Page 59 of You Chive Me Crazy

I stifled a laugh.

It sounded like he didn’t know what was going on here, either. It was like out of nowhere, a certain force was pulling us closer together.

“Oh, that’s right,” Lucas said. “You asked me what Damian was up to. I have no idea, but don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

Sweetie, you can have my back.

And my neck.

And my—

Good grief, Zoe. Knock it off and take a cold shower before you embarrass yourself!

Betsy walked around the table and handed the three-by-five cards to each person. “Okay, we have ice cream for dessert.”

“Big surprise!” Marty said, laughing.

“Rolando, you’re new here, so here’s the deal. One scoop, two scoops, three scoops, you name it, and you’ve got it. I can also do banana splits, shakes, chocolate sundaes, and root beer floats. We’ve got forty flavors, including a few that are lactose-free.”

I glanced over at Lucas. “I suppose you are not going to let me have ice cream this evening, either.”

He shook his head and grinned. “Why don’t we wait until your birthday? Let’s play it safe. It’s just two more days.”

Wait a minute . . .

Lucas remembered my birthday?

How was that even possible? It was yet another thing he remembered about me, even though we’d never celebrated my birthday together in the past. And I know it’s not listed on social media anywhere.

“Your birthday is coming up?” Betsy said.

“It falls on the first day of the food festival,” Lucas said.

“How wonderful that we get to celebrate with you,” Marty said. “We’ll have to do something special.”

Betsy clapped with joy. “Absolutely!”

“Please . . . don’t make a fuss for me,” I said.

“I don’t think you have a say in the matter,” Lucas said with a mischievous grin.

After I finished my bowl of blueberries, Lucas stood and held out his hand in my direction. “Okay, it’s time for this hot potato to head up to the room and take it easy.”

I thanked Marty and Betsy for another wonderful meal, then stood and took Lucas’s hand. I couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity and discovery that I hadn’t felt before. There was also this nervous tension building between us that was more than a little palpable. It was strange to think that only a short time ago, I despised him, and now, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to feel his lips on mine.

Yes, we’d had that kiss ten years ago, but that was in the middle of my drunken stupor, and I preferred to forget about that for the moment, and concentrate on this newfound connection between us.

Betsy’s words came back to me loud and clear.

This isn’t called the Serendipity Inn for nothing.

Magical things happen here.

I had no idea what kind of magic was blowing in the wind, but I wasn’t opposed to it. Things were changing between us at a rapid pace. Was it just a fleeting attraction, or something more profound?

I had a feeling I was about to find out in the bedroom.

ChapterTwelve