“You’re klutzy because you’re shy. Or at least you were then. And, just in case you intend to twist that, being that landed you a commando.”
“My heart’s desire,” I teased.
“Yeah, it landed that same thing for me too.”
I quit moving.
Entirely.
Because he’d just called me his heart’s desire.
Worth a repeat.
Daniel Magnusson just called me his heart’s desire!
And I knew, to my bones, that had very little (okay, maybe a wee bit) to do with me making him hamburgers.
I was frozen, but Mag’s mouth could move, and it did to speak.
“Though I’m down with thinning out my tees, minimally, and my socks, maximally, to give you space for your shit, we’re not moving the spices.”
Sneak attack!
“Don’t say something so sweet it knocks the wind out of me and then get in a dinger about the spices, Danny,” I returned. “Everyone knows you keep the dishes by the dishwasher.”
“I’m not everyone, Evie. And neither are you. And honey, that is what landed you a commando.”
Hmm.
“I’ll give you that, but you can prepare food at the island. We’ll go to the Container Store. Get a spice tray to put in one of the island drawers. That way, they’ll be right there for you.”
“Babe?”
“What?”
“Straight up, you give me you in sex shoes, you could put the spices in the hallway, and I wouldn’t give a shit.”
I felt gooey again.
Hot and gooey.
Even so.
“Stop being so sweet when sex shoes are hours and hours away.”
“Preview at Fortnum’s. I’ll meet you there in half an hour. Order me a Textual if you’re there before me.”
See?
Totally got the guys into Textuals.
“Same for me, if you beat us there,” I replied.
“Right. Later, baby.”
“Later, Danny.”
“And, Evie?” he called before I hung up.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Babe.”
He said no more.
I wondered if I was supposed to interpret something from that one word. His tone sounded kinda heavy, but not in a bad way.
However, I was unable to interpret that one word.
Therefore, I whispered, “What?”
“I love it that you’re so solid with us, you can give me your order of my boys, and ask mine with your girls, and it ends in you giggling, not getting up in my shit that I rose to some bait, tweaked you and you took that out on me.”
“But I asked, Danny. And I did it knowing it was all in fun.”
“I love that too. And that was the first indication you feel we’re all about trust. That’s what I love the most. You’re totally the shit, Evie. And I’m learning you’re more of that every day.”
Oh my God.
See!
Mag’s phone calls were everything.
“See you soon, honey,” he finished.
He then didn’t give me the chance to respond.
He hung up, and I dropped my phone and looked to the sales assistant, who was sliding my bag on the counter toward me.
“I’m so sorry. That was rude,” I told him. “Being on the phone while you were ringing me up.”
He blinked.
Well then, apparently, people didn’t apologize for talking on the phone when someone was serving them.
“It was my boyfriend,” I went on to explain. “We just decided to move in together. Accidentally, I just proved I trusted him. Which I’m glad about. And he proved he trusted me back. Which is awesome. Oh, and he’s a commando.”
“Is he as fun to look at as that one?” the man asked, jerking his head toward Axl.
I glanced over my shoulder at Axl, still standing impatiently, exuding badass and looking gorgeous.
I looked back to the assistant.
“Better.”
The man smiled. “Then you’re forgiven.”
I smiled back, grabbed the handles, lifted the bag his way and said, “Thanks.”
“Have fun in those shoes,” he bid.
Oh, I would.
I felt my smile change.
He saw it, read it and winked.
My smile got even bigger before I walked toward my posse.
I gathered up the girls and Axl herded us to the exit.
Ryn was leading.
Pepper, Hattie and me were following, with me walking in the middle.
Axl was at the rear.
“Was that Mag on the phone?” Pepper asked.
“Yeah, he calls at least once a day,” I answered.
“Sweet,” Hattie whispered.
She didn’t know the half of it.
“Do you call him?” she asked.
Oh no.
I looked at her. “No. Should I?”
“No,” Pepper answered, and I turned my head her way.
“You sure?” I pressed.
“Yes,” she answered.
“I mean, I don’t want it to be one-sided,” I went on. “I want him to know I like him as much as he likes me.”
“Babe, those shoes say that and then some,” she replied. “You can coast on those shoes for at least six months.”
“Then you’ll have to buy another pair,” Hattie said.
“Yeah, if you buy another pair, and then another one, and so on, you’ll never have to be the one to call him for the rest of your life,” Pepper added.
Normally, I would balk at owning shoes that, Axl was right, it was unlikely I’d ever wear out of the house.
But if it got me my way with the spices…
“I remember those days, the first blush, when you can’t be apart, and when you have to, you connect,” Pepper mused, turning her gaze wistfully toward Ryn, who clearly wanted a coffee as badly as I did, because she’d pulled well ahead.
“You can have that too,” I pointed out while we made the turn to go down the short hall to the doors to the parking garage.
Pepper said nothing.
I studied her profile.
It looked sad.
Shit.
I turned to Hattie.
She was watching her feet move.
She looked sad too.
Shit!
I turned to glare at Axl.
He caught my glare and lifted his brows.
He then started and clipped, “Evie!”
This was right when I walked into the door.
Bah!
“God! Are you okay?” Hattie asked, her hand on my shoulder, leaning in to look at my face as I swayed back and blinked.
I might have just slammed into the door and cracked my head, but I started smiling.
Big.
“I’m a klutz,” I announced.
“You’re maybe the only person I know who would say those three words looking like you just won the lottery,” Pepper noted.
I hadn’t won the lottery.
I’d worked long and hard.
And then I got my reward.
Because I wasn’t like other girls.
Including being a klutz.
And that landed me a commando.
I didn’t share this with Pepper, Hattie, or Axl, who was now standing with us.
I shrugged and said, “It’s me.”
I barely got out the “me” part when we all heard a chilling scream coming from outside.
Woodenly, we turned to look out the glass doors.