by Barbara Lohr
Maybe Mercedes was right. Maybe this was too much. The house and grounds needed tending. The longest day of the year might be close, but it still wasn’t light long enough for her to get everything done.
She’d eased up on her writing. Figured she’d written enough about cancer and COPD. To keep clients, she had to continually feed them copy. Freelancers don’t take vacations. Maybe she’d pay for it later, but she needed a break. The flower stand brought a peace she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Hollyhocks were springing up around Breezy Point, their spindly stalks leaning against the white siding. Kate ran her fingers over a furry leaf before going inside. She’d forgotten how much she loved the double pink blossoms and couldn’t wait to see them open in July.
Her back and arms ached from lifting flats and pots. As she stood on the back stoop, wondering when she’d get time to paint, weed, and plant, the screen door squeaked open.
“Thought I heard somebody back here.” The sun streaming through the birches dappled Cole’s smile.
“Hey.” The word stuck in her throat. A gray T-shirt clung to a torso that must turn a lot of heads in Gull Harbor. The sweaty red bandana around his forehead wasn’t a bad look.
“Glad you're taking care of the place.” Kate tore her eyes from the biceps he’d never had in high school. “I’ll check the silver later.”
“The lady of the house told me where to find the key.” His eyes danced with mischief, like Cole knew he was eye candy.
The heat streaming through her body in warm rivulets chilled. She’d had enough of self-absorbed men. Elbowing Brian for mirror time in the mornings had gotten old.
“Glad you’re home.” Cole swung the door wide and stepped back so she could pass. The man had manners. “I know we talked about the plumbing part of it, but I want to just make sure before I started laying pipe.”
Sure. Right. Kate couldn't even look at him as she slid past. On Cole, even sweat smelled good. The annoying liquid heat returned, washing away common sense.
They were quite a pair. Sweaty and dirty. And thinking dirty too.
Or was it just her?
Time to regroup. She had to remind herself Cole had plans to change Gull Harbor into one of those cardboard kitschy beach towns she hated. Their vintage storefronts would be replaced by cinderblock buildings with huge windows that displayed boogie boards, seashell curtains, and a slew of printed T-shirts.
Reason slammed her heat like a bucket of ice. The yellow flyers sat in the back of the SUV, but she hadn’t distributed them yet. Just no time.
In the kitchen, the clean scent of wood cleared her head, but she was still swimming through a sea of testosterone. Pretty darn intoxicating and very different from Brian, who’d splashed on expensive cologne after his shower. She couldn’t pass through the men’s department in any store without cringing at that heavy smell.
Nuzzling Kate’s hand with her wet nose, Prissy greeted her with a sloppy kiss.
“Prissy. You visiting too?”
The Great Dane’s wiry tail smacked the counters with enthusiasm.
Natalie was right behind the dog. “Hi, Kate.”
“Like your hair.” Kate tugged one of the scraggly pigtails while Natalie beamed.
Cole shuffled his feet. “Hope you don't mind, Kate. But I had no place—”
“Not at all. Great way to get familiar with the place. My mother is looking forward to spending time with Natalie this summer.” Kate watched the girl's tentative smile widen.
Hands on his hips, Cole drank in his daughter like she was water and he was in the desert. Maybe that's how it was for a single dad raising a girl. Kate still didn’t know the whole story about Samantha. For a town that held no secrets, Samantha McGraw’s story remained hush-hush. She was in California, as Cole had told her. Even Mercedes knew nothing more than that and they’d been cheerleaders together.
“Samantha dropped off the face of the earth,” she’d told Kate over the Memorial weekend. “Cole knows the story. I don’t have time to keep up with the townies.”
But Cole wasn’t talking and Kate didn’t want to pry. Whatever the situation, Natalie had a dad who cared. He may not understand Natalie, but he clearly adored her.
The longing that twisted inside her took Kate by surprise. After all their planning, Brian's abrupt decision not to have children had blindsided her. Sure, they’d agreed to wait. Get their careers on track. His surprise announcement turned their partnership into a betrayal. The searing ache brought one hand to Kate’s chest. Pressing against her heart did no good.
