by Addison Cole
“There were times he’d have us in stitches, and he’d laugh so hard he couldn’t finish his story.” His gaze swept over the sea, and he realized he was no longer waiting for the demons to rise and swallow him.
“Are you okay?” Desiree caressed his cheek, and he covered her hand with his, holding it there.
“More than okay. Thanks to you.”
“And Drake,” she reminded him. It was just like her to give credit to someone else.
“Drake, this summer. Our summer.” He held her closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “I miss him, Des. Out here, thinking about him? I thought I’d feel torn apart. I was so afraid of drowning in his memory that I couldn’t see past the pain. But being here with you has brought all the great things about him back to life. Thank you for that.”
“I think you’ll always miss him,” she said. “That’s what love is. You ache for the people you wish you had in your life, and you ache for the ones who are in your life.” A soft laugh escaped her lips. “We’re an achy clan. But I think this is a good ache, right?”
He laughed and kissed her through their smiles. “A very good ache, babe. The best ache ever. I met this woman on the docks one night when I tried to get on the boat a few months ago. She told me that life takes us where we need to be when we need to be there, and I think she was right. Life brought us both here at the right time. I couldn’t have handled this months or years ago. But now, with you, for you, I feel like I’m ready to move forward.”
“I want that for you. I think your father would be so happy to know you’ve spent all this time with your family again, and doing the thing he loved so much. Do you want to say something for him? Goodbye? Something to honor his memory?”
She was so sweet, always thinking about what he needed, taking over hours at the shop without complaint when Violet failed to show up, making the grounds of her grandparents’ property gorgeous, even though she knew her mother might let it all go in a few short weeks. How did he get so lucky to have connected with the one person who could make him see the beauty in life again and feel emotions he thought were lost forever?
“I’m sailing again, and I’m with the woman I’m falling head over heels for. The woman I know my father would adore.” He pulled her closer and kissed her tenderly. “We are honoring him.”
DESIREE KNEW NOTHING about boats, but it was clear that Rick knew everything there was to know, and watching him sail them out into the sea was like seeing poetry in motion. The wind whipped through his hair, and his eyes shone brighter than she’d ever seen. He was a happy guy, but seeing him on the water made it clear that there was even more positivity and happiness inside him waiting to come out. She hoped she would be there to catch every joyful moment of it.
Rick had lowered the table in the rear of the boat and covered it with enormous cushions that extended the bench seats into a big bed. He brought blankets and pillows up from the cabin. She had no idea how many hours had passed, and she didn’t care, as they lay kissing beneath the stars. Rick’s hands moved over her body like he owned it, and he did. All of her. This amazing, strong man had conquered his greatest fear for her. Her own mother couldn’t put her first, and Rick, after knowing her only a few short weeks, made her feel like she was his everything. She wanted him to know she felt the exact same way.
“I meant what I said,” he told her between heated kisses. “I’m falling hard for you, baby. This is no summer romance.”
“I know. I’m falling, too.”
She tugged up on his shirt, wanting—needing—to feel his skin against hers. Gone was the timid girl who had blushed at the very thought of sexy lingerie and dirty words. Tonight she was his in every sense of the word. She was going to be his wildest fantasies come true, and she didn’t need a dare, or a reason beyond the way her heart had come to life, to give him all of herself.
He gazed deeply into her eyes, his emotions filling the air around them with a heartbeat all its own. “I’ve been waiting for you my whole life, sweetheart. I’m not just falling for you. I’m falling in love with you.”
Chapter Sixteen
“DO YOU THINK Des will still let us come over for breakfast after you go back to DC?” Drake asked as he and Rick carried plates of crepes and fruit out to the patio of Desiree and Violet’s house, where the others were waiting.
Breakfast had become a community event. The guys had moved their running time earlier in order to make it back for the lavish morning meals Desiree prepared.
