The Wrong Man (23 page)

“I
NEED
help, Lukey.”

“What happened? You sound funny. Are you all right?”

I could practically see Luke’s forehead pucker with concern. He couldn’t help it. It was his nature to worry. Where I was quick to jump into a new venture and say yes to a dare, Luke was not. He thought every decision through in detail before executing, and the word
dare
could make him break out in hives. There was no doubt Michael had a calming influence on my overly cautious friend, but a zebra never truly changed his stripes.

“I’m fine. I’m going out of town on Saturday and was hoping to talk you into minding the store with Lorenzo and Lizzy while I’m gone. Josh is scheduled to work a half day but he has plans in the afternoon. If you’re busy, he said he’d break them, but, well, are you?”

“Um… no. I’m coming to LA anyway. Weren’t we going to have lunch with my mother?”

“Oh. Were we? I forgot.”

“That’s not like you. You like Mara better than I do. What’s going on, and where are you going Saturday?”

“I’m going to Oxnard with Jake for his thirtieth birthday party.”

Silence.

“You’re what?” came Luke’s incredulous reply.

“You heard me. It’s really not a big dea—”

“Right. Where are you? I’m coming over.”

“I’m at home, but don’t be sill—”

He hung up. Great. I petted the fur on Mack’s belly absently as I wondered why I couldn’t have friends who minded their own business and simply agreed with me all the time. Life would be so much easier.

A
N
HOUR
later there was a sharp knock on my front door and then the sound of a key turning in the lock. The normally docile Mack went absolutely crazy, barking like a dog possessed as he charged to confront the intruder.

“Whoa! Brandon? Help please? This dog wants to eat me,” Luke yelped.

I sprinted around the corner to find Luke plastered to the wall holding a pastry box from my favorite cupcake bakery in WeHo. I pursed my lips to keep from laughing out loud but ended up losing the battle. Mack frightening anyone was funny. I rescued the cupcakes before sternly telling the dog to cool it.

“How was that humorous? This dog is vicious. I thought he liked me.” Luke peeled himself off the wall with a scowl and followed me into the kitchen.

“Mack is the sweetest baby in the world. Aren’t you, sugar?” I asked Mack in a syrupy tone. “I don’t know why, but he seems more territorial at my house. He takes his responsibility of guarding me very seriously. Smart guy, huh?”

“Hmph,” Luke grumbled as he brushed the longish blond hair from his eyes.

“What did you bring me? I love treats!” The small box was tied with a bright red ribbon with a small envelope attached.

“I didn’t. The box was on the front porch. Maybe you shouldn’t open it. It’s not safe to—”

“To eat cupcakes? What planet are you from? Let’s just see what the cute little car—” My fingers stilled when I saw the familiar scrawl on the tiny card.

“What? Who are they from?” Luke had a worried expression on his face. The one that made me want to immediately reassure him everything was fine and dandy. So I tried. And failed.

I handed the card to Luke wordlessly.

“Trevor? Why would he send you cupcakes? Weird.” He peeled the sticker from the box and lifted the lid. “OMG, Bran, they’re all double chocolate with peanut butter frosting. Your favorite. What is he up to?”

Luke’s hands were on his hips in a nearly perfect imitation of… me. I wanted to laugh, but honestly, Trevor sending flowers, leaving cupcakes, and declaring he wanted a second chance wasn’t humorous in the slightest. I didn’t hate the guy, but I wished he’d go away. I shrugged and flopped gracelessly into one of my kitchen chairs.

“He’s delusional. Apparently he thinks I can be won back with sweets and—”

“He’s a jerk. But these are the best.” Luke sat across from me and picked up a cupcake. We shared a smile as I reached for one too. No sense letting double-chocolate peanut butter deliciousness go to waste. “Enough about Trevor. What’s going on with Jake the snake? Figures he’d have a killer dog.”

I laughed as I scratched Mack behind the ears. “Don’t you listen to him, sweetie. He’s cranky.” I glanced at Luke. “And Jake isn’t a snake. He’s….”

