by Kaylea Cross
“I know it. But, things are bound to improve, right?” she said, and took a healthy swallow of wine.
“Right.” Sierra hugged her.
Poppy could relate and instantly felt a kinship with Molly. “I get it,” she said, drawing surprised looks from the other women. “Not that exact situation, but… Yeah. I get it.”
Molly drew her feet up beneath her, watching Poppy with avid curiosity. “Really? What’s your story?”
Poppy gave a half-smile, but the curl of dread in the pit of her stomach was less than what it was when she first arrived. “I’m gonna need a few more girls’ nights and a lot more wine before I can talk about it. But let’s just say there was a guy—well, a lot of people, really—who weren’t what they seemed.”
Molly smiled. “I get that too. And you know what? I like you. I mean, I already liked you because Noah said you were awesome, and then you found Liz this afternoon. She’s doing great by the way, feeling no pain at the moment. Orthopedic surgeon is coming in to perform the surgery first thing tomorrow. She’ll be home by tomorrow night.”
“That’s great,” Poppy said, happy things had turned out so well.
Molly nodded. “You helped make it happen.” She held up her wineglass and Sierra did the same. “Here’s to you, Poppy. Welcome to Crimson Point.”
For some reason, instant tears stung her eyes. She gave an awkward laugh. “I’m not drunk, I swear.” The others smiled at her. “It’s just… I’ve never really been good at making friends.”
“Oh, come on,” Molly said with a laugh.
When Poppy didn’t laugh with her, Sierra’s eyebrows crashed into a frown. “Seriously?”
Poppy nodded, the anxiety she tried to keep buried threatening to burst free, worried that somehow they would find out what people said about her back home. “No.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Me neither,” Molly said. “You’re great.”
Poppy waved a hand, feeling stupid, and self-consciously tugged the cuffs of her sweater over her wrists.
“You don’t have to tell us,” Sierra said.
Molly smacked her arm. “Quiet. Yes she does. I wanna hear this.”
Poppy grinned, but it faded fast. They’d been wonderful so far. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to tell them some of it. “I stayed to look after my mom. She was sick for the past few years. When she died, there was no reason for me to stay in my hometown anymore, and the truth is, I was dying there. So I got in my car and drove out to the West Coast, and here I am, trying to build a new life.”
Molly’s eyes were wide. “Well, wow.” Her eyes narrowed. “Wait. You said you were dying there. What did you mean?”
“The people. I needed to get away from the people.”
Her lips firmed. “Was it a guy? Did some asshat break your heart?”
“Not exactly.” Well, one guy had, but more like the entire town. Except she wasn’t going to say that and risk making herself look pathetic when she was on the cusp of making her first real friends here.
A slightly awkward pause followed, and Poppy fought the urge to fidget until Sierra cleared her throat. “So, how is it living next door to my brother?”
She let out a relieved breath at the change in subject. “So far it’s been perfect.”
“Yeah? Did you know he’s terrified of snakes?”
She laughed. “Is he?”
“Oh my God, yes. Totally phobic. Even a little garter snake will make him scream like a little girl.”
She understood phobias. Hers were of the dark, and being trapped in small spaces. “Well now I kinda hope I get to see that.”
She loved everything about this night. The camaraderie and the interaction. Now it was obvious to her that she’d never had true friends before, though it had taken years and a lot of heartache for her to see it. And while her relationship with Sierra and Molly was still brand new, she already felt like she’d known them forever.
They chatted for another two hours about various things, skirting the topic of Molly’s marriage and Poppy’s past, Sierra and Molly teasing each other with banter that made Poppy laugh and ache inside. This. This was what she’d always wanted for herself. Was this truly happening? Had they accepted her? She wanted to believe it, and yet…
A grandfather clock chimed from somewhere on the lower floor.
“Is it that late already?” Molly groaned and laid her head back on the top of the couch. “I better get going, I’ve gotta go grab groceries on my way home and I start day shift tomorrow at seven.” She eyed Poppy. “You like yoga?”
“I do. I meditate a lot, too.” To help manage her anxiety. She was better at it now than when she’d first started.
A bright smile lit Molly’s face. “Good. You wanna join us for class this week? Friday night at six, at the little studio in town. Sierra hates it but I make her go anyway. We can grab dinner after.”
“I’d love that.” She’d really, really love that.
When Poppy walked to the front door with Molly, both Molly and Sierra hugged her goodbye. The aching void of loneliness inside Poppy receded slightly, replaced by warmth and…hope.
“See you Friday night at boredom torture class. Say hi to my brother for me,” Sierra said. “And be on the lookout for a garter snake you can scare him with.”
Poppy grinned. “Will do.” It was adorable to know that her gorgeous sheriff neighbor was afraid of them. Glancing at the white bakery box on her passenger seat, she smiled to herself, looking forward to taking it to him.
Immediately the warning voice spoke up in her head.
You can’t trust men. Don’t you remember? They use you for your body and then discard you like yesterday’s trash.
She suppressed a sigh as she backed onto the lane and started for home. The voice was right.
