Longing for Forever (Sunset Bay Romance Book 1)

by Debra Clopton

  “Erin, how are you?”

  “Good morning, Rosie.” The pretty blonde smiled a brilliant smile that reminded Rosie of someone but she couldn’t put a finger on it. “I have to compliment you that your muffins and Danish were a hit with my guests over the festival weekend. And the quiche disappeared instantly. I have some more bookings for this weekend and would love a repeat order.”

  “That is wonderful to hear. I’m so glad your guests were satisfied. I hope the B&B is going great.”

  Erin nodded, a twinkle in her eyes. “It’s going very well. How about the bakery—is it doing as good as it appears?”

  Rosie didn’t really discuss her business with anyone—actually, no one ever asked in the short time that she’d been opened, but just assumed that it was doing well. She had a lot of traffic here on the corner of Seashell and Main. “It does well. But I am always very glad to have new steady customer orders, like yours, to help me along.”

  “And I’m glad I’m starting to get business so I can give you those orders. I hear you had a great day at the festival. I hear you had a very handsome helper too.”

  Rosie paused. This was just what Birdie and the girls had said, that the women were going to start chasing after the handsome new doctor in town. And of course, because Adam had been helping her that day, naturally they’d come here asking questions. A murky sense of jealousy drifted over her mood and she had to force a smile. She would not let negativity overtake her. She would not.

  “Yes, that was Doctor Adam Sinclair. He was really great to help me out in a pinch when my helper got sick and couldn’t back me up that day. He’s a great guy.” There, she’d said the truth and tried not to think about Adam having someone as beautiful as Erin interested in him. Of course, with as gorgeous as he was and as nice and perfect, the man would have all kinds of women interested. It was a wonder she didn’t have a mass of women in here asking about him.

  Erin’s eyes danced, and why not? Rosie had just given her everything she needed to know about Adam and now she was free to look him up.

  “I’m so glad you liked him,” Erin said, startling Rosie. “And he’s always been that kind of guy. Always willing to step in and help me anytime I asked. That is, until he moved away and his career took over. It’s really great to have him home. And I can’t tell you how happy I am to know you’ve been spending some time with him.”

  Confused, Rosie paused, pulling the muffin box from the stack under the counter. She’d reached for it as a distraction. She straightened. “You know him? I mean, it sounds like you know him well.”

  “I do.” Erin grinned. “And I’m sorry I didn’t explain. I guess I was being a little too mischievous. Adam is my brother. I’m Erin Sinclair. I don’t think I’ve ever told you my last name. If I did, it was the first time I came in here and you’ve probably forgotten that.”

  Relief so profound it was scary slammed into Rosie. His sister. This beautiful woman was his sister, not competition. This was the blonde she’d seen that day from her window. The knowledge was even more profound. Was Rosie in it to win Adam’s heart? The knowledge that she’d looked at Erin as competition said more than she’d admitted to herself. “His sister.” The relief sounded in her words and Erin’s smile widened.

  “That’s me. And to be honest, I don’t need the muffins until Thursday evening so I’ll come by then. I just couldn’t wait that long to come by and see if you enjoyed my brother’s company like I’m hoping you did. And he’s your neighbor, too, I understand. That’s very hopeful.”

  Hopeful? Rosie felt a bit conflicted admitting something like that to Adam’s sister, but she couldn’t lie. “Yes, he’s amazing. And yes, he’s my neighbor.”

  “Great. Don’t worry. I’m not here to get into your personal business, but I will tell you that I want my brother to move back here permanently. And I am hopeful that maybe if he finds the right woman that will happen.”

  “He’s not staying here permanently?”

