When I punch him in the arm, he laughs even louder. After placing his bat in his saddlebag, he bands his thick arm around my shoulders to guide me back into the café.
A middle-aged lady has taken up Slater’s position in the doorway. She has a large smile and welcoming eyes. “You gave the poor girl a heart attack.”
Slater chuckles but doesn’t deny her claims, because even a stranger knows I’m seconds from coronary failure. “Kylie, I’d like you to meet a very dear friend of mine.” He stops just in front of the pretty, gray-haired, blue-eyed lady. “Maggie, this is Kylie. Kylie, this is Maggie, the official mother hen of the band.”
I accept the handshake Maggie is offering. “Hi.”
After ushering us into the café, Maggie switches on the main lights. My eyes drift over the space, eagerly absorbing all its quirky details. It’s a standard-looking retro café, except for one wall near the front counter. It has a selection of photos proudly on display. The pictures are a timeline of Rise Up’s rise to fame. The very first photo appears to have been taken quite a few years ago. Slater’s dreads are only two inches long, and his arms are draped over Marcus’s and Noah’s shoulders. He’s smiling brightly at the camera. Nick is standing to the right of them, awkwardly out of place.
As I follow the timeline of photos, Nick’s inclusion in the band becomes more apparent. The very last photo is on a much larger stage than the first. A smile carves on my mouth when I notice Slater has his arm wrapped around Nick’s shoulders. I thought I misunderstood Slater’s dislike of Nick the weekend we stayed at the cabin, but from looking at the photos, I’m reasonably sure Slater was not a fan of Nick’s a few years ago. I’m glad they worked through whatever issues they had.
“The first photo was taken the at Rise Up’s first gig at Mavericks. The last one was when they performed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.” Maggie’s voice is full of admiration. “I’d love to take a photo of them at every arena they’ve performed at, but they travel too far and wide for me to keep up with them now.”
“I offered for you to travel with us.” Slater pulls down some chairs from a tabletop before gesturing for us to sit. “But for some reason, this was more appealing to you.” He waves his hand around the café.
Maggie smiles before pacing into the kitchen at the back of the café. When I take a seat in one of the chairs Slater pulled down, he drags my chair closer to his, sending a shrieking noise bouncing around the room. I press my lips to his just as Maggie reenters the room. The three bottles of beer she’s holding clang together when she notices our joined lips.
When Slater drapes his arm over my shoulders, the confusion in her eyes disappears. “You got your heart back?” She asks her question so quietly, I’m shocked when Slater nods. I didn’t think he would have heard her.
“Finally.” He clinks his bottle against Maggie’s before using the rim to conceal his mammoth grin. “And I’ll never let her go again.”
* * *
My heart melts when Maggie tells me the boys from the band bought her the café as a retirement gift. She was reluctant to accept it, but the boys soon made it apparent they wouldn’t take no for an answer. She explains how Lola, Emily’s sister, asked her about a poster of the San Francisco skyline she had hanging in her office at Mavericks one afternoon. Her dream had always been to open a B&B in Sausalito, but after encountering a few bumps in the road, her dreams were never fulfilled. Before she knew it, thirty years had flown by.
When Lola told Jacob about Maggie’s dream, Jacob shared the news with Noah. Once Noah told the rest of the band members, they all chipped in to purchase the café for Maggie.
“There are four small cabins attached to the back of the café, and Maggie has plans to extend the floor space in here to add another three rooms.” The pride in Slater’s voice makes me misty-eyed. “I tried to convince her to travel with us, you know, to ensure the beer was the coldest it could be, but for some reason, a B&B sounded more appealing to her.”
He laughs when Maggie throws a red dishcloth at him. Once the redness on his face fades, Maggie fills me in on everything I missed the past two years. I’m surprised when she informs me about Noah’s accident. By looking at him, you’d never know he was so severely injured. She shares photos of Emily and Noah’s wedding she clipped from magazines, and a few private ones she took herself, and she gushes like a proud grandmother when she shows me photos of Maddie and Jasper as newborn babies.
I’m having such a fun time, I’m not even bothered to discover the sun is beginning to rise by the time Slater and I head back to his bike. After ensuring my helmet is on tight, Slater straddles his bike before assisting me on the back. I wave goodbye to Maggie before banding my arms around his waist and resting my cheek on his back. His heart is thumping so hard, it’s audible over the healthy rumble of his engine. Although it’s summer, a dense layer of fog covers the bay, giving it an eerie effect. It’s still outstandingly beautiful, just in its own unique way—much like the man I’m cozying up to.
Due to the early morning hour, we miss the paparazzi who were at the hotel when we exited last night. Slater helps me off his bike before removing my helmet. I scan his gorgeous face as he stores it in his saddlebag. I was shocked when he pulled my helmet out. I tried to brush it away before he noticed it, but I’m reasonably sure he saw the tear that fell from my eye. I’ve never stopped loving him, and the fact he still carried my helmet with him two years after I left him reveals he still cares for me too. That's why I’ve decided to tell him why I left. He deserves to know he did nothing wrong. I need to make sure he understands that, so it’s time for me to be honest. Then, hopefully, he can forgive me and we can move past this.
When Slater curls his hand around mine in an attempt to walk us toward the elevator bank, I plant my feet on the ground, halting his retreat. “Can we talk?”
His face mars with worry, but he nods nonetheless. After leaning his glorious backside against his bike, he tugs me close to his side. “What did you want to talk about?”
I suck in a quick whiff of his manly scent before blurting out words I hope to never say again. “I want to tell you why I left.”
He stiffens as his grip on my waist tightens.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. It was because—”
My words are stolen by a delicious pair of lips. I try to pull away, but Slater’s skills are too wonderous. Although my brain is demanding I yank back, my heart encourages me to return his kiss. We kiss furiously, like an electrical storm after a hot, humid day. It’s beautiful and heart-stopping, making my brain turn to mush by the time he withdraws from our embrace.
“Don’t…. you…. Umm. Weren’t we…” He smiles, loving the effect he has on me. “What were we talking about?” I know what I’m trying to say. My mouth just won’t cooperate with my brain.
When Slater’s grin widens, I slap him on his chest before shaking my head. It helps to clear some of the fog burrowed deep inside. “Don’t you want to know?”
His eyes dance between mine for several heart-clenching seconds before he shakes his head.
My brows furrow. I hadn’t expected him to say no. “Why?”
As panic makes itself known with my gut, my gaze lingers on his torso. Perhaps he doesn’t want me anymore, and that’s why he doesn’t care?
He returns my eyes to his by lifting my downcast head. “It’s in the past. Can’t we leave it there?”
