because Sam asked us to. He’s a pretty persuasive guy.”
She thought back to when he asked her to have an affair with him and how she agreed, even though deep in her heart she knew it was a bad idea. “Oh, I know.”
Just then Jake, Vic, Sophie, Carmen, Andie and Dani along with a few other women she’d met showed up with buckets and soap and mops. Katy and Josie came up behind them with enough sandwiches and drinks to feed a town, which, she supposed, they were.
“Now come on, let’s get the guys to help lift the furniture and put it in place, so we can clean and then eat. The baby is starving.”
As she watched Tabby step up to her friends and divvy up chores, Lex’s heart went to her throat. It baffled her the way this town came together…for her. How on earth could she ever walk away from these people?
From Sam?
Night had fallen by the time everyone left, exhausted after a long day and even longer week. Sam dipped his toes in the water and turned to see Alexis, who was shedding her clothes. His heart thundered as he watched her, his body needed her all over again.
“Hurry up,” he growled.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she said, her voice lighter than he’d ever heard it. A lump formed in his throat as she approached, her beautiful refurbished house providing a backdrop. He stole a quick glance at it and while he was happy that he could do this for her, and get her back on track with her loans, it damn near killed him to see the For Sale sign go up.
When she reached him, he pushed his worries aside, wanting to enjoy these last few days, maybe even only a few minutes, he’d have with her before she skipped town. He kissed her hard, then hand in hand they waded out into the water. They swam to a ledge below Dresden’s Bluff, and he lifted her onto the rocks with him.
Their feet dangled in the water and she shimmied close. When he felt her body quiver, he pulled her in tight, noticing that she was unusually quiet. Sam took a moment to sort through everything that had happened between them the last week, and how maybe it was time to settle down in Whispering Cove. Only problem was, there was only one girl he wanted to settle down with and her life was in Portland.
“Sam,” she said, breaking the quiet.
He lightly trailed his finger up and down her arm. “Yeah.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you leave Whispering Cove?”
“I told you I had a talent most don’t.”
She touched his chin and angled his face her way. When he caught the emotion in her eyes his heart tightened. “You’re right. You do. And that talent is in restoring houses. Why did you stop?”
He exhaled slowly. “It was a long time ago. I was young and in love,” he said, holding her tighter and realizing for the first time that while he cared for his ex very much, what he felt for Alexis went much deeper. “Or at least I thought I was.”
“And…”
“And I secretly restored a house for her and asked her to marry me. She turned me down and, because she wanted a house that was shiny and new, left town with another guy who could give it to her. I swore I’d never restore another house again—especially for another woman—and walked away from it all.”
Her voice was soft, barely audible, when she stated, “Yet you did it for me.”
“Yeah, Alexis,” he said softly. “I did it for you.”
“You’re a licensed preservation contractor, aren’t you? You’re the one who signed off on all the work right?”
“Yeah.”
Lex pursed her lips, like she was deep in thought, then said, “Maybe it’s time to stop letting other people dictate what you do.” He gave her a sideways look and she poked him in the chest, throwing his words back at him. “Maybe it’s time to be who you really are, and stop trying to be something you’re not.”
As they exchanged a long, thoughtful look, he considered what she was saying. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to grow up, put the
She thought back to when he asked her to have an affair with him and how she agreed, even though deep in her heart she knew it was a bad idea. “Oh, I know.”
Just then Jake, Vic, Sophie, Carmen, Andie and Dani along with a few other women she’d met showed up with buckets and soap and mops. Katy and Josie came up behind them with enough sandwiches and drinks to feed a town, which, she supposed, they were.
“Now come on, let’s get the guys to help lift the furniture and put it in place, so we can clean and then eat. The baby is starving.”
As she watched Tabby step up to her friends and divvy up chores, Lex’s heart went to her throat. It baffled her the way this town came together…for her. How on earth could she ever walk away from these people?
From Sam?
Night had fallen by the time everyone left, exhausted after a long day and even longer week. Sam dipped his toes in the water and turned to see Alexis, who was shedding her clothes. His heart thundered as he watched her, his body needed her all over again.
“Hurry up,” he growled.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she said, her voice lighter than he’d ever heard it. A lump formed in his throat as she approached, her beautiful refurbished house providing a backdrop. He stole a quick glance at it and while he was happy that he could do this for her, and get her back on track with her loans, it damn near killed him to see the For Sale sign go up.
When she reached him, he pushed his worries aside, wanting to enjoy these last few days, maybe even only a few minutes, he’d have with her before she skipped town. He kissed her hard, then hand in hand they waded out into the water. They swam to a ledge below Dresden’s Bluff, and he lifted her onto the rocks with him.
Their feet dangled in the water and she shimmied close. When he felt her body quiver, he pulled her in tight, noticing that she was unusually quiet. Sam took a moment to sort through everything that had happened between them the last week, and how maybe it was time to settle down in Whispering Cove. Only problem was, there was only one girl he wanted to settle down with and her life was in Portland.
“Sam,” she said, breaking the quiet.
He lightly trailed his finger up and down her arm. “Yeah.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you leave Whispering Cove?”
“I told you I had a talent most don’t.”
She touched his chin and angled his face her way. When he caught the emotion in her eyes his heart tightened. “You’re right. You do. And that talent is in restoring houses. Why did you stop?”
He exhaled slowly. “It was a long time ago. I was young and in love,” he said, holding her tighter and realizing for the first time that while he cared for his ex very much, what he felt for Alexis went much deeper. “Or at least I thought I was.”
“And…”
“And I secretly restored a house for her and asked her to marry me. She turned me down and, because she wanted a house that was shiny and new, left town with another guy who could give it to her. I swore I’d never restore another house again—especially for another woman—and walked away from it all.”
Her voice was soft, barely audible, when she stated, “Yet you did it for me.”
“Yeah, Alexis,” he said softly. “I did it for you.”
“You’re a licensed preservation contractor, aren’t you? You’re the one who signed off on all the work right?”
“Yeah.”
Lex pursed her lips, like she was deep in thought, then said, “Maybe it’s time to stop letting other people dictate what you do.” He gave her a sideways look and she poked him in the chest, throwing his words back at him. “Maybe it’s time to be who you really are, and stop trying to be something you’re not.”
As they exchanged a long, thoughtful look, he considered what she was saying. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to grow up, put the
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