On Sunday afternoon, I was a bit melancholic as we drove back to Chicago.
‘Can you drop me off at The Happy Place?’ I asked.
‘You go by there every Sunday?’
I blinked, trying to understand the question. ‘You mean because I went there after the charity weekend? No. My grandma was there that day, and today, too, along with my sister. I don’t want to miss all the fun. Gran is trying out a new thing this year. She wants to sell cocoa and treats, starting from now until the end of February.’
‘That’s not a bad idea.’
‘I think it’s good for her to keep busy. I bet this was Kimberly’s idea. Gran is also baking cookies. She loves doing that. My sister and I will probably take turns keeping an eye on her so she doesn’t overwork herself. Though John is very good at it. And Travis is already on it as well.’
He laughed. ‘Is everything a group effort?’
‘Mostly, yes.’
He put the address in the navigation system as we entered the city, since we were coming from a different direction than last time. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him, though. These two days had been incredible. I’d never experienced this ease and fun with anyone before.
When we arrived, I instructed him to pull the car onto a side street from the hotel where it was less busy.
‘I’ll get your bag,’ he said once he’d turned off the engine.
With a sigh, I got out of the car. By the time I reached the trunk, he’d already unloaded the luggage.
‘Which way is the entrance to The Happy Place?’ he asked.
‘You don’t have to roll it over there for me. I can do it.’
He stared at me. ‘I’d like to say hello to your grandmother and your sister.’
Is that a grin on my face? Yes, it is.
‘Okay, just let me grab the flowers from the back seat.’
‘Why did you want to take them with you?’
‘Because the bouquet is amazing, and it would have just gone to waste at the house. Besides, I have plans for it.’ I wanted to let the flowers dry properly so I could save them. I’d already started watching a YouTube tutorial for it. It was more complicated than it seemed. I kept them in my arms while Dom wheeled my luggage.
We’d moved the entrance of The Happy Place to the side of the building once we opened the hotel. There was a long line in front of the door.
‘Wow,’ I exclaimed. ‘I think Gran’s on to something with her cocoa.’
Several of the potential customers were giving us the side-eye.
‘We’re staff,’ I said as we unceremoniously cut the line, pushing the door open and walking inside.
The line continued to the counter where Kimberly was serving hot cocoa. Next to her, Gran was manning the cash register. John was in the background as well, unpacking some plastic cups. I loved that he supported Gran in all things.
‘What’s going on?’ I asked.
“The two sales associates came down with the flu,” Gran explained.
“’Tis the season,’ Kimberly said, and then she froze. ‘Dominic! I was wondering when I would get to meet you.’ She pressed her lips together, looking sideways at Gran, who waved at Dom.
‘Hey, we’ll be with you in a minute. Or an hour, depending how long it takes for this line to end.’
‘Gran, I already asked for reinforcements,’ Kimberly told her.
‘Who’s coming?’ I asked quickly. I didn’t want Dom to feel overwhelmed.
‘Travis. He’s already at the hotel to catch up on some work. And Declan said he’d drop by.’
I turned around to Dom. ‘You don’t have to wait around for my cousins. We’re going to have our hands full here trying to sort this out.’
‘Trying to keep me a secret from the rest of them?’ he asked playfully.
I cleared my throat. ‘No, but they can be a bit much.’
‘Not for me. I promise they’re not. Besides, since I’m here, I think you can use my muscle too.’
‘Excellent!’ Gran exclaimed. “John, stop working for a minute and meet Dominic.”
John turned around, extending his hand. Dom shook it. “Nice to meet you, Dom. Beatrice, I’m going in the back to sort out more of the supplies.”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that on your own.”
He kissed her forehead. “Yes, I do. Enjoy the family.”
Gran didn’t argue, and I sighed as he left. They were adorable.
‘So, what can we do?’ I asked.
Kimberly surreptitiously reached for her phone, and I instantly moved next to my sister. The customer standing in front of her was already giving me the side-eye. I didn’t want to be rude, but if I didn’t stop Kimberly, she’d get the whole family here.
‘I’ll take that,’ I said, grabbing her phone.
‘Why did you do that?’
‘Because if I don’t, you’re liable to tell the whole family that Dom is here.’
Kimberly winced, and the customer in front of us started laughing. Obviously, I hadn’t been as discreet as I thought.
‘I might have been about to do that. But now that you’ve told me not to, can I have my phone back?’
Reluctantly, I handed it to her. ‘When are Declan and Travis coming?’
‘Travis is walking through the door right now.’
I lifted my head just in time to see him saunter in—and head straight to Dom. No ‘Hello’ or ‘How are you doing?’ He simply offered his hand and said, ‘Travis Maxwell. I don’t believe we’ve met.’
‘No, we haven’t. I’m Dominic Waldorf.’
Recognition flickered in Travis’s eyes. In a fraction of an instant, I joined them.
‘Hello, cousin!’
‘Hey,” he said, still looking at Dominic. “How long has this been going on?’
I groaned. ‘Travis! A word?’
