been paralyzed with fear that Cal would leave her when he found out she was pregnant. Her father often withdrew his attention when she went against his wishes and isolated her emotionally. So she shut down and didn’t tell Cal about the pregnancy or the miscarriage. When Cal begged her to tell him what was going on, and she finally confessed, his reaction had been the opposite of what she’d expected. Instead of pushing her away, he’d hovered over her, as if he were her guardian angel and no harm could come to her as long as he was by her side.
Two years ago, she could have tolerated his overprotective behavior, but she’d changed. She wanted to have what Sylvie and Teressa had, a man who loved her not because she was weak and needed him, but because she was strong, and he needed her as much as she needed him. She wanted them to have a normal life, to have children, be involved with the community and have close friends and family. All the things that had been missing in her life before she met Cal.
* * *
D USTY PULLED INTO his driveway and parked behind Teressa’s minivan. It probably wasn’t a good thing that he was less than thrilled she was home. The past couple of days she and the kids had hung out at the café after hours doing whatever. He’d come home to an almost empty house, and man, he hated to admit it, but everything had been so much easier without any of them underfoot.
All he wanted to do right now was have a shower and crash for an hour or two. He’d been working sixteen-hour days the past week, and the house was starting to shape up. They had a long way to go yet, but it was no longer the bare shell of a house he’d brought Teressa and the kids to a week ago.
The house was the only thing that had improved, though. The best part of his day was first thing in the morning when he and Teressa had their coffee before he left to go fishing. Thank God she wasn’t a morning person. He liked that they had their coffee together and watched the sun come up and didn’t talk. That was okay, wasn’t it? Not talking? She seemed as happy as he was with the silence.
Because if they talked, they’d have to discuss not only the progress on the house, which he was sick of thinking about, but also their relationship. Their problems. He got a headache thinking about everything they needed to hash out.
Instead, he spent most of his time wondering what she had on under her fuzzy pink housecoat that covered her from her chin down to her toes. A couple of times it had gaped open, and he’d caught the flash of a shapely white thigh before she flicked it closed again. Whatever kind of nightie she wore, it was short and skimpy.
He rested his head on the steering wheel. Man, he’d love to walk into the house and have her throw her arms around his neck and plant a big, fat, juicy kiss on him. Or even a little kiss. They’d had fun flirting with each other before she moved in, but now it felt as if she was almost afraid to make eye contact. Never mind full-body contact.
He kept telling himself it was early days yet. Teressa and the kids needed more time to settle, and he did, too. He just had to be patient. Things were bound to work out some day. Right?
“Hey, Josh. How’d it go today?” he called from the open truck window when Josh exited the house.
His first mate closed the house door behind him and tromped down the porch steps. “I’d rather be on the water in weather like this.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. It’s made a big difference having you work on the house, though.”
He missed having Josh on the boat, because he was in good shape and smart enough that Dusty didn’t have to tell him every little thing to do, like he did with Andy, his other helper. Josh could think for himself and had some experience with carpentry, which was why Dusty had asked him to work on the house. He couldn’t be in two places at once and needed someone reliable to fill in for him.
“I could run the boat, too, you
Two years ago, she could have tolerated his overprotective behavior, but she’d changed. She wanted to have what Sylvie and Teressa had, a man who loved her not because she was weak and needed him, but because she was strong, and he needed her as much as she needed him. She wanted them to have a normal life, to have children, be involved with the community and have close friends and family. All the things that had been missing in her life before she met Cal.
* * *
D USTY PULLED INTO his driveway and parked behind Teressa’s minivan. It probably wasn’t a good thing that he was less than thrilled she was home. The past couple of days she and the kids had hung out at the café after hours doing whatever. He’d come home to an almost empty house, and man, he hated to admit it, but everything had been so much easier without any of them underfoot.
All he wanted to do right now was have a shower and crash for an hour or two. He’d been working sixteen-hour days the past week, and the house was starting to shape up. They had a long way to go yet, but it was no longer the bare shell of a house he’d brought Teressa and the kids to a week ago.
The house was the only thing that had improved, though. The best part of his day was first thing in the morning when he and Teressa had their coffee before he left to go fishing. Thank God she wasn’t a morning person. He liked that they had their coffee together and watched the sun come up and didn’t talk. That was okay, wasn’t it? Not talking? She seemed as happy as he was with the silence.
Because if they talked, they’d have to discuss not only the progress on the house, which he was sick of thinking about, but also their relationship. Their problems. He got a headache thinking about everything they needed to hash out.
Instead, he spent most of his time wondering what she had on under her fuzzy pink housecoat that covered her from her chin down to her toes. A couple of times it had gaped open, and he’d caught the flash of a shapely white thigh before she flicked it closed again. Whatever kind of nightie she wore, it was short and skimpy.
He rested his head on the steering wheel. Man, he’d love to walk into the house and have her throw her arms around his neck and plant a big, fat, juicy kiss on him. Or even a little kiss. They’d had fun flirting with each other before she moved in, but now it felt as if she was almost afraid to make eye contact. Never mind full-body contact.
He kept telling himself it was early days yet. Teressa and the kids needed more time to settle, and he did, too. He just had to be patient. Things were bound to work out some day. Right?
“Hey, Josh. How’d it go today?” he called from the open truck window when Josh exited the house.
His first mate closed the house door behind him and tromped down the porch steps. “I’d rather be on the water in weather like this.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. It’s made a big difference having you work on the house, though.”
He missed having Josh on the boat, because he was in good shape and smart enough that Dusty didn’t have to tell him every little thing to do, like he did with Andy, his other helper. Josh could think for himself and had some experience with carpentry, which was why Dusty had asked him to work on the house. He couldn’t be in two places at once and needed someone reliable to fill in for him.
“I could run the boat, too, you
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