by Nina Lindsey
A flush heated her cheeks. Aria grinned an I knew it grin.
“It seems to me,” Eleanor placed her hand on Rory’s shoulder, “that you and Grant Taylor have been seeing each other for quite some time. I would hope that by now you’re actually hooking up.”
Rory blinked. Hunter and Aria both laughed.
“He’s a really good guy,” Aria said, her eyes twinkling.
“And he makes a killer burger,” Hunter added.
“I think we all just have one question.” Eleanor patted Rory’s shoulder. “What took you both so long?”
“This is so much fun.” Joanna sipped the hot apple cider and gazed at the bustle around the town square. “You know, Edward and I used to go to street fairs and arts shows all the time when we were first married. We had so little money, and it was a perfect way to get out and enjoy good music for free. I’d almost forgotten how much we loved them.”
A wistful look crossed her face. Rory again experienced a surge of admiration for this woman who’d been such a force in her husband’s success—which was also Joanna’s success. It was hardly a wonder that she wanted her family to reflect the strength of what they had built together, even if she hadn’t always gone about her ambitions in the best of ways.
“Oh, that must be Edward.” Joanna pulled her phone out of her bag and checked the text. “He’s going back to the house to shower and change, and then he and Grant will meet us here. Edward says they caught a nine-pound salmon, which Grant is going to use for the tavern menu.”
“Sounds like they might be getting along,” Rory suggested as they continued walking and looking at the arts-and-crafts booths.
“Considering neither one of them ended up overboard, I’d say that’s the best we can hope for.” Joanna shrugged. “Obviously, you can’t mend wounds overnight, but maybe fishing is a good start.”
“Or a visit to Bliss Cove.”
Joanna smiled. “It’s been lovely getting to know you, Rory. Thank you for putting up with us. Grant is lucky to have you.”
Rory returned her smile, ignoring a rustle of lingering guilt. Different as she and Joanna were, she’d enjoyed the older woman’s company. They’d visited the old Mariposa district, had ice cream on the boardwalk, and toured the historical museum. Joanna had been gratifyingly complimentary about everything. Rory didn’t think she’d ever seen Bliss Cove through the eyes of someone who’d never been there before.
“Aren’t these lovely?” Joanna paused at the Moonbeams booth to examine a display of jewelry. “Are they handmade?”
“Indeed.” Destiny Rose stood from a chair behind the counter, resplendent in a silver caftan and dangling gold earrings. “They each contain a crystal with healing powers for the mind, body, and soul. Which crystal you choose depends on which aspect of your life needs a little boost.”
“Goodness.” Joanna raised her eyebrows. “Is there an all-purpose healing crystal?”
“Oh, yes.” Destiny picked up a silver chain dangling with a pendant. “Clear quartz is considered to be the master healer. It balances your energies and simulates your immune system.”
“Hey, Rory.” The deep male voice filtered over the noise of the band and the crowd.
Rory turned to find Max Weatherford approaching. Though he was golden-boy handsome with his striking smile and dimples, her stomach tensed.
Fixing on a smile, she edged away from the Moonbeams booth to greet him. “How are you, Max?”
“Good. You?”
“Fine.” She glanced back at Joanna, who was holding the quartz up to the light. “Are you working tonight?”
“Not officially, but I’m always on call in case of emergencies.” He glanced toward the Moonbeams booth. “Getting an Oracle card reading?”
“No, just here with a friend.”
“I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you,” he said. “I enjoyed our date the other day. I have tickets to the Rolling Thunder music festival in San Jose next weekend, if you’d like to go.”
Shock bolted through her. She opened and closed her mouth. “You enjoyed having lunch with me?”
“Sure.” A faint puzzlement appeared in his eyes. “Why do you look so surprised?”
“It’s just…um, I thought I was boring you silly with all that talk about veterinary software.”
He laughed, a warm, rich sound. “Not at all. I’m kind of a computer geek myself. But don’t tell anyone I said that.”
“I can keep a secret.”
