Her Maine Attraction: A Small Town Romance (Pine Cove Book 1)

by Rebecca Gannon

  Leaning down, Jake gives me a soft, sweet kiss that leaves my stomach in butterflies. Maybe my wish is finally starting to come true after 28 years.

  Walking on, we stroll through a small park that’s on top of the hill that overlooks the harbor, and then down the sidewalk past a few more shops before crossing the street to walk along the water.

  Passing the whale watching and waterfront restaurant Jake had pointed out earlier, he leads me over to a ramp near where we parked that extends down to a freestanding floating dock.

  “Jake, that doesn’t look safe.” The ramp is long, thin, and swaying in the breeze as the dock rocks back and forth in the water’s current. “I think I’d fall right in.”

  Stepping onto the ramp, he turns around and holds his hands out to me. “Trust me?” he asks, his eyes serious, showing me that he means more than just right now.

  “Of course, I do. But–”

  “No buts. I’d never let anything bad happen to you, Ally.”

  He called me Ally.

  Looking into his eyes, I search for the truth in his words, and I don’t have to look far. It’s written right there. I know he’d never let me fall, and I know he’d rescue me if I did.

  I do trust him, and that’s not easy for me.

  Placing my hand in his, he envelopes mine and holds tight. “Just take one step forward. I’m here to keep you steady.”

  Nervous, I take a small step onto the shaky ramp. Facing me, Jake walks backwards as I take small steps with him, clinging to his hand.

  This is definitely not safe. The ramp is moving around with the current, and if it weren’t for Jake, I know I would have lost my balance and have fallen into the water already.

  “Jake,” I say, my voice shaky.

  “I got you,” he whispers when we finally reach the dock, wrapping his arms around my waist.

  Looking up at his handsome face, I trace his cheek with my fingers, feeling his smile. Running my finger over the dip in his cheek, I circle it, loving his sexy dimple.

  Leaning down, Jake captures my lips with his, and a fire immediately spreads through me. Running my hands through his hair, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him as close as possible.

  But I forget where we are and I feel the dock beneath me rock, our kiss broken as I start to lose my balance. I let out a little scream, and Jake steadies me, laughing.

  “Jake!” I yell, slapping his chest. “Oh my god, we’re going to fall in! Why is this thing so freaking small?”

  “I told you I got you, darlin’,” he says simply.

  “I know, but I don’t want to distract you and then we fall in.”

  “And how would you distract me?”

  “With my amazing kisses, obviously,” I say, making him laugh, the sweet sound vibrating through me.

  He smiles down at me, and I melt into his arms. “I’m going to turn you around so you can see the view. But I’ve got you, so don’t worry.”

  Slowly, Jake spins me until I’m facing the harbor and I gasp. “Wow,” I breathe. “It’s different down here. I feel like I’m a part of the water. Like I could just reach out and touch that island over there.”

  Holding me tight against him, Jake rests his chin on top of my head. We stand here for a long while as the sun slowly disappears behind us.

  “We should go,” he says, loosening his hold on me.

  Gripping my hips from behind, he guides me back up the ramp to the safety of solid ground.

  Back in the truck, Jake pulls out of the lot and drives down another main street so I can see the different shops and restaurants on this one, too. I hope we can walk around tomorrow so I can look in a few of these places.

  The drive back to the house isn’t long, and when we park in the driveway, Jake turns to me, a nervous look on his face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he says. “I just want to show you something.” Getting out, he comes around and opens my door.

  Walking into the house, Jake takes me over to a closed door off of the living room. “Open it,” he urges, letting go of my hand.

  Tentatively, I place my hand on the knob and twist. Pushing the door open, I freeze when I see what’s behind it.

  My mind races with a million thoughts before it all clears away, and only one thing repeats over and over.

  I’m in love with Jake Taylor.

  “Jake…” I whisper, stepping into the bedroom.

