“Sounds like you did exactly the right thing. We all respond to danger differently, Olivia. There was nothing wrong with how you reacted to the situation.”
“Dad would have stepped in and tried to stop the attack,” she said stubbornly. “He would have been ashamed of me.”
“Your dad weighed two hundred pounds and was one of the strongest men I’ve ever known. If any of us tries to compare ourselves to Steve Harper, we would all fall short.”
She sighed. “I miss him. Coming back to Cape Sanctuary has made me realize all over again what a hole he left in our lives. None of us was ever the same.”
“I know I haven’t been,” Cooper said quietly.
To his eternal amazement, she reached for his hand and they sat that way for a long time, listening to the ocean and the night. Cooper couldn’t remember when he had felt more at peace, sitting on a garden bench on Harper Hill, watching a falling meteor shoot across the sky, listening to her quiet breathing, savoring the quiet Cape Sanctuary night.
Sitting here alone in the dark with Olivia Harper was one of the most profoundly perfect moments of his life, something he knew he would remember forever.
“Thanks,” she finally said, turning to him with her face in shadows. “I feel better. I haven’t told anybody what happened. It helped.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmured. He hadn’t meant to do it. The kiss came out of nowhere. But the moonlight was so enticing, the night its own kind of miracle, and she looked lovely in it, soft and warm and delicious.
She made a surprised kind of sound at first, and then she wrapped her arms tightly around him and kissed him back with a heat that stole his breath. He had guessed correctly. Her mouth was sweet, warm, and tasted like strawberry margaritas.
He groaned and kissed her more deeply, hunger flaring instantly.
On some level, he was aware of a voice telling him he shouldn’t be doing this. This was Olivia Harper, whom he had known since she was a cute kid with freckles and pigtails, always walking around with her nose in a book.
He heard that voice but chose to ignore it, entranced by how perfectly she fit in his arms and how tightly she held on to him, as if they were jumping together at forty-five thousand feet with only one parachute between them.
He wanted the kiss to go on and on. He wanted to stay here until morning, lost in the magic of a heated kiss on a soft spring night with a woman who took his breath away.
He wasn’t a guy to lose his head over a woman, but Olivia Harper affected him like no other woman ever had. She was smart, funny, compassionate. And she kissed him like she couldn’t get enough. How was he supposed to resist that?
He needed to be careful, his conscious whispered loudly. He knew secrets that would hurt her. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be concerned about revealing those. He was good at keeping things to himself, but he had a feeling Olivia Harper was the sort of woman who could make a man spill every secret he ever had.
OLIVIA
Heaven.
Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck, eyes closed, relishing the wonder of being in his arms. This didn’t seem real. Was she really here, in the soft perfection of a Northern California spring evening, kissing Cooper Vance?
Oh, her younger self would be freaking out right now. Back then, she had been kind of obsessed with Cooper and had written page after page in her diary, fantasizing about exactly this. Kissing Cooper Vance.
Her crush on him had been huge and overwhelming. She used to write his name in her diary, linked to hers with hearts and swirls and flourishes.
Cooper had been everything she wanted in a guy back then. Older, a little bit dangerous, already determined to become a firefighter. He had been a loving and protective older brother. He didn’t go overboard but he made sure Melody knew he would do everything possible to take care of her. And he always had been kind to Olivia, though she knew he considered her only his sister’s pesky friend and Natalie’s younger sister.
He had tried to save her father, had run in after Steve and dragged him out into the night. Though it had been clear to everyone that Steve wouldn’t make it, Cooper refused to stop CPR even after other first responders arrived.
How could she help but fall a little in love with him after that?
Her younger self would have been over the moon to know she would one day be here in his arms, with heat simmering between them and his mouth firm and determined on hers.
No.
She couldn’t do this. What would ever come of it? Nothing but trouble.
Olivia wasn’t in a good place for a fling, emotionally or mentally. She was a mess, completely overwhelmed with caring for Juliet and the garden center and her own business.
The last thing she needed right now was to become tangled up with a man who would end up breaking her heart.
With great effort, she slid her mouth away and stood up abruptly from the bench, breathing hard and trying to gather her wildly careening thoughts.
What had she been thinking? Anyone could have seen them here. Her mom. Caitlin. A passing car.
She let out a shaky breath, not sure what to say or how to act.
“I should...go.” She gestured weakly toward Sea Glass Cottage, which she could see at the top of the hill. “I have to open the garden center early in the morning.”
He looked as if he wanted to say something but appeared to change his mind at the last minute. “All right,” he said, his voice low and a bit raspy. Then he rose and started walking in the direction of her mother’s house.
“The house is only a hundred yards away. I’ll be fine. You don’t have to walk me the rest of the way.”
“I don’t mind,” he answered, without breaking stride.
What if she minded? Now that she was no longer in his arms, now that all her doubts and insecurities came crashing back, she felt extremely awkward, as if she were still that teenage girl with a terrible crush on him.
