by Nicole Ellis
Shawn and Zoe had gone down to the first floor while Meg and Tia checked out the bedrooms.
“Meg?” Zoe shouted up the stairs. “Celia called and said there’s someone waiting for you at the Inn.”
Meg paused on the landing outside the bedrooms. “Who is it?”
“I don’t know.” Zoe’s voice floated up to them. “But you’d better check it out.”
Meg shrugged and Tia followed her down the stairs to go meet Zoe and Shawn outside.
“So, what do you think?” Shawn asked.
“I love it.” After living in a series of small, rundown apartments, Tia could hardly believe she’d get to live on the resort property. She swallowed hard and swiped at her eyes. “Thank you both.”
“No problem.” Zoe beamed at her. “I’m so glad you like this idea.” She turned to Meg. “You’d better get going. Celia said whoever it is didn’t seem very patient.”
“I’m going, I’m going,” Meg grumbled. She took off at a brisk walk, covering ground quickly.
“Who’s waiting for her?” Tia asked out of curiosity.
Zoe’s eyes twinkled. “You’ll see. We had surprises for both of you today.”
Tia laughed. “Okay, then. I hope hers is as good as mine.” Before heading back to the Inn, she took a final look at the cottage and her heart warmed. There was no way Meg’s surprise could be anywhere near as wonderful as what they’d given her.
20
Meg
Meg strode purposefully away from the cottage, but slowed her pace as she rounded the bend. Whoever was waiting for her at the Inn could afford to wait a few extra minutes. It was too wonderful a day to hurry, and she wanted to savor what had just happened.
When she and Zoe had initially discussed fixing up Cottage Twenty for Tia, Meg hadn’t intended to ask Tia to share the space. They’d chosen that particular cottage because Tia had mentioned to Zoe how much she loved it, not because of its size. After seeing the interior, though, Meg had been struck with a sudden desire to live there too. It made sense—Zoe, Shawn, and Celia already lived on the property. If Meg lived there, too, she’d be closer to work and readily available if something came up at the resort or one of the events.
Her brain was a mess of jumbled thoughts, but the stillness of the narrow gravel lane running in front of the cottages and the sound of the waves lapping at the sand below the cliff brought peace to her heart. Postponing her dream of renovating the barn hadn’t been something she’d foreseen, but was for the best. They were only about a week and a half away from October and the barn wasn’t anywhere near empty enough to begin renovations. At this rate, she’d be lucky to have it done by January or February.
Thinking about how much junk remained in the barn saddened her and she paused for a few seconds to gaze back toward the cottages. She was too happy about the prospect of living at the resort to allow her worries to ruin the day. Visions of morning jogs on the beach and evenings spent with friends and resort guests on the Inn’s porch filled her head. And, although she’d lived on her own for a while, it would be nice to have a roommate again.
When the Inn came into sight, Meg noticed a tall figure standing on the porch. At first, she thought he was a guest, but as she drew closer, she realized it was Taylor. What was he doing at the Inn on a Saturday morning?
A few stray wisps of hair tickled her cheeks, and she swept them back up into her low ponytail before climbing the steps to the front porch.
“Did we have plans for today?” Meg asked Taylor.
He leaned against the railing and regarded her with a soft smile. “Nope. We didn’t have plans.”
She cocked her head to the side, feeling as confused as Tia had been an hour earlier. “Okay?” she said, drawing out the single word.
His grin spread. “Well, as you may know, I’m currently unemployed because there was a fire in the restaurant I manage.”
She winced. She’d thought he’d forgiven her for the fire, but now she wasn’t sure.
His eyes widened and his smile faded. “No, no. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
The screen door opened, and Celia stepped out, leaning on her silver walker. She carefully closed the door behind her, leaving her little dog Pebbles staring forlornly at them through the mesh. “I think what Taylor is trying to say is he’s here to work on the barn with you.”
Taylor nodded gratefully at Celia. “Yes.” He turned to Meg. “Does that work with your schedule?”
Meg mentally ran through her day. The wedding that afternoon was so small that Zoe and Tia wouldn’t need her help. Everything else she’d planned to do could be pushed to another day. If Taylor was offering to help her with the barn, she wasn’t going to turn him down. Actually, it almost felt like the universe had heard her concerns on the way back from the cottage and was providing her with a solution.
She stepped closer to him, smiling so widely she could feel the corners of her eyes crinkling up. “I think I can make that work, and I’d love the help. Thank you.” Once again, he was giving up his free time for her. He truly was a great friend. In all the time she’d dated Theo, he’d never supported her the way Taylor did. An odd sensation rippled through her chest and her breath caught.
Before she had time to dwell on what she was feeling, Taylor crossed in front of her, pausing at the top of the steps. “Are you ready to get started?”
Meg glanced at Celia, who hadn’t moved away from the door. The elderly woman’s lips had curved into a secretive smile. Nothing about this situation was overtly out of the ordinary, but something was up.
“Have fun, you two.” Celia’s eyes twinkled and she looked like she was having a difficult time keeping a straight face.
“Oh, I’m sure we will,” Meg said. Even though the other days she’d spent clearing out the barn with Taylor had been hard work, they’d been surprisingly enjoyable.