“Holy moly.”

“What?”

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you? Your eyes got a faraway starry look. You actually blushed when you said his name!”

“Did not!”

“Did too. Tell me everything, Bran. I obviously haven’t been asking the right questions. Spill it.”

Love? That one little word seemed to be too big to
contemplate just then. I looked at my friend and smiled. It was hard not to chuckle at a grown man licking frosting off a cupcake like a kindergartner, but I managed to keep a straight face. Luke and I had always looked after each other. That would never change. While I couldn’t set his mind at ease and pretend to have my new “relationship” with Jake figured out, I could use some friendly perspective. I carefully took the paper from my cupcake and snuck a quick bite before launching into a recap of recent events.

“Hmm. Be careful.”

“That’s all you have to say? And what does that mean anyway? Careful of what?”

“Don’t get huffy. Look, I know you don’t suffer fools, so I assume there’s something about him you’re attracted to that has nothing to do with a hot bod. My concern is, well, you like to save people.”

“What? How?” I sputtered incredulously.

“You know what it’s like to be an underdog, and you tend to be protective of those you think need someone in their corner. Let’s be honest, honey. It’s how we became friends in high school.” Luke pointed at his half-eaten cupcake and gave me a meaningful look. “It’s how you ended up with Trevor.”

“Hardly. Trevor was a sexy man who—”

“Who was going through a rough patch,” he finished for me. “Sure he’s good looking, but you liked the fact you could help a struggling actor… or wannabe actor.” He mumbled the last part under his breath loudly before continuing. “You invited him into your home and—”

“Well, okay, but Jake isn’t living with me,” I replied smugly.

“No, but his dog is.” I opened my mouth to disagree but a glance at the old Lab watching me inquisitively made me close it. “Hey,” Luke leaned across the small zinc tabletop and lightly nudged my arm. “It’s who you are. Don’t change. Ever. Just be careful. I don’t want him to hurt you again.”

I sighed and smiled weakly at my friend. He was his mother’s complete opposite. She said leap, he said look. I could argue Jake and I were adults now. We weren’t stupid teenagers driven by hormones, acting on an attraction we didn’t quite understand. But what was the point in stating the obvious? The issue had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with potential heartache.

M
Y
HEART
skipped a beat when Jake pulled up in front of my house Saturday morning. Khaki cargo shorts and a snug black tee rarely qualified as swoon-worthy attire in my book, but it was an entirely different story where Jake was concerned. And I didn’t remember him wearing aviator sunglasses before. Fuck.

“Mornin’, sunshine.” Jake smiled brightly as he clasped his right hand around my neck to draw me close for a searing kiss. I swear I saw stars when he finally pulled away.

“The big three-oh certainly seems to agree with you. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.” He pecked my lips lightly and picked up the bag. “Let me take it.”

I gave him a moony-eyed grin that would have made any of my friends gag. I couldn’t help my reaction. He was tall, handsome, muscular, and—

“What the hell is in this thing? Did you pack a set of hand weights or something? Come on, slowpoke. Let’s get a move on. Mack’s waiting in the car.”

He turned his back toward me, grumbling good-naturedly about being my bellboy on
his
birthday. My smile was so wide it hurt, and my heart felt so light, I had a strange impulse to skip behind him. Thankfully I curbed it. Instead I hopped in the passenger seat and turned to greet Mack, who was wearing the canine version of my happy face. The sentiment struck me as hilarious. Perhaps Mack and I were spending a little too much time together.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing at all. Just wondering how it feels to be… you know….” I made a big production of fastening my seatbelt, though I was ultra-aware of the scowling hunk beside me.

“If you’re referring to being thirty, I wouldn’t know. My birthday isn’t until tomorrow. I’ll be sure to tell you if anything feels….” He paused and leaned over to cup my package. “Different.”

I groaned and pulled his head toward me, licking his lips. Jake gave a short laugh before opening his mouth over mine. His kiss was sweet but much too short.

