Forever Love on Fireweed Island (Island County Book 4)

by Karice Bolton

  The familiar grin spread across his lips and he shook his head.

  “Absolutely not. I’d rather have the real thing than waste my time with any of that.” His gaze intensified.

  “If you weren’t so secretive—” I started.

  “How in the world did I go from being a CIA agent and mountain climber to a porn exec or whatever you were thinking? It takes a fascinating mind to make those jumps of logic.”

  I shrugged and giggled. “It’s the same mind that knows I’m deathly afraid of heights yet still climbs a tree to save a dog.”

  “Indeed, it is.” He smiled and took a sip of water, and I felt my guard slowly begin to slip away.

  Mason and Tori’s yard was bathed in a soft glow from the hanging outdoor lights and fire pit that Mason designed and constructed out of slate and lava stone. Flames were stretching toward the starry night, and I could feel the heat from ten feet away. The structure was gorgeous, and the largest source of outdoor heat I’d ever seen. From what I gathered about Mason, he liked to go big with everything, and that same rule applied to outdoor living spaces. A gazebo the size of most people’s living room had been built off the side of the house, overlooking a beautiful butterfly garden and Forgotten Cove. Benches and tables were sprinkled in all directions, and music played in the background.

  “You made it,” Natalie called from the far corner of the yard. Cole’s left arm circled Natty’s waist, but he gave a strong wave with his right.

  “We did.” I waved back, trying to act nonchalant about having Jake by my side.

  We’d had an amazing dinner, and I was so proud of myself for not mentioning my past relationship—or his, for that matter—during the entire meal. My goal was to keep up the streak at Mason and Ayden’s party, and so far, so good. Granted, we’d only been here for about five minutes.

  I spotted Mason and Ayden by the barbeque with Lily and Tori close by.

  “Tori moved back to Fireweed for a summer and never left. Did you meet her when you worked with Mason?” I asked Jake.

  Tori’s red hair was in a French braid, and her pink summer dress looked gorgeous.

  “No. He talked about her a lot, but I have to tell you . . . I have no idea which brother is which.”

  “Really?” I laughed. “Mason is the one in the open flannel and shorts.”

  “How can you tell?”

  I studied Mason for a moment and turned to look at Jake. “You know, I have absolutely no idea. I think I just assumed it was Mason because he was standing closer to Tori.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “The gal with the auburn hair is Ayden’s wife, Lily.” I scanned the crowd of people, most of whom I didn’t know. I doubted if they were from Fireweed. “That’s Gabby and Jason over there. Jason builds bikes, and you’ve already gotten a taste of Gabby’s baking.”

  Gabby stood on her toes and placed a sweet kiss along Jason’s cheek and he grinned. A slight stir appeared in my stomach, and I pushed down the frustrating feeling of wanting something I didn’t really want. Or did I want it, and that was why I was frustrated?

  “Who’s that guy over there in the suit?” he asked, pointing. “He’s standing behind Gabby.”

  An attractive man dressed in a dark suit stood drinking a beer with his arm around Brandy’s shoulders.

  “That’s Aaron. He’s Gabby’s brother and is with Brandy.”

  “Maybe this is why I stay home all the time. Too many names and relationships to remember.”

  I laughed and nodded. “It’s easier to memorize them all when they’re in a book.”

  “Hey, man,” Nick said from behind.

  We spun around to see him walking over with two lemonades.

  “Glad you two could make it.” Nick had a mischievous twinkle in his eye, which was always worrisome. I saw how he operated with my sister and Sophie, and it usually never led to calm things. “Has she stayed out of trouble?”

  “Define trouble.” Jake shook Nick’s hand after grabbing a bottle of lemonade, and I scowled. “She nearly got run over by a motorcycle in the last week.”

  “Really?” Nick’s brows lifted, and he handed me the other lemonade.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Isn’t it always with you?” Nick smiled. “Would you guys like something to eat? There’s a hot dog bar, ribs, and fried chicken.”

