Sweet Horizons

by Jean C. Gordon

  “Your cooking,” he clarified. “And truthfully everything else.” Jeff went back to eating his lunch with gusto while Sonja nibbled on her sandwich and an few chips.

  When lunch was finished, Jeff moved the cooler off the blanket and lay back with his fingers laced under his head.

  Sonja stiffened. Was this a signal for something she wasn’t ready for? She relaxed. If it was, she’d tell him.

  “This is the life, isn’t it?” Jeff said. “When Jesse asked me to come to Indigo Bay to help him with Shelley, I was still at loose ends about my wife’s death, having to sell my shop in California and the house to pay her medical bills. Now, I have a new business, a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter, and good friends.” He squeezed her hand.

  She squeezed it back. “Me, too. Taking Caroline up on her invitation to visit Indigo Bay after my divorce and then moving here was a life saver.”

  Jeff sat up and pulled her to his side. “Meeting little Shelley and you was my lifesaver. I’ve felt alive for the first time in a long time.” He rubbed her shoulder. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

  Sonja’s heart tripped. She looked him full in his handsome face. “I could lo—” She couldn’t say love, even if that’s what her heart was telling her. “I care a lot for you, too. But you need to know something about me. Since my divorce, since I’ve been on my own, I have to have everything in place to feel secure. The B&B launch, the new business competition has to be out of the way before I can give my personal life … you … the attention you deserve. I don’t know how to do it any other way.”

  She held her breath while she waited for him to tell her she was being over-emotional or dramatic.

  His expression grew serious before a smile slowly curved his mouth. “Then, we’re almost there. The grand opening is only two weeks away. From the registration numbers Eric’s people have sent me for the rally, you must be turning away opening day reservations at the B&B.” He stopped and looked at her.

  Sonja hesitated. No. She had to be honest with him. “Not really. I have Eric’s reservation and two other rally participants registered, along with three non-rally reservations. The website went glitchy again. The people who’ve registered called after they couldn’t confirm a registration online.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how many others gave up trying to register.”

  Jeff gathered her closer and she wanted to lose herself, her self-doubts in his strength.

  “I’ve had the website updated to tell people to call for reservations, and have the calls forwarded to the desk person of the day at the real estate office when I’m not at the B&B to take calls at the B&B phone number. I don’t know what else I can do.” About that or about the balloon payment on the loan on the duplex. The duplex Jesse and Lauren and Shelley live in. She’d planned on using her commission from the condo sale to make the balloon payment. Now she might need it for living expenses, to keep the B&B afloat.

  Sonja shook her head. Jeff didn’t need to know any of that. Didn’t need to white-knight in to rescue her from her potentially bad decisions. Or worse, see her as the foolish woman her ex-husband had manipulated and discarded. But her plans had all looked so solid on paper. Granted she had planned on more advertising before Jeff and Eric had gotten involved and included the B&B reservations in the rally promo.

  Jeff caught her chin as she started a second head shake. “Hey,” he said softly, running a finger along her jaw line in a way that calmed rather than agitated her nerves as his touch too often did. “I’ll get a hold of Eric or his PR people and have them update the advertising to have people call for reservations.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Seriously, it’s no big deal. I get regular reports on rally signups and stuff and keep Eric updated on how his son Chris’s bike is coming.”

  “And how is it coming?” She attempted a subject change.

  “It’s essentially done. But back to contacting Eric, which I need to do anyway, I’d rather he not get too friendly with you.”

  Sonja caught the hint of insecurity behind the smile that accompanied Jeff’s words. “Staking your claim?”

  He lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers in a wisp of a touch that had her leaning into him for more. And he seemed perfectly happy to oblige. When the kiss mutually ended, Jeff hugged her to his chest.

  “I see no need for me to call Eric,” she said.

  “That’s my lady.”

  Snuggling against Jeff’s muscled chest, Sonja watched the ocean waves lap gently against the shore.

