by Nicole Ellis
More tears streamed down her face. This was what she wanted, right? A chance for something different, a new beginning. But it felt like she’d already tried something new with the sales job and it had made her crazy. She dried her tears on the sleeve of her sweater. The exhaustion was getting to her. Things would work out and she’d find the right path.
20
A week later, Gretchen lined up bottles of Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling and Shiraz on the counter in the model home. All were from a local winery. To sell the remaining three home sites, they’d organized a complimentary afternoon wine and cheese event for anyone who stopped by the development. They’d advertised the event in both the Candle Beach and Haven Shores newspapers and had high hopes for a good turnout.
The flow of potential customers had slowed to a trickle and the last three lots had proven difficult to sell. Some days, they didn’t even have one visitor. This last push had to work, or it would be a long winter.
Parker placed a glass tray containing an assortment of cheeses, grapes and thinly sliced apple wedges on the counter. She scooted a plate of Brie and tray of crackers closer to the cheeses, then swiped a piece of sharp cheddar and a water cracker and crossed the kitchen to the window.
Outside, thunderclouds hung low in the sky, threatening to dump rain at any time. Angry winds stirred up white caps on the blue-gray ocean. It definitely wasn’t summer anymore. Parker came up behind her.
“It looks like it’s going to pour.” She gazed outside again. “No one is going to come today if it’s raining.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and peered at the sky. “It’ll hold off for a while. We should get some people. Relax. You’ve lived here all your life, you know what November is like. Dreary weather won’t keep people around here from showing up.”
His touch and words reassured her. Ever since Charlotte had lectured them about how they’d been acting, she and Parker had almost become friends again. At times like this, she even remembered why they’d dated. But that was a long time ago. Soon, if this event worked to drum up business, she’d be moving to Seattle. What had previously seemed so far away now loomed directly in front of her.
Several hours passed by before they finally had a visitor. A man came in, brushing rain off his jacket. “I saw your sign on the road,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to check out the progress up here, and now seemed like as good a time as any.”
“Well, we’re glad you were able to make it.” She handed him a paper appetizer plate. It didn’t sound like he was a serious home buyer, but at this point, she’d take anything.
“We have a few home sites left,” Parker said. “Would you like to take a look at them?”
The man plopped a grape in his mouth and looked out the window. Fat raindrops fell from the sky. “I’d intended to, but maybe I’ll just take a look at some floor plans today. The weather doesn’t seem to be cooperating.”
“Sure, no problem.” Gretchen led him over to her desk and after asking him a few questions, found a floor plan that suited his needs.
“Thanks. I’ll show it to my wife. We’ve been saving for years for a place on the water, and I think she’ll really like this layout.” He looked longingly at the cheese plate. “Do you mind?”
She laughed. “Go ahead. I don’t think we’ll have many takers today.”
The man thanked her, grabbed a handful of cheese and crackers and left.
“The weather not cooperating is an understatement,” Parker said. Outside, the sky had darkened and the plump raindrops had turned into a solid sheet of rain. A gust of wind roared past, shaking the house. They walked out onto the covered porch to view the storm.
In the forests down by the highway, the trees bent and swayed as the wind blasted them. The ocean waves had become a frenzied mass of whitecaps and she could barely see where each wave started and ended. They returned to the toasty warm living room.
“Maybe we should close it down for the day,” Parker said. “It’s getting dark and I doubt anyone else will come.” They stared at the remaining food.
“So much for that idea,” Gretchen said. “Now what?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll figure something out. We can try again next week.”
As soon as they had the food in the refrigerator, the power flickered and then went out.
“Good timing,” she said.
“We’d better get home before things get worse.”
On the street outside, the wind blew branches and leaves across the pavement. They dashed for their cars, but she hesitated outside of hers.
“I forgot to get something,” she shouted to Parker. “Go ahead and leave.”
He drove down the hill away from the houses and she ran back inside. In all the commotion, she’d left her laptop in the model home. She unplugged the laptop and shoved it into her messenger bag. Something moderately big, maybe a tree branch, bounced off the roof. She shuffled through the papers on her desk. She wanted to make sure she had everything she’d need if the storm was bad enough to keep them from work the next day.
Headlights appeared in the driveway. A minute later, Parker darted in with the hood of his raincoat pulled tightly over his head.
“We can’t get out.”
“What do you mean we can’t get out?” She stopped packing. She moved closer to the door to see Parker more clearly.
“I mean there’s no way to get out. There are at least two huge trees down over the entrance, right before the road meets the highway. We can’t drive anywhere.”
“Maybe we could call someone to pick us up by the gate.”
“Maybe.” He tapped his phone. “No service.”
“No service?” she echoed. “So we’re stuck here for the night?”
“Looks that way. But hey, at least we’ve got plenty of food and I think I’ve got some blankets in my car. There are worse places to be stuck.”
