He folded the flaps of the box and kicked it away, then grabbed an empty one and filled it mindlessly. He was acting like a petulant child but couldn’t seem to help himself. “Who with?”
She went back to work. “I don’t think you know him. His name’s Tully.”
The name stopped him, a blender balanced in his hands. “Tully Sullivan?” His tone was sharp, but he was ticked.
She tossed him a glance. “You know him?”
He wanted to add that everyone knew Tully, or at least knew about him. The man was a player. Scott, who hung out at Tully’s bar, told Landon the man hit on anything in a skirt. And Landon thought he’d been arrested several years prior on assault charges.
“You could say that,” he said instead. He didn’t know which bothered him worse: the thought of Sam being preyed on by that jerk or the fact that Sam had chosen Tully over him.
He latched onto the latter thought. Sure, the guy had looks going for him, but he was a jerk. Is that the kind of man Sam wanted? He shoved the blender into the box and kicked it to the side. It was lighter than he thought, and it ricocheted off the refrigerator.
He had so much more to offer Sam. She deserved better than Tully, couldn’t she see that?
He tried to remember the nature of the assault charges filed against Tully. The details were vague. It seemed like a woman had filed them, though. He didn’t want Sam alone with a man like that.
He attempted a calm tone. “He’s not a good man, Sam.” An understatement at best.
Sam lifted her chin. “He seemed nice enough to me.”
“Of course he did—he was hitting on you.”
“Is that really what’s bugging you?”
Landon stood. “I’m not kidding. He had assault charges against him awhile back.”
“Really. What for?”
He put a hand against the countertop and leaned into it. “I don’t remember exactly.”
Sam turned away, emptying the cabinet of glasses.
“He’s bad news.”
“It’ll be fine. We’re just going out on his boat for the day. Broad daylight.”
“Doesn’t really matter if it’s broad daylight if there’s no one around for miles.”
She tucked the glasses into the box, working silently.
“And what about Caden?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll ask Miss Biddle to watch her.”
She had it all figured out. He’d offer to watch Caden himself, except he wasn’t about to enable the date.
Sam wasn’t sure how she expected Landon to respond, but this was a surprise. The way he leaned toward her, his brows shoved together, she knew he wasn’t going to let up.
“Don’t go, Sam. Call him and cancel.”
“I’m not canceling.”
“I don’t trust the guy.”
“Well, it’s not really your call, is it?”
He clenched his jaw and looked away.
For the first time, she wondered if there was any credence to the assault charges. Nantucket was a small community, and rumors could fly faster than a jet ski, but what if it was true? Maybe being alone on a boat with Tully wasn’t the smartest move. But she was eager to get out on the water, away from this place that smelled like Emmett. And she wanted Landon to forget about her. There were too many reasons they couldn’t be together. Reasons she couldn’t begin to explain.
Sam wasn’t sure she was capable of love, and she didn’t want to find out. He needed to find some nice girl who wasn’t damaged by life. Someone like Melanie.
“I’m serious, Sam. I don’t want you going out with the guy.”
His possessiveness hit a nerve. “Maybe you should come along and be our chaperone.” She was being sarcastic, but as the thought rolled off her tongue, she wondered if she’d hit upon something. “Seriously, why don’t you invite someone, and we’ll make it a double date.” It would relieve her anxiety about being alone with Tully and give Landon a chance to go out with someone else. She congratulated herself on the idea.
A myriad of emotions flickered over his face. “What?”
“I’m sure Tully wouldn’t care. You could ask Melanie—unless you had someone else in mind.”
His jaw muscles twitched. He studied her until she had to look away. She put the remaining bowls in the box and set it on the floor. “What do you think?”
“Melanie and I are just friends.”
Perhaps. But that could change given the right conditions. She shrugged. “Suit yourself.” Sam grabbed a fresh box for the cleaning supplies under the sink, but Landon blocked her way. “Excuse me.”
Landon moved aside, and she kneeled to empty the cabinet.
“You’re still planning to go?”
At this point, she wasn’t giving in even if she was wrong. “Yes.” If the word came out a little sharp, so be it. He was too stubborn for his own good. She’d given him an opportunity to fix things.
The room filled with silence except for the sounds of her loading the box. She heard Caden outside telling Max to fetch, then praising him.
“Fine. I’ll ask Melanie.”
It was what she wanted, so why did a pain start just under her left rib? She tipped her chin up. “Great,” she said with all the enthusiasm she could dredge up.
Twelve
“Oh my goodness, it’s like a yacht!” Melanie slid on her sunglasses.
“Not bad,” Sam said.
Landon’s prayer for rain on Saturday went unanswered. Instead, he found himself standing on the marina pier between Sam and Melanie while white puffy clouds drifted across a bright blue sky. The smell of dead fish and salt water lingered in the air.
When he called Melanie, he’d tried to make the invitation sound like a friendly outing with Sam and Tully instead of a double date, but she’d seen right through it.
“You still care for Sam, don’t you?” she’d asked.
Was he so transparent? Now he felt like a fool for asking her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called.”
There was a moment of silence. Landon cringed. He deserved to be told off.
