Still the One

Still the One

Lena Matthews

www.loose-id.com

Still the One

Copyright © February 2011 by Lena Matthews

All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book

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eISBN 978-1-60737-946-1

Editor: Maryam Salim

Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs

Printed in the United States of America

Published by

Loose Id LLC

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www.loose-id.com

This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical

events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either

the product of the author‟s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any

resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or

locales is entirely coincidental.

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Dedication

For Maryam, the best middleman in the field.

Chapter One

“So do you guys have any plans for tomorrow night?”

Creigh De Luca shifted a bit and pressed the expense report she‟d been

perusing—while she was breastfeeding her infant daughter—against the heart

design bloomers her sleeping child wore over her diaper. She gave a few

absentminded pats to the padded bottom as she tried to focus on what her cousin

and business partner, A-mei Gibbs, was saying. “What‟s tomorrow night?”

A-mei looked up at her with disbelief. “Valentine‟s Day, geek.”

“Oh that.” For a second, Creigh had thought she‟d forgotten something

important.

“Yes, that. I take it from your reply that you don‟t have plans?”

“Are you kidding me?” Creigh gestured with the reports to her midday snacker

suckling away greedily at her bosom. “With this hungry, hungry hippo still attached

at my boobs? I don‟t think so.”

“What?”

If it wasn‟t for the look of confusion that shone brightly in A-mei‟s dark brown

eyes, Creigh would have thought her cousin was kidding. Only a jokester would

tease an overworked, sleep-deprived mother of three about romantic plans.

“She doesn‟t eat
all
day.”

“Feels like she does.” Creigh glanced down at the milk muncher in question

and smiled. It was hard not to. Her youngest hadn‟t yet reached her first year, but

she was already the belle of their De Luca ball.

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Lena Matthews

Maybe it was because Halla was the last one, or maybe it was because the

labor had been complicated and they‟d nearly lost the baby that made everyone dote

over her a little more than they should. Or maybe it was simply because without

her conception, Creigh and her husband, Dean, would never have reunited, and that

made Halla so much more special. Whatever it was, she was the apple of everyone‟s

eye, and even at eight months, she ruled the roost.

“I know you can pump and save your precious fluids. You‟re not fooling me.

What‟s the real reason you‟re not doing anything? Do I need to have a word with my

cousin-in-law?”

Creigh chuckled at the very thought. “Good luck with that. Dean‟s working

more hours at the pub than I am at the shop.” Her husband, his younger brother,

Sergio, and his eldest brother, Gino, had expanded Gino‟s little bar, De Luca‟s

Tavern, into a family-owned pub, adding to it a fully functioning kitchen as well as

more seating room. Not quite a restaurant, but a bit better than the man cave it

used to be. It was a family venture the brothers were giving their all to right now,

including money and time.

“Speaking of you putting in all these hours. What‟s that all about? We hired an

assistant for a reason.”

“Yes, but with Sergio helping with the remodeling instead of chipping in like

he was, we‟re still short a man. And we really can‟t afford to hire someone else right

now. Besides, I enjoy coming into the shop.”

“Just don‟t run yourself down in the process.”

“I won‟t.”

A-mei arched a brow but didn‟t say a word. She didn‟t have to.

“No, really, I won‟t.”

A-mei laid her hand over her cousin‟s. “You have to take care of yourself.”

Still the One

3

“I know.” Creigh smiled at her. For all of A-mei‟s tenacity, her heart was truly

in the right place. “I‟m going to. I promise you. I have far too much to live for to not

do a good job on me.”

“Have you gone back to the doctor?”

Creigh rued the day she had mentioned her little incident to A-mei. The other

woman was like a dog with a bone. “No, the blood work came in fine. I‟m just a little

anemic. All I have to do is take some iron, rest, and I‟ll be right as rain.”

“What does Dean think?”

“At last check, Dean didn‟t have a medical degree, so I went to a doctor. Iron

and rest was what he said I needed.”

