Whisper of Love (The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor, Book Five)

by Melissa Foster

  Her phone vibrated. She slipped it out of the pocket of her dress and peeked at the screen. Nash. She felt a smile tugging at her lips.

  “It’s from him,” Jewel said, and the girls all crowded around her again.

  “Geez, you guys.” Tempest’s heart raced as she opened the text and the girls said, “Aw,” in unison at the selfie of Nash and Phillip with a caption below, Wish you were here. Nash had one arm around Phillip, who was holding up two fingers, as if he were counting how many people were in the picture. There was a fire in the pit beside them and a bag of marshmallows on the bench behind them.

  Her mother and the girls studied the picture.

  “He is super-hot,” Faith said, then quickly added, “Don’t tell Sam I said that.”

  “Yeah, don’t tell Cole I agreed,” Leesa said.

  “Ditto with Nate,” Jewel said.

  “You can tell your father. He knows he’s my number-one man, but wow, honey. He’s a good-looking man, with kind eyes and a beautiful little boy. Seeing that cherubic little face makes me wish I could have another baby.”

  “Um…” Leesa’s cheeks burned pink. She spread her hand over her belly. “We were going to tell everyone later, but how can I keep it to myself now?”

  Her mother gasped, tears welling in her eyes. “You’re pregnant?”

  Leesa nodded. “I’m ten weeks along.”

  “My first grandbaby!” Her mother embraced Leesa, laughing and crying at once.

  There was a round of squeals and congratulations, and many hugs. They must have been really loud, because the guys came rushing inside.

  Cole took one look at his wife and laughed. “I knew it.”

  “My baby boy is having a baby of his own.” Their mother hugged him.

  “A baby? Come on over here, honey.” Their father hugged Leesa.

  “Dude, you’re going to be a father and you didn’t tell me?” Sam tugged Cole into a manly embrace. “Wait until I get my hands on my nephew. He’ll be the coolest little guy around.”

  “It might be a girl,” Faith reminded him, pushing between them and hugging Cole.

  Tempest returned Nash’s text as everyone congratulated Leesa and Cole. The girls began talking about a baby shower. The men devoured the rest of the cake, and an hour later, after giving Shannon, Steve, and Ty, who was out of the country on a photography assignment, the happy news, they sat out back on their parents’ deck discussing what it would be like to have a baby around. Tempest tried to follow along, but her mind was back in Pleasant Hill. She didn’t know what it would be like to have a baby around, but she knew how much she enjoyed being around Phillip.

  She wished he and Nash were there now. Sometimes at night Nash sang to them, and it was easy to imagine him sitting on the deck with his guitar, Phillip curled up in her lap. She looked around at her family. Nate and Jewel were snuggled together beneath a blanket, and Sam and Faith were sitting on the porch swing. Beside them, her parents sat on a lounge chair built for two. Tempest sat on the steps beside Cole and Leesa. With all the love around her, Tempest realized Nash had been right. She wasn’t risky Tempest. She was simply Tempest, and she liked who she was. She was real and cautious, and she always followed her heart. And right now her heart had her contemplating driving back to Pleasant Hill instead of sleeping at her apartment. It would be late by the time she arrived, but she would have a few hours with Nash and Phillip before driving back for Cole’s picnic.

  “I’m happy for you guys,” Tempest said to Cole, to distract herself from the ache of missing Nash. “Will you announce it at the picnic tomorrow?”

  He hugged Leesa a little tighter against his side, making Tempest miss Nash even more. “We hadn’t planned on it, but if tonight’s any indication, I doubt I’ll be able to keep my wife from spilling the news.”

  “I couldn’t help it. With all that talk about Phillip and then your mom said she wanted a baby…” Leesa’s eyes danced with elation.

  “It’s okay, baby. I’m glad the news is out,” Cole said. “Speaking of Phillip, Leesa said you have a picture of him and Nash. Mind if I take a look?”

  She pulled her phone from her pocket, opened the text with the picture of Nash and Phillip, and handed it to Cole.

