Chapter Six

At seven forty five that night, Mandy rushed around her upstairs bedroom, opened moving boxes scattered everywhere, and a mound of discarded clothes piled high on her mattress. She’d tried on every outfit she could find at least twice and ended up with a simple black dress. Blindsided didn’t begin to cover how she felt, first by the fall from the scaffolding—where she’d ended up on top of Alex—and second, by his question later. Do you want to sleep with me?

She was for putting it all out there, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t fallen in the smutty pool where he was concerned before, but for some reason the thought of sleeping with Alex now conjured a weird brew of emotions—yearning, loneliness, fear, lust—which left her under a humongous cloud of confusion.

Thing was, when she’d initially invited him to dinner, it was because she’d hoped to get to know him better, as he was now, not as she’d remembered him from thirteen years ago. And yeah, maybe get him to finally open up about what had happened with his injury. Plus, sure, he was still a hottie. Maybe even more so, with that whole growly, grumpy, wounded alpha thing going for him. But she wanted to spend time with him just talking, not necessarily between the sheets. Which made her a bit jumpy, too, considering she’d walked in here a week prior thinking she wanted out as fast and clean as possible. No entanglements.

Now, though, while her dreams of California were still important, she felt less panic about her time here in Heavenly Falls. Part of that was keeping busy, but part of that was Alex.

Being around him again made her slow down, reminded her that her past hadn’t been all quick moves and enduring losses. There’d been happy times, too. Like her time living with the Noonans. Like the times it had been just her and her mother, between marriages.

Her chest squeezed with memories and sadness.

Think positive. Better things are just around the corner.

Mandy stared at her reflection in the mirror. “I’m trying, Mom. I’m trying.”

She pulled out a paisley scarf and wrapped it around her neck to partially cover the plunging neckline of her dress. Considering her skin still tingled from the press of Alex’s hard, muscled body against hers on those tarps, covering her assets would probably be wise. She ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it, then squinted at her lipstick and grabbed a tissue to wipe off the bright scarlet color. Too much. Mandy replaced it with clear gloss instead, then surveyed herself once more.

Better.

She grabbed a light cardigan on her way out the door along with her six-seasons-ago Kate Spade bag, then headed downstairs to the foyer. Alex emerged from the hallway, and she froze. Form-fitting chinos and a black turtleneck replaced his faded jeans and spackle-covered T-shirt. He looked mouthwateringly gorgeous and inviting and…damn.

“Ready?” He clicked off the lights, leaving only moonlight as they made their way out onto the porch.

Do you want to sleep with me?

At that moment, she definitely wanted to take him to bed, but not for sleep. Not that he was acting any different. In fact, he was being a perfect gentleman, holding the door, guiding her down the steps with a hand at the small of her back. Tiny frissons of heat spread outward through her extremities from his light touch. It felt more intimate than sex itself in some ways, after what he’d asked her earlier.

“You look amazing, by the way,” he said as they reached the front walk.

“Thanks. So do you.” Her voice trembled slightly, as did her knees.

He held her gaze a long moment. “Where are we headed?”

It took Mandy a second to realize he was asking about the restaurant and not this thing between them. She pointed to the right then led the way toward downtown. “I made reservations at a little bistro called Chez Maize. I’ve heard good things about it at the diner.” She glanced over from beneath her lashes to see his limp more pronounced than before. Had he hurt his leg more in the fall? She could’ve kicked herself for not asking. “We can get an Uber, if you want. It’s not far, but…”

“What? No.” He kept pace beside her, the passing streetlights highlighting a few dots of crimson along his cheekbones. “It’s fine. I’m good. The exercise actually helps me sleep.”

Twilight had settled across the neighborhood, and the breeze held a distinct autumn chill. They walked side by side, his arm brushing hers occasionally, the silence broken only by the passing cars until he asked, “So, Chez Maize, huh? Let me guess. They specialize in corn?”

