Rose (Beach Brides Book 9)

by Shanna Hatfield

  “That’s another lovely dress,” he said. He had yet to see Rose wear anything other than dresses. Granted, he’d only been around her a few days, but he was beginning to wonder if she even owned a pair of jeans. He just couldn’t quite picture her wearing something that casual.

  “Thank you. This one belonged to my grandmother. I save it for special occasions.” She lightly brushed her hand along the skirt and he reached out to clasp her fingers. “It really looks nice on you.”

  “And you look nice today, too. You didn’t have to dress up. I hope you didn’t purchase something just to wear today.” She studied his expensive shirt and silk tie. He hoped she didn’t question how a guy working as an assistant at a park could afford to wear a three hundred dollar shirt.

  “No, I usually toss one set of dress clothes in my bag when I travel. You never know when you might need it.” He pulled up at her house and helped her out, then grabbed a small bag from the back seat. “Mind if I change my clothes, too?”

  “No. Not at all. Please feel free to use the bathroom near the kitchen.” She unlocked the front door and preceded him inside.

  While she went into the kitchen, he headed to the bathroom and exchanged his nice clothes for a pair of cargo shorts, hiking shoes, and a T-shirt. He took his clothes out to the SUV then returned and walked into the kitchen.

  Rose wasn’t there, but a big hamper basket set on the counter and a quilt that looked well loved rested next to it. He carried them out to the SUV. When he made his way back to the kitchen, he bent over to pet the cat.

  The sound of footsteps thudding down the stairs caused him to look up. He did a double take at the impish, playful-looking girl who hopped off the next to the last stair and stuck a pair of sunglasses on top of her head.

  “Ready to go?” Rose asked, lifting a large insulated thermos jug she’d filled with sweetened iced tea and left by the sink.

  Tanner didn’t answer. He couldn’t quite get his brain and mouth to function in sync. Not with Rose standing in front of him wearing a white cotton peasant blouse, old sneakers, and a pair of cut-off denim shorts that showcased a pair of incredible legs. The hair she’d unpinned tumbled half-way down her back in a wild, wavy mass.

  She looked much younger than her years, and exactly like a girl ready to spend a day on the beach.

  He swallowed hard, working to get control of his thoughts and turbulent emotions. This was a completely different, unexpected side of Rose. One he was glad to see. Although she looked gorgeous in the dresses she wore, and more feminine than any woman he could recall, he liked this girlish, playful, ready-for-fun side, too.

  “Something wrong?” she asked, setting down the thermos and taking a step toward him.

  “No. I’m good,” he said, picking up the jug and holding out a hand to her. She took it, grabbed her purse and walked with him out to the SUV.

  “So, where are we headed on our picnic?” she asked as he drove south of town.

  “I’ll let you guess,” he said, continuing to the state park.

  “Oh, I think I know where. I was hoping you’d choose this park. It really is my favorite place for picnics because you get the beach and forest experience, all rolled into one.”

  After they ate the lunch she’d packed, they strolled along the beach. Rose found a few sand dollars she insisted he keep and he unearthed a piece of green sea glass, nearly identical in color to her verdant eyes.

  Suddenly, she kicked off her shoes and skipped to the edge of the water. “Come on, Tanner. Come play with me,” she beckoned, smiling at him over her shoulder with a look he found entirely beguiling.

  He laughed as he discarded his shoes and tucked his socks inside, chasing after her.

  She squealed and ran, but his long legs easily overtook her. Laughing, she splashed water at him. In retaliation, he grabbed her around the waist and swung her into his arms, threatening to dump her into a wave.

  “No, no! Don’t do that!” she begged, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on.

  “I think a seawater bath would be good for you,” he said, leaning forward as a wave rolled toward them.

  “Tanner!” she cried, holding tight to him.

  He laughed and looked down at her. Big mistake. The look in her eyes, the enticing fragrance of her flooded his senses. And that’s when he lost it.

  He lost the will to resist her. Lost the ability to think straight. Lost the tight grip he’d used to rein in his longings.

