“I’m sorry, sweetie. We can’t touch the wet paint, but you can touch this part.” She touched the part of the mural that had already dried.
The cute little boy pressed his fingers to the dry paint.
Reese handed him a clean, dry paintbrush. “Would you like to paint?”
He grinned and nodded enthusiastically, sending his dark bangs flopping on his forehead. Reese guided him to a blank part of the wall, where he enthusiastically began painting. She glanced up at Trent, and when their eyes held for a moment, he couldn’t keep his brain from running away with him, already imagining the kids they’d have together. A little girl and boy who had her big smile, amazing talent, and deeply loving heart.
When the woman and child walked away a few minutes later, Reese suddenly noticed the vase of flowers he was holding. She immediately pressed her nose to the pretty purple petals and inhaled. “Mm. I love that smell, like vanilla and almonds mixed with cherry pie.”
He smiled at her description of the scent. He never would have come up with that combination himself, but she was exactly right.
“Where did you find heliotrope?” she asked as she breathed them in again.
“Right there.” He pointed to the right side of the mural, and down in the corner she’d painted a patch of heliotrope; the purple was bright and beautiful against the backdrop of pink and yellow flowers and long blades of bright green grass.
The overlook had always been their special place—where they’d first met and where they’d made so many promises to each other.
Promises that he hoped would last forever.
* * *
REESE COULDN’T BELIEVE Trent had thought to pick the very flowers they’d used like wishing stars. Then again, before they’d moved to New York, he’d been so romantic and thoughtful that she shouldn’t have been surprised. He took one of the flowers and tucked the stem behind her ear. “There’s my island girl.”
“I promise never to give up a chance for a picnic with you again.”
“And I promise never to put my career ahead of you.”
Her eyes were soft with emotion as she said, “I promise to always hang my wet towels up.”
Loving the way she could go from serious to playful, he chimed in with, “And I promise to always put the cap on the toothpaste tube.”
They leaned in to kiss again, but before her lips touched his, a female voice said, “Get a room, lovebirds.”
They both turned at the sound of Sierra’s voice. His sister was smiling, obviously pleased to have found Reese and Trent kissing.
“Trent brought me flowers. Aren’t they pretty?” Reese didn’t know why she was nervous. She loved Sierra like a sister. Trent slid a hand to her lower back, and the gentle touch helped ease her nerves. “I was just thanking him.”
“It’s okay, Reese. You can kiss my brother all you want,” Sierra assured her. “I’m so glad you’re dating again. I hated when you two were broken up. It wasn’t fun being between a lifelong friend and my brother.”
Reese was riding her own roller coaster of emotions, thinking back to the few guys she’d dated over the years and how she’d told Sierra and their other friends that she’d never felt connected to any of them. She remembered just how careful Sierra had always been not to bring up Trent, even when he was in town visiting. She had protected Reese as much as she’d protected her brother, and for that Reese would always be thankful. She wouldn’t have wanted to hear about Trent’s private life while they were apart.
Trent turned an apologetic gaze to his sister. “Sierra, I never realized how awkward that might have been. I’m sorry.”
“We got through it,” Sierra assured him. “But don’t do it again.”
Got through it.
Suddenly, Reese realized that’s exactly what she’d been doing. Getting through it. Oh, how she’d missed waking up with a smile beside the man she loved and feeling her stomach flutter every single time she saw him. She’d been nervous about asking him back to her house again last night, but honestly, even if their future wasn’t yet completely certain, how could she regret the chance to spend an entire night in his arms?
“I’m sorry, too, Sierra.” Reese slipped her arm around Trent’s waist, glad that they weren’t communicating better just with each other, but with their families, as well. “The divorce was both our faults. I really appreciate that you stood by me and didn’t end our friendship when Trent and I split up.”
Sierra made a face. “Like that was ever an option. You and the girls got me through all those times when my brothers were hovering around me like guards. I love you and our friendship.” She hugged Reese, then hugged Trent, too. “And I love you and your bat-shit-crazy protective nature.” She grinned at both of them. “But I love you both even more now that you’re giving each other a second chance.”
Trent set the flowers down beside Reese’s supplies, then said, “I’ve got to go take care of something right now. Can I see you later?”
The strictly rational part of Reese’s brain was telling her to put the brakes on their super-speed romance, but every other part of her wanted him with her again tonight...and tomorrow morning, too. Especially when warmth flooded her as she remembered how wonderful it was falling asleep with him spooning her and then waking up in his arms again.
“If you’d like to come over to my house again tonight,” she ended up saying, “that’d be great.”
He pulled her into his arms and whispered, “I’d love to.”
Reese watched him walk toward the parking lot with a goofy smile on her face. Only when Sierra said, “It really is great to see you two together again,” did she realize Trent’s sister was still standing there.
“Oh, sorry,” Reese said with an apologetic smile. “I kind of got distracted for a second.”
“No apologies necessary,” Sierra said with a wave of her hand. “And the mural is gorgeous, by the way. It’s full of so much heart, and you’re really capturing the beauty of the island. Of course, for island girls like us, that would probably be hard not to do, right?”
