She was positive Ivy would have made some comment about being the rebound but hadn’t.

  “I did tell her I went on a date,” he said. “Problem with that?”

  “No,” she said. “Considering my sisters know and because of Ivy I’m betting half the coworkers in the building on Main Street do too, so you telling one person isn’t a big deal.”

  “I didn’t tell her much. She asked how we met.”

  “Did you tell her the truth?” This would give her a better idea of how he operated between his job and personal life.

  “As much as I could. I’m limited to what can be said. My father is retired FBI also. He consults with them now.”

  “I didn’t know that,” she said.

  “It didn’t come up on the first date. I’m letting you know now. I know you feel at a disadvantage with me knowing what I do.”

  “I did feel that way. I don’t so much now. But could he find out about me being looked into?” she asked quietly.

  “He has enough connections to do that if he wanted to. Considering how my last marriage ended, I don’t put anything past my mother.”

  She’d store that little bit of information away. It seemed to her there had to be more going on that Hugh wasn’t saying.

  “So what did you end up saying?”

  “That I was pulled into an investigation out of Chicago. You used to work there and live here now, they reached out to our office to interview you and that is how we met. That you weren’t a person of interest.”

  “Which is the truth now,” she said. “Thankfully.”

  “I don’t think I believed it anyway,” he said. “I’m good at going with my gut, but I needed more facts.”

  “Why didn’t you believe it?” she asked. “What did your gut say?”

  “That you’d rather be stripped naked and put on a bed full of stakes then loaded on a plane without any nausea meds than take one penny that wasn’t earned.”

  He was sitting next to her at the table and she leaned over, him doing the same, and she did something she’d never done before.

  She kissed a man in public.

  12

  YOU COULD HAVE

  “What’s this I hear you were seen making out with a hot sexy nerd at Mona’s on Sunday afternoon?”

  Dahlia looked at her watch and saw it was two minutes after eight on Tuesday morning. First day back from the holiday.

  “That didn’t take you long,” she said to Poppy.

  “I need the details,” Poppy said, moving into the office and taking a seat across from Dahlia.

  “Seems to me you’ve got some already.”

  “And look at that smile on your face,” Poppy all but squealed. “Come on, give it up.”

  “Leave her alone,” Rose said, coming to stand in the doorway next to Lily. “Damn, you got here earlier than I thought, but I should have figured you’d race out the minute the nanny showed up.”

  Rose and Poppy shared a nanny for their kids. They took turns at each other’s house and she was positive the nanny had to be at Poppy’s this week based on what Rose had said.

  “Maybe I had a lot of work to do today,” Poppy said.

  “We have an hour until our meeting,” Lily said. “Don’t embarrass Dahlia.”

  “Dahlia knows it’s all part of the fun,” Poppy said. “Now you are officially one of us.”

  “Meaning she wasn’t until you could come in and harass her about a guy?” Rose asked, lifting her eyebrow.

  Rose was the hardest of the sisters. Or maybe not hard but the one that put up with the least amount of crap from anyone.

  “No,” Poppy said. “I’m just so excited for you. Tell us only what you want.”

  “That’s better,” Lily said. “And if you don’t want to tell us anything at all, then Rose can tug Poppy out of your office. I’m a little too big to do it and fit through the doorway at the same time.”

  Dahlia grinned. “I wasn’t making out with Hugh. I just kissed him.”

  Though they did make out when he brought her home later on.

  That was after they’d gone to the park and walked along the beach talking some more.

  She was home by six and that was the longest date she’d ever had.

  Probably the best one too.

  They didn’t even spend that much time talking about personal things.

  It’s like the minute he’d told her what his gut had said about her, she realized that no one had understood her the way he did.

  Not a man. Not a friend. Not even a family member.

  From that point on, she felt herself opening more than ever before.

  “You’re the most reserved person I know,” Poppy said.

  “That’s right, but it’s not like I’m a virgin.”

  “You tell her,” Rose said. “Not everyone wants the whole town to know their personal business.”

  Poppy put a cute pout on her face. “I don’t want that. I never did.”

  “You know what Rose was saying,” Lily said. “She was making a point that you have always been freer in your emotions and the rest of us are slightly more guarded.”

  “More than slightly for my two sisters, but once they found the men they want their forever with, they lost their inhibitions,” Poppy said.

  Rose snorted. “Hardly that. Come on, Poppy.”

  Rose walked in and reached for Poppy’s arm. Poppy allowed herself to be pulled out. “I’ll be back when my sisters aren’t around,” Poppy yelled as she laughed down the hall.

  “It’s only in good fun with her,” Lily said. “But don’t feel as if you need to share anything.”

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m not someone that does.”

  “Good,” Lily said. “Even if we all are a bit curious.”

  She smiled. “Not much to say. I’m sure Ivy has told everyone.”

  “To be honest, Ivy hasn’t said much and that is surprising.”

  “Really?” she asked. “What have you heard? I thought for sure Ivy would have shared everything.”