  “Rose,” he growled in a raspy whisper, grazing his lips across hers in a light caress.

  Her eyes widened and changed to a shade nearly as dark as the depths of the forest behind them. “Tanner?” she whispered, her voice uncertain.

  He waited for her to pull away, to voice an objection, but she didn’t. Unable to think of anything except how much he wanted to kiss her tempting lips, his mouth settled over hers in a gentle touch of exploration.

  Heat fired his blood while a delicious chill passed over him, consuming what little sense he had left. When her hands slid to the back of his neck and her fingers toyed with his hair, he deepened the kiss.

  Incapable of recalling how or when he carried her to the quilt and laid her down, all he knew was that the world slipped away. Nothing else existed as he continued to feast on her kisses.

  Finally, she pulled back and gazed at him, her lips curled into the barest hint of a smile. “Tanner?”

  “Hmm?” he asked, trailing his lips across her jaw, down the expanse of creamy skin along her neck.

  “Tanner. I think it’s probably best if we stop this now.”

  “Stop?” He asked as he nuzzled her ear and her soft moan of pleasure fueled his passion. His lips captured hers and she melted against him all over again.

  “Rose, sweet Rose,” he mumbled against her lips, thinking nothing in the world had ever tasted as decadent as the flavor of her kisses. He buried his hands into her hair, kissing her with a longing, a soul-deep yearning that he had no idea he possessed.

  Unsettled by the raw hunger gnawing at him, he sat up and looked into her face, taking in each detail, from the flames flickering in her eyes to the puffy just-kissed state of her lips.

  “What am I going to do with you?” he asked, his voice thick and husky with emotion.

  She smiled. “Nothing, Tanner Thomas. At least not at this moment.” She raised herself on one elbow and patted the blanket beside her. “Lie back and join me in some serious cloud watching.”

  He rolled onto his back, folded his hands beneath his head, and released a long sigh. This certainly wasn’t what he wanted to do, but it was better than having her slap his face and stalk off.

  Not that she could get far. They were in a secluded area of the park without too many people around. That was precisely the reason he had to snatch the unraveled threads of his composure back together. Either that, or take Rose home.

  Forcing himself to relax, his eyes drifted shut as he listened to Rose hum a long-forgotten tune.

  He awoke, disoriented, until he glanced over and saw Rose watching him. She sat cross-legged on the blanket, head propped up on one hand, elbow supported on her knee, as she nibbled a cookie. Tousled hair whispered in wind-kissed waves around her head and he tamped down the desire to sink his hands into the soft curls again.

  Instead, he sat up and accepted the zip-top bag of cookies she held out to him. He took one and bit into it, shifting his gaze from Rose to the landscape around them. Fifty feet in front of them, foamy water rolled onto the beach. A hundred yards behind them, moss-covered trees melded into a dark, heavily foliaged forest dripping with moss.

  “Have a nice nap?” Rose asked, handing him a glass of cold tea.

  He gulped it down and refilled it from the thermos jug she’d left sitting on the edge of the quilt. “I did, although I had no intention of falling asleep.”

  “I didn’t mind. It was entertaining to listen to you snore,” she teased.

  He stiffened. “I don’t snore.”
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  A giggle escaped her. “You, in fact, do.”

  “Do not,” he argued. Even if he did snore, he didn’t want her to know it. He certainly didn’t want her making fun of him because of it. Besides, he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since he arrived in town because he spent half the night thinking of her and the other half tormented by her enticing presence in his dreams. It wasn’t exactly all his fault if he finally relaxed and slept.

  He glanced at his watch, shocked to see the entire afternoon had fled. “I’m sorry, Rose. I had no idea I slept so long.”

  She waved her hand at him, as though she brushed aside his concerns. “Don’t give it a thought, Tanner. I dozed for a while, too. A horrible noise startled me awake. I thought maybe a bear had wandered onto the beach, but then I realized it was just you.”

