by Rachel Magee
Tessa had a wistful expression. “This love story keeps getting better.”
“And you still don’t know why it ended?” Bonnie asked.
“He got confused before he said any details. And all Braxton knows is that Henry said he’d do it over if he had the chance.” Millie replayed the scene in her mind. At the time, she’d been confused herself. But now that she knew Henry was talking about the affair with her aunt, had he said anything else she’d missed?
“But according to Braxton, Henry’s memories can fade in and out, so there’s still a chance he can remember what happened. Braxton said he’d keep asking from time to time, as long as it didn’t upset Henry too much, to see if he can get more details.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait on the rest of the details. So, how about we switch to an equally enthralling and more recent story.” Joyce flashed an accusatory grin of someone looking for some juicy gossip. “The one where you and Braxton keep spending an awful lot of time together.”
Heat rose in Millie’s cheeks, but she worked to keep her face as nonchalant as possible.
“We’re neighbors so we help each other out from time to time. Nothing fancy.” She shrugged for extra effect.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Sophia raise a questioning eyebrow, but she ignored it. Sure, there was more to the story, but since even Millie hadn’t had a chance to talk about it with Braxton, she didn’t feel like sharing it with these ladies yet.
Luckily, before her friends could ask her any more questions, Joyce’s husband, Stan, announced that the food was ready as he stirred the contents in the giant pot cooking over a propane burner.
“Time to eat!” Joyce said in her loud, singsong voice. “Let me run in and get the paper towels.” Joyce disappeared into the kitchen with Bonnie tagging along to help her while Camilla went over to talk with the group of men standing around as Stan dumped the contents from the giant pot onto the butcher paper-lined table.
“Don’t think you’ve been saved by the dinner bell. This topic of discussion is far from over,” Tessa said, stepping up next to Millie.
“Yes, especially since there are new details you haven’t told Tessa yet.” Sophia held her hand up to guard her mouth and leaned closer to Tessa as if sharing a secret. “She kissed him.”
Tessa’s eyes got large. “What? And I’m only hearing about this now?”
“It just happened and, at the moment, there aren’t a whole lot of details to report. One kiss, then the thing with Henry and the hurricane. I’ve barely even talked to him since.”
At that same moment, Braxton stepped out onto the patio. Almost instantly, he met her gaze across the crowded space, which sent warmth billowing through her, and suddenly she knew.
She still had a laundry list of complications and fears that plagued her. There were a thousand reasons she should walk away right now, but all of them paled in comparison to the way she felt when she was with him—safe, cherished, seen. She found herself wanting to be around him and share everything with him, from big wins like weathering a hurricane to the most simple daily tasks like checking out ghost crabs on the beach with Alice and Bear or playing chess with Henry. The time she’d spent with him had made her heart so full it made the risk worth it.
She could no longer imagine life without him in it.
Tessa gave her shoulders an encouraging squeeze. “One thing the hurricane and love letters remind me is that you never know what tomorrow might bring. Don’t let opportunities pass you by.”
…
Since Braxton lived right next door to Millie, his offer to give her a ride home at the end of the night so Tessa didn’t have to seemed logical. And, to his relief, Tessa didn’t argue.
But the truth was he wanted the chance to be alone with Millie. Since their kiss in the rain and the declarations that followed, neither one of them had addressed it. And now the subject was becoming awkward, like a sleeping giant both of them were carefully tiptoeing around for fear of waking up the crying beast.
Sure, one could argue that avoidance was justified. They’d both been busy and a lot of other very time-sensitive distractions had been vying for their attention, but that was never going to change. With Alice and Henry and Seascape, distractions popping up was probably the only thing in their lives that was a guarantee. But, if there was any chance of this thing between them moving forward, they were going to have to figure out a way to deal with the distractions.
Which brought him back to his original question. What was this thing between them?
There was the kiss, which he was a big fan of. He was definitely into doing that again. There was the insinuation that they would start spending more time together as a couple instead of just friends. But it had been so long since he’d done this dating thing that he wasn’t even sure what to call it. Hanging out? Dating? Being boyfriend/girlfriend? Did they even have to put a label on it?
And then there was the confession.
She liked him. Those words had shot a lightning bolt through him, igniting every part of his heart, because he liked her, too. Maybe more than liked her. It was good to know he wasn’t alone, that they were in this together.
But love? That was like cannonballing into the deep end. He wasn’t saying he wouldn’t get there. He might. In fact, after this week he was more interested in the deep end than he ever thought he would be again. But he liked to wade in slowly, test the waters, make sure he remembered how to swim. Was she okay with that? Or was she wanting something he didn’t have to give her?
His goal was to keep all invested parties from getting hurt. Was he overthinking it? Perhaps. But he couldn’t help it. It’s who he was.
When the party was winding down, they said their goodbyes and walked out to where his sports car was parked at the end of the long driveway. It was his chance to have an uninterrupted conversation with her.