  “All Ivy did was tell Jasmine last week about the guy you were talking with outside. Ms. Dumbo ears overheard it.”

  “I should give Poppy Dumbo slippers for Christmas.”

  “She’d laugh about it,” Lily said.

  “She would. Hugh and I went on a date on Friday. Then Saturday Jasmine and Ivy ganged up on me before they came here to see how it went. We went on another date on Sunday.”

  “Which means the first date went well,” Lily said. “Good for you.”

  “It did. How did Poppy find out I kissed Hugh on Sunday?”

  She hadn’t even told her sisters and Ivy had been asking her.

  Well, she did tell Ivy Hugh kissed her when he brought her home, but didn’t add that she kissed him first in the restaurant.

  “Poppy said that someone out at the plant was there and saw you. Must be one of her seamstresses and that person texted her yesterday.”

  “And Poppy texted you and Rose?”

  “Just me. She figured I’d know what was going on, but I didn’t. No one bothers Rose with that stuff.”

  “I’m surprised Poppy didn’t text Ivy at the very least.”

  She knew Poppy and Ivy got along well. They were similar in personalities.

  “I believe Poppy didn’t want to throw you under the bus to your sisters. That was her way of being discreet.”

  “I appreciate it. I did tell Ivy that Hugh kissed me when he brought me home. I just figured maybe Mona saw it and told Jasmine.”

  Though she didn’t think Mona would have done that either.

  “It’s a small town as you know. It’s bound to make its way around, but you don’t seem to care too much.”

  “I’m not sure how I feel,” she said.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Lily said.

  “You don’t have time for this,” she said.

  Lily walked in and shut the door and then sat. “I’ve always got time. We’ve talked about this before. You and me, the oldest of sisters, we’ve got a bond there alone. We keep things in and don’t want them to know what might be going on. That means the good and the bad. I think with me, if I let them in with the good, they might see me as human when I was supposed to be the leader.”

  “Yeah,” she said. “Silly isn’t it?”

  “No,” Lily said. “Maybe it was silly when we were all single. I don’t know. But your sisters understand. Jasmine is in a solid marriage. Ivy, she’s getting there.”

  “It’s early yet with her,” she said.

  “Is it?” Lily asked. “What do you think?”

  “I think Brooks isn’t the type of man to make the same mistake twice. That he’d never want to hurt Ivy like he did weeks ago.”

  And for a man to do that and know it, meant that maybe her sister was on her way to that solid relationship too.

  As the oldest of the sisters, Dahlia should have been the first and she was going to be the last.

  “I think so too,” Lily said. “Are you worried that Ivy might think you’re jealous?”

  “This is horrible,” she said. “I am jealous of her. Of both of them. I shouldn’t be. That isn’t what family is about.”

  “Oh, sweetie,” Lily said. “Of course that is what family is about. Being jealous of your siblings’ happiness isn’t a bad thing. It shows you what you could have. For years I was jealous of how carefree Poppy was in life.”

  “Even though you felt as if you were saving her half the time from her mistakes?”

  “Someone had to do it. But she’d bounce right back. She’d try again and again. Rose wasn’t as carefree, but she wasn’t afraid to put herself out there when the time was right. Me, I just told myself for so long that I didn’t have time.”

  “Sounds familiar,” she said. “It’s been almost two years since I’ve been in a relationship. Jasmine and Ivy just found out not that long ago.”

  “Why didn’t you ever tell them?” Lily asked.

  “The truth is, I think I knew it wasn’t going to work out. I didn’t want to be questioned and maybe didn’t want to share so when it did fail I wouldn’t have to explain.”

  “And how do you feel right now about Hugh?” Lily asked. There was a huge smile on her face.

  “I hope it doesn’t fail and it’s only been two dates. I sound like Ivy.”

  “There is nothing wrong with that either. As you said, Ivy is so carefree and happy. You deserve to be too. And if something fails, you are strong enough to not ask for help or support even if you need it.”

  Her boss was right.

  For now she wouldn’t think of any of that though and just get back to the job they were paying her for.

  “Later this week, if you, Poppy and Rose can meet, I’ve got something I’d like to show you all,” Dahlia said. “Or I can show you first and then we can share if you want.”

  “I’ll let them know and get back to you,” Lily said. “Don’t work too hard.”

  She smiled. “Sure,” she said.

  But she always would because she just didn’t know any other way.

  Putting her head down and finishing a task was what she was good at.

  It was what people expected of her.

  When she was focused on that in her life she didn’t have to worry about someone laughing at her because she didn’t understand something that was said or happening that she missed out on in terms of American ways.

  All three of the girls had experienced it and she felt she was the one that had to tell her sisters it wasn’t that horrible when deep inside she was just as embarrassed as them.

  13

  HELD UP TO THE PRESSURE

  The following week, Hugh pulled into Dahlia’s driveway after work.

  He hadn’t gone home to change and was thinking he should have.

  But Dahlia said she was going to cook him dinner tonight and to come right after work.