  At his annoyed scowl, she giggled and jerked to the side when he grabbed for her. Rather than take her in his arms, as he so wanted to do, he looked around.

  “You’re ornery.” He brushed cookie crumbs from his hands and pulled on his socks and shoes that she’d retrieved from where he’d left them on the beach. “But you are an excellent baker. Those cookies just made me hungrier, though. Can I talk you into having dinner with me?”

  “Sure,” she said, taking the hand he held out to her and rising to her feet. “I know just the place to get a juicy burger and some crispy fries.”

  “Bigfoot’s?” he asked.

  She grinned at him over her shoulder. “That’s right. Are you brave enough to eat there?”

  “Bring it on, beautiful.”

  Tanner took the quilt from her and tucked it under one arm while he clasped her hand in his other. Would anyone else in the world fit against his hand and into his heart as well as Rose?

  Chapter Seven

  “That’s right. Now glue another one right next to it,” Rose instructed as she taught a class on making ribbon-rose covered lampshades. Zetta and Lucille sat at one end of the table, working on a lampshade together. Zetta wanted to use a variety of colors and Lucille wanted white. They compromised on a lampshade made of pale yellow roses.

  Thirteen people had signed up for the class and two more arrived just before Rose began offering instructions. It was a good thing she’d gathered enough supplies for twenty participants.

  “That’s excellent, Mrs. Tilly,” Rose said as she stopped by a shy woman who seemed to have a creative touch. She was nearly finished with her lampshade, done in graduated shades of pink, varying from light to bright hues. “I love the tonal variation in color that you chose.”

  “Thank you,” the woman said, offering a hesitant smile before returning to her project.

  Rose bent over to help a young girl who couldn’t quite get the hang of how to place the roses. Suddenly, the friendly chatter around her quieted and the room fell silent. A quick glance around the table made her follow the gazes of all the women to the doorway where Tanner leaned against the doorjamb with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

  No wonder the women were distracted. The sight of his tanned skin, muscles, and rakish grin diverted her attention, too.

  “Tanner!” Zetta called, flapping her hand at him. “Come help us with this.”

  “Aw, Miss Zetta, I’m not much for craft projects.” He pushed away from the doorway and sauntered over to the two elderly women.

  “You can handle this, Tanner,” Lucille said, handing him the glue.

  He winked at Rose as he hunkered down between the two old women and followed their orders.

  From that point on, Rose had a hard time concentrating on the class or the women attending it. Although she thought she was the only one who could detect Tanner’s unmistakable scent, she noticed even shy Mrs. Tilly inhaling a deep breath and sighing dreamily.

  Tanner had asked in an email that morning if she’d have dinner with him tonight, but she had no idea why he’d stopped by her shop in the middle of the afternoon. Maybe he needed something. Maybe he was leaving town.

  Fear and pain clenched her heart at thoughts of never seeing him again. He’d been in Seaside for three weeks and she knew he had to leave soon. However, the few times she’d asked him when he planned to return to Colorado, he gave her a vague answer of “soon” or “in a while,” and changed the subject.

  She’d known from the moment he’d introduced himself he couldn’t and wouldn’t stay. But it didn’t make it any easier to think of him leaving.

  His departure would leave her bereft and heart-broken. Tears burned the backs of her eyes just considering what would happen, so she tamped down her maudlin musings and turned her attention back to her students.

  Once they all finished, Rose served lemon tarts and fruit punch then motioned for Tanner to follow her down the hall to the kitchen. When they were out of sight of anyone who might see them from the hall, Tanner wrapped his hands around her waist and gave her a sweet kiss.

  “Hey, beautiful. How’s your day going?” he asked, kissing the end of her nose before leaning back.

  “Even better now that you’re here.” She smiled at him then tipped her head slightly to the side, observing him. “Why are you here?”

  Tanner chuckled and cupped her cheek. “Can’t I just be so desperate to see you, I pop by in the middle of the day?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No one is desperate enough to help Zetta and Lucille like you just did. Thank you for humoring them.”

