Scattered Pieces

by Allie Able

  “Of course I like him,” I say, surprised by her question. Does she think I would kiss someone that I don't like?

  She suddenly gets serious, “No honey, do you like him, like him? Could you see yourself trusting him and having a relationship with him?”

  I think that over for a second. “I'm not sure where this is going to go with Grant, but I am tired of letting fear rule my life. I want to pursue something that makes me feel happy and safe and right now Grant does that, but I want to take things slow. Part of me wants to trust him, but, Lexie, it takes a lot of courage to look past what Ryan did to me and believe that someone else won't put me through that again. I know I haven't told you much about my marriage, but it was bad. I can't go through that again, so until I know for sure things with Grant will be different, I have to keep my walls up. You could tell me a hundred times he is a good man, but I need to see that for myself. Okay?”

  She solemnly nods her head, “I get it, Summer. If you ever want to talk you know I am always here to listen right?”

  I give her a small smile, “I know, Lexie. Thank you.”

  She nods her head in acknowledgment, “Okay. We have thirty minutes until we open. What do you need me to do?”

  * * *

  Sunday's are usually busy, but today was insane! From the time we opened the doors, until we closed, there was never a moment of peace. I love my bakery, but I have got to find some help soon. Lexie and I just can't keep up with it all.

  I pull into my driveway and see Mrs. Clara outside pulling weeds in her garden. Every part of me is screaming to go inside and take a nice long bath to soothe my tired muscles, but instead I find myself making my way towards her. I brought some extra goodies home from the bakery, I might as well share them with her and help her pull some weeds, while I'm here.

  “Hi, Mrs. Clara.”

  “Hey, sweetie,” she says, turning around to look at me, “How was the bakery today?”

  “Very busy,” I respond, brushing a piece of hair out of my face.

  “I bet. Are you still looking for help?”

  “Yes, ma'am. Good help is hard to find. I have interviewed so many people and no one seems to be a good fit. I got lucky with Lexie,” I say, as I set the container of cupcakes down on her steps.

  “I can understand that. If I hear of anyone needing a job I will send them your way.”

  “Thank you. Speaking of jobs, shouldn't you be hiring someone to help you with these flower beds? It is so hot out here, even in the evenings. I don't want you to over do it,” I tell her, as I kneel down in the grass to help her.

  She gives me a sad smile and her eyes get a faraway look. “Nope, my Bill planted every one of these flowers for me, even the ones on the side of the house. He always took such good care of them, not once hiring someone to help him. I figure that as long as I'm willing and able I should take care of them now that he's not here.”

  I stop pulling the weeds and lay my hand over the top of hers, “I am so sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude.”

  She squeezes my hand and shakes her head, “Of course you weren't trying to be rude, darling. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  We both work quietly for a moment before she says, “So, I saw Grant Hamilton's truck parked in your driveway this morning and something tells me that he hadn't just shown up for breakfast.”

  I look at her out of the corner of my eye and see she has a big mischievous grin on her face. “You are a nosy neighbor,” I groan.

  She laughs, “That I am, my dear.”

  I smile at her and we go back to working. We are almost done when she turns to look at me. “He is a good man, you know,” she says quietly.

  I sigh and sit back on the ground facing her, “I've heard. Lexie was on me like white on rice this morning. I just met him like a week ago and he is doing the renovations on my house. I know nothing about him, other than he just got discharged from the Marines and he works in construction.”

  “So, get to know him,” she states, matter of fact.

  I blow out a frustrated breath, “You make it sound so easy.”

  She turns to give me her full attention, now that all the weeds have been pulled. “Darling girl, when it's the right man, it is that easy.”

  I think for a minute. Everything does seem to be so easy with Grant. It feel like my soul has known him forever and that may be the thing that scares me the most. I never felt like this with Ryan and I married him for Christ sake! If Ryan could break me, then Grant has the potential to completely destroy me, if I get involved with him and this goes south.