  He found it sweet she was doing that. He’d taken her out again on Sunday. They’d spent most of the day together discovering things about Mystic.

  She said she should have done it before now but realized she didn’t want to do it alone and Ivy wasn’t interested.

  He had to say he worried how he’d be dating again as it’d been so long, but so far it wasn’t as horrible as he thought.

  They’d even talked about dating sites and that he didn’t care how desperate he got, he wasn’t trying it. Dahlia had laughed and said she agreed.

  He made his way to Dahlia’s door, knocked and opened it when she yelled.

  “Hi,” she said. “You’re right on time.”

  “Am I too early?” he asked. She was still in her work clothes and unloading a few bags of groceries.

  “Nope. Perfect timing. We match.”

  He looked at the black suit he wore daily. Sometimes he had on dark gray or navy. In the office most discarded their jackets, himself included.

  “We do,” he said. “Like the first time we met.”

  She smiled and dipped her head down. “I have a lot of black pants and jackets though I do try to wear different color jackets. Or I did. Now I try not to wear them at all, but the air conditioning can be cool in the office too.”

  “What’s going on?” he asked. She was acting almost shy for some reason.

  “Nothing,” she said.

  The last of her bags of food was emptied, but she put everything away while she did it. There wasn’t any food out for her to prepare. Maybe she was going to change first.

  “It seems it to me,” he said.

  She looked up at him. “Can I get a kiss?”

  “Yes,” he said. “You don’t have to ask.”

  He should have led with that but didn’t think of it. Didn’t Keri used to get pissed that he didn’t walk in the door and kiss her? Or even kiss her goodbye at times?

  “Good,” she said, her arms going around his neck. He had to admit Dahlia had been testing his limits lately.

  Until recently he hadn’t thought of the fact he hadn’t had sex in almost nine months.

  Before he and Keri split, they hadn’t even touched each other for a solid month he was thinking. Probably more.

  When her hips pushed against his, he was wondering if maybe he needed to make a move or not.

  He didn’t think he was rusty but could be he was.

  “What is it you want, Dahlia?” he asked. Might as well put it out there.

  “I want us to take these suits off of each other before I feed you,” she said quietly. Her face was bright red.

  He held back the laugh that wanted to come out. Most of it was pure joy.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Don’t make me ask again,” she said.

  “You didn’t ask,” he said gently. “I asked what you wanted.”

  “And I told you,” she said. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to her room. “Ivy is working until nine tonight. She has to close. Then she is going to Brooks’s. We are alone.”

  He believed her, but she walked to the door and locked it before she brought him to her room.

  He eyed the double bed and knew it’d be a tight fit, but it’s not like they were going to be sleeping.

  Her hands went to his shirt, her palms spread wide, then pushed his jacket off his shoulders. He shrugged out of it and she laid it over a chair.

  He did the same to her while she kicked her shoes off. Another pair of black flats.

  “We can get this done faster if we do it ourselves. I didn’t realize how many layers we both had on.”

  “That works for me,” she said. “Not very romantic.”

  “You seem like a straightforward person. I can give you romance another time if you want. Or now.”

  “It’s not me,” she said.

  She was already unbuttoning her shirt so he pulled his tie off and tackled his shirt the same as her.

  He thought maybe they were moving slowly but then both of them started to speed up until no more clothes were laid over the chair and just scattered on the floor instead.

  She reached for him, he picked her up and laid her on the bed, stepped back and just looked at her.

  She was a tiny thing next to him.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. “But it’s been a while.”

  “Not as long as me. Trust me.”

  “We talked about this.”

  She’d said she hadn’t dated anyone since Shawn. She’d even said her sisters were picking on her about not being on one date since she moved here over nine months ago.

  She didn’t come across as someone who slept with a man to get off, so yeah, they were both on the needy end.

  “We did,” she said. “So I might be fast.”

  He laughed. “Good because I most likely will be too.”

  He got a condom out of his wallet from his pants on the ground. It’d been a while since he’d had to buy them and made sure he picked some up after their first date.

  It was the first he’d even thought about it.

  He tossed the condom on the bed next to her, then put one knee down and leaned over to kiss her.

  He might feel like his body was ready to explode, but he would slow down a bit.

  Dahlia didn’t seem to want to let him though when she started to shove her tongue in his mouth, then yank him on top of her.

  Fuck it. There was no reason to wait and it seemed as if neither of them wanted to.

  Her hips were lifting up and her legs were starting to spread apart. One hand came off his shoulder and he heard patting around the bed.

  He lifted his head and laughed, found the condom, opened it and slid it on. Thank God he remembered how to do it efficiently. It’d been years since he’d needed to wear one.

  He went to her breasts to pay a little homage there and she all but grabbed his hair to pull him up. “Next time.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He braced himself on his hands, slid between her legs and found his way into her heat quickly.

  Her eyes rolled back in her head, her hips lifting up, her lips parted and a moan escaping.

  He didn’t expect her to have so much expression in her movements.

  That, mixed with the tightness he was feeling around his cock, almost sent him over the edge of sanity.