Finding Bliss (Bliss #1)

by Cassie Strickland

  And then she was off again.

  “Wow,” I remarked, totally blown away as I watched her retreat. I looked at Grey again and found his smirk stretching into a grin. “Is she always so bubbly?”

  “Uh, yeah…” He chuckled softly. “Chels is a character. You’ll see.”

  “Oh, I see now.” I couldn’t help laughing. “How long have you known her?”

  “A little over ten years, I think. She’d just started datin’ Justin when she started comin’ around. They were practically inseparable in those days. They’ve been married about five years now. She’s outgoin’ and doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. I would suggest you two gettin’ together, as she suggested. You wouldn’t find a better friend.”

  I had the same feeling about her.

  I found this odd and somewhat hopeful. I kept my defenses high and impenetrable when it came to anyone that I didn’t know, and Grey had slid right on past that. Chelsea seemed to have done the same within moments. It’d taken years before I allowed Paige to get even the slightest bit close to me, and she worked hard at it.

  Maybe Bliss was exactly what I needed to heal.

  Who knew?

  Chapter 10

  Clara

  “There, sweet girl,” I crooned as I strapped Bella in her swing. “Aunt Clara needs her hands free if I’m going to finish in time. Mr. Grey’s going to be here soon, and we don’t want to be late.”

  Bella rewarded me with a smile – she loved it when I spoke to her – but once I straightened, the television behind me snagged her attention. She focused intently on the different colors displayed on the screen, fascinated.

  I left her to it to pack the diaper bag. She was spending the day with Mrs. Birdie and Sam while Grey and I went to the city. No matter how many times I told him I was fine, Grey, the stubborn, insanely handsome man, insisted on taking me.

  God, just the thought of him sent my endorphins into overdrive.

  Our friendship had blossomed into something wonderful in the last month and a half. I believe Grey could sense my reservations about his plan to make sure I had fun. He started off slow, only coming to hang out with Bella and me at first – and he came by almost every day. He’d play with Bella until she was too exhausted to hold her head up, and then he’d stay and chat with me while she napped. Grey seemed to care about my interests and who I was as an individual. When he was with me, he was with me. All questions regarding Jonathan had stopped, too, which pleased me to no end.

  Because of that, something strange started to happen. I became comfortable with Grey. I found myself opening up regarding all sorts of things, things I’d never really talked about with anyone, even Paige. I told him stories from my childhood about my parents and how painful their deaths were. There were certain times of my life that I’d never tell Grey, obviously – it hurt too much to remember, let alone put into words what happened. However, if I told a story from my younger years that included my brother, he never stopped me or asked further questions. He just let me speak and listened. I also talked to him about living with Galen and Ava, and how much my life had changed after losing my parents.

  During the night I was telling him about Ava’s death, I realized something that was profound and entirely unlike me.

  I trusted Grey immensely, wholeheartedly.

  Grey seemed to sense this, so he started our fun expeditions after that. First, Grey took me to lunch and dinner a few times to warm me up to the idea of being seen together. Surprisingly, I’d never laughed so hard in my life, and I never once worried about anyone from town. After that, he took me hiking multiple times and fishing once. I was not good at the whole fishing thing, hence the reason we’d only gone once. One word: worms. Ewww. He’d found this highly entertaining.

  Grey had even convinced me to go with Sam and him to his friend’s Halloween party. Even though Chelsea, her husband Justin, and their other friend Adam were with us, Grey never left my side. It was as if he sensed how anxious I was in large crowds and how much I hated social interactions. His presence eased me in a way that I was able to let loose and relax for once. It ended up being one of the best nights I’d ever had.

  Somehow, in such a short amount of time, Grey had become my best friend.

  Who would have thought?!

