A Little Bit Cupid: A Collection of Short Stories Read online

  I’ve just made it to the back hallway when my phone rings.

  I glance at the screen. When I see the face of my brother, Michael, flash across the screen, I pick up.

  Like my late father, Michael’s a fisherman. Our dad’s boat went down in a storm and the whole crew drowned, which means we all worry about Michael when he’s on the water. Especially my mother, who never got over my dad’s death. Privately, I’m not sure Michael’s over it either. We’ve been trying to convince him to get out of Maine for a vacation, but so far, no dice.

  “Everything okay?” I ask him.

  “I was going to ask you the same thing.” Michael’s gruff tone is unusually soft. “Bella won.”

  “I know. I was sitting in the audience,” I say jokingly. “I’m surprised you took the time to watch.”

  My older brother loves Bella like a sister, but he’s not into awards shows.

  “Ma made me watch it with her,” he says, and I can practically see him scowling.

  I chuckle. “That makes more sense then.”

  “Yep. Anyway, Bella looked upset. I don’t know her like you do, but we did all grow up together. I wanted to check in.”

  “Thanks.” I mean it. Michael and I have been through a lot with our father passing when we were kids, and it took us a while to realize we aren’t as different as we thought we were. He and I have grown closer since I left Maine, which makes no sense in some ways, but it’s the truth. “I’m about to go find out what’s going on. I’m on my way to her dressing room.”

  “Good. Go take care of your wife. Tell her congrats from Ma and me. Her parents and Grandpa called us already—that’s how excited they are. The whole town’s going to be buzzing about it tomorrow.”

  I grin. “You jealous?”

  “Not even a little. I’m proud of you guys. But where’d that fancy-ass suit come from? You looked like you were modeling for a designer.”

  “You only wish you could pull that look off.” My brother’s a good-looking dude—Bella describes him as ruggedly hot—but he’s not exactly a suit and tie guy.

  “Ha. And you really need to work on your audience face.”

  I should have known this was coming. “What the hell?”

  He lets out a short laugh. “When the camera panned to you, you weren’t smiling at first. I thought Bella was coaching you to keep that smile on your mug for her entire song.”

  Bella did tell me that, not because she cares what I look like on screen, but because she knows how my cousins and brother love to give me shit.

  “Fuck you,” I say. “I’m going now.”

  I can still hear him laughing as I end the call.

  * * *

  Bella

  I leave the stage to a loud ovation, and make my way through the back hallway to my dressing room. I get stopped twice to give interviews, and I make it through them without a hitch. As a performer, I’ve learned how to keep a smile on my face no matter what I’m feeling inside.

  But once I reach the privacy of my dressing room and have shut and locked the door, I place my trophy carefully on my desk and stare into the mirror.

  Today is the greatest moment of my professional life.

  And it should be a joyful moment in my personal life also.

  But…

  I reach into the trash can underneath my desk and pull out the tissue that’s wrapped around a cylindrical object. I unwrap the tissue and stare again at the white stick.

  One line.

  Not pregnant.

  Again.

  I couldn’t get my mind off the pregnancy test, and I stupidly convinced myself to find out before my performance. I thought knowing the result—good or bad—would help me before I sang. Instead, learning it was a big, fat negative just made me feel like the walls were closing in on me.

  I don’t even think I can bear to tell Ayden this time.

  Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

  The specific knock on my door is Ayden’s knock.

  Which means…I can’t put this off.

  I exhale a deep breath. With the stick still in my hand, I cross the room and open the door.

  “Congratulations, babe. I’m so proud of you.” He steps inside the room.

  “Thank you. Ayd…”

  Ayden takes one look at my face and takes me into his arms without a word.

  I bury my face in his shoulder for a moment, enjoying strong, safe feel of his arms.

  Then, I pull away and shut the door behind us so we’re alone. And I hand him the stick I still have in my hand.

  He glances at it, and as always, he does a fantastic job of masking his own anguish. He meets my gaze. “I’m so sorry, B. When did you find out?”

  “Five minutes before I was set to go onstage,” I say. “I couldn’t wait to take the test. I obviously should have waited, but I had to pee and it was there and…I was just excited. And anxious. I thought maybe this time…”

  “I know.” He kisses me. “I hoped so, too.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “All these years and…”

  “Hey.” He cups my cheek with his hand that’s rough from landscaping. “We’re in this together. And no one’s to blame. You hear me?”

  I nod.

  “I have a surprise,” he says. “Instead of flying home to L.A., we’re going to go a little further.”

  “A little further is the Pacific Ocean,” I say.

  “Where there are islands…” His crazy-gorgeous ocean-blue eyes dance with excitement.

  I smile through my tears. “Hawaii?”

  “You and me. A Valentine’s vacation for two whole weeks. No work, no performances, no media, and no pressure. What do you say?”

  “I say yes.”

  Chapter Three

  Ayden

  Maui is as beautiful as I remember it the last time Bella and I came here. That trip was our honeymoon, and we had never been to Hawaii before.

  I made reservations at the same resort-style hotel we stayed at then, and Bella squeezes my hand as I drive us there in our rental car we picked up at the airport.

