Dom arched a brow. “You’re scared shitless, aren’t you?” He studied me as he filled the bank deposit envelope.
“Terrified,” I finally admitted before letting my head drop into my hands. “This woman is my whole damn life. I don’t think I can handle it if she says no.” I’d had the ring for weeks already, but each time I thought of asking Caterina to marry me, I broke out into a cold sweat. It wasn’t because I was unsure. In fact, I’d never wanted anything more, which is why the thought of her saying no scared the shit out of me.
She still traveled back and forth between Ocean Cove and Brooklyn, but sublet her apartment when she started working remotely from here most of the time. Thanks to her, The Beach Pub was now profitable all year long. Summer was still when most of the cash flowed in, but through events and social media, the off months weren’t dead anymore, and that was all Caterina.
I’d offered to give her some kind of salary hundreds of times for all she put into promotion, but she’d refused. She insisted helping me was its own reward, and she loved finding new ways to get our name out there. We were even able to keep half the staff instead of just getting by on two waitresses and a bus boy until Memorial Day. Combined with the investments my father made on our behalf, we were in a great place—the best place since I’d first opened.
“She won’t say no. You guys are still attached at the hip after a year. Just don’t fuck it up tonight.” He smirked before handing the envelope back to me to put into the safe.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I barked out a laugh as I looked over the numbers before locking the envelope away. “If she doesn’t hit any traffic, she should be here in another hour or so. Plenty of time to set up what I need to.”
“You aren’t taking her on the beach to propose, are you? It’s like twenty degrees out there.” He narrowed his eyes as he shrugged on his jacket.
“I have a plan, no worries. What about you?”
“What do you mean, what about me?” Dom had a defensive edge to his voice, as he always did whenever I asked him about his life outside of this place. He pushed me about Caterina but was tight-lipped about his own personal life.
“You were the first one to tell me there’s more to life than working. I haven’t seen you with anyone since—”
“I’m fine.” His answer was curt and not sarcastic like he usually was. “We just got you a life. Next year, maybe we’ll work on mine.” He slapped my arm before heading toward the door. “Good luck, man.”
“Thanks, Dom. For everything.”
He lifted his gaze to mine and rolled his eyes. “Save the sappiness for your woman. And thanks aren’t needed. You deserve this. You both do.” He reached for the door handle before glancing back at me. “Just don’t fuck it up.” His lip curled into a smirk.
“I’ll do my best.” The door shut behind him, and I was alone. I sucked in a long breath before I got to work, first shoving the velvet box I’d hidden in the safe in my back pocket. My worries finally started to dissipate as I realized there was no way I could mess this up. From the very beginning, she’d been the one.
* * *
Caterina
“Joe?” I knocked on the locked door of The Beach Pub, shivering and praying Joe would put me out of my misery and let me in. This was the worst cold snap I ever remembered in November, and it made me dread the winter to come. Beaches might have been an oasis during the summer, but living so close to one during the cold months chilled me to the bone.
I let out a white puff of relief when I spotted him on the other side of the glass door and heard the locks click open.
“Thank God!” I pecked him on the lips and hurried inside. “It’s like Antarctica out there.” I pulled off my coat and gloves, rubbing my hands together in an attempt to get some of the feeling back. “I think you should invest in a fireplace.” I blew at my hands to defrost them, but it was no use.
Joe took my hands in both of his before bringing them to his mouth and planting a kiss on both of my palms. I stopped shaking from the cold and shivered for a whole different reason. Even after being together for over a year, this man still had the power to melt my extremities to jelly.
“We’re on the water, baby. It’s always colder here. I can warm you up, though.” He pulled me to him and brushed my lips with his.
“That sounds great, but can you feed me first? I left right after the meeting to get a head start on the road, and I’m starving.”
“I’ll make you something. Go sit down, and I’ll be right out.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead before heading into the kitchen.
I plopped into the booth I always used, exhaling in relief after finally getting here after sitting in traffic for almost four hours. I could have slept at my mother’s house, but I didn’t like to spend a night without Joe if I could help it. The closer I got to Ocean Cove, the more I’d relaxed. Brooklyn would always be my home, but this was where my heart was.
“You love that table, don’t you?” Joe came out of the kitchen and set a plate in front of me, along with a cup of tea.
“I do,” I answered, chuckling when I realized he made me mozzarella sticks. “Still have a lot of these on hand, I see?”
He nodded. “This table is where I first saw you. I bet you don’t even realize.”
I crinkled my nose before taking a sip of tea. “Actually, I do. But how did you remember that?”
“I remember when I came over to ask if I could help you, and you looked up at me with dark eyes and long lashes and the most kissable lips I’d ever seen.”
I crossed my arms and leaned them on the table. “You didn’t know that yet.”