  I’d gotten to know Chelsea a bit more, too. We never did the whole double date thing, thankfully, but we’d gotten together for lunch a couple of times, and she’d come over to Grey’s to hang out with me quite frequently. Apparently, Justin traveled a lot for work, selling different medical supplies. He ran his own business, so he worked from home the rest of the time, which made up for it (her explanation). However, this meant she was home alone for long periods of time and it was taking its toll on her.

  I’d only met Justin at the Halloween party, but Chelsea and Justin were perfect for each other. She was a petite, little thing compared to him. Justin was a bit shorter than Grey, probably a hair under six feet tall, and had a wide, stalky build – his thighs were practically tree trunks. He had shaggy blonde hair, deep brown eyes, and the cutest cherub cheeks I’d ever seen. His adoration of his wife was what made me like him, though – he worshipped her. Every little look, every little touch was filled with his love for Chelsea.

  Their friend, Adam, was hilarious. He flirted shamelessly with anyone wearing a skirt, although it wasn’t in any way derogatory. In reality, all the man had to do to get a date was look at a woman. Like Grey, he was gorgeous, with crystal blue eyes, dark black hair, a body like a god’s, and a smile that made women melt. His personality was killer, too, making him all the more attractive in my eyes.

  Although, he wasn’t as attractive as Grey.

  I didn’t think it was possible to be more attractive than Grey. He was just that beautiful, inside and out.

  Sam and I had become very close. Because she worked at the B&B, I saw her almost every day. At first, she dropped by to say hello to Bella and me. After that, I would seek her out when I was bored. Usually, I’d find her in the kitchen with Mrs. Birdie. I would help cook meals for the guests or just sit and chat with them while Bella played with her toys in the playpen.

  Sam was hysterical. She was free and spirited, unencumbered by the darkness in the world. In a lot of ways, I envied her for it. There was a fire inside of her, too. She had a strong set of morals and didn’t put up with anything. I would hate to get on Sam’s bad side.

  Mrs. Birdie had become the grandmother I’d never had. I loved her dearly. She didn’t treat me as if I was fragile or broken, like Paige and Galen seemed to do a lot. She respected my boundaries but pushed me to be better in many things, whether it was my cooking or just my outlook on life.

  Brad and Emma, Grey and Sam’s parents, had invited me over to dinner a few times. Honestly, I’d never met such caring and supportive people before. They brought me into the fold with open arms, caring about me in ways that were amazing.

  My life was full, exciting…blissful.

  And it was all because of Grey.

  He had opened my world to possibilities unimaginable to me only a mere month ago. I was lighter, freer. But I was in serious trouble when it came to the all-consuming attraction I had for Grey. The feelings I had for him burned brighter, built higher with each passing day. I didn’t want to like him. As my best friend, yes. As more…no.

  Besides, I had no idea if he felt the same.

  I’d see small flickers in his eyes at times that made me wonder if my feelings were reciprocated, but they were gone almost as soon as I saw them. Also, I’d never been involved in the dating scene – I was too young when I had the opportunity and courage to do it – so I had zero experience. I wasn’t going to make a fool out of myself if I read the situation wrong, not when he’d become my rock. Furthermore, I knew myself and could foresee the dangerous waters ahead. Grey could crush me, stomp my heart into the ground without even realizing it. And knowing how wonderful Grey was, he wouldn’t mean to. He’d destroy himself if he hurt me in
any way.

  Because of all of this, I decided to fight my feelings and reactions with everything I had in me. I was keeping our relationship strictly platonic, no matter how much I didn’t want that.

  The buzzing noise from my phone on the kitchen counter tore me from my thoughts. Relieved that I couldn’t pick apart my relationship status with Grey any more – it was constantly on my mind these days – I rushed to it and saw Mr. Donovan’s name displayed on the screen.

  “Hey, Mr. Donovan,” I answered immediately.

  “How are you doing this morning, Clara?”

  “Great,” I replied, and for the first time in my life, I felt that way.

  “Good to hear. Listen, I need to speak with you about the house.”

