“I think Greg’s a good fit. Turns out, he’s a lover of junk, someone who collects and fixes up old necklaces and other jewelry he finds and sells online. When you think about it, it’s really an uncanny fit.”
“So you’ll go ahead with the store.”
“Yes, but not next to the church, only because the Springer family still owns the property and it’s tied up in some sort of litigation. So Ryder’s come up with a solution and it’s much cheaper rent. There’s this slip of a space next to Ferguson’s Hardware. At one time, Tucker’s grandfather used it to stash old water heaters and any other items he thought might resell for a buck. It’s rundown and shabby but the guts and support structure seem sound.”
“I’m sensing a ‘but’ here,” Thane noted. “What’s wrong with the space?”
“Other than it’s small and cramped? Well for starters, it’s full of junk, I mean to the rafters. Like most of the storefronts in town it’s in sad shape, too. But Greg assures me if I hire him, he’ll help Ryder and me shovel the stuff out and clean it up so it’s habitable. And of course, my dad’s willing to pitch in on weekends whenever we need him.”
“Is Tucker giving you a problem with the lease?” Isabella wanted to know. “Even in the short amount of time I’ve been in town, everyone has an opinion about Ferguson’s ability to run off customers.”
Julianne smiled. “It’s true. But Ryder’s done some major negotiating in that regard and used his leverage, the kind that only a Ferguson seems to appreciate. In fact, Ryder’s offered to take it off Tucker’s hands, keeping the hardware store as the boatyard’s major lumber supplier, if you get my drift.”
Isabella burst out with a laugh. “Oh, it’s brilliant. That kind of leverage tops an entrenched position in negotiations every time.”
“You bet. Ryder and I want you to know how much we appreciate getting to use the lighthouse for the wedding.”
“No problem. Come by tomorrow and get a feel for how best to work with the setting and the lighthouse itself.”
“We will. I can’t wait. And again thanks to both of you for the kick in the pants we needed to get the resale shop opened. Greg starts in two weeks after he gives notice at all his jobs.”
“I bet Murphy’s not happy about losing his stocker,” Thane said.
“Maybe Archer Gates can get on there. He’s been looking for work. I heard that from Tommy the other day when we were at the train store,” Isabella reported.
“I’m seeing Archer tomorrow when I pick up Jonah. I’ll send him to Murphy.”
“Good idea. Looks like the reception’s starting to wind down.” Isabella nodded her head toward the house. “It tends to do that when the bride and groom disappear upstairs to their honeymoon suite.”
Thane chuckled and watched as people began to drift homeward. Those designated as cleanup crew collected trash and bussed the outdoor area. In the kitchen, the wait staff washed dishes and plates before packing up and loading their vans to head back to Santa Cruz.
To Julianne, Thane offered their goodbyes, using the opportunity to whisk Isabella out of there and toward the car.
As soon as they reached his Range Rover, Thane scooted the seat back all the way to a recline position to make more room in the cramped front between his body and the steering wheel. He grabbed her around the waist, brought her onto his lap and covered her mouth. “Just a taste to hold me over. I’ve wanted to do this all night.”
“Mmm, what you need is a huge reward for your patience and perseverance,” she said as their bodies wrapped like tangled vines.
“I was hoping you’d see it my way. Your place or mine?”
“Whichever’s closer.”
“Fischer’s at my house.”
“Then Sea Glass Cottage here we come.”
Chapter Twenty-One
At 14 Lighthouse Lane, Thane threw back the front door as they fell into the foyer draped all over each other. The frenzy continued as they bumped along shedding clothing as they went.
Fumbling with the zipper on the back of the cocktail dress, he finally slid it down enough so that he could peel it over her hips. They dropped where they were, causing the tapestry rug on the floor to skid with them sprawled on top of it. Jazz leaped out of the way in time to witness them tearing at each other, ripping off any obstacle that got in their way.
