Anthony: Signature Sweethearts Book Seven Read online

I bite my tongue to keep myself from giving her shit, but she catches me seconds later after noticing my lack of rebuttal.

  Giving me the side-eye, she mutters, “Spit it out, Anthony. Let’s hear reason number 104 why you think I’m a nut job. I’m all ears.”

  “It’s a car,” I start.

  “That has to take you from point A to point B.”

  “Yeah, but it’s a car,” I repeat.

  “Do you know how old Taffy is? Do you know everything we’ve been through? All the late night storms? The breezy summers? The midnight milkshake runs? Taffy and I? We go waaay back, and I wouldn’t have made it through most of those if it weren’t for her.”

  “Because you would’ve called an Uber?”

  She gasps before leaning across the center console and smacking me with her right hand while keeping her left firmly grasped around the leather steering wheel.

  “How dare you assume I’d cheat on Taffy like that!”

  Throwing my head back, I laugh at the eccentric girl beside me. All of her crazy antics have slowly been seeping some of the oily negativity out of my life, and I find it so damn refreshing. It’s been clinging to me ever since my world slipped through my fingers, and I don’t remember the last time I felt light or carefree. Even if there’s an edge of hesitancy to it as if I don’t know what to do with myself when dealing with such a foreign feeling.

  With a sly glance my way, she adds, “It’s a good thing you have an attractive laugh, or I would’ve tossed you out of Taffy before we even got to the fun part.”

  Her eyes glow with mirth, but I don’t miss the way her cheeks are tinged a light pink from her innocent compliment. Or maybe I’m just imagining things, but I couldn’t help the way my ears perked up as the word attractive left her lips.

  “And what’s the fun part?” I probe.

  She grins back at me before turning up a long driveway toward a house that’s surrounded by a blanket of freshly fallen snow. “You’ll see.”

  When we reach the top of a hill, I’m gifted with a view that’s nothing short of picturesque. Pine trees covered in powdery snow dot the outskirts of the open field, the afternoon sun glowing brightly in the blue sky, and the farmhouse centered between it all with a large shed tucked behind it, looking like it’s out of a freaking catalog.

  After Sway drives down a winding road that leads to the home, she parks the car right outside. Nudging me in the shoulder, she opens her driver’s door.

  “You coming?”

  “Yeah.” Following her lead, I open the passenger side to exit. “Where are we?”

  As I climb out, I hear her reply.

  “My parents’ house. It’s part of the surprise.”

  Tapping my hand against my thigh, I find myself hanging back by the car as she strides forward through the recently shoveled pathway. “Meeting your parents is part of the surprise?”

  Laughing, she shakes her head. “I guess it is, but I wouldn’t exactly call it the main event.”

  “And what’s the main event?”

  With a look over her shoulder, she finds me glued to the spot. “I promise they don’t bite. They might not even be home, but the surprise is in the back shed, and the keys to the back shed are in the house so….”

  “So we’re going in the house,” I finish for her.

  “Yup! And then we’re going to do something fun that I highly doubt you’ve ever done.”

  “What makes you so sure I haven’t done…whatever it is we’re going to do today?”

  She purses her lips knowingly, her eyes crinkling in the corners before she tilts her head to the house. “Just a hunch. Come on, Mr. Spontaneous. It’ll be fun.” After a playful wink, she heads inside. As if I’m a dog, my feet carry me to the front door before my mind can register what they’re doing, and I refuse to admit it’s because a pretty girl just tossed me a flirtatious look that transported me back to high school––the last time I was single.

  I’m too old for this.

  Chapter Ten

  Sway

  “Mom! Dad! Anybody here?” I call out, looking around the hall and up the staircase.

  “Sway? Is that you?” My mom’s voice is muffled, but I can pinpoint it in the vicinity of the kitchen. The front door closes behind me softly, and I turn around to see a hesitant Anthony with his hands tucked into his front pockets. He looks like a little schoolboy, and I almost want to pull out my phone to snap a picture because it’s pretty freaking adorable. However, if I did pull out the phone, he’d ask me why, and I’d have to explain that he looks adorable which would only embarrass me further since I already said he had an attractive laugh in the car. Plus, what kind of guy is okay with being described as adorable? Not many. Regardless, my hand still twitches at my side, begging me to give in and save it for a rainy day when another voice echoes down the hall, distracting me from my urge.

