The Way Home

by Belle Calhoune

  She reached for her cell phone, determined to call Blue and tell him to forget about tonight. But how could she do that? Knowing Blue, he was bound to ask her why. If she was truthful, her answer to that question would open up a can of worms. Well, Blue, I can’t go out with you tonight because I’m terrified of falling all the way back in love with you. Matter of fact, Blue, I never really fell out of love with you, so I’d pretty much be putty in your hands tonight.

  Toughen up! A voice sounding a lot like Lilah buzzed in her ear. You’re stronger than this!

  She had exactly thirty minutes to transform herself into a reasonably attractive woman rather than the crumpled mess sitting on the floor of her closet. You can do this! A little voice whispered. It’s just one night. One dinner. One movie. Maybe one goodnight kiss. And it wasn’t as if she would be forced to kiss Blue. She could always discreetly pull away or give him a kiss on the cheek rather than accept one from him. Who was she kidding? The thought of placing her lips on Blue’s irresistible lips was enticing. After all, she hadn’t had many kisses in the last four years. Dates, yes. She’d had quite a few of those. Between Lilah and a few of her closest friends, there had been dozens of blind dates and fix ups. It seemed as if everyone she knew wanted to play matchmaker for her.

  Clearly, they’d all been looking out for her, determined to help her find her happily ever after. And even though there were times she wanted to scream out loud at the prospect of another fix up, she’d reminded herself that love came in the most unexpected places. But not one of the men had made her knees buckle. Not one of them had made her heart skip a beat. Even Lon Baker, who she’d dated for six months, hadn’t made it out of the friend zone. In the end she’d broken things off rather than allow him to think they were headed towards something serious. There was no way she was going to hurt someone after the way her own heart had been crushed.

  With a groan she scrambled to her feet, her eyes wildly scanning her closet. Her time had dwindled to twenty minutes. Taking a deep breath she reached for her baby blue, long sleeved dress. It was a favorite of hers, one she’d been saving for a special occasion. She supposed tonight qualified as a special occasion. How often did one go out on a date with an ex-fiancé who’d stood them up at their own wedding? Well, to be fair, he didn’t exactly stand her up. He’d arrived two hours late for the ceremony, which had put the kibosh on the whole thing.

  By the time she heard the ding of her front door she’d put the finishing touches on her makeup. A quick glance in the mirror convinced her that she looked fairly put together for a night out with Blue. When she opened the door she had to stifle the urge to let out a gasp. Blue, looking amazingly handsome in a royal blue short-sleeved shirt and a tan pair of slacks, was holding an oversized bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. He held them out to her as she ushered him inside. Sarah reached for the bouquet and pressed the flowers to her nose. The moment Blue stepped into her home, the energy of her cozy little cottage changed. Blue’s masculine energy seemed to bounce off the walls. He was looking around him, his expression filled with curiosity as his gaze lingered on her framed photos and art pieces.

  Suddenly, his gaze swung towards her. “You look beautiful.” Just the sound of his husky voice sent shivers racing through her. She was already filled with expectation at the idea of spending a romantic evening with Blue. Hearing him call her beautiful was icing on the cake.

  “Thank you,” she murmured. “You look great, too.”

  Blue looked around her cottage. “Your place is nice. Lots of natural light flows in here.”

  That had been one of the main reasons she’d made an offer on the property. The abundance of light that flowed into the kitchen and living room was breathtaking. Her favorite place to settle down with a good book and a cup of tea was right on the settee by the oversized front window.

  “You didn’t have any trouble finding it?”

  “Not at all. I just used my navigator and followed along past Barefoot Point. You don’t see many cottages with light pink shutters,” he said with a smile.

  “I thought it would make it feel more like home to add a dash of my favorite color,” Sarah explained.

  Blue’s gaze once again swept over the living room. “Mission accomplished. You’ve really made it your own with all the special details.”

  She felt a burst of happiness at the compliment. “Would you like some iced tea or a soda?”