“Yep.” She grinned, stepping closer to Alex to let a man and his dog pass. His muscles tensed beneath her hand, and the fact that this outing was a big deal for him wasn’t lost on her. Once they were alone again, she gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “If you need to take a breather, let me know. No worries at all.”

Alex gave her some side-eye, frowning. “I’m fine. Let’s just get on with it, okay?”

“Okay.” His abrupt tone effectively shut the door on that topic, at least for now.

Mandy sighed and let it go, not wanting to push. They crossed the street and headed down Main. The crowds were thinner on Monday nights, and they reached the bistro in less than ten minutes. A bright yellow and green neon sign flickered above the entrance, and Alex held the door for her again before following her inside. Delicious smells of roasting onions and fresh baked bread had her stomach growling, and the muted color scheme and dim lighting of the decor helped lessen her fears about Alex’s anxiety in the place. A short, pudgy maître d’ with a handlebar mustache and a thick French accent greeted them quietly. “Welcome to Chez Maize. Reservations?”

“Yes, last name Reynolds.”

“Bien sûr.” The man placed a check on his list, then bowed slightly. “Right this way.”

He led them to a secluded table near the rear of the establishment and ran through the evening specials while they took their seats, then left them in privacy.

Alex perused his menu. “What’s good here?”

“From what I was told, grilled salmon is their specialty. Looks like it comes with a side of cornbread and tomato-corn salad.”

The server came to fill their water glasses and took their orders—two salmon dinners.

Once the waiter left, Mandy sipped her water. “Let’s hope the food’s as excellent as the praise.”

“We’ll see. Smells good anyway,” he said, straightening his silverware. “I’m sorry again about earlier.”

Her heart stumbled. Did he mean the fall or the sex thing? Either way, she didn’t want to stress him out even more right now. “It’s fine.”

“I should’ve paid more attention with it being your first time on the scaffolding and all.”

Right. She released her held breath, her tight shoulders relaxing. The fall. He was talking about the fall. Mandy chuckled. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. They teach us how to faint in acting school, so you don’t hurt yourself when you hit the floor. It wasn’t a big deal at all.”

Not in the way he meant, anyway. In other ways, it had rocked her world completely. She did her best to cover the shaking in her hands by placing her linen napkin across her lap, folding it. “How are Dave and Nicole? What are they up to these days?”

“They’re both good, I guess. Nic’s clerking for a federal judge in Chicago now, and Dave’s VP of Noonan Construction. He’s married, got a kid named Connor. He’s two.” A sommelier came and poured them each a glass of Chardonnay. “Do you miss your acting while you’re here in Heavenly Falls? You haven’t had much time to work on it, what with the house and the diner and this new job you applied for.”

She shrugged, glad for something to talk about that had nothing to do with earlier. “Some. But I’ve been hustling nonstop in Chicago for parts since graduating from CU, so this is actually kind of a nice break.” At his curious look, she was quick to add, “Not that I’m not looking forward to getting back to it. I’m thinking of this as refilling my creative well for Hollywood. Once I’m out there, I’ll start auditioning again. I’d love to get a movie role. Several friends of mine from college are already working on the West Coast, so I’m hoping they throw me a bone.”

The cold, crisp fruitiness of the wine helped wash away some of the awkwardness clogging inside her, though she kept babbling anyway, just to fill the void between them. “You should come out and visit me sometime after I’m settled.”

Alex shook his head, scowling in his wineglass. “Like I said, I don’t get out much anymore. Heavenly Falls is one thing. Flying cross-country is another.”

“Give it some time. Maybe after a while you’ll want to expand your horizons again. I’m not sure what happened—” She almost said, “with your injury,” but stopped. Don’t push. He’ll tell you when he’s ready. Mandy inhaled and tried again. “You used to have a place in Chicago, right?”

“Yep. On Erie. Great views of downtown.” He built a tiny pyramid from coffee creamers before knocking them all down. “Gave up my lease when I went into rehab. Seemed silly to keep it, since I was never there. But I really liked that place.”

“I’m sorry.” Without thinking, she squeezed his hand. “Believe me, I know what it’s like to start over again. If you ever want to talk about things, I’m here.”