  She gives me a knowing look before setting her hand on top of mine, “I know you have been hurt, Summer,” she holds up her other hand before I can say anything, “Just listen to me. I don't know the details of what all you have been through, but I do know about your parents. If you ever want to talk about the rest of it, I am always here. Sweetie, it's in your eyes. They are the windows to your soul. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  I nod my head at her, “My mom use to tell me that all of the time.”

  Mrs. Clara gives me a sad smile before continuing. “I haven't known you very long, but I can see every emotion you feel, right there in your eyes. Your eyes have a world of hurt and fear in them. Hurt I could probably never understand and only a man can cause that much hurt and fear combined. Also, you haven't had a man or anyone else at that house, besides Lexie or your Aunt, since you moved in. So I'm going to give you little piece of advice and then I'm going to go inside and enjoy those sweets you brought me,” she says, nodding towards where I set the cupcakes on her steps, before continuing, “When a good man comes along, you hold onto him. There aren't very many good ones left.” She raises her hand to my face and cups my cheek with her fragile hands, “Love didn't hurt you. Someone who doesn't know how to love hurt you, and you confused the two, my darling girl. Don't let one bad egg ruin the bunch.”

  She gives me one last smile before starting to stand and I hurry to help her, knowing her knees have to be hurting.

  “Thank you,” I say, looking down at her with un-shed tears in my eyes. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough, so I reach out and hug her small body to mine.

  “Anytime sweetie. Now, if you will excuse me I have some cupcakes to eat and my Wheel of Fortune should be on any minute,” she says making her way towards the stairs. I pick up the container and hand it to her, before making my way back across the lawn.

  “Bye Mrs. Clara. Make sure you don't get to hot working outside.”

  She gives me one last wave, before disappearing into her house. I stare at her flower beds for a minute longer before walking back to my own house. I want to be with the type of man, that would plant me flowers for no other reason, than to make me happy. I just wish I wasn't so damn scared.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Grant

  IT'S A RARE OCCURRENCE FOR my brother and sister to come down for lunch, at my parents house. My sister, Ellie, owns a clothing boutique in the city and my younger brother, Parker, is still in law school. It's was nice to see them today, since we don't get to see each other that often. They both left shortly after lunch, to go back to the city, and now it's just me and my parents.

  It's a beautiful warm day, so I make my way out to sit on the porch. After sitting down in one of the rocking chairs, that decorate my parents front porch, my thoughts wander to Summer. I bet they are busy at her bakery today. With tourist season coming up, she is going to have to hire extra help. It bothers me that she works seven days a week. Every one needs a day off every now and then. My dad has always kept the construction company closed on weekends, unless we are working on a major project or under a strict deadline, and I plan on keeping it that way. My dad comes outside holding two beers and offers me one. I gladly take it, as he sits down in the rocker beside mine.

  “How is business going?” he asks, after a minute of silence.

  I look over at him with a smirk. “Oh, like you don't know, old man. You may be gettin
g ready to retire, but you can't tell me you quit checking up on things.”

  He laughs, “Very true. I built that company from the ground up. It's hard to sit around doing nothing.”

  I nod my head in agreement. My dad and I are a lot alike. Aside from looks, we both like to stay busy. I always knew I would take over the company one day. Since I was a little kid, I always liked helping my dad at work.

  “To answer your question, it's going good. We just started two new contracts. One is a renovation and the other is a new build for a business going up. Renovation should take about a month, maybe less, and the new build should be done within three months, depending on the weather.”

  He nods his head, already knowing the information I just told him. “Good. The renovation is on Summer Foster's house right?”

  I look at him surprised for a moment. He would know her name by looking at the paperwork, but something in his tone makes it sound like he knows her. I take a pull of my beer. “Yep. You know Summer?”

  “I read it on the paperwork. I haven't officially met her, but your mom sends me down to 'Sprinkles' occasionally to get her some sweets.” He eyes me over the top of his beer. “Pretty girl.”