  “This is so romantic, Ayd. Thank you for thinking of it.”

  “Anything for you, Bella.”

  And I mean it. This woman is everything to me—she’s my angel, my goddess, and my best friend. She was there for me during the darkest times in my life, when my dad drowned and I felt alone in the world. She was there for me during the happy times, too, and no matter what storm we weather, I know she’ll always be there.

  Whenever Bella has a problem, I do my best to help her find a solution. But not all issues have easy fixes. And this baby business has proven to be something I feel like I have no control over.

  “All we’re going to do on this vacation,” I tell Bella as we pull into the resort and the concierge comes over to help us with our bags, “is have fun.” I whisper in her ear, “Which means lots of sex.”

  She laughs. “Well, we’re off to a good start, I’d say. Remember the plane ride?”

  “How could I forget?” I grin at her. “But that’s just round one, sweetheart. We’re just getting started. I want you feeling really good a few more times tonight.”

  * * *

  I make good on my promise to Bella. I take her from behind in the shower, again on the bed, and then I sink into her on the loveseat in our hotel suite just before I come so hard I collapse next to her on the cushions.

  We order room service and fill ourselves up on fresh fish, salad, and lava cake for dessert.

  Bella’s falling asleep before we’ve finished the cake.

  “It’s been a long day,” I say as we climb into bed and I pull her back into my chest. “We’ll sleep in tomorrow.”

  “I love you, Ayd,” she murmurs as she drifts off.

  “I love you, Bella.” I kiss her hair. “Sleep tight.”

  * * *

  “You know I’m not into scuba diving,” Bella protests when I hand her a snorkeling mask the next morning.

  She’s wearing a
simple navy tank top and cut-offs, but I saw the sexy as all hell pink string bikini she’s hiding underneath her clothes, and I can’t wait until she’s swimming through the ocean besides me.

  “It’s not scuba diving,” I say. “It’s snorkeling. We didn’t get to do this last time we were here, and the concierge told me about a great place off the beaten path. No tourists.”

  “How’d you get him to tell you that?” she says with a smile. “You charmed him with something, didn’t you?”

  “Maybe.” I don’t say anything more, but Bella bursts out laughing.

  She’s so beautiful when she laughs that my chest aches. She hasn’t laughed as much lately, and that kills me.

  “You promised him tickets to one of Colt and Dylan’s games, didn’t you?” she asks me. “You’re lucky your cousins are professional football players.”

  I shrug. “He comes to L.A. every January to visit his son, so I said I could give them our season tickets for a game. He thought it was a good trade, I guess.”

  “Insider Hawaii secrets for Sunday football, huh?” She reaches up and snakes her hand through my hair. “I think that’s a good deal.”

  I lean into her touch as she stands on tiptoes to kiss me. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer as our kiss goes from gentle to more urgent. Bella tastes likes cherries, and I nibble her bottom lip before releasing it. She moans, but I force myself to pull away.

  “Ready to snorkel, Mrs. Wild?” I ask her as I hold out my hand to her.

  She takes it. “Lead the way, Mr. Wild.”

  * * *

  “So,” I say as we lie on our backs on the beach after a round of snorkeling in our little, protected ocean cove. “How’d you enjoy our first morning in paradise?”

  Bella sighs contentedly. “So incredible. It’s like we’re the only two people in the world here.”

  I look around us. She’s right. A huge blue sky, the lightest of breezes, and bright sun light up the lava rock that surrounds the secret swimming hole we’ve been exploring. The white sand beach is soft and best of all, nobody else is around.

  I turn toward Bella. “I have an idea.”

  “Hmmm?” she says through closed eyes. “What is it?”

  “I think we should get married again. Like a renewal ceremony.”

  Now I have her full attention.

  Her eyes fly open, and she twists onto her side to face me. “Here in Hawaii?”

  I brush a stray blond hair out of her face. “Yep. This is where we had our honeymoon. I thought it could be nice to renew our vows.”

  “Ayd…” She hesitates, but I know what she’s going to say.

  “I know we always talked about doing this with our kids as witnesses.” I suck in a breath. “But I want to do it, anyway. Bella, I would marry you all over again a hundred times out of a hundred.”

  Her eyes fill with tears. “Me, too.”

  “So?”

  “So let’s do it. Let’s get remarried.”

  Chapter Four

  Bella

  Ayden said to leave the details to him. All I need to worry about is my dress. I go to a nearby store and find the perfect sundress for our renewal ceremony. It’s light and flowy and Hawaiian.

  When I get back to our hotel room, I shower and then slip into the pale blue and white sundress. I slide my bare feet into matching blue flip flops and pull my hair back into a French braid. I dab some mascara and eyeliner on my eyes and blot my lips with my favorite dark red lipstick.

  I open the bathroom door to find Ayden waiting for me. He’s fully dressed in a Hawaiian blue and green shirt and jeans.

  He looks so handsome with his messy dark hair and ocean-blue eyes that lock onto mine like lasers. His shirt hugs his muscled chest and I reach out and put my hand over his heart.

  “You’re beautiful, Bella Wild.” His voice comes out rough.

