“I am so sorry. I had no idea.” His voice broke. She knew. Knew the pain. “How old were you?”
“Barely seventeen.”
His heart hurt for her. She looked lost suddenly and he thought she was thinking about that moment.
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this.” She turned to him. “I’m ready to go home now.” She walked past him, and after grabbing their shoes, headed toward the path to the truck.
He just stood there. “Wait.” He jogged to catch up to her. Taking her arm, he gently stopped her. “Just wait a minute.”
She stopped but didn’t look at him.
He lifted his hand to push her hair out of her face so he could look into her eyes. Even in the low light of the moon, he recognized the deep pain. “You may not want to talk about it but do you need to talk about it?”
She inhaled slowly while holding his gaze. He fought the need to pull her close, to comfort her and bear some of what he felt certain she was holding in.
“I don’t think I can.”
“I understand better than you know. And if you decide you need to, I’m here.”
The moment stretched and their gazes held and finally she nodded.
“Thank you. Now, I think it’s time to call it a night.”
“Your wish is my command.” He gave her an easy smile as he waved his arm in a flourish, indicating for her to lead the way. He was glad as she shot him a smile before she started back toward the truck.
Trent was still thinking about the night an hour later as he sat on his deck and watched thin clouds play peek-a-boo with the moon. If there was ever a moment that had made it clear to him that a time would come when he was ready to move forward, to take that step toward a future he still didn’t think he deserved but needed, it was those moments standing there, looking into the eyes of Lilly. He wanted to move forward.
And he wanted to do it with Lilly. Could he help her do the same?
It might not be easy for either of them and she might not want to move forward toward a future with him but all he knew was that didn’t matter. What mattered was helping her.
But he couldn’t help her until she was ready. Until she came to him and asked him or let him into her world.
If and when she did that, he would be ready.
Chapter Nine
Lilly had trouble focusing on her words the following day. She heard Trent outside working and wanted to go see his progress with every fiber of her being. But she had already opened up to him more than she was comfortable with and she was worried about that. Worried that she was building more of a relationship than she was comfortable with.
So she stayed inside. And thought about the way he’d so gently, and caringly, tried to help her. He had seen a part of her that she hid from everyone. Why had she momentarily lost her footing in front of him? How had that happened?
In part, she thought it might have been because she’d ventured into wanting to know his story. And in trying to understand the pain she’d glimpsed in him, she’d exposed her own.
Whatever it was, it had happened and she could not let it go.
As if on cue, the following evening BJ and Olivia arrived unexpectedly and knocked on her door.
She was startled when she opened the door to find them standing there. “Hi,” she said.
“Hello to you, little sister. I thought we’d come over and see what kind of progress was being made on your treehouse. Want to show us?”
“I’m so excited about it.” Olivia looked around. “It’s beautiful up here.”
Lilly stepped out onto the porch. “I’m glad you came. Come on. I actually haven’t been to see it in a few days.”
Olivia looked amazed. “You haven’t? But why? It’s right through there, isn’t it?” She pointed toward the path that Trent had created through the trees.
“Yes, but I’ve been working. And I promised not to be in Trent’s business all the time.” She did not tell them that part of it was the fact that she was afraid spending time with Trent too much would lead to places she wasn’t ready to go.
“Well, let’s go see it,” BJ said. “Trent told me he had the walk almost built and was working on the platform.”
Olivia gave her a hug. “We also came to ask you if tomorrow would be a good time to have a gathering at Mom and Dad’s with the whole clan, or at least everyone who can make it.”
Lilly’s stomach clenched. “Sure. That’s great.”
“Wonderful. I’ll let Mom know. They are looking forward to meeting you.”
“Likewise.” She started toward the path, past the workstation Trent had originally set up.
They hadn’t gone far before the stairs appeared up to the first landing that led toward the treehouse. She hesitated when she saw him hanging from the tree with a harness as he and another man worked on the floor of the treehouse. He held a nailgun in one hand; his shirt was stretched tight and his muscles flexed as he pressed the nailgun to the board and pulled the trigger. He worked with quick efficiency, taking the board that was handed to him and adding it to the floor. As she watched, he added three two-by-fours. They sat on the landing, waiting to be nailed on but it was quick work. It was easy to see that he had a routine on how he did this—but it wasn’t his routine that she was interested in: it was watching him work.
She breathed in some fresh air and told herself to get a grip. This was about her treehouse. And the landings that he created were cool. She liked that to get to the tree she would be walking on elevated platforms. The very idea was neat to her. Trent waved when he caught sight of them. And she was very aware that butterflies lifted in her chest and fluttered their wings, as if running a butterfly race.
“Hey, Trent,” BJ called. “Looking good—not you, but the treehouse.” Her brother laughed and Trent gave him a thumbs-up.
Then, handing the nailgun off to his worker, he repelled down to the ground and unhooked himself from the harness. “Hey, you came to see it.” He shook BJ’s hand and gave Olivia a quick hug. Then he looked at her and cocked his head to one side. “So what do you think?”
