Page 9 of The Stars

“I see you still talk to yourself,” a deep voice said from behind her. She squealed and spun around. Dante’s smile flashed as he moved closer to her, seemingly sliding out of the darkness.

His skin glowed in the soft light from the overhead fairy lights that hung in the large oak trees that surrounded the parking area of the property.

His dark eyes ran over her, heating her until she desperately wished she could pull off her jacket.

“I see you still enjoy sneaking up on people,” she replied, causing him to chuckle.

She felt foolish, so she didn’t wait for his response but turned on her heels and headed towards the noise, knowing full well that he’d fall in step with her.

They remained quiet as they walked down the side pathway around the massive house.

As soon as they rounded the corner, she spotted Jess sitting on a lounge chair, laughing at something Michael had just said.

Xtina was playing with a dog as she drank a beer, her dark hair pulled back into a high ponytail. There had been many rumors about the woman floating around town in the past few years, but that was nothing compared to the rumors the kids had spread about her growing up. Still, Amy had never had a reason to dislike Xtina. Actually, she’d always admired her for her strength in friendship. Xtina and Jess had been best friends for as long as anyone could remember. Through thick or thin, the two women stuck together.

Amy had shared a few friendships with a handful of people in her past, none of whom she was still connected to.

Jess and Xtina had always been best friends. Amy could tell that the duo was even closer now than before.

Joe and Liz were there, quietly talking in a swing closer to the back of the home. Her brother nodded and waved at her when he spotted her. Liz looked slightly uncomfortable with her heavy pregnancy but smiled at her when she waved.

Michael’s brother Ethan, whom she’d met a few times before, now was married to Brea, a petite blonde woman who kept looking at her funny.

Tara and Selene were sisters but looked nothing alike, but she could see the resemblance between Selene and Lucas.

She was thankful that Lucas and Mia were there and enjoyed catching up with the couple. Most everyone here occasionally came into the liquor store, but this was the first time she was socializing with any of them outside of that first day she’d returned to town.

“Amy! You made it!” Jess waved her over, a wide grin on her face. “Dante’s here too.” She laughed.

Amy smiled and waved back, the knot in her chest loosening just a little. “Yeah, we bumped into one another out front.”

“Come sit with us,” Jess said, patting the chair next to her.

She moved over and sat down just as Dante took the chair next to Jacob and started chatting with him.

Her heart skipped a beat as he leaned back in one of the Adirondack chairs, opened a beer, and took a sip while his eyes locked with hers.

Shadows from the firelight played over his dark skin, highlighting his facial features and making his sharp jawline look even more defined. He already looked relaxed, laughing at something Jacob had said, and for a moment, Amy just sat there, frozen. Totally enamored by him.

The feelings he brought out in her, the things that just his simple glances did to her, well, she thought about running, making any excuse to leave. Jess reached over and touched her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts. “I can see it in your eyes. I’m not going to let you escape this quickly. You just got here.”

Reluctantly, Amy relaxed in the lounge chair, doing her best to keep her eyes from straying back to Dante. But it was no use. She could feel his presence like a gravitational pull and couldn’t stop glancing over at him again. It didn’t help that every time she looked, he seemed to catch her eye, too, his gaze lingering just a second too long.

Almost an hour after she’d arrived, Mia stood up and got everyone’s attention.

“Tonight. It’s tonight,” she said suddenly, her eyes going around the group quickly and then landing on her for a brief second before asking the group. “Is everyone ready?”

Amy frowned as everyone around her suddenly sobered and nodded before turning to look directly at her and Dante.

“What?” she asked after a moment of silence.

“Tonight is the night that you will finally fulfill your destiny,” Mia said firmly with a grin.

Chapter Four

Dante didn’t know what to expect from the evening. He’d hung around Jacob and the group of his friends many times over the past few years. At first, he hadn’t been the only single player but in the past few months, everyone had paired up. He supposed that was why Amy had been invited, along with being Joe’s little sister.

While everyone sat around the firepit chatting and having fun, he watched Amy closely. She seemed nervous at first and then settled into conversation with a few others. While he tried not to eavesdrop, he couldn’t help but overhear a little of the conversation.