With This Forever

by Debra Clopton

  The falling in love part was on her list but not something to snap her fingers and make happen. That was unrealistic, so what was her problem?

  He wasn’t the falling in love kind of guy. He wasn’t the marrying kind. At least not right now. And she had better remember that or she knew she’d get hurt.

  Chapter Seven

  Jake went jogging the next morning. After he and Sammy Jo said goodnight. After the kiss that knocked him off his feet.

  After dropping her off at her door, he’d hightailed it back down her stairs like a puppy with his tail between his legs. What had he been thinking? Since the first day he’d spotted her standing in the doorway of her shop, it had been as if he’d been functioning in a dream. Driven by something he’d never been driven by. And he’d wanted to be the man who kissed her on the beach.

  And then he’d kissed her. And his world had tilted and suddenly, he was scrambling backward like a man on a slippery slide to another dimension. Was he ready for the emotions that had slammed into him as he’d kissed Sammy Jo?

  The question reverberated through him with every thud of his running shoes slapping against the pavement along the ocean drive where he would meet up with his brother Trent for their weekly Saturday morning jog.

  He couldn’t clear his head. A kiss was a kiss; always had been. Until last night. He had wanted to kiss Sammy Jo in the moonlight for her bucket list. He just hadn’t thought about the impact. He hadn’t been able to bear the thought of Sammy Jo kissing someone else. He’d wanted that bucket list item all for himself.

  He had never felt what he felt when his lips touched hers. It was as if something inside him had come alive, as if she intertwined throughout him and filled him. She had shaken him to his core and he didn’t know what to do, or how to react to what he was feeling. So, instead, he’d shut down.

  He tried to block it. Tried to pretend nothing had been different or special. Tried to be casual. But he knew that she knew something was wrong. She’d been very quiet on the ride home. He had been very quiet too, though he had started to say a few things but shut down in the end.

  He’d told her goodnight and as lame as it was, he’d kissed her on her forehead before he’d left her. He just touched her cheek, backed away and then hurried down the stairs and back to his truck, back to his bungalow, where he had barely slept. He was an idiot.

  “Hey, Jake. Wait up.”

  He glanced over his shoulder to see Trent jogging across the road from the side street leading up to where he and his wife lived at the top of the hill.

  “Hey. Sorry.”

  “Man, you were a thousand miles away.” Trent fell into stride beside him. “I saw you coming, plowing down the road like a train, lost in thought. What is on your mind, man? You just kept on going and passed me up without a thought.”

  Jake rammed his hand through his hair, and slowed. Moving onto the shoulder, he stopped running. He stared out at the ocean below them. It was a beautiful place to jog but right now he saw none of it. All he saw was Sammy Jo’s expression when she realized that he had shut down after the kiss.

  He took a deep breath and shot a glance at Trent. “I took someone on a date last night.”

  “Yeah, so what’s new about that?” Trent asked.

  The thing about jogging with Trent was that normally they didn’t talk much. Trent was the quietest of all of his brothers and when they jogged, they jogged. But today Jake realized that he needed him to be a sounding board.

  “I mean, I took someone special on a date last night.”

  Trent grinned. “You like someone. As in like her?”

  “Hey, don’t look so shocked and awed. I mean, I’m not a bad person or anything just because I haven’t ever found someone special.”

  “I think this is great. Jake Sinclair is having a serious thought when it comes to a female.”

  Jake frowned at his brother. “What if I hurt her? What if I’m not ready? She doesn’t deserve to get jerked around because it suddenly turns out that I’m no good with long-term relationships.”

  Trent stared at him as if he had just met somebody he had never met before. His eyes were wide. “Man, you have fallen and fallen hard.”

  “There is no falling involved here. Not yet. I’m not sure I’m ready for something like that. I’m just worried…” He sighed. “Man, I am so messed up.”

  Trent’s lips twitched. “You’re scared.”

  “Terrified.” He had gone off the deep end during the kiss that shook his world. He kept telling himself all night long that it had just been a kiss.

  “It sounds like you care for this girl. Chill, and take your time. I’m going to have to meet her because to tie you up in knots like this, she must really be special. Slow down, get to know her and enjoy yourself. You’re overreacting. For me, loving Lilly is the best thing that could ever happen to me. Looking forward to our lives together, not separate, gives me peace. Don’t rush it, though. But if you care for her, don’t be afraid.”

  He let Trent’s quiet words sink in. Maybe he was overreacting. It wasn’t as if he were about to suddenly declare his undying love for her after a single kiss. She wasn’t expecting that and he knew it.

