A Discovery of Hope (A Coming Home Again Novel Book 3)

by Lowe, T. I.

  We’ve eaten pizza and Jace has allowed me a few dances, but only with me, which makes me feel right special. This little messy-headed happy guy has found an exceptional place in my heart, for sure.

  More of the night fades away, and I’m getting pretty bummed with JP being a no-show. Trina keeps asking if I want her to grab the cake, but I keep putting her off. The crowd ends up polishing off all of the pizza with the exception of Jace’s peculiar one.

  I’m sitting with Jace around the fire pit as he tells me all about the summer blockbuster he has seen five times already. It’s some robot/alien invasion movie. Totally nothing I would care to watch, but I enjoy listening to his enthusiasm over it. It’s not until I turn my attention back towards the fire that I realize someone has joined me on the low custom-built driftwood bench. I look over and find a ruggedly handsome man stretched out beside me, wearing a nice pair of jeans that reveal naturally tanned skin through a tear on the right knee—no shoes on his feet and I think that is so sexy. Those long legs are casually crossed at the ankles in front of him. I look up from those legs and see he is also wearing a light button-down shirt with the neck open a few buttons. My eyes continue on until they rest on his and I let out a breath I feel like I have been holding all night while waiting for him.

  “It’s about time you showed up,” I tease.

  He smiles at me with smoldering eyes as he playfully tugs at the hem of my sundress. “Nice dress,” he says before directing his attention to Jace. “Dude, you left me any pizza?”

  Jace lets out one of his quirky giggles. “There’s some of my specialty pizza left, but all of the boring pizza is gone.”

  “All right then. Lay it on me. What’s the specialty this time?”

  Jace gets all excited and starts ticking off the long list of unusual toppings. I know this conversation will take a while so I go find Trina so we can get the cake. My sweet friend has gotten me a cake all the way from the famous Nate’s Cakes. It turns out to be a mocha cream cake and it practically melts in my mouth. Everyone sings a silly rendition of “Happy Birthday” before Jace leaves us for the night.

  At this point Duke cranks the music up and Milky Chance’s “Stolen Dance” spills from the speaker in a celebratory rhythm.

  “Dude, you owe the birthday girl a dance,” Duke says to JP.

  “You’re absolutely right,” JP agrees as he grabs hold of my hand and starts twirling me around the fire pit. “This song’s too good not to dance to it,” he declares as he begins to dance. And just let me say for the record, the man knows how to dance. Good gracious. He has just enough confident natural rhythm mixed with whimsy. He knows how to dance without taking himself too seriously, and it’s downright fun to dance with him.

  We’ve been dancing awhile before I notice the song is on repeat. I look up and find Duke grinning at us. I shake my head at him and he winks in return.

  I turn my attention back to JP. “You and Duke do much dancing?” I ask as I watch the guy move his hips along with my own.

  “I take the punk on most of the international shoots when I can.” He pauses to twirl me out and back again. “Seems like he always scopes out some place with lively music and dancing.” He smiles fondly at this.

  I continue to dance along with him, but step a little closer. “You think a lot of him,” I state.

  “Yeah. He’s the kid brother I always wanted.” A shadow passes along JP’s expression and his eyes begin to glisten.

  I run my hands up and entwine them behind his neck. With this, his hands hold securer to my hips and drag me firmly against him as he slows our dance.

  “You okay?” I whisper as I nestle my face into the side his neck. He smells of the ocean and alluring male.

  JP clears his throat several times, but ends up just nodding. He hurts and I wish he would share it with me. I know we don’t know each other well, but oddly, it doesn’t feel that way. We dance a few more rounds with this song before he can speak. “I would love for you to start traveling with me.”

  I look up at him, a bit taken back by this. “Really?”

  “Yeah. You would learn so much on the shoots. This world is an amazing photo just waiting to be captured.” He’s smiling now, but his eyes still look damp. “We’ve got to figure out how to hone those skills of yours before I let your work on my walls.” He’s teasing now so I pop him lightly on his shoulder.

