Love, Chocolate, and Beer (Cactus Creek #1)(86)

She ducked her head down. “There was this middle school party...”

“Middle school? Why, Ms. Dobson, I’m shocked. And frankly, jealous.”

Her cheeks burned brighter. “I didn’t actually do anything! When it was my turn at the bottle, I bolted, making some excuse about my curfew, I think. I ended up sneaking into another room and calling Derek to come pick me up early.”

“Aw, so you never got to make out at a boy-girl party before?

“Nope.” She turned laughing eyes his way, slowly getting over her embarrassment. “Are you going to go looking for an empty bottle now? So I can see what I missed out on?”

He gave her a hell-no headshake. “Are you kidding? Way too many guys here who can’t keep their damn eyes off you.” He swept an appreciative glance over her in the ultra-feminine, white flowing dress with her token Dollar Store white rubber beach slippers to match.

Dani just laughed the compliment off and pointed to a group of nearby guys. “Hey, what about your friends over there? They seem innocent enough. You trust them, don’t you?”

His horrified look at the particularly houndish set of his fantasy football buddies she had picked out made her giggle...then break out in a sprint in their direction. She swiped an empty wine bottle off the table on the way. “Hey, you guys want to play Spin the—”

He ran after her and threw her over his shoulder, tickling her mercilessly as he led her a safe distance away from his friends, all of whom were enjoying the comical exchange. “Ignore this one,” Luke called back to the guys. “She’s laugh-her-ass-off drunk, talking crazy.”

“I don’t know, man. She sounds pretty sober to me,” needled one of Luke’s buddies, his eyebrows bobbing just enough to heckle Luke. “Honey, you can set that bottle up right here.”

“That’s the other reason why we aren’t playing any big kid party games tonight,” grumbled Luke. “A few of my so-called friends have made it very clear that they wouldn’t mind terminating our decade-long friendship if it meant a chance at dating you.”

Two of those ‘friends’ had their fingers up to their ears in a motion for her to call them.

“Awww,” said Dani, genuinely touched.

“That wasn’t a selling point on their behalf. Trust me, each and every one of those guys is a purebred alley cat.”

“Unlike you and your suave caveman techniques,” she laughed, wiggling even more now.

With her shimmying giving him all sorts of interesting, wholly inappropriate ideas, he reluctantly let her down—only because the alternative was just not rated for this party.

She kept on with those impish fairy giggles though, and he couldn’t help but steal a kiss. He just couldn’t get enough of her. She was his favorite, most intoxicating liquor. And soon, their kiss, which may have started off playfully chaste, became a claiming so complete, he got completely inebriated off her. That is, until his brain recognized the sobering voices coming closer by the second. “Great,” he muttered, though a reluctant smile peeked through. “Okay, pause button on the mind-numbing kisses. My parents are at three o’clock and closing so let’s pretend to behave.” He winked and kissed the tip of her nose affectionately. “Hey, that reminds me. How come you never told me you met them the other day—”

Looking utterly confused, Dani whirled around and did a double take when she saw the elderly couple approaching them. “You’re Luke’s parents?”

Luke whipped a glare at his folks. “You didn’t introduce yourselves at Ocotillos?!”

His dad immediately pointed at his mother and mouthed, “It was all her.”

His mother batted her lashes. “How covert would my recon have been if I had?”

Luke rolled his eyes. His life was a circus. “Dani, I’d like you to officially meet my parents, Claire and Dean Hennessey. They’re actually the ones who suggested this party.”

Dani laughed and hugged them both. “You know, I’m not surprised at the intel they managed to get. They did the whole ‘good spy, bad spy’ routine. Hella-crafty interrogators.”

“Glad you approve of our methods,” delighted Claire, deadpan. “Because we want to invite you up to the farm tomorrow morning for a second helping.”

“Really?” Dani looked positively tickled.

Claire glanced over at him. “Oh, Luke dear, you can come too.”

“Gee, thanks mom.”

Laughing even harder, Dani teased, “If he can’t make it, I’m sure one of his friends—”

Luke bumped her hip and proceeded to ‘save’ her from tripping. “Poor li’l thing is toe-up drunk. They make that caramel corn strong here. So, what time tomorrow, mom?”

Claire chuckled. “Nine o’clock works for us. We can have a nice brunch outside.”

With that settled, his folks merrily wished Dani a good birthday and headed off to enjoy the party, alternating between whispering to each other and cackling with glee the whole time.

“They’re so cute.” Dani murmured, smiling at the pair.

“Nauseatingly so,” agreed Luke, grinning as well. “Now you see where I get it.”

She twined her fingers with his. “With a happily-ever-after like that right in front of you growing up, I’d be more surprised if you weren’t the romantic you are today.”