“I like it,” she said, feeling very self-conscious. This was the first time they’d seen each other since he dropped her off after their time on the beach. “I really like what you’re doing. I love the walkway.”
“Good. How’s the writing going?”
“Good.”
“That’s good.”
If they said good one more time, she thought that the grammar checker back at the cabin would haunt her. Striking repeat words was a big thing. But at the moment, it seemed to be the only thing she could say.
He smiled and those butterflies did some dips and dives and twirls that really bothered her.
Olivia saved the day when she lifted her finger and pointed at the platform for the treehouse. “That is going to really be a building in a little while?”
“Yes, it is. A nice building.” Trent grinned at Olivia and then his smiling eyes met Lilly’s. “I promise.”
Lilly smiled and caught Olivia’s curious gaze watching her, looking from her to Trent, and she knew exactly what BJ’s wife was thinking. It wasn’t hard to recognize two people struggling to force a conversation that was obviously uncomfortable to them. And it was probably very apparent, too, by the way that she was probably looking at Trent and the way that he was looking at her, that attraction—or the fight not to acknowledge the attraction—was the reason for the halted conversation. Her stunted conversation. She was socially inept at swimming in the waters of attraction. She wasn’t even sure she was expressing herself in her own thoughts correctly. All she knew was that Olivia was trying to hide a smile because she recognized what was going on. She also knew that she could deny it all she wanted to, but she was very attracted to Trent. And then there was the fact that he had seemed to understand what she was going through. He seemed to have empathy for what she was feeling. That night, in the unspoken words between them, and standing here in the broad daylight, looking at him, sh
e was drawn to him even more.
“Mom is having a dinner gathering tomorrow night—casual—but it’s a welcoming party for Lilly. Can you make a trip?” Olivia asked.
Trent looked at her and nodded. “Of course I can. I figured it would be sometime this week—I wasn’t sure what day.”
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be great. Don’t you?”
Lilly nodded. What could she say?
“So when will the walls start going up?” she asked, trying to take focus off the awkwardness. She feared it was probably too late. But she could try.
He smiled and turned so that he faced the platform that his worker was continuing to work on. “It won’t be long. Bill and I are moving along pretty well. We’ve been planning to have the flooring done over this week and then we’ll start on the walls and the braces. It’s a little different than building a house. And as you can see, since it is a little larger than your normal treehouse, we’ve added a few extra footings and those two posts will help give it a little extra support.”
She had missed them hauling two very tall steel supports in and cementing them into the ground. When had he done that?
“From the looks of things, it looks like it’s going to be massive,” BJ said. “How big is this thing?”
She met her brother’s questioning and startled eyes. “Not thousands of square feet. But by the time he wraps it around that tree and then adds to the top of it for my office and the small deck on the outside of that so that I have a nice view and a place to walk out on, it might be a thousand square feet with decking.”
That was the size of an apartment. A huge apartment. It was far more than anything she had so far, living in her little trailer. And twice the size of the little cabin she was in now. It was the perfect size.
“I think it’s going to be wonderful.” Olivia stared at it and smiled. Then she looked back at her. “You’re going to have to invite me over. I’m going to have to come and maybe even sleep over one night. Who knows—I might have to get my brother to build me one.”
Trent laughed. “I’ve been building these for a while, you know. No one has shown particular interest in it.”
Olivia put a hand on her hip and cocked her head to one side as she met her brother’s laughing eyes. “Until now. You might be about to go into business full-time building treehouses just for your family.”
“That’s fine by me. I really enjoy it. And this one for Lilly is going to be special.”
Lilly couldn’t help but smile. He was being so thoughtful in what he did with her place. And she really was grateful to him for that. He was being very considerate, helpful, and there was just no denying it: he was a very nice guy.
A little bit later, they left Trent and went back to her cabin. She showed BJ and Olivia the cabin, with her new furniture in it, and they got a glimpse of her messy desk with all of her yellow sticky notes everywhere and her empty bottles of water and the evidence of her holed-up existence.
BJ stared at her, curiosity evident in his eyes. “So are you doing okay? It looks like you settled in quite nicely. I’m not gonna say the fact that you came here and locked yourself away like this doesn’t bother me a little bit but I see what you’re doing. And I’m just glad to have you around. But I’ll be looking forward to seeing you at Violet and Sam’s tomorrow night. So, again, are you doing okay?”
“I am. I’m doing fine. I actually live just fine. And a couple of nights ago, Trent came by and yanked me out of here because he had noticed that I was staying locked in here a little bit longer than he was comfortable with. I have a feeling you already know that. But we went and got some coffee. He got me out of here for a while and I actually enjoyed it.” She did not say anything about the walk on the beach or their conversation. But she could tell by the way his expression eased that her brother was glad to hear that she had been out of the house.