“Thanks.” He pulled away then looked around, at anything but her. “But I’m tired of talking about the past. Doesn’t do any good anyway. We have to move forward, right?” Alex tossed the creamers back into their dish then straightened each condiment on the table.

Desperate to keep the conversation going, Mandy asked, “What made you go into accounting? I always figured you’d major in architecture.”

“Originally, that was my plan, but they offered me a scholarship in math instead.” Several other couples had been seated near them and Alex glanced in their direction. “Never thought I’d end up working for the IRS until I met Mark at a career fair and found out the criminal investigators train at Quantico.”

“Quantico?” She blinked at him, impressed. “Like the Quantico?”

He nodded and she sat back. Wine on an empty stomach probably hadn’t been a good choice. Alcohol swirled through her system, creating a slight buzz. The waiter brought a basket of fresh rolls and homemade honey butter and she snatched one, hoping it would help absorb the booze. As she ate, though, she kept getting distracted by Alex’s fingers, toying with the stem of his glass. Long and tapered, she couldn’t stop the image of them stroking her body instead of that glass, driving her wild, making her call out his name as…

Oh boy.

“Yep. Job requires a short stint training with the FBI,” he said, drawing her out of her erotic thoughts.

Mandy gave herself a mental shake. “Wow. I had no idea accountants were dangerous.”

“Not all of them are, but our division needed special training.” Alex leaned forward, the sleeves of his sweater riding up as he rested his elbows on the table, revealing muscular forearms lightly dusted with dark hair. Her stomach tightened, this time from a whole different kind of hunger. “We dealt with some less than savory characters in the fraud division, so they prepared us for any eventuality.”

She reached for water instead of wine this time, her head spinning. “Then you know how to fight and shoot and everything?”

“Yep.” Alex exhaled slowly, his posture deflating a bit. “And everything.”

Damn. She shouldn’t have brought that up, but the alcohol had apparently lowered her inhibitions more than she’d thought. Based on his now-gloomy expression, she’d reminded him of exactly the things he wanted to forget. She kicked herself internally for being such an idiot and stared down at the tablecloth, not sure what to say to make things better. Thankfully, their salads arrived, keeping her from putting her foot in her mouth again. Mandy dug in, glad for something to focus on besides the burn of embarrassment on her face. The tomato-corn combo was actually just right—sweet and salty, with just a hint of lemon kick from the dressing. She swallowed a few bites, watching Alex from across the table. “This is yummy.”

He looked up, half his salad gone already. “Yep. Awesome.”

The waiter refilled their water glasses, and Mandy raised hers in a toast. “To getting reacquainted.”

Alex met her gaze, his dark eyes unreadable. “To starting over.”

Once they’d finished their salads and the waiter cleared away their plates, Alex asked, “How many times was your mother married?”

Mandy nearly choked on her wine. She hadn’t been expecting that question, and the reminder of her mother constricted the air from her lungs. She gulped down the last of her alcohol before answering.

“Five.” Then, because she was used to people making jokes, she did it herself to save the heartache. “I think she was going for a world record.”

Alex didn’t laugh, though. “Is that what you meant before? About knowing what it felt like to start over?”

“Yeah.” She feigned interest in the roll she was buttering to keep from looking at him, for fear he’d see all the hurt inside her. “The hardest part, I think, was never having roots. That’s why that year with your family was so great.”

“I’m sorry.” He finished his own wine, watching her over the rim. “What about your biological father? Was he ever involved in your life?”

“No. He took off right after I was born. I used to get birthday cards from him every once in a while when I was a kid, but that stopped when I was about ten. Nothing since.” She wrapped her arms around herself. The wounds were old, they should’ve healed by now, but still the emptiness lingered. “Not everyone has what you do with your family.”

“I haven’t spoken to my father since I entered rehab,” he blurted out then looked away, but not before she saw the flicker of pain in his eyes. “He didn’t understand my anxiety issues. I’ve got enough problems. I don’t need his opinions, too.”