“Don’t count on it,” Violet said to Drake as she poured coffee into mugs. “Unless Rick has a stand-in lover to keep Des satisfied while he’s gone.”
“Which he does not.” Rick was used to Violet’s brash comments, but he was wrestling with his own anxiety about leaving tomorrow, and the last thing he wanted to do was to joke about Desiree and any other man.
“Hey, we have a bunch of friends who live in the Seaside community,” Serena said with a tease in her eyes. “I’m sure we’ll be inviting them to breakfast soon, and I hear Leanna has two hot brothers. You never know.” She waggled her brows.
Rick glared at her.
“Unfortunately,” Violet said, “Des’s cooking ability seems to be tied to the number of orgasms she’s had that morning.”
“Geez, Vi,” Rick snapped.
“If that’s the case, you do have all those wonderful battery-operated boyfriends right down the driveway.” Serena pointed in the direction of the shop. “Breakfast could be miraculous every morning.”
Rick shook his head. How was he supposed to survive missing this?
“A few good nights with them and she may not miss Rick at all,” Dean teased.
“Jerk,” Rick grumbled, and headed back inside.
Desiree was setting the last of the crepes on a plate, looking hot in a peach halter-top minidress she’d bought when she’d gone shopping with Serena and Mira yesterday. The dress showed off all her curves, and drove him wild. Actually, everything about her drove him wild. They’d made love earlier, and he wanted to carry her upstairs again and stay in bed all day long, being close to the woman he loved.
He kissed her shoulder, and she held her breath, letting it out with that dreamy sigh that had first captured his heart.
“Hi,” she said as she turned to face him.
He took the spatula from her hand and set it on the counter. “How’s my beautiful girl?”
She shrugged, sadness rising in her eyes, crushing him to pieces. He kissed her cheek, her lips, her chin, the tip of her nose, and finally, a smile broke through the sadness, putting him back together again.
“It’s only two or three weeks until you’re back in Virginia, and then every weekend we’ll be together.” He framed her face with his hands and kissed her deeply. “I promise, sweetheart. You know I can’t stay away from you.”
“I never knew love could be so consuming. I already miss you, and you haven’t even left yet.” She gripped his shirt. “I don’t want to wake up without you. I wish you could stay longer.”
He lifted her onto the counter and stood between her legs, so they were eye to eye. “I wish I could, too. I have to go back and wrap up the deal I’ve been working on for the past few months, and try to mediate the issues between my partners before it all blows up.”
“I know.” She wound her arms around his neck. “Kiss me, Rick. Kiss me like you never want to lose me, so even after you’re gone I can still feel it.”
“Baby,” he whispered, the last sound smothered by the press of his lips.
They kissed as if they’d been lovers for fifty years, their tongues sliding and delving, taunting in ways that were so right, so hot and delicious, he got carried away and lifted her into his arms, needing to be closer to her. Their passion took over so fast and urgent, in seconds they were lost in each other.
“You own me, baby,” he said between kisses. “Every bit of me. From the very first time I saw you, and with every smile, every kiss, every single touch, I’ve been
falling deeper and deeper in love with you.”
She held her breath as he spoke and released it with that sultry sigh that struck him in the center of his heart.
“Show me,” she said against his lips. “Bathroom. Hurry!”
He made a beeline out of the kitchen and into the bathroom, loving this new eager, bold side of her as much as he adored her sweeter, more vulnerable side. They made quick work of stripping away clothes, and then she was in his arms again, and his heart rushed out.
“I love you, baby. I love you so much I can’t see straight.”
A slow smile crept across her face, the hazy look of lust hovering in her beautiful eyes. “I love you, too.” She touched her lips to his as their bodies came together, and whispered, “Say it again. Say it so many times I hear it in my sleep.”