  “We just came from dinner,” I said as Jake slipped his arm around my shoulders.

  “As in a date?” Nick looked pleased.

  At the same time I answered no, Jake answered yes.

  “Well, that will make for an interesting end to an evening.” He smiled and wandered off as Natalie, Cole, Tori, and hopefully Mason wandered over.

  “How’s your property coming?” Mason asked, shaking Jake’s hand.

  I guessed right!

  “Every time I think I’m nearing the end, I start some other project.” Jake laughed, and the sound pushed me further into his side. The sound was a magnet for happiness.

  “I hear ya. That over there,” Mason pointed in the direction of the gazebo, “started as an arched trellis. Next thing I know, we can house a family of six.”

  “Not to mention, we can feed a family of six with that humongous grill you got.” Tori laughed and so did we.

  “Tori wants to get married here at the house, so I’ve got to make it just right,” Mason continued.

  I felt my sister’s eyes on me, and I avoided her gaze. I knew she’d get far too much out of me with just one look. I hadn’t expected to so easily sink into Jake’s embrace, but here I was with no plans to leave.

  “So how long have you two been dating?” Cole asked, reaching for Jake’s hand. “You’re Jake Harlen, correct?”

  I forgot having an almost brother-in-law meant the line of questioning would ensue.

  “Correct. I’d say we started dating the moment I helped Coco and her out of the tree.”

  “The fact you’d call that thing a tree shows admirable loyalty to her already.”

  “The camera distorted it,” I corrected.

  Cole grinned. “Jewels, we’ve been to your house. We know which of Mrs. Coleville’s trees you were stuck in.”

  “It’s grown since you last came over.”

  Jake squeezed me as if to remind me he witnessed my act of bravery.

  “Jewels has always had a thing with heights. She prefers to stay firmly planted on the ground. Always has, but it hasn’t stopped her from having fun.” My sister was so sweet. It was like she was trying to give me the “fun plug” in front of Jake.

  “So don’t think she’s a bore,” she added, and my shoulders sagged.

  “I never would.” Jake’s body shuddered, as if he were trying to hold in a laugh.

  “It would explain why she’s so into that adventure blog.” Nick had returned with a hot dog in hand. “She has to live vicariously through someone, or she’ll climb up more trees. Don’t they say it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for?”

  “So you know about the blog too?” Jake asked.

  “I’m just worried she’s getting catfished,” Nick said earnestly.

  “You know, I’m standing right here,” I said, giggling.

  “Yes, you are, and you look super cute,” Natty added.

  “What makes you think she might be getting played?” Jake asked, sounding concerned.

  “Nothing in particular. I’m just worried the guy searched her out and is just messing with her. The he could even be a she. I’ve seen stuff like that on TV.”

  “Nick, I had no idea you watched MTV.”

  “I don’t.” He took another bite of hot dog.

  “Listen, this guy is a NYT bestselling author, adventurer, prize-winning photographer, and probably saver of elephants, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He’s a perfectly nice guy who would never guess he’d become a topic of conversation at a party.”

  “I don’t know. Nick has a point. People do get screwed all the time online. There’s
fraud all over, and—” Mason began.

  “May I repeat, the guy is a writer and I’m a librarian. It would make sense to correspond.”

  “Yes, it would,” Tori agreed. “I completely see how that connection would work. I’ve struck up several relationships with writers.”

  “What?” Mason asked, turning toward her.

  “Over the years, I’ve had a few authors come to the high schools I’ve taught at. I’ve had two fantasy authors and a sci-fi author. It was fun, and we still keep in touch. They are all lovely women.” She winked at Mason.

  “But you’ve met them and know they’re real,” Nick pointed out.

  “Well, Jewels obviously knows this guy is real. What’s his name?”

  “Walter King,” Jake supplied.

  I poked him in his side and noticed there wasn’t an ounce of fat on this man anywhere.

  “And he sounds like a guy who poses a serious threat,” Jake continued. “I think I’ve got some competition.”