“Hey, Kate, what is it?” Cole pivoted her to face him, hands warm on her shoulders.
She kept her eyes on his shirt. “Nothing. Indigestion, I guess.”
“What did you do, girl? Eat one of those hot dogs at the Swirly Top? They haven’t gotten any better.”
Memories tweaked her grin. What plans did Cole have for the icon where they’d spent so many days? Would the Swirly Top fall to the wrecking ball along with Michiana Thyme? The smile melted from her face.
Cole loosened his hold, and a different type of regret washed over her, bothersome because she couldn’t label it.
“Natalie, I won’t be finished here for a while, honey. Why don’t you…” Cole looked lost.
“Right this way to entertainment central.” Kate steered Natalie into the living room. “I'll show you how to work the remote.”
But she’d underestimated Natalie. Taking the remote, Natalie clicked a few buttons and settled into one of the faded awning-striped chairs. The blue denim sofa dipped in the middle but that didn’t bother Prissy. She climbed right up and settled her long limbs with an audible groan. Dislodging her seemed useless so Kate didn’t try.
What about Prissy? Would she be a package deal with Natalie that summer? The dog seemed to follow Cole everywhere.
Intent on the menu scrolling on the TV, Natalie finally settled on a sci-fi show. Spaceships hummed and planets were exploding when Kate returned to the kitchen. Cole stood deep in thought at the pantry door. That manly leather tool belt low slung on his hips brought a shimmy to her stomach. Brian had worked with his mind, not his hands. The change was refreshing.
“Could I show you something, Kate?”
She tried to ignore the way his muscles flexed when Cole motioned to her. Clamping down on the feelings rioting through her body, she slipped in next to him. Even without the shelves, the pantry felt tight. That’s the only reason Kate leaned in so close, close enough to feel the warmth of Cole’s minty breath, see the dark bristles brushed across his jawline. So darn hard to keep her mind on rerouting the pipes through the wall.
Dragging one hand through her tangled hair, Kate wished she’d brushed it. With Josh gone for the day, they were alone, just the two of them. Natalie’s laughter filtered from the front room while Cole advised her on the toilet placement. He could put the darn thing on the ceiling for all she cared.
When he rotated to face the window, his chest brushed her breasts.
Lord have mercy.
He didn’t even blink. “Thought I'd put some shutters on this window. You'll want privacy, or your mother will. Some lighting on either side of the mirror for whatever women do in a powder room.”
“Powder our noses.”
Cole’s nose was strong, with a determined angle.
His eyes fell from her nose to her lips. She moistened them with her tongue, just a reflex. He swallowed then shook himself, eyes focusing on her hair. “So, why’d you change the color?”
“Just a whim. You don’t like it?”
“Hmm. Yeah, blonde’s good, I guess. Don’t be offended or anything but your hair always reminded me of my baseball mitt.”
“What?” She didn’t mean to squawk.
“Forget it.” Cole gave his head a shake. “Well, I… Where was I?”
Kate gulped down a chuckle. “You were talking about the lighting next to the mirror.”
“Yeah. Right.” His lips squinched to o
ne side like he was laughing at himself. “Room needs some light. Fine for a pantry but not a bathroom.”
“This room was always so dark.” Kate’s playfulness flattened. Suddenly, she was nine again, when arguing parents were terrifying.
“Hey, are you okay?” Cole's hands gripped her shoulders. “Kate?” He lifted her chin with one finger, his face blurring as she blinked back tears.
“Gosh, I'm… I'm sorry, Cole. Long day, I guess.” Her voice trembled, and she swiped at her cheeks. Really? “So silly. So long ago.”
“Kate? Probably none of my business but…”
Had she ever seen this kind of concern in Brian’s eyes? Tears pooled, and the room felt like it was shrinking. Heat jettisoned off Cole’s body in waves. Or was she generating it? She felt that one finger on her chin in every nerve ending in her body. When his thumb stroked her skin, she shivered. Cole looked at his hand like it was some foreign object. Then he dropped it to his waist, and she felt the loss.
