“Well, that’s one way to outbid the competition. Why do it?” I asked. “It makes no sense. Here, I kind of understand it. You like the house. You want the house. You’re probably going to get the house. But at the school?” I shrugged, completely baffled.
“My dad went to the school when he was in high school, and he knows there’s very little funding to keep it going. The amount of time it takes us to maintain it isn’t much. The moment that school starts to fall into disrepair, they’ll probably close it and ship all the kids to one of the other schools. My dad wouldn’t handle that well. He’s full of nostalgia over that place. It’s where he met my mom.”
Could it get any more perfect? I think not!
“Wow. That’s a love story I’m dying to hear.”
“Well, it will only be from my parents’ lips. They tell it perfectly. If I tried, the sentiment would get lost pretty quickly.”
“I doubt that.” I smiled.
“I’m not really that romantic of a guy.” He stopped himself and our eyes met. “But for the record, Tori. It’s not only the house that I want.”
Not serious. Only fun. Not serious. Only fun. Not serious. Only fun.
“Tori, are ya still with me?” Mason asked. He’d removed the trowel from my hand, but I stayed staring at the fireplace.
“I am.”
He ran the top of his finger along my bare arm. “I assumed you knew.”
“I wondered, but I wonder about lots of things and most never transpire.”
“I guess I should have taken my own advice,” he said, putting the lid back on the thin set. “But slow and easy when you’re so damn beautiful standing there with your red hair pulled into a pony tail…” He stopped, finally taking a breath. “I couldn’t help myself. I should go.”
“You don’t have to leave. It’s no big deal.”
Mason’s eyes stayed locked on mine, the blue intensifying the longer I watched. I’d never seen anything like it. I was utterly transfixed.
“That’s the problem. It is a big deal, a really big deal. The moment I saw you watching me while I was working on the building—”
“Hey now,” I interrupted, hiding my grin. “You didn’t see me watching you. That is very presumptuous.”
He flashed a wicked smile—brief—but wicked.
“I know you feel the attraction too, and if you’d open up, maybe I’d understand why you act as if this thing between us isn’t real…isn’t a big deal.”
“Sometimes in life, timing really is everything,” I responded.
He didn’t say anything.
“And the timing of this,” I motioned between us with my hands, “is the wrong timing.”
“That’s a layered statement, and one I won’t get any answers to, I suppose.”
“We’ve only known each other for a few weeks,” I started, but he shook his head.
“It sounds like you’ve thought about this and will throw every excuse in the book my way.” His hands went up. “I know when to lay off.”
“It’s not like that,” I muttered under my breath, removing the latex gloves I had on. I tossed them on the ground and looked out toward the water.
“Then why don’t you try explaining things to me? You interest me, Tori. You make me want to ask the questions. You make me want to get on the ferry every single day so that I can try to get to know you.”
“The truth is pretty simple, but the reasons behind it are complicated.” I glanced back over at Mason.
“What is the truth?” he asked, his voice strained, but his eyes never leaving mine. He took a step closer and my pulse quickened.
It was true. There was no denying the attraction running between us, but for my own survival, I needed to stay away.
“The truth is that every day I’m on this island, it’s killing me a little more inside. I need to get out of this place. I need to leave the memories behind. I’m not strong enough to handle them and the longer I’m here, the more I realize that. That’s why I left in the first place. If I start something with you, it will only be for the summer, and I’ve never been the summer fling type of girl. It sounds like there’s potential for fun, but it’s not in my makeup to have no end-goal. I wouldn’t even know how to start. It wouldn’t be fair to you, either.”
“Don’t worry about sparing my feelings,” he teased. “I can handle that part of it.”
“Of course you can. You’re a guy.” I rolled my eyes.
“I resent that.”
“But is it true?” I smirked.
“Possibly.” He took another step closer and only inches remained between us. “But would you allow me one kiss to see what I’ll spend the rest of my life searching for?”
“You’re good,” I whispered.
His eyes held the mischievous glint once more. “It’s true.”
And I fell for it the moment I closed my eyes. Mason’s lips softly touched mine. His strong fingers ran through my hair, cupping the base of my neck as he brought me into him. The coolness of his lips as his mouth pressed deeper into mine made my head spin. Feeling his lips part and his kisses deepen created an uncontrollable desire from within. I’d never been kissed like this, never experienced such passion from only a kiss. With each passing second, my longing intensified, fracturing what little restraint I had to stay away from Mason Rhodes.
My hands rested between us on his firm stomach as his hands ran down my spine. He moved his body against mine, allowing me to experience what I was missing—what I would be missing. The longer I stayed in his arms, the more my resolve dissipated into oblivion. With his guidance, I took a step back and the wall propped me up from the dizzying spell he’d managed to cast.
His lips slowly parted from mine, but instead of releasing me, his mouth moved slowly down my jaw to my throat, placing gentle kisses along the way. I could barely stay standing with each of the jagged breaths that skated along my flesh. I was burning up with desire and when I thought I could handle no more, his hands ran down my arms and linked with mine before placing them above my head.