  “A threat to what?” I asked.

  “Sounds like it to me,” Mason agreed.

  “I think Jewels is already sold on this writer guy. You might as well give up,” Nick informed him. “You get her started on him, and she just . . . keeps going.”

  “So not true. I just respect his many abilities and talents. Maybe there is a part of me that wants to climb Mt. Everest or something. It’s a lot easier to look at his pictures than actually dedicate twenty years to it.”

  “He’s climbed Mt. Everest?” Mason asked, impressed.

  “Actually, not that I know of, but he went on an expedition that climbed Mt. McKinley.”

  “In Alaska?” Mason was intrigued, and I saw the worry lodge behind Tori’s gaze. She didn’t want her man suddenly taking up death-defying pastimes.

  “Yep. That’s the one. I’ve always wanted to go to Denali. Actually, anywhere in Alaska would be awesome.”

  “You should do it. You don’t need to climb mountains to experience life,” Jake said softly.

  “True.” His arms secured around me even tighter.

  “How often do you guys talk?” Natty asked.

  “Just a couple of times a week, if that.”

  “Then why did your eyelid twitch?” she teased, and Tori giggled.

  “Fine. We probably wind up talking every other day, one way or another.”

  Nick narrowed his eyes and studied me.

  “What?” I mouthed.

  He shook his head and slid his hand into his back pocket to pull out his phone and type something.

  “You’d better not be messing around with him.” I started toward Nick. “Leave the poor guy alone.”

  Nick smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, you have Jake standing right next to you.”

  My cheeks blushed. “Yes, I do, which is why I’m so surprised you’d bring this up. Anyway, that’s the last time I tell you guys about anything I do online.”

  “Hey, I’m an open book.” Nick laughed. “Nothing wrong with a little Tinder now and then, or—”

  “Okay, I think we’ve all heard enough.” Natty cut Nick off, laughing. She turned her gaze toward Jake and me. “Have you guys had a chance to check out Forgotten Cove?”

  “Yeah, you guys should go see it,” Tori agreed. “It’s pretty special at night since Mason redid the trail.”

  I looked up at Jake, and he nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Natty and Tori traded eager glances, and if I weren’t already holding Jake’s hand, I probably would’ve smacked my sister. I no longer felt like the more mature, wiser one.

  “Okay, guys. Just know I’ve got a memory like an elephant. What you’ve done here tonight . . .” I teased, wagging my finger.

  “What in the world is that supposed to mean?” Nick laughed.

  “You lead the way,” Jake said, still holding my hand and leaving the group behind.

  “Should we come search for you if you’re not back in a certain amount of time?” Nick joked.

  “You’re on a roll, my friend.”

  We walked toward the gazebo, which was where the long path down to Forgotten Cove began.

  “Sorry about that. I think Nick’s been drinking a little too much of the Kool-Aid. He’s probably getting nervous because so many of his friends are getting attached.”

  “Why would that make him nervous?”

  “He’s allergic to the idea of relationships. He breaks into hives at the mere mention.”

  Jake laughed, and I felt all the worry and awkwardness from moments before wash away.

  “Mason has worked really hard on all this. So much has changed since the last time I visited.” We walked through the gazebo to get to the trail, which had been outlined in countless solar lights sparkling in the night.

  “I wondered how they expected us to see where we are going.”

  “That looks a little steep. You gonna be okay?” Jake asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

  I stopped walking and looked into his eyes, realizing I hadn’t even thought twice about going down the hill with Jake in hand.

  “Yeah. It’ll be fun. Plus, I need to redeem myself after being around my sister and ex-friends. I’m not a complete chicken. I do seek adventure.”

  Jake squeezed my hand, and we began trundling down the meandering path. The solar lights provided a surprising amount of light on our way down, and I noticed whenever and wherever things looked a little dicey, Jake walked closer to the edge so I had more room. I wondered if the protective side of him was always present or if it was just around me.