  He looked over the picture, the glimmer of joy still hovering in his eyes from sharing their news. “He looks like a nice guy, and that’s a hell of a cute little guy he’s got there.”

  “Mm-hm.” In her mind she heard Nash say, Flip.

  Her phone vibrated again, and another text bubble appeared, with a message from Nash. Be careful driving home tomorrow evening. Text me when you leave so I know when to start worrying if you don’t show up.

  Cole laughed. “I like him already.”

  She reached for the phone, but he was looking at the messages again.

  “I didn’t mean to snoop, but is this true? Is this how you feel?” he asked, showing her the text below the picture. The one she’d sent to Nash in response to his text saying he wished she was there.

  Me too.

  Of all her brothers, she was probably closest to Cole because he was the most cautious, and he thought before he acted, much like she did. She knew she could be honest with him. “Yeah, I do.”

  “You must really like him.”

  She nodded, feeling herself smiling again. “He’s taking Phillip to his first community concert tomorrow, and I wanted to be there, but I didn’t want to miss your work picnic.”

  Cole handed her the phone and wrapped his fingers around hers. “Tempe,” he said quietly. “I remember what it was like when Leesa and I first started seeing each other. She was all I thought about. If you want to see him, go.”

  “But I never miss your picnic.” Although I want to this time.

  “Exactly. You’ve never missed it. It’s time to put yourself first. Go, Tempe. Be happy.”

  She felt like she was going to cry, and as she rose to her feet she was a little dizzy with anticipation and from her brother’s support. The others must have overheard what she’d said, because suddenly the girls were hugging her and nudging her toward the door with enthusiastic, Go, go, gos!

  Chapter Sixteen

  NASH SCREWED THE last brace into the ceiling and secured the curtain rod into place. He stripped off his shirt and tossed it on the floor as he climbed down from the stepladder. Singing along to the radio, he unwrapped the decorative fabric shower curtain and shook it out. He and Phillip had spent almost an hour picking it out. Phillip had liked one with flowers, and Nash had liked one with musical notes, and just as they were about to flip a coin, a salesgirl had appeared with a box of new stock. They’d both taken one look at this one and agreed it was perfect.

  He climbed up on the stool again, threaded the curtain rings through the holes at the top, and took a closer look at the silhouette of a woman with pink angel wings. Another sign. It wasn’t just the angelic woman that had caught his eye. It was the magical look and feel of the curtain. The soft white fabric and silhouette of the woman’s lips as she blew into her palm, creating a swirl of butterflies, flowers, and musical notes that flew up and around the top of the curtain, creating a halo of white around the ethereal-looking pixie, reminded him of Tempest. He felt himself falling deeper in love with her every day, and when they were close, it was like his soul opened and she filled all the parts of him that had been empty for far too long.

  He spread the curtain across the length of the rod, hoping she liked it.

  The sound of the front door opening snapped him from his reverie, his muscles flexing to life as he stepped from the stool. The familiar padding of Tempest’s feet ascending the stairs caused a sudden lightness in his chest. She appeared in the doorway wearing the sexy, midthigh-length hippie-style dress she’d had on this morning, with short suede boots that made her legs look a mile long. The way his body heated up, it was like he was seeing her for the first time. She was sinful nights and heavenly days personified. Her mouth curved up in that beautiful smile that had s
topped him cold the first time he’d seen her. Her gaze drifted down his bare chest, and her lips parted. She swallowed hard, her eyes lingering around his abs, igniting the fire she’d already stoked. She dropped her bags, and a puff of air left her lungs. He felt himself grow hard as steel. She stood before him, hardly breathing, staring hungrily at his body and fidgeting with the edge of the dress he wished would melt off. Damn, she’d cornered the market on accidental sexiness.

  “You came home.” Aw, hell. He sounded as blown away as he felt. He couldn’t believe she was there, after he’d spent the last few hours trying to keep his mind off of how much he missed her.