  I smile at him. “And you’re the hottest guy on this island.”

  “You ready?”

  I take off my rings, and he slides off his platinum wedding band that has my name engraved inside, and we hand them to each other. “For the ceremony,” I say.

  Ayden touches my lower back and guides me toward the door. “Time to get remarried.”

  * * *

  I actually have butterflies in my stomach as the minister reads off the same vows Ayden and I originally exchanged at our wedding ceremony. We had them saved on our laptop, and Ayden printed them out for our renewal this afternoon.

  “Bella, you’re my best friend and my one true love. I will stand beside you forever and love you even longer.”

  Hearing Ayden say those words to me again gives me goosebumps.

  He slides my wedding band and engagement ring onto my finger.

  “Ayden, you’re my best friend and my one true love. I will stand beside you forever and love you even longer.”

  I take his strong hand in mine and position his wedding band onto his left ring finger.

  Before the minister can even speak, Ayden’s picked me up in his arms.

  “Happy renewal, sweet Bella,” he says softly before covering my mouth with his.

  We kiss so long I hear a coughed laugh coming from the direction of the minister.

  I laugh and Ayden puts me back on the ground. He keeps his arms around me as the minister congratulates us.

  Splash!!

  We all turn our heads in the direction of the ocean. We’re standing at the edge of an inlet where the water is calm.

  “A turtle!” The minister points excitedly. “That’s a sign of good luck for you two! I’ve never seen one this close to shore when I’ve been administering weddings.”

  Ayden slides his gaze over to me, and we share a smile.

  * * *

  After a short drive along the coast at sunset, Ayden and I stop for dinner at a retro diner. We kiss over burgers and fries, and share a milkshake for dessert.

  I guess no matter how much success I’ve had, or how long we’ve lived in Los Angeles, Ayden and I are still just two kids from small-town Maine. We prefer casual to fancy, informal to formal, and private to public. To go through life with the one person who’s always got you and understood you—I really am the luckiest girl in the world.

  “What now?” I ask him as we pay the bill and head to our car.

  “Mrs. Wild, I’m disappointed you’re even asking,” Ayden says in mock seriousness as he opens the passenger door for me.

  Once he’s made it around to the driver’s side and has started the car, I say, “You’re referring to sex?”

  “Of course.” His dimple flashes. “We need to consummate the marriage.”

  “Pretty sure we’ve consummated our marriage plenty of times.”

  “We’ve never consummated our renewed marriage.”

  “I guess that’s true.”

  He reaches for my hand across the console. “But first, I want to do one more thing.”

  * * *

  “This feels a little bit like home,” I say as we stroll along the beach underneath the full moon.

  “You mean home as in Lucky Bay,” he confirms.

  “I do. I know it’s a lot warmer here most of the year. But the ocean will always remind me of Maine. No matter where we are.”

  “Me too.”

  He tucks me closer into his side, and I stick my hand in his back pocket.

  “I’m letting go,” I say to him quietly.

  I don’t clarify, but Ayden’s spent over two decades learning my signals. “I’m not, Bella.” His tone is confident. “I’m going to hold the faith for the both of us for a while. Let me do that. You’ve always been the one who believed in me when I didn’t have any hope. It’s about time I returned the favor. I believe we’re going to have a baby together. I don’t know how I know that—I just do.”

  I stop where we are on the beach, stand on my tiptoes, and kiss him. “I trust you. And I love you.”

  He surprises me by slipping his tongue into my mouth.

&nb
sp; My body lights up, and I curl my hand around his neck to bring him closer. “I think we should consummate our renewal now.”

  * * *

  We make it back to our hotel room within five minutes. Our clothes are off within thirty seconds, and Ayden carries me into the bathroom and turns on the shower. He lifts me into the cascading warm water and backs me up against the tiled wall. His hot mouth hits mine as he guides his thick erection inside my wet folds.

  “Ayd…” I moan out his name as he thrusts inside me hard. “Oh, God. Don’t stop!”

  He doesn’t. His tongue in my mouth matches the fevered pitch of his cock driving in and out of me, and all I can do is hang onto his shoulders and enjoy the ride.

  He grips my ass with one hand and pinches my nipple with the other. When he starts pistoning in and out of me, I can’t hold back. I clench around him as I come so hard I sink my teeth into his shoulder.

  My orgasm triggers his own, and he kisses me even harder as he jerks into me with his release.

  We keep kissing even after we’ve both stopped coming. It feels like we’re speaking to each other without words.

  I love you.

  We’re going to be okay.

  Life is pretty damn good.

  Yes. It definitely is.

  “Best Valentine’s ever,” I say to him.

  Chapter Five

  Five Weeks Later

  Ayden

  “You ready, babe?” I call through the closed bathroom door. “Everybody’s here.”

  My cousins, Colton and Dylan, and their wives, Sky and Jasalie, have just showed up at the apartment where Bella and I live.

  Colton and Dylan are pro football stars for the California Cougars, so Bella and I haven’t had a chance to hang out with them in a while. Now that football season has ended, we’re taking advantage of their extra free time as an excuse to have an adults-only night out.