A Thing Called Love (Pride Oregon Book 8)

by Jill Sanders

  “The pathway was empty. Only a few guests in the parking lot. The rest are out on the patio or inside here. Could he have come inside?” he asked.

  “No, I don’t think so. I’ll make my rounds and double-check. Thanks,” she said to both of them. Now that she was back under control, she added putting in pathway lights to her to-do list.

  Forgoing the tape, she reapplied the decorations that had been pulled down earlier. She made her way through the entire barn and outdoor patio area and didn’t run into the lawyer again. Thankfully.

  By the time the last guest had left, she’d convinced herself that she’d overreacted due to lack of sleep and asked Robin if she would oversee the cleaning.

  She knew that the following day they had a tea meeting for a group of churchgoers shortly after noon. They’d played host to the women’s group from the moment they’d opened their doors a little over a year ago.

  She rushed down the dark pathway and was breathless when she locked the cottage door behind her.

  She turned on every light and used up the rest of her energy cleaning her room.

  When Robin walked in a little over an hour later, Kara collapsed on the bed and fell fast asleep.

  The next morning, she was still dragging as she opened up the barn for the women’s group. It was by far the easiest event to set up for. The group of twenty to thirty women only used the coffee maker and several tables. They tended to bring baked goods and always shared with Kara, even though she never stuck around for the entire event.

  Not that she wasn’t religious, but the ladies were from the local Catholic church and she’d been raised attending a Baptist church.

  Still, she knew most of the women by their first names at this point and often ran into them in town. It was nice growing familiar with the locals.

  There wasn’t a time she didn’t bump into someone she knew and enjoy a quick chat. It made her feel almost important somehow.

  This morning, however, after taking a large maple bar and a to-go coffee, she walked out on the beach and sat in the soft sand to think.

  It wasn’t often she had moments like this to relax. Most of her week was spent getting things ready for the weekends—ordering flowers and decorations or meeting with couples and showing off the venue. It was a delicate dance they had going, and she wanted to make sure everything stayed fine-tuned.

  Robin usually spent her time scouring over receipts, invoices, and spreadsheets, something Kara would never willingly sign up for.

  It was strange, her entire life her parents had instilled the belief that the two of them could do whatever they set out to do. So, it’s what both Robin and Kara believed.

  They hadn’t thought twice about starting their own business. Sure, they’d hashed out all the financial details and logistics of the business, but for the most part, the moment they’d decided it was possible, they’d been all in.

  Unlike some of her friends she’d grown up with, she had never had to fear for anything. Her parents weren’t incredibly wealthy, but they’d had enough money and love that Kara had grown up knowing she was secure in life, no matter what path she chose.

  Yet, Conner’s words had hit her the other night. It wasn’t as if she lived in Robin’s shadow, per se. But growing up, she’d known full well that Robin was the brains in the family.

  Maybe this was why Conner’s words about how he felt about his brother had hit her so hard.

  She loved her sister as much as she could. They’d rarely argued growing up and, even now, they never disagreed about anything.

  Okay, there had been a few times last year, after opening the business, when she’d lost a receipt or had forgotten to tell Robin about an expense. But they’d worked it out and now had a new system that was foolproof.

  She couldn’t imagine what Conner felt about the success of his little brother and sister. Everyone in town knew that Riley’s store, Classy and Sassy, was one of the most successful boutiques around. People drove all the way from Portland to shop there.

  Now the talk of the town was how Jacob and Rose Derby were overseeing the construction of Pride’s newest subdivisions. Townspeople drove up to the property on the weekends just to see the progress of the neighborhood. Every time Kara stepped into Sara’s Nook, the local bakery and coffee shop, people were talking about the progress of the new subdivision and how proud the Jordans must be of Jacob.

  “I was told I would find you out here.” A woman’s voice broke her out of her deep thoughts. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Allison Jordan walk gracefully across the sand towards her.

  The woman had a pair of shoes in her hands and her pant legs were rolled up as if she belonged on the beach. Actually, Conner’s mother could easily have just stepped off the big screen. The woman was so beautiful that Kara had found it difficult to believe she hadn’t made a career in movies instead of art. She reminded her of Aubrey Hepburn in not only her grace but her beauty.

  Kara started to get up out of the sand, but Allison stopped her.

  “No, don’t get up. If it’s okay, I’ll join you.”

  “Sure.” She motioned to the sand. “Help yourself.”

  “Thanks.” Allison tossed her shoes down and easily sat next to her and glanced out at the water. “It never gets old. Does it?” she said with a sigh as she rested her elbows on her bent knees.

  Kara followed Allison’s gaze out over the water and sighed.

  “No,” she agreed. “You always wonder what people who live near the ocean think of it. If they get tired of seeing it,” she added, feeling a little foolish.

  Allison chuckled softly. “Some do, I suppose. Or at least grow dull to its beauty.” Allison’s eyes turned back to Kara. “Artists, on the other hand, well, we’re a different breed. Aren’t we?”

  Kara’s eyebrows rose slightly at being added into the same mix as the woman who sat next to her.