  “I must already be good enough, sir. I do believe that barn shot you just hung up this week is mine.” I glare playfully at him.

  “After hours of editing,” he grumbles but then smiles again. “That photo was what held me up tonight, I’ll have you know.” He grabs my hand and starts pulling me away from the beach.

  “Where are we going and what are you talking about?” I ask, holding tightly to his hand.

  “Your gift is in my Jeep,” JP says as he walks us in that direction. Once we reach it, I watch as he slides on a pair of flip flops he had obviously abandoned before heading to the beach earlier. He opens the door and pulls out a magazine and hands it over.

  I take it and find it’s the recent Southern Living magazine. The cover is the barn shot JP captured that day. It’s has such a rustic feel and is just completely exquisite. I glance over at him and smirk. “I see no smudges.”

  JP chuckles as he pulls the magazine out of my hand and starts flipping the pages. Once he finds what he’s looking for, he hands it back to me. I’m instantly in shock at finding my night shot of the barn with the stars and fireflies sparkling about. He taps his finger on the byline and I discover my name is listed as the photographer. I look up even more shocked. “JP—”

  “You’re the one who captured it, you should get the credit.”

  “I think it was a team effort. Really. You’re the one who took it. I simply held the camera.” I shake my head.

  He ignores my comment as though I didn’t even speak. “The editor delivered me a few copies this evening. Once he spotted your photo on the wall, he snagged it up,” JP says as he hands me an envelope. “The dude is the reason why I’m late.”

  I open it and can hardly believe someone would pay such a hefty price for an unknown’s work. “Wow. What a birthday gift.”

  “That’s business.” JP grabs a scrapbook from the Jeep and hands it to me. “This is your gift.”

  I flip it open and find photos I’ve been taking all summer filling the pages. JP has also included several of my favorites of his own. “This is hands-down my favorite gift. Thank you.” I reach up on my tiptoes and hug him.

  “Happy birthday, Willow,” he murmurs in my ear before easing back enough to brush a faint kiss on my lips, and I can hardly believe it. He skims several kisses along my cheek before asking, “You heading back to the gallery tonight?”

  JP kissing me seems to have short-circuited my brain and it takes several attempts to answer him. “Dad is flying in early in the morning. I promised him I would stay so we could hang out. I’ll be back Monday. That should give you a little break from me.”

  He stops skimming his lips over my cheek and pulls back to look at me. “I like you there with me,” he whispers before placing another soft kiss on my lips. He starts to ease away, but seems to think better of it and pulls me back tenderly against his body and deepens the kiss.

  I was wrong. This kiss is my favorite gift of the night. This tough man, loving me so gently with this kiss, makes me melt. I thread my hands through his soft hair and just enjoy the moment.

  JP keeps holding me as he speaks against my lips. “I’m a greedy man and usually take what I want.” A long, uneven breath shudders out of him.

  “I’m not denying you,” I say breathlessly against his warm lips.

  “You should,” he says as he takes a step back. I look at him and cringe at his expression. It’s a look of regret. He places a kiss on my forehead before releasing me and climbing in his Jeep. I want to beg him to stay, but am speechless.

  We say nothing else. I watch as he drives off, leaving me
completely frustrated. This man running hot to cold is wearing on me. I stay glued in this spot for I’m not sure how long, just listening to the music and waves echoing up from the beach while trying to figure out what I’m going to do with JP Thorton. I come to no conclusions on the matter and decide to go back to my party, feeling lonely and confused yet hopeful at the same time. Peculiar, I know.

  Chapter Twenty

  We are back to business at the gallery, but there’s a buzz in the air today. Today is a day I’m anxious yet totally excited about. It’s my first gallery party and JP’s photo spread in the Island Travel magazine is one to be celebrated. The entire issue is covered with his photo walk of the Hawaiian Islands last spring. He flew to Honolulu last week for the cover reveal there, but is having one here tonight. And he is in rare form. Luckily it’s Monday and the gallery is closed. Earlier he barked orders to the cleaning crew about everything needing to be cleaned top to bottom, and then barked some orders to me and Duke to swap all of the photos for the new ones he made of all of the images from the Hawaiian Islands. Almost every one of them has already been presold. If my granny had been here and witnessed his frenzy today, she would have said JP has been running around like a chicken with his head cut off.