Taylor tapped his fingers against the porch railing, looking over at her. “Meg? You coming?” He walked down to the grassy lawn below and paused again to wait for her.
“Yeah, sorry.” Meg jogged down the stairs toward him. Behind her, the screen door closed softly as Celia went back inside. Meg looked down at her hands. “I should have grabbed our gloves.”
“While I was waiting for you to get back from the cottages, I took the liberty of bringing the gloves and masks out to the barn. I knew you kept them in the mud room, and I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
She looked up at him, her heart warmed by his thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”
He shrugged, but didn’t make eye contact with her. “No problem.”
Meg hesitated for a second. Why was he acting so oddly all of a sudden? It reminded her of how he’d reacted at the catering kitchen the month before—friendly one moment and awkward the next.
They passed through the thicket of trees behind the Inn and came out near the barn. Its wide doors were halfway open, creating a gaping dark hole in the exterior. A twinge of unease ran through Meg. There was still so much to do before they could even think of remodeling the structure.
She focused on the brightly hued flowers she’d planted around the foundation. Yes, getting the barn ready was going to take a lot of hard work, but it would be worth it. The air around them seemed to buzz—not with sound, but with a heady sense of anticipation.
“All right, let’s get this party started,” Taylor said loudly as they approached the entrance.
She narrowed her eyes at him.
When they stepped onto the concrete floor of the barn, a loud cheer erupted from every direction. “Surprise!”
Meg blinked several times until she could see in the dim light.
All of her family were there—her parents, Sam, and Libby with her husband and kids. The staff of the Willa Bay Lodge’s kitchen huddled together, clutching brooms and leather gloves. Cassie, Kyle, and their children smiled at her as they climbed down from the loft.
“I thought you could use more help than just me,” Taylor said ma
tter-of-factly.
Meg’s vision blurred and she whispered, “Did you put this all together? For me?”
He chuckled. “Yep. When I brought up the possibility of a work party, everyone was excited to help. We all know how much this place means to you.”
She burst into tears, overwhelmed by his generosity and that of her other friends and family.
“Honey? Are you okay?” Her mom’s voice rose over the murmur coming from the rest of the group. She started forward to comfort her daughter, but Meg’s father reached out for her arm to hold her back.
Taylor put his hand on Meg’s shoulder and asked quietly, “Do you need a minute?”
She nodded, pressing her lips together firmly to stem the flow of happy tears.
“I’m just going to take Meg outside for a minute to fill her in on the game plan. In the meantime, if you’d like to get started, grab a pair of gloves and a dust mask,” Taylor announced. He gestured to a pile of equipment near the door that Meg hadn’t noticed when they’d come in.
Libby stepped forward and clapped her hands. “Alright, you heard him. Let’s go, people.”
Galvanized by her sister’s bossiness, everyone moved in unison toward the safety equipment while Taylor led Meg out of the building. He took her back into the privacy of the grove of trees near the barn, toward a bench nestled against a tall cedar. He made sure she was settled before sitting down next to her.
When she’d calmed sufficiently, she searched his face. “You organized all of this for me?”
He nodded, gazing at her softly.
“Why?” she asked. Her heart beat faster as he reached for her hands, covering them with his own. His fingers intertwined with hers, and she couldn’t help but notice how muscular they were, and feel the roughness of the light calluses he’d earned from working in the kitchen. She’d seen them work magic as his knife flashed nimbly through a stack of vegetables, but now she was having trouble reconciling the attractive man in front of her with her friend and former boss.
He took a deep breath. “Because I’d do anything for you.”
They locked eyes and she found herself lost in the passion she saw there. A thrill shot through her. Was this really happening? Did she want this?
He smiled at her and brushed her hair with one hand, then caressed her cheek with the other and leaned down to kiss her gently on the mouth. His lips touched hers for only a few seconds before he pulled away, scanning her face.
She wasn’t sure what he saw in her expression, because she was frozen in place, her head buzzing with a myriad of emotions. Taylor had kissed her. Cassie had been right all along that he had feelings for her. And, as much as Meg had brushed off her friend’s suspicion that the attraction was mutual, she couldn’t deny it now. She definitely wanted this.
She stared at Taylor, her breath coming in shallow bursts. How had it taken her this long to realize how wonderful he was? He was her good friend, someone she’d always felt comfortable confiding in. They shared a passion for cooking and had spent countless hours together in the kitchen. Had this been simmering under the surface that whole time?
Taylor reached and tentatively stroked her cheek, breaking her out of her trance. While he was still smiling, his expression was tinged with fear. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to assuage any doubts he had about her feelings for him.
She stretched up and circled her arms around his neck. He grinned, and snaked his arms around her waist, scooting her along the bench seat until their bodies were enticingly close. The stubble along the nape of his neck tickled the pads of her fingertips as she nudged his head down so she could plant a bold kiss directly on his lips. The woodsy, clean scent of his aftershave swirled around her. Kissing Theo had never felt like this.
Out of the corner of her eye, Meg caught sight of Zoe, Shawn, and Tia, who’d halted along the path about ten feet away from the bench. Shawn was feigning interest in a tall oak tree next to him, but Zoe and Tia didn’t bother to hide the huge smirks on their faces as they looked on.
