Love of a Lifetime: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 3)

by Delaney Cameron

  Faith scooted her chair around so she could face him. “So, what brought you to St. Marys?”

  “My area of responsibility for scouting purposes was extended into Florida. It just made sense to be more centrally located.”

  “How is Olivia handling the change?”

  “She’s a little unsettled. With it being summer, she doesn’t have the distraction of school to make up for being in a new place. My heavy travel schedule doesn’t help either. Spring and summer is a busy time for me.”

  “Have you thought about enrolling her in a summer camp?”

  “I prefer her to be at home or with people I know. I’m probably overly protective, but I can’t help it.”

  “I don’t blame you. I’d be the same way.”

  “How’s your Jeep running? After you left the cabin that day, I kept thinking I should have given you my number in case you had any more problems.”

  “It’s doing fine. The mechanic who works on it said the timing belt breaking like that was a freak thing.”

  A freak thing from which Landris still hadn’t recovered. “Were you able to solve that problem you were running from?”

  “Sort of. What I mean is, I know what I’m going to do but I haven’t told anyone yet.”

  Landris nodded. “You must have decided to listen to your heart.”

  “I wish I could do it without hurting someone else.”

  “Most decisions involving the heart end up hurting someone.”

  She appeared to consider. “I suppose they do, to some degree. In this case, I took too long to figure things out. It’s going to be awkward because he works with me.”

  “Workplace romances usually are. The closest I ever came to one was when I dated an ESPN reporter. I started noticing that things I talked about were appearing in her articles. It was humbling to find out she was only using me for information.”

  “I can imagine. Being a celebrity probably makes it easy to find women, but not always for the right reasons. I never expected to be dating again at my age. Needless to say, things have changed. It’s not anything like I remember it.”

  “I admire your courage. Even if I wanted a social life, I don’t have time for it. My ex-wife left me when Olivia was barely a year old. She’s been my main priority ever since.”

  “Does she ever see her mother?”

  A long sigh escaped him. “No. It’s frustrating that I can’t give her what she so desperately wants.”

  “You’ve given her everything else.”

  Her words embarrassed him. He glanced down at his hands. “I’ve done my best. Having sole responsibility for a child isn’t easy. I have to make all the decisions alone, and sometimes I don’t make the right ones. The worst time I had was when she had pneumonia. I’ve never felt as helpless and alone as I did during that week she was in the hospital.”

  “It must be difficult being a single parent, but having Olivia in your life makes it better. One of my many regrets is not starting a family earlier in my marriage. I don’t think I would have felt so alone when Ian died if I’d had a child.”

  “There’s no question that Olivia gives my life meaning. Everything I do is for her. That reminds me; I know she would enjoy seeing you again. This is kind of short notice, but do you have plans for tomorrow afternoon?”

  Faith’s eyes fell from his. She was going to refuse. Olivia wouldn’t be the only one who’d be disappointed. It was then he realized that she was checking something on her phone.

  “I’m free until five.”

  The relief those four words produced was something he’d have to deal with at a later time. “Could I pick you up around two?”

  “I’m meeting my sister and her family for dinner so it would be easier if I drive myself.”

  “I live in Magnolia Estates. Do you know it?”

  Faith nodded. “Ian and I used to go to a public beach not far from there.”

  “The code for the front gate is 2175. Follow the main road until it meets Willow Lane. Take a right. I’m the last house on the right.”

  “That sounds easy enough.”

  Landris glanced around and grinned. “I thought it was getting quiet in here. Everyone’s gone except the caterers.”

  “Are they really?” Faith looked over her shoulder. “In that case, we better get going, too. I need to get my purse out of the house and tell Julie I’m leaving.”

  He took a card out of his wallet and handed it to her. “Call me if something comes up with tomorrow.”

  “I will. Goodbye, Landris.”

  * * * * *

  Faith’s phone rang as she was opening her front door. Juggling her purse and a bag containing the food that Julie insisted she bring home, she hurried inside and dumped everything on the pedestal table by the window. Kicking off her shoes, she removed the phone from her pocket and glanced at the screen. It was Connor.

  His decision to attend a conference out of town couldn’t have come at a better time. The fact that she’d barely noticed his absence combined with her reaction to seeing Landris again were further proof that her decision to break things off with him was the right one. She should have told him immediately upon her return from the mountains, but her state of mind at that time hadn’t exactly been normal.

  “Hey, Connor. How was Orlando?”

  “Miserably hot and crowded. I think every tourist in the country had Disney World on their travel itinerary last week. What have you been doing?”

  “I spent most of the last few days going through some old boxes in the attic. Marly and I are planning to have a yard sale in a few weeks.”

  “I’ve never understood the point of a garage sale.”

  “It’s a great way to get rid of stuff you don’t need, but can’t bear to throw away. On the flip side, there’s the thrill of finding something unexpected and getting it for practically nothing.”

  “It sounds like too much trouble for too little reward.” He hesitated, and she knew what was coming. “I’ve missed you, Faith. When can I see you?”

  Where was the best place to end a relationship? “How about we meet for breakfast tomorrow at Angelo’s?”