  I let out a snort, before taking another healthy drink of my beer. “Yep.”

  “That's all you have to say son? I heard, through the grapevine, that you have been spending some time with Ms. Foster.”

  “You're worse than mom,” I laugh

  He raises an eyebrow at me and I sigh.“I like her. I know I just met her, but I really like her.”

  He looks surprised for a minute, before recovering. I have never really dated and I sure haven't ever talked to my parents about a woman before. I guess they had given up hope on me ever settling down.

  “Is that so?” he asks, studying my face. He must like whatever he sees because his face breaks out into huge grin before he mutters, “Well, I'll be damned.”

  I look at him confused. “What?”

  Still smiling he shakes his head. Before I have time to question him again, my mom joins us on the porch and sits down in her swing. “What are you boys talking about?”

  “Work,” I say, shooting my dad a look. If mom knew I was interested in Summer, she would bother me relentlessly, until I brought her over for dinner, and it's too soon to meet the parents.

  Dad chuckles into his beer. I stand up stretching and look down at my watch. It's getting late. It's already almost 6:30 pm and I can't help but wonder what Summer is doing now that she is off of work.

  “Alright, I guess I'm going to head home.”

  “You don't want me to fix you dinner?” my mom asks. She stands from the swing to give me a hug.

  “No. Thanks mom, but I will just eat something at home. Lunch was good. Love you,” I respond, kissing the top of her head.

  “Love you too sweetie.”

  I pat my dad's shoulder, before making my way down the stairs to my truck. “See ya later, dad.”

  “Bye, son. You should bring that girl over sometime for lunch or dinner,” he says, with a chuckle.

  I shoot him a look over my shoulder as I hurry to my truck. Right as I open the door to climb in, I hear my mom whisper, “You talking about Summer Foster?”

  I laugh, as I get into my truck and give them one more wave, before backing out of the driveway. I'm glad to see the rumor mill is alive and working in Cape Isle. I'm surprised they haven't heard about the fight I got into last night. That was so out of character for me. I'm not saying I haven't been in fights before, I'm just usually not the aggressor, but all I could think of last night, when that guy grabbed her, was that I wanted to rip his arms off for even thinking about touching her. I guess Summer brings out all sorts of feelings I've never had before.

  As I make my way through town, I decide to stop at the Chinese place for a to-go order. I wonder if Summer has eaten dinner yet? Would it be presumptuous to just show up at her house? I've never wanted to be around someone as much as I want to be around her. I'm probably over thinking this.

  I get out of the truck and make my way inside to order. To hell with it, I will order enough for both of us and if she's already eaten, I will just go home.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Summer

  I JUST POURED A GLASS of wine and sat down on the couch, with my Kindle, when the door bell rings. I look at the clock over the fireplace and see that it's a little past 7:00 pm. I know it's not Lexie. We were both so exhausted after work today, I know her plans for the night were the same as mine, a bottle of wine and a book.

  I make my way towards the door and look through the peephole. Even being as tired as I am, I'm excited to see Grant standing there. He said he would see me later, but I just took that to mean that he would see me one day this week. I quickly open the door and give him a big smile. He holds up two plastic bags full of what smells like Chinese food.

  “Hungry?” he asks, giving my wide smile of his own.

  My stomach lets out a growl and answers for me. “I actually forgot to eat dinner,” I admit.

  He frowns down at me, “You shouldn't forget to eat, sweetheart.”

  I shrug my shoulders and open the door wider, indicating for him to come in. “We were super busy at the bakery today.”

  He walks in and I turn to lead him towards the kitchen. Once he sets the food down on the island, he comes over to where I'm standing and wraps me in a hug. My hands find the back of his shirt and I hold him to me. Oh my God, his hugs feel good.

  “Do I need to call you and remind you to eat?” he jokes, kissing the top of my head.