  “Hey, Swayze Girl!” My dad rounds the corner with his arms open wide for a hug but stops short when he sees I’ve brought a visitor. To say that bringing home a guy is not the norm would be an understatement.

  Dropping his arms, he raises his right hand and offers it to Anthony who’s still frozen by the front door. “Brock Swenson. Nice to meet you. I assume you’re….” He pauses while searching for Anthony’s name. “Mr. Wright, correct?”

  Anthony clears his throat, and I watch in fascination as he transforms from an insecure guy with community service to a suave businessman that melts panties.

  “Please, call me Anthony,” he returns, shaking my dad’s hand.

  My dad sneaks a surprised look my way before covering it with a friendly smile and addressing Anthony all over again. “Well, come on in, Anthony. Sway’s mama is making chicken noodle soup for dinner with homemade rolls. Why don’t you both join us?”

  Anthony opens his mouth to reply when I cut him off. “Sorry, Dad, but we’ve got a spontaneous adventure we need to experience. Isn’t that right, Anthony?”

  Anthony smirks. “Apparently.”

  “And what spontaneous adventure are we talking about this time, Sway?” my dad interjects. “Skydiving again? Another backpacking trip across Canada, perhaps?”

  “Har, har,” I reply with a roll of my eyes.

  Anthony’s brows pull up until they almost reach his hairline, the curiosity clear on his face. “Skydiving?”

  My dad lifts his big paw of a hand and slaps me on the back affectionately before explaining. “My daughter here is quite the adventurer. Before she got tied down with her cats, we couldn’t keep her in one place! She’d call her sisters, begging them to tag along on one of her crazy adventures. But even if they wouldn’t be her partners in crime, she’d go by herself! Gave her father a damn heart attack when I received a postcard from Canada when I thought she was staying at her sister’s down the street!” He shakes his head, and it only makes me laugh harder before I pull him into a side hug.

  “Hey! In my defense, I was staying at Skye’s house until we went to Sportsman’s Warehouse that weekend and saw the deals they had on backpacking equipment. You’re the one who taught me the importance of budgeting. I would’ve been stupid to pass it up!”

  “And disappearing the next day on a bus headed north without telling your father?” He quirks his brow in a silent challenge.

  I open my mouth to defend myself when Anthony’s laughter stops me from voicing another half-assed defense. My dad squeezes me a little tighter and drops a kiss to my forehead. “It’s a good thing you’re cute, Swayze Girl, or I would’ve smacked ya one.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Well, today, we’re doing an activity that would be one hundred percent Dad-approved, so you can save the safety speech for another time. Deal?”

  He looks down at me before shifting his gaze to Anthony as if he still can’t put a label on him. “And what activity is that?”

  “We’re taking Storm and Blizzard for a ride.”

  Another soft squeeze is followed by a sigh of relief. “Ah, yes. That’s a good idea. We haven’t take
n them out much this winter, and it’s a great day for it. I’ll go get the keys. Say hi to your mama before you go, and I’m gonna save some soup for both of you too. No arguing.” My dad releases me from our side hug and lifts his chin to Anthony. “It was nice to meet you, Anthony. We’ll chat more at dinner.” With that, he walks toward the mudroom while Anthony is left reeling.

  “Should I be worried?” he whispers as his eyes go wide.

  I laugh. “No. My dad knows I don’t do relationships, and I don’t bring one-night stands home. He should be able to do the math and put you in the friend category, so you’re safe.”

  I think.

  “Is that what we are? Friends?”

  The surprise in his voice makes me pause, and my gaze bounces around his face in hopes of piecing together his thoughts. Unfortunately for me, he’s like a steel vault.

  “What label would you use?”

  Scratching his jaw, he weighs his options while I find myself waiting on pins and needles. “Friends, I guess.”