She didn’t know how to get out of the situation gracefully, so she continued walking toward home.
Streetlamps and moonlight illuminated the path, and the air was sweet with the scent of flowers and the cypress and pine that grew in abundance along the coast.
They walked in silence, not touching but their shoulders brushing every once in a while. She was intensely aware of him, big and gorgeous and completely out of her league.
Had he really kissed her? If she couldn’t still taste his mouth against hers, she might have thought she had imagined the whole thing.
She couldn’t let this awkwardness grow or she wouldn’t be able to face him again. While she might have preferred that option, she couldn’t avoid him in a small town like Cape Sanctuary. His sister was her best friend. Not only that, but she had just agreed to help him promote an upcoming event. They would have to clear the air.
“Look,” she began, “that kiss was amazing. I’m not going to lie.”
“Um. Thanks?”
She sighed. “I wish I were in a better place to...to start something with you while I’m in town, but I’m not. I’m sorry. I’ve got way too much on my plate. I’m trying to work long-distance and run my business from here, which has been a nightmare, as well as manage the garden center, where I’m completely out of my depth. In between, I am caring for my mom, who constantly tries to assure me she doesn’t need any help, plus keeping an eye on Caitlin, who hates me and doesn’t want me around at all.”
She clamped her mouth shut, horribly aware she was rambling, spilling out way too much information.
“Okay,” he finally answered.
She stared at him. “That’s all you have to say? Okay?”
“What else do you want me to say? We shouldn’t have kissed. I get it. And you’re right. This...attraction between us is pretty inconvenient, all the way around. We can go back to being friends, if that’s what you want.”
�
��Okay. Great. I guess that’s settled. No more moonlit walks for us, then.”
“Too bad.”
She wasn’t sure if she’d really heard him say the low words or if it had just been the wind blowing in from the ocean.
“Good night. Thanks for walking me home safely.”
“You’re welcome.” He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth, a gentle kiss that friends would give. Though she was wildly tempted to wrap her arms around him again and shift her head, she forced herself to give a polite smile instead.
“I’ll be in touch about the social media campaign for the pancake breakfast.”
He groaned softly, which made her smile, then gave a wave and headed back down the hill.
16
JULIET
Henry fell asleep about fifteen minutes into the program they were watching together, which she didn’t find surprising. He put in long days and worked hard to make his landscaping business a success, often on a job site from before dawn, when it was cooler and the winds weren’t as bad, until after dark.
His work ethic and dedication to his clients were some of the things she admired most about him.
She paused the show and let him sleep, enjoying the quiet peace she found in his presence. Otis went to his crate to sleep and Felicity took his place on her lap. She petted the cat, watching Henry and wishing desperately that things between them could be different.
If only she had never been diagnosed, would she let the age difference between them bother her so much? Probably not.
She was unlikely to age as gracefully as other women. While she considered herself extraordinarily lucky that her multiple sclerosis was mild, the symptoms under control, she knew she couldn’t continue to roll the dice successfully forever. The odds were good—or bad, as the case may be—that she would eventually start showing more effects. She would likely begin to have balance issues, vision problems, tremors. Eventually she might lose the ability to walk.
How could she burden him with that? Who knew? In five years, she could be using a wheelchair all the time.
Henry released a heavy breath in his sleep, his features twitching. What did he dream about? she wondered. Something wonderful, she hoped.
She pressed a hand to her chest, to the ache there. Okay. She loved him. Here, alone in the darkness, she could admit it to herself. Somehow over the past few years as their friendship had deepened, her feelings had begun to grow. He was her best friend and so very much more.
As if sensing the distress she could not show, Felicity licked her hand with a little meow that made her want to cry all over again, her green eyes sympathetic.
Unfortunately, the tiny sound from her cat was enough to wake up Henry. His eyes flickered, then opened. He looked confused, as if he didn’t quite know where he was. Then his gaze landed on her and she saw awareness come back.
He scrubbed at his face, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “I think I fell asleep.”
She mustered a smile, hoping he didn’t see any evidence of her emotions on her features. “Only for a moment. You looked as if you needed it. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
“I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on you. Not the other way around.”
“I was perfectly fine. The animals kept me company. I did turn off the show, so we can save it to watch another day.”
“Thanks for that, anyway.” He rose. “It’s late. I was supposed to be helping you to bed.”
Juliet tried to ignore the heat that flared through her at his words and the image they conjured. For heaven’s sake. She had a broken hip. The last thing she should be thinking about was Henry Cragun taking her to bed in the non-sleeping kind of way, something that would never happen.
“You don’t need to do that. The girls will be home soon and they can help me. I’ve actually become pretty good at doing it myself, too.”
He looked mutinous. “I said I would help.”
“Henry. Go home. It’s hard enough having you see me like this. Having anyone see me,” she quickly corrected, hoping he didn’t notice. “I don’t need you to put me into my bed like I’m an ancient old woman in a nursing home. Olivia and Caitlin will be here soon and one of them can help me.”