‘Yeah, I’m listening.’
‘In private,’ I emphasized.
He finally glanced at me, narrowing his eyes. What’s his deal? ‘Sure. It was nice meeting you, Dominic.’
‘Likewise.’ I heard the sarcastic undertone in Dom’s voice, and I couldn’t blame him.
I took Travis to the back.
‘What are you doing?’ I asked once we were alone.
‘I want to know what’s going on between the two of you.’
‘Yeah, I figured that. But can you be more subtle about it? We met the night of the charity event. He did me a favor.’
‘Christ, I don’t need that many details.’
‘Not a sexual favor!’ Good God, my cousins could drive me nuts. ‘Why would you even think that? You know what? Never mind, I don’t want to know,’ I said. ‘Anyway, I ran into Malcolm there, as I told you. Dom pretended to be my boyfriend.’
Travis’s eyes bulged. ‘He what? Why?’
‘Because Malcolm was being an ass. One thing led to another, and now we’re not faking it anymore.’
My cousin’s expression changed instantly, going from belligerent to relieved. “Well, that earns him points. Now come on, let’s get back before Gran scares him away.’
‘Yeah, I don’t think Gran’s the problem here,’ I said sarcastically.
My jaw dropped when we got back to the front. Kimberly and Dom were both behind the counter now, pouring hot cocoa into cups.
‘Travis, Dom, Reese, please serve the hot cocoa to everyone waiting, and Kimberly and I will process payments. It’ll be faster this way,’ Gran said.
That seemed like a good plan to me, so I jumped right into my new role.
‘How come there’s a line?’ Dominic asked. I couldn’t believe he was just rolling up his proverbial sleeves along with the rest of us.
‘I asked Kimberly to post on the Facebook page that we’re serving cocoa,’ Gran explained. ‘It’s a real draw.’
We put the cocoa on trays that Kimberly had prepped already and started going outside to give everyone a cup. Travis, Dom, and I worked side by side until everyone had their drinks, and then we headed back in.
‘You’re a good sport for doing this, Dominic,’ Travis said.
‘Sure, no problem. I’ve passed this place many times but haven’t been inside the store or the hotel.’
‘Want to come upstairs and have a drink at the bar once we finish here?’
Dom narrowed his eyes infinitesimally. I’d bet he was wondering why Travis suddenly wanted to bond.
‘That’s a great idea,’ Kimberly said, clearly having overheard us. Then again, we were only a few steps away from the register area.
Gran had been right. Now that she and Kimberly didn’t have to pour hot cocoa, everything was going smoother.
‘But I don’t think I’ll be able to join you. Someone has to stay down here with Gran,’ my sister added.
‘Nonsense,’ Gran said. ‘I can deal with everything. You youngsters go have fun.”
‘What do I need to do?’ Declan’s voice came from behind us, startling us. The door had opened and closed so often that I hadn’t been paying attention to who was coming in.
He promptly stopped when he noticed Dominic.
Oh, here we go again.
‘Declan, this is Dominic Waldorf,’ I said. ‘Dom, this is my cousin Declan.’
They shook hands. Declan looked straight at me but didn’t ask anything.
Surely that can’t be right. Declan always jumps to the worst conclusion, yet he isn’t even going to ask why Dominic is here?
Then I realized why he was on his best behavior. He nodded toward Kimberly, who gave him a thumbs-up. My sister had obviously warned him. Good for her. I needed to give her more credit.
‘All right,’ Gran said. ‘I stand by what I said. You all can go upstairs to the bar.”
‘Yeah, get out,’ Kimberly ordered. ‘I’ll join you as soon as we close, okay?’ The Happy Place was only open another half hour.
‘Gran, how are you getting home?’ Travis asked.
‘John and I came together in the car.’
‘All right, then. Kimberly, Gran, are you sure you can handle all of this?’ Declan asked.
‘Yes,’ Kimberly insisted. ‘Go ahead and ask Tom to make you a margarita. We have a new recipe that’s a big hit with customers.’
I turned to Dom. ‘Can you stay, or do you have other plans?’
‘I’ll stay.’
‘Okay then, let’s go,’ Travis said.
Declan was still sizing up Dom as I grabbed the luggage he’d put in a corner, along with the bouquet of flowers. I did that as a strategic move so everyone could see them. Both of my cousins immediately noticed the bouquet, and I knew Dom had earned another point in their books.
‘You’re taking this upstairs too?’ Dom asked, pointing at the bag.
‘Yeah. We have connecting elevators, so when I leave, I won’t come through the bookstore again. It’ll be closed anyway. Ready?’
‘Yes. I’ve been meaning to try the bar for some time.’
He put an arm around my shoulders as we all headed toward the elevator in the back.
‘Where were you?’ Declan asked. His tone wasn’t exactly hard, but it had a familiar edge to it.
‘Reese and I spent time at my weekend house on the lake,” Dom replied.
The fact that he had whisked me away earned him another point, I was sure of that.
Maybe they won’t scare him away after all.
