“Sorry I ruined your life so much.”
Mom whipped her chair around so fast the wheels squeaked on the polished floor. “You didn’t.” An emotion flashed in her eyes, something almost foreign—something that looked like fierce protectiveness. Maybe even love.
Bella hadn’t glimpsed a look like that on Mom’s face in a really long time.
She swallowed hard. “I didn’t?”
“You changed the trajectory of my life, but you didn’t ruin it. In fact, you gave me a reason to work harder than I ever had.” Sighing, Mom tapped the edge of the desk. “Though I can admit now that perhaps you’re right—I started off doing it for you, but along the way, it became about me. About proving to myself that I could turn things around, become someone important, someone that a man like Daniel wouldn’t easily forget.”
Oh, Mom. Bella itched to round the desk and hug her mother, but she stayed in her chair. “Is that why you fought so hard to build the resort in Walker Beach?”
“I suppose so. Maybe deep down I imagined him seeing it and feeling some sort of regret. How utterly ridiculous.”
“Not so ridiculous. I certainly understand it.”
“But it’s no excuse for how I’ve made you feel.” Mom frowned. “I . . . I’m sorry, Bella.”
“I forgive you, Mom.” The words that had seemed so impossible minutes ago now felt right and true.
“Well.” Mom’s jaw tensed, and she swerved her chair toward the computer. “I have a lot of work to do. You can leave the door open on the way out.”
That was all the reply she was going to get? No hug? No warm words about doing better in the future?
She supposed she shouldn’t have expected anything more from her mother.
“Don’t do it for your mom. Do it for you. Because, Bells, I don’t think that you can ever be free until you let it go.” Jessica’s words from last night tossed peace over her shoulders like a warm blanket.
The tightening in Bella’s chest lessened, and her breathing normalized.
Oh.
So that’s what freedom felt like.
Jess had been right. And, yeah, maybe Bella’s offer of forgiveness hadn’t outwardly affected Mom.
But it was affecting Bella.
Mom’s reaction and all that she’d revealed about Bella’s father was a good reminder of the other thing Jessica had said—that family was who she chose. She didn’t have to wait around for some discovery. She didn’t have to wait around for an embrace from her mom that might never come.
She could keep living her life, choosing who to love and who to call her own.
And there was freedom in that.
“OK.” Bella stood and strode toward the door. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bella.”
Her steps hitched. She swung her gaze back to her mom. “Yes?”
“Thank you. For your honesty.” Mom’s whole body remained stiff, but Bella could swear she saw her upper lip tremble. “And . . . for your forgiveness.”
A smile stretched across Bella’s lips. “I love you, Mom.”
“Yes, yes, I love you too. Now get back to work.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Shaking her head, Bella headed toward her office, crossing through the reception area on her way back.
“Bella.” The receptionist, Toni, flagged her down. “Your two o’clock is in your office.”
She couldn’t remember any appointments on the books, but Bella didn’t want Toni to know that. “Thanks, Toni.”
The receptionist popped her gum and leaned forward, a saucy smile on her face. “And girl, he is fine.” She drew out the last word.
Bella’s limbs tingled. It wasn’t . . . no. Ben wasn’t the only handsome man on the planet.
Most handsome? Yes. But not the only one.
“Noted.” Smoothing out the wrinkles in her purple blouse, Bella walked down the hallway, heels clicking on the floor as she rounded the corner to her office.
She peeked in—and her heart nearly stopped.
There was Ben, sitting in her chair, feet propped up on her desk, hands folded over his stomach, eyes closed as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Why was he here? And why did he have to look so fiiiiiiiiine, as Toni had said? His unshaven jaw showed days of growth, but despite her normal preference for a clean face, the stubble heightened his appeal.
“Ben?”
He sat upright so quickly that he nearly fell out of the chair. Then he flashed her a sheepish grin. “Hey.”
“What are you doing here?”
The maroon T-shirt he wore brought out the deep brown flecks of his eyes in a way that weakened her knees. “I came to tell you what an idiot I am.”
She slumped against the doorframe. “What?”
Standing, he maneuvered around the desk and came toward her. He reached for her hand, pulled her out of the doorway, and shut the door. Then he turned toward her. “I found the business plan you left for me.”
“Oh.” She’d wondered if he would.
“It made me realize that I was wrong.” He smoothed the skin on the back of her hand with his thumb, sending delicious tingles up her spine. “I’m sorry I sent you away.”
“You had every right to.”
“Maybe.” He cocked his head. “But it was all about wounded pride for me. I couldn’t believe I’d fallen for another woman who had lied to me. But you’re not the same as Elena, as much as I tried to make you out to be.”
“Ben, I was worse.” She bit her lip. “But I am sorry. I truly never wanted to hurt you. And then, as things got real between us, I didn’t want to lose you. But I did anyway.”
“I’m sorry for not having more faith in you. I should have believed in you, believed in us. Believed what I knew was true.”
“And what’s that?”
“Bella, I don’t need to see your birth certificate. I know who you are.” He paused. “Who you really are.”
