Love Captures the Heart (Sully Point, Book 3)

by Smith, Nicole

  "For being you. I am more than happy to have a small wedding. Just family. Here or at my house or somewhere else. I don't need a big wedding. I had that the first time around. All I need this time is you."

  He grinned at her and took her into his arms.

  * * * *

  Rob sat on the back porch swing with Marla. He heard her sigh. "Let me guess. That sigh has everything to do with the two who declared their love for each other tonight."

  "Exactly. What is Jason thinking?"

  "Give him time, Marla. From a man's perspective, what he's gone through recently in the city hurt his pride terribly. It's made him question everything in his life. Then you add in his falling in love with Holly and actually acknowledging it. That boy has yet to stop spinning and figure out what direction he's facing."

  "Perhaps you're right. I just can't see how either of them could think this living apart thing will work. And I'm not sure Holly thinks it's a good idea. She's going along because she loves him, and it's all new to her. But give it time and I bet this is going to be a problem."

  "At some point, you have to let them do what they're going to do. I'd say your work is done. They're together. They may still have problems to work out, but they are together now. And it's all out in the open."

  "I know. I know I can't fix this for them. I think they are both good people and I want to see them happy. It makes me feel bad for them when I see them heading into trouble."

  Rob leaned back and put his arm along the back of the swing. "Well, they aren't in trouble yet. So for tonight, let's not worry about them."

  Marla leaned back into the arm that lay across her shoulders. "You're right. Tell me, where are we going to dinner this week?"

  "What--you're not going to offer to cook for me?" he said, with a smile.

  "Not hardly. I'm a terrible cook. My husband was the cook in the family. I love restaurants, or having someone else cook for me. My talents lie more in the area of business."

  "Ah, well, now we have something to talk about."

  She laughed. "I can almost see you rubbing your hands together in glee. I've heard about you. You've been a major swashbuckler in the corridors of high finance for years."

  "I do love it. Let me tell you about my latest acquisition. It's a bit risky, but I think I can turn it around into big money."

  * * * *

  Jason and Holly walked into the loft holding hands. "I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me," Holly said.

  "I know. Me too. Do you want a drink?"

  "Maybe just a glass of water. With the champagne and then wine at dinner, I'm still buzzed."

  She sat down on the couch and Jason sat next to her. When he put his arms around her, she felt like she'd come home. She had a moment of worry at that thought, realizing she wouldn't have that feeling every day, but only on some days. But she brushed it aside, knowing they'd work it out. Love would work it out.

  Jason tilted her head to meet his lips, and they had a long, slow, sensuous kiss. He ran his hand down her arm lightly, making her shiver. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "I've missed you."

  "I have missed you, too," she said. "All I want tonight is to be in your arms, in bed with you, sleeping next to you."

  "And maybe throw in a little sex in the midst of that?"

  "Yes, that should have been at the top of my list," she said with a laugh.

  "That's good to hear," Jason said, his voice deepening. "Because I want you, rather intensely."

  She looked up to see his green eyes sparkling like green fire, about to consume her. She let out a little "Oh," and then suddenly his hands were undressing her in a rush. She started giggling as he brushed her hands away when she tried to help.

  He had her stand up to step out of the skirt she'd worn to the party. Then he picked her up and headed for the bed. As he laid her down on the covers, he stared at her as he undressed. "I've needed to be with you, so much. You fill something missing inside me."

  "Make love to me Jason," she said, trembling.

  He tossed the rest of his clothes toward the chair and then was touching her.

  Home, she thought. At last.

  * * * *

  The next morning, they got up to a knocking at the front door. Jason threw on his jeans and answered it find one of the helpers from Holly's Bakery dropping off a box of pastries, compliments of Anna.

  Jason laughed as he showed Holly, and then told her how Anna had tried to talk some sense into him. Holly got dressed and came into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. There was a cheese Danish calling her name.

  "That's pretty much what Rob did with me at dinner the other night. He kept telling me to just talk to you because it was clear how I felt about you--but I was afraid, so I kept denying it."

  "What were you afraid of?" Jason asked.

  "Afraid something would go wrong. That if I loved you I'd lose you. That even if I did love you, you wouldn't love me. Then all the Maggie stuff blossomed in my mind."

  "We're okay now, though. Right?"

  "Absolutely. I just wish I didn't have to go back to the city later on today. We really only have the morning to be together because I'll need to leave. I have early meetings tomorrow morning."

  Jason's face fell, but then he smiled at her and said, "We'll just have to make the best of the next few hours then. I'm sure we can find something to do with ourselves after breakfast."

  She laughed at the leering grin on his face. Then she began backing up as he advanced on her with a blueberry muffin. "Now, let's not get crazy," she said, and then took off running from the kitchen with him chasing her, laughing wickedly.

  Later that day, on the road back to the city, she chuckled to herself remembering. They'd both ended up with muffin on their hair and faces which had led to a remarkably sensuous shower. Even though it was hard to say good-bye to each other, she was hopeful that the week would go by quickly. Jason had asked her to come back to Sully Point on Friday, or earlier if she could manage it. He didn't feel ready to face the city yet.