“Good. So…the music festival?”
“Oh.” Oh! God, for a smart girl, she could be awfully slow about this dating thing. “Max, I’m so sorry. I mean, I…I had a nice time, too, but I’m afraid I—”
“What do you think?” Joanna appeared at her side, the pendant around her neck. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Rory forced another smile. “Beautiful. Joanna, this is Max Weatherford, Bliss Cove’s resident veterinarian. Max, Joanna is Grant’s mother.”
“Pleasure.” Max extended his hand. “Are you visiting?”
“Just for a week.” She smiled, though her eyes narrowed. “Did I overhear you say you’re going to San Jose? We’re from the Bay Area. Nob Hill, to be precise.”
“Yes, there’s a music festival at Shoreline. I was just telling Rory that—”
“Oh, look, there’s Edward and Grant.” Rory waved enthusiastically in the general direction of the gazebo and took hold of Joanna’s arm. “We should go. Max, it was great to see you again. I’ll…um, I’ll be in touch, okay?”
“Sure.” He stepped back, confusion crossing his features for an instant before he shrugged and turned away.
“He’s an old friend.” Rory hustled Joanna toward the gazebo. “We were in the same graduating class.”
“Rory.” Joanna came to a halt and pulled her arm away. She lifted her chin, her features tightening. “Do you know how old I am?”
Rory shook her head. Her heart began a slow, sick descent.
“I’m sixty-one.” Joanna hitched her bag higher on her shoulder. A hard glint appeared in her eyes. “I have spent the last thirty-five years dabbling in my own work, but mostly I have spent it learning how to best support my husband. I’ve socialized with senators and foreign dignitaries. I can host a dinner party that would put the Duchess of Windsor to shame. Everyone who is anyone in the technology industry knows my name. They all want invitations to my parties. I know how terroir affects wine, what the nuances are of Louis the thirteen, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth antiques, and at any given moment, I can tell you the top players in the NBA, the NFL, the NHL, and the MLB. In other words, my dear, I did not just fall off the turnip truck.”
Hot shame rose in Rory’s chest along with a flicker of panic. “I know you didn’t.”
“Yet you do seem to think I’m oblivious to what’s going on here.” Joanna fisted her hands on her hips. “You’re in love with my son.”
The earth tilted under Rory’s feet. “Excuse me?”
“You’re in love with my son, and you haven’t told him yet.” Joanna spread her arms out as if that explained everything. “Well, you needn’t worry because clearly he’s in love with you, too.”
A wave of dizziness swept over her. “I…Joanna, I’m not…I mean, I…Grant and I are together, but we…”
“I know, I know.” Joanna shook her head dismissively. “You’ve been circling each other for months, trying to keep it casual, and you decided to experiment with seeing other people, but of course such ridiculousness isn’t going to work for either one of you, given that you are in love with each other.”
She enunciated each word with such clarity that they pinged off Rory like shiny little pebbles. “Joanna, I—”
“Edward, over here!” Joanna waved gaily toward her husband as he and Grant maneuvered through the crowd.
She lowered her hand and edged closer to Rory. “I realize there are all sorts of options for you young people today with these dating apps and whatnot, but if I may o
ffer you a bit of advice. Put down your phone and pay attention to the notifications popping up in your heart and your head. If you don’t, you might miss something important. Hello, my two gentlemen! How were the salmon treating you today?”
She stepped into Edward’s arms and lifted her face for his kiss. Rory couldn’t even look at Grant. Her heart was racing wildly. She almost couldn’t breathe.
What the hell had just happened?
“Hey.” He curled his strong hand around her wrist, concern darkening his eyes. “You okay?”
“Yes, I just…” She pulled air into her lungs and exhaled slowly. “I’m just hungry, I guess. A nine-pound salmon, huh?”
She stood on tiptoe, tugging him down to whisper in his ear. “I think your mother is a witch.”
“Hmm. Not the word most people would use, but you got the rhyme right.”