  “Well, we don’t know for certain. All he ever wanted growing up was to be a trauma doctor. Couldn’t head off fast enough to busier places to work. But now, he’s back and working on a fixer-upper to flip while he works out whatever it is that has him pausing his career. I’m not sure if he’ll leave. But the fact that I’m hearing he’s spent some quality time with you is fantastic. Anyway, I’m really not a nosey person but wanted to come by and let you know that he’s my brother, and I think this thing between you two is wonderful. Oh, and don’t be surprised if my mom drops by to check you out. She’s as thrilled as I am to hear Adam is seeing someone. Maybe you and I could have lunch sometime. I’d love to get to know you better. And my sister Cassie would enjoy it too.”

  Shock and trepidation swamped her. “That sounds fun.” She hoped Adam wouldn’t have a problem with her getting to know his sisters. She really wanted to start making deeper connections with women her age. But Adam’s sister, was that the right person? She started to clarify to Erin that she and Adam weren’t actually dating or anything but the door opened and the morning crowd started filing in.

  “Wonderful,” Erin said, waving two fingers at her in goodbye and heading for the door. “See you later. I’ll be by on Thursday for the order.”

  And then she was gone.

  And Rosie needed a very, very strong cup of espresso.

  On Thursday, Adam worked the clinic. It was a busy day, with all manner of illness going around. By the time he left, washing his hands for about the hundredth time before leaving the building, he was ready for fresh air and a run down the beach. He still hadn’t gotten used to the slower pace of the doctor’s office, but he was realizing that he got a lot of satisfaction out of seeing patients and helping them. He was tempted to stop by Bake My Day but didn’t. He’d been going by there almost every day since Saturday’s surf lesson and he needed to pull back a little and try to get some perspective on what he was feeling for his neighbor. Being around Rosie made him forget every dark emotion that had driven him from his career. And instead of making him feel better, it was making him feel worse.

  He felt guilt and deep regret about what had happened in that emergency room that night and he had no business forgetting even for a moment that he didn’t deserve to forget.

  Once home, he changed into his running shorts and left the house, glancing across the sand at Rosie’s cottage. Her bike was home, which was odd at this time of day midweek. But he’d only given Rosie surfing lessons; he wasn’t keeping tabs on her. Despite his curiosity, he continued toward the beach, breaking into a jog once he made it to the hard-packed wet area with the water gently rolling in and dampening the path ahead of him.

  The beach was busier today, with school having let out and some of the rentals on the end of the beach starting to fill up. There were kids playing in the sand and the water’s edge, with mothers and fathers watching closely or playing with them. Despite the knot that seemed to always be deep in his chest, he felt a contentment as he jogged. Coming home had been the right thing to do and yet there was unrest inside him.

  Forty-five minutes later, he jogged back to his cottage and stopped short when he saw Rosie coming out of her cottage wearing a red dress and heels that set her legs off, making them seem endless, while the red dress showed her slight curves and made her honey blonde hair sparkle. She took his breath away, and seeing her, the knot that hadn’t been helped by his jog seemed to ease—as it always did when she was near.

  “Hi,” he said, feeling an overwhelming longing to walk straight up to her, pull her into his arms, and kiss her. They’d taken a few more walks on the beach and shared a couple more kisses and he’d been in a real mess since the kissing had started. He’d craved wanting to feel her in his arms again and feel her lips against his, but the internal struggle wrestling inside him was strong. There was the feeling of excitement at the prospect of a developing relationship with her and there was also a soul-wrenching feeling that he no longer deserved to feel that flame of joy he felt when he w
as near her.

  But despite the ongoing struggle inside him, one look at her and the joy was there. And when she smiled, it seemed to make the sun shine brighter.

  “You look amazing.” He just stared at her. She smiled and it hit him then that she looked as if she were going on a date.

  Her smile widened and she ran a hand down the skirt of the dress in an almost nervous manner. “Thanks. I haven’t dressed up in a very long time. Not in a dress, anyway. I feel a little awkward, to be honest.”

  “Don’t. You’re perfect.” The words came out in a rush, and considering it was the truth, he didn’t even think about pulling them back. Her cheeks tinged pink. “Who’s the lucky guy?” So maybe those words he should have pulled back.

