“No, everything isn’t okay.”
Kayla was exhausted. All she wanted to do was go upstairs and crawl under the covers, but her sister needed her.
“What happened?” she asked.
“I went out with Jordan again. We were having the best time until he blurted out that although he loves Bella Cove, he isn’t sure he could move here. His law firm won’t let him work from home.”
“Then what happened?” Kayla asked.
Lauren blew out air. “I flipped out. I told him we should break up. I have no intention of moving to Manhattan, and if he can’t move here, I might as well break things off with him now before I become even more attached.”
Kayla grabbed her sister’s hand and squeezed it. “It seems you’re pretty attached already.”
“I am,” Lauren admitted. “I realize I barely know him, but we’ve spoken on the phone every day for hours on end.”
“Lauren, we’ve talked about this. The city isn’t far away. We can visit you, and you can visit us.”
“But I don’t want to leave Bella Cove. I love it here.”
“Your dream is to be married, and I think you have a real chance with Jordan.” He was the first man her sister had liked in a long time. Kayla didn’t want Lauren to lose what might be her one opportunity at true love.
Lauren slumped back in the chair. “No, my dream is to be married to a man and live in Bella Cove forever. I love both ideas equally. If I marry and leave Bella Cove, I’ll only have half my dream. I’d be miserable.”
“How did Jordan react?”
“He was devastated. He told me not to give up on us. That he’d figure out a way to make it work.”
“And what did you say to that?” Kayla asked.
“I said that was fine, but between you and me, we’re doomed.”
Kayla pushed the hair out of Lauren’s eyes. “I wouldn’t give up hope if I were you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked softly.
“I’d trust Jordan. If you’re truly meant to be, then he’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.”
“He’s not going to quit his job, Kayla. He’s happy there,” Lauren said.
Kayla shrugged. “Maybe not, but let’s see what he is willing to do. I think he’ll fight for you. I think he’ll want to be with you no matter what.”
Lauren sniffed back tears. “How do you know that? We’ve only just started dating.”
Kayla stroked her sister’s hair gently. “I have a feeling. That’s all. Just don’t give up on him. Let’s see what he’s made of. Do you trust him, Lauren?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“Then trust he’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.”
Lauren sighed. “Thanks, sis. You always make me feel better.” She gave Kayla a quick kiss on the cheek. “Are you coming in and going to sleep?”
Kayla sighed. “In a few minutes. I’d like to enjoy the peace and quiet out here for a bit more.”
“Which you were doing, until I ruined it.”
They both laughed, and then Lauren went inside and up the stairs to her bedroom. Hearing about Jordan kept Kayla outside thinking. If he was willing to do everything and anything to keep Lauren, why hadn’t Gabe? True, she was the one who had left him, but he knew where she lived. Why hadn’t he fought for her? Love was a two-way street, after all.
Kayla rocked back and forth, pondering that idea for a few more minutes before she thought she’d fall asleep again. So she stood, took one more glance at the breathtaking bay with the moon reflecting off the water, and then walked inside and upstairs to her room, closing the door behind her.
When Kayla opened her walk-in closet, she paused. She had a small dresser on the back wall. The second drawer held the pictures of different wedding ideas she’d had when Gabe was saving up for a ring. She opened the drawer, took them out, and held them close to her heart. After Gabe and she stopped speaking, she viewed these pictures as her lost dream. But maybe her dream wasn’t lost after all.
Chapter Fourteen
Kayla arrived at the rock exactly the same time as yesterday, but Gabe beat her to it.
“I thought you’d get lost,” she said, extending one of two iced coffees she’d brought with her to Gabe.
“No, smartass.” He took the cup out of her hand. “Thanks for this.” He took off the straw wrapper and took a sip. “It will go with what I brought.”
Kayla hadn’t paid attention to the rock. She’d only noticed the gorgeous man in jeans and a black polo shirt standing next to it. When she looked down, she saw he’d laid out a blue blanket. On top of the blanket was a picnic basket.
She couldn’t help but smile. “Are we having a morning picnic?”
“Come see for yourself.” He held out his hand to help her sit.
She took it only so she could hold his hand. The physical contact alone, even as innocent as it was, caused goosebumps to erupt on her skin.
He raised his eyebrow as she got comfortable on the blanket, making sure to push down her white skirt.
“Cold?” he asked.
Kayla chuckled. “No.” She hadn’t let go of his hand yet. “I like the feel of your hand.”
Gabe smiled in that charming way she loved. He squeezed her hand before releasing it.
So much for that, Kayla thought.
“So…what did you bring?” she asked.
She watched Gabe open the picnic basket.
“I’ll open it, but you can’t make fun of me.”
Kayla smiled softly. “I’d never do that.”
“Oh, yes, you would.” He took out a paper plate and put two square pieces of crumb cake on it. “I made these myself. When I was at your house a few weeks back, your mom made a crumb cake. Do you remember?”
“I remember.” She remembered every detail of their time together since he’d shown up in her life again.
“Well, your mom said crumb cake was your favorite.”
Kayla licked her lips. “It is. I love crumb cake.”