“Oh, the fancy car. I haven’t ridden in this one yet,” Millie said as she opened the door. The light from the interior lit her face. She was beautiful in every way, and a familiar excitement danced through him.
He grinned. “It’s not the same kind of luxury ride as the minivan, but it gets you where you need to go.”
She slid into the leather seat and ran her hand over the upholstery. “Nice. But I might miss the princess songs.”
“Don’t worry, I can still stream those.” Braxton pressed a button on his phone and the bouncy theme song from Alice’s favorite cartoon filled the sophisticated space. He bobbed his head as he sang along, which elicited a round of Millie’s infectious giggles.
“I’m sure this is the exact track the designers imagined when they installed the high-end sound system.”
“What? You think they had something more like this in mind?” He switched the playlist to something a little more romantic; the sounds of soft jazz filled the car.
Millie fastened her seat belt and settled in, looking comfortable. “If it was, they don’t know what they’re missing.”
With power yet to be restored, the road was cloaked in a thick darkness as they pulled out onto the street.
“You don’t realize how much electricity we use every day until you lose it,” Millie said, leaning closer to the windshield to peer into the night.
Braxton switched his headlights to bright to make sure he could see any hazards that might still be left on the road. “The neighborhood did a good job getting the major debris off the road today. It looks totally different than when we drove by this morning.”
Millie nodded. “I think everyone worked to get the trees cleared off the road before they focused on their own properties. When this neighborhood comes together, they can accomplish some pretty great things.”
Pride swept through him. Being part of this community had saved him when his life had taken an unexpected turn. The people who lived in this place, a place that had become his h
ome, were some of the greatest he’d ever met in his life. “There’s no place quite like it. When they’re not sending you bogus violation letters, that is.”
Millie giggled. “I wonder how many Braxton Channing violation letters I can expect from doing hurricane cleanup wrong.”
He liked that she could laugh at hard situations. And he liked that she had the determination to change them.
The bottom line was that he liked her.
“I have to admit, I’m hoping for at least one. Sooner or later, whoever is sending them is going to slip up and give us a clue.” He pulled into her drive, his headlights sweeping over the pile of yard debris stacked by the street in the process. “But it looks like you put a pretty good dent in the cleanup effort today.”
Millie’s mouth twisted to the side in a sort of skeptical look. “Some, I guess. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
There was a strain in her voice that he didn’t like and wanted to find a way to soothe. She had so much riding on this proposal, and no one was as deserving as she was. She’d worked tirelessly over the past couple months and had accomplished great things. The neighborhood would be lucky to have her and her inn hosting guests in their town. And he had complete confidence the rest of the board would see it the same way he did.
“I wish I could be here to help you, but I’m leaving in the morning to pick up the munchkin.”
Even in the dim light of the car’s interior, he could see the excitement on her face. “Oh good! So you were able to reschedule your flight?”
“No. The airport will be reopened tomorrow, but flights were a mess. I’m going to drive, which will be easier all the way around.” He paused, not really wanting to give her this next news. “I’m going to stay a couple days before we come back. I’ll be gone for four days.”
“A couple extra days in Atlanta will be good for both of you. Plus, it gives some extra days for the electric companies to get the power restored.”
Braxton nodded. “That’s the plan.” He scratched his head, still wondering if he was doing the right thing. “But it also means I won’t get to help you this week.”
She reached across the car and wrapped her hand around his. “Please. You’ve helped me more than enough already.”
“I really enjoyed it.” To be honest, enjoy didn’t even begin to cover how he felt about this week. He set out to help a woman on a ladder paint a wall and ended up falling for her instead. That was one hazard of home improvement he never considered. Which brought him back to the topic that he wanted to discuss with her tonight. Where exactly did this week leave them?
He cleared his throat. “So about last night…”
“Yeah, about that.” She pressed her lips together and looked away as if considering something. The look didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Was she rethinking what she’d said?
Her slight hesitation had him wanting to pull back to measure his words, but he pushed that feeling off. One of them was going to have to take the first firm step if they ever wanted to get out of this awkward tiptoe dance.
“I meant what I said.” The words came out a little more matter-of-fact than he intended. He adjusted his tone and tried again. “I mean, I like…” He paused, trying to put into words exactly how he felt. Kissing her had been much easier.
“Us,” he said eventually. “I’d like there to be a whole lot more of us in the future.”
As soon as he’d said the words, any hesitation he thought he’d seen melted away and her mouth pulled up in a wide, playful grin. “So you’re saying you’re kind of into me?”
He held up his thumb and forefinger, his own grin taking over his face. “A little bit.”
“That’s good to hear. Because I meant everything I said, too. I’m also kind of into you.”
He raised his eyebrows in a playful question. “Kind of?”
She shrugged. “Fine. A lot. I’m a lot into you.”