  She’d told herself she’d settle for nothing less in a romantic relationship than an equal partnership. A partnership where she was able to depend on her partner as well as be depended on. That’s what Jeff seemed to be offering. But depending on him to handle the reservation glitch cast clouds over her relaxing afternoon with Jeff. How could she learn to trust him when she was still afraid to trust herself?

  C H A P T E R 11

  Sonja put the last of the groceries for the grand opening week in the pantry with a sigh of relief. Everything was ready. True to his word, Jeff must have gotten right on contacting Eric’s PR people because all of the B&B rooms booked Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the previous week. She hadn’t asked Jeff outright because she didn’t want him to think she would doubt him.

  She smiled as she closed the cupboard. Counter to logic, while her barely booked B&B had led in the best new business competition week before last, another business had moved from third to first and the B&B had dropped to third spot. Seaside Cycles had held onto second. What did it matter? While the publicity of winning would be nice, it wasn’t a deal breaker. She had her grand opening reservations and the commission from the condo sale. Everything was falling into place.

  Everything, including her relationship with Jeff. He’d given her the space she’d wanted, and generally they’d enjoyed just being with each other and Shelley. But they’d called in Meg and gone on a date to a movie Saturday night without Shelley. Jeff hadn’t used the word love again, which was what she wanted. On the surface. Inside was different. She’d broken down and admitted to herself that she’d fallen in love with Jeff and wouldn’t mind hearing that from him again. Not that she’d told him she loved him. That was for after the Independence Day festivities when life settled back into normal.

  The knocker on the front door sounded. Sonja glanced at the clock. Three already. It must be Jeff with Shelley. Sonja touched her hair. She’d meant to comb it and refresh her makeup before he got there, but time had gotten away from her. Oh, well. He’d seen her hair messy and her with no makeup the stormy night he’d fallen asleep on the couch. That was before …. The knocker sounded again.

  Sonja fluffed her hair and opened the door. “Hi.”

  “Hey.” Jeff stepped in.

  She looked around him. “Where’s Shelley?” Sonja didn’t see Jeff’s truck. But she did see a motorcycle. One that wasn’t Jeff’s. “You finished it.”

  “I did. Want to take a look.” He fairly vibrated with excitement.

  “Sure. And Shelley?”

  “Ah, she conveniently fell asleep about ten minutes before I was ready to leave. Meg’s at the shop. So rather than give Chris Slade’s bike its maiden run when I got back from bringing you Shelley, I thought we could take that ride together.” He took her hand and stepped back out the door.

  “And you thought I’d just drop what I was doing and come along?”

  The sunshine went out of his expression.

  She cringed. She’d meant that as a tease. She was as rusty at flirting as she’d suspected he was. “I was teasing. Of course, I’d like to test drive Chris’s bike with you.”

  Jeff unstrapped what she’d come to think of as her helmet.

  “Let me take a look.” She walked around the vehicle. “Nice. Very Nice.”

  Jeff dropped his gaze and scuffed his boot against the pavement.

  Sonja pulled out her phone to take a picture.

  “Wait.”


  She stopped.

  “You can take a picture for yourself, but don’t share it on any social media until after Eric gives it to Chris. Eric asked me to kind of keep it under wraps.”

  Sonja couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face. “I’m honored to not only see it but to get to ride it.” She put her helmet on and fastened the chin strap. “Let’s see what this baby will do.”

  “I’ve created a monster.” Jeff put on his helmet. “My very own monster.” He flipped down his helmet visor and got on the bike.

  Sonja climbed on behind him. The warmth of his words, stoked by his nearness, threatened her with spontaneous combustion.

  Jeff drove down Seaside Boulevard toward the public beach area and up Bayside Avenue, finishing the ride with a drive down Main Street to the shop. He shut down the engine and Sonja hopped off the bike. Without thinking, she let him take her hand, and they walked into the shop.

  “Grammy! Papa!” Shelley rushed them when they stepped in, bringing Sonja back from the rush of the ride to ordinary life. She pulled her hand from Jeff’s. It wasn’t as if Meg didn’t know she and Jeff were dating—or whatever. Meg babysat for them. Nor was she keeping her and Jeff a secret. She, and he from his sheepish expression, just weren’t broadcasting their relationship.

