Page 95 of You Chive Me Crazy
Everyone in the room laughed.
“I almost busted my hip trying to dance that song at a wedding,” Hank said. “My doctor recommended glucosamine and dance lessons.”
Lucas took another deep breath, then began playing again, this time “Everything I Do, I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams.
I immediately felt a rush of emotions flood through me. He must have known that song had always been one of my favorites, but how?
Lucas’s rendition was like nothing I had ever heard before. Maybe it was because I knew it was for me, but it was as if he was speaking directly to my heart and soul. And the way he glanced at me while he played the piano made me feel seen and loved so much that I couldn't help but smile at him in return. Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes as I listened, and my heart swelled with every chord he played, every key he touched.
When Lucas finished playing the last note of the song, everyone in the room cheered and clapped, blown away by his brilliant performance.
I was so overwhelmed by my emotions, I could only say thank you. My eyes surely told him everything he needed to know about how I felt.
Even Hank seemed to be touched by the song, like it also meant something special to him. Was it possible that he and Harmony had chosen that exact song for the first dance at their wedding so many years ago?
“Wow,” Hank said, moving closer, grabbing both of Luca’s hands, trying to find the right words to express himself. “I don’t think I have ever seen hands so supple on a man.” He inspected the back of Lucas’s hands, then flipped them over, rubbing his thumbs along the palms, nodding. “What kind of lotion do you use? Something with that aloe vera stuff?”
Lucas pulled his hands away and cleared his throat. “I don’t know, just regular lotion. Nothing special.”
Hank nodded, accepting his answer, then continuing. “My dermatologist says I have the skin of a T-Rex.” He grabbed the waistband of his pants and shook it. “You can’t see it, but I have chafing on the bottom of my—”
Alexa squawked. “Yadda, yadda, yadda.”
I stifled a laugh, grateful for the interruption.
“Sweetheart.” Harmony touched Hank on the arm. “They don’t really need to hear about your chafing right now.”
Or ever, really.
“Thank you for that song—it was absolutely lovely,” I said again, taking a few steps closer to Lucas. “The only thing that would have made it better was if I could have been dancing with you while you were playing it.”
“I’ve told you a thousand times, sweet potato . . .” Lucas took me into his arms and pulled me close. “I’m a man, not an octopus.”
I laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I can live with that.”
“Can you give us a hint about the other two reviews from the festival?” Marty asked, taking another sip of his champagne. “Are you going to rake someone over the coals?”
“Not this time,” Lucas said. “They’re both going to be five-star reviews. I’m a converted man. I love potatoes and I love food trucks. What can I say?”
“Who are you and what have you done with Lucas Filo?” I said. “What will your fans think?”
He shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough. And speaking of that, I hate to leave, but I have a deadline and need to head up to the room to write those reviews.”
“Go,” I urged, patting him on the chest. “I understand completely.”
We would have our alone-time later.
Nothing would get in the way this time.
“Hang on—my lower region seems to be vibrating.” Lucas chuckled.
“Maybe you should see one of Hank’s doctors about that,” I said.
“Absolutely!” Hank said. “Dr. Cockburn is my urologist, and he’s a whiz with all things related to the southern region.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lucas said, pulling out his phone, swiping up, and losing his smile. “Huh . . .”
Concerned, I asked, “Is everything okay?”