A-mei narrowed her eyes and pulled her hand back. “You didn‟t even mention

it, did you?”

“Not a word. And you better not either if you know what‟s good for you.”

“You know you might be a little more threatening if there wasn‟t a tiny person

attached to your tit. The whole Madonna and child thing overrules scary bitch.”

“Don‟t make me set her down.”

“Then don‟t make me tell Dean you passed out at work.”

If she did, Creigh‟s ass would be grass. “I didn‟t pass out, I fainted…a little. It

won‟t happen again.”

“It better not. Because if it does, I‟ll tell him myself.”

“Sheesh, fine. Let‟s change the subject.” To one that wouldn‟t leave her feeling

guilty. Creigh knew A-mei was right to fuss, but she didn‟t want to cause waves.

Things were good now at home with Dean, and she didn‟t want to upset him for

anything in the world. Eating a little bit more, sleeping a bit more would solve it all,

and he wouldn‟t have to worry one little bit. “Back to Valentine‟s Day. I don‟t think

either of us can really take the day off.”

“True,” A-mei admitted reluctantly with a nod. “Valentine‟s Day is our busiest

day of the year.”

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Lena Matthews

“The flower shop will be filled with customers. We‟re going to need all hands on

deck that day.”

“But we‟re closing at six. Still leaves you guys plenty of time to go out and do

something.”

“Coming home to sit my tired ass down is doing something.” Creigh set the

paper on the table, too distracted for the numbers to make much sense. Instead she

nuzzled her daughter closer and, with a nudge of her foot, set the chair to rocking

again. “To be honest,” she said softly so as to not disturb Halla, “I would be

completely happy if Dean and I just skipped it altogether and just stayed home.

Valentine‟s Day is for teenagers, greeting card companies, and struggling flower

shops trying to stay in the black.”

“In theory I agree. National Singles Awareness Day sucks dick. Like I or

anyone else needs it rubbed in our face that we‟re alone. But…” A-mei‟s eyes

glittered with excitement. “Presents would be nice. Expensive presents at that.”

Creigh wasn‟t breaking out the pity violins just yet. “If you‟re alone, it‟s merely

because of your own choosing. There hasn‟t been a day that goes by where some guy

hasn‟t hit on you in one way, shape, or form.” Not that Creigh could blame them.

Her cousin was beautiful. Her dual heritage blessed A-mei with caramel brown

skin, almond-shaped eyes, and hair so dark it sometimes appeared blue. The

straight, thick mane fell to the middle of her back, but the majority of the time A-

mei wore it with a few strands free in the front for bangs and the rest twisted in a

knot on top of her head, held up with her customary chopsticks—a nod to her

mother‟s Asian heritage. “You could have a million men at your feet if you wanted.”

“I don‟t need a million. I just need one.”

“That‟s all it takes.”

“We‟re not talking about me though. We‟re talking about you, and I can‟t

believe you‟re anti-Valentine.”

“I‟m not; I‟m just tired. You know what real romance to me would be right

about now? Rest.” And possibly sex. Lots of it. Just the thought made her smile.

Still the One

5

Creigh closed her eyes and laid her head on the headrest. She let the soothing

movements of the chair rocking back and forth comfort her. “Do you know what

would be really nice?”

“A hot half-dressed man in handcuffs.”

Creigh turned her head and opened her eyes to stare at her cousin, who‟d

kicked off her own shoes and had her feet curled up next to her on the couch.

“Besides that.”

“No. What?”

“Just a nice, quiet evening in with Dean.” Unlike A-mei, Creigh didn‟t covet

chocolate-covered treats, jewelry, or pricy perfumes. She just needed Dean.

A-mei snorted. “That doesn‟t sound fun at all.”

Quiet was a rare commodity these days, as was sex. Sure, she and Dean

managed to sneak a quickie in there every now and then between late-night

feedings and carpooling. “It does to me.”

“Well who asked you?”

Creigh tilted her head with disbelief. “Uh, you.”

“Big mistake on my part obviously.” A-mei tempered her words with a smile.