  “Why do you sound so surprised?”

  “I don’t really have friends,” he admits. “Damn, that sounds pathetic. I had coworkers. I had a girlfriend. And I had my parents. But friends? I didn’t have time for those before….” His voice trails off, leaving me hanging.

  “Before what?” I inquire while continuing to assess him curiously.

  “Before I lost everything.” He pauses then adds with a dry laugh, “Except my parents. They’re still around and as nosy as ever.”

  Licking my lips, I let his words soak in before my two-cents slips past my lips. “No offense, but it sounds like you didn’t have much to lose in the first place. But I’m glad I can help you make a fresh start.” A light laugh escapes me when a thought hits me like a brick. “Man, Anthony. Are you sure you’re not a cat?”

  He snorts. “Excuse me?”

  “My entire job is giving them a fresh start,” I explain. “Plus, they’re kind of moody, have lost their homes, purr one minute then wanna bite your head off the next. Don’t tell me you don’t see the similarities.” I pop my hip out and place my hand on it before smirking at him. “At the very least, it’s your spirit animal. Come on, I’ve seen you with Jasper.”

  “Jasper, as in the cat who is severely overweight and won’t let people touch him?”

  I nod. “Yup. Twins, I tell ya. Twins.”

  They’re not twins.

  In fact, I’ve noticed the way his stupid shirts hug his shoulders when wielding the damn miter saw. I’ve seen the way his biceps flex when hammering crap. Anthony might be many things, but overweight isn’t one of them. As for the untouchable part? That, I might believe. And just like Jasper, it’s not from other people’s lack of trying. There’s something about Anthony that seems shut off from the rest of the world. Like he’s a nice hot shower you’re dreaming of hopping into after a day of skiing, and your muscles are numb, yet, no matter how many times you twist the handle, the scalding water never comes, and you’re left out in the cold.

  Anthony stares me down before patting me on the head like one of the cats at home with a playful smirk pasted on his stupidly attractive face. “Well, thanks for the second compliment in one day. Although I gotta tell ya, I think I prefer the first.” Then he steps around me and heads to where he saw my dad disappear.

  “Har, har,” I return. “But you’re right. Let’s get going. Don’t wanna keep Storm and Blizzard waiting, am I right?”

  “Of course not,” he tosses back with a grin as I catch up with him.

  “Good. ‘Cause we’re about to have some fun, Mr. Wright.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Anthony

  “You sure it’s okay that I wear your dad’s snow gear?” I ask, fidgeting with the winter gloves as we walk to the small building tucked behind her parents’ house.

  Sway glances over her shoulder and smiles, continuing her trek through the snow. “Yup, you heard him. He doesn’t mind at all.”

  After grabbing the keys, her dad decked me out with his snow clothes, insisting I’d need them if I wanted to enjoy the adventure Sway had planned for us. Grudgingly, I agreed.

  “I know, but still,” I hedge. “He’s being so generous. Letting me use his shit and ride his horses. I feel bad.”

  This time, she stops and turns all the way around with a look of confusion. “Horses?”

  At the question in her voice, my gaze shifts to the building I’d assumed was a barn then back at Sway as she quirks her brow.

  “Uh…yeah?” Doubt seeps into my tone as I look at her questioningly.

  “What horses?”

  “Storm and….” I pause, trying to remember the other one’s name. “Blizzard?”

  Through bouts of laughter, she asks, “Who said anything about horses?”

  I shrug as embarrassment washes over me.

  Well, apparently we’re not riding horses.

  Slapping me on the shoulder while trying to contain her fit of giggles, she pushes me toward the…shed. Yup, it’s definitely a shed and not a barn.

  Wow. I feel like an idiot.

  The set of giant, ranch-style doors spanning across the front holds a lock in the center, and Sway approaches it. She inserts the key into the lock then twists it like a pro, jiggling the key to keep the lock from sticking as if she’s done it a million times. After, her hand latches onto one of the handles of the giant set of double doors, and she pulls one side open before lifting her chin to the other one.