She could look at and admire sexy Noah Buchanan all she wanted, even fantasize about him, but that was all, and she’d best remember it.
Chapter Eight
Noah arrived home from work the next evening tired but satisfied. Liz Porter had undergone surgery to repair her broken fibula and was now resting at home.
As he drove up the lane he spotted Paul’s landscaping van parked alongside Poppy’s front fence, and waved when the guy looked up from tending one of the flowerbeds. Poppy’s car was parked in her driveway.
After showering and changing, he headed to the kitchen to find something to make for dinner. He had some chicken and corn so he fired up his grill in the backyard and pulled out a bottle of his favorite barbecue sauce from the pantry.
As he cooked his dinner, he kept glancing over at Poppy’s place. He hadn’t seen her since she’d found Liz yesterday, and damn, he already missed her.
It had been a damn long time since he’d been interested in a woman this way, but with Poppy it was different than ever before. Her being his neighbor was a stumbling block, compounded by him being the town sheriff. But damn, he really liked her and hated that she seemed to be all alone in the world.
He was just heading inside to grab a plate and a beer when a knock came on his front door. His heart thumped when he saw Poppy standing there in a strawberry-colored dress and white sweater she seemed to favor. She held a bakery box, her honey-blond hair falling in shiny waves around her shoulders.
“Hi,” she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“Hey. How’s our town heroine today?”
“Great.” She held up the box. “I made you something yesterday, but by the time I got home last night it was too late to give it to you.”
Noah grinned and stepped back, already knowing what it was. “Come in.”
She hesitated a fraction of a second, but it was long enough for him to notice. But then she stepped inside, filling his entryway with her delicious, fruity scent. She glanced around. “You’re just about to eat dinner. I can come back later.”
“No, it’s fine.” And I want you to stay. To make her more comfortable he turned around and headed for
the kitchen. “What did you bring me?”
She followed. “You’ll see.”
He stopped at the counter to face her, leaving a few feet of space between them. He wasn’t sure why she was skittish around him. “Can I look?” He held out his hands for the box.
With a secret smile she handed it over. “You already know what it is.”
“I want to be sure.” Opening it, he groaned at the sight of the lattice cherry pie. He looked up at her. “Is it homemade?”
She gave him a mock-offended look. “Of course. Not too sweet, either. I made sure.”
“You’re a sweetheart.”
That got him a smile. “I was so energized yesterday after the search, I got everything done at the shop and still had time to make this before I went to your sister and Beckett’s place.”
He set the box down, glancing at her. “Oh? You went over there?”
“Yes. Sierra came into the shop and invited me to a girls’ night there. I met Molly. She’s really nice.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“I’m not sure whether you put your sister up to it or not, but I had a great time. So if you had a hand in it, thank you.”
Noah shook his head. “I mentioned that you didn’t have any family here, but if you mean did I ask her to invite you over, no. Sierra’s just like that.”
Another smile, this one a little shy. “It was nice to have someone to hang out with.”
Her words settled deep inside him and made him think. He’d always had his sister and parents and Beckett, as well as an extended family. While he didn’t know the details of Poppy’s past, clearly she didn’t have, or maybe never had that same kind of support system.
Damn. He was already having a hard time keeping his hands off her, and what she’d just said made him want to hug her so damn bad because he hated to think she was lonely.
Not that he felt sorry for her or pitied her. She was badass in her own way, pulling up stakes and moving halfway across the country to open a business and doing most of the work herself there and on her house. He loved that about her. He wasn’t getting any come-on vibes from her, but at least she trusted him enough to come into his place alone.
“Have you eaten?” he asked.
“I had something earlier. I just wanted to drop this off and—”
“Will you stay and have a slice of pie with me after I eat?”
She searched his eyes for a moment, maybe trying to discern whether or not he was just being nice, then nodded. “All right.”
He gave her a glass of lemonade. “Mind if I eat here at the counter?” He didn’t want to waste time and risk making her uncomfortable by having her sit at the table with him while he ate.
“No, go ahead.”
He plated up his simple meal, ate it as fast as he could without seeming like a pig. “Paul’s working at your place?”
“He dropped by a couple hours ago, and insisted on doing some work on my flowerbeds, free of charge. Said it was his way of thanking me for finding Liz.”
Nice. “So you had fun last night?” he asked, wiping his mouth.
She pushed a wave of hair out of her face. “I did. They both seem great and I especially loved Molly’s sense of humor.”
“She’s a straight shooter, that one. You’ll always know where you stand with her.”
“I can see that. She invited me to yoga class this week. I’m excited to go.”
Noah smiled as he rinsed off his dishes and put them in the dishwasher. “Then she liked you a lot.”
Something like relief filled Poppy’s eyes. “I’m glad. I also got to hear all about Sierra and Beckett’s love story. That must have been a shock for you. Since he’s your best friend.”
“It’s getting easier, and it sounds like they’re getting married this fall so I’ve got a few more months to get used to it.” He shrugged. “I’m happy for them. It’s just an adjustment for me, that’s all.”
