Page 24 of Just Desserts in Pelican Point
Everyone explodes in laughter.
“You already are,” Miles cackles, falling back in his chair beaming proudly at his wife.
“I own a ton of companies!” Ryan bellows, pointing at the ceiling. “I negotiate billion-dollar deals quarterly!”
“And you lost to a girl with a wine stain on her shirt,” Emma says smugly, sipping her cabernet as she tries to brush the wine stain off her pink tank top.
“Best. Night. Ever,” Sophie says, snapping a picture of the chaos on her phone. “This is going on the winery’s Insta.”
Even Marcus chuckles. A real, actual laugh. Low and quiet, but there. It makes my heart flutter.
The game ends—well, implodes is more accurate—but nobody’s mad. It’s as if tonight was just a prop to watch Ryan unravel and it worked. Through all of it, no one brought up the attempted rubbery and I’m so thankful for that.
We start packing up, and I gather the dice and game pieces scattered across the floor. Marcus kneels beside me, plucking a tiny green house from beneath the table.
“Somehow, I feel like this is exactly what Monopoly was intended to be,” I say, placing Chance cards back in the box.
“A cautionary tale about picking on your family members?”
“Exactly.”
He stands, grabs the extra trays of snacks and unopened bottles of sparkling water from the side table. “Where does this go?”
“You don’t have to carry that?—”
“I know.” He shrugs. “Still offering.”
I nod and lead the way out into the main winery building, the cool breeze skimming across my skin and making me hyper-aware of Marcus walking next to me. His shoulder brushes mine as we load everything inside.
He doesn’t edge away.
“Thanks for coming tonight,” I say, closing the door to the barn gently.
He nods, his eyes catching mine. “It wasn’t as bad as I expected.”
“Oh, high praise,” I tease, laughing softly.
A breath of silence stretches between us. And something shifts.
He leans against the doorframe, arms folded, eyes on mine. “You’re… easy to be around.”
The words are simple, but they punch straight through my chest. For someone like Marcus—quiet, closed off—that’s practically a love letter.
I step closer. “And you’re… complicated. But I like that.”
The air between us charges, electric and intimate. I’m suddenly aware of the space—small, close, breathless.
He doesn’t kiss me, but he takes my hand, sending chills through my entire body. “Let me walk you home.” He pulls me along and I’m silently dancing in my head.
Chapter9
Marcus
The walk back to Julie’s place is quiet at first. Not awkward, just... charged with something unspoken. The scent of wine and fresh air clings to her skin, and every time her arm brushes mine, I have to remind myself to breathe.
She’s humming softly under her breath, some melody I don’t recognize, and it calms me. I don’t think she realizes she’s doing it. That’s what I like about her—nothing she does feels forced.
"Did you know you hum when you walk?" I ask.