Excitement danced through him, but there was still one hesitation holding him back. It wasn’t enough for her to be into him. There were two other very important people in his life. “I come as a package deal. I—”
It was Millie’s turn to interrupt him. She reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. Her gentle caring flowed through him, reminding him how she managed to break through his barriers to capture his heart.
“I happen to like the whole package.”
“Even this?” He hit the button on his phone and the princess song returned.
Millie chuckled, leaning into him. “Especially this.”
“That’s good to hear,” he whispered just before his lips met hers. “So maybe we see where this thing goes?”
Her eyes sparkled. “I’d like that.”
“What do you say we pick up right about here when I get back in town.”
“Promise?” She leaned over and gave him one playful kiss.
Passion ignited in him. “Promise.”
She opened the door and stepped out of the car. “Safe travels, Braxton.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in four days.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Four days later, Braxton pulled into his garage after the eight-hour drive from Atlanta with a wide-awake Alice—where did she get the energy?—and a clear plan for how the rest of his night would go.
He’d give his daughter a bath, put her to bed, and then spend the rest of the night getting caught up on the work he’d avoided since before the hurricane. That way his schedule would be free and Alice would be well rested and in a good mood for Millie’s open house in the morning.
“Who wants a bath with lots of bubbles?” he asked as he unbuckled the toddler from the car seat and set her on the floor.
“Bubbles!” Alice screeched in delight and bounced toward the stairs. He grabbed their bags from the trunk and hurried to follow her up, staying close enough behind her to make sure he could catch her if she stumbled. The steep garage stairs always made him nervous, which was one of the reasons he didn’t answer the phone when it rang in his pocket. He’d have to call whoever it was back later.
He opened the door to the house and Alice bolted for the interior stairs that led up to her bedroom. “Lots and lots of bubbles,” she sang as she climbed.
“Yes, ma’am. Lots of bubbles and then we can read a night-night book.”
The phone in his pocket buzzed again to alert him to a new text message. Whoever was so intent on reaching him must have no idea how much effort bath time took. He reached the top of the stairs, left the luggage on the landing, and pulled his phone out of his pocket, ready to text whoever it was that he’d call back after bedtime. But the message on the screen was from Jose, one of the HOA board members.
Call me as soon as you can. I have important info about HOA meeting.
They had a pretty full docket of things to discuss at the board meeting tomorrow night. There was actually so much more material than normal that Braxton wasn’t sure how they’d get through all the items in the hour and a half they’d scheduled. But for some reason the only item he could think about at the moment was Millie’s proposal.
Out of all thirty-two items on the list to discuss, the odds were that the phone call was about something else. In fact, there’d been a lot of discussion in the past few days about some new items that needed to be added because of the hurricane. It was far more likely that the call was about one of those issues instead of Millie’s thing. But logic didn’t keep the knot from forming in the pit of his stomach as he pulled up Jose’s number to call him back.
He picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, buddy, what’s so important it can’t wait until tomorrow’s meeting?”
A giggling Alice lay on the floor and held her tiny feet in the air so Braxton could take her shoes off. Tucking the phone between his ear and his shoulder, he unlaced her sneakers.
“This is more of an unofficial call, but I thought you deserved a heads-up.”
Alice popped back up and grabbed the bottle of bath bubbles from the side of the tub and danced around the bathroom with it. The sight of her pure joy over something so simple made Braxton smile. He leaned over to start the bath water.
“I always appreciate a heads-up,” Braxton said. He took the bottle from Alice and squeezed it into the running water.
“Lots and lots of bubbles!” she sang as she stood next to the tub watching the liquid bubble up into a thick foam.
“The board is going to vote no.”
The knot in his stomach tightened as he shifted to hold the phone back up to his ear. “No? On what?”
There was a pause, then Braxton could hear the strain in Jose’s voice. “On Millie Leclair’s proposal. The overwhelming majority is going to vote no. I wanted you to hear it from me before you were blindsided tomorrow night.”
Braxton sank down on top of the toilet seat and tried to wrap his mind around what he was hearing. “How can they all vote no? We haven’t formally reviewed the documents yet, and they clearly show that Seascape has always been operational.”
“Stan has made the point, and Gary is backing him, that a change in ownership would nullify that.”
“But they haven’t even been to the open house yet to see her plan. That was the deal. Review the documents and see how she fixed the place. Then make a decision.”
Jose let out a sigh. “They say it doesn’t matter. Voting yes is the start of a slippery slope. If we allow this hotel, we’ll allow more until our coast is full of high-rises like all the rest of the commercialized resort towns.”
“Big, big bubbles, Daddy,” Alice sang as the bath water rose higher. Braxton turned off the tap, his mind racing through the different scenarios that might change the outcome of this vote. They only needed four out of the eight board members to vote yes and then he, as the president, would cast the swing vote.
