Bella Cove_A Second Chance Romance

by Rochelle Katzman

  “Are you forgiving me?” she asked.

  Gabe looked at her, and at first, he didn’t answer. And she wanted him to, badly. More than anything, she needed to hear that he had forgiven everything she had done to them. Not knowing what else to do, she placed both her hands on his cheeks. He gently brushed them away and took a small step back.

  “No,” he said. “I wanted you by my side while they were divorcing. I was without my partner.”

  Kayla’s heart sank. Her family had wanted her here, too.

  He shook his head. “But we were also friends. And as an old friend, I’m concerned about you. Maybe you can guide your family, but you can’t solve their problems. Only they can do that. But you can work on solving your own.”

  “I know,” she said defensively.

  They stared at each other for another moment, and then Gabe turned, walked down her porch steps, and headed back to his property. They didn’t say goodbye, and Kayla never even had a chance to ask him to come inside. Even if she had, she was certain he wouldn’t have accepted the invitation. He’d admitted he hadn’t forgiven her. Maybe he had no intention of ever forgiving her. In one of her psych classes, she’d learned it was healthier to forgive the other person, as the issue would only eat away at your insides and not the other person’s. But she’d have to disagree. Gabe not forgiving her was definitely eating her up inside and was probably bothering her more than it bothered him.

  Kayla locked the door and then turned around. She could have sworn she heard footsteps, but maybe she was wrong. She would have known if it was one of her sisters. They would have run up to Gabe. And her mom wouldn’t be leaving the guest suite until tomorrow. That left Josh. Even if he had heard her and Gabe talking, he wouldn’t care. All he wanted was a car. He didn’t seem to care about anything else.

  Quickly, Kayla climbed the stairs before something else happened that required her attention. She passed Josh’s door on the way to hers and saw it was open. He’d probably been on his way into the kitchen to grab some dinner when he’d heard them talking. She should talk to her brother to see what he’d heard and to ask him to keep it quiet. But it didn’t matter. Out of all her siblings, she cared the least about Josh knowing her history with Gabe. He was too preoccupied with his own problems to stick his nose into hers.

  Kayla went into her room and closed the door behind her. She walked to her window to close the curtains and froze. Gabe was standing on his property staring out into the bay. What was he thinking? Did he miss the two of them? Was he even thinking about her? She wished she could read his mind.

  Kayla smiled to herself. The moon was making him glow. He ran his hands through his hair, and her smile slipped. He only did that when he was frustrated. She was sure she was the cause. But if he wasn’t ready or open to forgive her, her hands were tied. There wasn’t anything else she could do.

  A deep urge to touch him consumed her, so she raised her arm, as if by doing so, she could reach him. And that was the moment he turned and looked toward her window. She was sure he saw her. He didn’t wave, and neither did she. Although they were separated by a great distance, the intensity between them felt so strong he might as well have been standing in her room. If only she could see the expression in his eyes. Then she would have a better idea of what was going on in his head. But even with him so far away, her body heated up and tingled. He always did have that effect on her.

  Gabe turned around and walked away. Probably a good thing because Kayla had been seconds away from running back down the stairs, out the door, and across the grass so she could throw her arms around him and beg him to try to at least give them another chance. But it was too late now.

  She wasn’t even sure when she’d see him again—the rent wasn’t due for another month, but she’d try to think of an excuse. He may be able to ignore her, but she sure couldn’t stop thinking about him. Tomorrow was a new day in Bella Cove, and anything could happen. Miracles happened here every day, just as she’d toasted the other night at dinner. She and Gabe were a miracle. She’d never thought she’d see him again and look what had happened.

  Tonight, she’d learned something valuable. Although he said he’d wanted her to be there for him when his parents were getting divorced, he’d also needed her. And she hadn’t been there for him. She’d abandoned him because she’d chosen not to abandon her family. This explained why he gave her that damn ultimatum. If Kayla had only known what he was dealing with, she would have made a different choice. Maybe she would have stayed a week with him and then a week with her family. She wasn’t sure, but she would have done something.