  He doesn’t say anything as I walk over to the bed and run my fingers over one of the new canvases laid out on top. There are all different sizes here, along with a new palette, brushes, and what looks like twenty tubes of paint. An easel and stool are set up by the window with a view of the mountains and water.

  “Jake…” I whisper again, feeling the soft bristles of the new brushes.

  Turning around, I look up at him, and tears I didn’t even know had formed start to fall from my eyes.

  He walks over and brushes them away gently. “Did I buy the wrong supplies?” he asks, thinking I’m crying because he got something wrong.

  “No.” I shake my head. “It’s all perfect. I can’t believe you did this. When did you do this?”

  “I brought it all with me and set it up when you were getting ready earlier.”

  Grabbing his shirt, I pull him down and kiss him hard. I need him to know how I feel, but I can’t say the words yet.

  I can’t tell him I love him, but I can show him.

  And that’s exactly what I do for the next few hours.

  I show him over and over again how I feel without saying the words. I’ve never felt my heart swell to this capacity before and know that there’s still more room to love.

  At some point during the night, Jake opens the to-go box from dinner and pulls out a blueberry whoopie pie. Breaking it in half, he holds a piece up to my mouth and I bite into it, moaning instantly.

  “My favorite sound,” he says, licking the filling left behind on my lips.

  Chapter 18

  Kisses pepper my face as I slowly blink my eyes open in a dark room.

  “Time to wake up, darlin’.”

  “What time is it?” I mumble.

  “Four.”

  “In the morning?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then it’s not time to wake up. The sun’s not even up.”

  “That’s the point,” he says, pulling the covers back.

  “Jake!”

  “Come on, I want to take you somewhere.”

  “Where?”

  “To see the sunrise. I promise you’ll love it.”

  “Okay, fine.” I pout, sitting up and throwing my legs over the side of the bed. “But you better be making me coffee.”

  “Of course, darlin’. Do I look stupid?”

  I give him a look. “That’s debatable.”

  Taking a quick shower to wake myself up, I throw on yoga pants, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. Brushing my hair out, I make a long braid down my back and dab some concealer under my eyes to look a little more human. But that’s it. I don’t have the energy to do anything more.

  The smell of fresh, strong coffee starts to waft upstairs, and I quickly grab my sneakers before following the scent of my soul.

  Walking into the kitchen, I find Jake pouring coffee into two thermoses with a mug already waiting for me on the counter. Taking a sip, I sigh, letting the caffeine spread through my body.

  “So, where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  I take a few more gulps of earth’s greatest crop and put my empty mug in the sink. “Alright, I’m ready,” I announce, and we head out.

  I shove my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt to try and keep the chilly morning air away as Jake tosses a duffel bag into the back seat.

  “What’s in there?” I ask, climbing up inside.

  “Just a couple of blankets.”

  “We’ll need blankets?”

  “Yes, we’re going to the top of a mountain.”


  “Jake,” I groan. “I told you I don’t hike.”

  Chuckling softly, he shakes his head as he starts the truck and makes his way down the dark roads. “We’re not hiking up a mountain. And if we were, we wouldn’t do it in the dark, or even be there in time for sunrise.”

  “Okay, good. And don’t be a smartass.” I slap his arm. “You just woke me up in the middle of the night and my mind isn’t awake yet.”

  “My apologies, darlin’.” He smiles.

  We drive for a few minutes before coming up on the Acadia National Park entrance sign, and I sit up a little straighter, wishing it was light out so I could see everything that’s out there.

  Winding through the darkened park, we eventually come upon a sign that has an arrow pointing to the left for Cadillac Mountain.

  “We can drive up the mountain?”

  “Yes. I told you we weren’t hiking, but you’ll still be joining the Cadillac Sunrise Club.”

  “Okay?”

  “The top of Cadillac Mountain is where the sun’s rays first touch the East Coast in the morning.”

  “Really?” I ask, excited.