“I used to hide in here.”
Cole's lips had looked luscious until the frown found his mouth. “Hide? Were you playing games?”
She jerked, trying to shake off the past. “Trust me, it wasn't fun. Not with my folks fighting in the kitchen. Again.”
There, it was out.
His breath escaped in a hiss. “No. No, that wouldn’t be fun at all.”
His shoulders twitched like he was going to hug her. She imagined sinking into his warmth, feeling that soft gray cotton against her cheek, his heart thudding in a comforting rhythm. But he tucked his hands under his folded arms, like he was locking them in. In the distance, the TV blared and Natalie giggled.
“Gee, Kate. I’m so sorry.” His eyes drew her in, so receptive.
“Years of arguing and then the silence. That was how I learned they were getting a divorce. That was that.” She dusted her hands. Squared her shoulders. Anything to get that expression off his face.
“Katydid, I never knew.” His arms came around her.
At first she stiffened, but it felt so good. She softened like the silly putty she played with eons ago, melting her curves against his hard angles. Cole’s lips pressed to her forehead, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Don’t, Kate. Don't go back there. We all should have a magic switch to turn off the past.”
What would he want to forget?
“Yeah, I could use one of those. Even after the divorce my dad never quit drinking. It killed him when I was a senior in college. Car accident when he shouldn’t have been driving. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why I settled on my husband so quickly.”
“Aw, Katydid. What a tough way to lose a parent.”
She shouldn’t nestle closer. She shouldn’t drink in his clean scent, more calming than lavender. Their thighs were aligned along with the rest of their bodies. Her body was giving her the green light, while her mind flashed red warning signals. She ignored them.
Apparently you don't have to be swathed in black lace to feel like a trollop. Cole tightened his grip, his lips kissing her forehead, a soft moan vibrating in his chest. In the distance, the TV blared and Natalie told Prissy to calm down.
“What are we doing?”
He didn’t seem to hear her whispered words, and she didn’t want him to stop.
“Cole?” She looked up just as his eyes fluttered closed. His lips settled and took possession, like a good book where you head straight for your favorite dog-earred parts and heck with the rest. He tasted her slowly, tender skin clinging a bit until he licked it for release. Might as well have been a snake bite, that flick of his tongue. She’d been bitten. Leaving common sense behind, she pressed her body against his so they could fit like puzzle pieces. Well, part of the puzzle, at least. She sighed as he kissed her cheeks, moaned when he tasted her neck with his tongue.
Comfort kisses. That's what she told herself.
“God, you're delicious.” His voice was rough, just enough to make her want friction in other places.
She’d gone way too long without sex. Good sex, that is. The kind where you both cared and it mattered.
Head spinning, chest heaving, Kate knew she should break away. She should check on Natalie, although she could still hear her laughing in the distance. She should be ashamed for moving her body against his with a slow, sinuous movement. Suppressed needs had made her wanton.
Oh, what the heck.
This time, she wouldn’t take Cole seriously.
This time, she’d be in control.
He groaned against her lips. “God, we should stop.”
“Sure. Go ahead. Stop.” Kate pressed closer, rubbing, teasing, lapping up his frustrated growls while she kissed him.
Cole’s thumbs skimmed her rib cage, brushing under her soft knit top before scooping down over hip bones that wouldn’t hold still. Good grief, it was hot in here. Maybe they should put in a ceiling fan, although she doubted her mother would need one.
With every kiss, every fevered caress, Kate burned through bad memories, reducing them to cinders. And she loved it. Needed it.
Her chuckle came naturally.
“What?” Cole pulled away, a bemused grin tilting his lips.
“What is that cool wetness?” she whispered, patting her upper thigh. My, he must be really excited. His jeans should really absorb better.
“What wetness?” He backed away.