  I’ve never seen him so nervous. I’ve tried to get him to eat some lunch, and almost succeeded before he decided the photos in the alcove wouldn’t do and began rearranging them all. If he wasn’t being so bossy, I would probably find his behavior pretty hilarious. But I don’t.

  The florist just delivered several tropical plants and one enormous bouquet of tropical flowers. It’s lush and extravagant and perfect for tonight’s revealing, except it’s in the wrong spot. The delivery crew is already gone and the arrangement is way too big for me to move on my own. Reluctantly, I walk to the alcove and peek my head in. I find JP fiddling with a photo. He sets it on the hook, second-guesses and takes it back down.

  “Hey,” I say to get his attention. “The flowers arrived, but I need your help moving the big one.” His tattered T-shirt and wrinkly jeans lend to his disheveled demeanor, and his hair is unkempt as well. It looks as frazzled as him. My hand reaches over and tries smoothing it down some. It’s amazingly soft yet has such a wild mind of its own. The blond strands refuse to cooperate with me and just keep sticking up again.

  He glances at me and then glances back to the photo. I give up on his hair and wait for him to answer me, but I get nothing.

  “JP,” I say to get his attention again. Still nothing. Sighing loudly, I walk over to the stack and pick out the photo of the smoldering volcano and hang it in the vacant spot. “There. Perfect. Now please come help me.” I look over to him as he studies the picture I chose. He gives his head a firm nod of approval and ushers me back to the front. “I think it should be placed near the easel,” I state as he looks around for the perfect spot. He nods his head again in approval before lifting the massive arrangement and hauling it over to the easel. This is where the poster-size image of the magazine cover will be on display.

  JP glances around the gallery and lets out a long breath that sounds as though he’s been holding it all day. “Perfect,” he says.

  We are both admiring the floral arrangement brimming with vivid orange, fuchsia, and yellow flowers, when JP steps forward and slips a gorgeous flower out. It has a vibrant yellow center that subtly merges into the pink petals. The pink is exotic and darkens towards the tips. He allows me to inspect the flower’s beauty before tucking it behind my right ear.

  His eyes lose the unfocused crazed-look they have been carrying around all day and he finally looks a bit calmer. “Hawaiian women wear a flower tucked behind their right ear to signify they aren’t available.” He now looks a bit smug as he gently weaves his fingers through my hair around the flower.

  “You placed mine behind the wrong ear then,” I retort.

  “Nope. It’s right where it’s supposed to be. My own Hawaiian Mama.” JP winks. “All you need is a coconut bra and a grass skirt.”

  I laugh at this and he joins in. I’m glad too, because he seriously needs to lighten up before tonight. I’m about to step away from him, when he stops me.

  “May I please take your picture?” Before I can protest, he has whipped his phone out and taken several.

  Duke bustles in the back door at this point. “Greyson says to get your butt outside for a basketball game.” I notice he’s dressed in basketball shorts and shoes, so I guess he’s also playing.

  JP automatically goes to grumbling as he works intently on his phone. “The dude is as tall as the flipping basketball goal. I consider that cheating,” he gripes.

  Duke looks over at me. “Nice flower, Willow.” He winks before redirecting his attention to JP. “He brought every giant he could find from Rivertown. I think you and I at six-one are the shortest.”

  “Awesome. Even better,” JP says full of sarcasm. He still hasn’t looked up from his phone.

  “Yeah, and two of them are Crowley’s teenage boys.”

