A Touch of Cinnamon

  “Easy, Philly, no need to get out the boxing gloves, I’m just fucking with you,” Mick said, taking a drink of Guinness and not looking the least bit worried by my warning. “I gotta say, if I was gonna dip my toe in this pool, Millie’s twin seems like a firecracker.”

  “Yeah?” I asked, looking over my shoulder to where the women were sitting around a table playing trivia. Natasha and Dru were laughing at something Millie was saying, while the other ladies watched the sister with amused looks on their faces.

  I could see the appeal, all three sisters were beautiful in their own right, and although Dru had never been my biggest fan, I always thought we’d get along great, based on the things Natasha had said about her.

  “Why not go for it then?” I asked him, turning my attention back and noticing Jackson trying to get my attention. “Sorry, Jax, what?”

  “It’s your shot,” he said patiently, a knowing smile on his face.

  “What?” I asked as I walked to the table to take my shot.

  “Nothing,” Jackson said. “Just looking forward to watching this all play out.”

  I ignored him, focusing on my shot instead, then rounding the table to find my next one when I sunk the ball in the corner pocket.

  “My frustration is entertainment for you?” I asked wryly as I passed him.

  Jackson’s grin fell.

  “When we met, we were both a bit jaded and messed up from the women who’d left us behind. Now, my ex ended up doing me a favor by leaving, and allowing me to find Millie, but you, Jericho, have a second shot with the one that got away.”

  I leaned on my pool stick and looked at my friend.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Natasha only just started talking to me again a few days ago, and although my end game is to have her back in my life where she belongs, I don’t think it’ll be that easy.”

  “Well, I know you both individually, and I’ve seen the way you look at each other when the other isn’t looking, so I’m going to go on record now and say that a happily ever after is in your future.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

  As an English teacher, and a lover of classic romance novels, Jackson had always been a believer in true love, even when his ex-wife had left him and his daughter behind in order to go find herself, and he’d been heartbroken.

  “You’re such a romantic fool,” I chided.

  Actually, Jackson was one of my favorite people in the world, and one of the best things about him is that he’s not afraid to be himself. He’s one of the corniest people I know, and he’s totally okay with it.

  “Guilty as charged,” Jackson replied with a smile.

  “Get out of my way so I can take my shot,” I said, shaking my head fondly at him.

  When I missed my second shot and Ty was up, I went back to where Mick was half standing, half sitting on a bar stool, and resumed our conversation.

  “So, as I was saying . . . why not go for it? With Dru.”

  “I don’t mix business with pleasure,” Mick replied vaguely.

  “What do you mean, what business?” I asked, confused.

  “I may run my own company, but I have a strict policy against sleeping with my clients. It has served me well thus far,” Mick answered.

  I turned to look at him and agreed, “That is a good policy, but I don’t see what that has to do with Dru. She’s not your client.”

  Mick shot me a bland look, but didn’t say anything,

  “Wait, she is your client?” I asked, looking back at the women again, as if they would give me the answer, then swung my head back to Mick.

  “You know I don’t discuss my clients,” Mick replied, then went to go take his turn at the table.

  I watched him for a moment, then looked over my shoulder and saw Natasha watching me. I smiled, but she just blushed and looked away, and I couldn’t help but wonder why Dru would be hiring Mick, and if Natasha knew anything about it.

  Natasha ~ Present

  “I’M SO GLAD WE COULD fit this in today,” I told Dru as we tried on our dresses for the wedding.

  Millie and Jackson had decided against the traditional Maid of Honor and Best Man, and instead both Dru and I were standing with Millie, while Ty and Rob were standing with Jackson. Neither had wanted to have to choose between the four of us, instead wanting us to all be of equal importance.

  Millie would be walking down the aisle with Kayla, since our father was as good as dead in our eyes, and our beloved mother couldn’t be there.

  “Ohhh, I like this one,” Dru said. When I heard her dressing room door open, I opened mine to see which dress she’d tried on.

