by Jan Moran
Nice legs, she thought, admiring his thigh muscles. Who said the forties were over-the-hill?
“Welcome to paradise,” he said, rising to greet her. “You look amazing.”
“Not too much?”
“Too much is not even enough,” Jack said, taking her hand.
“And this from a man who was going to sleep in a VW van.” Marina laughed lightly. “Are you quoting de Beaumarchais?” That was the French author of the Figaro plays. Where love is concerned, too much is not even enough.
“Ah, but it’s a fully renovated van.” As Jack handed her a cocktail, a smile played on his lips, though he didn’t answer her question. “This is where we met, and since we got off to a rocky beginning, I thought we could start over. Shall we try this again?”
Marina sipped in thought. “No sprained ankles, no wet dogs, no waterspouts. I don’t know. It could be a little boring.”
“I have a feeling the Delavie-Moore clan is never boring.”
They had the pool area to themselves this evening. While talking about the aftermath of the twister, Jack shared that Chief Clarkson had stopped by earlier to see Imani, who was still living at the inn.
“The chief said the young couple that you pulled from the wreckage of their home is fine,” Jack said. “She’s four months pregnant, so they were pretty concerned. Except for a few bruises, they’ll be okay.”
“I wonder where they’ll go?”
“They just checked in here.” Jack nodded toward the main house. “Seems this is the fashionable place for the displaced. Especially for reformed news jockeys like us. Ready for that swim?”
“Sure.” Marina slipped off her coverup and followed Jack into the pool. When he took off his shirt, she saw the scratches he’d sustained yesterday in the twister. The saltwater pool was refreshing yet warm, and she swirled her hands around. The relaxing effect of the cocktail was taking the edge off her stress.
Jack brought in a plastic floatie shaped like a life-preserver, and they each took a side, paddling around and watching the sun sinking toward the horizon. The sound of the ocean, steps from the property, created a mesmerizing accompaniment to the sunset. As they floated, they talked about their plans.
“How are plans for the Taste of Summer Beach event going?” Jack asked.
“Since the deck survived the storm, it’s still a go,” Marina said, lazily fluttering her legs beneath the water. “I’ve contacted a lot of local restaurant owners, and Bennett has shared a few dates on the Summer Beach calendar that are open. I’ll confirm with everyone, and then all we have to do is promote it and put on a great event. I thought we could accept donations for those who need assistance after the storm.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jack said thoughtfully. “You seem to have thought of everything.”
Marina appreciated his confidence in her. “The chefs are the real stars, so I don’t have to do very much. Seems fairly easy. Really, what could go wrong?”
Jack chuckled. “What did I tell you about tempting the gods? Last time you said that we practically had a reenactment of Sharknado.”
“There wasn’t a single shark in that twister,” Marina said, pressing a finger to his lips. “And don’t talk about sharks so close to the beach.”
Jack began humming the tune from Jaws, and Marina swatted him. “Stop that,” she said, laughing. “I want to hear more about the illustrations you have planned for Ginger’s books. This is quite a career departure for you, isn’t it?”
“I never thought I could make a living with my artwork. This book is a start. I’ll have the summer to finish it and see if it sells.” His expression turned serious. “When you’re young, you embark on a path, hardly knowing where it might take you. Then, one day, you wake up to a sharp left turn.”
Marina enjoyed listening to him talk. “I know how that is.”
Jack reached across the floatie and stroked her hand. This time, Marina didn’t draw back. On impulse, she twined her fingers with his.
Maybe she was ready to take a chance.
“You’ve inspired me,” Jack said. “You handled all the muck thrown at you, yet you held your head high. That kept me going, too.”
Marina could tell Jack’s words were genuine. His voice had a husky, emotional edge to it, so different from Grady’s. With surprise, she realized Jack reminded her of Stan. The two men shared a core of decency and commitment that Grady lacked.
“I’ve thought the same about you,” Marina said softly. “When I see you with Leo, I can see the love growing between you.”
Jack’s eyes glazed with emotion, and he brought Marina’s hand to his lips, grazing her skin with a kiss. “Knowing what lies ahead for him makes me care for him even more. I want to protect him from the inevitable with his mother, but I can’t. That’s what hurts the most. When you love someone, you want to spare them anguish and heartbreak.”
“Being there for him is what counts.” Marina understood that Jack’s first commitment was to Leo, just as her primary responsibility was to Heather and Ethan. Even after her children graduated and had careers and families, they would always be her life. And yet, seeing how Ginger had balanced her responsibilities with living the life she wanted inspired Marina.
“Someday, I’d like you to share your single-parent superhero manual with me,” Jack said.
“Leo seems like a wonderful boy, and I’m sure you’ll figure it out. New bikes and frisbees are a good start, but warm hugs will seal the deal. And having Scout around is bound to help.”
Marina smiled, recalling the enjoyable and challenging times she’d had with her children. A vision of a future with Jack grew in her mind, but that seemed so premature, so distant, that she cast it aside. Yet, being close to Jack was even better than Marina had imagined in her dreams.
Oh yes, she had dreamed, even though she hadn’t dared admit it.
Jack chuckled. “A year ago, if someone had told me I’d be right here, in this new life, with a dog and a son, I wouldn’t have believed them.”
“Any regrets?”
Jack held her in a steady gaze. “Not one. Especially now.”
The setting sun cast a burnished glow across the pool, enveloping them in a magical light. As they talked, they floated together until they were side by side on the edge of the raft, their heads bent toward each other, the warm water lapping gently around them.
Golden rays illuminated Jack’s vivid blue eyes, which seemed endless as the ocean stretched out beyond them. As the sun kissed the horizon, he folded her hand in his and pressed them to his heart.