Gabe chuckled. “So…my mom also loves it. In fact, when I was growing up, she made it her mission to bake every crumb cake recipe in the entire world until she found the one she liked best.”
Kayla put her hands on her hips. “Gabe Wademan, are you trying to tell me my mom’s recipe wasn’t the best?”
Gabe chuckled again. Kayla adored the sound.
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to say. And you’ll agree once you’ve tried my mom’s. She’s made this recipe so many times, I know how to make it by heart. Are you tempted?” He broke off a piece of the cake and held it right under her nose.
Kayla inhaled the delicious smell. “Yes, I’m tempted.” Although what she really wanted to taste was his finger that was so close to her mouth. All she had to do was stick out her tongue. But she resisted. He’d said baby steps, after all.
Gabe moved the piece even closer. Kayla opened her mouth and ate the piece out of his hand. Her tongue “accidentally” touched the side of his finger.
The second the cake was in her mouth, she moaned. The crumbs melted on her tongue. She loved her mom’s, but his version had even more brown sugar and butter added to it.
When she swallowed, she looked into his twinkling eyes. “This is the best damn cake I’ve ever tasted.”
He grabbed the back of her neck and pecked her hard on the lips. Then he licked her bottom lip before pulling away.
“I had to get some sugar off your lips.”
Kayla smiled. “Uh-huh.”
He handed her another piece, and she took it.
“Mmmmm, I’m impressed with your baking skills,” she said once her mouth wasn’t full.
He sipped the iced coffee and took a bite of cake, too. “So do you think it’s better than your mom’s?”
She took another piece of the cake. “It is, but if you tell her, I’ll deny it.”
Gabe laughed. “I promise, I won’t tell her. But I have to admit, your mom makes incredible brownies.”
“She really does.” Thinking about her mom made her think of what she had said about Nana last night. Part of Kayla wished she could be in denial about it. But another part felt as if she was in mourning over her grandparents’ love for each other.
“Hey, Kayla,” he said. “Where’d you go?”
Kayla blinked. “Sorry.” She sighed. “My mom told me some seriously disturbing news last night.”
Gabe sat up a little straighter. “Is everything okay?”
She took a sip of the iced coffee. “Yes and no,” she began. “Can I tell you a secret? And you won’t tell anyone?”
He grinned. “Well, I already promised I wouldn’t tell your mom that my mom’s crumb cake is better, so what’s one more secret?”
She smiled softly. “Mom told me last night that my nana cheated on my grandfather. It was only one time. But I don’t know what to do with the information.”
He grabbed Kayla’s hand and moved his thumb along her palm. “What do you want to do?”
“I mean, I don’t know where to place it. All I know is that I feel such a loss. Almost as if Nana cheated on me.”
Gabe nodded while continuing to move his thumb in slow circles. “That makes sense. You looked up to their love for each other. You always said they were your example of true love. Once you even said you aspired to have a love just like they had.”
She glanced at his eyes, which were filled with warmth. “I did,” she whispered. “I do.”
“Cheating is a huge deal. But there had to be a pretty big reason for why she was intimate with another man.”
“I know there was.”
She looked down at her iced coffee until Gabe lifted her chin.
“And they stayed together afterward.”
She nodded.
“Love can be messy, Kayla. Love can be ugly. But no matter what happened, they found a way to get through it. Their love overcame her being with another man.” He paused and then said, “So let them still inspire you. Still use them as an example of what you want for yourself. And trust your nana cheated for an important reason.”
Kayla put her iced coffee on the rock and then threw her arms around Gabe, holding him tight. Gabe moved his coffee out of the way and hugged her back. He maneuvered so her head rested against his chest. They both turned to look toward the bay, gazing out at all the boats in the water.
“Our love is messy,” she whispered.
“It is.” Gabe paused, then kissed her on top of her head. “Baby steps, Kayla. Baby steps.”
Kayla briefly closed her eyes and inhaled his intoxicating scent. After a few minutes, Gabe rocked her back and forth, just like the boats. She’d never felt so safe and peaceful in her life. That feeling was what she remembered from their time together at school. Being in his strong arms always made her feel as if everything would be okay.
They must have stayed like that for minutes, hours, Kayla had no idea, until Gabe glanced at his watch.
“Our hour is up. Unfortunately, it’s time to go to work.” Gabe kissed her on the top of her head again before breaking their hug.
Kayla smiled wide. “Thank you for the crumb cake and for cheering me up.”
“My pleasure. Would you like the remainder of your piece?”
She grabbed it off the plate. “How could I refuse?” She put tissue she’d found in her purse around the treat and placed it inside.
Gabe put his piece in the picnic basket and stood. Kayla followed and picked up the blanket they’d sat on and folded it.
“I’d forgotten how good you are at folding. You used to fold all of our laundry.”
She handed him the blanket and then picked up their iced coffees. “I have to admit, I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to folding.”
Gabe chuckled as he put the blanket under his arm and grabbed his coffee out of her hand. “I remember that, too.”
They walked in silence until they reached Main Street.
“I’m actually going up to my house to meet with a builder before I go to my office,” he said.
“Oh, okay,” she said, as she shifted on her feet. “Thanks for meeting me.”