  “I have to wait that long? I was hoping to come over tonight.”

  She wasn’t in the right mood to deal with Connor tonight. “I’ve been on my feet all day helping Eric and Julie with their charity ball game.”

  “No wonder you don’t want me around. You spent the day flirting with all those baseball players.”

  Not all of them; just one. And she hadn’t been flirting; she was too busy dropping things and getting lost in a pair of blue eyes. “Is nine too early?”

  “Not at all. I’ll see you there.”

  A little over twelve hours later, Faith was letting herself into the house once more. The scene with Connor had played out much as she expected. His reaction was typically male. He thought there was someone else. Once he found out there wasn’t, he tried to convince her to give things more time. His argument was one he’d used before; that her inability to let Ian go was keeping them from getting close. Faith had been of that opinion herself before she met Landris. Now she wasn’t so sure. The problem wasn’t her feelings for Ian; it was her lack of feelings for Connor, and no amount of time was going to fix that.

  A glance at the clock sent her down the hall to her bedroom. She only had a few hours before she was supposed to be on her way to spend the afternoon with Olivia. She still hadn’t adjusted to the thought of Landris living in St. Marys. Believing that she’d never see him again had made it easier to dismiss her reaction to him or at least relegate it to the recesses of her mind. How was she going to do that now? Given what happened yesterday, it was impossible to deny that something was going on inside her.

  The sprawling house with its single circular turret, wraparound porch and gingerbread awnings was a delightful surprise. Faith’s smile grew as she emerged from the Jeep. She’d always loved Victorian architecture, and this was one of the most beautiful examples she’d ever
run across.

  “Good afternoon,” a deep voice spoke from behind her.

  Faith jumped and turned to face him. “Oh, hi, Landris. I was admiring your lovely house.”

  He smiled and motioned for her to precede him on the sidewalk. “Thank you. A friend of mine who lives in Tybee Island designed and built it.”

  When he reached around her to open the front door, his arm brushed against hers. Faith felt that small touch all the way to her toes. Once she stepped inside, she forgot all about that as her eyes traveled slowly over the inset stained glass windows, intricate crown molding, antique furniture and gleaming hardwood floors. “The inside is just as impressive.”

  “I can’t take credit for that either. Taryn picked out the furnishings. Olivia’s in her room changing clothes. She just finished a swimming lesson. I’ve been instructed to take you to the family room and offer you lemonade.”

  Still in a daze from her surroundings, Faith followed Landris past the formal living and dining areas into a room that stretched across the back of the house. Grouped around an oblong coffee table was a sofa and several overstuffed chairs. Evidence of a child was everywhere from the rocking horse peering over the end of the couch to the miniature kitchen occupying the space in the corner.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” he said, moving a baby doll from the floor to its tiny crib. “If you don’t care for lemonade, I’ve got soda and tea as well.”

  “Lemonade would be great,” she told him as she sat down on the sofa.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Above the chink of ice hitting the bottom of a glass, Faith heard him whistling. If she wasn’t mistaken, the tune was “I’m a Little Teapot”. It was a small thing, but it spoke volumes about him. It told Faith where his priorities were and that he was comfortable in his role as a father. She was still smiling when he returned.

  “Here’s your drink.”

  “Thank you,” she said, taking it from him.

  He sat down opposite her. “What do professors do over the summer? Do you still teach classes?”

  “I’ve got two online classes starting a week from Monday.”

  “I took some classes online in college. It was nice not having to leave my dorm room, but the workload always seemed heavier. You had to check in every day and do something.” He stopped and smiled. “I hear Olivia on the stairs. You might want to put down your glass and prepare for the attack.”

  He no sooner finished speaking when Olivia blew into the room like a tiny whirlwind, pigtails flapping in the air behind her. “Miss Faith!” she shrieked, almost falling down in her haste to get to the couch. “Do you like the lemonade? Aunt Taryn made it for you. I asked her to.”

  “The lemonade is delicious and just what I needed after coming in from outside. How was your swimming lesson?”

  Olivia scrunched up her face. “I don’t like putting my head under.”

  “I didn’t either until I got one of those diving masks to wear over my eyes.”

  “Daddy, can I get a mask?”

  “Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll pick up one next time I go to the store.”

  Taryn strolled into the room, her short hair still damp. “Hey, Faith. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Same here. I didn’t realize you moved here, too.”

  Taryn laughed as she sat down on the arm of Landris’s chair. “I didn’t. I’m just here for the weekend. Lan tried his best to talk me into it, but I couldn’t leave Clint.”

  Landris shook his head. “It was a little disappointing to find out exactly where I stood. Shouldn’t a brother have more influence than a fiancé?”

  Olivia put her hand on Faith’s knee. “Miss Faith, Daddy bought me a new kite. He said that if you feel like it, we can go outside and fly it.”

  “That sounds like fun. I’d love to fly a kite.”

  “Can we fly it now, Daddy?”

  He stood up. “Sure thing, cupcake. Give me a few minutes to put it together. You and Miss Faith can go outside. I’ll bring it to you.”

