Sweet Beginnings

by Melissa McClone

  “Great burger,” he said in between bites. “Hits the spot.”

  A drop of ketchup rested on the side of his mouth. She wiped it off with a napkin. “There.”

  His gaze met hers. He wasn’t looking at her as a friend might. The heat in his eyes was unmistakable. “Thanks.”

  Hope opened her mouth to say ‘you’re welcome,’ only no words came out. She wasn’t tongue-tied. He’d rendered her speechless.

  Glancing away, she ignored the hammering of her heart and ate her cheeseburger. That didn’t stop her from imagining her lips against his. Their softness and sweet taste.

  Daydreaming was safe. Anything else with Josh would be… reckless.

  They finished eating. The silence between them wasn’t awkward, but her body thrummed with awareness of him.

  “Having lunch on the beach was a great idea.” He rolled up his burger wrapper and napkin and then placed them in the paper bag they’d come in. “Beats being inside.”

  “I wasn’t sure how much beach time you’ve had since you’ve been here.”

  “Not enough, but I’m not leaving for a few more days.”

  Sunday. That wasn’t far away.

  He stretched out his legs. He’d traded his flip-flops for a pair of sneakers. Smart move given their sightseeing on foot.

  The end of a scar poked out of the bottom of his knee brace. She hadn’t noticed that before. The break must have been bad to end his playing career. Yesterday, his limp had been more pronounced in the afternoon when he’d carried in the painting. She hated thinking he was hurting when she was enjoying herself.

  “How’s your leg holding up?” she asked.

  “Good, but sitting is a nice break from all the walking.”

  “We can stay here as long as you want.” Hope placed her hamburger wrapper into the bag. “We’re in no rush.”

  “No one should rush while on vacation.”

  “I wish my mom had thought like that, but she scheduled our days down to the minute.” Hope remembered one trip to Orlando, Florida. Fun, but… “Every trip, we came home exhausted and needing a vacation to recover from the one we took.”

  “My parents were the opposite. They believed vacations should be all about rest and relaxation.” Josh’s sunglasses hung off the collar of his T-shirt. The brim from his cap kept the sun off his face. “Our trips weren’t the most exciting. We’d visit tourist spots, but we’d also watch movies or play games and spend time together.”

  “That sounds more my speed.” She dug the toe of her sandal in the warm sand. “Though my idea of a vacation is to sit somewhere quiet with my sketchbook and enjoy the view.”

  He raised his face to the sky, letting the sun kiss his cheeks.

  Her breath hitched. Stunning.

  His lips curved into a closed-mouthed smile. “I could get used to this.”

  He was posed perfectly. Her fingers itched to pull out her notepad and pen and draw him. “You’ll have to come back sometime.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.”

  Her heart bumped. Anticipation rushed through her.

  “Maybe next summer,” he continued. “My family would enjoy Indigo Bay.”

  His family, of course. Hope’s shoulders drooped. She blew out a breath.

  “Where do you plan to go on vacation next?” he asked.

  “No idea. Not counting driving into Charleston, I haven’t been anywhere other than Nashville for a couple of years.”

  Two years and four months. Not that she was counting.

  Lines creased his forehead. “Why not?”

  She shrugged. That was easier than telling the truth.

  His arm went around her. “Hope?”

  “The first year I moved back was…hard. I wanted to stay in bed all day. When I felt better, I didn’t think about going anywhere. Indigo Bay might not be perfect, but it’s…”

  “Safe.”

  “I was going to say home, but yes.” Josh’s hand was on her shoulder, making her feel warm and tingly all over. She forced herself to sit straight to keep from sinking into him. “I’d like to travel somewhere now. If only so Von would feel more comfortable bringing his girlfriend to the house for a weekend, but I can’t take time off from my job at the resort until after Labor Day.”

  That timing would also allow her to save money for a mini-vacation.

  “You should look into places so you’re ready when the time comes,” Josh encouraged.

  Nodding, she tried to reconcile the kind, caring man she’d gotten to know the past three days with the image of an alcoholic who’d been arrested. Tried and failed.

