All Because of You (Morgan's Bay Book 1)

by Theresa Paolo

  “That’s nice.” Shane wasn’t going to sit here while they ripped each other down. Shane was more than capable of doing it himself. “I’m sorry if I’m a big disappointment, but you didn’t even give me a shot. You avoided me, berated me, and lied to me.”

  “I know, and I was wrong. I admit that. A part of me is still angry with your father.”

  “He didn’t do anything wrong. You were the one who lied to him.”

  “I lied to him to give him a better life.”

  That was the biggest line of bullshit Shane had ever heard. “You lied to him to cover your own ass.”

  “In the beginning yes, and then after that—” His words faded, realization shining in his eyes.

  “You’ve been holding onto this anger and disappointment with my father all these years, and for what? So you didn’t have to face the truth? And now you’re taking it out on me. Disappointed in me when there’s nothing you know about me to even be disappointed in other than the fact that I’m my father’s son.”

  “No. The reason I’m disappointed is you’re leaving.”

  If Shane’s head wasn’t attached to his body, it would have whipped around and fell right the hell off. “I thought you’d be happy to get me out of your hair. Happy to get rid of the constant reminder of the son you will always have unfinished business with.”

  “You really are just like him, you know. Not afraid to say exactly what’s on your mind. But it’s one thing to talk a big game. To be a man you have to be willing to back up your words. The moment I met you, I pegged you as a fighter. Then I come here and see that you’re ditching town.”

  “There’s nothing left for me here.”

  “Bullshit!” Grandfather exclaimed, smacking a hand on his leg. “You have family here.”

  “A family I basically destroyed. Tell me, is Mimi even talking to you?”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time she’s not speaking to me. Your grandmother is much stronger than people give her credit for, and we’ve weathered worse. But if you’re so concerned about supposedly destroying our family, wouldn’t a better man stay and fix what he broke?”

  “Skipping town is easier for everyone else.”

  “No. It’s easier for him. He’ll convince himself that he’s doing it for them to justify running.”

  That’s exactly what Shane was doing. He was running—running away from his family, running away from Olivia. If he left them behind, he didn’t have to deal with the heartache, pain, and emotions that came with forming relationships and opening his heart to love.

  Grandfather rested a hand on Shane’s shoulder. It was the first physical contact they’d ever had, and it was surprisingly comforting. “Don’t make the same mistake as your father.”

  Dad had run, just as Shane was doing, and he died never making amends. Shane didn’t want that for himself. He didn’t want that for anyone he cared for. “And what about you?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  Chapter 23

  It had been less than twenty-four hours since Shane all but shoved Olivia out of his door and out of his life. She was still dumbfounded he had the nerve to text Milo for a ride while they were arguing. Her lip quivered at the memory, but she held back the tears. She cried enough tears for men this month, and she wasn’t about to let herself cry any more.

  She dropped a few pellets of food into her betta’s tank. She still hadn’t named him. “What should your name be?” she asked, watching as he sucked in a piece of food. His blue fins fanned out behind him like a majestic king’s robe. “How about Sir Phillip?” He fluttered his tail at that exact moment. “I’ll take that as a yes. Sir Phillip it is.” She tapped the tank, and Sir Phillip followed her finger. “At least you can’t leave me. Well, you could die… Don’t do that.”

  Her shift wasn’t starting for at least a few hours, and her parents had taken the golf cart to bring John Andre to the beach to run around. Bored, she looked in the fridge, but there was still nothing that she wanted.

  She could go for a slice of pie. She just had to avoid the table she and Shane sat at. And the alleyway… the wall… the sidewalk…

  She slipped into her sneakers and headed out the door. She didn’t even bother looking in the mirror. She had no one to impress. The only person she had to impress was herself. . Though, she had liked the way Shane’s eyes would follow the curve of her bare legs when she was in cute shorts, or how his attention would dip to the low cut of her shirt. The pesky tears stung her eyes, but she forced them back.

  He was ridiculous to think that Olivia wouldn’t want to be with him. Didn’t he realize that a perfectly healthy person could get sick down the road? The future was unpredictable, and his logic was stupid. Not to mention, he took the choice away from her. It shouldn’t be his decision if she wanted to be with him; it should be hers.

  For a guy who seemed intelligent, well-rounded, and introspective, he was a real dope. She stomped down the driveway, wishing she would have smacked Shane upside the head before she left. Maybe she could have knocked some sense into him.

  She was done being disappointed by men. If he didn’t want to be with her, she wasn’t going to waste another second thinking about him.

  She forced every thought of Shane out of her head and continued down the street, focusing her attention on the vibrant flowers lining Ms. Oliver’s lawn, the birds chirping in the tall oak tree on the Garrison property, and the two squirrels chasing each other across Harbor Hill Lane.

  There was beauty all around her, and she’d ignored it for so long. Living in the city, she was always on the go, walking at rapid speed, going from one place to the next. She never stopped to appreciate anything. Maybe that’s why the day she bought her bag became her favorite day. She’d finally allowed herself to slow down and enjoy the moment.