  Well, this changed everything. He had said baby steps. Kayla wasn’t going to give him baby steps. Nope. She was going all in. Two years ago, she’d abandoned him, but there was no way she’d ever do that to him again. Unfortunately, she couldn’t change the past, but she could make up for the hurt she’d caused him. While her family went through hell, she’d learned she was stronger than she’d thought. As of tonight, with the moon as her witness, she decided not to give up and to fight for the man she loved.

  Chapter Twelve

  When Kayla arrived at the shop early the next morning, she was on a new mission—making Gabe understand that she didn’t plan to abandon him ever again. After obsessing over it all night, she’d come to the conclusion she had to show Gabe she was still fun to be around. That would be the first step.

  She glanced out the window about a hundred times, watching for him to arrive at his office. Around seven, Kayla saw him parking his black SUV in front. As he stepped out of his car, Kayla grabbed her purse, ran out of the store, locked the door quickly, and shouted his name. “Gabe?”

  As he was putting the key in the door, Kayla ran across the street, careful not to be hit by a car.

  “Gabe,” she shouted again.

  Finally, she got his attention.

  “Hey,” he said right before stepping inside. “Is everything okay?”

  She loved how concerned he sounded. “Everything’s okay. Do you have a meeting within the next hour or something you need to be doing?”

  Gabe chuckled. “There’s always something I need to be doing.”

  Kayla smiled. “Let me ask this differently. Gabe Wademan, would you like to spend the next hour with me?”

  Gabe raised his eyebrow. “Just you and me? Alone?”

  She laughed. “Just us. There’s a special place in Bella Cove I’d like to show you. It’s a sacred spot, and even if you paid to go on the East End tour bus, they wouldn’t stop there.”

  Kayla could tell he was checking her out. His gaze roamed down her body. She’d chosen a navy-blue sundress with spaghetti straps, an outfit that showed off her cleavage, just for him. He’d told her at school that he loved her in navy because it brought out the depth in her eyes.

  Gabe sighed. “I think you’re up to something, but you also have me intrigued. Come on. Let’s go. I have a free hour, but then I have a meeting with the manager of an apartment building my grandfather owned. He’s coming all the way out from the city—I don’t want to be late for him.” He locked his door and put his keys into his pocket.

  Kayla smiled wider. “Deal. I’ll show you the spot, and I’ll make sure I return you in exactly an hour.” Without thinking, she grabbed his hand. “I’ll lead.”

  She hadn’t realized they were still holding hands until they were crossing the street. Instead of removing her hand, she gripped his tighter, waiting for him to say something negative or to pull away. But he didn’t.

  She led him through an alleyway, a shortcut to the bay. Neither spoke—Kayla wasn’t sure what to say. She’d figure she’d wing it when they reached the spot. All she knew was that she refused to have a serious conversation. They’d had enough of those.

  When they reached the bay, she went left.

  “You’re taking me to the bay? I’ve been here before,” he said.

  Kayla noted a drop of disappointment in his voice. “Don’t worry. I promise you�
��ll love where I’m taking you.” She wasn’t lying. This was her favorite spot.

  The bay took a sharp turn, and the path came to an end, but Kayla kept going. They walked through a small field, which ended by a forest.

  “We’re walking through here,” she said, glancing back at Gabe.

  He looked wary. Kayla couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Don’t worry. We may run into a deer, but other than that, we’re pretty safe.”

  “You said pretty safe. You didn’t say very safe or even just safe. What if we run into a bear?”

  She laughed harder. “Don’t be a pussy,” she said, pulling him along.

  “Did you just call me a pussy?”

  Kayla turned and looked at him. His eyes twinkled.

  “Yes, I believe I did.”

  “You’ll pay for that, Kayla Conway.”

  She smiled wide. “I look forward to it.”

  The trees ended, and the bay sat right in front of them. Several medium-sized rocks by the water led to a larger rock.