  On the way to the door, Faith felt a small hand tuck itself into hers. It always amazed her how open and honest children were; they accepted people unconditionally and weren’t afraid to show their feelings. Adults could learn a lot from them.

  The patio was flanked on one side by a cedar playset and on the other by a rectangular pool enclosed by a white metal fence. Beyond that was a huge yard that looked to be several acres in size surrounded by a privacy fence. Olivia was showing Faith her new sandbox when Landris strolled out of the house.

  He handed the bright red kite with its yellow tail to Olivia. “Try not to run into the fence and avoid getting too close to the trees. I’ll be inside helping Aunt Taryn assemble a bookshelf if you get into trouble. Have fun, ladies.”

  After he left, Faith crouched down in front of Olivia. “We want the wind blowing toward the kite. So you stand this way and hold the spool of line while I walk over here with the kite. On the count of three, I want you to start running away from me. I’ll push the kite up into the air. It might take us a few times to get it to stay up there. Are you ready? Okay, one…two…three, start running, Olivia.”

  Faith had been overly optimistic. It actually took five attempts before the kite was airborne. There was just enough breeze to keep it there without having to move around too much.

  “My kite is flying with the birds,” Olivia shouted.

  “Those are robins. See the red on their chest. They probably have a nest in one of those trees.”

  “Can we see it?”

  “I doubt it. Robins build their nests up high.”

  “Could Daddy see it? He’s a giant.”

  Faith chuckled. “Your daddy is tall, but even he probably can’t reach the nest.”

  “My mommy is tall, too. She comes up to here on Daddy.” Olivia pointed to her nose. “I saw her in a picture. She doesn’t live with us anymore.”

  This was the first time Faith had heard Olivia mention her mother. “That happens sometimes.”

  “I wish she would come back.”

  Tears pricked Faith’s eyes. “Maybe she will someday.” A sudden slack in the string sent her glance upward to find the kite dangling from a tree limb. “We did exactly what your daddy told us not to do. We got too close to a tree. I should have been paying more attention. I’m sorry, Olivia.”

  A small hand patted her arm. “It’s okay, Miss Faith. Daddy says we all make mistakes. He’ll know what to do.”

  Faith was struck again by the simple faith of a child. It was a tribute to the man who’d inspired such confidence. She picked up the spool of string from the ground and held out her hand. “Let’s go tell your daddy what happened.”

  * * * * *

  What the two outside didn’t know was that Landris was already aware of the fate of the kite. He’d been standing at his office window for some time, the beginning of an idea taking shape in his mind. He’d seen enough to know Faith was a kind, caring person. Any hesitation on his part was for her sake. He would be demanding a lot from someone he just met. It wasn’t as if she was a relative or a close friend who would be in a position to expect this sort of thing.

  “How long does it take to find a Phillips screwdriver?” Taryn asked as she walked into the room. Her glance went to window through which Faith and Olivia could be seen making their way toward the house. “It appears you’re about to be called into action. Who knows? If you play your cards right, you might get a kiss out of it.”

  He didn’t bother asking her from whom. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

  “Come on, Lan. Don’t tell me you don’t find Faith attractive. You can’t fool me; I’ve known you for too long.”

  Landris turned around to face her. “Most men would find her attractive, and as far as I know, I’m still a man.”

  She pinched his cheek like she had when they were little. “Then act like one. Do what men do in this situation: stop staring at her through the window and i
nvite her to dinner or to a movie.”

  He grinned. “I’m going to do better than that. I’m going to ask her to move in.”

  “What?”

  “Why go through all the preliminaries? It’s just a waste of time anyway. What I’m suggesting is speed dating on steroids. I might start a new trend.”

  Taryn stuck out her tongue at him. “I don’t know why I waste time talking to you.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders. “Because you love me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to rescue a kite.”

  Landris retrieved the extendable pole he used to get leaves out of the pool. When he came through the gate, Faith and Olivia had reached the patio.

  “Daddy, my kite is stuck in the tree.”

  “I thought that might happen. Hopefully this pole will be long enough to reach it.”

  Olivia skipped ahead of the two adults. Faith turned to Landris. “You thought this would happen?”

  He laughed. “Okay, I saw it happen.”

  “Well, I didn’t. I feel awful.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Kites and trees are like moths and flames.”

  Even extended to its longest length, the pole was still about a foot short of the target. “We’re so close,” Landris said. He glanced at Faith, a teasing smile on his face. “You could probably reach it if you sat on my shoulders.”

  “I’m willing to give it a try.”

  He’d made the suggestion in jest, never expecting her to take him up on it. “Are you really?”

  “I’m not worried about you dropping me. I’m sure those muscles you’ve got aren’t just for show.”

  “It seems we’re going to find out.” He knelt down in front of her. “Hop on.” After a second’s hesitation, she moved forward and swung her legs over his shoulders. Landris stood up slowly and then handed her the pole. His fingers slid down her calves and grabbed her feet. Touching her skin, smooth and warm from the sun, kindled a swarm of memories he didn’t want to remember. Why hadn’t he gone back to the garage for a stepladder? “Okay up there?” he asked over the lump in his throat.