  Life could change in an instant—hers had—leaving a person in a sad, dark place. Even if she couldn’t picture Josh like that, she’d been there herself. But she’d had Von to help her.

  He’d rescued her from New York. Brought her back to Indigo Bay. He’d found her a counselor, driven her to and from the appointments, and built her the studio at his house.

  Josh seemed close to his family, but maybe he hadn’t had anyone to dedicate themselves to him after his injury. Or maybe the darkness had been too much for him.

  Hope wanted to know more about his past, but what happened to him was none of her business. She wouldn’t have any words of wisdom for him if she knew the whole story. She knew little about recovery, other than getting sober seemed like a long, difficult process that often took multiple attempts and not everyone succeeded.

  Would Josh?

  She hoped so.

  Kids chased waves only to run away in fits of giggles as the tide rolled in. She longed to feel as carefree and playful as they did.

  Someday…

  “Ready to continue the tour?” he asked.

  Hope stood. “More of Indigo Bay awaits you.”

  He put his cup into the bag. “Where to next?”

  “You’re going to need to use your imagination for our next stop.”

  “That sounds intriguing.”

  “I want to show, well, tell you about an Indigo Bay Christmas tradition,” she explained.

  He rose slowly. “Christmas, huh? I’ll need to put myself into the right frame of mind for that.”

  She had no idea what he meant. “Okay.”

  “Remember what we talked about yesterday? If the timing was right?” He stepped toward her. “You game?”

  Her lips parted. She might have nodded.

  Josh’s mouth touched hers, stealing her breath and maybe her heart.

  No, not her heart.

  His lips pressed harder against hers until she thought her knees might give out. Josh backed away with a satisfied expression on his face.

  “What was that?” She forced the words out. Difficult to do when her brain was short-circuiting from the way he’d kissed her.

  “You told me to use my imagination. That’s what I did.” He wasn’t apologetic at all. “I imagined us standing under mistletoe.”

  “That’s what you meant about the right frame of mind?”

  If he’d been a cat, yellow feathers would be sticking out of his pleased smile. “Hey, I can do more than throw a ball. I graduated with a degree in communications. And when the timing is right, my brain just works.”

  Hope stood there in a daze. “Timing?”

  “For another kiss.” He winked. “You have to admit it was clever.”

  “Sly and a tad creative.” Hope fought the urge to touch her lips. Heaven help her, but she was ready to step back under the imaginary mistletoe with him. “I’ll give you that.”

  His chest puffed. “Now I’m ready for whatever tradition you want to show me.”

  Josh left her feeling off-balance. She didn’t know if that was him or his kiss or a combination of the two.

  “Christmas. Imagination,” he offered.

  Right. “We need to go to Main Street.”

  As she headed toward Seaside Boulevard, he fell into step with her, shortening his strides slightly. She glanced his way to find him staring at her. “What?�
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  “You’re cute when you’re flustered,” he said.

  “I’m not flustered. You caught me off-guard,” she clarified. “I’m not used to kisses under imaginary mistletoe.”

  Or real mistletoe. Or being kissed at all.

  “Me, either. But I’ll remember that for the future.”

  With her or someone else? Hope’s stomach clenched. She didn’t want to know the answer.

  “You okay?” Josh asked.

  “Fine.” Forcing herself to focus, she led him to the most popular spot in town on December twenty-fourth. “At Christmastime, the town places a huge tree right here. It’s strung with thousands of lights.”

  Hope stomped on the spot for emphasis. This Indigo Bay lore was more than Josh needed to know, but she wanted to put in the extra effort if only to remind herself of what they were doing together—sightseeing.

  “On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, the town holds a big tree lighting ceremony,” she explained in an ‘isn’t-this-fun’ tone that would make the Chamber of Commerce proud. She could be professional and forget about his kiss. “Before the switch is flipped, residents and visitors line up for a turn to make a wish and place an ornament on the tree.”