“I have an idea,” she said. “Why don’t I go along on the outing anyway? Maybe seeing you with me will make Sam see what she’s missing.”
And that’s how the plan had been set in motion. Melanie was a sweetheart to do this for him.
Now, as he stood on the dock and watched the Ocean Alexander Flushdeck rock in the water, his legs trembled. Memories of the night Bailey drowned flashed like an omen in his mind, turning his stomach. Come on, Reed, pull it together.
“Hey, everyone.” Tully exited the cabin, ducking his head as he cleared the threshold. “Come aboard.” Tully helped Melanie, then he took hold of Sam’s hand.
The relaxed smile on her face hit Landon hard. She looked as carefree as a young girl. Why could Tully make her feel that way when he couldn’t?
“Welcome aboard Lady Love. You can have a seat on deck or join me on the flybridge. I’ll show you around once we get to Martha’s Vineyard.”
Landon took a seat on deck, as his legs seemed too unsteady to support him, then he put his arm along the rail. Melanie sat next to him, and Sam followed Tully up the few stairs to the flybridge.
Why had he thought he could go out to sea without the memories haunting him? He remembered the taste of salt in his mouth, the stinging of his eyes, and the feeling that his lungs would burst. He was ready to jump ashore, but the boat was already moving away from the dock.
He looked up at Sam standing next to Tully in her khaki shorts and white gauzy top. As much as he wanted off the craft, he needed to be sure Sam was safe. His conversation with Scott the day before rang in his head.
“Listen, if she wants to date a guy like Tully, why do you want her? Ifyou ask me, they’re cut from the same cloth. Forget about her, Landon.”
If only he could. But she was seared into his soul, and he didn’t see any way to change that.
As the boat progressed, he and Melan
ie talked occasionally over the rush of the wind in their ears. When they decided it was too hard to hear over the noise, Melanie settled back in the seat and turned her face toward the sun.
Landon’s fingers clenched the rail behind him. He could feel his heart pounding even over the rumble of the engine. It was going to be a long day.
He looked up at the flybridge again. Sam wore her hair down, and it whipped behind her like a golden flag.
He watched as Tully left the captain’s seat, trading spots with Sam. Tully leaned around her, letting her steer the boat. Landon could feel his insides heat, and it had nothing to do with the sun. Tully’s hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned and laughed at something he said. Tully was shorter than Landon, but his bulky calves and biceps left no doubt that he worked out.
Why hadn’t he realized how difficult this would be?
He was relieved when they neared Martha’s Vineyard and Tully slowed the motor to a stop and anchored the boat. It was then that Landon wondered how they’d get ashore. He looked down at the surface of the rippling water, feeling his muscles cramp as they had that night. He’d called Bailey’s name over the peals of thunder until he nearly drowned himself.
“All right, mates, let me show you around.” Tully interrupted the bad memory.
The three of them followed Tully through the boat. The salon was open and bright with parquet floors. A master bedroom led out of the salon, and a galley completed the cabin. It was in good condition, and Landon guessed you could buy a house on the mainland for what the boat cost. He figured Tully’s Tavern must be pretty profitable.
Tully had brought a picnic lunch for the group, and he carried the basket on deck, then prepared a raft to take them ashore.
Moments later, Landon stepped onto the bottom of the raft, a flexible rubber that gave when he put his weight on it. He reluctantly let Tully steady him by the arm and sank against the side.
What am I doing out here? He struggled to steady his breath. Melanie settled beside him, Sam sat across from him, and Tully took the back where he could steer.
Think about something else. He looked up at two seagulls soaring. Their high-pitched cries rose on the wind.
Across from him, Sam hid behind sunglasses, and he wished he’d brought his own. To hide his fear if nothing else. The boat took off with a jerk, and he braced his body with his feet. It’ll be over soon.Tough it out, Reed.
He made it through the short trip by sheer will, but a sheen of perspiration coated him by the time they reached shore. Landon wasn’t sure he’d be able to get himself back on the boat. His stomach was in knots, and he fervently hoped they would spend the rest of the day on dry land.
Somehow he managed to make conversation through the lunch, and once all the supplies were packed away, the other three stripped down to their suits. Landon spread out on the beach towel he’d brought.
“Aren’t you coming in, Landon?” Melanie laid her hand on his shoulder possessively. She wore a lime green bikini that showed off her deep tan.
“No, I’m just going to hang out here.” He lay back, letting his weight fall on his elbows as Melanie strolled toward the water.
A few feet away, Sam withdrew sunscreen from her satchel.
“Here, let me get that.” Tully took the lotion from her, squeezed some into his palm, and rubbed it on Sam’s back while she held her hair up on her head.
“You have great shoulders,” Tully said. “And nice, smooth skin.”
“Thanks.”
Give me a break. Landon watched Tully’s tanned hands rubbing in circles across her back, then kneading the lotion into her shoulders. All right, pal, it’s rubbed in.
When he was done, Sam smiled at him and held out her hand. “Thanks, I can do the rest.”
Landon was relieved when Tully headed toward the water, leaving him alone with Sam. She rubbed lotion on her legs while he watched in silence.
“Having a good time?” she asked.
“Peachy.”