The bleakness in his expression had tears stinging her eyes. It was so similar to what she felt losing her mom—untethered, alone, shaken. It was too late for her and her mother, but Alex’s father was alive and still around. There was a chance for him to clear things up before it was too late. “That can’t be how you wanted things to turn out.”

He scowled down at his left leg, his words sharp. “We don’t always get what we want.”

His answer stole her breath away again. Before she could respond, their entrees arrived.

“May I get either of you anything else right now?” the waiter asked.

The right words to say. What Mandy wouldn’t give for a script right about now.

Instead, she said to the server, “No thanks.”

After they were alone again, Alex sighed and shook his head. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be a bummer, but I warned you I’d be crappy company.” He picked up his fork and stabbed his salmon filet. “That’s why Felicity left me, too.”

Sensing she was on thin ice, Mandy picked at her grilled veggies and chose her words carefully. “Who was Felicity?”

“My ex-fiancée.” He shoved a huge bite of food in his mouth then spoke around it. “She left me about a month after the fallout with my dad. Said she couldn’t cope with a guy who stayed cooped up all the time, who didn’t want to be around people. Maybe my dad was right. Maybe I should’ve just sucked it up and got over it, but it wasn’t that easy. Still isn’t. If it was, don’t you think I’d have tried?”

Wow. Mandy had no idea how to answer that. From her research for the part, she knew how isolating mental illness could be, how debilitating if not treated properly. What Alex needed was caring and concern, not judgment and desertion. She took a deep breath and tucked her hair behind her ear, eating several bites of her dinner while taking in what he’d just said. She’d wanted to know more about him, and now her wish had been granted. “I’m sorry that happened to you, with your dad and with Felicity. That’s more than you should have had to deal with, but please know not everyone is like that. There are people who will stand with you, be patient and help you whenever you’re ready.”

He met her gaze, a question lurking in his dark eyes. Are you one of them?

A string quartet started in the far corner of the restaurant, helping to lift some of the dark clouds left from the heavy topic. Eventually the mood lightened as they ate their meal.

“How’s your fish?” she asked a few minutes later, savoring a bit of delicious salmon.

“Fantastic,” Alex answered, with a small smile. “Great choice on your part.”

“Thanks.” An inkling of pride fizzed inside her over the compliment. Alex didn’t give many of those these days and the fact she’d gotten one meant all the more to her. She smiled over at him as he finished off his plate of food. “And thank you again for coming with me tonight.”

He winked and smiled, transforming his face from handsome to breathtaking. “It wasn’t awful.”

“Well, I guess that’s a start.”

The maître d’ stopped by to check on them. “How was everything, mademoiselle?”

“Wonderful,” she said, her gaze never leaving Alex.

“Très bien. And monsieur?”

“Excellent.”

“Could we get two slices of turtle cheesecake?” Mandy asked, not wanting the night to end just yet.

Alex winced slightly and rubbed his leg. “Maybe to go?”

“Certainement!” The maître d’ signaled their waiter and recited the order to him in rapid-fire French before turning to Mandy again. “Will there be anything else, mademoiselle?”

“No, thank you,” Mandy said. “And I’ll take the check.”

“No. I’ll take it,” Alex argued.

“My treat, remember?”

“A gentleman never lets his woman pay.”

His woman? Her insides fluttered.

The waiter returned with a small bag with the restaurant’s green and gold logo on the side. The maître d’ took it and handed it to Mandy. “You lovebirds enjoy.”

“Oh, no,” she and Alex said in unison. “It’s not like that.”

The maître d’ chuckled. “Les carottes sont cuites.”

Mandy frowned, confused. “What does that mean?”

“That’s our cue to leave.” Alex said, shaking his head. He paid the check then followed Mandy toward the exit. Outside, he stopped at the curb. “Mind if we get a ride back home? My leg is killing me.”

“Sure.” She took out her phone and opened the app. “My treat this time. And thank you for dinner.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, the chilly breeze ruffling his dark hair.