  “Help a girl out, would ya?”

  Oh yeah. So much for chivalry.

  I was momentarily distracted by the confident badass in front of me. Regardless, it was a dick move to not help her right off the bat, and if I had a tail, it would be between my legs.

  “Shit. Sorry.” I rush to help her, and I am so distracted by my screw up that it takes me a few seconds to notice the giant gray tarp sitting in the center of the shed.

  Propping her door open with a wedge, she then comes over and does the same to mine before grasping the edge of the waterproof material and tugging. The unfamiliar feeling of anticipation rolls through me as I wait to see what it reveals.

  When a set of snowmobiles appear, I laugh. Hard. In fact, as I clutch my stomach in amusement, the epiphany strikes me. I’ve never laughed around someone else as much as I have with Sway. There’s just something about the girl that intrigues me. Maybe it’s the pink hair I thought I hated, or the unconventional job that fascinates me. Regardless, I can’t help but want to dig a little deeper to see what else is unveiled that might get me a little closer to the center of Sway…and all she entails.

  “So, this is Blizzard and Storm, I presume?”

  “Nailed it.” She beams.

  Shaking my head, I tell her, “I should’ve known. First, Taffy, and now these two? Any other inanimate objects I should know about?”

  With her head tilted toward the ceiling, and her dainty little finger tapping against her chin, she thinks about it. “None off the top of my head. Oh, except Joffrey, but you’ve already offended him.”

  “When?” I ask in faux outrage.

  “When you declined tea the first time we met and had a snobby look on your face that said you were too good for him.”

  My eyes narrow at the memory as I try to piece everything together. “And Joffrey is….”

  “The tea kettle. Obviously.”

  I laugh, finding myself way too enamored with the girl in front of me.

  “Obviously,” I repeat in the same tone.

  Catching myself in a comfortable staring contest with Sway from across the shed, it takes everything inside of me to snap out of it. Why? Because a small part of me doesn’t want to. With a deliberate blink, I motion to the snowmobiles sitting in the center of the large room.

  “So, would you care to introduce me to them?”

  Maybe it’s my hand gesture, or possibly my ridiculous question, but one of them seems to rouse Sway from her stupor, as well. She licks her lips before dropping
the tarp in the corner then she saunters toward me.

  “Why of course. Anthony, this is Blizzard. Blizzard, this is Anthony.” She waves her arm to the machine closest to me, then leans closer as if she’s talking to the damn snowmobile. “He’ll be your companion for the day. Now, he’s a newbie, so go easy on him, okay?” With a wink to show she’s teasing, she adds, “Now hop on, Newbie. We’ve got lots of powder to play in and only so much daylight. You ready?”

  I shrug. “As soon as you show me how to turn Blizzard on.”

  With a snort at my unintentional innuendo, she quips, “Well, usually you gotta buy him a drink then tell him he looks nice, but since we don’t have time for that, you can just turn the ignition right here.” Lifting her hand, she shows me what she’s talking about.

  I look to where she’s pointing but can’t help myself when I add, “If only women were that easy, right?”

  She tries to hide her smile by biting the nail on her thumb, but her eyes still crinkle in the corners, displaying her amusement beautifully. A beat of silence passes between us, and I can almost hear the witty remark on the tip of her tongue when she changes the subject.

  “Anyway,” she drags out the word. “Why don’t you climb on, and I’ll demonstrate.”

  Another burst of laughter escapes me, but when I look up at her, she’s totally clueless. “Oh come on, you didn’t hear that one?”

  Within seconds her cheeks turn the same shade as her hair before she turns around and jumps on the second snowmobile, Storm, I assume.

  “Aaand we’re done here.”

  My laughter echoes throughout the shed as she starts the machine and flies out of it while I’m left with tears in my eyes at the spitfire who appears to be turning my world upside down.

  And the really weird part? I don’t think I mind.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sway

  My cheeks are bright red from the biting wind, but it doesn’t matter because my mouth is still stretched into a splitting grin. With my wrist twisting the throttle, Storm climbs up the hill with ease, and I glance over my shoulder.