  The huckleberry bushes nesting in old stumps and baby cedar trees lining the trail started to clear out as we got closer to the rocky beach.

  Natalie was right. Forgotten Cove was beautiful. The glow from the house above fell onto the rippling sheet of water, and the sound of the waves lapping against the rocks provided another soothing reminder of why I moved back home. It brought me peace. Between working in a building full of books and coming home to my cottage, my life was teetering on perfection.

  “This is beautiful,” I whispered, his hand still in mine.

  “Breathtaking.”

  We made our way across the pebbles to the edge of the beach, where the water kissed the rocks.

  “There used to be huge bonfires at Forgotten Cove when I was in high school. Well, not exactly here, but down the beach a ways. Tori’s dad would get so mad. It was always kind of funny.”

  “Did you like growing up on Fireweed?” he asked.

  “I loved it. There was so much to do and things felt safe. It didn’t feel like we were isolated . . . just removed from the rest of the world in a good way. At that age, we had our friends and plenty to keep ourselves amused, so what more did we need? We could be out until late and our parents rarely worried.”

  Jake nodded, the soft light from above dancing off his eyes.

  “Where did you grow up?” I asked.

  “I grew up in Chicago until I was twelve, then we moved just outside of Denver when I was fourteen, then we landed in various cities in the Southwest.”

  “Was that tough?”

  “Moving?”

  I nodded.

  “No. I wasn’t really allowed to think about things beyond packing. Moving was just part of my life growing up. I couldn’t wallow in the fact that I’d miss my friends because it was assumed I’d make new ones.”

  “And did you?”

  “Eventually. My brother and I were best friends . . . are best friends. So it never really felt like we were starting over from scratch, truthfully. We had each other. But no place ever felt like home. That was the one downside.”

  “Sounds like a biggie to me.”

  He nodded.

  “Was your dad in the military?” I asked.

  Jake smiled. “Don’t laugh.”

  “Why would I laugh?”

  “Well, you know how you were teasing me about working for the CIA?”

  “Yeah?”

  “My
dad did civilian contract work for them.”

  “You’re kidding.” I giggled and shook my head.

  “Nope. I was one of those kids who always had to come up with an excuse for what my dad did. He even came into school and did a complete career day for me acting like he was a banker.”

  “That’s pretty awesome.”

  He nodded. “He was a great dad, and well . . . you’ve met my mom.”

  “She’s pretty cute.”

  “The farm was their hobby in retirement, only it became way more successful than they planned on.”

  “That’s a happy accident.”

  “That would pretty much sum up how my parents lived. One happy accident after another.”

  “Maybe it’s rubbing off.”

  “Just might be.”

  A few seconds of silence sat between us, and I knew I wanted to be kissed by Jake. This time, I wouldn’t do or say anything to ruin it.

  “How about your parents?” he asked.

  “Both my parents are pretty awesome. They still live on the island. My mom was born here, and my dad moved here once they started dating. They made our lives pretty fun. This summer, they’re busy touring the UK for their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.”

  “You and your sister seem to have a good relationship.”

  I nodded. “I love her more than anything.” My throat tightened unexpectedly, and I looked toward the glistening water.

  “You okay?” he asked softly.

  “Yeah. Sorry.” I swallowed down the sadness.

  “I kind of stopped talking to Natty a lot once my marriage started to take a turn. I’ll never get those years back. I just didn’t want to sound bitter or sway her from finding a solid relationship. When I returned, she welcomed me with open arms, and her friends immediately became mine. That has its good and bad points . . . like Nick.”

  Jake laughed.

  “I know my mom and dad are happy to have me back too. The way I left the island, telling them I knew what true love was and I was going to experience the world and never set foot on Fireweed again . . .” I shook my head. “Talk about a tail-between-my-legs homecoming.”

  “I doubt they or anyone gave it a second thought. Besides, you were right. You did experience the world and you chose to come back to Fireweed. You didn’t come crawling back.”