She pulled on the tiny bikini and looked in the mirror. It covered everything it needed to, but also accentuated her curves in a way that she enjoyed. Despite the fact that there were a few areas that she wished to improve, she did admire her figure.
She grabbed sunscreen, sunglasses, a bottle of water from the mini-fridge, her cell phone, and the latest book from her favorite series. As she slid on her flip-flops, she made the decision not to be upset about the room. She was turning over a new leaf, she was getting to know herself, and she didn’t want to start that off with frustration. The vacation was about relaxation and introspection, not luxury.
When Ella stepped out of the cottage, she put on her sunglasses. The bright sun was barely diminished by the tinted lenses. It was about noon, and the beach was very densely populated. She moved on to a less crowded section and noticed an empty lounge chair not far from the water.
“Now that’s good luck.” She smiled as she settled into the chair. The sun warmed her skin. The waves rushed across the sand with the most peaceful slosh. She felt every ounce of tension leave her body. Her mind drifted back to another day that she’d spent in paradise.
It was her honeymoon. Her husband, Louis, had planned every detail. He’d even arranged for a romantic dinner beside the waves. Those moments were her version of heaven. She’d been a different woman then. She’d believed that everything in her life was perfect—that she’d spend the rest of it gloriously happy, wrapped up in the arms of a man she still fantasized about.
Despite her difficult childhood, he’d gained her trust. He’d insisted that he loved her like no other man ever could. Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled the rush she’d experienced when his lips had touched hers the first time. Even though it had been years since she’d experienced it, she could feel the heat of his mouth against hers.
Despite all the dating she’d engaged in after their divorce, never once had she experienced that level of passion again. She doubted she ever would. The dull ache of that subtle loneliness she’d been hiding from ignited once more.
She grabbed her book. Her new guilty pleasure was intense, over-the-top romance novels—the kind that reflected the kind of seduction that she’d experienced with Louis. It served two purposes. It distracted her from memories of Louis and reminded her that this kind of love was fictional.
Soon she was immersed in the latest dramatic adventures of her favorite character. Everything was perfect.
A shrill voice jarred her from her peace.
“Dad, catch!”
She looked up to see a young man throwing a ball in the direction of an older man in the distance. For a moment, she couldn’t help but take in just how fit and broad the man who caught the ball was. She thought it was sweet that a man and his grown son—they looked alike, so she assumed it was the case—could enjoy a game of catch, even if it did interrupt her.
She did her best to ignore the interruption and tried to return to her book. However, every time she read a word, it was punctuated by a grunt or a shout from one of the men playing football. She took a breath and tried to remain calm. New leaf, she reminded herself—new leaf. That meant keeping her temper in check.
Before her marriage she didn’t really even think she had a temper, but by the time the relationship crumbled, she always seemed on the edge of fury.
She turned the page and continued to read. The younger of the two men landed in the water with a splash. The older man laughed uproariously as he trudged his way out. She tried to block out the distraction, but it was very difficult to do when they were just so noisy.
She cleared her throat and shifted in her chair.
If they heard her, they didn’t seem to care, as they continued to enjoy their game. She tightened her grip on her book and gritted her teeth—new leaf, new leaf. She closed her eyes.
Chapter 4
Dane looked over at his son. He was flipping through his tablet checking the latest sports stats. The father felt a pang of sorrow as he predicted the amount of time that they’d be spending apart. For so long it had just been the two of them. He wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through without Thomas by his side. What would he do with his time?
He closed his eyes as the plane rocked through some turbulence. It seemed to him that the time had gone by in a blur. Thomas was just a little boy and now he was a man. What would his son’s future hold for him?
Dane thought about the request that Pam had made of him—that one day he’d have a woman to turn to. He’d failed on that, but he had done his best in every other area. Thomas had excelled in his studies, and he did well socially. He was an all-around good kid, though Dane wasn’t sure that he could take credit for it. So much of his own life had been invested in trying to create a good outcome for his son that he wasn’t sure what to do next. Sure, work would keep him busy. As an architect he always had some new project to delve into, but it didn’t satisfy him the way it used to.
At some point during the flight Dane must have drifted off to sleep. He woke to Thomas shaking his shoulder.
“We’re here, Dad, look at that.” Thomas pointed out the window at the large expanse of clear blue water.
Dane took a sharp breath in. It looked endless. He felt a sense of exhilaration that he hadn’t felt for a long time. This truly could be a fresh start if he let it be. Maybe he would discover who he was apart from being a widower and a father. If he could do that, he might stop feeling anxious about what was coming next in his life.
“It’s stunning.”
“I can’t wait to get in the water!” Thomas wiggled in his seat as if he was ten again.
Dane smiled and patted Thomas’s knee. “Soon enough, son—soon enough.”
As they walked through the airport, the crowd surprised Dane. He hadn’t been to too many tourist spots, but this one certainly appeared to be popular. He snaked his way through security and to the baggage carousel.