“I’m glad you went out. I did ask Trent to look in on you. But I didn’t know he was going to get you out of the house for a while and so I’m glad he did that. I think we both know that setting ourselves apart like we’ve done isn’t the healthiest thing to do.” He reached out and pulled Olivia close to his side and kissed her temple. Then he looked back at Lilly. “Olivia helped me understand that. I’m hoping that you’ll be able to see that too. And get your work done. I like that you have this. Olivia looked you up on the Internet and it was really impressive—really, really impressive—about what you’ve done. I’m amazed. And very happy for you.”
His praise sent a thrill of satisfaction through her. “Thank you. I love what I do. I loved working like a nomad for the park service like I did but it really wasn’t anything that was completely satisfying to me. Writing satisfies me; it sends a thrill through me every time I release a book. And I get emails from readers who empathize with what happens to my characters or my stories. That means a lot to me when they tell me that my stories help them or inspire people. Sometimes they help people deal with issues that they’re struggling with. Sometimes they just make someone laugh or smile or feel better about their day. I like that. It satisfies me in ways I never really knew that I needed to be satisfied.”
BJ pulled her to him in a hug. It was brief but it was a good, warm feeling. He let her go pretty quickly, as if sensing that she still wasn’t comfortable with that connection. “Mom and Dad would be happy for you too.”
She smiled and thought about them. “I know. I feel them. Here.” She thumped her heart, her throat clogged.
BJ nodded and then looked at Olivia. “I guess we better go.”
“If you need us, call. And don’t forget my brother is just down the road and right there building that treehouse. Don’t be afraid to call him anytime you need anything. To be honest, your being here appears to be good for him too. He’s our quiet brother. He’s been that way ever since he came back from his military service.”
“Thanks. He’s helped if I needed anything.”
A few minutes later, she watched them drive away. She waved and then as they drove out of sight, she stood there with her arms crossed and let the peace of her surroundings sink in. The sound of the nailgun made her smile. Trent was getting her treehouse built.
A sense of contentment washed through her. She liked the feeling.
Now she just had to make it through the dinner at Olivia and Trent’s parents’ home.
“Right now, you have to go write. Write and relax. It’s going to be okay.” Right. Thinking positive, she went back into the cabin and went to work.
She had barely sat down when there was a knock on her door. Startled, she walked to the door and pulled it open. Trent stood on the porch.
Chapter Ten
“Hey,” Trent said, and instantly her thoughts were not on writing. Not on anything but the fact that she was glad he was there. Over his shoulder, she saw Jacob driving out of the gate.
“Hey,” she replied and he smiled.
“I’m about to leave but wanted to just touch base with you about dinner at my parents’ place. Would you like to ride with me? I know you don’t know the way and we’re both coming back here.”
“Sure,” she answered instantly. “I mean, it makes sense.”
“Exactly what I thought.”
“Okay. And I really do like what you’re doing.”
“You know, you’re welcome to come look any time you want. I never meant for you to stay away. It’s your project.”
“I know. I just have work.”
“Right. How could I forget? Does every writer work twenty-four hours a day?”
“No. And I don’t work that much. I do sleep.”
“Not much, I’m betting.”
She frowned at him. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting to open my door and get a lecture. Maybe I’ll drive myself tomorrow night.” She started to close the door but he stopped her with a hand to the door.
“Wait. I didn’t mean that. I just worry about you and it’s taken everything I have since the night on the beach not to come here
every day and make sure you’re okay. Today was the first time I’ve seen any movement here. I wanted to ask you out for coffee but figured asking too soon might get me turned down.”
“I thought we decided you could come to my rescue anytime with the offer of a cup of coffee and some fresh breeze blowing through my hair.”
“You’re right. But then, that night got pretty intense there at the end and I worried that if I came too soon you’d think I was pressing you about opening up.”
She had lain awake that night, her thoughts on Trent and how gentle he’d been when she’d been thinking about her past. She’d effectively pushed it to the back of her thoughts with focused effort. But it hadn’t been easy. “I, we, did get into some deep waters. I’m fine. So don’t worry about it.”
His brows knit together. “I’m not going to push. But…okay, never mind. I better go. I’ll be working tomorrow and I’ll head home about four-thirty and then come back and pick you up around five-thirty. I think dinner is around six. Always is.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
He gave her a thumbs-up and then strode from the steps and to his truck. As he drove away, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Trent arrived back at Lilly’s at five-thirty the next evening as planned. He’d worked hard all day getting the floor finished and had harbored hopes that Lilly would come show her pretty face at least once during the day. But again, no. He had completely misjudged her from the first day that she’d come into his life. From thinking she was going to be too involved with the project to her being almost not involved at all, it was really surprising. But then, she was on her deadline. And it really wasn’t any of his business. He reminded himself of that all day.
Jacob had given up trying to have a conversation with him after several tries. And he’d told Trent his mood was pretty rank. Trent hadn’t meant to be moody, but he was frustrated. He and Jacob worked well together most of the time because they were both fairly quiet, so it hadn’t been a big deal.
With This Wish (Windswept Bay Book 9) Page 7