She turned to walk in the opposite direction, but Gabe grabbed her elbow and moved them behind one of the stores.
“But I’m not leaving until I do this.” He dropped the blanket and the picnic basket, being careful not to drop his coffee, too, and pulled Kayla toward him.
When they kissed this time, it was no peck. His tongue slid inside her mouth, and she sucked on his tongue until her lips meshed with his. Sexual tension that had been out of control between them came to a head. Kayla kissed him with all the tension she felt inside, and he kissed her back the same way.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone walking close enough that any second they would see them, and reluctantly, she stepped back. Gabe turned his head and saw the man passing.
He chuckled under his breath. “I should have kissed you by the rock, instead.”
“Next time,” she said, before biting her bottom lip.
He nodded. “Next time.” Then he picked up his stuff and walked away.
Kayla closed her eyes and sighed. Her love was messy just like Nana and Pop’s. With the feeling of Gabe’s lips still on hers, Kayla thought maybe her and Gabe’s love would survive…just like her grandparents’ had. A girl could certainly wish.
When Kayla made it back to the store, she was ready to do something. So she walked into the storage room and looked around. Getting the room ready for their classes required a lot of work. She might as well start unpacking some of the newer toys that had recently come in. Maybe that would get her mind off Gabe’s beautiful lips.
* * *
An hour later, Kayla was sweating and covered with dust when she heard someone come into the store. Her heart instantly beat faster, and a sudden burst of hope lit up inside her.
“Hello?”
Kayla sighed, her excitement deflating like a burst balloon. Not that she wasn’t happy to see Melody. Kayla missed her friend terribly, but she had hoped to see Gabe. She had just seen him an hour ago and she already craved him. How pathetic was she?
“Hi, Melody,” Kayla said, striding toward her friend, smiling with honest joy. “I’m sweaty and gross from working in the storage room, but can I give you a hug?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Melody laughed and gave Kayla a hug.
“I missed you,” Kayla said, as she blinked back tears and wished she wasn’t so damn emotional lately.
“Me, too, honey. Now, let me look at you.” Melody stepped back and looked Kayla up and down. “You have a light about you that I’ve never seen before, but you also don’t look happy. Are you miserable that I made you take over the store?”
“You didn’t make me take over the store. I wanted to.” Kayla smiled.
Melody rolled her eyes. “Whatever. But on a serious note, are you glad you took over this place?”
Kayla thought about that for a second. “I am glad. I was a little nervous at first that I wouldn’t be able to fill your shoes, but so far, none of the customers or vendors seem to be complaining.”
Melody placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, please, what’s there to complain about? You pretty much ran the place when I was here anyway. They’re used to you.”
Kayla smiled again. “Thank you. So…what about you? Why aren’t you traveling the world?”
“We were away for over a week and my homing device kicked in. I missed Bella Cove, so I told Harry we should stay home for a few days, do the laundry, clean the house, make sure you’re doing okay, and then fly away again. He agreed.”
“Thanks for making me part of your excuse to come home.” Kayla laughed.
“It worked! Now, tell me why you have that look on your face. Have you been working too hard?”
Kayla walked to the register desk and started cleaning it. She grabbed the dust rag on the counter and began dusting everything and anything she could get her hands on.
There was no way she’d tell her friend what was going on with her and Gabe, especially when she was trying to figure it out herself.
“No, not at all. I asked my sisters to come and work here with me.” Kayla paused. She must look like a crazy lady, cleaning like mad. “Would you like to sit down? I can bring you a chair. I hope you don’t mind me cleaning.”
“No, I’m fine. Do whatever you need to do. So, you hired your sisters? How are you paying them? I know it’s not my business anymore, but I’m concerned for you,” Melody said.
Kayla grabbed one children’s book at a time and dusted them.
“I’m taking less of a salary.”
Melody opened her mouth as if to argue.
“I know what you’re going to say, but it has been great with them here. Sarah has never been able to hold down a job. She’s always gotten too bored. But she loves it here. I knew she would, and she’s been thinking of creative ways to enhance the store. And Lauren always walked around miserable because she wasn’t married. On one of her first days here, she met a man.”
“Really? Who?” Melody’s eyes grew wide.
“His name is Jordan. He was on his way to the Hamptons, and he needed to buy a toy, so Google sent him here.”
Melody clapped her hands. “I love it. I remember you telling me you hoped Lauren would meet someone. The fact it happened at Magical Toys brings tears to my eyes.” Melody was always such a romantic. “But I still don’t like that you had to take a pay cut in order to help your sisters. You’re too nice, Kayla. One day, it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass.”
Kayla smiled. Melody always told it like it was. “I like making others happy.”
Melody snorted. “I know you do, but for once, I’d like to see you make yourself happy.”
“I am happy,” Kayla said softly.
“You can fool your family, Kayla, but you can’t fool me.”
Unable to look at Melody, Kayla looked at the book she was dusting.
“I’m okay, Melody,” she said.
“A second ago, you said you were happy; so, which one is it? Are you happy or just okay?”
Kayla sighed. “I’m happy.”
Bella Cove_A Second Chance Romance Page 16