  “No, thanks. I’m good.” Blue fidgeted with the collar on his polo shirt. “I made the reservation for six-forty-five, so we should get going if you don’t mind.”

  Sarah bit back a grin. It seemed Blue might be just as nervous as she was about their date. He was acting a bit fidgety and moving around a lot, two sure signs he was out of his element. Knowing he felt a little off kilter made her breathe a little easier.

  By the time they were on their way to the restaurant most of the nervousness seemed to dissipate. They ended up talking about baseball, The Red Sox’s season and Wyatt’s injury. Before she knew it they were winding their way along the twisty road leading to the seafront restaurant.

  The Lobster Pot was a traditional seafood restaurant with a laid-back vibe. Sarah considered it the perfect place for reconnecting with Blue. Once they sat down at their table they settled into old, familiar rhythms. Before Sarah knew it, she was laughing at Blue’s jokes and feeling completely at ease. Strangely enough, it didn’t seem as if four years had passed between them. Over lobster scampi, mussels and white wine they laughed, shared funny stories and walked down memory lane. Blue told her about his international assignments, joking about his inability to master the French language.

  Although a few old friends came by the table to say hello, they were able to enjoy a quiet meal together. For dessert, Blue ordered a chocolate lava cake for the two of them to share. When the waitress brought the gigantic chocolate explosion to their table, Sarah laughed out loud at the size of it. “What is this? Death by chocolate?” Sarah asked.

  “Hopefully not,” Blue said as he dug into it with a spoon. “But if so, what a way to go.”

  “Clearly, you haven’t forgotten I’m a chocaholic.” She dipped her spoon into the center of the cake, practically drooling as gooey chocolate oozed from the center.

  “There’s not a thing I’ve forgotten about you. Not a single thing.” His words swept over her like a warm breeze. She looked up from her plate and locked gazes with him, wanting to cry out at the look of longing radiating from Blue’s eyes. It matched up with everything she’d been feeling from the moment she’d heard he was back in Breeze Point. It made her soar to know he remembered everything, especially since every moment they’d shared was indelibly imprinted on her heart.

  “Are you up for a walk on the beach? We have a little time before the movie starts.” She nodded at Blue’s suggestion, relishing the idea of walking Breeze Point Beach at night. As soon as they stepped out on the patio the cool night air swept over them. Sarah shivered and crossed her arms across her chest.

  “Cold?” Blue asked before easing his jacket off and placing it around her shoulders. She gratefully snuggled into it, inhaling the sandalwood scent that seemed to inhabit the fabric. She kicked off her high-heeled shoes before digging her toes into the cool sand. Blue reached for her hand, and without a word between them she placed her hand in his. A plump full moon hung high in an otherwise velvety sky. The sound of waves crashing against the shore echoed in the stillness of the night. The tangy scent of the ocean hung in the air.

  Blue inhaled deeply. “I missed this.” They stood at the water’s edge, staring out at endless miles of ocean and the dark horizon. All you could see for miles and miles was darkness.

  “I can’t imagine not being here.” As much as people were always dreaming of leaving their hometowns, she’d never wanted to wander far from home. There was something magical to her about Cape Cod. The sea, sand and the timeless rhythms of the tides. For a time she’d wondered if there was something wrong with her. Wa
s there something missing in her that allowed her to be so satisfied with the only place she’d ever called home? In her mind, in her heart...Breeze Point was the place where she wanted to raise her children and set up house. It was the place where she wanted to grow old and share with her grand babies.

  Blue glanced over at her and she could see the bemused expression on his face. “I know, Sarah. That was one of the things that always seemed to get in our way. You couldn’t imagine a life beyond Cape Cod. I was itching to be anywhere the stories took me.”