  She had no idea where life was going to take her—if she would one day wind up back in the city, or if living in a small town was really where she was meant to be. Either way, she was going to appreciate what she had.

  Shane had nothing when he came to Morgan’s Bay, but he was content, and Olivia envied that. But the jerk could have more; he could have love if he got beyond his own fears and allowed her in. There was nothing wrong with wanting love.

  She groaned to herself. “We’re not thinking about him!”

  The sound of a car rumbled behind her, and she moved closer to the edge of the road. As the car neared, it slowed. She turned to see who it was, and her smile faltered. Shane looked at her from the driver side, arm hanging out the window, a stupid sparkle in his eyes.

  “Need a ride?” he asked.

  “Not from you, thank you.”

  She wasn’t going to let him be nice to her after he ended things. She continued walking, but he kept pace beside her. She came to an abrupt halt and about-faced it away from him.

  She headed the opposite direction, figuring she could cut down Harbor Hill and take it to Magnolia Drive. A car door slammed shut and she cursed under her breath. She picked up speed. If he wanted to talk then he was going to have to work for it.

  He broke her heart, and it would be a snowy day in hell if she was going to lay out the welcome mat for him.

  “Olivia, please.” His hand touched her elbow, electricity zipping up her arm. She yanked her arm back and stumbled slightly. He reached out, steadying her. Even when she was being a brat, he was still nothing but a gentleman.

  She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She was furious, and she had every right to be, but if he wanted to talk, then she was willing to listen.

  “Please,” Shane said, a desperate plea in the brownish green depths of his eyes. “Let me explain.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m listening.”

  “I’m sorry for last night. You have to know that in my head I was doing it for you. I wanted to protect you from getting hurt.”

  “You did a real shitty job of it.” The pesky tears she’d be holding at bay swelled up and crested ag
ainst her lids.

  He stepped closer to her, and she didn’t back up. She let his masculine scent surround her, comfort her. “I’m a coward.”

  She expected him to say many things, but that was not one of them.

  “The minute I realized I was falling in love with you, I panicked.”

  Her eyes widened at his declaration, heat rushed to her heart, and she could no longer hold back the pesky tears. “You love me?”

  He nodded and reached up, dragging a finger down the curve of her face. “I don’t want to be your rebound. I want to be your end game.”

  She wanted to bask in the moment, relish in the glory of Shane’s words, but there was still one problem. “What about all that nonsense about you getting sick? That’s why you pushed me away in the first place, is it not?”

  “There will always be that possibility that I can get sick again, but I can’t live my life in fear, waiting and wondering. What if I never get sick again, and I pushed the best thing that ever happened to me away for nothing? I don’t want to live with regrets. The day I die, I want to know that when given the choice, I chose happiness. You are my happiness.”

  She inhaled an ugly breathy snort, warmth spreading through her. “You’re mine, too.”

  “That’s good.” A smile full of pure joy spread across his face. “My parents fell in love after two weeks together. My mom always said when you know, you know. And I know.” Shane’s hand slipped into his pocket, and he pulled out his mother’s ring.

  Olivia’s eyes widened at the silver band. “You’re not going to propose, are you?”

  “Don’t look so scared.” He laughed.

  “I’m not.” She wasn’t scared. She had only known Shane a short time, but she knew him better than she ever knew Daniel, and Shane knew her, too. And not the girl who tried to be the ideal version of herself, but the girl who made mistakes and wasn’t perfect. He had seen her at her very worst, and he’d been at her side ever since.

  “Well, I’m not going to propose.”

  It was too soon, and she thought she’d be relieved, but a touch of sadness came over her.

  He cupped her cheek, and she relished in the warmth of his touch. “I want you to hold onto my mom’s ring as a promise that no matter how scary things get, I’ll never run.”

  Her heart burst with joy as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin silver chain. “Will you hold onto this for me?”

  She nodded, unable to form words. He slid the ring on the chain and stepped behind her. The ring rested against her chest, and she placed her hand over the cool metal. His warm breath stroked her ear, his finger trailing up the delicate skin of her neck.

  “I love you,” he said.

  She spun around and crashed her lips to his, taking the control he so willingly gave her. Her hands thrust into his hair, pulling on the short strands and holding him close. Happiness slammed into her, overwhelming her mind, body, and soul.

  It was not so long ago when she had thought she had lost everything, but in losing all the materialistic elements of her life, she was able to find the things that really mattered.

  She was able to find true love.

  Shane pulled back, pressing a kiss to her nose. He took the ring in his hand and held it up. “And when the time is right, I’ll buy you a ring that—”

  Her finger rested against his lips. “When the time is right, the only ring I want on my finger is this one.”

  His lips captured hers hard and fast before he scooped her off her feet and gave her a ride she’d never forget.

  Thank you for reading!

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  Coming July 14, 2020

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  ~If you liked this book, Mad About Matt,

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  Chapter 1

  (Unedited and subject to change)

  Harper Flynn had been on a shit ton of bad dates in her quest to find love, but this one might very well take the cake. Her first clue should have been the green suspenders. It wasn’t even St Patrick’s Day. It was the third week of May. Normally she could look beyond a fashion faux pau, if it wasn’t for the buffalo sauce chilling on the side of his mouth, or the fact that he’d been talking about his ex for the last twenty-two minutes and counting.