  “That is lovely!” I exclaimed, stepping out and motioning for her to turn so I could see it all.

  It was a fifties-style dress, falling just past the knees with a high collar and a flattering cut, in a pretty mint green.

  “This color reminds me of Mick’s eyes,” Dru said, her tone just dreamy enough to have me snapping my gaze up.

  “Oh, yeah?” I asked softly.

  Dru’s eyes widened, like she hadn’t meant to say that out loud, then she cleared her face and shrugged.

  “Yeah, sure, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed them, they’re pretty unusual.” She tried sounding nonchalant, but I wasn’t fooled.

  Before I could call her on it, she added, “It sure was nice of Jericho and Hector to offer to hold the engagement dinner, and allow us time to look for dresses today. Everything’s going to go so fast with the wedding, since Millie and Jackson don’t want to wait and want to get married as soon as possible, it’s nice to be able to give up a little control, don’t you think.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her change of subject.

  “Mmmm, hmmm, it sure was,” I replied dryly.

  “I don’t like that one,” Dru said, pointing to the floor-length olive dress I had on.

  “Me neither, toss that one over to me so I can try it on. If it looks half as good on me as it does on you, I think we’ll have a winner.”

  “I wonder how Millie’s doing?” Dru asked once we were both in our own dressing room.

  Millie was in another section of the dress shop, trying on wedding dresses. We’d all broken off to find dresses that we loved, promising that once we had two or three that we loved, we’d meet in the middle to show them off.

  Millie hadn’t wanted to do the parade of dresses that some brides do when they are searching for the perfect dress, choosing instead to only show us her favorites.

  “Here you go,” Dru said, and I reached out to take the dress from her.

  “I wonder how things are going at Prime Beef,” I commented. Now that she’d brought it up, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

  Usually, we were involved in every aspect of an event, and not being a part of setting up one of the biggest dinners in Millie’s life was a bit stressful for me. I was kind of a control freak, and although I knew Jericho would do a wonderful job, it was hard not to be there.

  “I’m sure it’s great. Hector has a great menu planned, and Jericho has a full staff working nonstop to get ready. He closed the restaurant for the day to prepare, since just about the entire town will be in attendance, and although I may not be a hundred percent Team Jericho, I know he wants this night to be special for Jax and Millie.”

  “You’re right, I know you are, I just get anxious,” I replied, zipping up the back of the dress and turning to look in the mirror. I turned to one side, then the other, before turning fully and checking out the back side. “I think this is the one.”

  “Great,” Dru replied, “I have on our number two. Let’s go out and grab a glass of champagne while we wait for Millie.”

  We exited the dressing room and headed for the viewing area, where there was champagne, dark chocolate, and wafer cookies waiting. We poured ourselves a glass of champagne and walked to the set of large, floor-to-ceiling mirrors to check out our dresses once more.

  Dru was wearing a high-low burgundy dress,
which had a plunging neckline and was quite flattering. We twisted and turned, sipping carefully as we discussed the dressed.

  “Don’t the two of you look lovely,” Margo, the owner of the bridal shop, said as she entered the area. “Are you ready to see Millie’s choices?”

  “Yes,” I said excitedly, mentally clapping my hands together, since I couldn’t actually do so with the champagne glass in my hand.

  “So ready,” Dru agreed, looking anxiously toward the bridal dressing area for her twin.

  My breath caught when Millie walked in, her face flush with excitement. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was in love, that this was the one . . . the dress she was going to be married in.

  The sleeves and neckline were lace, delicately beaded, with an empire waist and a gorgeous cut that fit Millie beautifully.

  “Oh my gosh, Mills,” Dru gasped.

  “You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen,” I added.

  “You like it?” she asked hopefully.

  “Love it,” Dru and I said in unison.

  “Yay!” Millie exclaimed happily. “I love it, too.”