  There was something in his tone that made me nervous.

  I’d finally found a house to rent that I liked. Of course I had to give thanks to Grey for this. He and I had searched and searched, but the tourist season in Bliss was crazy and it was hard to find anything suitable. Grey had overheard Mr. Donovan and his wife talking about their vacation home during their brunch at the B&B. They only used it in the summer and were thinking about renting it out for the winter.

  Grey jumped at the chance for me, and within hours I was looking at a cute three bedroom house ten minutes outside of town, set deep in the woods. I liked it well enough, though I’d have to get accustomed to living in the forest. The kitchen was a bit small, but the master bedroom made up for it. It was huge and had a large window that overlooked the pond out back. Because it was furnished, I would only have to change one of the rooms to a nursery for Bella. It seemed ideal for the time being.

  I was set to move in the week of Thanksgiving. Mr. Donovan and his wife wanted to finish the upgrades they had started in the second bathroom over the summer. The project turned out to be a lot bigger than they’d initially planned, which was why they’d come back to Bliss after the summer was over.

  “Okay,” I trailed hesitantly. “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m sorry, dear, but no, everything is not all right.” And he sounded like he meant it, too. “My wife and I went down to Asheville last night to see some friends. We were too tired to drive back, so we stayed the night. A pipe busted in the bathroom at some point, and the whole house was flooded by the time we got back this morning. The damage is extensive. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to fix it. You are going to have to find a new home to rent. I’m so sorry, Clara.”

  My legs gave out as I plopped down on the couch. “Oh,” I whispered, my hopes dashed. “That’s horrible.”

  “I’ll come by later today to drop off your deposit. If there is any way we can compensate you for wasting your time, we’d be-”

  “No, no… Of course not,” I interjected. “Things like this happen, Mr. Donovan.”

  “That’s very kind, dear. I know you needed something right away, but if you, by any chance, haven’t found anything by the time we fix all the damage, I’d love for you to rent it.”

  I rubbed my temple with my fingertips as stress creeped into my skull, creating a dull ache. “How long?”

  “I’m not sure just yet, Clara, but it will take some time. We have to replace drywall, flooring, cabinets… I’m praying that the whole thing doesn’t need to be gutted.”

  I sighed, hating this for them…and me. “That’s terrible.”

  “I’ll keep in touch and let you know how it goes. As I said, I’ll drop your deposit off later today.”

  “I’m heading to Asheville shortly. If I’m not back, give it to Sam.”

  “Sounds good, dear. Again, I’m sorry.”

  “I understand, Mr. Donovan. Good luck.”

  “You too, Clara, You too.”

  I threw my phone down and flopped back onto the couch. This couldn’t be happening. Poor Grey had been sleeping on Sam’s couch for over a month and a half, and now it looked like it was going to be longer.

  What am I going to do?

  My mind started working, going over the different options I had. So far, all the rentals had been duds. They were either shacks, mansions, or homes too deep in the woods that I’d be scared to walk out to my car without encountering a wild beast. I came from Chicago, after all – there was no country anything hidden inside this city girl. I had decided to stay away from buying for the time being, but that was before I’d gotten to know anyone.

  Maybe buying’s the better option.

  With a renewed sense of determination, I found my laptop, took it to the dining room table, and pulled up listings in the area. It might take a little longer to move into a place, but in the end, it might not.

  And Grey deserved to sleep in his bed for once.

  ♥♥♥

  I’d been browsing the internet for half an hour when I heard Grey call out, “Knock, knock,” and opened the door. We had a conversation about him not having to wait for me to answer every time he came over, so I wasn’t surprised.

  I turned away from my laptop and glanced over my shoulder, smiling. “Hey.”

  When I say I was fighting my attraction, I meant I was waging a full on war.

  I wanted to sigh at how edible he looked today.

  Did I really just think he was edible?

  Yes. Yes, I did.

