Page 19 of Broken Love (Love 2)
"What's wrong?"
When she turns back to face me, there are tears in her eyes.
"Why are you crying?"
"I'm just so happy. I can't believe I'm sitting here with you. I was afraid it wouldn't be as good. Or that it would be good, and we'd only do it once, and it'd be over. That you'd think I got fat. I don't know. It's like all at once every single insecurity I have has come out. I don't want this to be just a stuck-in-the-snow thing."
"We've wasted too much time apart," I tell her.
"We have amazing chemistry."
"Is that another way of saying the sex is mind-blowing?"
Well, someone was blowing something," she says, naughtily. I love her playfulness.
"There was a lot of mutual satisfaction, I think," I tease back. But then I take her face in my hands, wipe her tears away, and speak from my heart. "Palmer, I've been in love with you for most of my life. As far as I'm concerned, this isn't just a stuck-in-the-snow thing. This is a together forever thing."
She smiles at me, but more tears fall. She throws her arms around my neck. "I love you, Cade."
"I love you, too."
November 3rd Palmer
"I didn't hear you come in last night," Pike says, rolling into the kitchen.
"I took the red-eye. Slept in. Look at all these flowers! I take it people now know where you're staying. How are you feeling? I heard Tampa won last night. Do you still want to go to the game tomorrow?"
"Absolutely. How was Tahoe? Did you get your scripts read?"
"What scripts?"
"The scripts you went up there to read?"
"Oh, yeah. They were really amazing."
"So you're planning on doing a deal?"
"Definitely," I say dreamily, not at all talking about the scripts.
"Which ones did you like? And what did you like about them?" Tory inquires, joining us in the kitchen. "Are you interested in any of them for yourself?"
"Oh, yes, very."
"You're acting really strange," Pike states.
"No, I'm not. I'm just in a good mood."
"Good enough to take me out to dinner tonight?" he asks. "I'm dying for a big steak."
"It's a date," I tell him.
The doorbell rings, and Tory goes to answer it, explaining, "We have another delivery. I just let them in the gate."
She runs to the door and comes back into the kitchen with a large box, setting it on the island. "It's for you, Palmer. What is it?"
"I don't know," I say, undoing the ribbon and taking off the lid.
My eyes get huge when I see what's inside. "Oh my gosh! They're better than roses!"
"What's that?" my brother asks, rolling himself over to take a closer look.
"Sheets!" I say excitedly, opening the package and rubbing the soft fabric across my cheek, remembering.
"You're grinning. Who are they from?" Tory wants to know.
I don't have to look at the card to know the answer. "Cade," I say proudly, wondering how Pike will react to hearing his name.
"Why is that asshole sending you sheets?"
"There was a blizzard when I was driving to the house. The streets were slick. I slid off the road. Cade happened to be driving by and rescued me."
"Why didn't you call a tow truck?"
"I did, but they couldn't get there for at least an hour."
"So he drove you to the house?"
"No, it was too far. And the roads were a mess. He took me to his house."
"And?"
"And I stayed there."
"And?" he says, his face turning red.
"And, all of his rooms have these sheets. They were so soft I said I that I wanted to get some, so I guess he decided to send them."
"He's still a fucking prick," he says in an irritated tone as he rolls away.
Cade
I get an email from the service letting me know the gift was delivered to Palmer's house. I thought about sending her flowers, but this seemed more appropriate.
She calls me.
"I got your gift. I just have one problem with it."
"What's that?"
"I'm hoping they don't mean that I won't be invited to sleep on your sheets now that I have a set of my own."
"I was a little worried Pike might get mad at you. Did you tell him anything?"
"I told him we hooked up, and it was amazing."
"Palmer! What the hell?"
"I'm joking. I didn't tell him anything other than you rescued me, and your new house has great sheets. It's none of his business what I do."
"I should talk to him."
"You should, but not now. I'm too happy."
"I'm happy, too. I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Can I see you tonight?"
"I promised Pike I'd take him out to dinner."
"After?"
"Hmm, maybe I'll put him to bed and sneak over to yours?"
"I'll be waiting all day for that."
"I had another first with you last night, Cade."
"What's that?"
"The Mile High Club," she purrs. "That was
fun."
"I wholeheartedly agree. The weekend was fun. All of it."
November 5th
Palmer
"That game last night, can you believe Tampa pulled it off?" Tory asks, wandering into the kitchen this morning.
"It was amazing!" I add, although, honestly, I didn't watch it. Pike went to the game, so Cade came over to properly break in my new sheets. Even though he left before Pike got home, I lingered in bed for longer than usual this morning because my sheets smell like Cade.
I can't even believe how happy I am.
But I'm sad about one thing. That I can't share my happiness with my brother. At some point, I need to grow a set of balls and just tell him. Just maybe not while he's staying at my house.
"The phone and doorbell have been ringing off the hook with interview requests and gifts for Pike," Tory says. "I feel like I haven't been getting a whole lot of work done the past few days."
"That's okay," I say dreamily, knowing I have lunch plans that involve getting naughty on Cade's desk. It's something I've always wanted to do, but never have. And if we're going to have more firsts . . . "You go ahead and help him. I don't have anything pressing."
"No, but you've got a full schedule today," she says, handing me a sheet of paper. "Hair and makeup at nine, radio interview at eleven, meeting at the studio to pitch your latest production project at two-thirty--"
"Then I'm going to the game with my brother," I finish for her.
"Actually, I have interviews pre-game," Pike yells in from the family room couch. "I have to be there early. Can you meet me there? Tory has your VIP tickets and all the details."
"I can do that," I say, making myself a quick smoothie and heading out the door.
Cade
"I can be at your office at twelve-thirty," Palmer says when she calls me. "Will you be free?"
"Like for lunch? Sure. Do you just want me to meet you somewhere?"
"No, I'll meet you there, and I'll bring lunch. Don't ask questions."