  “Oh, don’t be fooled.” Allison chuckled. “I can spot an artist when I see one. After all, I’ve attended more than one of your wonderful events. You may not paint with a brush like I do, but what you create is still a masterpiece.”

  Kara’s heart did a funny little flip.

  “I’ve never really thought of it like that before,” she admitted.

  Allison sighed and nodded behind them. “It’s the number one reason your business is flourishing.” She turned towards her. “So, enough pleasantries. I’m here to see your cabinets,” Allison said with a smile. “I’m dying to see what you’ve done with the cottage.”

  Chapter Ten

  Conner had heard that his mother had gone over to the cottage to assess Kara and the work they’d done on the place. But his workweek had kept him too busy to worry about what his mother had said to Kara. Or what Kara had thought of the visit. He knew that some women put more stock than others in a guy’s mother showing up for no real reason.

  On Conner’s next full day off, Jacob had specifically asked for his help. Which meant that he was stuck sitting in the construction trailer listening to Rose and Jacob argue about whether the clubhouse should have four tennis courts or two.

  After almost five minutes of listening to them, he stood up. “Why not just meet in the middle and have three courts?” he suggested.

  The two of them looked at him as if he’d grown a second head.

  “That’s a bad idea,” Jacob said at the same time that Rose said.

  “That’s a terrible idea.”

  “See.” Conner waved his hands. “There. At least you agree on that.” He stalked out of the trailer. A blast of cool air hit him and, without thinking, he took off down the pathway to where the majority of the construction was taking place.

  Currently, there were large machines plowing through the dirt, carving the pathways that would become the roadways through the neighborhood.

  The Jordans were known for shipping, his mother’s art, and the family restaurant. This was the first time the family was dipping their toes into construction. Sure, they’d re
modeled or fixed places up over the years, but they’d never built anything from scratch.

  He knew it was one of the reasons his brother had decided to go into the construction field. Each summer their dad had picked a project to work on, and Jacob had been right there, eager to get his hands dirty.

  Not that Conner didn’t enjoy seeing something fixed up and made new, like Kara’s kitchen. He just didn’t have the drive his little brother did.

  Even working for the Coast Guard, he still felt… dull inside. The last time he’d felt alive, truly alive, had been when he’d kissed Kara.

  Damn. He ran his hands through his hair and headed up the trail to the top of the hillside. He didn’t know exactly where all the property markers were, but he figured that he could make it to the top of a small bluff. Maybe the hike would cool him off and give his brother and Rose time to settle the silly argument so they could get back to work.

  His schedule at the Coast Guard didn’t usually bother him, but lately, he wished his days off could be his. His family had been stepping in and making requests of him when they knew he had days free.

  Forty-hour weeks weren’t hard when he liked the work he was doing. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want some time to himself.

  He thought about the day he’d spent with Kara and smiled. What he wouldn’t give to spend a few more days like that. Kara was easy to get along with. She was lighthearted and laughed easily, something he found totally sexy in a woman. Not to mention the little tempting dimple near the corner of her mouth that flashed when she laughed. There was such a spark in her eyes when she was passionate about what she was talking about.

  By the time he reached the top of the hillside that overlooked Pride and the beach far below, he was no longer agitated at his brother and Rose. His eyes scanned the treetops for a glimpse of the barn’s rooftop.

  Would it be weird if he stopped by tonight? His shoulders slumped. “Yeah,” he answered out loud. He turned away from the view to head back down the hill and help his brother out for the last day off from work that week.

  He’d just have to wait until tomorrow evening to enjoy being with Kara again. For the rest of the day, he worked his frustration off by helping pull one of the worker’s trucks from the mud. In the past three days, it had rained enough to turn even the strongest hillside into a muddy mess. Which is why he’d left his truck parked on the main road.

  It took several hours, and it didn’t finally break free from the mud until they solicited the help of one of the bulldozers. By then, he was covered in a thick layer of dark Oregon mud and he was dead tired.

  Driving home, his mind kept returning to Kara’s last kiss. He should have gotten her phone number so he could text or call her. Damn.

  He thought of stopping off at his cousin’s flower shop to pick up a bouquet of flowers before he headed over there tomorrow evening.

  He was passing the barn on the edge of his parents’ drive, which used to house horses and a few cows, and, after seeing the light, pulled to the side of the drive and shut off the truck. He walked over, thinking that his mother was searching through the stuff they’d stored there. Instead, he stepped into the dark barn and was hit with a wave of Kara’s sexy scent.

  Leaning against the doorway, he crossed his arms over his chest and smiled as she dug through a couple of large boxes.

  “Breaking and entering is still a crime around here, you know?” he said, causing her to jerk around. When she did so, she jumped up and bumped her head on a low shelf holding a box of papers, sending them showering over her.

  He held in a chuckle as he rushed over to help her pick up the mess.

  “You scared me,” she exclaimed.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled as he knelt beside her.

  “Your mother said I could stop by and see if there was anything else in here that I could use,” she explained as she helped pick up the papers and books. Then her eyes moved past the papers and landed on him, and she frowned, then smiled slowly. “Did you spend your day making mud pies?” she joked.

  He glanced down and realized every inch of him was caked in mud.