She was stranded here all night with Parker? The wind howled outside and rain splattered the windows. For once, she was glad that the property had been practically clear cut. If two trees had fallen on the road, who knew how many more would fall by the time the storm was over. She pressed her face against the window and watched nature’s fury.
“Pretty impressive,” he said as he came up behind her. “I love these winter storms.”
“Me too.” When she was a child, she and her dad used to dress in full rain gear and go down to the beach overlook to watch the waves beat upon the shore. She turned away from the window and accidentally brushed against Parker’s chest, causing an all too familiar surge throughout her body. She couldn’t deny their strong chemistry, so she’d tried to avoid any chance of physical contact with him in their daily interactions. Had he noticed her reaction to his touch? It didn’t appear that he had.
“I’ll get the flashlights.” Anything to keep him from seeing her flushed face.
He nodded. She used the light from her cellphone to light the way to the back bedroom. She knew there was a flashlight in their emergency supplies. If she could find it, that was.
This bedroom had been outfitted with a desk and rolling chair to resemble an office. The shades were down, casting the room into complete darkness with the exception of the glow from her phone’s screen. She opened the closet door and searched for the emergency kit.
Aha. There it was. She stood on her tiptoes and pulled it down. It felt light and she had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t going to find the flashlight in it. After unzipping the bag and confirming her suspicions, she tossed it back into the closet. Now what?
She made her way back to the living room.
“No flashlight?”
“It wasn’t in the emergency supplies.”
“I was afraid of that,” he said. “Martin borrowed it one night to check something out on one of the houses and he must not have returned it.”
“I might have something in my car.” She looked out the window at the rainstorm and frowned. The rain would soak her in a mi
nute and she hated being wet.
He snapped his fingers. “I’ve got an idea.” He dug in the kitchen drawer and pulled out a book of matches. Striking a match, he lit the wick on one of the decorative candles in the middle of the dining room table.
“You’re destroying the aura of perfection,” she teased.
“Hey, there aren’t many houses left to sell, and I think this is a good enough reason to light a prop on fire.” He smiled at her. The candle flickered, casting shadows on his face. Then he flicked the switch to turn on the gas fireplace. The blower didn’t work, but it still produced a fair amount of heat and cast a cheery glow a few feet in front of it.
She scanned the room. “What do we do now?”
“We’ve got food, water, heat, and good company. What more could we want?” He gestured across the room. “I think I even saw some prop games in the family room. I’ll check, okay?”
She nodded. “I hope they’re real and not fake like the bed in the master bedroom.”
She knew they were perfectly safe in the model home, but it felt strange to not have anyone know where they were. Her cell phone still wasn’t getting reception. She moved the candle to an end table and sat down on the couch. Parker came into the room carrying two games and held them out to her.
“I’ve got Monopoly or Aggravation—what’s your poison?”
She looked from one to the other. When she was a kid, her family had played some rousing games of Aggravation. She pointed to the game. “That one.”
“Aggravation it is.” He left Monopoly on the kitchen counter and set Aggravation in front of her on the coffee table. “I’m a little hungry. Do you want some cheese and crackers?”
“Yeah, that would be great, thanks.”
He returned first with two glasses of Merlot and handed one to her.
“Thanks.” She folded her legs up beneath her on the couch and relaxed into the puffy cushions. He was right. There were worse places to be marooned. He brought the food over to the table and she set up the game.
“Well, now I’m glad that we had so few people today.” She stuffed a gorgonzola-topped cracker into her mouth and followed it with a sliver of apple.
“No kidding,” he said as he mowed through a plate of cheese and crackers. He brushed crumbs away from his mouth and sipped his wine. “Now let’s get on with the game. I’m going to cream you.”
“We’ll see about that,” she countered. Her face was flushed from the heat of the gas fireplace and the alcohol had relaxed her. “I don’t plan on going easy on you. In fact, let’s make a bet on it. If I win, you have to sleep on the floor. I get the couch.”
“Fair enough. And if I win, you have to go out on a date with me.”
Awkward silence followed his proclamation. Finally, she said, “Parker, you know it won’t work between us. We’ve already tried this.”
“I know, but soon we won’t have this job between us.” He waved his hands in the air. “Gretchen, I’ve tried to forget about you, but I can’t.”
She smiled shakily at him. “Fine, I’ll go out with you if you win. But I don’t plan on letting you win.”
“I’m counting on it, but I must tell you, I’m really good at this game.” He grinned and rolled the dice.
He hadn’t been kidding. Time after time, his playing piece landed on hers, sending her back to Start.
“Give me a break here.” She laughed and rolled again. She was losing badly. Slowly, she regained ground until they were tied. On her turn, she rolled a three, sending her last piece home. “Comfy couch, here I come.”
“I guess it’s the floor for me.” He looked disappointed.