Chapter 16
Rory wouldn’t have classified the Taylors’ visit to Bliss Cove as uneventful—in fact, the course of events had been more earth-shattering and mind-boggling than anything else she’d experienced in recent months—but there was no shocking revelation of her and Grant’s “once pretend” relationship. She cleared things up privately with Max, who wished her the best and was nicer than he probably should have been about the whole thing.
Joanna stocked up on Naked products to bring as gifts for her friends, they enjoyed all the activities on Rory’s itinerary, and Edward eased up on criticism of his son’s profession. Rory introduced Edward to Hunter, and over coffee and Chaos Cookies at Sugar Joy, the three of them talked about urban planning and property development technology.
When the morning of the Taylors’ departure arrived, Rory concluded that the visit had been a success all around, especially since Nathan and Alice were still enjoying their Indonesian honeymoon alone. They said their goodbyes, Grant and his father shaking hands stoically but not unpleasantly, and the Taylors headed back to the Bay Area.
For the next few days, Grant spent most of his time at the tavern catching up on all he’d missed and giving his employees time off. Rory set up her computer in the bedroom of his house and began fortifying her knowledge of Digicore’s recent projects and structures.
She tried very hard not to think about Joanna’s comment—or her advice—but the words in love popped around her mind like corn in a sizzling pan. But even if her heart had been leading her in that direction for a long time, love wasn’t a feeling she could indulge in right now.
Since she’d missed last week’s get-together, she joined Aria and her friends on Friday night at the Mousehole for dinner and drinks.
“He really is a hottie.” Aria sipped her mojito as she eyed Grant behind the bar. “Madeline must be gnashing her teeth with jealousy.”
“Most single women are, from what I hear, not to mention a few married ones.” Brooke, reporter for The Bliss Cove Gazette, followed her gaze. “Though a lot of people are amused by the fact that Rory Prescott is the one who finally cracked the Grant Taylor code.”
Rory was amused by that herself. “If we were newsworthy, that would make a great headline.”
“I just can’t believe I missed it.” Destiny shook her head mournfully and ate a bite of artichoke soup. “The Oracle cards are never that wrong. You and Max? What was I thinking? What was I divining?”
She looked so distressed that Rory patted her arm in consolation. “It’s okay, Destiny.”
“What are you, a Scorpio?” Destiny squinted at her, gold eyeshadow glittering in the light of the table lantern. “And Grant is a Taurus. Of course! You’re both fixed-quality signs of deep physical pleasure combined with the intensity of earth and water, and the sexual energy of Mars and Venus…well, I just need to turn in my intuitive card right now because I am horrified at how badly I missed the mark.”
“You didn’t miss the mark.” Grant stopped by the table with a plate of pan-fried salmon, roasted asparagus, and crispy potatoes. “If you hadn’t sent Rory out with Max, she’d never have ricocheted off the date and landed right in my arms.”
He winked at Destiny, who grabbed her cloth napkin and began fanning herself. Aria and Brooke emitted simultaneous “awws.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it all worked out perfectly.” Grant set the plate in front of Rory, his gaze warm.
For the sake of maintaining her image, Rory started to roll her eyes. Then she gave up and smiled at him…because, really, there was no longer a point in pretending anything.
“Well.” Destiny watched Grant as he walked back to the kitchen. “I still can’t believe I didn’t see it when you first came back to town, Rory.”
Rory turned her attention to her food, ignoring a rustle of discomfort. Part of her wished the same thing—that she and Grant had given in sooner so they’d have had many months together—but she also knew that life, fate, timing, luck, and even a bit of mysticism had all conspired to create this wild, tender leap into becoming…them.
Not that she would ever tell Destiny that.
“Hey, what’s going on with the Vitaphone?” Ready to turn the subject to something else, Rory glanced at Aria. “When is it going to be reopened for movies?”
“Christmas.” Her sister took out her phone and pulled up a calendar. “The Mortimers are planning a holiday movie series to celebrate the grand re-opening. Check your phone. I just emailed you the dates.”
