were spoken as he leaned his forehead against mine,
just the sound of the rain pounding the pavement below.

“Vi, I’m going to kiss you now,” he said quietly.

I shivered at the words—though maybe that
had more to do with me in soaking wet clothes, but I chose to believe it was
his words.

When his lips touched mine I wondered why I had waited
so long. For the first time, we both seemed to be in the right place at the
right time. Our mouths fit perfectly, and as I moved my hand up his back,
feeling his muscles beneath the damp cotton T-shirt, he deepened the kiss.

When we parted, a small laugh escaped me and he
looked at me questioningly.

“Bit of a clichéd kiss, don’t you think?”

He leaned back and cocked his head to the side and
I pointed at the rain falling beside us.

“Where’s the music?”

Wyatt gave me a lopsided grin and pulled out his
cell phone. He was still standing close enough that I wasn’t entirely freezing
from the rain, but far enough that he was able to scroll through the device.
Suddenly his eyes widened for a moment and then he laughed softly.

“Like this?” he asked and then started playing “I
Want You to Want Me”—the Cheap Trick Live version, of course.

When I laughed at his romantic gesture, he leaned
in and kissed me again.

“I need to go back to my place and shower,” I
murmured as I kissed the side of Wyatt’s neck. He wrapped his arms around me and
squeezed me against his chest.

“Five more minutes.”

When he loosened his grip, I inched further up the
bed and rested my arms on his chest, staring at the stubble on his face. He
caught me looking at him and smirked.

“What are you staring at?” he asked.

“You.” I ran my hand along his jaw. “And this.”

“I’ll take care of it today.”

My eyes shot open and raised up further so I could
look down at him. “Don’t you dare. I love it.”

Wyatt rolled over, changing our positions, and
kissed me once. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You better,” I laughed.

“I like you in my T-shirt.”

“Don’t expect to get it back anytime soon.”

“I’ll know where to find it if I want it.”

He started kissing me again, but when he began to
deepen the kiss I started to push him away.

“No! Morning breath.” I laughed and got to my
feet. “I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”

He reached for my hand and moved back, smirking at
me as he spoke. “It’s okay. I haven’t either.”

I reached down and grabbed the comforter from his
bed and walked toward the door. Wyatt leaned back, resting his head on his
pillow as he watched me go, and laughed.

“What?”

“That doesn’t look like a walk of shame.”

“Shut up,” I scoffed and shut the door. “We didn’t
do anything.”

“Walk like that and it looks like we did.”

I laughed as he laid back against the pillows.

I was sneaking off toward the living room and I
heard someone clear their throat. I closed my eyes and slowly turned around,
expecting to see Dallas, but it was Wyatt leaning against his doorway.

“Will I see you later?” he asked. He was standing
in nothing but a pair of shorts, looking incredibly sexy.

“Maybe,” I answered coyly. When he didn’t move to
go back to his room, I scampered over to him and wrapped my arms around his
neck. I leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled back.

“What about morning breath?”

“Screw it,” I laughed as I kissed him.

It was a simple, sweet kiss and as he released me,
I stepped back and smiled up at him before turning away. I heard the click of
his door shutting and my eyes landed on a curious Dallas drinking a cup of
coffee in the kitchen.

My eyes darted back at Wyatt’s door and then to Dallas’s
waiting expression.

“Nothing happened,” I said quickly.

Dallas put his hands up in the air and shook his
head with a scoff. “None of my business.”

“Yeah, but we just talked,” I said feebly.

“Is that what the kids call it these days?”

“You.” I pointed and narrowed my eyes. “You and
me…we’re talking later.”

“Oh goody,” he said smugly. “I get all the
details…like I couldn’t hear through these paper-thin walls.”

“You’re so full of shit,” I laughed.

“Hey, that’s the story I’m telling Jo and Callie.
It’s much more interesting than admitting I heard all the sweet nothings you
two stayed up all night discussing.”

