Page 25 of My Heart Still Beats
I don’t have a clue why, but I do. I know she’s been through some shit. Who hasn’t? I’ve been through shit of my own, but this is a woman who—according to Skye—used to love life. Used to live in the moment, smell the roses, and live life to the fullest every day. Let her hair down.
It’s literally down now, and it falls like a sleek curtain around her shoulders. So dark brown it’s almost black, but there’s a warmth to it. Her skin is a light tan, and her eyes big, dark, and beautiful. Her lashes are longer than I’ve ever seen on a woman.
Maybe she’s wearing mascara, maybe extensions, but as I look at her, I don’t think she is. Everything about her looks purely natural. Even the dark pink of her full lips.
Did I just ask her on a date?
I don’t date. Not really. When I do, I tend to pick the wrong women, so my friends-with-benefits relationship with Apple was a good thing for both of us. Until I ended it because… Because I watched my brother fall in love, watched how it changed him for the better.
I want that.
And when Tessa’s eyes lit up at the idea of the Oyster House and sitting at the bar, I couldn’t help myself.
Her eyes sparkled, and they were so beautiful.
They should always sparkle.
I want to make them sparkle.
“Where did you get Rita?” I ask.
“A shelter over by Betsy’s place,” she says.
“Who’s Betsy?”
I know very well where Tessa got her dog, and I know who Betsy is, but she doesn’t know that I know. I may as well move the conversation along.
“She’s a friend of Skye’s and mine. She’s in the wedding party, so you’ll get to meet her soon. She owns a pet treat shop called Betsy’s Bark Boutique. I helped her put together an online business. She’s doing great.”
“Good, glad to hear that.”
“I thought we were going to talk about the details of the bachelor and bachelorette parties.”
“Yeah, sure.” I set down my menu. “I have great news for you. Both the—”
“Hi, I’m Olivia.” Our server—a bubbly redhead—interrupts us. “I’ll be taking care of you today. Would you like a drink besides water?”
“Water is fine for me,” Tessa says.
“I’m good with water as well.”
“Awesome. I’ll give you a few minutes to look over—”
“I’m ready,” Tessa says. “I’ll have a burger with fries. Burger medium. No cheese, but I do want lettuce, tomato, and onion.”
“Absolutely.” She turns to Ben. “And you, sir?”
“I’ll have the Reuben, also with fries.”
“Very good. I’ll get this right in.” She smiles and flounces off.
“So you were saying?” Tessa asks.
“Right. Good news. Everything’s taken care of.”
She cocks her head. “Then why are we here to talk about the details?”
I shrug. “When we had a drink last Friday, I said I’d take care of it, and you said okay. So I took care of it. Everything you asked for. The lunch, the spa day, the beach day, the dinner, the gifts, the dancing.”