  “My pleasure.” His hands slid up and down her back as he studied her. “This is different. I haven’t seen this dress before, have I?”

  “No. I was in a forties mood this morning,” Rose said, glancing down at the emerald green dress. It might have been something a girl wore to bid her soldier good-bye as he left for World War II.

  “It looks nice. Matches your eyes,” he said, fingering a deep curl by her temple. “Your hair looks nice, too.”

  “Thanks. It’s called a Victory Roll. It was popular during the war.”

  He kissed her cheek and grinned. “No wonder those soldiers were mad for the pin-up girls if they looked anything like you.”

  She blushed and he stepped back, giving her another long look. “Honestly, Rose, I didn’t set out with the intention of disrupting your day. I stopped at the candy store down the street, the one with the excellent salt water taffy, and somehow my feet just carried me here.”

  Laughter burst out of her like popping bubbles. “Come now, Tanner. Your feet led you astray? You had no say in the matter at all?”

  “Not at all,” he said. His voice dropped to a husky whisper that made tingles race up her spine. “They brought me straight to you.”

  She tipped her face up and he kissed her softly. “Rose?”

  “Yes?” She rested with her eyes closed, head pressed against his solid chest. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear made her feel comforted, safe.

  “I know I shouldn’t ask, but do you think you could play hooky this afternoon? Just this once?” His hands roamed down her arms until he clasped her fingers.

  “Why not?” She raised her head. Although she ought to send him on his way, she instead gave him a saucy grin. “Wait right here and I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

  Five minutes turned into ten as Tanner sat at the kitchen table, wondering what all she needed to do before she could leave. The sound of footsteps on the back stairs drew his gaze as she hurried down the last steps with her purse in one hand and sunglasses in the other. “Ready to go?”

  “You betcha, doll,” Tanner said in a teasing tone.

  She winked at him and sailed out the back door. Tumnus watched them go from his spot in a sunny corner, swishing his tail with approval.

  Tanner started to lead her around front to walk down the street to where he’d left the SUV, but she pulled him in the opposite direction.

  “I’ll drive this time.”

  Most of the places they went were within walking distance of her shop. If they needed to drive somewhere, Tanner took his S
UV, not asking if she wanted to drive. He thought she had a car, but they hadn’t actually discussed it.

  Now, as she unlocked a side door on a building at the back corner of her large yard he’d assumed was a barn or storage shed, he realized it had to be a garage. Rose pushed a button and a door that looked like part of the wall rolled up.

  A low, long whistle blew from between his lips as he stared at the car parked in the building.

  “You are killing me,” he said, stepping inside and walking around a convertible Buick. If he guessed correctly, it had to be from the late 1930s or early 1940s. Painted a buttery shade of yellow, the car had been restored to perfection with brown leather seats, white sidewall tires, and plenty of gleaming chrome. “Now this is a car.”

  “It belonged to my great-grandfather. My grandfather restored it long before I was born. Grams rarely drove it. A mechanic told her she needed to start it once a month to keep everything working properly, so I try to take it for a spin every few weeks. “Want to join me?”

  Tanner grinned. “You bet I do.”

  He opened the driver’s side door and Rose slid behind the wheel. Once she backed the car out, he closed the overhead and small garage doors. She tied a scarf over her hair and slipped on her sunglasses while he climbed in the passenger side.

  “Oh, man, these seats are like sitting on… I’m not sure what to compare them to. A leather-encased cloud?” Tanner leaned back and reverently ran his hand along the top of the door where he rested his arm.

  Rose pulled onto the street and made her way out to the highway then turned south.

  “Where are we headed?” he asked, amused by all the glances tossed their way as they drove down the road.

  “It’s a surprise,” she said, raising her voice to be heard above the noise of the road. Tanner fished a handful of taffy from his pocket and held one out to her. She popped it in her mouth with an approving nod.

  They’d only gone another mile when Rose hastily pulled off the road and pointed toward the beach. A herd of elk ran across the sand near the edge of the waves. Tanner grinned as he stared at them then glanced back at Rose.