  Josh stared at her as if she’d grown a unicorn horn. “A wish?”

  “You wish upon your ornament before hanging it.”

  “Your town believes in Christmas wishes, yet you teased me about Berry Lake’s Bigfoot obsession?” He laughed, a deep, rich sound that drew people’s attention. “Let me guess, every store in Indigo Bay sells ornaments for the tree.”

  “This isn’t about commercialism,” Hope countered, though he had a point. “Caroline says Christmas wishes are stronger than birthday ones. Some people come every year to hang an ornament.”

  “And make a wish.”

  She nodded.

  “Your brother is wrong about the West Coast being full of crazies.” Amusement lit Josh’s eyes. “The South is as weird, but the zany stuff you do is called ‘tradition,’ so it doesn’t seem so far out there.”

  Hope stared down her nose. “We might be a bit peculiar, but making a Christmas wish is not zany.”

  “Have any of your wishes come true?” he asked, not flippantly, but the way his eyes searched hers told her he wanted to know.

  Thinking back over the years—minus the ones she’d been away in New York—she bit her lip. As a child, her wishes had centered on things, mainly toys. When she was a teenager and in college, her wishes flipped between being a famous painter and finding true love. Now, her wishes had become generic—world peace and a cure for cancer.

  “A few have.” She remembered two—an American Girl doll and an expensive paint set. “But there’s no time limit on wishes.”

  “What did you wish for?”

  “If I tell you, they’ll never come true.”

  “So more than one wish is still out there.”

  Hope tilted her head, agreeing, though a part of her no longer believed as she once had. Not only in wishes, but in love and happy endings. “No sense wasting a wish on the same thing each year.”

  “Practical.”

  That made her laugh. “You’re the only person to call an artist practical.”

  He leaned closer, his shoulder touching hers. “I meant you’re practical in making wishes.”

  “Oh, right.”

  Except being with Josh had her wishing for some impractical things—more time together and another kiss. She forced a smile.

  Ugh. This wasn’t good, and she had no idea what to do about it.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “I didn’t go to a meeting tonight, Rudy.” Josh sat on the couch in the cottage. He had his leg elevated on the coffee table using pillows from the spare bedroom. This was his fourth call. He’d already spoken to his family. “I needed to rest my leg.”

  “On your feet too long?” His sponsor’s tone suggested he knew the answer.

  “Yes.” Jogging this morning had been a bad idea except for seeing Hope for a few minutes. He didn’t regret that part. Pain was nothing new, which was why Josh had brought the large ice packs from home. “But sightseeing today was worth it.”

  Spending time with Hope had been the best part of today. Josh couldn’t get enough of her.

  Or her kisses.

  He’d only gotten one today—a brief one—but that had been enough.

  For now.

  She wasn’t looking to date. Neither was he. But they could have fun while he was in town. If that included a kiss or two, all the better.

  If his leg hadn’t been hurting, Josh would have invited Hope to join him for pizza tonight, but he hadn’t wanted her to wait on him. From what he’d seen so far, she gave her whole self, whether to her work or to people. He didn’t want to take advantage of her kindness. Besides, she would be on her feet all day tomorrow at the wedding. She needed to rest. That was one reason he’d flown her to Nashville yesterday.

  “Glad to hear you’re enjoying yourself.” Rudy sounded like he was smiling. The man had lost his wife and kids due to his drinking, but he hadn’t given up on his dream of getting his family back together someday. “You deserve a vacation.”

  For months, Josh had believed he didn’t deserve anything after screwing up so badly. Those closest to him had said he needed to forgive who he used to be and give himself time to figure out who he wanted to be now—the man he was meant to be. They were right, but it still wasn’t easy. The more he explored the man he’d been, the more he realized drinking hadn’t been his only problem. He hadn’t been that good a guy even before his injury and losing himself to the bottle.

  Josh had defined himself by being a quarterback. It wasn’t what he did for a living, but who he was. He’d bought into the hype that he was special and deserved more than others. Those he’d thought beneath him hadn’t mattered in his mind. Man, he’d been a real jerk.