  She walked to the mirrors and sighed.

  “It’s just like what Priscilla wore when she married Elvis, except a bit more form fitting and modern.”

  Dru and I started laughing at that, because only our sister would choose the most important dress of her life by basing it off of Elvis’s bride.

  “Oh, I love the mint,” Millie cooed when she caught my reflection in the mirror.

  “That’s our favorite, too,” Dru informed her.

  “Looks like we’ve made our decisions, Margo,” Millie told the owner happily, then turned to face us and said, “Now someone get me a glass of champagne, please, this calls for a celebration!”

  Jericho ~ Present

  “I CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH, man,” Jackson said happily. “Tonight is perfect.”

  Hector, our team, and I had worked all day to make sure everything would go seamlessly for Jackson and Millie’s engagement dinner. Not only was it nerve-racking because he was a good friend and I didn’t want to disappoint, but Millie and her sisters did this kind of thing for a living, and I wanted to help take some of the pressure off. Also, I’d be lying if I didn’t add that I wanted to impress Natasha.

  Hector had been a little concerned about closing down and losing two meals’ worth of profits, but he was nothing if not a committed and loyal friend, and knew how much it meant to me to do this for Jackson.

  Plus, things with Prime Rib were going so well, that the loss wouldn’t do too much damage to our bottom line, and if it did, I’d cover it.

  “I’m so happy you’re enjoying yourself,” I replied, clapping him on the back as we looked out over the dining room.

  The party was in full swing. Dinner had been served and the guests were enjoying their after-dinner drinks in preparation for dessert.

  “It’s so nice having the space to have everyone together to help us celebrate. I can’t tell you how much it means to me, to us, that you’d do this, Jericho.”

  “My pleasure, truly,” I replied. “Anything to contribute to your happy day.”

  “Uh oh, I’d better go save Millie from Principle Wiggins,” Jackson said, grinning at me over his shoulder as he walked off to save his fiancée.

  “Jericho?” a female voice asked from behind me. I turned my head to see a tall, red-haired woman in a stylish suit standing behind me, her finger tapping nervously on her wine glass. “Jericho Smythe?”

  “Yes,” I replied, turning and offering my hand. “And, you are?”

  The pretty lady took my hand and said, “I’m Belinda, Amelia Milstead’s daughter. My mother said that she spoke with you the other day . . .”

  It took me a minute, but then I remembered the morning in Three Sisters when I’d thought Natasha was on a date and had agreed to call Mrs. Milstead’s daughter and ask her out. I’d completely forgotten all about it.

  “Oh, Belinda, of course, how nice to meet you,” I managed, wondering how I was going to get out of this without any hurt feelings. It wasn’t that she wasn’t lovely, she was, she just wasn’t Natasha. “Are you having a good evening?”

  “Yes,” she said with a nervous laugh. “It’s a great party. I’ll have to keep Prime Beef in mind for my next event.”

  “Well, dinner parties we can manage,” I said with a gentle smile, “but shutting down the restaurant is a once-in-a-lifetime event. My chef would throttle me if I tried to make it a regular occurrence.”

  Belinda made a humming noise in the back of her throat, then cleared it and began, “So, my mother . . .”

  Knowing I needed to clear up the confusion I’d caused, I stopped her.

  “Look, Belinda, I’m sure you’re a great person, and lord knows, you’re a beautiful woman, but . . .”

  “But?” she asked, her expression conveying her disappointment.

  “I’m afraid I’m not dating at the moment, and have no plans to in the future. I’m sorry that I told your mother that I’d call and ask you out, she kind of took me by surprise while I was in the middle of something, and I answered without thinking.”

  Belinda sighed.

  “That sounds like my mom. I’m sorry if she’s been bothering you, she’s been on a mission for grandchildren for the last few years, and I’m afraid no eligible bachelors are safe. I appreciate you letting me know,” she said, and began to turn away.

