Page 112 of Candy Hearts, Vol. 2

CHAPTER 7

FINN

The afternoon runs away from us, and soon enough it’s four and we have to leave to have an early dinner at Charlie’s house.

I can’t believe how incredible it felt to kiss Lou. Hands down the best kiss of my life. And getting to hold him later as we watched the fountains do their thing? Best cherry on top of the best sundae. Seriously, what kind of black magic did he use on me?

I’m already in too deep and it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since I met him. I could be concerned about that, but I’ve never been the type to fall quickly or be overly infatuated by someone. I’m a rational man. Numbers are my thing, right? But none of the feelings stirring inside me are normal.

Because I’m rational, I know that being in too deep already isn’t something to be scared of. I’m not going to try to talk myself out of this. I want Lou, more than I’ve ever wanted another man. It’s not even close.

So yeah ... this is actually happening. Damn if that thought doesn’t have my whole body tingling with energy. I’m damned if I’m not going to enjoy this feeling.

I can’t deny that I’m also happy to see Beau in better spirits after he spilled his guts to Lou over brunch. He even smiled a few times when he got a good hand at the blackjack table, and he helped me teach Lou how to play.

All in all, I think the chaperoned date has been a success all around.

Like the gentleman my momma raised, I open the door of the G-Wagon for Lou when the valet employee brings it to us, and I don’t miss the curious, raised eyebrows as he climbs in. Beau gets into the back and I walk around the hood to get in as well.

“Why—uh,” Lou seems to have trouble wording his question, and I think that’s sweet of him, so I give him a hand.

“Our brother, Charlie,” I start to explain. “He’s a bit of a diva. Likes nice things, let’s say, to be polite. Well, he insisted on us having a car while we’re here, so he got us this one.”

“And your brother Charlie is a...” He trails off, leaving the question open ended so I can fill in the blanks again.

“He’s a hockey player,” Beau says from the back before I can. “And yeah, he’s a diva all right, but he’s a good big brother so we don’t throw it in his face unless he takes it too far.”

“Too far?” Lou asks, and this time I explain.

“Well, he got paid very well, very young, so he bought Mom a house, paid for me to go to college, and he paid for so much while we were growing up, still—oh, he’s seven years older than us,” I explain when we’re at a red light on the strip and I can see Lou is just more confused. “He wanted to buy Beau and me houses, and that’s when we had to put a stop to his madness. We sicced our grandma, Lala, on him. I’m pretty sure he still hasn’t forgiven us to this day.”

Beau scoffs from the back when I finish, and the light turns green so I can’t see Lou’s reaction. “He for sure hasn’t forgiven us. Just like he hasn’t forgiven us for paying for our own suits for Emma’s wedding two years ago.”

I snort at the memory and explain to Lou.

“Our cousin, Emma, wanted us all to look super fancy for her wedding, but Charlie arrived at the fitting super late because he’s an important big shot, or whatever, and we’d not only paid for our suits...” I turn to look at Lou at yet another traffic light. “But we’d paid for his too. He was actually offended.” I laugh a bit more and see Lou has a... well, I don’t know him well enough to know what kind of face he’s pulling. “You okay?” I ask more gently.

“What?” He shakes his head and seems to focus on me again. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry.”

“No worries,” I murmur because now he’s frowning, and I’m pretty sure he’s worried.

“I was just thinking, he sounds like he only wants to take care of you guys.”

“Yeah, maybe that’s his intention,” Beau chimes in. “But it comes off as condescending after so many years. And we can afford everything we need. Also, he has more to offer than his money.” The conviction in Beau’s words makes me smile. Not because it’s the first time I’ve heard him talk like that or anything, but because he sounds like his usual self, and that makes me happy, simple as that.

The rest of the drive is uneventful except for the stupid traffic. I always forget it exists in the world. In Crushville there’s no traffic. Ever.

Will Lou want to come visit me there? Will he like it? Hate it?

He seemed to like the idea of Crushville, but reality is never what we expect it to be.

Pace yourself , I say in my mind. The fact that I’m already all in with Lou doesn’t mean that he is. I have to make it worthwhile for him. I have to woo him and show him what he’s already made me feel.

The kiss was a good start, but it’s only that. The beginning of what I’m already hoping is a very long story.

We get to Charlie’s house and I park the rental right behind his super fancy Mercedes SUV. This time it’s Beau who keeps his finger pressing the doorbell until the front door opens, and this time it’s Santa who opens the door.

“Who is this?” he asks, looking Lou up and down in a very suggestive way.

“Hey, back off,” I snap at him at the same time as Charlie speaks from behind the giant.

“Really, Nik?” he demands.

“This is Lou. He’s Fi’s date so yeah, Santa, back off,” Beau says. He has my back like always. Then he pushes his way inside. “Oh, God ,” he moans loudly. “You made Lala’s pomodoro?”

“I did,” Charlie says, then he grabs Santa’s huge bicep and drags him behind him on his way to save dinner from being devoured by Beau.

I push Lou gently, with a hand on the small of his back, and close the door behind us.

“It’s nice to meet you, by the way,” Charlie says, then looks back to smile at us. “Lou,” he adds suggestively. Well, hoping he’s not going to embarrass me won’t do me any good, it’s happening whether I like it or not, and the less resistance I put up, the faster it will stop. I’ve learned that over the years. “I’m Charlie, and this big oaf is Santa.”

“I thought you called him Nik?” Lou asks in a smaller voice, but I’m proud of him for voicing his confusion either way.

“Yes, I do,” Charlie offers up as the only explanation.

Lou turns to look at me with creased brows and I just shrug. I know just as much as he does, probably less.

“When can we eat?” Beau demands just before Charlie hits the back of his hand with a wooden spatula. He had it coming for trying to get a taste right from the pot. That’s not allowed in Lala’s house, in Mom’s house, in Aunt Allegra’s house, or in any other Heart residence, and my brother knows this, so really, he had it coming.

“We’re going to eat faster if you teach Nik some manners and show him how to set the table.” Charlie’s grumble is accompanied by his pleased smirk when he admires how his sauce simmers.

“And what do we do?” I ask.

“You two, sit.” He points with that same spatula to the stools on the opposite side of the huge island that has the stove in it. “And tell me how you met.”

I let out a sigh, but again, having been through similar situations before, I know what to do. So I grab Lou’s hand, interlace our fingers like I did before, and pull him to the stools.