  She looked startled. “Oh, no guy. Well, I mean, not like that. There will be some guys there, though. I’m helping with a very special wedding today at the retirement home. Red for true love is the theme.”

  Red was her color. “At the retirement home?”

  “Yes, a dear, sweet couple of the ripe old ages of seventy-nine and eighty-two are tying the knot today and they requested a wedding cake made from my muffins. You should see it. It’s the cutest, largest heart-shaped strawberries-and-cream muffin, or any muffin, that I’ve ever made.”

  “That sounds like fun. Do you do weddings often?”

  “No, not really. Not like this. I don’t do wedding cakes, being mostly a coffee shop type bakery. Cake decorating is just not my calling. But I do cupcakes, they’re easy. But my muffins are the big hit and, well, I take muffins to the retirement home every other week and host the weekly social gathering. Clarence and Belva bonded over my muffins and coffee. Helping them get together is one of my most cherished accomplishments.”

  He loved the way her face lit up talking about the older couple. “So is matchmaking another of your super powers?”

  “No, hardly. I just happened to help with this. Would you like to come to the celebration? It starts in an hour. I’m going early to make sure everything is ready. But it should be sweet. And there may be dancing, and I can tell you the ladies at the home would love to have another handsome man to dance with.”

  The thought of dancing with Rosie was enticing enough to have him wanting to say yes. “I was planning on painting the front shutters this evening.” It was true, but it held no appeal to him suddenly.

  He saw a flash of what he thought was disappointment in her eyes.

  “I understand. If you change your mind, it’s at Sandy Shores Retirement Home. I’d better go. I see my ride pulling up.”

  A sporty little MINI Cooper swung into the drive and Mami waved, sticking her head out the open window. “Hello, Doctor Cutie-patootie.”

  He waved and laughed as he walked beside Rosie to greet the mischievous Mami. “You two look like trouble if ever I saw it.”

  “Don’t you know it,” Mami said and winked. “I only hope our Rosie here doesn’t give anyone at Sandy Shores a heart attack in that pretty red dress. Doesn’t she look divine?”

  Mami was looking up at him with eyes that seemed to see into his mind and read his thoughts. “Yes, Mami, I have to agree.”

  He watched Rosie disappear into the passenger side. He had to lean down slightly and looked past Mami to see Rosie in the matchbox of a car.

  Mami patted his cheek. “I think it might be prudent to have a doctor on the premises, just in case. Maybe you should climb in and join us.” She batted bogus innocent eyes at him.

  He tugged at his sweaty shirt. “I don’t think you would appreciate that too much since I’m all sweaty after my run.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind sweat. And I hate that I missed seeing you jogging. You need to alter your route so you’re over on my side of town.”

  He laughed. “I like it just fine over here.”

  “Well, maybe I need to alter my route.” She winked at him again. “Anyhoo, we need to run. If you change your mind, you should join us. I, for one, will save a dance for you just in case. And Rosie will, too—won’t you, Rosie?”

  “Sure. I did invite him but he has things to do around the cottage.”

  Rosie appeared to blush, though it was hard to tell because he couldn’t see her as well as he’d like. He was tempted to crash the wedding but knew that might not be a good idea. And there were several reasons for that. One, he didn’t deserve to feel what he felt when he looked at her and two, he might not end up settling here…and that wouldn’t be fair to lead Rosie on.

  He watched them moments later as Mami backed the matchbox out onto the street and then they shot off down the road like a bottle rocket with a short fuse. Rosie really needed to get a car and not have to rely on the questionable driving skills of Mami.

  Maybe you should go to the dance and give her a ride home. For safety’s sake. The voice in his head had a very good point. He’d seen too close and personal the dangers of reckless driving and, not that Mami did a terrible job driving, she did seem like a distracted driver. She had been chattering away, looking at Rosie at the same time she’d put the car in gear and shot forward. If a car had been coming, it might have been disastrous.