DESIREE HAD PROMISED herself she wouldn’t stew about Rick leaving tomorrow. After all, she’d be back in Virginia soon, and as he’d said, they would see each other every weekend. But a few weeks seemed like forever, and after washing up, as they carried the rest of the crepes out to the table, where his family and their friends were laughing and talking, her stomach plummeted. She’d built a life here. A life that made her tremendously happy. How could she leave? How could Rick leave his family again?
She set the plate of crepes on the table, and Rick tugged her against him and kissed her temple. How can I go a few weeks without this? Without you?
Violet tapped her spoon on her coffee mug. “By the look of that blush on my sister’s cheeks, I’d say we’re up for a second course!”
How could she leave her brash sister after they’d just found each other? Desiree put a hand on her hip, trying to keep a stern expression, but inside she was already missing her. “You’d better be quiet, or these breakfasts will stop.”
Dean’s finger shot up in the air. “I’ve got duct tape if she can’t manage it on her own.”
Violet glared at him; everyone else laughed.
Cosmos went paws-up on the fence, barking up a storm, and everyone turned to watch as Lizza climbed from a cab in another bright maxi dress, her thick hair billowing around her face. She looked even more radiant than she had a few weeks ago. She dropped her suitcases in the driveway and headed in their direction.
Desiree grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself as hope soared inside her. Had she come back because she felt bad and wanted to spend time with them after all? “What’s she doing back so early?”
“Hey,” Rick said. “That’s the woman I met on the dock.”
“What? When?” Desiree asked as Violet opened the gate and Cosmos bolted out. Her mother scooped him up, laughing as he smothered her in puppy kisses.
“A few months ago,” Rick explained. “I told you about her. She’s the one who told me life would take me where I needed to be, when I needed to be there.”
“Rick…? That’s Lizza. She’s my mother.”
Lizza set Cosmos down, and he ran around the yard barking, his tail wagging, like his long-lost friend had finally arrived. The friend who had forgotten to tell us you even existed. Desiree squelched that annoyance as Lizza embraced Violet.
“I thought you said you were away for the summer?” Violet’s arms hung loosely at her sides, her gaze shifting to Desiree with a look Desiree couldn’t read.
Lizza moved like the wind around the table, touching each person’s shoulder or back or arm. “I was but…Oh, goodness. Look at this lovely gathering of gods and goddesses!” She reached over Drake’s shoulder, grabbed a strawberry from the bowl of fruit, and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes moved between Rick and Desiree, sparkling with satisfaction. “Cosmos did his job. I knew he was special.” Turning her attention to Drake and the others, she said, “Tell me. Who are all you lovely people?”
“I’m Serena.” Serena waved from across the table and pointed to the others as she spoke. “And this is Drake, Dean, and Rick.”
“It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I’m Lizza, Violet and Desiree’s mother.” She opened her arms as if she were going to bless the food. “Eat up. Fill your souls with this delicious bounty, and I will be out of your hair in no time.”
The amusement in Drake’s eyes turned to concern, and he shot a look at Rick.
“Lizza…?” Desiree shook her head to try to clear her confusion. “Out of our hair? You aren’t staying?”
Still eyeing Rick with a look of sheer joy, Lizza said, “It appears the universe has other plans for me.”
“What?” Desiree and Violet said in unison.
“I met the most amazing people while I was away,” Lizza explained. “They’re going on a meditation mission overseas. Visiting villages and leading—”
Violet held her palms up, silencing her. “Hold on. What do they have to do with you and this property?”
Lizza laughed. “Silly me. Did Rob finish the renovations?”
“Yes, but not the ones you wanted,” Violet said gruffly.
“Then I think we should sell the house, and you ca—”
“No!” Violet and Desiree snapped.
“Maybe we should give you some privacy.” Drake rose from the table.
Lizza put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down. “Nonsense. Eat, sweetheart.”
“We busted our butts to keep your gallery and shop alive,” Violet seethed, stalking toward their mother. Only she could look fierce in a bikini top and miniskirt. “Desiree worked her butt off in the gardens, too, in case you hadn’t noticed. And Dean and Rick helped with the flower boxes because your dog kept going into the pool at the resort. You are not selling this house.”