  “I came to Indigo Bay for Jenny,” Josh admitted, thinking back to his visit to her house last month. “But this vacation is what I needed. More than I realized.”

  His trip had turned into a test to see how he did in an unfamiliar place without his usual routine. A reminder he was an adult who could function on his own. A time to relax and have fun.

  An image of Hope formed in his mind. Her silky hair falling out of a ponytail. Her lips curved into a soft smile. Her hazel eyes full of affection.

  His pulse sprinted, but he wasn’t only drawn to how she looked. He’d never met anyone whose mere presence made Josh so… content, as if time could stop and he wouldn’t mind because she was with him. He hadn’t felt that way before with anyone.

  Not even close.

  Being around her was a total high. The rush of excitement. The quickening of his pulse.

  She made him happy. It was as simple as that.

  Josh couldn’t wait to see her tomorrow. Maybe he’d call her tonight. Hearing her voice before bedtime would be nice.

  “Any other problems besides your leg?” Rudy asked.

  “None.” Being alone in the cottage was a little weird, but not in a bad way. “I’m not used to it being so quiet, but I’ve been meditating and reading. Gives me hope I’ll be ready for the new season.”

  Ready and strong for the travel, hotel rooms, and the temptations of returning to the lifestyle that had made drinking easy to do and hide from his loved ones.

  “You’re doing great, but don’t get too cocky,” Rudy said in his typical I’m-older-and-wiser-than-you-kid voice. “You have a wedding to get through on your own. You said beer and wine will be served.”

  “Yes, but no hard liquor. Jenny said there’ll be sparkling apple cider for the toast and other non-alcoholic beverages available.” Josh understood Rudy’s concern, and he’d brought up the reception when he was at the meeting last night. “The reception would be easier if Sam were with me, but I’ve had dinner with others who were drinking. This shouldn’t be that different.”

  “You’ll have to wait and see about
that.” Rudy paused. Something he often did when he was mulling over what to say next. “What’s your plan for the reception?”

  Josh had figured this out over a week ago. “I’ll make a point to say something to the bartender when I arrive. I have you or Sam to call if I need to talk to someone. The reception is at the same place I’m staying. I can walk to my cottage if I need to get away.”

  “Sounds good,” Rudy said. “Keep a non-alcoholic drink in hand at the reception. That’ll avoid the likelihood of someone offering you a drink you don’t want.”

  “I’ll do that.” Josh’s confidence brimmed. He liked the feeling. “I know this might be harder than I think because I’ve limited myself to where I go or what I do since rehab, but I have a good feeling about tomorrow.”

  He would not ruin Jenny’s wedding day. Nor would he bother her. If he needed someone to talk to in person, he didn’t think Hope would mind.

  “You’ve limited those things because you know yourself. Recovery is a long road. You’re almost eleven months in. You’re doing well, but relapses can happen to the best of us. You know my story. That’s why you need to stay vigilant.”

  “I’m trying to do that.” Josh hoped he sounded as strong as he felt.

  A knock sounded on the front door.

  “Someone’s here, Rudy.” Josh carefully stood, allowed his leg a moment to adjust after being elevated. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “I’m here whenever. Take care.” With that, the line disconnected.

  Josh hobbled to the door. He opened it. “Jenny.”

  “Hi.” Standing next to her was a tall man with short hair. Both wore shorts, T-shirts, and flip-flops. “This is my fiancé, Dare O’Rourke.”

  Dare extended his arm and shook Josh’s hand. “Thanks for flying Jenny’s dress and the other items to Indigo Bay.”

  “Happy to help.” Josh stared at the two. He remembered Dare was five years younger than Jenny, but he couldn’t see that much difference in their ages, especially with the loving way the groom stared at his bride-to-be.

  As Jenny’s eyes widened, she scrunched her nose. “What’s wrong with your leg?”

  “It’s a little sore after sightseeing.” He’d been trying to keep his weight off it, using the door for support. “I’ll be fine.”