“Look at you. I’ve been saving this all day,” he said as he feasted on her mouth. He savored curves with one purpose in mind, pleasuring himself as much as he did her. He slicked along her body savoring sweet flesh. He used his tongue to linger over her belly. He tasted silky thighs.
He was doing things to her body no one had ever done before. The pace surging her along into a furnace-like heat. Fast and heady, she dug her nails into the smidgen of carpet and rode the swell. Stars exploded as shudders rocked through her. Little quakes rippled out, made her toes curl up. When she came, a feral moan escaped her lips. Something wild within her broke free.
Rearing up, she exploited his mouth. The kiss seared, went deep, then deeper.
“Now, Thane! Now!” she begged.
They joined, became a fierce one, bucking and rocking. They moved together, the wild rhythm urging them on. It felt like a tremor shaking the house as they spiraled upward, shattering into a thousand shades of gold.
He dropped on top of her, winded, and tried to pull in air. “I’m not sure I can move.”
“That was…incredible. I’m pretty sure I’ve lost the feeling in my toes.”
He finally stirred and moved his weight off her. “How’s that? Better?”
“I didn’t know sex could be like this. I thought it was just…you know…one-sided.”
“You’ve been with the wrong men.”
“Well. Duh.”
“That’s okay. I’ve been with the wrong women.” He sat up, gathered his clothes.
Sensing things had calmed down, Jazz thought it was safe enough to saunter over. She stuck her nose in Isabella’s face, looked up, licked Thane’s hand.
“Are you staying or do you have to get back?”
“I’m staying. I’m suddenly exhausted. Let’s catch some sleep, work up to round two.”
The bed was empty when he woke up. The smell of bacon had him kicking out of the sheets and getting to his feet. After taking a hot shower he found Izzy outside on the patio fiddling with some kind of ivy-looking thing that seemed to be on its last leg. She wore one of his oversized Tees that draped almost to her knees barely covering her panties.
“Hey.”
“Hi, sleepyhead. There’s fresh coffee.”
“Thanks. How long have you been up?”
“About an hour. I puttered around out here so I wouldn’t wake you.”
“What is that thing?”
“It’s called a peace lily. I found it last week at your place in the corner of the flower bed, neglected and almost dead. You know, California might be experiencing a drought but I’m pretty sure it’s okay if you spare a few drops of water for a poor houseplant that never did you any harm.”
He snorted out a laugh and went inside to get down a mug. “If I’m not mistaken someone sent that plant when my mother died. I guess I forgot about it. Want some eggs to go with that bacon I smell? I’m good at fixing eggs.”
“Sure. Do you know where everything is you need?”
“I’ll figure it out as I go.”
“Okay, I’ll work the toaster.”
Later when they sat down to a panful of perfectly scrambled eggs, she became acutely aware of how homey this scene was and how comfortable she felt in it.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“That this is what I wanted when I got married. Peace. Joy. Normal. I didn’t get it.”
“You rarely talk about it and I haven’t pushed.”
“I know and I appreciate it. I don’t like bringing it up or thinking about that time of my life. I mean, what’s the point?”
“You’re very careful not to say too much.”
; “Is that how it seems to you?”
“Sometimes because you often answer a question with a question.”
About that time a car horn sounded outside. “That must be Julianne and Ryder. They did say they couldn’t wait to take the tour. I guess they weren’t kidding.”
Sure enough, when Isabella opened the front door, Julianne was already out of the car and rushing past the lighthouse to take in the spectacular view. Ryder spotted them in the doorway and waved.
“Sorry we’re so early but Julianne is excited to see what this place offers so we can make a decision today.”
“No problem,” Isabella said. “You should check out all your options.”
“This is a beautiful spot,” Julianne said turning at the edge of the cliffs and breathing in the ocean air. “If we do this, we have to hope for good weather though.”
“Like I said last night, take a tour of the lighthouse. Make sure you walk up the spiral staircase and see the view at the top. Who knows? You might even decide your guests could make the climb to the watch room and have your ceremony up there,” Isabella suggested.