A current swept Marina to him, and she ached to feel his arms around her. Taking a chance, she slid her hands along his shoulders. The touch of his skin sent thrills through her, but more than that, she felt a closeness that she hadn’t experienced in many years.
Without hesitation, Jack wrapped his arms around her. “Do you think that with all the challenges before us, we might occasionally carve out time for us?”
“Like this?”
“Just like this. And more.” His lips curved into a smile, and he cupped her face with his hand. “I believe our future can be what we make it.”
As the sun slipped beneath the skyline, filling the heavens with brilliant hues of shimmering rose gold, Marina lifted her face to his. When their lips met, she felt as if she were entering a paradise of the heart. Neither of them could know what the future held, but Marina sensed that their lives might entwine for a long time.
When Jack pulled away, his eyes glowed with the hint of love that Marina had known only once. In his eyes, she saw a reflection of hers, bright with passion. This spring, despite upheavals, they’d sown critical seeds. She wondered what the summer harvest would bring.
As Marina brushed her lips against Jack’s, she sensed that this was the beginning of an unforgettable summer.
* * *
Note from Jan Moran
Thank you for reading Coral Cottage, and I hope you enjoyed it. Find out what happens next
in the Coral Cafe as Marina pursues her dream of a beachside café, and Kai finds a new passion in to pursue in Summer Beach. If you haven’t already read the first installment of Summer Beach with Ivy and Shelly Bay, get the Seabreeze Inn now.
To hear about my new releases, please join my VIP Readers Club. Thank you very much for reading.
* * *
More to Explore
If you like historical novels set by the sea, you might like to read The Chocolatier. Set on the Italian coast of Amalfi, the saga follows a newly widowed chocolatier from San Francisco who discovers her husband’s mysterious past. You’ll be whisked away into a fascinating world. Between chocolate tastings and fabulous 1950s styles and music, this was one of my favorite books to research.
My next novel is Hepburn’s Necklace, which is set in beautiful Lake Como, Italy. Find out what happens when a costume designer discovers a necklace that Audrey Hepburn gave her great-aunt on the set of the film Roman Holiday—and the long-buried secret its discovery reveals.
And if you like reading contemporary series, you might enjoy my Love California collection of linked, standalone books, beginning with Flawless. Meet a group of devoted friends and their romantic interests, and join them on their adventures with a trip to Paris, France. My love of travel inspired these stories, so get your literary passport ready.
Books by Jan Moran
Contemporary
Summer Beach: Coral Cottage Series
Coral Cottage
Coral Cafe
Summer Beach: Seabreeze Inn Series
Seabreeze Inn
Seabreeze Summer
Seabreeze Sunset
The Love, California Series
Flawless
Beauty Mark
Runway
Essence
Style
Sparkle
20th-Century Historical
Hepburn’s Necklace
The Chocolatier
The Winemakers: A Novel of Wine and Secrets
Scent of Triumph: A Novel of Perfume and Passion
Life is a Cabernet: A Wine Country Novella
* * *
Get Jan Moran’s books and audiobooks
Coral Cottage Cooler Recipe
Compliments of Ginger Delavie and Marina Moore
The Coral Cottage serves a refreshing juice tonic tinted in a lovely shade of vibrant coral to match the cottage. Blood orange juice is sweeter than regular orange juice, and the fruit is seedless. Blood oranges originated in Italy and Spain, and varieties include Tarocco, Moro (also Morro), and Sanguinello (also Sanguigno).
* * *
This fruit juice blend is delicious without alcohol, too. Adjust the ratios of juice to sparkling wine or club soda for taste as desired.
* * *
Coral Cottage Cooler
Blood orange juice
Champagne, Prosecco, Cava or club soda
Strawberries
Mint garnish
* * *
Mix equal parts blood orange juice with bubbly Champagne, Prosecco, or any sparkling white wine. For a refreshing non-alcoholic version, substitute club soda for alcohol. Serve in a chilled glass with or without ice. Add a garnish of fresh mint and strawberries.
* * *
If you can’t find blood orange juice, you may substitute pomegranate juice. Or regular orange juice with a dash of red grenadine for color.
* * *
Serving suggestions: This juice cocktail is a refreshing pop of color at summer parties. Serve in Champagne flutes, highball glasses, mason jars, or any pretty glassware.
* * *
Enjoy!
* * *
Of course, always drink responsibly and don’t drive and drink.
About the Author
Jan Moran is a writer living in generally sunny southern California. A few of her favorite things include a fine cup of coffee, dark chocolate, fresh flowers, laughter, and music that touches her soul. She loves to travel and her favorite places for inspiration are those rich with history and mystery and set against snowy mountains, palm-treed beaches, or sparkly city lights. Jan is originally from Austin, Texas, although she has lived in California near the beach for years.
Most of her books are available as audiobooks, and her historical fiction is widely translated into German, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Portuguese, and Lithuanian, among other languages.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a brief review online for your fellow readers where you purchased this book, or on Goodreads. Thank you!
Copyright © 2020 Jan Moran
All Rights Reserved
* * *
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
* * *
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Moran, Jan.
/ by Jan Moran
* * *
ISBN 978-1-951314-13-2 (epub)
ISBN 978-1-951314-14-9 (softcover)
ISBN 978-1-64778-001-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-64778-002-9 (large print)
ISBN 978-1-64778-003-6 (audiobook)
* * *
Cover design by Sleepy Fox Studios
Cover images copyright Deposit Photos
* * *
Sunny Palms Press
9663 Santa Monica Blvd STE 1158
Beverly Hills, CA, USA
www.sunnypalmspress.com
www.JanMoran.com
