Bayside Wishes Page 12

  Freya slid back into her pajamas and climbed under the covers. She yawned again. At least if she was sleeping, she wasn't eating. She snuggled into the covers and closed her eyes.

  Just as she was starting to drift off, Nico's face came into her mind. A fresh wave of embarrassment swept through her. She hated that she was so concerned about how he felt, but she couldn't help it.

  Things had been going so well between them. She had really looked forward to their almost-nightly conversations. Maybe they hadn't meant as much to him as to her. Her face warmed again.

  She rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head so that only her mouth was exposed. Then she forced her thoughts away, not willing to waste this time like she had the night before. She needed some sleep.

  "Oh, good. You got some sleep." Dakota's voice brought her out of a deep dream.

  Freya rolled over, stuck in heavy fog. She muttered nonsense.

  "People are going to be here soon."

  "Okay." Freya rubbed her eyes.

  "Like, in an hour. The wedding went a little long. Can you start setting out the food while I take a quick shower? Then you can get one. At least you don't have to come down until the toast. Plenty of time to beautify yourself for Nico."

  Freya groaned. "He's still coming?"

  "I just got off the phone with Shale, and he wants me to toast him, too. Shale got into the department he wanted—right here in town! Isn't that great?"

  "I'm really glad to hear it." Freya sat up and stretched. "I can't wait to congratulate him. It's been killing me not telling him I'm back."

  Dakota laughed. "He's probably going to be torqued, but he'll be so happy you're here to stay." She squealed. "I can't wait. Anyway, I super need to get in the shower. This is going to be the best night!" She practically skipped out of the room.

  Freya smiled, despite herself. Dakota's enthusiasm was always contagious. She got up and went downstairs. The fridge was full of a mish-mash of snack foods. Leftovers from the wedding? Or maybe Dakota had ordered extras for the party. Freya popped a bite-size wrap in her mouth and set everything out on the large dining room table.

  Before she had everything set out, the doorbell rang.

  Freya gasped. Not only was no one supposed to see her, but she was in her pajamas! She hurried upstairs to Dakota's room.

  "Someone's here already."

  Dakota pulled her hair from a curling iron. The red curl bounced down over her shoulder. "Probably Mom and Dad. They're bringing even more food. Get in the shower and get ready while I take care of them."

  "How are you going to explain the shower?"

  "I'll think of something. Hurry. The guest of honor has to be ready in time for the toast." Dakota checked her makeup and then ran past Freya and down the stairs. "You're here! Come on in."

  The sounds of their parents' voices carried upstairs.

  Freya tiptoed to her room and she picked out a short dress. If that was what Nico liked, then that's what she would wear. Her dad might cringe, but she wanted to catch Nico's attention and make him forget all about Blondie.

  While she got ready, Freya practiced what she would say to him. She wanted to make sure she exuded confidence and charm—basically everything she'd been lacking since running into him the other day.

  A thought struck her as she was rubbing in tanning cream. What if he did bring that girl with him?

  All the more reason to give him everything she had. She gave a little extra curve to her eyeliner, thickened her mascara, and brushed on a little extra bronzer. Then she added just a slight more dab of concealer under her eyes and blended. She curled the ends of her hair until every strand cascaded down her back, providing a nice contrast to the pale yellow dress.

  The doorbell sounded every few minutes, and conversation grew louder downstairs. Her pulse raced, keeping her ears open for the sound of Nico's voice. She heard Shale and Sullivan, but no Nico.

  Freya double-checked everything in the mirror and then went to the bedroom and slid on some sparkly silver heels. Every head would turn as she made her way down the staircase, but she only cared about impressing Nico.

  As she spun around in front of the mirror, she was sure she'd do more than impress him. She'd never looked better.

  Eighteen

  Nico glanced around for Freya again. He'd asked Shale about her, but Shale had looked at him like he had two heads when Nico said she was in town. He said she was still in New York.