I felt completely at his mercy, and I devoured every second as his gaze fastened on mine.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
I was in tattered jeans and a t-shirt. My hair was in a messy ponytail and he thought this was beautiful. How could I turn my back on that?
I licked my lips and a smile broke onto his as he rested his forehead against mine.
“You want me to kiss you again.”
I didn’t respond, but I closed my eyes.
He brought my arms back down, but he didn’t release his grasp from mine. Instead, he placed one last soft kiss on my lips and let his breath out slowly.
Not wanting the moment to be over, I reluctantly opened my eyes, still in awe over what his kiss did to me.
The feel of his lips still lingered on mine, and I wouldn’t dare admit how much Mason’s kiss affected me, made me doubt so many of my choices and decisions to be on this island. The lasting sensation of his lips on mine was enough to make me lose all resolve and beg for more.
A summer fling might be exactly what I needed, but I knew Mason had the ability to change the course of where I thought my life was heading. I wasn’t ready for that. I might never be ready for that.
Mason took a step back, and I sensed he knew exactly what his kisses did to me, which made it harder to deny what we both were feeling.
“We should get back to the fireplace,” he said, motioning at the stone.
I nodded, unsure if I should really leave the wall support. “Yeah, let’s get back on it.”
“I’m bringing in a crew this week to work on the deck out front and out back. We got the permits run through for the one out back so we’re all set. I think we’re only looking at a couple more weeks of work before you can put the place on the market.” He bent over and worked the lid off the thin set. It was hard to stay focused on the tasks at hand. All I could think about was our kiss. It rocked me to my core and made me
crave something from him that I knew I couldn’t have.
“I thought you had at least another month’s work,” I replied.
He shook his head and began setting the stone on the wall. “Some of the projects have gone quicker than I thought, which is always a good thing when there are so many.”
I nodded and fought the tinge of disappointment that crept up. Trying to shift my focus, I decided to bring up dinner tonight.
“I’ve got ingredients for lemon butter chicken and grilled peaches for dessert. Sound okay?” I asked.
“Sounds more than okay. Like usual, your food is spoiling me. Maybe I should slow down the progress.”
“So if you happen to be the person who buys this place, is there any way I can stay in it until I move back home? It might be kind of hard to find a place for the last few weeks of school after the house closes.”
“I already counted on that, and I actually planned on buying this for a vacation home.” Mason was bent over, finishing up the last row of stone. He was obviously faster at that than I was. “No need to hurry out of it.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “It’s such a great place to escape to and since I spend so much time here in the summers, might as well make my weekends worth it.”
“So you own a place across the water?” I asked.
“I do.” He stood up and took a step back.
“Looks amazing,” I whispered, imagining a cozy fire inviting friends to circle around in the winter months, exactly as Mason described.
He looked at his watch. “Well, I have plenty more time to start on something else tonight.”
“I’ll go start dinner. It shouldn’t take too long.” I turned around and felt his gaze on me as I walked into the kitchen.
It was going to be a very long couple of weeks.
“While there’s still light out, would you be into taking a break and walking down to the cove?”
I froze in place, staring at the sink. How would I get out of this? I wasn’t ready to go back to Forgotten Cove. I hadn’t been since I left the island so many years before. But instead of telling Mason no, I turned around and nodded.
“I would like that. Sounds nice. I’ll go put the chicken in the oven.”
“Great. I’ll be back. I’ve gotta get this thin set off my fingers before it dries all the way.”
I nodded and turned back to the sink. I stuck my hands under the faucet and began scrubbing the excess thin set off my hands as well. There wasn’t much of it since I’d worn gloves while applying most of the material.
Maybe this would be good… to go down there with someone who had no idea about what took place in the cove might be healthy.
Maybe if I did it now, I wouldn’t need to go back again.
But I would need to go back before I left. I had made a promise to my father and I would honor that promise no matter how painful.
So yes. This would be a good preemptive run before I needed to say goodbye to Forgotten Cove forever.
I heard Mason finish up in the guest powder room, but he hadn’t returned yet. I quickly added all the ingredients into the baking dish and covered it with tinfoil before washing my hands again and putting the dish into the oven.
I could handle this. I ran away once from Forgotten Cove. The least I could do was honor my father’s dying wish before running again.
I put the timer on and went to look for Mason. Wandering down the hall, my heart stopped when I saw Mason holding a picture—a picture of my sister and me in Forgotten Cove. It was the very last summer we had together.
He heard me behind and turned around slowly. I stepped inside the guest bedroom where the photo had been propped on a night table.
“I didn’t know you are a twin too,” he said, placing the frame back on the table.
I nodded and took another step forward, glancing at the picture. I’d done such a good job of ignoring it.
“I was a twin,” I said, my voice hitched unexpectedly.
I glanced at Mason and his gaze filled with a different kind of compassion, a kind only someone who was a twin would understand.
“Is she why you can’t be here?” he asked, after a few seconds of silence.
He took a step forward, narrowing the space between us.
“Partly,” I whispered, unsure of what I was going to tell him.
I’d never planned on getting this far, but I silently begged him not to ask for her name. I hadn’t uttered it since the day I found out she was gone.
He inhaled a deep breath and an expression ran through his gaze that I didn’t recognize, maybe quiet resignation mixed with sorrow.