Her lips trembled. “Ben.”
“And I know your last name is Moody, but you don’t belong here at Moody Development.”
“I don’t?”
He shook his head, slid his arms around her waist. “You belong at the Iridescent Inn. With me.”
Fireworks burst in her chest. It was too much. Forgiving her mom had freed Bella. But being forgiven imparted a joy she didn’t deserve. “I like the sound of that.” She studied this man who had given her so much. Hope ringed his eyes, and she couldn’t help but tease him. “Does that mean you’re offering me a job?”
“Would you take it if I did?”
“Maybe.” She cocked her head. “Is the pay any good?”
“Terrible.”
“Tempting. What about paid time off?”
“Not so much.”
“Hmmm. And what kind of benefits package do you offer?”
“Now that is one of our strongest selling points. It includes lots of hours working with the handsome owner of the inn. And, when appropriate, lots of kissing.” His mouth slid into a wicked grin. “I’m happy to give you a sample of these amazing benefits if you’d like.”
“I don’t think I’d be able to make my decision without one.”
Ben ran his finger along the side of her face, tucking her hair behind her ear. His thumb settled under her cheekbone, and his other hand pulled her flush against him. Then he bent toward her, pressing his lips to hers.
His kiss tasted of promise and sunshine and . . . life. Sweet, sweet life.
She pulled away, lips tingling. “To be honest, yours seems quite competitive with other offers I’ve received.”
“Other offers?” He growled the words, tightened his hold.
“Naturally.” Bella laughed and reached up to stroke his cheek, the stubble soft beneath her fingertips, much to her surprise. “How are you going to make your offer stand out above the rest?”
“What if I threw my heart into the mix?” His eyes caught hers, and she nearly melted at the intensity shining there.
Be
lla settled her arms around his neck. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“Does that mean you’ll come back with me? Help me whip the inn into shape?”
“Yes, but it means more than that. It means I choose you, Ben.”
His fingers skimmed her chin. “I choose you too, Bella. Your past, your present, your future—no matter your last name.” Ben kissed her again. “I choose all of you. Always.”
Epilogue
Whoever said “many hands make light work” knew what they were talking about.
Massaging his left shoulder, Ben looked out over the inn’s courtyard from the deck above. His sister, Shannon, and Bella scurried back and forth from the kitchen to the various outdoor spaces, ensuring that everything was all set for the Iridescent Inn’s first luau.
While Ben had done some of the heavy lifting—literally—the women were the ones who had made the place shine, with tiki torches lining the path, first from the parking lot to the gate then down to the inn’s private beach. Tables with fancy pineapple centerpieces were scattered throughout the courtyard, and the smell of roasted pig twined its way up from the beach.
Nikki Harding and her band did a mic test near the courtyard fountain, the sound of her ukulele echoing through the rented sound system.
The whole thing had been Bella’s brilliant idea, and Ashley had been only too thrilled to use her event planning expertise to make tonight a reality despite the three-and-a-half short weeks they’d had to pull it together. According to Ash, they’d already sold enough tickets to put Ben in the black for the rest of the year—and that didn’t even include all the out-of-town guests coming in for the long weekend who planned to attend the Walker Beach Labor Day picnic tomorrow.
For the first time since Ben had inherited the inn, it was full.
Evan came up beside him and leaned on the railing. “Everything looks great, man.”
“Thanks. And thanks for giving up your Friday night to be here.”
“Where else would I be?” His friend’s voice betrayed his grief. A few days after Ben had made things right with Bella, Chrissy Price had slipped into a coma and passed away not long after. It had only been three weeks, and the wound was still fresh for Evan. For everyone in town, really.
“How are you doing, dude?”
Evan fixed his gaze on the horizon. Though the sky featured a slightly hazy film, the sun still brightened the beach and would for another hour and a half. “It’s hard. She was more than a mentor to me. She was one of my best friends.”
His breath shuddered out. He coughed. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re doing this luau. I know it’s benefitting you, but it’s also a great thing for the city. Between you and me, the economy has taken a hit since the earthquake. There just aren’t as many visitors as there were before, and local businesses are suffering for it. I’m doing my best to hand out grants, but only so many exist.” He frowned. “There’s one opportunity I’m pursuing, but . . . I don’t know. It almost feels like an affront to Chrissy’s memory, you know?”
“How’s that?”
“A regional hardware store may be interested in opening a location here.”
“Oh.” Made sense why that would be hard for Evan. “Is Chrissy’s store closing, then? I assumed she left it to a family member.”
Then again, Chrissy didn’t have any family in town. Her mother hadn’t even held her memorial service in Walker Beach, so the community had chosen to hold its own vigil at the local church where Ben’s cousin, Spencer, pastored.
“She left the store to her niece, Madison. Guess she used to live here with Chrissy. Supposedly, she’s in grad school in LA, but she hasn’t contacted anyone in town to inform us of her plans for the store yet.” Evan straightened, shoved his hands in the pocket of his jeans. “Chrissy figured Madison would just sell it, so this regional hardware store opportunity shouldn’t interfere—except maybe to diminish the value of Chrissy’s store.”