  “We’re here,” she said, releasing his hand and climbing the smaller rocks until she reached her favorite. “I’d like to introduce you to Kayla’s Rock.”

  “Kayla’s Rock,” he echoed, smirking.

  “Yes. It’s my rock. If you don’t believe me, look.” She pointed to the side of the rock that faced away from the water.

  Gabe bent down, squinting. “You carved your name?”

  “I did,” she said proudly. “When I was a little girl, my brothers and sisters and I used to play hide and seek around Bella Cove. We played until my mom found out and yelled at us. You see, playing hide and seek around your yard isn’t as much fun when you can play it all over town.”

  “You’d be much harder to find.”

  Kayla smiled. “Exactly. I’m glad you understand.”

  He nodded, and his eyes twinkled again.

  Kayla continued. “So one day, while we were playing, I found this rock. I fell in love with it instantly. Not because it was a rock, but because it was large enough for me to sit on and even take a nap if I wanted to.”

  “Were you into naps?”

  “Considering my brothers and sisters would sneak into my room at all hours of the night, playing practical jokes on me, I was tired. So, yes, I was into naps.”

  Gabe chuckled as she made room on the rock for him.

  “Would you like to sit?” she asked.

  There was more than enough room for both of them, but she could see his trepidation. She watched him checking out where they were, looking at the trees, the rocks, the boats, and the houses in the distance.

  “It’s private here.”

  Kayla put her hands on her hips. “Are you afraid to be alone with me, Gabe Wademan?”

  Gabe chuckled as he shook his head. “Maybe.” He sat down next to her anyway.

  There really was enough room for both of them, but suddenly, Kayla thought the rock felt smaller. “Was that so hard?” she asked.

  “Yes. You may have changed on the inside, but you’re more gorgeous than ever on the outside.”

  Kayla had no idea how to respond. If she did, it could lead to another serious conversation, and she hadn’t brought him out here for that. She looked down at her dress, which had ridden up. Only her thigh was exposed, but she didn’t want Gabe to think she purposely sat that way.

  “Sorry,” she said, pushing down the dress. “This is how I sat when I was a little girl.”

  Gabe was staring at her thigh. He swallowed hard. It was good to know he was as attracted to her as she was to him. That part hadn’t seemed to have died. If anything, their attraction was stronger than ever.

  He cleared his throat. “So…when did you carve your name?”

  “I was about ten when I found the rock. I was so proud. We started hide and seek on the other side of the bay. When I saw the trees, I ran through them, not knowing what to expect. I remember how excited I felt. As the trees ended, I saw all this. It was the most beautiful spot I’d ever seen. And I felt like it was my discovery. I walked over to this rock and sat down. I sat here for at least an hour, or at least it felt that long. It was so peaceful that I decided I didn’t want my siblings to find me here. I didn’t want them to take this sacred spot away from me. When you live with two sisters and two brothers, there’s always chaos. That was the first time I felt utterly at peace.

  “So I left this spot and let them find me on the other side of the trees. I’ve come here ever since. Especially when I need to think. One day, when I was visiting my dad at the furniture factory, I found a small knife. I knew exactly how to put it to good use. So I told my dad I was going to the library—but came here instead and carved Kayla’s Rock, claiming it officially as my own. Out of every place in Bella Cove, this one spot feels like mine.”

  He nodded as he grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Did you come here a few weeks ago when we were having a conversation at your store and you saw Sarah about to come in?”

  She smiled softly. “I did.”

  He stroked her inner palm with his thumb. “I wondered where you went.”

  Gabe stared at her while continuing to massage her palm. Kayla shifted a little on the rock. Why did it feel as if his eyes were penetrating her soul?

  With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and took out a pocket knife.

  “I found this in my grandfather’s desk drawer. I was bringing it to the office to fix a cabinet that seems to be stuck.” He released Kayla’s hand and bent down to where she’d carved her name. Slowly, he used the knife to carve something, too.

  “What are you writing?” she asked.