“As much as I’d like to suggest we get naked, we need to get going, baby. We’re supposed to be there by eleven thirty.” He kissed my nose, then sat back in his seat to turn on the engine.

“What’s happening at eleven thirty?”

“Well….”

“Uh-oh. What are you not telling me?”

I studied his profile and was pleased to see his eyes twinkled as he chuckled.

“We’re going winetasting first. Then we’re heading back to Nate’s for—”

“Winetasting?”

“Yeah. I was going to surprise you, but you’re tenacious. I’d end up telling you before we got there anyway. How do you feel about winetasting?”

“I’d love to go,” I replied, watching him for clues.

“Cool.” He grinned, obviously relieved to find me willing and enthusiastic. “We’ll go to a couple wineries and—”

“A couple wineries? Are you trying to get me drunk before meeting your friends? Is there something I should know about them?”

“We’re tasting, not swilling. And my friends are joining us too. A few of them anyway. We’re taking a private shuttle so there’s no drinking and driving.”

“What about Mack?”

“He’s coming too. The places we’re going are pet friendly, and my buddies love him so he’ll be fine. Sound all right?”

“It sounds great. Look, I hope you don’t mind me asking this, but is alcohol an issue for you? I know you sa—”

“My vice was a pharmaceutical one. I was never much of a drinker. I wanted to get high fast. I hurt my shoulder pitching my freshman year of college and got a prescription for a painkiller. I liked the way I felt when I was on it. No anxiety, no depression… just good. Alcohol didn’t do it for me. It’s like coffee in a way.”

“Huh?”

“I like it okay if the taste is muted.”

“You mean completely disguised with milk and sugar.”

Jake chuckled good-naturedly. “Well, it’s like that for me with alcohol. I rarely drink the hard stuff because I’d want to add too much sugar to make it palatable. But wine… well, it’s an art.”

“How?” I scrunched my face comically.

Jake burst into a joyful chuckle.

“You think I’m full of shit, don’t you?” When I sputtered in denial, he held up a hand and smiled. “Winemaking is the perfect balance of science and art. If the chemistry is correct and the winemaker is skilled, the finished product is perfection.”

“Hmm. I’ll have to take your word.”

T
HREE
WINERIES
into the afternoon, I couldn’t tell a Pinot from a Syrah, but I knew I liked them both. And I liked Jake’s friends too. There were six of us total. A married straight couple, Ron and Lisa, and then Julie and Nate. Julie was straight, single, and my kind of girl. She was petite with tightly curled blond hair, big blue eyes, and a naughty sense of humor. The more she drank, the sassier she became. She was one of those people who described themselves, then seemed to go out of their way to play the part. She claimed to be a ruthless jewelry designer from the San Fernando Valley who loved fashion and had a penchant for crossword puzzles. While the latter was of no interest to me, I could talk fashion all day, so I figured chances were good I’d met someone I could chat with other than Jake and Mack. I thought she and Nate were a couple at first until she loudly set me straight with a boisterous laugh.

“We tried, but we soon realized we’re better off friends. Right, Nate?” She batted her eyelashes playfully as she raised her wineglass in salute toward the man in question. “We never got to the good stuff.”

Nate turned to say something to Ron in a much quieter tone. We were bellied up to the bar of the farm-style family-owned winery trying a reserve blend poured by a cute college-aged girl who was explaining the lively attributes of the full-bodied liquid. I was trying my best to concentrate, but she was losing me with her colorful descriptions. Buttery, fruity. What the hell did she mean? I leaned over to ask Julie that very question when she met me halfway and purposely misunderstood my query, loudly whispering, “I meant I never got to see his dick.” We snickered like a couple of idiots who’d done a little too much “tasting.”

Julie stood suddenly and announced she was off to find a restroom. I chuckled under my breath and watched her weave around a few tasting tables, stopping to pet Mack. He was his usual well-behaved and somewhat lazy self. He seemed happy to be included. I felt the same way. It had been a fun day. Jake’s friends were warm and welcoming. Well, mostly.