  This gets JP to look up and glare at Duke as though that fact is his fault. “Great. Now I really gotta watch my mouth. Crowley will kick my butt if I cuss around his kids, and you know basketball aggravates foul language right out my mouth.” He’s just a grumbling, but I think it’s cute that he’s trying so hard to clean up his language. He fiddles a bit more with his phone before pocketing it. My own phone goes off immediately as he does this. “I gotta go change.”

  I watch him stomp up the stairs as I pull my phone out. It’s a text from JP saying, Aloha. The picture he just snapped is attached. The background is now an ocean and I look to be standing on a beach. Wow. I need to know what program he has on his phone. The man can do wonders with a photo.

  I eye Duke suspiciously as I slide the phone back into my pocket.

  “What?” he asks.

  “Basketball in the midst of today’s chaos?” I question. I have a feeling this is his doing and not Greyson’s. My heart skips a beat at that thought. Greyson Stone, World Renowned Supermodel is just outside. I think I’m blushing.

  Duke runs his hand through his purple hair and looks to be debating on what to tell me. “JP doesn’t handle stress well. He used to use a liquor bottle to handle it. The dude was a mess. After his dad died and his sisters came home, he set out to make things right. Him and God had a long talking to a while back and he’s been trying to live better ever since.”

  “So this basketball game is a stress intervention,” I say with understanding.

  “Exactly. Mr. Hot Head needs to blow off some steam.”

  I notice my friend has taken his piercings out. “Where’s all of your hardware?” I ask as I tap his bare eyebrow.

  “This game gets nasty,” he says seriously. Duke brushes a kiss on my cheek as JP bustles back down the stairs, carrying his sneakers.

  JP leans over the rail, punches Duke in the arm, and says, “Dude.”

  Duke throws his hands up. “She’s too beautiful not to kiss.” I can tell he’s goading JP, but JP isn’t taking too kindly to it. Duke laughs and heads back out. Duke has been kissing my cheek since the first day I met him. It shocked me the first few times, but I know it’s his way of showing innocent affection. I wonder if it was one those things his family did. It’s sweet regardless. I’m still baffled by how his tough outer appearance totally contradicts his tender inner self.

  JP plops down near the bottom of the steps and begins lacing his shoes. He’s swapped his jeans for his own basketball shorts. I take a moment to admire those tanned legs. He’s still grumbling something about not having time for this crap when he stands and heads for the back door.

  “I’ve signed up for that action photography class this fall. You think it would be all right to photo you guys playing for some practice?” I ask his back.

  “I guess. Put the wide lens on and be sure to switch the settings to action.” He glances over his shoulder. “I’m going to warn you ahead of time, this game ain’t gonna be pretty. We’ll
be out back.”

  Well. Between his comment and Duke’s, my curiosity is definitely piqued. They are making out like the sport of basketball is deadly. I laugh as I swap the camera lens for the wide one. I flip it on, but have no idea which setting is for action. I give up trying to figure it out and head outside.

  I step out the back door and nearly swallow my tongue at the sight of the gathering at the basketball goal. There’s eight head of very determined-looking hotties. Oh my gracious. I’m about to backtrack inside, when the very tall and very gorgeous Greyson Stone catches me in his sights.

  Greyson saunters over and offers his hand. “And just who are you, my lovely lady?” he asks, and I feel my cheeks immediately heat. He’s downright beautiful with that dark blond hair and breathtaking green eyes. Nothing rugged about his looks.

  “Willow,” I answer shyly.

  Without looking away from me, he asks, “JP, did Savannah finally get you a mail-order bride?” He winks at me and my face really feels like it’s on fire at this point. He releases my hand and chuckles in amusement. I try to discreetly touch the top of my ear to make sure it’s not up in flames.

  “No. She got me a photo intern for the summer,” JP rebukes before tossing the ball and knocking Greyson in the back with it playfully. Well… almost playfully. “Now, leave her alone. She’s gonna practice action shots while we make fools of ourselves.”

  “About that.” I hold the camera out and JP automatically takes it. “I’m having trouble figuring out the settings.

  He flips a few switches and hands it back to me. “Try this.”