  In true Blue fashion, he was shooting straight from the hip. He’d put it out there. Their shared past. The endless squabbles they'd had about the future and where they were going to set up house. Blue had wanted her to travel the world with him and give up nursing for a few years until he segued into a journalist post that didn’t involve globe hopping. She’d been adamantly opposed to leaving Breeze Point. It was their home, she’d insisted; a perfect place to raise a family. Looking back she realized she’d been rather inflexible and unyielding. She’d been so focused on getting what she wanted. It had all blown up in her face.

  She shrugged. There was no point in digging around in the past. It wouldn’t change a thing.

  “I guess if we’d really been on the right track it wouldn’t have been so difficult to compromise.”

  Blue’s jaw clenched. “We were on the right path, Sarah. I’m not sure of a lot of things in this world, but I am sure of that one.”

  “Then why?” Her voice sounded agonized to her own ears. “Why did things fall apart?” Even though a part of her wanted to keep it cool and not show Blue everything she was feeling, she still needed answers. He still owed her an explanation for causing her a world of pain and heartache. Because even though he’d been remorseful and devastated about the wedding, he’d still never given her a solid explanation for his actions.

  Blue let out a groan. Without warning he pulled her toward him, his eyes radiating a host of emotions. Regret. Sadness. Tenderness. She was mesmerized by his gaze, unable to look away from the intensity blazing from their depths.

  “My beautiful, sweet Sarah. You deserved so much better than I ended up giving you. I wish that I could go back and change it all. I wish it was possible to take away every ounce of hurt I inflicted on you.”

  Blue leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, his touch both tender and wonderful. She raised her hands up and placed them against Blue’s chest as his lips moved over hers. Blue wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her ever closer to him. Time had done nothing to diminish their connection. It vibrated and hummed in the air between them. Sarah lost all sense of time as the kiss deepened and lengthened, each of them drawing comfort from the other.

  “Sarah,” Blue said as they broke away from the kiss. “I’ve been thinking about doing that ever since I first saw you at the hospital.”

  “Me, too. I wondered if time had changed that special chemistry we shared.” she admitted, feeling a bit of embarrassment at the admission. “We’ve always had this awareness of each other. This connection. I used to think God brought us together because we both needed someone to love.” She let out a sigh. “Even when I wanted to hate you, I couldn’t.”

  Blue reached out and traced the outline of her lips with his fingertip. “I would have deserved every ounce of your hatred. When I think of you standing at the altar explaining to the guests that the wedding wasn’t happening—.”

  “Shh. Don’t Blue,” Sarah said, placing her hand over his mouth. She didn’t want to go down that road. Not tonight. Maybe not ever. Because as much as she still had powerful feelings for Blue, as much as she wanted to forgive him for what he’d done, she wasn’t sure she was emotionally ready to tackle the past. She’d done such a good job of packing it all away and putting it on a shelf. It had been the only way she could move forward and live her life. To re-examine it, to pick it apart with Blue after all this time...just the thought of it made her shudder. And even though she knew they would have to hash things out once and for all, tonight wasn’t the night to do it. It had been so long since she’d felt so joyful and alive. The truth was she’d been afraid of living out loud because of the way Blue had hurt her. She’d been hiding for four years, and during that time she’d managed to stuff down all the feelings she didn’t want to share with the world.

  Until now. With Blue’s return she felt like a flower blooming after a spring thaw. Somehow it was fitting to have Blue be the one to crack her wide open. “I don’t want to ruin things, but I need to clear the air. We never really did that.”

  She nodded; knowing they’d both run from the pain after the dissolution of their relationship. She’d been so angry with Blue that she had shut down and refused to listen to anything he’d had to say. Once she’d vented her feelings at him in the church, she’d fled and refused to speak to Blue. Then she’d hit the road on a trip to clear her head. By the time she returned to Breeze Point, Blue was gone. There were no words to express the devastation she’d felt upon learning Blue was halfway around the world and out of her reach. How could she make him explain that it was extremely difficult to open up that chapter of her life?

  With a deep breath she knew she had to try. “Because I’ve spent the last four years packing all this away,” she said, the tone of her voice rising like the tide. “And maybe it’s selfish of me, but I just want this one pure moment between us. I don’t want anything to spoil it.”