They both looked down. Prissy had joined them, tongue lolling from her panting mouth.
Okay, so Cole hadn’t been that needy.
But she wanted him to be.
“Hey, Prissy.” Cole patted the dog’s head. “Gotta go out, girl?”
The huge Harlequin Dane gave a small needy whine. Maybe Cole had that effect on all females.
“Beautiful dog.” Kate tugged on her shirt and told herself this was a good thing. After all, Natalie was in the front room and this was Cole. She had to collect her thoughts. Her hair was damp along with a few other parts of her body.
Order returned to her life, wagging a warning finger.
Cole whistled, and the dog followed him outside. She didn’t much care where the dog did her business. Right now Kate had more serious concerns. Heck, they were right back in Cole's father's pickup truck after that debate competition, parked down near Waco Beach. She brushed both hands up her arms to still the goose bumps.
When he came back in, Cole brought the fresh air with him. Kate was staring out the back window at her father’s old tool shed. Probably where her mother kept the gardening tools.
“Kate, hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”
Was that regret in his eyes? She flicked a tongue over her throbbing lips. The Adam’s apple in his strong throat bobbed. Uncomfortable? That was putting it mildly.
Every cell still tingled, screaming Just one more time and leaning in his direction.
“Cole, I…”
“Kate?” They both turned with relief at Natalie's voice. She was holding up a book. “You have your very own copy of ‘Misty.’” Wonder lifted her voice.
“Sure do. The book was a present.”
Mercedes had gotten it for her birthday at a party her parents couldn’t afford. “Kid’s stuff!” her big sister had said, setting the book aside to study a makeup kit Samantha had given her. Kate had grabbed the book gratefully. Read it by flashlight under the sheets that night.
“Just remember where you got that, Natalie.” Cole glanced at his watch. Outside, shadows were gathering under the trees. “We should get going.”
“Sorry to keep you. Thanks for all your help, Cole.” She was edging him toward the door, as if he were just another contractor, not the man who drove her wild five minutes earlier. Thank goodness Natalie was buried in the book. She didn’t seem to notice the sexual tension that hummed in the air like an overtuned guitar.
After throwing some of his tools into a work chest under the kitchen table, Cole snapped the metal lid shut and lifted it. His bicep bulged larger. “We'll be back tomorrow.”
>
“You know where the key is.” No way was she coming home until he was gone. Still, she followed him out to the truck, drinking in the cool night air. Maybe the chill would slap some sense into her.
Cole put his tool chest in the back and opened the passenger door. One long leap and Prissy landed in the middle of the front seat with Natalie tucking right behind her.
“Thanks for everything,” she told him. Kate’s lips still pulsed and she bit down.
“Don’t worry, Kate. We’ll be finished by the time your mom is home.” He circled the back of the pickup.
Would they ever be finished? Really?
They weren’t the same people now. Their different feelings about the future of Gull Harbor told her that. As the pickup disappeared down the driveway, Natalie smiled from the window, with Prissy’s head crowding her for space. Kate backed up onto the stoop and waved good-bye. “Damn fool.”
Was she talking about him or herself?
Going back inside, Kate slammed the door behind her. The kitchen still smelled like wood shavings, but it also smelled like Cole. She pulled the refrigerator open and let the cold blast hit her. A chicken breast left over from the night before sat wrapped in foil next to a bowl of hard-boiled eggs. She grabbed the package and an egg before slamming the door closed. Night was falling, and she really needed a sunset.
Preoccupied, she ate without ceremony on the porch that night before heading down to the beach.
A breeze wafted up from the lake as she made her way down. Her father had put in these railroad ties long ago. Like a lot of the other work he'd done around Breezy Point, the steps were crooked. Any project was always accompanied by a six-pack or two.
When she reached the bottom, Kate kicked her tennis shoes into the tall dune grass and stripped off her socks. The sand felt cool against the soles of her feet as she walked toward the shore. In another month or so, it would take hours for the sand to lose its heat after sunset. In June, sand had a short memory.