Meg broke the kiss and Taylor looked at her, startled. She jutted her chin out to indicate the presence behind him and he turned to look, his face reddening when he saw who’d arrived. He released her, but kept one arm around her waist.
Meg eyed Zoe. “You knew about all of this, didn’t you?”
Zoe laughed, her eyes filled with mirth. “That I’d find you and Taylor kissing in the woods?”
Meg tilted her head to the side. “Ha-ha. I meant the work party.”
Zoe giggled. “Yeah. I knew about that too.” She and the others walked past the bench and she called over her shoulder, “Do you think the two of you will be able to find time today to help with the barn?”
Shawn elbowed her in the side and Zoe shot him a sassy look. Tia covered her mouth, but couldn’t hide the laugh that burst free before she hurried off toward the barn. Zoe looked back at them again and winked, then grabbed Shawn’s hand and followed Tia.
When they were out of sight, Taylor chuckled. “We’d better get back. Everyone is probably wondering where we are.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I doubt they’ll be wondering for long. I’m sure Zoe will have told the whole group about seeing us here.” She shook her head ruefully. “My mom is going to be so happy. She never liked Theo much, and she loves you.”
He stood, and offered her his hand. “Well, then. I guess we shouldn’t disappoint your mom, or the rest of them.” Meg took his hand and stood, and he pulled her close again, gazing into her eyes. “Is this what you want? Do you want a relationship with me? This is your last chance to change your mind before we head back to the barn.”
She nodded vigorously, choking back tears. “Yes. This is what I want. I want you. I want us.” Again, she was struck with joy and wonder that she hadn’t seen it before. Ironically, it had taken her quitting her job and not seeing him as much to make both of them realize how much they cared for each other.
He twined the fingers of his right hand through her left and ran his thumb over her knuckles, sending shivers up her spine. They walked back to the barn, hand-in-hand.
While her family and friends pretended not to know about their new relationship, her mother looked happier than she had in months and Meg could tell Cassie was going to pounce on her as soon as they were alone. They all got to work, carrying junk out of the barn and sorting it into piles to keep, donate, or toss. By the time they’d broken for a simple lunch of sandwiches and fruit prepared by Celia, they’d made a noticeable dent in the contents of the barn. Zoe and Tia had to leave after eating to prepare for the afternoon wedding, but the others stayed until early evening.
After everyone else had left, it was just Taylor and Meg. They climbed up into the loft, and Taylor sat on the edge as he’d done the first time they were up there. Being near him gave Meg the confidence to sit closer to the edge, although she hadn’t quite worked up the nerve to dangle her legs into open air like he did.
“I can’t believe how much we got done,” she said in awe as she took in the floor below. With over half of the stuff gone from the barn, it appeared more massive than ever. Her stomach fluttered. Although they weren’t starting the remodeling for at least a few more months, it was really happening. Today had been a huge step toward her dream of owning her own restaurant.
“I know. And I think I’ve managed to talk everyone into coming back in another month or so if you and I haven’t cleaned it all out by then.” Taylor wrapped one arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head.
She leaned into him, loving the support he offered. Making this old barn into a fine dining establishment wasn’t going to be easy, but she knew she’d get through it with him by her side.
21
Samantha
Sam inserted her credit card into the gas pump and crossed her fingers that the transaction would go through. When it did, she breathed a sigh of relief. Although she’d been actively seeking a teaching job, nothing had panned out so far. Now tha
t the school year had been in session for a few weeks, it was time to start looking for something else or her dwindling bank account would soon be as empty as her gas tank. She finished pumping gas and took her receipt, wincing at the total before getting back into the car.
She was running a little late for dinner at her parents’ house, not because she had a valid reason, but because she was trying to prolong the inevitable. No one in her family knew that her teaching contract hadn’t been renewed for the school year, and she wasn’t looking forward to telling them. After how upset they’d been about her breakup with Brant, she’d hoped to find a new job before telling them she’d lost her former position. Unfortunately, she was getting to the point where she’d have to move into the apartment over her parents’ garage as soon as Meg vacated the premises.
As she was pulling up to the curb outside their house, her purse vibrated. She put the car in park and grabbed her phone quickly in an attempt to answer before the caller hung up.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hi,” a man answered. “I’m trying to reach Samantha Briggs.”
“This is she.” She held her breath, hoping he was calling about a job at a local high school, although that seemed unlikely so many weeks after school had started.
“My name is Andrew Hodgins. I’m calling from Bayside Prep School.” He cleared his throat. “We received your application a few weeks ago.”
Her brain quickly ran through the applications she’d sent out. Bayside Prep wasn’t ringing any bells. After seeing that there weren’t any jobs at the other local high school, she’d cast a wide net and applied for so many positions that she couldn’t remember them all. Where was this school anyway? She hoped it wasn’t too far, because she really didn’t want to move away from her family and friends.
“Ms. Briggs?” he asked. “Are you still there?”
“Yes, sorry.” Even if she didn’t remember applying to his school, a job was a job. “Thank you for calling me.”