  Shale ate a buffalo wing and put the bone down on his plate. He shook his head and swallowed. "I'm telling you, she's in New York. Haven't you been talking with her?"

  Nico nearly snorted. "She's been… well, busy."

  "Tell me about it. I haven't heard from her all week. Usually, she checks in on me practically every day."

  "You haven't heard from her, either?" Nico asked. If that was the case, he could have been reading too deeply into her ignoring his calls. Maybe he should have texted her.

  He ran his fingers through his extra-gelled hair. He'd really been hoping to speak with her at the party.

  "There's Dakota," he said. "I'm going to ask her about Freya."

  "Good luck," Shale said. He turned and spoke with Logan.

  Nico took a deep breath and headed for Dakota. She spun around and went into the kitchen. By the time he got there, she had disappeared. It was almost like she was avoiding him.

  Of course she was. She'd been there when Nico had been at the restaurant with Morgan, who he hadn't seen since he left her on the side of the road with the threat of legal action. At least she was out of his hair. One problem down, another to go. Unfortunately, Freya was making it as hard for him to get hold of as he was with Morgan.

  He sighed and wandered into the dining room. Shale's mom was in there, looking at some photos on the wall. They looked like pictures of the Hunters as kids.

  Nico stood next to her. She turned to him and smiled. "Thanks so much for helping Shale get his new job. He said he couldn't have done it without you."

  He nodded. "I'm just glad to have helped. What's that a picture of?"

  She turned back to the framed photo. "That was when we were all camping years ago. It's hard to believe they were ever that young, isn't it?"

  "Times goes by fast."

  "It seemed like we never could get all of them focused on the camera at the same time, but somehow we managed with this shot."

  Nico moved closer and studied it. Freya and Shale were easy to find, being the youngest by several years at least. "You have a beautiful family."

  Mrs. Hunter beamed. "Thank you."

  A bell sounded in the living room. Dakota called everyone in for a toast.

  Everyone in the dining room made their way over. Dakota waved Nico over next to Shale.

  Nico shook his head. "It's Shale's moment."

  Dakota gave him a look that said she wasn't about to be crossed.

  He couldn't help chuckling, and walked over to the two Hunters. Shale handed him a champagne glass and Dakota rang a bell again. It made Nico's ear ring being that close.

  "We're here to celebrate a most special occasion." Dakota grinned from ear to ear.

  Shale shook his head and looked away, clearly embarrassed. It seemed that for as much as Dakota loved the attention, he was equally uncomfortable with it.

  "My baby brother is back in town to stay."

  Everyone cheered and held up their own glasses.

  Shale rubbed his stubble and groaned.

  Nico bumped him with his shoulder. "Smile, man. We're all here for you."

  "Right." Shale glanced around the room and gave everyone an awkward smile.

  "And better yet," Dakota continued, "he's just accepted a position in our very own fire department."

  "Thanks to my new friend, Nico," Shale said. "I couldn't have done it without him."

  Nico held up his glass higher. "To Shale."

  Shale raised his glass. "To Nico."

  "And Freya!" Dakota exclaimed.

&n
bsp; Nico nearly dropped his glass, and champagne dripped down his arm, soaking into his cuff. He glanced over at Shale. "You said she was in New York."

  "She is. I thought."

  Everyone's attention turned toward the staircase. Nico followed their gazes. Freya walked down the staircase as though it were a runway and she were royalty. A shimmery yellow dress clung to her every curve and her dark, wavy hair framed her face, making her look like an angel.

  His breath caught. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful in all his life.

  Shale nudged him. "Close your mouth."

  Nico snapped his jaw shut. He hadn't realized it was hanging open.

  Freya glanced around the room and smiled at several people. "Surprise. Both twins are home to stay. I packed up a few days ago."

  Shale looked at Nico. "I honestly had no idea she was here."