  “Hey,” I said, and she paused. “Don’t worry about your mom; she’s a great lady, no harm done. And, if you’re ever in need of a friend . . .”

  “Thanks,” she replied, then walked away.

  I turned back, thinking I’d better go check on Hector and make sure he wasn’t planning my demise, and almost bumped into Natasha.

  “Hey,” I greeted, smiling in spite of myself.

  She looked gorgeous, with her hair done in spunky curls, and her makeup smoky. I would have liked nothing more than to kiss the red off of her lips and divulge her of the sexy red dress she was wearing, but didn’t think she was quite ready for that yet.

  “You should take her out,” Natasha said, and I didn’t immediately understand what she was saying. Then she clarified, “Belinda. You should go out with her.”

  “I don’t want to go out with Belinda,” I replied, suddenly feeling a lot less happy.

  “Well, you should. We’ve cleared the air and can finally put the past behind us and move on . . . Not that I’m saying you haven’t moved on, I’m sure you have, multiple times, but I’m saying that you don’t have to worry about my reaction. Or not date for my sake. We’re both living here, and that’s not going to change, you should get on with your life and take her, or someone else, out.”

  With each word out of her mouth, I grew more and more pissed off.

  “You know, Tasha, I don’t need you telling me who I should or shouldn’t date. If I wanted to take Belinda out, I would, I don’t need your permission. I also don’t need you telling me how, when, or how many times I’ve moved on. You don’t know anything about the last few years of my life, or where I am in it now, so I’d appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself.”

  With that, I moved around her and walked away, trying to keep an easygoing smile on my face as I moved through the dining room, when inside I was seething.

  Before I went in the back, I swung around to see if Natasha was still standing where I’d left her, a few seconds giving me enough clarity to worry that I’d overreacted, but she was already gone.

  Natasha ~ Present

  I CLOSED THE DOOR TO my apartment and leaned against it, my breath coming in pants after running across the street and up the stairs.

  He’d gotten so angry.

  I sighed and fought back tears as I thought of Jericho’s reaction. When I’d seen Belinda talking to him, I’d been hit with the pain of jealousy. Knowing that I needed him to move on, so that maybe I could, I thought I’d give him a little push . . . let
him know that I would understand, but he didn’t take it the way I’d thought at all.

  I’d seen the pain my words caused, then the quick switch to anger.

  I looked around my apartment. Sparse and humble as it was, it was no homier than my dorm room had been. No more lived in. While Millie and Dru had decorated their spaces with things they love, I’d never found the time to make this place anything other than a place to sleep at night.

  It was depressing really, and being suddenly hit by a wave of loneliness only made it worse.

  Maybe it’s time for me to spruce the place up, make it look actually lived in. Get a pet or something.

  Someone pounded on the door behind me, causing me to jump and squeal in surprise. I turned to look at the still-closed door, and knew who I’d find on the other side.

  Shit.

  I wiped my cheeks, put on a brave face, and opened the door.

  “Hey,” I managed, even though Jericho stood before me, seething.

  I took a step back, then another as he started toward me, slamming the door behind him as he let himself inside.

  I tried to back farther away, but he was there, taking me in his arms and lowering his face to mine. I opened my mouth to protest, and that was all the invitation Jericho needed.

  It was like coming home, his lips on mine, familiar and oh, so wonderful. I sighed and practically melted against him as he deepened the kiss. My arms went up and around his neck, to steady myself, and to finally feel him. His hair in my fingers, his chest against mine, and his soft, supple lips.

  Everything . . . this was everything. He was everything.

  Sweet and sensual quickly turned to unbridled passion as the years apart disappeared and there was only now.

  His hands were working on my dress as mine were unbuttoning his shirt, both of us eager to be skin on skin. Everything was on fire, and I worried if I didn’t feel him, touch him, have him right then, I’d burn out.

  “Hurry,” I said, desperate for him.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” Jericho muttered, and then, we were free.