  Nodding, he squeezes my hand and then lets go so he can focus on maneuvering up the mountain.

  “I didn’t know mountains have parking lots,” I say with a laugh when we reach the top.

  “This one does. Along with a bathroom and gift shop.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, that way everyone can enjoy the view, not just hikers.”

  “Well, thank goodness for that.”

  Grabbing his duffel from the back, Jake guides us with a flashlight up onto a small path that we follow until he finds the perfect smooth rock outcrop.

  Spreading a blanket out, he sits and pats the spot between his legs for me. I settle against him, and Jake pulls out the other blanket and drapes it over our legs.

  He hands me one of the thermoses, and I take a sip of the hot, delicious coffee. “You’ve thought of everything,” I say, snuggling into him when the wind blows, his arms tightening around me.

  I rest my head against his chest, feeling safe in his arms. I close my eyes briefly, soaking up the warmth of Jake.

  “It’s starting,” he whispers, kissing my hair.

  Opening my eyes, I smile, seeing the sky start to lighten with predawn. And with the sky lightening, I’m able to see down the mountain and out across the Atlantic Ocean.

  It’s breathtaking.

  When the first sliver of the sun emerges from the horizon, its rays shoot out across the ocean to us.

  “And there you have it,” Jake whispers. “The first rays greet us. Your beautiful face is the first thing they get to touch this morning.”

  Smiling, I tilt my head up and kiss his chin.

  The sun continues to rise, lighting up the world around us and bringing color to everything it touches.

  “This is amazing, Jake. Thank you.”

  “Anything for you,” he says, kissing my hair.

  Smiling to myself, he can’t see the tears that prick my eyes at his words. “I need to paint this,” I sigh.

  “That’s why I made you a little setup in the house. I want you to always be able to paint whenever, and wherever you want. If you want to, you can.”

  “Thank you,” I whisper. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

  “I don’t want you to ever feel like you can’t let yourself be free to feel and create,” he says, his arms tightening around me.

  He just wants me to be me, and I just fell a little more in love with him.

  Sitting for another twenty or so minutes, we watch the sun fully emerge from the ocean and greet us good morning. I take in everything I see, memorizing it for later.

  Standing up, we walk around the paths, seeing the view from every angle. The north side has an amazing view of Bar Harbor and the circular islands that dot the ocean, while the east and south views show the rolling hillside of the mountain that bleeds out into the Atlantic. I make sure to take plenty of pictures so I can recreate this later.

  “I think I could be up here all day and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

  “Well, I was going to take you to breakfast, but I guess we could stay all day if you want. I think the giftshop has some sweets to keep us going.”

  “Okay, smartass, I didn’t mean literally. I’m starving, actually.”

  “I know. I can hear your stomach from here.”

  “Well, come on, feed me.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Capturing my lips quickly, he starts to lead us back to the truck when a thought strikes me.

  “Wait,” I say, pulling on his hand so he stops. “Can we take a picture first?”

  Smiling, Jake takes a step back towards me. “You want to take a picture with me, darlin’?”

  Swallowing, I nod.

  “Okay, let’s ask someone.”

  Looking around, Jake goes up to a man and hands him my phone.

  “Come here, darlin’.” Jake pulls me close and I wrap my arm around him, smiling.

  “Thank you,” I tell the man after he takes a few pictures and hands me back my phone. I slip it into my pocket straight away, not wanting to look at them yet. I don’t want to hate the fact that Jake will look sexy as hell and I’ll look like a tired mess next to him.

  Getting back in his truck, we wind our way back down the mountain and I all but press my face to the window to take in the view now that it’s light out. This place is incredible.

  Back in town, Jake parks by the water again and we make our way up the street like last night. Except this time, when we’re halfway up, we turn down what seems like a sketchy alley, but then it opens up into a courtyard of businesses.

  “Whoa, that’s not what I was expecting,” I say, looking around.