“I’ll check later. I don’t have my phone.” Rory cut into the flaky, perfectly cooked salmon.
Silence fell. She glanced up. “What?”
Aria leaned forward, her mouth open. “You. Don’t. Have. Your. Phone.”
“No, I left it back at the house.” She frowned. “Why are you all staring at me like that?”
“Rory Prescott Forgets Phone.” Brooke spread her hands out as if she were framing the words. “Now that’s a headline.”
“Here’s another.” Eyes twinkling, Destiny lifted her wineglass. “Rory Prescott is Besotted.”
“And hungry.” With a scowl, she turned her attention back to her dinner.
Though Destiny was right, there was no way Rory would admit it.
At least, not out loud.
Mid-October brought cooler, foggy days and crisp, salt-scented evenings to Bliss Cove. For the first time in her life, Rory experienced what it felt like to be part of an almost domestic couple. She’d never lived with a man before, or even been in a relationship that was decidedly real.
Given their schedules, her and Grant’s combined life was also quirky and uniquely theirs. He ended most of his workdays close to midnight, which was often when Rory was just getting started.
Neither of them was ever too tired or too busy for lovemaking, and as time progressed, their intimacy became even more nuanced—adventurous, tender, wild, gentle, sweet, and dirty in varying degrees and frequently all at the same time.
Then while Rory educated herself on Digicore, and researched and tested urban planning software systems for Hunter, Grant caught a few hours’ sleep. When he woke, they went out for an early morning jog, which often involved him sandbagging his pace so he could watch her run in front of him.
After returning to the house, their sweaty exertion leading to endorphin-fueled sex either in bed or in the shower, Grant made breakfast while Rory pestered and teased him by patting his ass, squeezing his biceps, and remarking on the size of his sausage.
After parting ways, she went to Sugar Joy to see if her mother needed any help, and he returned to the Mousehole. They connected again when she stopped by the tavern for lunch and dinner. Grant took breaks to both cook for her—always delicious, hearty meals, including the promised burrito that Rory admitted ruined her for all other burritos—and eat with her before they returned to their tasks.
It was as close to perfect as Rory could have imagined a relationship to be. Not until now had she known that a life with the right man could make her so happy. Mind-blowing sex and incredible cooking aside, Grant knew exactly how to treat her—just as he’d known ho
w to kiss her that first time.
He touched her often in quiet, private ways that were less about possession and more about assuring her he was there. He gave her space when she was immersed in debugging a program for a friend who’d asked for her help. He included a vast array of autumn fruits and vegetables in their meals, and he left packages of gummy worms and Twizzlers next to her computer.
He wrapped her in his arms after every sexual interlude, whether hot and fast or slow and easy, but he moved to the other side of the bed at night because he knew she needed the space to sleep and stay cool. He understood that sometimes she needed to be alone to think or listen to music.
Every time he kissed her, he got it exactly right.
The time Rory spent on her own made every minute with Grant burst at the seams with pleasure, laughter, and the intensifying feeling that she didn’t want to end what was happening between them.
She chose to ignore that feeling by focusing on the fact that they had over a month left before she started work at Digicore, and they were making the absolute most of their time together.
Two weeks into their sexy, tasty, and tender life, Rory left a message on the Mousehole voicemail for Grant not to bring dinner home. When he came back a little after ten, she was in the kitchen with one of his bandanas wrapped around her forehead, an apron tied around her waist, and about a thousand ingredients strewn on the counters.
“Can I help you in here?” He leaned his shoulder on the doorjamb as he surveyed both her and the mess.
“Yes.” Rory wiped a trickle of sweat from her temple. “Shower, get a drink, pour the wine, whatever. Just go away. I’m making dinner tonight, and it’s going to be…well, edible. Maybe. Jacques and Julia are helping me out.”
She nodded to the open cookbook beside the stove.
“You’re cooking for me?” Grant’s eyes crinkled with amusement and warmth.