  “Teach me your way, Oh Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”

  Truth. Wasn’t it what she’d wanted from Blue this entire time? So why was she so hesitant to hear him out? What was she afraid of? Suddenly the gravity of this moment crashed in all around her. Sharing this romantic evening with Blue was incredible, and unexpected. It was an escape from her reality. The truth was that she didn’t want anything or anyone to disrupt this moment. And she was afraid that if she heard what Blue had to say, everything might change between them. And for this one moment in time, she wanted to savor being with the man she still loved. Because deep down in her soul she knew this moment might never come again.

  “I appreciate the fact that you came out with me tonight. It’s kind of like a leap of faith, isn’t it? For both of us.”

  “I suppose,” she said, a soft smile hovering on her lips. “I never had trouble believing in you. For a while there I thought you hung the moon.”

  Blue reached out to her and swept his fingers across her mouth, tracing the outline before planting one brief, amazing kiss on her lips. Sarah couldn’t remember a more romantic moment between them, surrounded by sea and sand and the chill of the ocean’s breeze. Her chest swelled with an emotion she struggled to put into words. Hope. After living so long without a shred of hope for a future with the man she loved, it was now burgeoning inside her, a fragile bud on the cusp of blooming. Blue clasped her hand in his as they walked the rest of the way across the beach towards the lot.

  As soon as they got back to the car Blue’s phone began buzzing. He’d deliberately left his phone in the car so they wouldn’t be disturbed. He reached for it, his fingers skimming across the screen. “Four missed calls,” he said, a slight edge in his voice.

  Sarah glanced over at him, immediately noticing the alarmed expression etched on his face. “Is something wrong?”

  “Brandon just texted me. Dad’s taken a fall at the house.”

  She raised her hand to her throat. As a nurse she knew all too well how devastating falls could be, especially once you reached a certain age. Broken hips were a common result.

  “Oh, no! Was it a bad fall?”

  “Not sure,” he said, his jaw tightly clenched. “I’m not even certain if they took him to the hospital. Let me swing by the house first, just in case they’re still there.”

  Sarah could see the fear and anxiety etched on Blue’s face. His hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel and he was impatiently tapping his fingers as they waited at a red light. Although his driving was by no means r
eckless, Sarah could tell he was driving much faster than he’d been on their way to the restaurant. She reached out and placed a gentle touch on his shoulder. When he sent a quick glance in her direction she could see it all on his face—the hint of panic, the deep love he had for his father and the way he was desperately trying to hold his emotions in check. She firmly closed her eyes and offered up a prayer for Alec Donahue’s well-being.

  “What most women want is someone who makes us feel as if we’re the most important thing in their world.” Sarah Donahue

  Chapter Ten

  Blue felt as if he’d been holding his breath for the entire duration of the car ride. The moment he turned onto Sea Glass Lane, the flashing lights of an ambulance in front of his parents’ house had his adrenaline pumping overtime. The house was ablaze with lights. The potential seriousness of the scene wasn’t lost on him. He practically vaulted from the car once he put it in park. Sarah was jogging behind him to keep up with his frantic pace.

  The moment he walked in the house he spotted Ryder’s partner Tess standing in the living room. With her dark auburn hair, green eyes and freckles, she was the prettiest EMT he’d ever laid eyes on. Best friends with Ryder, she’d been his rock during Lena’s illness and subsequent passing.

  He nodded at Tess, questions tripping off his tongue. “Hey, Tess. Is Dad okay? Where’s Ryder?”

  Tess held up her hands, her voice full of calm and reassurance. “Hi, Blue. Sarah. Your Dad’s been checked out by the EMT team. He seems to be fine. Just a scare is all.”

  Relief flooded through him. Ryder and Brandon walked up at just that moment, catching the tail end of the conversation. He looked toward his brothers for answers. “What happened?”