She looked at him, her brows lowered. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Okay.”
What had he thought he was going to get when he agreed to tag along on her date? Would he have to watch Tully kiss her good night too? The thought made his lunch sour in his stomach.
“You should go out there with Melanie.” Sam smoothed the lotion on her arms. “She’s nice, you know.”
Yeah, he knew. If he didn’t know it before, he knew it now, with Sam shoving it down his throat every two seconds. He felt like an unwanted secondhand pair of shoes.
“Well, I’m going in.” Sam walked down the beach and waded into the water until she was knee deep, then she dived in and came up beside Tully. The current pulled them together, lifting them gently as a wave rolled ashore. Tully’s hands steadied her, then lingered on her shoulders.
Landon wanted to dive into the water and rip them apart. He didn’t even want Tully looking at Sam in her swimsuit and noticing her curves or her long, toned legs, much less touching her.
He lay back against the sand and closed his eyes. Why didn’t Sam see what was right in front of her? Tully only wanted to use her for his own selfish needs, and yet she ran after him. Why did Sam settle for so much less than she deserved?
Landon wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he felt cool droplets of water splatter his legs. Tully spread a towel beside him and plopped down, arms braced on his knees.
“Water’s fine.” He watched Sam, who floated on the water, arms relaxed out to the side. “She is one hot lady.”
Landon pulled himself upright and stopped a reply by biting the inside of his mouth.
“You know her long?” Tully asked.
“Practically all her life.”
Landon felt Tully’s eyes on him for a long minute. “Cool.”
It was nearly dark by the time Tully walked Sam up her porch steps. Miss Biddle’s car wasn’t in her drive, so Sam figured she’d taken Caden out. The sun had sucked all her energy, leaving her pleasantly lethargic. The breeze caught her damp hair, chilling her, and the night smelled of freshly cut grass and Miss Biddle’s roses.
Sam reached the door and turned to Tully. He was charming and flirtatious, and he didn’t dredge up emotions that made her feel threatened. She’d been able to forget the house and her past for most of the day. Only when she looked at Landon was she reminded of everything she was running from. And seeing him touch Melanie had discomfited her.
Tully leaned one hand against the door frame, trapping her against the door. “I had a great time today.”
Sam’s face relaxed in a smile. “Me too.” She toyed with the idea of asking him in.
He looked boyishly handsome with a strand of hair falling over his forehead. He leaned in, closing the gap between them.
Sam let her eyes fall closed, waiting. Feeling nothing but pleasantly sleepy.
“Hey there.”
Her eyes popped open. Tully pulled away. His arm fell.
Landon stood in the yard, hands tucked in his back pockets. She wondered how he’d seen Melanie home and gotten back so quickly. What, did you just dump her at the curb?
Tully turned toward Landon, crossing his arms.
Silence covered them like an itchy blanket. Landon would have to be blind to miss the fact that he’d interrupted something.
“Did you need something?” If her tone was sharp, so be it. Landon had already tagged along on her date. Did he want to hang around and watch Tully kiss her good night too?
“I remembered I promised to look at your faucet. Thought now was as good a time as any.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
“I don’t mind.” He stood as fixed as Sankaty Head Lighthouse.
Sam shifted.
Tully took a step back.
In the distance, the water lapped the shoreline, and the wind made the tree leaves flutter.
“I should be going anyway,” Tully said. He shot Landon a
look, then leaned forward and pecked her lips.
She barely felt the kiss under Landon’s paternal watch.
After Tully got in his Mustang and drove away, she turned and opened the door, ignoring Landon.
“Wait.” He was on the porch before she could shut him out.
“What now, Landon? Do you want to come in and make sure I don’t hurt myself flossing?”
“That’s not fair.”
“You intruded on a private moment.”
“I was worried about you.”
“You’re jealous.”
The words hung in the silence. She wished she could take them back. Especially when she met his eyes and they softened, drawing her to him like a riptide.
“I can’t believe you kissed him,” he whispered.
Her insides stirred, warming her. She hadn’t meant to hurt Landon, but she could see that she had. She’d hurt him all day long. She regretted it now.
His fingers cupped her chin, and he drew his thumb across her lips as if to rub away any trace of Tully. The gentle sweep of his thumb affected her more than Tully’s kiss. Her legs felt weightless, as if a gentle breeze could blow her over. She knew if he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, she would let him. And she also knew Landon’s kiss would be unlike Tully’s. This one would turn her world upside down.
Instead of kissing her, Landon stepped back. He said good night, then turned and walked away as her heart splattered on the board porch. It wasn’t until the next morning that she remembered he’d come to fix the faucet.
Thirteen
The next night, Sam and Caden ate supper alone. Landon had left after helping paint the living room’s wicker furniture in the backyard while Sam sorted through drawers and closets.
“Why can’t we eat at Landon’s? It’s more fun over there.”
Sam spooned a heap of macaroni and cheese onto her plate. “There’s no more to do over there than there is here.”
“He has games.”
“We have games at home, and you never play.”
“I can’t play them alone.” Caden stabbed the hot dog with her fork and dipped it in mustard.
Nantucket Romance 3-in-1 Bundle Page 8