“You do, and I’m so telling James that you dragged
us out the other night so you could stalk him.”

“Go ahead.” He smirked. “He already knows.”

“You suck.”

“So I’ve heard.”

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully and walked
out, this time with purse and keys in hand. Still, I knocked on my own door,
should I walk into the apartment to find Jolie and Connor in a compromising
position in the living room. I’d rather spare myself the mental picture.

When no one answered, I walked in and headed
straight for my room. I never did get to charge my phone the night before, so I
plugged in the drained device and jumped into the shower. It felt great to get
the stench of smoke off my skin, though I knew I was washing away the smell of
Wyatt too.

I’m sure he won’t mind repeating last night.

When I stepped out, I wrapped a towel around my
body and sat down on my bed as I recalled the events of the night before.

Nine Hours Earlier…

After making out in the rain to whatever was next
on his playlist, Wyatt suggested we go back to his room so we could discuss
what was happening between us. But between the kissing and sweet touches, we
had made little effort to move from the nook that was shielding us from the
rain.

“My toes feel
pruney
,” I
told him.

“Are you cold? We can go back to the apartment.”

“My car is down the way,” I answered. “We’ll need
to make a run for it.”

“Why?”

“So we don’t have Dallas listening,” I laughed.

“Good point. Let’s go.”

We stood under the awning, waiting for a break in
the rain, and I leaned my head against his chest. Listening to the sound of his
heart thudding beneath my fingers was enough to almost lull me to sleep.

“I don’t think this rain is gonna let up,” he
finally said.

I exhaled and started running for my car, which
was almost half a block away. I could hear his footsteps trailing behind and I
almost screamed with laughter at being caught in the rain. I ran to the
driver’s side and climbed in, leaning over to unlock the passenger door. When
we were safe inside, I turned on the engine and tried to wipe the water out of
my face. But then I looked into the rearview mirror and saw my own raccoon eyes
staring back at me and gave up trying to keep appearances.

“So I guess we have time,” I said.

Wyatt looked around and then back to me. “Here?
Now?”

“So not gonna happen, Earp.”

He feigned disappointment before leaning against
his door to face me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.

“Just wondering what questions you have for me.”

I smirked and then mimicked his position. “Why
didn’t it work with Emma?”

“You mean besides the fact that you’re the only
one I’ve been able to think about since the moment I met you?”

I swallowed hard and tried to look cool, but
failed miserably. I could barely speak, but I sure tried. “Yeah. Besides that.”

Wyatt extended his hand and entwined his fingers
with mine. There was a distinct quiver that ran up my arm and up my spine with
that single gesture.

“Did you feel that?” he asked.

I didn’t answer for fear that he meant something
else, but as he continued to talk, I knew exactly what he meant.

“Just touching you, I feel something inside of me,
and I can’t describe it. But being near Emma, I knew something was missing. And
then when we kissed…”

I wanted to come out of my skin and strangle her.

“There was nothing. I might as well have been
kissing my sister…if I had one.”

“It’s funny you say that,” I answered.

“Funny? How so?”

“I felt the same way when Owen kissed me.”

Wyatt tensed, and his hand felt ridged in my own.
I gently tightened my fingers around his, and waited for him to look at me.

“You kissed
Owen
?”

I released his hand and held mine up in surrender.

“Hold up…
he
kissed
me
—not the other way
around. Not that I need to justify that to you.”

“When?”

“Excuse me?”

“When did he kiss you?”

“Why does that even matter?”

His nostrils flared and he exhaled loudly before
his body relaxed. “I guess it doesn’t.”

“No. It really doesn’t.”

When he still didn’t seem to loosen up, I crossed
my arms over my chest and looked at him.

“What made you kiss Emma?”

It was a guess. I didn’t know who initiated what,
but I considered his male anatomy and went with it. Wyatt didn’t even flinch,
so I figured I was right.