“I can see why it’s a hard call.”
“Yeah. I’ll hold off for a bit just to make sure, but it may be too good of an opportunity for Walker Beach to pass up. It would bring more jobs and such to town.”
“Sounds like a good thing.”
“Are you gentlemen just going to stand there all night?”
Ben turned to find a smirking Bella standing at the top of the stairs, hands on her hips. She looked amazing—and cold—in a strappy little dress with blue Hawaiian flowers.
Intelligent, resourceful, and beautiful.
How was she his?
“Think I’ll go see what smells so good down there.” Evan slipped past Bella and was down the stairs before Ben could form another thought.
Shaking himself, he closed the distance between them and dropped in for a kiss. “Hey, gorgeous. I missed you.” Even though they worked together, he hated saying goodbye to her every night and thought fondly of the days she’d lived down the hall as a guest. But they’d both agreed that having their own space to retreat to was a healthy boundary for their new relationship, and she’d moved into the second bedroom of Shannon’s condo upon returning to Walker Beach.
Absence did indeed make the heart grow fonder.
“Flattery will get you everywhere. Now, what are you doing up here standing around and chatting while I work my tail off down there?”
“Well, I’m the boss, so, naturally, I was supervising.”
Her lips curved in a wry grin. They both knew who really ran this place. “Is that so?”
“Of course. And as the boss, I think you need to go back to work. What am I paying you for? To stand around and chat?” He mimicked her earlier tone.
Her eyes flashed with mirth. “Fine. I mean, I was going to tell you that everything is ready, and I had a little time to stand here in your arms and enjoy the fruits of our labor, but if you say I should go back to work, then yeah.” She saluted. “You’re the boss.”
As she turned, he snagged her around the waist and tugged her to him. Her giggles warmed him all the way through. “Not so fast. I’ve reconsidered my directive.” He settled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
She placed her hands over his and snuggled back into his embrace. “And what’s the new one?”
Pressing his cheek against the side of Bella’s head, he inhaled the intoxicating scent of her. “Stay.” His lips lingered near her ear, grazing it when he spoke. “Never leave me.”
“Your wish is my command.”
And, still in his arms, Bella turned her head and captured his mouth in the same way she’d captured every part of him.
Oh man, he loved this woman. That indefinable thing had become definable.
And someday soon, he’d tell her.
For now, though, he would simply enjoy this moment, one that defined true success. And not because he’d saved the inn.
But because he’d finally trusted again—and had won everything in the gamble.
Want more? Access a bonus epilogue with just a bit more of Ben and Bella’s happily ever after on my Reader Freebies page at www.lindsayharrel.com/reader-freebies.
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Can’t get enough of Walker Beach? You can read Evan’s story in the next book, All Because of You. Turn the page for a sneak peek…
All Because of You Sneak Peek
Two weeks. She only had to endure Walker Beach for two weeks.
Madison Price gripped the steering wheel as she parallel parked in front of the quaint blue and yellow storefront on Main Street. At first glance, Hole-in-the-Wall Hardware looked much the same as it always had.
But one thing was glaringly different from th
e last time she’d been here—Aunt Chrissy wasn’t.
An ache pierced her heart, but Madison shook it away. She pulled her phone from her purse and shot off the text she’d considered sending during the entire four-hour drive north from Los Angeles. I want to make an offer on the Dalton Street House. Asking price, like we discussed. Thanks.
She hoped her realtor in Oregon would respond soon. Not that Madison didn’t have plenty to distract her in the meantime. But it would be nice to have a home to go along with the assistant librarian job she’d start in just fifteen days.
Madison cast another wary glance at the store to her right, climbed from the packed-to-the-hilt car, and tucked her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. She probably should have dropped off her stuff at Aunt Chrissy’s house, but something had compelled her to come here first. Dodging a few stray passersby, Madison unlocked the front door and stepped into the darkened store.
A small bit of light filtered in from the large front window, enough for her to make out the shadowed rows of hardware supplies and the hulking oak desk where she’d seen her aunt countless times, cashing out Walker Beach patrons and dishing out a larger-than-life smile. The place still smelled of wood dust and lemon, a mixture so familiar that she hadn’t realized she’d missed it until now.
Madison reached for the light switch, but as she did, the back door creaked open and something clattered to the ground. Even from the front of the store, she could hear the wooden floorboards in the back groan and settle as someone walked across them.
Her breath stuttered. Was a thief taking advantage of the relatively quiet day on Main Street and the store that had been empty for more than four months? Walker Beach, California, had always been synonymous with safety, but a lot could have changed in the ten years since Madison had lived here.
Tiptoeing to the closest shelf where the hammers once had been stored, she fumbled along until she gripped a solid wooden handle. As quietly as she could, she crept toward the back, where someone was making quite a racket. If it were a thief, they were not a stealthy one.
All of You, Always Page 15