  I giggle against his chest, “No, I don't think that's necessary.”

  He lifts his head and moves back a few inches, so that he can look down at me. “Have you found anyone to hire at the bakery yet?” he asks.

  I shake my head, “Not yet. I have several interviews this week, hopefully one of them will work out.”

  His hand comes up and brushes a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “Good,” he murmurs. His eyes fall to my lips and my breathing becomes shallow. His hand cups my jaw, while his arm that is around my shoulders holds me firmly against him. “I need to kiss you again,” he whispers.

  His eyes meet mine and all I can do is nod my head in response. He has me completely under his spell. He dips his head and his lips meet. The kiss starts slow and sweet. He traces the curve of my bottom lip, with his tongue, and my lips immediately part, allowing him to enter my mouth. He tilts his head taking the kiss deeper, exploring me. He moans into my mouth, when my tongue hesitantly meets his and the muscles, in my lower belly, tighten in response. He pulls me closer to him and I can feel his hardness against my stomach. I rub my thighs together, trying to ease the ache, that he can somehow cause with just a kiss. He slows the kiss down, pulling back enough to nibble on my lips before kissing down my jaw towards my ear.

  “Fuck, Summer, you taste so sweet,” he whispers harshly, in my ear.

  My breathing is heavy and my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. This man makes me feel things that I have never felt before. I know he is just as effected as I am.

  When both of our breathing has returned to normal, he pulls his head back and looks down at me, “I swear I didn't come over just to do that, although it was definitely a plus.” He searches my face and I smile as he bends down, kissing my forehead. I love it when he does that.

  He lets me go and walks over the to bag of Chinese food sitting on the counter. “Lets eat, before it gets cold. I wasn't sure what you liked so I picked up a little of everything.” He starts pulling containers out the bag as I get our plates.

  I turn back around and see my island is covered in to-go boxes. “You weren't kidding,” I chuckle.

  He looks at me and smiles, “Nope.”

  “Well, for future reference, I like almost any kind of Chinese food, but my favorite is sesame chicken and noodles.”

  Grant turns and crosses his arms over his chest, while he studies me. I try not to
figit under his intense stare. “Are you saying there will be more Chinese take-out in our future,” he asks, while smiling his dimpled smile.

  I blush and look away. I know what he is asking and it has nothing to do with food. He wants to know if this is going anywhere and I'm not sure I can answer that just yet. He kisses me senseless and makes me feel things I have never felt before, but I know I'm not ready to put a label on whatever this is. I'm going to take this slow and one day at a time. I just hope he is okay with that.

  Instead of answering, I go to the island and start searching for the sesame chicken. “How was your day?” I ask while looking at the food.

  I hear him chuckle, as he finally turns away, and starts filling his own plate. “It was good. I went and had lunch with my parents. My brother and sister came down too. We don't get to see each other as much anymore, so it was good to catch up with them.”

  I look over at him and see that he has a tender smile on his face. It's easy to see that he loves his family. I feel a twinge of sadness thinking about my parents, but I quickly brush it off. The last thing Grant needs right now is me crying again. “Where does your brother and sister live?”

  “My sister, Ellie, owns a clothing boutique in Charleston and my brother, Parker, is still in Law school at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia.”

  “Wow. Are you the oldest?”

  “Yep. Ellie is two years younger than me and Parker just turned 24.”

  I realize, while he is saying this, that I have no clue how old he is. “How old are you, Grant?”

  He chuckles and grabs us two bottles of water out of the fridge. “I will be 31 next month.”

  Grant picks up his plate and inclines his head towards the door leading to the deck. “Are we eating outside?”

  I nod my head and follow him out. The sun is starting to set, making the sky turn orange. I love this time of day.

  I take a bit of my noodles and groan at how good it tastes. I really need to remember to eat. I didn't even realize how hungry I was, until I smelled the food. I look at Grant to see he is watching me with an odd look on his face.