Thomas stayed close, but Dane could see his eyes were wandering. He marveled at the souvenirs for sale and the young women that rushed past him.
For just an instant, a spark broke free inside of Dane—a memory of what it was like to be young and eager to love. He had been just as excited as Thomas at one time, but to him it felt like centuries ago. Now his life seemed to be divided into three parts—life before Pam, life with Pam and life after Pam.
But who had Dane been back when he was Thomas’s age? What were the hopes and dreams of that eager young man?
He snagged their suitcases and handed one off to Thomas.
“Wow, Dad, I can’t believe we’re really here.”
“Let it sink in. This is paradise.”
Dane led Thomas to the shuttle that went to the resort he’d booked. As they rode through the neighborhoods, Dane noticed the fine details of the structures around him. A lot could be learned about a place by the way its buildings were made.
The resort was just as busy as the airport had been. Luckily they managed to get swept into a fast-moving line.
Once he checked in, Dane took the key and headed down the hallway.
“Wait, where’s my key?” Thomas lingered by the desk.
“We’re in one room.” Dane gestured for him to hurry so they could catch the elevator.
“Dad, bunking with your kid is going to seriously cramp your style.”
“I have no intention of having any style.” He tugged Thomas into the elevator. “And I’d prefer it if you didn’t either.”
“I thought this was supposed to be fun?”
“I’m here to spend time with you. There’s no reason for us to have two rooms.”
“Well, sure, but when you meet that special lady—”
“—Cut it out, Thomas.”
“Nope, sorry. I’m an adult now. What are you going to do, ground me?”
“Remember that tablet you were playing with on the plane? And your cell phone? And your car insurance?”
“Oh.” Thomas blinked and then nodded. “Okay, shutti
ng up.”
“Good.” Dane grinned and ruffled his hair.
“I still say your hair looked better long,” said Thomas, his eyes on Dane’s head.
“I like it clean-cut.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I just always have. It’s how your mother would cut it.”
“Oh, right.” Thomas held the elevator doors open until his father was off the elevator.
Dane led the way to the room. When he opened the door he was surprised to see how spacious it was. “This is nice. I might enjoy lounging around in here.”
“No way. Change into some shorts and let’s hit the beach. I packed a football!”
Dane laughed. He knew patience was not his son’s strong suit.
Within twenty minutes they were out on the beach. Dane felt a little insecure without his shirt on, but Thomas insisted he show off all the hard work he’d been putting in at the gym. The truth was he only went to the gym to keep his head on straight. If he was left with nothing to do, his mind always returned to Pam.
“Let’s play!” Thomas raced out on to the beach.
Dane jogged after him. Soon they were tossing the ball back and forth just as they did at home, but somehow it was different with the backdrop of sparkling water and white sand. They were in an uncrowded area of the beach, aside from one lounge chair. A woman stretched across it, seemingly engrossed in the book she held in her hands.
Dane barely noticed her except to try to keep the ball from flying in her direction.
Chapter 5
Ella saw the man lunge to catch the ball again. Each time he seemed to be getting closer to her. She had to admit he was fit for someone who appeared to be a few years older than she was, but that wasn’t enough to calm her nerves. She wanted to enjoy her book, she wanted to forget all the memories that the location seemed to be triggering for her—of a man who’d sworn his undying love, while simultaneously seeking out his next soulmate.
She really did make an attempt to remain in her peaceful place. That was the point of the vacation, right? It seemed to her that the only part of herself she was getting to know was her temper, though.
The man’s voice grated her nerves as he shouted.
“You have to do better than that, Tommy. Did you get sunscreen on your fingers?”
“Watch it, old man. I’m going easy on you.”
Ella rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. She never understood why men enjoyed insulting one another so much—or for that matter, why they were so obsessed with football. She enjoyed sports now and then but too much of it drove her a little crazy.
She turned the page in her book and tried to concentrate on what she was reading.
“Tommy, watch it!”
The older man caught the football a few steps away from her. She ducked back against her chair and glared in his direction.
“There’s someone sitting here.” He cleared his throat.
Ella lowered her sunglasses enough to look over at the two. Then she pushed them back up and looked down at her book. But she wasn’t reading. It was impossible.
Now she was intrigued by the two. They seemed to be alone on the beach. Where was the wife? She glanced around to see if there was another woman nearby. She didn’t notice anyone.
When she looked back at the two, Tommy was running straight toward his father. The older man jumped out of the way just in time for Tommy to slide face first into the sand.
“No tackling, I’m too old for that.”
In an effort to keep her peace and to ignore the way the man’s muscles rippled every time he moved, she stuck her earbuds into her ears and started playing some music on her phone. She could find ways to block them out.
As the soothing tunes filled her senses, she began to relax. She started the same paragraph she’d attempted to read for the past few minutes. Just when she was getting to the next scene—a very intense moment between the two main characters—she noticed a shadow fall across her.