  “Come look for yourself.”

  Kayla scooted forward and then bent down next to him. She gasped. Underneath her name, he’d carved the word “and,” then underneath that, “Gabe’s Rock.” It now read, “Kayla’s Rock and Gabe’s Rock.”

  Her heartbeat quickened, and she felt as if a butterfly jumped in her stomach. “I didn’t say you could claim part of my rock.” She smiled wide.

  He smiled back. “Kayla Conway, may I claim part of your rock?”

  She laughed. “Yes, Gabe Wademan. You may.” She wanted to tell him he could claim anything he wanted of hers because he’d already claimed what mattered most—her heart.

  Kayla walked Gabe back to Main Street exactly an hour later as promised. She couldn’t remember the last time she had such a great morning. The only part she didn’t like was when he’d dropped her off at her store and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She didn’t expect him to give her a kiss like he had outside his car, but a peck on the lips would have sufficed.

  Apparently, he knew she was upset because he chuckled. “Remember, Kayla. Baby steps.”

  She rolled her eyes before opening the door. But she turned before he walked away. “If it weren’t for your damn sexy lips, that wouldn’t be a problem.”

  Gabe didn’t say anything back. He just laughed and shook his head.

  Kayla could hear him laughing all the way back to his office. She wasn’t sure exactly what he felt was so funny. She was telling the truth. He had the sexiest lips she’d ever seen. But she couldn’t think about them right now. She had to catch up on her morning routine of straightening the toys and responding to her email. Late last night, she’d gotten an email from one of her vendors who had sent her a toy shipment late, which meant there was an empty space on the girls’ shelf, ages nine through twelve. She would have to think of a way to fix that.

  Melody would have freaked out over something like that, but Kayla worked differently. She never sweated the small stuff. After watching her mom freak out over every little thing, Kayla had decided to roll with life and take certain things in stride.

  Her first task was dusting off the toys, so she grabbed a rag and started on the little animal figures. When she reached down to the second shelf filled with horses and cows, the front door opened. At first, she thought it was Sarah, arriving early, but it was Jessica.

  �
�Hi!” Kayla put down the dust rag and ran to give her sister-in-law a huge hug.

  “Hi.” Jessica hugged her back. “I hope you don’t mind me coming here so early, but I don’t have to be at work for another twenty minutes.”

  Kayla was surprised to see Jessica but was more concerned with how nervous she appeared.

  “No problem. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

  Jessica inhaled. “This may sound strange, but your friend Erica—who’s the best acupuncturist ever, by the way—recommended I buy a small baby toy and place it under my pillow at night. She believes it’ll help me to manifest a baby.”

  “And do you believe it will?” Kayla asked.

  Jessica laughed. “I’m open to anything. I really want to get pregnant.”

  Kayla smiled. “Well, I believe it.”

  “You do?” Jessica grinned.

  “Erica knows what she’s talking about. If she suggests you do it, I think it’s a great idea.”

  Jessica looked visibly relieved. “Okay, I felt funny telling you.”

  Kayla rolled her eyes. “Oh, honey, I’ve heard it all. Whatever gives you hope is what I believe in. If I wanted to have a baby, I’d do the exact same thing.”

  “Erica said when I look at it, I should visualize my baby.”

  “I think that’s a great idea, too. Let’s go to the baby section and you can pick out a toy.”

  Jessica grabbed her arm. “Thank you, Kayla. Your help means a lot to me. And I wanted you to know I told Matt about this, and he thought it was a fantastic idea, too.”

  Kayla smiled. “Then let’s have some fun picking out the perfect toy.”

  Kayla spent the next fifteen minutes with Jessica. After her sister-in-law had chosen a toy and left the store, Kayla imagined herself buying a toy for her own baby. At one time, she had wanted four children. Now, she didn’t think she’d have any. She heard someone say that either you were meant to take care of adults or you were meant to take care of children. Kayla must have been meant to take care of adults because her family was a huge amount of work. Still, it would be nice if she could have both.