  Her eyes moved to the shower curtain, then quickly back to his chest, shifting between the two several times as she closed the distance between them like she didn’t know which to focus on. “You…You did this for me?” She touched her mouth with one hand, reaching for the curtain with the other. “It’s beautiful, but I thought the tub didn’t work.”

  He stepped to the side and motioned toward the new faucet he’d installed. She didn’t need to know about the piping he’d had to replace to keep it from leaking, or that he and Phillip had gone back to the store twice to get the right fittings. It was worth it to see the happiness shining in her cheeks.

  “You fixed it,” she said breathlessly.

  He took her hand, the bathtub forgotten, and pulled her closer. “I thought you were staying in Peaceful Harbor. You have Cole’s picnic tomorrow, and your appointment with your client.”

  “I was.” She placed her hand on his chest, making his pulse beat even harder. “But I missed you guys. I’ll drive back for Cole’s picnic.”

  You missed us. His thoughts stumbled. She hadn’t just missed him; she’d also missed Phillip. He’d spent years protecting his son from everything and everyone. Not once had he slowed down enough to think about how it would feel to have someone else care for his son. He hauled her against him, probably too roughly, but the emotions taking hold were too powerful to control.

  “We missed you, too.” He buried his face against her neck, gathering her hair in one hand and breathing in the scents of the salty sea and the feeling of freedom it induced. “Way too much,” he whispered in her ear. “But I don’t want to come between you and your family.”

  “Cole doesn’t mind if I miss the picnic tomorrow, but I’d much rather you and Phillip came with me,” she said. “I was afraid to ask, because it’s been only a couple of weeks and I didn’t want to freak you out, but I want you to meet my family. I know it’s a long drive for Phillip, and we have plans for his first concert—”

  “Yes,” he said without hesitation.

  “Yes?” She went up on her toes. “You’ll go? You don’t mind the drive, or—”

  “Angel, where you go, we want to go.”

  “Oh, Nash. Thank you!” She wound her arms around his neck. “We should figure out logistics. I have to see my client at five and the session takes about an hour.”

  Nothing would stop him from going with her. “I’ll take Phillip to the beach and let him run around. We’ll be fine. I can’t wait to meet the people who raised such a sweet—” He kissed her mouth. “Smart.” He kissed her forehead. “Sinful,” he whispered in her ear. Gazing deeply into her eyes, he said, “Beautiful, insightful woman.

  “I’m glad you’re home,” he whispered. He nuzzled against her neck, feeling her soft curves melt against him as he gathered the hem of her dress in his hands. “How about we try out the bathtub and I show you just how glad I am?”

  “Yes,” she said as he lifted her dress over her head and it floated to the floor.

  “And the bed.” He unhooked the front clasp of her bra and lowered his mouth to her breast.

  “Yes—”

  He drew her panties down and backed her up—gently this time—against the wall. She stared boldly into his eyes and said, “And the desk? I’ve never had sex on a desk, and I’ve—”

  He covered her mouth with his, kissing her with the promise of making all her fantasies come true. And then he did just that.

  Chapter Seventeen

  WHEN NASH THOUGHT of a company picnic for a medical practice, stodgy doctors with big egos, fancy catering, and a plethora of in-your-face marketing campaigns came to mind, but Cole’s company picnic was held at a park near his home and was packed with families. It seemed more like a community festival than a picnic. A local band played country music on the bandstand, which was decorated with fall-colored streamers, pumpkins, and haystacks. Colorful awnings covered tables where children of all ages were doing arts and crafts, and the local 4-H Club had created a hay maze and stacked hay bales for children to climb on. Across the lawn there were potato sack races, dunking for apples, and other fun events going on.

  “You look so deep in thought.” Tempest’s hair blew across her cheek. She turned into the breeze, sending her hair over her shoulder. Her cheeks were pink from the chilly afternoon air, but her eyes glimmered with happiness. She wore a pair of skinny jeans with the boots she’d worn last night and a simple peach sweater, and she’d never looked more beautiful.