“It sure would,” Reese agreed.
She’d been doing a lot of thinking about what her mother had told her. If Trent needed to go to the city to take care of his practice, could she handle it this time? She’d traveled to the city a few times over the years to meet with gallery owners, and she’d learned to not only manage her fears, but to actually enjoy the noise and the chaos. It wasn’t where she’d want to settle full-time, but the nonstop excitement of the city might be a nice contrast from the slow-paced island life every now and then.
Maybe it wasn’t just their marriage that had needed more wiggle room, but Reese needing to give herself permission to be herself, even if that woman wasn’t always the same exact person from day to day. Sometimes she would want peace and quiet. Sometimes she would want noisy excitement.
And she was starting to see that, most of all, she wanted Trent.
“My mom and I are getting the final head count together for Shelley’s grand opening,” Sierra said. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And, Sierra, I want to thank you and your family for awarding me this project. It’s been such a thrill.”
Sierra pressed her lips together, like she was trying to keep from saying something, then blurted out, “Were you nervous when you found out Trent was managing the project?”
“Nervous doesn’t even being to touch the emotions I experienced,” Reese admitted. “But I’m so glad he was. We’ve been given a second chance, and even though I don’t know for sure what will happen in the long run, I do know we’re both trying a lot harder this time to make it work.”
“Well, that’s a heck of a lot better than what you’ve both been doing for the past ten years,” Sierra said in her no-nonsense way. “And I know it’s probably scary for you to think about the long run a second time around, but I have one hundred percent faith that you two can make it work. Because if you could s
ee the way you two look at each other...” She sighed. “Now if we could only find a wonderful man for me before my brothers find him first and scare him away. Maybe you should keep Trent too busy with all those kisses for him to hover over me like a protective warrior chief.”
Reese laughed and said, “Consider it done.”
Because there was nothing she’d rather do than keep Trent busy with sweet and sexy island kisses...
Chapter Twenty-Two
“I’M STILL IN love with your daughter.”
Reese’s parents, Judith and David, were sitting close together on the couch beneath a big picture window that overlooked their backyard. As soon as they’d sat down, they’d reached for each other’s hands at the same time, and Trent appreciated seeing Reese’s parents comfort each other and present a united front. They were incredible role models for a marriage done right. If only he’d learned more from them ten years ago.
He remembered how easily they’d welcomed him into their lives when he and Reese had first met. Her parents had been as warm and loving as his own family had been toward Reese. Sitting here with them now, all these years later, in the house that still smelled as if the walls themselves were freshly baked from sugar and spice, he hoped they’d see that his intentions toward Reese were spoken from his heart.
As Trent waited for them to respond, he realized he’d never been so nervous in all his life. He knew how important Reese’s parents were to her, and the truth was that their approval meant a great deal not just to Reese, but to Trent, too.
“We’ve actually been expecting something like this for a very long time, Trent,” David finally said.
Behind his wire frames, his brown eyes were full of concern, but thankfully, he wasn’t automatically shutting Trent down. Instead, he was kind enough to say, “Judith and I would like to hear what you have to say.”
Trent had always liked and respected David. He was a smart, stable man who put family first, a loving, supportive father to Reese, and was well liked by everyone around town.
“I know ten years is a long time, and I wish I’d been able to see things clearly far earlier than this.” Trent shook his head. “No, what I really wish is that I’d never hurt Reese in the first place. That I’d done everything right instead of doing it all wrong. But I swear to you, I’m going to get it right this time. Coming back together with Reese isn’t a whirlwind decision for me, even though I’m sure it appears that way. For ten years I debated coming back to the island, but I wasn’t ready. But I do know that Reese belongs here. She’s the most loving, passionate woman and you two, this island, her friends, her gallery… Without all those things in her life, she’s not whole. And I truly believe that I’m part of what makes her whole, too. Just the way I know she’s the other half of me.”
Trent hadn’t fully planned what he was going to say, but as it turned out, he didn’t need to. When it came to his love for Reese, there was no holding back.
Of course, that didn’t mean her parents were going to suddenly embrace him with open arms just because he wanted them to. David pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, taking much longer to answer than Trent was comfortable with, before finally saying, “Trent, you’re a good man. Well respected, a hard worker, and you come from a great family.”
“Thank you.” Trent waited anxiously for the but.
“Everyone is allowed to make mistakes, but where my little girl is concerned, one mistake is enough. I know you probably both made mistakes in your first marriage, and that’s your business. But I’m still her father, and it doesn’t matter how old or independent she is, I’ll always worry about her. It took her years to get over her broken heart, so if you’re going to pursue her again, you’d better be damned good and ready to be the man you promised to be.”
* * *
REESE DECIDED TO quickly stop by her parents’ house to thank her mother for her advice and to see if she could finally talk with her father, as well. She was surprised to see Trent’s car parked out front. As she stepped through the kitchen door and heard him talking, she swallowed the greeting she’d been ready to call out.