One of the things I’d hoped when I returned was that I wouldn’t run into many that knew my family’s story, and for those who did, that they wouldn’t bring it up. I had never planned on getting close enough to someone where I felt I needed to explain, but as I looked into Mason’s eyes I wondered if maybe my plans needed to change.
I didn’t know.
“Is that why you left here?” he asked, snapping me out of my fog.
“It is.” I took a seat on the bed and looked around the room.
My eyes settling on everything that had been so perfectly placed by my mother and never touched by my father. The wooden replica of the “HMS Victory” sat on top the chest of drawers. Even in miniature form, the grand size of the old warship was obvious. The blue and white striped curtains were drawn closed, and the oversized, red pillows were stacked in a large basket in the corner. My mom loved to decorate and this had been one of the first rooms she’d tackled. I drew my finger along the white quilt and sighed.
“If you don’t feel up to anymore tonight or going to the cove…” his voice trailed off.
“Thanks.” I looked around the room once more and then back at Mason. ”I don’t come in here much.”
Mason nodded.
“But I think a walk down the trail to Forgotten Cove is exactly what I need.”
He held out his hand and I grabbed it. Feeling the strength of his grip as he hoisted me from the bed made me somehow feel comforted, like maybe I wasn’t as alone as I believed.
But only time would tell, and I didn’t have much before summer would be gone as quickly as it came.
The temperature had dropped significantly from the high of the warm summer day. Being on the island allowed sea breezes to blow in and lower the summer temperatures to a comfortable existence. I enjoyed the crispness here compared to the muggy summers I’d encountered back in Skaneateles.
I zipped up my hoodie as Mason started walking down the driveway.
“Hey, there’s a shortcut from our property as long as it’s not overgrown. It’s a little steep, but it’s a whole lot faster.”
“Really. You want me to live to see my thirtieth birthday? That’s interesting,” Mason said. His smile was tentative, but I could tell he was relieved not to walk on the road. It was always a little dicey trundling along the gravel shoulder to get to Forgotten Cove. The road was a forty-mile per hour road, but most went the speed they chose and that was never slower.
“I guess it is kind of interesting.” My brow furrowed. “Who knew I’d get so fond of you?”
Mason’s laughter echoed through the air, and I felt like the friendship between us was something I’d treasure for the rest of my life. And no matter what my heart wanted, it would remain a friendship. I walked along the side of the house with Mason right next to me. I spotted the start of the trail and my pace quickened. I braced myself for the grief to wash over me, but it didn’t come. I glanced at Mason who’d fallen behind and wondered if he was the reason why I managed to conquer the first part of this journey without breaking down into tears.
Sea grass had grown into the trail, but the path was still visible as was the butterfly garden my mom had planted down the hill so many years ago. I slowed as I took in the beautiful surroundings. There was a wrought iron bench in the far corner, and the flower garden itself was boxed in on three sides with rhodod
endrons and wild lilacs to shield it from any wind that might interfere with the butterflies’ feeding. Wind could be a butterfly’s worst enemy. It took a lot of sugar to keep those wings flapping in bad weather.
“This is a beautiful garden,” Mason said, coming up behind me.
“It was my mom’s butterfly garden. She planned every single inch of it and planted it the first summer she was here. Each detail was thought out with such precision my dad thought she’d gone mad. She made sure the hedge she planted to block wind wouldn’t block any sunlight since butterflies drink from flowers that are grown in full sun. And she only planted flowers that were in festive colors because she was sure butterflies only enjoyed being somewhere that happiness grew naturally.”
A brilliant orange monarch butterfly flew into a thicket of milkweed that I was surprised to see blooming. My mother had hunted those milkweed seeds down and even though it wasn’t meant to grow in our part of Washington, she managed to get it rooted quickly. I hadn’t expected it to last all these years without her nurturing it the way she had.
“I guess my mom’s theory was pretty accurate.”
“Aren’t monarchs in the milkweed category?” Mason asked.
I spun around surprised that he knew butterfly categorization and saw the glimmer in his eyes. No one knew that. I only knew it because my mom pounded it into me.
“Yeah…something like that.” I narrowed my eyes at him and he grinned. “How’d you know that?”
“I don’t give off the impression I’m into butterflies and bird-watching?”
“Actually, no. I don’t take you for a unicorn or rainbow kind of guy either,” I laughed, turning my attention back to the butterfly garden.
“There,” he replied, pointing at a hot pink lupine. Inside was another beautiful butterfly, but I didn’t know the type. It was black with a speckling of white spots and a red band across each wing. I’d never seen one like it, but it was striking.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
“It’s a Red Admiral.”
He rested his hand on my shoulder and a charge ran through me. A collision of emotions rattled my insides as my gaze stayed focused on the bright yellow yarrow, blue sea holly, and bleeding hearts that filled the overgrown garden. I pondered how in the world the sexiest contractor alive knew so much about butterflies of all things, and why he was interested in me. I didn’t mean that in a bout of self-loathing, but I was curious what in the world drew him to me?
Finding Love in Forgotten Cove (Island County Series Book 1) Page 8