Moments later they slid into the cramped backseat of their Uber. Mandy pressed against Alex’s side, far more aware of his muscled thigh tensing beneath his soft chinos than was wise. She gripped the handles of their dessert bag tighter. “Do you speak French? What exactly did the maître d’ say?”

“The carrots are cooked.”

“Huh?”

“It’s an old saying. Means the course is set.” Alex looked over at her. “The outcome can’t be changed.”

She had no idea what that meant, but her instincts said she’d find out soon enough.

…

When they pulled up in front of the house a few minutes later, Alex was still trying to figure out what the hell he was doing. He should have left well enough alone. Kept things friendly between them, nothing more. Not opened up to her over dinner about his ex. Certainly not about the thing with his dad. He didn’t talk to people about his problems or his feelings. He wasn’t that guy. Forget what that stupid maître d’ had predicted. Forget his asking Mandy about sleeping with him. She’d never answered his question. Honestly, that was answer enough.

The whole idea of them being together was stupid, anyway. It would never work, even for sex. There was too much water under the bridge for them. Never mind that every second he’d spent with Mandy this past week or so seemed to have opened up a whole new world for him. Forget the fact that every time she laughed or smiled or made some stupid joke, he fell a little further under her spell.

They walked up the steps to the porch, and he shoved his key in the lock. “Guess this is good night.”

“Nope.” Mandy waggled the dessert bag in front of him, her glowing grin rivaling the bright moon above. “We’ve still got cheesecake to eat, remember?”

Damn. He’d wished she’d never ordered the stuff now, even though it had sounded heavenly at the time. In the foyer, he tossed his keys atop a nearby stack of paint cans, then headed down the hall toward the kitchen, desperate for some time and space alone after being so close to her all evening. “I’ll get silverware.”

“Thanks. I’ll see what’s on TV in the living room.”

As he dug through the drawers for forks and napkins, the sound of teenaged voices echoed through the house, along with a familiar 80s power ballad.

What the…?

Alex limped back down the hall to find Mandy camped out on his sofa in front of the TV he’d hooked up earlier, The Breakfast Club filling the flat-screen.

“Remember that night we all watched this together in the basement of your dad’s house?” She flashed him a huge smile. “You and me and Dave and Nicole. We had all the lines memorized. Here, let me pause it.” She frowned down at the buttons on his remote.

“Let me do it.” He reached for the thing.

“No, I’ve got it.” She didn’t let go, and they ended up in a tug-of-war, until finally Alex yanked hard and Mandy flew out of her seat and straight into his chest. The feel of her hands against his chest lit a wildfire in his blood. They stared at each other as one second stretched out into a small eternity.

Finally, Mandy stepped away, her cheeks flushed and her tone flustered as she let the remote go. “Doesn’t matter, right? We’ve both seen it so many times we could act in it.”

“Right.” His response croaked out as he plopped down beside her on the sofa. It took longer than he expected to get his raging pulse back under control, and by then the kids had escaped the library and were roaming the halls of the high school alone.

Mandy handed him a cheesecake container without looking at him.

“Thanks,” he said, staring straight ahead, too, as he handed her a napkin and fork.

Man, maybe he should’ve sat on the floor instead. This close her warmth was a sweet torture all its own. As was the glimpse of thigh he saw each time she crossed her legs. He shoved a huge bite of cheesecake into his mouth, chewing without tasting it, too aware of her nearness to care about anything else. Then he hazarded a side glance in her direction, tracking upward from her hips and waist to the lush curve of her breasts and…

“Enjoying the view?” she asked, jolting him out of his erotic fog.

Damn.

Heat crept up from beneath his turtleneck sweater. “What?”

“You’re supposed to devour your cheesecake, not me.”

Too bad his body thought otherwise. He tried to play it off as best he could, throwing it back at her. “Like you’re one to talk. Think I didn’t notice you watching me at the restaurant?”

“I was being polite, that’s all.”

“Polite?” Alex snorted. “Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

She gave him a look, then faced the screen once more. “I’ll just ignore you then.”