  Their mom gasped and ran over to Freya, embracing her. The rest of the Hunters made their way over and had one big group hug. Dakota broke free and smiled at everyone. "Cheers!"

  "Cheers!" all the guests replied. Glasses clinked all around.

  Nico stepped back and watched as the Hunter huddle broke apart. Was that why Freya had been avoiding his calls? She had wanted to surprise him about moving back to town?

  His heart warmed as Freya and Shale embraced. It was obvious how much they cared about each other. Shale lifted her into the air and swung her around. She squealed and giggled.

  Nico chuckled. How could she be both so sexy and utterly adorable at the same time? His heart thundered in his chest. It was hard to believe the stunning model with the smile so wide it carried into next week was the same wonderful person he'd been opening his heart to her over the phone the last few months.

  She made her way around the room, greeting the guests. Either she hadn't seen him, or she was saving the best for last. He clenched his glass, desperately hoping for the latter.

  Logan came over to him. "Drink your champagne, or it'll be bad luck for the toast."

  Nico shook his head to clear it. "You're right." He swallowed it in one gulp.

  "I can't believe both the twins are home." Logan smiled as he watched his youngest siblings make their way through the crowd of people.

  "Do they like being called that?" Nico asked.

  "The twins?" He chuckled. "Nope, but there's nothing they can do about it. We've been calling them that since before they were born. They're stuck with it."

  "Things only siblings can get away with."

  "You have brothers and sisters?" Logan asked.

  Nico played with his wet cuff. "A brother. Enzo. We can get on each other's nerves like it's no one's business."

  Logan laughed. "Gotta love that." He patted Nico on the back. "I'm going to go congratulate Shale again."

  Nico nodded and watched Freya from across the room. She now stood with a plate full of fruits and veggies. He wanted to go say something, but his feet wouldn't cooperate.

  "Hey, Sarge," came a familiar feminine voice on his left.

  He turned to see Reese, though he almost didn't recognize her. She wore a pink flowery dress, and her hair was down out of its typical ponytail. Her auburn hair fell down past her shoulders in waves.

  "Hi, Reese. Do you know the Hunters?"

  "We're off duty. Call me Jennifer. Yeah, I know them. Freya used to babysit me."

  That certainly explained why she looked young enough to pose as a high schooler.

  Reese laughed and snorted. Then she glanced around, red coloring her face. "Nice party, huh?"

  His gaze fell back on Freya. "The best." He sighed.

  "You should go say hi."

  "What?" Nico asked.

  "Instead of drooling from a distance. Introduce yourself. She's definitely more your type than Morgan." Reese snorted again.

  Nico stood taller. "We've met. I just…" He let his voice trail off. What was his excuse? Other than the fact that her ignoring him in person would be infinitely worse than over the phone.

  "Go," Reese urged.

  He couldn't come off a coward to one of his officers. Nico shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

  She giggled as he walked away.

  Nico's pulse drummed in his ears.

  Freya spun around. Their gazes met and then locked. Her gorgeous blue eyes widened and her mouth gaped just a bit. She seemed frozen. What was that expression? Fear?

  Nico swallowed and forced himself to keep up his pace. He stopped about an arm's length from her. "What a surprise. I had no idea you were planning on moving back. You really know how to keep a secret."

  Her lashes fluttered. "About that." She paused. "The other afternoon, I—"

  He stepped closer and took her hand. "Can we go into another room so I can explain what happened?"

  Freya bit her lower lip.

  "Please?"

  She nodded and whispered something to the girl she'd been speaking with and then led Nico into another room. It looked like a home office.

  "No one will bother us here," Freya said and closed the door. She sat in a wheeled chair at a computer desk and turned to him. "What's up?"

  The light-hearted question took him off guard. He laughed nervously. "When did you decide to move back? And is that why you haven't answered my calls?" There was no sense in beating around the bush.

  "Have a seat."

  Nico sat in the other wheeled chair and rolled over next to her. "I thought we had a nice thing going. I'm somewhat confused."