He still looked as if he wanted to argue but he finally sighed. “Fine. But I’m not leaving until one of them returns. I’ll try not to fall asleep this time.”
He had that stubborn set to his jaw that told her nothing she said would change his mind. Up from his own nap, Otis wandered out of his crate across the room to stand by the door. “I think Otis needs to go out. Can you help him?”
“Sure. Come on, bud.”
The dog padded after Henry to the back door off the kitchen. Henry opened the door for Otis and stood while the little dog hurried outside to do his business.
He was still standing there waiting for Otis when the front door opened and Olivia walked inside. She paused, looking startled to find Juliet still in her recliner.
“Oh. You’re not in bed.”
Henry and Otis both came back at that moment, the dog dancing with joy to see Olivia. She picked him up and held him close, her cheek resting on his head as if she needed to find comfort there.
What had happened?
“I did try to help her settle for the night, but she is being her stubborn self,” Henry said.
“I feel like I have done nothing but sleep all day. I really wasn’t tired.” She wouldn’t admit that she was actually quite tired now. Instead, she mustered a smile. “How was the birthday party?”
“Good. I’m glad I went. I think it gave Mel a nice lift to know her friends love her so much. Everyone asked about you. Oh, and Cooper saved a woman’s life who went into anaphylactic shock from shellfish.”
“Did he?”
Something else had gone on. She didn’t know exactly what, but her mother instincts were humming. Little subtle clues in her body language hinted that Olivia’s emotions were in turmoil.
“Sounds like we missed an exciting night.”
What had happened to upset her daughter? If Henry weren’t there, would Olivia tell her? Probably not, she thought sadly. She and her daughter didn’t have that kind of relationship, much to her regret.
“It was.” Olivia smiled at Henry. “Thank you so much for hanging out with Mom and keeping an eye on things.”
“My pleasure. Really. I’m happy to hang out anytime. You know where to find me. And, Juliet, I’ll be in touch next week about that field trip.”
“Okay.”
He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, as he had done dozens of times before. For one crazy moment as the clean, masculine scent of him teased her, Juliet wanted desperately to shift and brush her mouth against his. At the last instant before she could do something stupid, sanity returned and she sat back in the recliner, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart.
He waved to both of them and headed out the door.
“What field trip?” Olivia asked.
“If I’m up for it, he wants me to go down the coast with him next week to check out a job site. I’m not sure I can sit in the car that long but I’ll have to see.”
“Who knows? You might be more than ready to get out of here for a few hours.”
“I already am,” Juliet admitted.
When Olivia didn’t answer, Juliet turned and found her daughter gazing out the window at the dark night, her features distracted.
Henry’s departure had almost pushed her concern to the back burner but it instantly reignited.
“What’s wrong? You’re upset.”
Olivia frowned, looking flustered. “I’m not. Everything is fine. Why wouldn’t it be?”
They might not be as close as she would like, but she could still sense Olivia’s moods. “I’m your mother,” she reminded her. “I know when something is bothering you.”
>
Olivia gave a smile that seemed forced. “Nothing’s wrong, Mom. I’m tired. That’s all. And you should be, too. Let’s get you settled into bed.”
OLIVIA
Her mother didn’t let up. Even as she helped transfer her to her wheelchair and pushed her into her bedroom, Juliet continued to dig.
“Did one of the tourists say something to you? Sometimes they can be pushy, especially at a place like The Sea Shanty.”
She certainly wasn’t about to tell her mother about that stunning kiss she and Cooper had shared.
“Mom. Nothing happened, okay? Give it a rest.”
She hadn’t meant to speak so sharply. The words slipped out and she could instantly see her tone had hurt her mother. Juliet seemed to shrink back against the pillows, her features closing up.
“I’m sorry,” her mother said stiffly.
Oh, parental guilt. Juliet was a professional at it, laying on a heavy layer without even trying hard.
Olivia sighed. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m tired and feeling a little overwhelmed right now. If I seem distracted, that’s the reason. That’s all.”
“I hate being such a burden.”
Her mother’s voice wobbled on the last word. Then she looked appalled at herself.
“You’re not a burden. None of this is your fault, Mom. You didn’t get hurt on purpose. It was an accident. It happened and now we are dealing with it.”
“But it’s so much trouble for you.”
“If anything, you’re going out of your way to prove how much you don’t need my help. I know you would much rather be running the garden center yourself.”
“I hate being out of commission.”
“You’ll be back at work before you know it.” Was her mother crying? Her eyes seemed shadowed and sad, her lashes damp.
“What’s going on?” She looked up at the words to find Caitlin standing in the doorway. Apparently they had both missed her coming home.
She gestured to the bed and her mother, in her nightgown. “I’m helping Mom to bed.” What did Caitlin think? That they were playing Monopoly?
The Sea Glass Cottage Page 17