  Jeff swung Shelley up in the air. “Ready to go?”

  Her little face turned serious. “Yes, papers are all done.”

  Meg laughed. “I’d better watch it, or I’ll be out of a job. See you tomorrow.”

  Jeff fastened Shelley into her car seat in the back seat of the king cab while Sonja climbed into his truck. He was so good with her.

  “Talk with Jesse Daddy and Ren on the `puter?” Shelley asked out of the blue.

  “Not tonight, Pumpkin,” Sonja answered. Lauren had texted her earlier in the day to say it looked like they would be hitting some stormy weather this evening that would prevent them from Skyping.

  “I think someone is getting anxious to have her parents home,” Jeff said.

  “She’s not the only one.” Sonja covered her mouth with her fingertips. “I mean …”

  “I know what you mean. It’s not as easy keeping up with Shelley as it was keeping up with Jesse when he was three.”

  “Daddy Jesse free like me?” Shelley chimed in.

  “He was once,” Jeff said.

  “Meg teached me a song,” Shelley said. “Wanna hear?”

  “Sure,” Jeff answered.

  Sonja leaned her head back and listened to Shelley’s rendition of a song Sonja had learned as a child. It was a bit of a relief that she wasn’t the only one ready to relinquish responsibility for Shelley. She loved her little granddaughter to pieces, but she had her life to live. And, she thought with a smile, to explore with Jeff.

  Jeff dropped Sonja and Shelley off at the B&B, declining Sonja’s invitation to stay for supper because he wanted to get home and call Eric about the bike. He could call Eric later. But if he’d accepted her supper invitation, Sonja would have gone out of her way cooking for him, even if he said she didn’t have to. That was just part of her. The perfect hostess, doing for others and having trouble accepting having things done for her. He didn’t know if that had always been her nature, or if it’s what her ex had expected. He figured a little of each and that he’d be safe continuing to do small things for her, respecting her space.

  He let himself into the cottage, put the leftovers Sonja had sent home with him yesterday in the microwave and popped open a beer before he dropped into his recliner to wait for his food to warm. He was beat. Sonja had looked tired, too, although he’d known better than to say anything. All the more reason for her not to go all out cooking for him. He took a swig of his beer. Or maybe she was concerned. Jesse had texted him about the expected storm and not Skyping tonight. Lauren must have texted Sonja. He didn’t know anything about cruises or cruise ships and storms at sea, but he was a parent. Parents worried about their kids’ safety, no matter what the age.

  Jeff looked at his beer. He’d only had one swallow. So he didn’t know where all his introspection was coming from. The microwave timer and his cell phone sounded at the same time. Recognizing the caller ID, he went for the phone.

  “Hey, Eric, I was about to call you.”

  “Does that mean what I think it means?”

  “Yes, if you’re asking if Chris’s bike is done, the answer is yes.”

  “Great!”

  “How’s the reunion going?”

  “He spent his first couple of days with his mother and the next couple with me. Now he’s off visiting friends. That’s why I’m calling.”

  Jeff couldn’t guess where Eric was going, so he waited for him to continue.

  “I was thinking about coming to Indigo Bay a few days early.”

  “Sure,” Jeff said with more enthusiasm than he felt. “You’re welcome to stay here.”

  “Actually, I was thinking the B&B.”

  Eric and Sonja alone at the B&B. Jeff’s enthusiasm dipped lower. What was he thinking? Sonja had so much as said she preferred him, almost said she loved him. Or that’s what it had felt like to him. Eric booking the suite for a few more days was one of those little things Jeff could do for Sonja.

  “Sonja has everything ready for the opening, I don’t see why you couldn’t come earlier. I’ll give you the B&B phone number.” There, he was giving Eric the phone number to contact Sonja directly and was perfectly okay with that. “When are you coming?”