Lizza’s smile faded, and she picked up Cosmos, petting him with a sad expression. “It took me weeks to teach him to climb that fence.”
Desiree’s hand fisted by her side and Rick tightened his hold on her. “You taught him to climb the fence?”
Lizza smiled brightly and shrugged. “Cosmos knew what had to be done.”
Violet threw her hands up in the air. “I’m not even going to try to pick that apart. I’m staying to run the inn. If you want to go wherever your friends are going, fine. But you’re not selling the house.”
“Wait? You’re staying? For real?” Desiree’s pulse kicked up.
“If she doesn’t sell the house, I am.” Violet glared at Lizza.
Lizza set Cosmos down, and her hands flew to her heart. “I knew this would happen! I dreamed about it. This is perfect. Just brilliant!”
“So, I can run the inn?” Violet asked skeptically.
“Absolutely,” Lizza said. “It was in the stars all along.”
“You can’t run it by yourself.” Desiree’s mind bounced between wanting to stay and wanting to go back to Virginia to be closer to Rick.
Serena shot up from her seat. “Desiree, you can stay! This is perfect! I’ll help you guys get started and teach you how to build a rental base, like I did with the resort.”
Drake grabbed the back of her shirt and tugged her back down to her seat with a chiding expression.
Rick turned Desiree in his arms, searching her eyes. “What do you want to do, sweetheart?”
She clutched at his arms. “Be near you.” Her eyes darted to Violet. “And be with Violet.” She glanced at all her friends around the table and said, “And them.”
“Then stay,” Rick said with love in his eyes. “We can still make this work. I’ll fly up and take long weekends, work remotely for some of the time.”
“But—”
Rick touched his lips to hers, silencing her. “You’ve waited your whole life for a chance at having a relationship with Violet. Now’s your chance. Love like ours doesn’t change because of a few miles.”
“It’s in the stars,” Lizza whispered loudly.
Tears welled in Desiree’s eyes. Could she do this? Could she make this big a decision without feeling like she was becoming her mother? “Are you sure?”
“I’ve only been more sure of one thing in my life.” Rick wiped her tears
away. “That I couldn’t let the beautiful blonde leave Indian Neck Beach without meeting her.”
Chapter Seventeen
LATER THAT MORNING, after everyone else left, Desiree sat on the front porch with Cosmos, talking to Emery on the phone and trying to digest all that had happened. Lizza was leaving after she and Violet returned from their walk, and as ridiculous as it might be, Desiree felt like she was losing her all over again. The longer she sat and thought, the more upset she became about the whole situation. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life wondering why Lizza left her all those years ago, or now. She needed answers.
“Emery, are you still there?” Desiree looked at her phone to make sure she hadn’t lost service. She’d explained the whole morning to her, and now, as the airwaves hung in silence between them, she realized how much she’d miss her best friend.
“Yes, but…you’re moving? And you’re in love with a man I haven’t met or approved of?”
Desiree laughed. “I took your ‘go for the hot Jet Ski guy’ as approval. Aren’t you missing the point about Lizza? I’m so mad at her.”
“Are you kidding? I wish she’d get a dog to find me a man. But seriously, Rick will really come to the Cape to see you? That’s a long way. And how about me? Can I come see you? Can we have monthly visits? Can I stay with you next summer? I’m going to have BFF withdrawals, and you better not like Serena or Mira more than me, or I’ll go all ninja crazy on your butt.”
Desiree laughed. “Yes, to all of that, and nobody could ever replace you.”
“And you’re happy? Really, truly happy?” Emery asked.
“So happy. Rick is everything I could dream of and more. And I have a second chance with Violet. Everything is different here, Em. I think I’ll probably teach in the off season, but this summer…Emery, I’ve changed. I’m painting, and sort of doing things spur-of-the-moment.”