  Holly knew that he needed to come back sooner rather than later. On the other hand, he seemed really content in Sully Point. But could I live there again? She'd left her home town for the big city because she wanted more. The small town seemed confining to her when she was a resident, while the city offered so much to do and see all the time. And much as she loved her family, a little distance every now and then, helped. Moving to Sully Point would feel like going backwards in her life.

  They'd find a way to work it out, she told herself rather firmly. The main thing was that they loved each other. She had this warm place now in her heart, warmth that filled her every time she thought of Jason saying he loved her.

  * * * *

  Marla sat at her desk in Jason's office that Monday morning and shook her head. There was no way this business was going to work with Jason in Sully Point all the time. The employees weren't willing to leave the city to work there, and there had been a call this morning to set up an appointment to see Jason about a possible new job. What could she tell them--that if they didn't mind meeting in Sully Point, they could have an appointment? She had managed an excuse to put them off for an hour while she evaluated the situation here, before calling Jason.

  "Jason," she said into the phone when he picked up. "We need to discuss a few things."

  "What's up?" he asked, in what Marla thought was an inordinately pleased voice. She took a deep breath and pushed aside her irritation.

  "The Sullivan Group wants to meet with you about a possible job. They're a mid-sized group, but they're solid. They want to meet in the next day or so."

  "Sure, have them come on out."

  "Jason--they're not going to come to Sully Point to meet with you. They expect to meet with you here in the city, in your office."

  "I thought I explained, Marla. I'm not going back."

  "And you expect to find all the work you need right there in Sully Point?" Marla asked.

  There
was silence on the phone for a minute.

  "All right, no, I guess that I wasn't really expecting that. If I'm going to keep the business in the city, I'd need to be there, at least part of the time. Maybe the answer is to just close the business."

  "Look, I'm going to try and put The Sullivan Group off for a week. I'll tell them you're sick or something. That will give you time to really think about your decision. There are people's livelihoods you are talking about. Good employees. Be sure not to forget them in your consideration."

  She hung up the phone without waiting for a response. Something had to be done. This idea to close the business--somebody had to bring him to his senses. But who? That was the question. Then a smile spread across her face. Of course.

  * * * *

  Rob had stayed one more night in Sully Point and planned to leave within the hour to head back to the city, but then he'd gotten the call from Marla. Now he was on his way to the loft to meet with Jason. He wasn't sure how much he could do about the situation, but he agreed that maybe it was time for a man-to-man talk.

  Jason greeted him at the door, with an offer of fresh coffee. Rob accepted it and sat down across from Jason in the living room.

  "I'm going to come right out with it, Jason."

  "That's usually the best way," Jason said, looking puzzled.

  "Marla called me. She was concerned, very concerned, about your business. She said you're considering closing it down. I came to find out why."

  "Why? How is this any of your business?"

  "I care about this whole family that you're going to be connected to through Holly. And I've come to know you and like you. What I don't understand is how a man like you could be running scared like you appear to be."

  Jason sat up straighter and looked at him angrily. "Scared? Is that what everyone thinks? That I'm scared to go back?"

  Rob shrugged.

  "Well, that's just nuts. I'm not scared."

  "It wouldn't be all that surprising if you were. You had a firestorm come down on you over the building materials problem. Shouldn't have been on all on you, but that was how it fell out. Going back would seem like putting your head back in the lion's mouth, I can see that. But if you give up now, give up your business that you've worked so hard to build, you're letting them win."

  "Give up?" Jason jumped to his feet. "I'm not giving up. I'm just changing my focus."

  Rob watched as he began to pace the living room floor. "Seems to me that you could change your focus and still keep your business. A man puts in a lot of years and ton of hard work to create something like you have. He should keep it and work with it, not just walk out on it."

  Jason whirled around. "I'm not walking out on it--not exactly." He frowned. "I hadn't really thought about it much yet. I know I'll be needed here for the Sully Point project and--"

  "That's not exactly true. Once we've started there will surely be times when we'll need for you to come down here about the project. But most of the time you'd be free to pursue other jobs."

  "Plus, the city doesn't want me. They made that perfectly clear when all my contracts were cancelled."

  "Again, not entirely correct. Marla said The Sullivan Group is interested?"

  "Well, yes. They want a meeting."

  "I see. So perhaps the city has moved on?"

  "Perhaps. But..."

  Rob shook his head and said, "Son, you got whacked hard. It has had you reeling. But you've got to get up off the mat."

  Jason looked at him intently. "And what if--what if I fail again?"

  "Fail? You didn't fail! The guy who--"

  "But I hired that guy. I trusted him when I shouldn't have, and it led to everything going bad."

  "If you think you can get through, in your business or your personal life, without making mistakes then you are delusional. I've made mistakes--big ones--in every area of my life. Once you get past the shock, or hurt, or damage, you learn from the mistake. You recognize that you're only human. And then you keep going. Shutting doors in your life, hiding away, that is not the answer. Instead, you use what you've learned and you move forward. You take chances and you work hard, you have faith to take risks, and you don't let the bastards keep you down."