  “Tomorrow morning is the plan. I blanked out my calendar for Chris and am at loose ends with him off to visit friends. I didn’t spend much time with him when he was a kid. He didn’t expect that when I’d said I was clearing my calendar for him, I really was.”

  “I know what you mean.” Jesse had been closer to his mother. Jeff had alienated his son by pushing him to go to college and become an engineer, so he didn’t wind up like him, essentially a motorcycle mechanic. He’d tried unsuccessfully to discourage Jesse from motocross racing. But that was all behind them now. He was content with Seaside Cycles and his life in Indigo Bay, especially with the prospect of Sonja being a part of that life.

  “Just let me know what time to pick you up at the airport.” Earlier would be better. He had a repair job that he’d promised he’d finish by late afternoon.

  “No need. I’m getting a rental car this time.”

  That made sense. But it also meant that he wouldn’t be with Eric when Eric arrived at the B&B. Jeff shut down that train of thought, remembering what Sonja had said about their verbal jousting over her after their dinner together at her place when Eric was scouting locations for his movie in Ashville. “All right then. Stop over at the shop once you’re settled in to see and test drive Chris’s bike.”

  “Will do, assuming I’m not scrambling for somewhere else to stay in Indigo Bay. My PR gal said new rally participants were finding places in Indigo Bay booked pretty solid for the first week of July and are having to stay elsewhere.”

  “I’m sure Sonja will let you book earlier. But don’t quote me on that. She doesn’t like me doing too much for her, especially where business is concerned.”

  “Good woman there. I can’t seem to do enough for the women I hook up with.”

  “Maybe you should try finding a woman who isn’t looking to hook up with you for your fame and money.” Jeff snapped his mouth shut. That had come out stronger than the joke he’d meant it to be.

  “You might be on to something there. Does Sonja have any friends?” Before Jeff could answer, Eric went on, “Kidding aside, you’re one lucky man.”

  Jeff couldn’t disagree with that. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow.” Eric hung up.

  Jeff walked back into the kitchen and hit the warm button on the microwave again and, when it was done, carried the plate into the living room. He turned on the TV and sat, flicking through the channels. Normally, he’d watch the Angels game, but his thoughts went to the Emma Fielding
Mysteries series he and Sonja had watched. Jeff pushed home on the remote and as he clicked Netflix, his phone rang from the kitchen where he’d left it on the counter after talking with Eric. He was tempted to ignore it, eat, watch Emma Fielding, and think of Sonja. He had it bad, but that was okay. Reluctantly, he got up and went to the kitchen, getting to the phone right after it stopped ringing.

  He checked caller ID. Sonja. She usually texted him. He smiled as he called her back.

  “Hi,” she said. “You busy?”

  Never too busy for you. “No, I was having supper and channel surfing.”

  “Guess what? Or you may know already know. Eric booked the suite for a couple extra days.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Yep, I can use him as a guinea pig for the breakfasts I have planned for the grand opening days.”

  Jeff blinked away a picture of Eric and Sonja having breakfast together.

  “Shelley’s asleep,” Sonja said. “Want to come up and watch Emma Fielding Mysteries with me?”

  “You bet.”

  “Okay, see you in a few minutes.”

  Jeff scraped what was left of his supper into the garbage, cleaned up, and jogged to the B&B. Eric was right. He was a lucky man, had been since he’d moved to Indigo Bay. His heart raced when he saw Sonja waiting for him with the front door cracked open when he reached the mansion.

  And life just got better every day.

  Jeff was cleaning the grease off his hands when Eric and Sonja showed up at the shop about one, sans Shelley.

  “Hi,” Sonja said. “Eric invited me along for his unveiling. He said you guys were going to take a ride. I didn’t think you’d mind me tagging along.”

  The way her voice rose at the end of her sentence told Jeff she wasn’t 100% sure he wouldn’t mind. “Of course I don’t, he said.” Sonja on his motorcycle, snuggled up behind him, arms around his waist. What was there to mind?

  Dragging himself back to the present, he asked, “Where’s Shelley?”