  Harper pushed the lone tomato around her plate, wishing she liked the red balls of ick, so she could drown out her date’s talking with her chewing. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough money in the world to make her put that in her mouth.

  “And she took my dog. What kind of heartless monster do you have to be to take a man’s best friend from him?”

  “Did you try talking to her?” Harper asked. The date had already taken a nose dive down a cliff. If the guy needed a therapist for the next hour, it’s not like she had anything better to do.

  “Of course I did. But she didn’t want to hear anything I had to say. Just because she paid the adoption fees. Like just because she has money that makes her better than me.”

  Shit. That meant she was probably paying for her own dinner tonight. Thank heavens she already paid her portion of the rent this month or she’d be cutting it close.

  “I just.” His lip quivered. “Miss her so much.”

  Oh God he was crying. Harper shifted uncomfortably in her chair, pulling down the skirt she wasted thirty bucks on and took a deep breath. “Your ex?” Harper asked.

  “No, screw her. I’m talking about Sheila, my baby.” He took out his phone, scrolled for a second then turned the screen to Harper. A drooling bulldog stared back at her. “She was the best.” He scrolled over to another picture. This one of Sheila wearing a sombrero. And he kept scrolling.

  After the nine hundredth picture, Harper smiled and excused herself to the bathroom. She hurried away from the table and breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed behind her. She plopped her bag on the sink and stared at her reflection in the mirror. “You need to stop saying yes to every guy who asks you out.”

  “Bad date?” A blonde came out of the stall and went to the sink next to Harper.

  “Bad doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

  The woman squirted soap in her hand and turned the water on. Her head tilted toward the far right. “There’s always the window.”

  Harper never had to resort to climbing out a window to escape a bad date, but there was a first time for everything. She looked down at her skirt. Not exactly ideal, but it’s not like she was in heels. Being five eight, she avoided giving herself the extra height and always opted for a comfortable pair of flats.

  If she didn’t mind possibly giving a show to some unsuspecting bathroom patron, she could totally haul her ass out the window. “Tempting,” Harper said.

  “Whatever you decide, good luck.”

  “Thanks.” Harper watched the woman leave and was halfway to the window when she came to a halt. “Really, you’re going to resort to this?” she said to herself. She slipped her phone out of her bag and dialed the one person who always had her back.

  Milo, her roommate and best friend since sixth grade, answered on the second ring.

  “Aren’t you on a date?” he asked.

  “Yes, and I need you to call me in five minutes and pretend it’s an emergency.”

  He laughed. Loud. “Oh another winner, huh? Let me guess mouth chewer and his parents still pay his bills.”

  “Milo.”

  “No, not that. Okay what about…oh I got it! In between jobs and is thinking about following his dream of owning an alpaca farm.”

  “Are you done?”

  “At least tell me if I’m hot?”

  “Just call me in five minutes.” She hung up the phone, made sure the ringer was on full volume and shoved it back into her bag. Not even bothering to check her makeup in the mirror—what was the point—she headed back to her date.

  He sat up when she
approached and at least he acknowledged her. He had put his phone down and held a half empty glass of liquor that he did not have when she’d left for the bathroom.

  “I was starting to wonder if you fell in,” he said and her eyes widened before cautiously taking her seat.

  “Nope. A woman had a stain on her shirt. I was just helping her get it out.”

  Don or Ron—she couldn’t remember—picked up his phone again. “I have more pictures I want you to see.”

  She mentally sighed as she settled in for the slideshow of Sheila the drooling bulldog. Five minutes had surely gone by, where the hell was Milo? The jerk was probably taking his sweet ass time on purpose. She was going to strangle him later if her didn’t… her phone rang and she fumbled for her phone.

  She snatched it out of her bag and answered. She pretended to listen for a minute. “Oh no! Really?”

  “He’s a spitter isn’t he? Spitting all over your food while he’s yammering on and on.”

  “I can be right there. It’s no problem.”

  “Nail biter? Talking about the ex?”

  Harper hesitated.

  “Oh! That’s what it is. Isn’t it?”

  “Okay. I’ll see you soon.” She hung up the phone before Milo could make nay more guesses and stood.

  Don or Ron looked at her eyebrows pinching above the bridge of his nose.

  “Something came up,” she said. “I am so sorry, but I have to run.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. I mean it will be. It’s a family thing. I had a lovely evening.”

  She turned and he called her name. She spun back around.

  “We haven’t gotten the check yet, but if my calculations are right, you owe thirty-two dollars and thirteen cents.”

  Did he have a calculator on his person that she didn’t see him use? And didn’t she call this earlier in the evening. She reached into her bag, retrieved her wallet and took out two twenties. She placed them down on the table and pointed at the money. “Just because I left extra doesn’t mean that you go and skimp on the tip. Got it?”