  Jason pulled his gaze from Rob and sat down on the couch. Rob sat back in his chair and watched the young man as he thought.

  Finally, Jason said, "I guess a part of me has been running away. It felt like I'd failed. That I'd failed my parents' memory and failed myself. But I think now that maybe the only failure would be to let what happened stop me. To let it keep me from doing what I love, in the city I've always loved."

  Rob smiled at him. "Now you're talking."

  "Thank you, Rob, thank you very much. I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to see this without you pointing it out to me."

  "You'd have found your way eventually. This way, it's just a bit faster."

  "I think I have some phone calls to return now, and lots of plans to make."

  Rob nodded and headed for the door. "Then I'll be out of your way. Time for me to head back to the city anyway. We'll have dinner once you're back and settled in."

  Jason stopped him at the door and reached out and shook his hand. "Thanks for everything, Rob."

  "No problem. See you soon."

  As Rob headed down the stairs to his car, he suddenly understood the reason Marla liked matchmaking. There was a definite satisfaction to be felt when one interfered in someone's life and it worked out well. He chuckled and headed back to his city.

  * * * *

  Holly had a day full of meetings, new clients and current ones, all wanting to see her in person. In the back of her mind, during the entire day, was a bubble of discomfort at the thought of going home after work. There would be no Jason coming over, no great sex, no feeling of belonging as he held her in his arms.

  She tried to ignore her anxieties and focus on the job, but she was relieved when the day was finally over. She was tired of feeling so distracted. Somehow, she and Jason had to figure out how they were going to live in two places and still be together.

  As she gathered up her bag, and computer, and switched to a comfortable pair of walking shoes, Lana poked her head into the office.

  "Are you all set for the night?"

  "Yes, thanks. I'm going to stop somewhere and pick up some soup. Then I'm going to try and relax. It's been a long day."

  Lana nodded and Holly wondered what was going on with her. She was all smiles. Holly said, "You must be having a special night with that husband of yours. You look all bubbly."

  Lana gave a laugh and said, "Yes, it is a special night. I'll see you tomorrow."

  Holly watched her leave, and then locked up the office with a sigh, trying not to feel sorry for herself. She'd talked to Jason early in the morning, and they'd agreed she would call him once she was home for the night. At least she had that to look forward to, even if she wished for more.

  She picked up tomato tortellini soup at the deli and went home, more glum by the moment. She knew she needed to perk up before she called Jason, but couldn't wait any longer. She dumped her office things on a chair, took out her cell phone, and called him.

  "Jason?"

  "Hey, how was your day?"

  "Long. Tiring. And I miss you."

  "Ah, well I can't fix the long and tiring part but...I sent a surprise to you. Open your door."

  "What--did you order me food? I picked up soup," she said as she walked to the door and opened it.

  "I sent myself," he said, reaching out and pulling her to him.

  "Jason! You're here!" He hugged her and it felt like her world came back into focus. "How are you here? What are you doing here?"

  Jason hugged her again and then moved into the apartment and closed the door. "I have to talk to you. I've done a lot of major thinking today."

  "You still love me, right?" Holly said, with only a slight tremble in her voice. She was staring into his eyes.

  "Yes, absolutely, always,
forever. I love you."

  "Okay then," she said, the little sigh of relief escaping. "Whatever it is, we can deal with it."

  They sat on the couch next to each other, Holly having kicked off her shoes. She was curled up next to him. "Let's have it then. What's the problem?"

  Jason's laugh rumbled in his chest where her head was, and the feel of it was delicious.

  "I have a question for you. How would you feel about living in the city, but keeping a weekend house in Sully Point?"

  She jerked upright and stared at him in astonishment. "Live here? In the city? Both of us? Are you serious?"

  "Yes, I am. I'm coming back to my business. But I don't want to give up Sully Point. So I'm going to build that house we talked about, there on the cliff, but we'll use it for vacations and weekends when we can get away. I've realized that I'm not ready to give up my work here. So I'm going to fight to get back my reputation. I have a meeting set up for tomorrow with a potential new client."

  Holly stared at him for a moment longer, and then threw her arms around his neck, kissing his face all over until he put his hands on either side of her face and pulled her to his lips. Finally, she drew back and said, "Does that answer your question? Yes! I love this idea."

  He smiled at her. "Thanks for being so patient and not freaking out over all of it. I needed the time away--and also a rousing talk with Rob today--to help me realize what I wanted."

  "Rob talked to you?"

  "Yes, after Marla talked to him. You know, those two seem to get on remarkably well together."

  "So, you're back? Officially? Now?"

  "I am, so we are left we with one question. Where do we live? Your place or mine? Because I'm not prepared to live apart from you one second longer."

  Holly grinned at him. "My place has the closet."

  "My address is ritzier."

  "And my apartment has the bedroom that's a closet."

  He laughed. "We need a three-bedroom. I need an office at home. Sometimes an idea strikes and I want to work on it right away."

  "In that case," she said, running a finger down his chest and back up, starting to undo his top button. "Let's get a three bedroom in your building. You designed it. You have pull there. But not tonight."