  Her head snapped up and she studied him. "Me, too. Who was that…" She paused like she was struggling to find the right word. "Girl?"

  He frowned. "A very long story, but she's gone now."

  Freya arched a brow. "What does that mean? Who is she?"

  Nico took a deep breath, mostly to give himself a moment to consider his words. He'd practiced this conversation so many times, he wanted to get it right. "A long time ago, we dated. It's ancient history—older than the dinosaurs—but she won't let it go. She flew out here to get me to change my mind. When you saw me, I was in the middle of telling her to fly back home and stay there because," his pulse raced, "my heart lies elsewhere."

  Freya's beautiful eyes widened. "It does?"

  He relaxed. "Of course. Do you think I spend my evenings talking with anyone else?"

  She stared at him, the look of surprise lingering.

  He held her hand between his, and met her gaze. "I really like you, Freya. I don't know where we're going, or even where we stand, but I don't want any other woman in my life."

  Her expression softened further. "You don't?"

  Nico wished she'd say more, but at least she was hearing him out. It was more than she'd given him since they saw each other at the restaurant. "Of course not. I love our conversations—you're so sweet and funny. Talking to you has been the highlight of every day. No matter how hard work gets, everything is made better by thinking about going home, lighting that cinnamon candle, and talking to you."

  She held his gaze and seemed to want to say something.

  "My life was going along pretty well before I met you, but now I see what was missing before."

  A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. "Really?"

  Nico's heart warmed. "Yes, and I've been going crazy not being able to explain what happened at the restaurant. I know it looked bad—well, she did. I swear she didn't dress like that when we dated."

  Freya laughed.

  "What?"

  She leaned a little closer. "It's fine if she did. That's just how some people dress in the city—I assume that's where you knew her from."

  He nodded. "We went to school together."

  "She looked like she was going to a club in Manhattan, but I don't think Enchantment Bay is ready for that."

  Nico laughed. "Definitely not. I'm sorry you had to see her. When she told me she was on her way to see me, I told her not to bother. Then she showed up at my work—"

  "Looking like that?"

  "Unfortunately."

  Freya bur
st out laughing.

  "I had to get her out of there as fast as I could. Somehow we ended up at Roosevelt's where I was in the middle of telling her to take a hike. After you left, she made a scene. Somehow that was supposed to win me over? I threatened her with a restraining order and told her to go back home."

  "You poor thing."

  "You know the worst part?"

  She shook her head. "What?"

  "I couldn't talk with you."

  Her mouth gaped. "Now it's my turn to feel bad. I'm sorry, Nico. I should have known better, I just…" Her voice trailed off.

  "What?" He leaned forward, close enough that he could smell her perfume. This time, she smelled citrusy.

  Freya glanced up at him. Their noses nearly touched.

  Her eyes were an even deeper blue this close. They reminded him of the stunning New York sky on an early summer morning. Her sweet scent teased him.

  Nico moved forward closer to her lush lips. His heart thundered. Was this the wrong moment? Would she get upset that he wanted to kiss her now? Truth was, he wanted nothing more. It was worth the risk.

  He inched closer, still holding her gaze and her hand.

  Freya moved toward him. Their lips almost touched.

  Sounds of glass shattering came from out in the main room. Shouts and cries of exclamations followed.

  Nineteen

  Freya ran out to Dakota's entryway. Broken glass covered the floor. Her mom came over with a broom and dustpan.

  "What happened?" Freya exclaimed.

  Nico caught up with her and put his hands on her shoulders. "What's going on?"

  "I need to clean this mess." Her mom shook.

  Freya took the broom from her. "No. Let me." She swept the pieces closest to her. "How'd this happen?"

  Nico grumbled, staring into the living room. Dakota was arguing with someone. A blonde with a way too short skirt.

  Freya's mouth dropped. She nearly let go of the broom. "I thought you said she went back."