Feeling ornery, Alex channeled his inner John Bender bad boy and leaned closer until his lips skimmed the top of her ear. Her answering shiver fanned the flames inside him higher as he whispered, “You couldn’t ignore me if you tried.”

Her breath hitched, and she bit her lower lip and man, he’d never wanted to be a set of teeth more in his life. All he could think about was kissing her. Would have, too, if that damned phone of hers hadn’t started buzzing.

Cheeks pink and eyes wide, Mandy set her cheesecake aside to fumble for her device, then blinked down at the screen. “It’s an old friend from college. A filmmaker. I haven’t talked to him in years.” Frowning, she got up and headed for the hallway. “Excuse me a sec.”

Alex paused the movie and did his best not to eavesdrop, which wasn’t all that difficult with the rush of blood in his ears. Still, he caught a few snippets of her conversation.

“Bud. Hi. Yes, wow. Okay. Okay. Well, I’m honored you’d think of me.”

His gut sank. Maybe her Hollywood dreams would come true sooner than she’d expected. The thought should make him happy. He’d have the house to himself, after all, just like he’d wanted. Except he didn’t feel happy at all. More like disappointed.

An odd heaviness settled on him as she returned a short while later, her expression blank.

“Uh, that was a director friend from school,” Mandy said, her tone quiet and slightly dazed. “He’s in pre-production for a new made-for-streaming-channel holiday movie. It’s a romantic comedy, and he offered me the lead role without an audition. They’re shooting in Tennessee in December. It’s not Hollywood yet, but this could be the break I need.”

“That’s great,” Alex said, his tone flat. He shut off the TV and gathered his trash.

“Yeah.” She started toward the stairs, her cheesecake left behind, forgotten. “I need to think about this a while. Thanks again for tonight. See you in the morning.”

“Yep,” Alex said, but she was already gone. Alone, he cleaned up the remnants of their dessert then made sure the house was locked up and secure before heading to bed himself. He should be used to people leaving by now, but it still hurt. Even if he knew this whole situation with Mandy was temporary, he realized now that he’d hoped for a little more time before saying goodbye again. He wasn’t ready for her to leave. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

…

Upstairs, Mandy changed, scrubbed her face, and fed Duckie then flopped back on her bed still trying to wrap her head around Bud’s offer. It was a good career move, no two ways about it. Tennessee wasn’t her ultimate goal but, depending on how the movie did in the ratings, it could lead to bigger things. Romantic comedies were all the rage right now, so it could also help her build her social media platform. A week or so ago, she’d have been overjoyed.

But now, she just felt conflicted. Alex had opened up to her tonight, at least a little. Their dinner had felt like a breakthrough of sorts, and she hated the idea of him closing himself off again. The beginnings of a headache throbbed behind her temples, and she got under the covers and shut off the light while images of the night with Alex swam through her head. Especially the part right before her phone rang downstairs. She’d swear he’d been about to kiss her, and she would’ve let him. Would’ve let him do more, too, if he’d wanted. He’d asked her before if she’d wanted to sleep with him and right now the answer was a definite yes. Or at least it had been before Bud’s call.

Through the darkness, the gurgle of Duckie’s fish tank kept her company as she sorted through her jumbled feelings and tried to get to sleep. Usually the fact she had an easy out by way of a waiting movie role would thrill her. She hated to get tied down. In fact, deeper involvement and commitments made her run far and fast. But the thought of leaving Alex behind now made her heart hurt and her chest squeeze.

It was scary and confusing and oddly comforting.

Maybe she wasn’t as much like her mother as she’d feared, at least relationship-wise.

She snuggled down beneath her covers and closed her eyes. Not that she planned to become a permanent resident of Heavenly Falls anytime soon, but she didn’t have to make a decision tonight, either. Bud didn’t need an answer for a few weeks, and there was still plenty of time here with Alex to explore this thing…whatever this was, between them.

Think positive. Better things are just around the corner.

For the first time since her arrival back in Heavenly Falls, Mandy thought her mom’s words might actually be true.