  “It doesn’t feel like an office picnic. I thought they’d be hawking their practice every chance they got. It reminds me a little of my traveling days,” he admitted. “The only thing missing is a beer garden and artists.” They’d arrived just a few minutes ago, and Tempest had made a beeline for the snack table, which he chalked up to her adorableness. She was a responsible adult with an exuberant love of the simplest things he found irresistible. He loved so much about her, and he couldn’t wait to meet her family.

  “Cole doesn’t host these events for marketing purposes. He does it as a way to honor his patients who have gone through traumatic experiences and come out on top. It’s all about community and family and letting them know he’s there for them not for the money, but because he’s a real person, too.” She tilted her head with another sweet smile and asked, “Do you ever wish you could go back to traveling?”

  He put a hand on Phillip’s head, holding her gaze so she would see he meant every word of what he had to say. “There have been times that I’ve missed it. Or thought I did. But, no. I wouldn’t trade my life for anything in the world.”

  Her eyes moved between him and Phillip as she dug into a bowl of candy corn, grabbing her third handful. “That’s good, Nash. That’s so good.”

  Phillip didn’t look to Nash for approval before stuffing his chubby little hand into the bowl. Progress. Just that morning his son had expressed his independence when, instead of following him around the goat pen as they fed Big and Little, he’d taken Tempe’s hand and dragged her back to the chickens and asked her to sing one of her silly counting songs.

  “I love Cole’s picnics because the whole community comes together. I’m so glad we didn’t skip it.” Tempest waved her hand toward the event going on all around them. “The leaves are turning colors, and there’s a shock of fall in the air. Don’t you love this time of year?” She popped a few pieces of candy corn into her mouth and spoke before he could respond. “What most people don’t get is that there’s a right and a wrong way to attend these events. Most people get distracted by the pumpkins, dunking for apples, and everything cinnamon. Those are the amateurs. I go right for the candy corn every time. It’s a mystery why people don’t eat candy corn at any other time of year, but as long as the leaves are falling and the air is crisp, I’m going to rot my teeth every chance I get with the world’s finest candy.”

  He couldn’t resist tugging her closer. “You’re killing me with your cuteness. You know that, right?”

  She fluttered her lashes flirtatiously.

  Phillip held a piece of candy up for Nash. His cheeks were as full as a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter.

  Nash bent down and let him pop it into his mouth. “Thanks, buddy, but I think after this we’ve had enough candy. I don’t want you to get a tummy ache.”

  “I won’t,” he said around a mouthful of candy.

&n
bsp; “Oops.” Tempest winced. “Sorry. Candy corn is my downfall.” She shoved the rest of the handful in her mouth and held her palms up. “Done. No more. Promise.”

  He tugged her closer. “There are worse things than too much candy, but thank you.”

  Phillip shoved the rest of his candy into his mouth and held up his palms. “Done.” A piece of candy fell to the ground, and when he reached for it, Nash swooped in to retrieve it and handed him a fresh piece from the bowl. “Last one, bud, okay?”

  “Time to move away from the candy and meet my family.” Tempest held her hand out, and before Nash could take it, Phillip did. Her eyes flicked up to Nash’s in surprise, her face warm with affection.

  After they’d made love last night, she’d stolen even more of his heart when he’d had to leave her so Phillip didn’t catch them in bed together and she’d gazed up with sleepy, loving eyes and said, I’ve already had more hours with you than I could have hoped for. You’re Daddy first, boyfriend second, and that’s one of the reasons I like you so much. But there was no comparison to what the sight of his son’s continuing trust in her did to him.

  As they neared the bandstand, he draped an arm over her shoulder and said, “How about a dance first?”

  Phillip nodded, and Nash scooped him into his arms and gathered Tempest close with his other arm. Tempest put her arms around both of them, grinning like he’d just given her the world.

  “This beats the heck out of our kitchen dances, doesn’t it, buddy?”

  “Yes,” Phillip answered.

  “This beats the heck out of any dance I’ve ever had.” Tempest ran her fingers along Nash’s neck, with a secret smile meant just for him. They danced and joked about having too many left feet. Nash couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so complete.