“Reese is a caring, talented, intelligent woman with a big heart and a strong will.” Every word Trent spoke was filled with love. “I promise you that I will treat her as the love of my life, because that’s who she is.”
Ohmygod. Reese held her breath. Her pulse quickened with the realization that Trent was speaking with her parents about them. Was this the something he’d said he needed to go take care of?
“I know I didn’t do a good job of being the husband she needed me to be before, and I know how upset both of you were when we divorced. It is something I’ll regret for the rest of my life. All I want to do now is spend the rest of my life loving, protecting, and cherishing her. If she’ll have me. Which I know is still a big if. I will respect her needs and I’ll pay attention to all the unspoken things I missed the first time.” He paused, and Reese fought to hold back tears.
“Trent,” her mother said, “of course we were upset when you divorced. You two were so young before, and you were both changing your lives dramatically. We can also see that you truly are in love with Reese, even after ten years apart. But we’d be lying to you if we said it’s easy for us to see her taking this leap again when there are no guarantees that things between the two of you will work out better this time.”
Tears were slipping down Reese’s cheeks as her father began to speak again.
“We trust Reese,” her father finally continued. “And despite the mistakes you’ve made, we feel that you’re a good man.” A relieved breath whooshed out of Reese, and she had to sink back against the wall as she heard her father tell Trent, “But you’re not kids anymore. Reese is ready for a real life, a real family, with a man who will be there for her when she needs him. Whether there’s office work to be done or not. We trust you, Trent, and we trust our daughter,” her father continued. His words brought fresh tears to Reese’s eyes. “If Reese does end up feeling that you’re the love of her life, we won’t stand in the way of you two being together again. But if you do anything to hurt her again—”
“I won’t, David. And I can assure you that my love for Reese will always drive me to be the man she deserves. But I know it’s not words that will prove that to you. I need to make up for all the wrong I did before with my actions and behavior and to give Reese the wonderful life she deserves. The life together that we both deserve.”
* * *
BUTTERFLIES HAD BEEN nesting in Reese’s stomach ever since she’d snuck back out of her parents’ house, and not just from hearing Trent say all those wonderful, loving things. Her parents had been so careful not to influence her with their opinions about her divorce. Even when she was living with them right after she’d left New York, when the smallest memories would make her cry, her mother would hold her and say things like, Don’t worry, honey. This will all work out. Her mother had given her comfort and support without condemnation, and never once said a bad word about Trent or blamed her for their failed marriage.
Now, however, she finally knew exactly how they felt. Their caution where she was concerned didn’t surprise her. After all, she herself was trying to be as cautious as she could be, given the gravitational pull between her and Trent. But what, she was dying to know, did Trent think about his discussion with her parents? The two of them were now in her kitchen cooking dinner. She loved her cozy home, and she loved it so much more with Trent in it. The eat-in kitchen wasn’t very big, so they were working side by side at the L-shaped counter in front of a large picture window overlooking Reese’s gardens. She glanced at the vase of heliotrope on the sill, feeling a little giddy at what it represented. Trent was slicing carrots and cucumbers, and every few minutes he’d lean in for a kiss. When she’d first seen the home, she’d remembered how she and Trent had dreamed of having a home overlooking the bay. Something small, like this one.
Reese watched Trent as he opened the oven and pulled out the warm b
uns, placing them in a basket, a smile on his lips and a sexy look in his eyes. God, she loved him. Right down to her toes. It was a scary love because it was so big—bigger than ever—and they’d failed once already. But she had a feeling that this time it was worth fighting for—no matter how long it might take for her to be sure.
As she watched him move through her kitchen, she realized that she’d been trying to make their breakup black-and-white. To find concrete answers and put blame into perfect little niches. But love didn’t work that way, and it wasn’t fair to even try to manage that. Had he worked too much ten years ago? Sure. But wasn’t that what young, ambitious attorneys did? And hadn’t it been unfair of her not to give the city all she had and figure out a way to get over her discomfort and try harder to make a life in New York? Every way she turned it in her mind, she kept circling back to how lack of communication had magnified those issues—quickly turning the fissures between her and Trent into valleys that neither one of them knew how to cross.
Trent hadn’t yet mentioned seeing her parents, but she hoped he would bring it up soon, because she didn’t want there to be any walls between them, or any secrets anymore. That was when it suddenly hit her—didn’t that have to go both ways? Which meant that she shouldn’t be keeping from him that she’d overheard their conversation.
He set the basket on the table and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. “How did your painting go today?”
She closed her eyes as she inhaled. How could his scent make her body crave him so desperately time and time again? “It was great. I got much more done than I’d thought I would.”
“Mm. That’s good.” He nibbled on her neck, making her whole body warm. “Almost as good as you taste.”
Reese set the knife down and turned in his arms. It would be so easy to just let their evening take a purely sensual path. But falling into bed with each other rather than talking hadn’t worked the first time around, had it?
Cape Cod Promises: Love on Rockwell Island Page 16