  “I know. It’s a hidden spot you have to know is here.” Jake points to the wall of windows behind me. A breakfast café called The Wild Blueberry.

  “Well I love the name.” I laugh. “I hope there’s blueberry pancakes.”

  “I’d say that’s a safe bet.”

  Walking in, I smile. It looks just like Luke’s Diner from Gilmore Girls, one of my favorite shows.

  The smell of coffee and syrup makes my stomach grumble, and Jake looks down and smiles, hearing it himself.

  “Table for two,” he tells the hostess.

  “Follow me,” she says, grabbing two menus and leading us to a small table by the window. “Your waiter will be right over.”

  “Thank you.”

  Opening the menu, I see the holy grail of blueberry breakfasts. Pancakes, muffins, French toast, waffles, and even syrup.

  “Hi, I’m Dan,” the waiter says. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”

  “I’ll have coffee, please.”

  “Same,” Jake adds.

  “I actually know what I want to eat, too,” I tell him, but look over at Jake. “Do you?”

  He nods. “Go ahead.”

  “I’ll have the blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup. And then a toasted blueberry muffin on the side, please.”

  “And I’ll have blueberry French toast with a toasted blueberry muffin as well.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back with your coffees.”

  “Thank you.”

  “They’re famous for their muffins, actually,” Jake tells me when the waiter leaves.

  “Well, I could eat the whole kitchen right now, so I hope they’re quick.”

  Laughing, he shakes his head and the waiter comes back with our coffees. Taking a sip, I sigh, letting the hot liquid warm my insides. The top of the mountain was surprisingly cold, and I finished the thermos Jake made me within the first few minutes.

  Thankfully, our food only takes ten minutes to come out, and I practically inhale the plate.

  “This is so good,” I moan around a full mouth.

  “Hey, babe. Let’s keep the moaning down.”

  “Shut up,” I tell him. “And you said you wouldn’t mention my expre
ssive eating again.”

  “I forgot.” He shrugs.

  “No, you didn’t. You just love making fun of me.”

  “It’s not making fun, darlin’. I told you it’s sexy. It makes me think of sex.”

  “Okay, be quiet.” I laugh. “Not here.”

  Finishing everything in record time, I sip my coffee and wait for Jake – the one of us who actually eats at a normal pace.

  “Can we walk around a little when you’re finished? I’d like to maybe buy a souvenir or something.”

  “Of course. Anything you want.”

  “Hmm, good to know,” I say, lifting my mug to my lips to hide my smile.

  When Jake is done, I steal the check and go up to the register to pay before he can protest.

  “I said I was taking you to breakfast, darlin’.”

  “Well, too bad. Now I took you to breakfast.” I smirk.

  Smiling, he shakes his head and we head outside. Going into a couple of shops, I buy postcards, a shot glass, a t-shirt, and even a Christmas ornament from a year-round Christmas store. Now, that’s my kind of store.

  Taking my bags, Jake holds my hand as we continue on down the street. Passing cute shop after cute shop, we turn down a side street, but it turns out to only have B&Bs and Inns on it.

  “Should we go back?”

  “No, there’s something down here I want to show you.”

  Walking to the end of the block, we cross the street, and start down a little gravel road. At the end, there’s a little sliver of sand and rocks, and then it’s just water. The harbor flowing right in front of us.

  “See the island across the way?” he asks, pointing in front of us. “When the tide is low, a path forms from here to the island, and you can just walk right across.”

  “Seriously? I can’t picture that right now.”

  “Yeah, but you have to make it back again before high tide or you’ll be stuck over there for twelve hours until the next low tide.”

  “That’d be a nightmare. I’d be starving!”

  “That would be your first thought.” He laughs. “Not shelter or water or a bathroom.”

  “Well, yeah, but you’d figure that out for us.” I shrug, leaning into him.

  “Of course,” he says, wrapping his arm around me. “We’ll drive by tomorrow and see if we can catch low tide.”