  His hair was a bit disheveled, like he’d ran his fingers through it multiple times. This was a habit of his, but the results were amazing. He was wearing dark jeans, a white thermal, his dark work boots, and a faded brown leather jacket. He was rugged, manly. I loved it.

  I was in so much trouble.

  Stick to your guns, Clara.

  “Hey, you,” he greeted me as he sauntered in.

  Appearing unaffected by his presence, I asked, “Ready to go?”

  I had sold my car in Chicago once I decided to stay, knowing I needed an SUV. I didn’t feel comfortable driving a small car in the mountains, especially with Bella. Grey was taking me to buy a new one.

  The rental agency picked my loner up this morning since I wasn’t going to need it anymore, not that I’d used it much. Grey had insisted on showing me around until I got the lay of the land. I’d barely driven anywhere since I’d arrived.

  As soon as I was in something safer, I hoped he wouldn’t feel the need to do this. I had to draw the line somewhere. Besides, I was coming to rely on him way too much for my liking. Not that I was ungrateful or anything – I would have been lost if it wasn’t for Grey.

  “Yep, finished for the day.” He grinned at me, causing that constant swarm of butterflies, the same one that had taken residence in my stomach since I’d met him, to flutter wildly. “Where’s my girl?” He looked around his house and spotted Bella in her swing. “There she is.” He strolled over to her, his beautiful muscles flexing under his clothes, and picked her up, tickling her belly as he did. She let out a loud squeal that stole my heart. It was my favorite sound in the world.

  Needing to go, I turned back to my computer to shut it down. “I’ll be two seconds.”

  “What are you lookin’ at?” he asked as he looked over my shoulder. When I glanced at Grey again, my face must have given me away because his smile slipped and his expression grew concerned. “What’s wrong, Clara? Is everythin’ okay?”

  “Mr. Donovan called.” I sighed and stood, rotating toward him. “Apparently, a pipe busted in the house last night while they were gone. He said the damage was pretty serious. I won’t be able to move in like we planned. I am so sorry, Grey. You’ve got to be sick of us by now.”

  “Whoa, hold up,” he stopped me. He stepped closer, right in front of me, and rubbed a hand down my arm for reassurance. “I’ve already told you, Clara, you and Bella are fine where you are.”

  I hid the shudder his touch invoked and replied, “You’re just being kind.”

  “Clara,” he warned and cocked a brow at me teasingly.

  “Look, I decided that renting something here is stupid.” I took a step back from him, needing some distance from him or I was going
to do something I’d regret, and leaned my hip against the table. “I don’t want to take Bella away from Bliss, ever…so I think it’s best that I look for a more long term solution. Why rent now and buy later?”

  He stared at me with something working behind his eyes, something intense.

  When he didn’t say anything, I went on. “Since I don’t know how long that will be, and you’ve already gone above and beyond for us, I think I need to stay at a hotel in Asheville until I find something. I cannot put you out any-”

  He cut in before I could finish. “No.”

  I blinked at him for a moment. “No? What do you mean, no?”

  “No. The thought of Bella and you drivin’ through the mountains is enough to give me a heart attack. You’d have to make trips all the time to look at properties, anyway. If stayin’ at Sam’s was horrible, I would’ve moved into my parent’s spare bedroom by now. You. Are. Fine, Clara. It makes me feel a whole lot better knowin’ that you are somewhere safe and close.” He grinned impishly. “Plus, you wouldn’t see my handsome mug everyday if you were in Asheville. Come on, admit you love it, and you’d miss me terribly.”

  My stomach plummeted, even though I knew he was teasing me. Trying to make it convincing, I gasped, “Grey!” and playfully swatted his arm while I laughed. “You are too full of yourself.”

  His humor melted away as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I suppressed another shudder as he said, “With all jokin’ aside, I am ecstatic that you’ve decided to stay for good.” There was a hidden meaning behind his words and his expression that I couldn’t quite grasp, though.