Page 114 of Now or Never

She looked down at their linked hands, wondering why his skin was so hot even though the temperature had dropped the night before and the cold wind whipped through the town at them.

He was downright sweaty.

They reached the door, and before even entering, he’d begun unzipping his coat and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt.

“You okay?” she asked.

Adam jerked his head up and down in a nod without uttering a word, then opened the door. Ben darted past them into the restaurant before Adam pressed a hand into the small of her back, gently nudging her through the door.

She shook her head and stepped inside, excited that they had decided to have a “soft opening” for their friends and family so she could finally see what Adam and Max had been working tirelessly on for months.

She hadn’t been inside for more than thirty seconds when she knew, without a doubt, that Keller’s Pub would be a hit. They’d nailed the warm and cozy atmosphere they were trying to achieve.

The entryway had a massive fireplace, which warmed the heavenly scented air. Inside the dining room, the back wall was a gorgeous exposed brick, with the others painted a rich coffee colour that complimented the leather upholstery on the deep booths.

Chelsea caught sight of Ben, who had already sat down with Lawrence and Denise. They smiled indulgently at him as a waiter dropped off a glass of orange juice, and Chelsea’s heart swelled. She couldn’t believe how lucky they were to have Adam in their lives. His family had accepted her son as if he were their own.

She bit back the emotion flooding in as the hostess greeted them and ushered them through the dining room. They waved and smiled to friends and family they passed along the way, then sank down into the plush seats.

“So comfy,” Chelsea said, squishing deeper into the cushion. “I could sit here eating and drinking all night.”

“That’s the idea,” Adam said, taking her hand back into his sweaty palm across the table.

Chelsea ignored it, assuming he was just nervous for the first full house. She knew things were coming down to the wire withthe grand opening looming and that everyone was a little on edge hoping it would be ready in time. They had hoped this would be a good trial run so they could test all the systems and make sure things would go smoothly.

Her gaze swept around the room until it landed on Max by the bar with Willow, his head bent down quite close to hers as they looked over some papers. When she turned to leave, Max’s gaze lingered on her butt, and a smile came to his lips.

A real, actual smile.

Chelsea reared back, unable to believe it.

“I just saw Maxsmile. At Willow.”

“Huh?”

“Max smiled. I didn’t know his face could do that. Is something going on between the two of them?”

Adam quickly glanced at his friend, then did a double take before shaking it off.

Chelsea’s heart rate pick up. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” he said. He reached for the back of his neck, then quickly changed course, bringing his hand down and nearly knocking over a glass of water on the table.

“Sorry,” he said, pushing it aside, then rubbing his face.

Chelsea narrowed her eyes. “Something’s wrong.”

Adam shook his head. “No.”

“Yes,” she said. “You look . . . nervous. And you’re all sweaty.”

He pulled his hand from hers and wiped it on a napkin. “I was just thinking this is our twentieth date.”

“It is?” Chelsea said as she glanced around the room, wondering whether she should call for help. Natalie’s smile and wave from the booth in the corner caught her attention. Chelsea waved back, thankful Natalie had been appeased by Adam’s blood oath that he would never hurt Chelsea or Ben again and started supporting their relationship.

“Yeah, well,” Adam stumbled. “I guess it depends on how you define a date. Some are easy to count, like the Leafs game or the Halloween party.”

Chelsea smiled, her eyes dropping down his body as she remembered how he’d looked in that Spider-Man costume.

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