Ryder glanced up at the towering structure, took in the catwalk. “That would be so cool, such a scenic place to hold a wedding. We could have the service above...”
“Don’t even think about it,” Julianne countered. “I’d have to troop up there in a gown with a long train attached wearing heels.”
“You could walk up barefoot, put the shoes on when you reach the top.” That offer got Isabella a lethal glare from the principal. She lifted a shoulder. “Just saying.”
Julianne sighed. “Well, hey, I’m willing to explore the possibilities. How about you guys make that hike with us?”
“Sure. There are sixty-four steps up to the top,” Isabella said, turning to Thane. “Are you still in shape from your playing days?”
He grinned, leaned in, and whispered, “I thought I proved that last night. Twice.”
“Just checking,” she said, grinning back. She took his hand, told the other couple. “If you’re ready, I’ll lead the way. The view from the top is guaranteed to blow you away.”
From the moment they got inside the entrance and walked around the anteroom, Isabella knew this is where the couple planned to hold their wedding. “Even if it rains and you’re unable to hold the service between the cottage and the lighthouse, you could easily fit seventy-five people in this room.”
While Isabella took the couple on a tour and pointed out each historical fact to them, Thane watched Isabella’s eyes light up as bright as the beacon in the lantern room. If he’d wondered about her intentions to put down roots here in town before now, he had his answer. Not only did she glow with enthusiasm about the place, she had Ryder and Julianne so excited about their big day it was almost as if Isabella had planned the event out in her head. She was captivating. She was entertaining. She was everything Thane had ever wanted in a woman.
Then why did he feel like something was missing—that there was an enormous hole in her past? And could he overlook that feeling enough to move on with her? To make it permanent?
For Jonah’s sake he had to tread carefully. He had to be ever vigilant that there was no way his boy would get hurt in the process. But how could he do that without delving further into her past, a past she didn’t want to discuss?
Chapter Twenty-Two
The day before Thanksgiving a Pacific storm roared into the area bringing heavy rain. The gusty wind slammed out of the north, whipping and whistling, shaking and rattling the window panes. The bad weather made for an intimate setting where Thane and Jonah had found a place to spread out with the dogs by the fire. Thane had brought in a stack of firewood for the night and kept tossing logs on the hearth so the cottage had a nice and toasty feel to it.
Isabella had stowed her stash of guns away in a locked safe in her closet. So there was no chance Jonah could get to any of them or reach any of the knives she kept around the house. Besides, what did she have to be afraid of when she had an athletic, former NFL linebacker for a boyfriend?
It was enough for her that Jonah was excited to be here, eager about the big meal tomorrow when his Uncle Fisch would show up and spend the day with them watching football.
In the kitchen Isabella had spent her morning keeping busy preparing the menu for tomorrow’s meal. She’d discovered she liked the homey duties. Getting a turkey stuffed and ready for someone else to eat seemed like the key to cooking.
She stood at the stove pouring hot cocoa she’d made from scratch into mugs. “Hot chocolate’s ready,” she called out. Two seconds later, Jonah came darting in, appeared at her elbow, to get his share.
“Yum. You make it better than Uncle Fisch does.”
“I do? What a nice thing to say. Thank you. That’s quite a compliment. Although let’s keep it between the two of us. We don’t want to hurt Fischer’s feelings.”
“Uh-oh, I already told him last time you made me cocoa,” Jonah admitted.
Isabella snuck out a chuckle. “It’s okay. I’ll tell you a secret. I’m a little nervous to have Fischer coming here for dinner tomorrow sampling my cooking.”
“Don’t be,” Thane said from the doorway. “The guy might be a picky perfectionist in his own kitchen when he’s at the helm, but I’ve never seen him become a rude guest when it comes to grabbing a meal at other people’s houses.”