  He forced himself to walk back to the cottage and start getting the tools to remove the last of the shutters. The paint wasn’t peeling as badly on the front face of the house as it had been on the beach side where the constant ocean wind wore it down. So, the rush to repaint wasn’t a top priority. The rumble of a motorcycle had him turning in time to see Tate turn his Harley into his driveway.

  Great, just in time, because Adam needed more of a distraction than scraping and painting to keep Rosie and the little red dress, and dancing, off his mind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “You’re back.”

  “Got back late last night. I fly out again in two days for a month, though. I’m doing some stunts for a movie.”

  Adam could have never imagined the life Tate lived. On the one hand, most guys envied him, with his never-ending array of adventures that came from his aptitude for seeking it out, and then jobs like this that he took when he got the call. But his brother lived out of a suitcase and that never appealed to Adam. It fit Tate, though. He’d always been the restless one.

  “I’d ask if it’s dangerous, but then you’d have to tell me the truth and I’m not sure I want to know.”

  Tate gave a cocky grin that was well supported by the skill that he had to back up his endless desire to push boundaries. Adam understood that sometimes all the skill in the world couldn’t save a life when their number was up. This should have reassured him on all levels of his life and it was the words Tate used once when Adam had asked him why he put himself at risk. Tate believed when his number was up, it didn’t matter whether he was jumping off a cliff or stepping off a sidewalk. So why not live while he had the chance?

  “Not so much. I’m just a stunt double for an A-lister. Should be interesting. I came by to see how you’re doing since last time we talked on the beach. You were pretty down.”

  He had been, but he realized that that was before he’d met Rosie. There was no denying that he didn’t feel as hollow inside as he had that day on the beach when he and Tate had talked. Tate had been the one to mention Bake My Day.

  “I’m adjusting and I like working a few days at the clinic. I also took your advice and went by the bakery. You were right. It’s hard to get out of there without a dozen muffins.”

  Tate grinned. “The baker is pretty, too. Don’t you think?”

  “Can’t deny that.” What was Tate up to? Had he sent him there for the muffins or to meet Rosie?

  “Is that all? I thought for sure she would smile at you and that cloud of gloom would dissipate instantly. From what I could tell when I was in there, she’s the real deal—a true ray of sunshine.”

  The exact words Adam always used for Rosie. “You’re right about that, but what makes you think—were you trying to fix me up?”

  Tate laughed. “Maybe. I just saw her in action, spreading sunshine aroun
d, and you were looking like you could use some.”

  Adam studied his brother, contemplating his situation. “Did you know she was my neighbor?”

  “I did overhear her telling someone she lived in one of these cottages.”

  Adam lifted a single finger and pointed toward Rosie’s home.

  “She lives beside you? Aw, man, that’s perfect.” Tate didn’t even try to hide how much that pleased him. “She’s single, right?”

  “Yes, she is. And she is very nice. She’s a very special person.”

  Tate remained on his Harley but crossed his arms and stared hard at him. “And you like her,” he said, slowly. “Well, I’ll be. I have to say, I never fixed anyone up before. That’s pretty dang cool.”

  “I didn’t say we were dating. I’m not ready for that and I don’t know that she is either.”

  “Look, Adam. I know that something happened that caused you to walk away from a profession you love and are very good at. I know that you’re picking up the pieces. But you need to move on. You’re a doctor. A highly skilled, highly regarded doctor. I did some checking and I figure it had something to do with that boy that I read about in the newspaper. It was terrible and so very sad. I saw you were the one who operated on him and I saw that his injuries were too massive to save him. Are you blaming yourself for that?”

  Leave it to Tate to dig into his past. He found it oddly a relief for someone to know, and in that instant he came clean. “Yes, I do. I keep questioning if I missed something. I couldn’t stop the bleeding. I can’t help but wonder if I might have not come through for the poor kid. If he might still be alive if I’d not been the one working that night. I was tired, not feeling like myself for a while, maybe depressed some. I’m not sure my state of mind was right.”