“You can tell a lot from a kiss…am I right?” Wyatt
asked with a hint of hesitation.

“I suppose.”

“The first time you tried to kiss me, stepping
away was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.”

“And the second?” I asked.

“You left me little choice,” he said.

“Yeah?” I laughed softly, remembering the moment.

“Yeah.”

“Emma’s beautiful, I’m not gonna lie, but there’s
more to it. I don’t recall feeling an instant attraction like I did to you,” he
said and then pressed his lips softly against mine.

“What if attraction is all there is?”

“Trust me, if I can listen to all of your crazy,
you pushing me away, and
still
find
you even remotely sexy, it’s more than just looks.”

“You think?”

…Present

“How was your night?” I asked Jolie when she
finally emerged from her room. I had already blow-dried my hair, eaten
breakfast, and was enjoying a second cup of coffee by the time she joined me.

“Enlightening,” she answered.

“That’s an odd thing to say.”

“Yeah, but it’s true.” She shook her head tightly
and mouthed something I didn’t make out just before Connor came out of her
room.

“I’ll be at the Solstice if you need to get me,”
he said of the hotel he was visiting. He walked into the kitchen and wrapped
his arms around Jolie from behind. When he kissed her neck, I turned away and recognized
the signs. I’d only seen Jolie like that one other time, and that was a month
after we met when her high school boyfriend came to our apartment for a visit.
They broke up half way through freshman year in college, but I knew that look:
she was in love.

When Connor had closed the door behind him, I
turned a questioning eye on her and waited.

“What?” she asked.

“You know what.”

“I really don’t.”

“Are you going to tell me what happened?”

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“I know. So tell me what happened,” I laughed. As
I reached for my coffee mug, Jolie slid her hand out and took the cup from me,
making it her own. “Sure. I wasn’t drinking that.”

She chuckled and held the mug to her face,
inhaling the aroma. I was busy glaring at her and wondering if looks could
actually kill when something flashed. I reached out and grabbed her hand,
almost causing her to drop the mug.

“What in the hell is going on? Are you…”

“Engaged?” she smiled.

“This is not happening. Is this a joke? You?
Married? Until last weekend, I didn’t even know there was an ex, let alone an
ex you were remotely serious about.”

“We had a lot to talk about,” she said.

“Apparently. Would you mind filling me in? Exactly
how serious were you two?”

“Connor and I met through work. His company hired
us to do a campaign, and I was his contact.”

“I thought that sort of thing is frowned upon by Kevin.”

“It is. So I declined his offers to take me
out…for at least a week.”

“I’m sure that was hard,” I teased.

“You have no idea,” she muttered. “I’d been seeing
some guy that I met at a bar, and it wasn’t anything serious.”

“Is that the Max guy I remember you telling me
about?”

“Yep. That’s the one. We were supposed to go out,
but I had to cancel because we had an error with Connor’s company and I needed
to fix it. I was doing everything I could take care of it without him ever
knowing, but of course with my luck, he found out. I expected him to be pissed
and drop us on the spot.”

“But he didn’t.”

“He didn’t,” she repeated. “He came to the office
and we were going through all of the papers to make sure I hadn’t missed
anything else. Once we were sure it was okay, I sent everything to print and
thought he was going to go, but then he asked me out. Again. And I accepted.”

“So what went wrong? How did you go from being
anti-serious relationships to engaged?”

“We went out that first night and I realized that Connor
was more than just a suit and tie. He’s sweet, and funny, and a complete
romantic.”

“You said the
R
-word.
You hate romance.”

“I know. So I tried to keep it light, but I fell
for him fast.”

“I still can’t believe you never told me any of
this.”

“Well, to be fair, I didn’t tell anyone. Not a
soul.”

“But I’m not just anyone, Jo.”

“With your marriage falling apart, and how much
you hated men, the last thing I wanted to do was rub your face in my
happiness.”