She glanced out the window. “Hey, I think the rain’s stopped. Do you want to get a closer look at the surf? I bet the view is breathtaking from the houses down in the Cliffside area.”
“Sure,” he agreed and gave her a lopsided grin that made her heart catch. “Let’s go.” He reached out for her hand and pulled her to standing, holding her fingers a little longer than necessary. A warmth spread through her bones that had nothing to do with the heat from the fireplace.
They ventured outside into the wind. The rain had finally stopped, but angry thunderclouds over the ocean promised another round. Leaves and tree branches littered the streets like a tornado had passed through. Other than the wind and waves, it was eerily quiet. The clouds had parted above them, leaving the sky temporarily clear. Moonlight lit their path as they walked down the hill to the new Cliffside homes. One of the houses was still under construction and they climbed up onto the uncovered back deck and perched on an open window frame to watch the storm.
“I can’t believe people are going to be moving in soon.” Gretchen twisted her neck to view the other houses. “It’s amazing how fast everything goes.”
“I know. Time does fly by all too fast.” Parker shifted his body to face her. “I know you thought I was joking about the date, but I’d really like us to try again. I care about you.” He touched her shoulder to get her to look at him. “Tell me you don’t have feelings for me too?”
She stared at him, not sure how to respond. It had been months since she’d found out he’d lied about the job. Could she look past him not telling her the truth? When her ex-boyfriend had cheated on her and lied about it for months, she’d been devastated. But was what Parker had done as bad as that?
“Look, I know you’re still upset about my mother telling me about the interview. But you have to believe me—I already had an interview scheduled, long before I met you.”
She searched his face. Was he telling the truth? She saw nothing but regret and hope in his eyes—not a trace of dishonesty. With the exception of the interview situation, she’d never known him to be anything less than truthful. “What do you mean that you already had an interview scheduled?” She watched him carefully.
“I met Martin the week before we met. That’s why I was in Candle Beach for the chocolate festival. I wanted to get a feel for the local community before my interview.” He looked her straight in the eye.
“You’re serious,” she said slowly. Her heart beat faster. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I tried. You didn’t want to hear it.” He sighed. “I can’t control what my mother does, but know this—I truly thought it would be better for you not to know about her interference.”
She trembled. Had she been wrong about him all this time? Should she forgive him? She peered out at the ocean, hoping for an answer. The ocean churned with the wind’s fury. The moonlight cast a creamy glow on the inky waves, rivaling any winter storm she’d seen in the past. It amazed her how the seasons could change the ocean so drastically, from often placid seas in the summer to this—powerful surges that could move a giant tree with a single push from the tide.
One little misunderstanding had torn them apart. Could they come together just as quickly? Was she ready to forgive him?
He put his hand on her leg, bringing back her attention. “Gretchen?” He stroked her hair away from her face and she leaned into his hand. She couldn’t resist him any longer.
“I’m sorry I was so rough on you.” Her lips parted and she gazed at him under heavy eyelids.
“Me too. I definitely could have handled things better, but I’d really like to get past that.” He tilted her chin and kissed her.
His lips felt soft and firm against hers. She caressed his cheek. The five o’clock shadow scratched her palm, amplifying her already alert senses. The wind blew across the porch, tangling her dark hair against him. He brushed her hair back and pulled her closer. She tuned out the roaring of the waves and wind. Nothing mattered but him.
“I’ve been waiting so long to do this.” He cupped her face and deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed herself to succumb to his lips, captured by a force so strong that she feared she might drown in the waves of desire. She’d had romantic relationships before, but nothing had prepared her for this. If only she’d listened to his expla
nation before. They’d lost so much time that they could have spent together.
Icy raindrops pelted them, but the only thing she felt was the heat from his body. When their clothing was completely drenched and her hair hung down in sodden strands, he broke the embrace.
“We should probably find someplace a little drier,” he said.
She stared at him. What had he said? Through hazed eyes, she glanced down at her clothing, noticing the water accumulating in the fabric for the first time.
He wiped a drop of rain off of her lip and she playfully kissed his thumb.
“We can continue this back at the sales office,” he promised. He grabbed her hand and led her back to the street. Giggling like little kids, they ran hand in hand back to the model home. She ran slightly ahead of him, giving him a chance to see her fully in the dim light. The thin cotton blouse and dress pants she was wearing had molded to her body, revealing a curvy figure that he wanted to see more of. She paused and lifted her face to the sky, opening her mouth to taste the rain. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen such unadulterated joy on a woman’s face. How had he gotten so lucky to find her?
She turned to him and laughed. “I haven’t been this soaked in a long time.” He pulled lightly on her hand and spun her around until their torsos were pressed together. Rain streamed down their faces as their lips met again, concealing the tears of happiness that had welled in the corners of his eyes. Even in the miserable storm conditions, he didn’t want to waste a second with her.