She looked up in time to see the older man slide right beside her chair. He managed to catch the football—evidenced by the way it thumped against his broad chest—but he kicked up a lot of sand in the process. The sand sprayed across her stomach and even a bit up into her face. She sputtered as she sat up in her chair. There was no way to brush it off, as it was sticking to the sunscreen on her skin.
“I’m so sorry.” He leaned over her, so close that she couldn’t help but look into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
Ella was prepared to put him in his place, but when she looked into his eyes, her words caught in her throat. She wasn’t sure if she was dizzy from the rush of getting hit with the sand, or the impact of his deep brown eyes.
She pushed her sunglasses back up on her nose. “You should really be more careful.”
“I’m sorry—my son—he wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t mean to get sand on you, but I didn’t want the ball to hit you.” He frowned.
It seemed to her that he was genuinely apologetic, but her temper still flared.
“Your son?” She looked past him to Thomas, who seemed to be looking at everything but her.
“Yes. He recently turned eighteen. This is our last trip together before he goes off to college.” He shrugged. “We’re just trying to revisit our youth a bit, I guess.”
“I can see that.” She raised an eyebrow. “Well, maybe you could enjoy your time together somewhere far away from me?”
“Sure, of course. Again, sorry for the hassle. I’m sure all the sand can be washed off by a quick dip in the water.”
“I didn’t want to go in the water. I wanted to sit here and read my book—which is what I was doing before you and your son interrupted me.”
Dane’s eyes narrowed. She noticed the shift in his stance, from relaxed to tense.
“I apologized. I am truly sorry that we interrupted your peaceful moment. However, there’s no rule against playing football on the beach.”
“There’s no rule against wanting peace either.” She scrunched up her nose and stared at him. “This is supposed to be a peaceful place, not a sports arena.”
“It’s the beach. People have different ideas of peaceful. I never quite understand people who go to the beach just to sit and read. You have paradise in front of you, but you need to escape into what?” He peered at the cover of her book.
Ella was mortified as she watched him mouth the title. “Oh, vampire romance novel, huh?”
“It’s not what you think.” She blinked as her cheeks grew hot. “It’s a love story.”
“Okay.” He smirked. “That’s why the guy with the fangs doesn’t have any clothes on.”
“It’s a cape. He’s wearing a cape.” She clutched her book tighter.
“Hm. Well, if it’s a naked vampire you’re looking for, I’m not sure that you’re going to find him on a sunny beach.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Maybe a dark alley?”
“I can read whatever I please. Perhaps you should be more concerned with your son’s behavior than a stranger’s reading habits. It was no accident that he threw that football this way.” She lowered her sunglasses enough that he could see her glare.
“It was an accident, I’m sure of it. But again, you’re right, we shouldn’t have disturbed you. We’ll just move along and leave you to your love story.” He winked at her.
She wanted to be furious, but instead she found herself lost in his eyes. It was quite possibly the most irritating thing she’d ever experienced. She wanted to come up with a sharp retort, but she was too distracted by the way his lips curved into a playful smile.
Instead, she snapped her book open and held it up in front of her face to hide her blush. Of course this only revealed the back cover, which featured a scantily clad heroine.
She knew he’d walked away when his shadow moved away from her.
Her heart raced in his absence. She wanted to tell him exactly what he could do with his apology, but she couldn’t bring herself to peek out from behind her book.
Once again she reminded herself that she was not going to be involved with any more men—not for a while. And especially not a man like that. Nope, no way. It wasn’t going to happen.
She reread the same paragraph yet again.
Chapter 6
Dane found it difficult to walk away from the woman without apologizing again. Still, he forced himself to, as his apologies only appeared to be making her more angry.
He thought about the way he’d reacted to her so impulsively. Even as the words flew out of his mouth, he regretted them. He certainly had no business poking fun at her reading material. His heart sunk as he was reminded of why he steered clear of romance. The truth was, he had never been any good at it.
Pam had had to give him step-by-step instructions for Valentine’s Day. She’d always dropped little reminders a few weeks before their anniversary so that he wouldn’t forget. When he thought of all of the times he must have disappointed her with his inattentiveness, it made his chest ache. But never once did she complain. She’d accepted him for who he was, with all of his faults. He knew there was very little chance of ever finding something like that again.
Thomas fell into step beside him. “Wow! Dad, you really told her.”
“I don’t know what came over me.” Dane shook his head, feeling his cheeks burn with shame. “I never should have talked to her like that.”
“Well, she was being rude.”
“Was she? I did cover her in sand. I think we were the ones who were rude first. Don’t you?”
“I guess. We got a little carried away.” Thomas looked away toward the water.
“Thomas, we’ve had our talks, and I know you don’t want to hear more, but I need to tell you this…” He paused and snapped his fingers to get his son’s attention. “Can you listen to me, please?”
“Sorry.” Thomas turned to look at him. The boyish smile on his lips made Dane smile, despite the seriousness that he was feeling in the moment.
To Trust Again: A Sweet Romance (Forty and Free Book 2) Page 2