  Groaning, he shook his head. “Helping someone get their truck out of the mud.”

  “Right,” she said slowly, as if to give him the idea that she didn’t believe him.

  He finished putting the last of the books into the box and replaced the box on the shelf. “Find anything you might want?” he asked. When her eyes ran over him and she sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth, he felt his body react.

  “A few things,” she answered finally.

  His eyebrows rose as he thought about taking her, here, with the smell of fresh hay mixing with the soft scent of her perfume.

  “I just don’t know how I’m going to get it all over to the cottage,” she added.

  He glanced around. “Where’s your truck?”

  “Robin has it. She went to Portland to help my folks hold a garage sale. They’re getting ready to sell their place and have a ton of stuff they wanted to get rid of. My sister, being the businessperson that she is, wanted to take over the entire process.”

  “How’d you get here?” he asked.

  “Walked,” she answered with a shrug.

  He thought about the trip from the cottage to his parents’ place and realized it was less than a few miles down the road. Even less if you went the beach route.

  “You need your own car,” he suggested.

  “Why? It would only sit most of the time. Besides, I like walking.”

  “What are you going to do when it starts snowing?” he asked, remembering he’d asked her that the other day.

  She shrugged and smiled. “Put on boots and a coat.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “I’ve got a truck.”

  Her eyes ran over him and then she laughed. “There is no way I’m letting you step foot in the cottage like that.”

  He glanced down again and groaned. “Yeah, as it is, I’m going to have to strip naked on the back doorstep just to get inside the house to shower off. My mother would kill me if I dropped so much as a clump of dirt on her floor.”

  Kara’s laughter warmed him and, at the same time, further ignited his desires.

  “If you want, I can head in and shower and then help you move over what you want?” he offered.

  “I’ll take you up on that offer,” she said easily. “I found a cute coffee table.” She motioned to the pile of furniture. “Somewhere in here. What is your mother going to do with all this? Open her own store?”

  He chuckled. “She used to run an antique store. I think she still thinks she does sometimes.” He shook his head. “I think my crib is still in here somewhere,” he joked.

  Kara laughed again. “I’ll keep looking. You go clean up.”

  Conner walked in the back door of the house, stripped down to nothing more than his boxer briefs and socks, and avoided talking to his mother until he was done showering and dressing.

  “So,” he said, stepping into her art studio. She was sitting in front of the large bay windows, working on a large canvas. Her father was sitting in the corner, reading a book with the two dogs curled around his feet. “For years you’ve stockpiled furniture in that barn and now you’re just giving it away?” he asked her.

  His mother glanced over at him. A strand of her hair fell loose and slipped into her eyes, which she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand, spreading a dark blue streak of paint over her cheek as she did so.

  He smiled and walked over to wipe it away with a cloth she kept nearby.

  “I’m not giving it away,” she said, turning back to her canvas.

  “Don’t tell me that you’re making her pay for all that junk?” He glanced out the windows towards the barn and could still see the light on out there.

  “No, of course not.” His mother turned to look at him with a smile. “We’ve come up with a deal. A trade of sorts.”

  His eyes narrowed. “A trade of what?”

  “Well
, she can have whatever she finds in the barn and I get one free event at her venue.”

  “That’s not really fair.”

  His mother waved her paintbrush at him. “Sure, it is. I’ve been wanting to host a local art fair. It’s not a large event and, really, no big planning on Kara’s part.” She turned back to the canvas. “Besides, it was her idea.”

  “Right,” he said to her back. He turned to sign to his dad. “Did you know about this?”

  His father shrugged and replied. “I learned a long time ago to stay out of your mother’s business.”

  Conner chuckled. “Smart man,” he signed back. “How did you expect her to get all that stuff back to her place?” he asked his mother.

  “I knew you’d be along to help out soon enough,” she threw over her shoulder. “Remember”—she glanced over her shoulder and wiped at the loose hair again, sending more color onto her cheeks and forehead—“lift with your legs not your back.” She smiled.

  “Meddler,” he mumbled as he walked out. He heard his mother laugh as he headed out to help Kara move furniture. He’d walked right into his mother’s trap. She knew that he had Wednesdays and Thursdays off. Had she requested Kara to stop by tonight knowing he didn’t have to be anywhere early in the morning?

  Shit. Did he even have protection still in his wallet? Would he need any? What was he thinking? He wasn’t even sure Kara wanted him like that. Sure, they’d kissed a few times, but that didn’t mean that she wanted to sleep with him.

  He was getting way ahead of himself. Shaking off the thoughts of his mother trying to hook him up, he backed the truck up to the barn door and got to work helping Kara load up everything she’d picked out all while trying to keep the thought of her naked under him out of his mind.

  “Everything okay?” she asked after the last of what she wanted had been loaded up in the back of his truck and they were on the road driving to the cottage.

  “Yeah.” He glanced over at her. “Just… tired,” he lied.

  “I’m sorry that I’m dragging you out again,” Kara said.

  “It’s no bother. I wanted to help out.” He backed up to get as close to the front door of the cottage as possible. Glancing over at her, he took a moment to appreciate just how perfect she was before jumping out and rushing around to open her door.