She nodded. “Molly told me about her and Carter, too.”
That surprised him. “Really? Wow, she must really have liked you then, because that’s not something she talks about much.”
“She didn’t really get into particulars, but the whole story is so sad. She’s hurting.”
“I know.” He knew a lot more about it than Poppy did, but it wasn’t his place to tell her the details. That was up to Molly if and when she chose to.
“Do you know her husband?”
“Not well, and when I met him his personality had already started to change.”
He glanced through the window at the yard, looked at the sky. “It’s a nice night. What do you say we take the pie down to the beach? I know a great spot.” It was more of a date thing to do rather than just a casual meal with a neighbor, but he considered that a good thing. He wanted her comfortable with him, wanted to get to know her better.
Maybe even see if there was a chance of moving them from friends to something more.
Poppy brightened. “Sure. You can show me a few more of the trails around here.”
“Sounds good.” He gathered some paper plates and cutlery, then handed her one of his hoodies at the door. “Just in case. It gets chilly by the water.”
She slipped it on with a grateful smile and murmured a thank you. “Do you want me to carry anything?”
“No, I’ve got it.” He put the plates and utensils in the bakery box to make it easy, then opened the door for her. “Let’s do it.”
They chatted about various things on the walk up the lane to the closest trail that wound through the woods and down the cliff to the beach below the lighthouse. They talked about the history of the area, about how it had changed and how it hadn’t. Noah told her about his parents and how they’d moved to Wisconsin when his dad retired several years back, but they still celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas as a family.
He couldn’t contain his curiosity anymore. “Ever been married?” he asked.
“No, not even close.” She looked over at him. “You?”
Noah looked away. “Almost.”
“Oh. What happened?”
He didn’t mind telling her. “We were engaged. I didn’t realize just how much she hated living in a small town.” And the thought of being a small town cop’s wife. “She met someone online.”
“Did you know about it?”
“Not at first, I was too busy with work and fixing up the house we were supposed to move into together.”
“So she cheated on you?”
“Yep.” It still burned. “She told me she was away on business trips, but it turned out she was meeting him occasionally off and on for about eight months.” He shrugged, even though it would always bother him. Not that he missed Katherine or still loved her now. “I knew something was wrong. I’m not proud of it, but I wound up checking her phone. When I confronted her she finally told me about him, and announced she was moving to New York City to be with him.”
Poppy winced. “I’m sorry. That’s awful.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had.” He’d been so sure she was the one. “More than anything I wish she’d ended things with me right away, rather than looking for someone else and waiting to leave until after she’d found a soft place to land.”
“How long were you together?”
“Little over three years.”
“Well I’m glad you found out who she really was before you went through with the wedding.” Poppy shook her head, her hair blowing around her.
“Me too. Anyway, that was over six years ago now. Ancient history. I’m long over it,” he finished, giving her a smile. Poppy made every other woman pale in comparison.
She returned the smile. “I’m glad.”
The breeze picked up as they made their way down the trail. “Watch your step here.” He took hold of her upper arm to steady her on a steep section.
At the bottom where the sand spread down to the waves, he turned left and led her to a big driftwood log set into a natural cove of sorts in
the bank. “This is it. The angle of the bank cuts the wind, and we can still see the water.” He spread the blanket he’d brought onto the sand, took her hand to help her sit, her back propped against the log.
She took the box and deftly cut them each a perfect slice of pie.
“Cheers,” he said, holding up his fork, plate in is other hand.
She grinned and tapped hers to it. “Cheers.”
He let out a rumbling groan at the first bite of pie. The pastry was flaky and buttery, and the cherry filling was just the right consistency and not too sweet. “This is awesome.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
They ate together, staring out over the waves, and sat while the sky turned from pink to lavender.
“It’s so beautiful here. It’s like a dream,” she said awhile later, watching the ocean.
“Not a dream. It’s real.” I’m real. He wanted her to really look at him. Reach for him.
Whoa. He shouldn’t think shit like that. Shouldn’t want her to want him.
Yet he did.
She looked over at him, the ends of her hair that had escaped the hood of his hoodie blowing in the wind. “It feels so strange,” she admitted with an almost wistful shake of her head.
He reached out and tucked a lock of hair back into the hood. “What does?”
“To feel so happy.”
The depth of emotion behind her words stunned him. It was such a big thing to admit aloud. And now there was no way he couldn’t touch her.
Setting his plate down, he cupped her cheek in his hand. Her skin was velvety soft, her big brown eyes staring up at him with a mix of anticipation and an uncertainty he wanted to erase.
She leaned toward him a little and he closed the distance between them, covering her lips with his. He slid his other hand around to rest on her back, keeping her close while he learned the shape of her mouth, nibbling, sucking before delving inside. She was soft, silken heat, and tasted like cherries.
Her hand came up to rest on his chest. He stopped, waiting to see if she pushed him away. She didn’t. Instead she leaned in and kissed him back.
Noah made a low sound and cupped her face in his hands, slanting his mouth across hers. Heat punched through him, powerful and intense.