“You’re sure about that? I suppose that makes me feel better. But I wouldn’t be honest if I said he doesn’t intimidate me a little bit with his skills near a stove. I’m nervous.”
Thane watched her check the pot of soup she had simmering for lunch, watched as she opened the oven to test the cornbread she’d baked for what she hoped to use for stuffing. She’d even rolled out dough for a crust and added the pumpkin mixture she’d created from scratch to pour into a baking dish for pie.
To show his appreciation, he went to where she stood, wrapped his arms around her body. Nestled up against each other like this, he felt as though he’d finally found what he’d been looking for his entire life.
“Do you mind if Jonah and I stay here tonight?”
“You have to ask? Of course not. It makes no sense to go out into the pouring rain when there’s a perfectly good guest room for Jonah.”
He nuzzled her neck and lowered his voice, “Good because after dinner I have this idea where we get naked and…”
From his perch on the bar stool next to the counter, Jonah piped up, “Daddy, help, I can’t get the last piggy on Angry Birds. I’m stuck on level four and I can’t get past this one mean pig.”
Thane kissed Izzy’s neck and muttered, “Duty calls. Later.” With that, he moved over to join his son at the island. “Let’s see if we can figure this out together.”
For lunch she dished up vegetable chowder and watched as they went through the whole vat of soup like they hadn’t eaten in days.
After spending time with kitchen detail, Isabella went to the closet and took down a game from the shelf, spread out the board, pawns, and dice on the table.
“I remember this,” Thane said as he took a seat. “I didn’t know they still made Parcheesi.”
“I don’t know either. I found this at Layne’s Trains going through a stack of Cooper’s old inventory. As the only toy store in town you’d be surprised how busy that man has been since getting his business going two months ago. He said his first month was abysmal and slow but now…”
“It’s turned around. I know he told me the same thing.”
“Cooper also mentioned that there used to be an old theater sandwiched between your pizza place and the police station. I got curious and went by there to check it out.”
“Wow, I remember that. It was gone two decades ago. Now that I think about it, I remember being around ten and standing on the corner watching them dismantle the old marquee and truck it off somewhere.”
“Well, that’s a shame. I checked the place out, the marquee’s definitely history, the only thing that r
emains are the ornate doors on the front of the building. Someone gutted the inside. I know because I scraped off a layer of dirt to get a look inside. Anyway, it’s an empty shell now. Remember when we were out at that old barn where you bought the tables? There were all these old theater seats just sitting there gathering dust. It occurs to me that Cleef must’ve acquired them at some point and stored them there.”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That if you own the pizza parlor next door to a movie theater, you could pick up walk-in business when they come out hungry.”
Thane nodded beginning to see the upside. “We could bring the place back to its former glory. I’m sure Troy or Ryder or Zach could tell us what kind of money we’d be talking about for a space that size.”
“Or if it’s even doable.”
Thane chuckled. “Are you kidding? Troy will try to tackle anything. Ryder has the presence of mind to see the pitfalls. And Zach is the one who grumbles about their choices. They’re an odd group of guys.”
After three rounds of Parcheesi the game had them laughing and arguing good-naturedly over moves. Later, she helped tuck Jonah into the guest room with a sense that he had something weighing on his mind.
“Okay, spill it, what’s wrong?”
“I like it here in your house.”
“That’s good. That means you’ll come back.”
“Tommy says you’re almost like a mom. How come you don’t have kids of your own? Don’t you like kids?”
“I love kids, especially balls of energy and wiggle worms like you,” she told him, poking him in the ribs.
From the doorway Thane listened to the byplay. He had to admit his son had seemed a lot happier lately. It had been more than a week since Jonah had brought up his grandmother. The boy hadn’t pestered him to go out to the cemetery either. That had to be a good sign that the kid was moving on, didn’t it? But Thane wondered what he should do about this thing with Isabella. This was beginning to feel like a real family effort and he wasn’t sure the ground was stable enough yet.
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