  “Okay, thanks for talking me off that ledge.”

  “I think you’ve talked me off a few through the years.”

  “Maybe. That’s what brothers are for.”

  They stared out at the ocean and then, taking a deep breath, Jake started jogging again and Trent fell into step beside him.

  “You’ll be okay.” Trent grinned.

  Jake hoped so. He just had to slow down. But moving slow never had been his strong point. But with Sammy Jo, he could do it. Would do it. Because he would not hurt her.

  On her way to Windswept Bay Resort for lunch with Jake’s sisters, Sammy Jo went by the newspaper and set up her ads. She was having her grand opening on Monday. She would have been in Windswept Bay for two weeks by then and was eager to open.

  Excitement filled her as she walked into the resort. She still couldn’t believe her luck that her creations would actually be displayed in the boutique here at the resort. Her grandmother would love the idea. She really missed her. If she were here, she would have talked to her about what had happened between her and Jake the night before. Because she was really confused by how he had acted after they’d kissed. That kiss had rocked her world. And then he’d shut down and shut her out.

  Had she done something wrong?

  The question plagued her and she didn’t have enough experience to know how to read his obvious withdrawal.

  She basically never had anything like this happen to her. Inexperience was hard and made her feel vulnerable. But she was determined to shake it off. She was an adult, after all, and would act like one.

  And she had a life to live. Whatever was going on with Jake would sort itself out. At least she hoped so.

  Standing in the lobby of the resort, she let the worries slide away and smiled. She was here, standing where her grandparents had once stood. Where they fell in love. It was beautiful. It wasn’t huge and spectacular, but breezy and welcoming. It had the prettiest artificial palm trees in the lobby and they gave the atrium a unique look. The lobby was long and narrow, decorated in warm golds and green tones. The ambiance had a soothing effect on her rattled nerves.

  At the midpoint of the lobby, there was a pretty staircase that wound around and up to the second floor. But the main focal point of the room was the amazing, gorgeous mural of a waterfall by Cali’s husband, Grant. There was no mistaking a Grant Ellington mural. The sea creatures came alive and the light and beauty of it was breathtaking. This waterfall made her feel as if she were beneath the water right next to the fish looking up through the surface at the downpour of water.

  “Hi, can I help you?” a young woman behind the desk asked, bringing Sammy Jo out of her musings.

  She smiled. “Yes, I’m Sammy Jo Lovely and I’m here to meet with Cali and her sisters.”

  “I�
�ll let them know you’re here, Miss Lovely. You can wait in the lobby if you’d like.”

  “Thank you. I think I will look closer at that gorgeous mural. It’s amazing.”

  “Yes, it is. Mr. Ellington’s a wonderful artist. We’re very lucky to have his work here at the resort.”

  A few moments later, she saw Cali coming down the stairs with three other pretty ladies. They all resembled each other, except one who had dark hair; the others had varying shades of blonde hair.

  Cali came straight to her. “Sammy Jo, it’s great to have you here. I was really thrilled to see you with my brother last night.”

  “I was glad to meet you too.”

  “These are my sisters. This is Shar. Shar’s involved in sea turtle rescue and research. Among other things. And this is Jillian and Olivia, who work with me here at the resort.”

  “I’m excited to meet all of you.” Jake had said Cali was his oldest sister and the other three were triplets. Shar just did not look like Jillian and Olivia.

  Jillian smiled. “We are eager to meet the woman who seems to have captured our brother’s attention.”

  Shar grinned impishly. “Cali said Jake looked really happy last night.”

  Sammy Jo tried not to groan. If they’d seen him at the end of their date, they probably wouldn’t say he looked happy. “He’s a really nice guy.”

  “Nice,” Shar agreed. “He helps me rescue sea turtles all the time. He’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it and even if you didn’t. He’s a nice guy all right. He’s just not ever been much into relationships. We’re hoping he gets the itch to fall in love soon. Do you think you could fall for our brother?”

  Sammy Jo blinked in disbelief at the dark-haired beauty. “I, um, I haven’t thought about falling in love.” That was a lie and she knew it. She’d found herself thinking about it often since arriving in Windswept Bay.

  Olivia chuckled. “Don’t let Shar scare you. She’s our blunt, to-the-point sister.”

  She was obviously that. Sammy Jo grimaced. “I kind of figured that out.”

  Shar laughed. “Hey, I have to have some fun. Come on, let’s go to the beach grill and talk about your boutique. I think that is so cool that you create your own designs!”

  “Great idea,” Cali said and started toward the sliding glass doors at the back of the building.

  As they entered the courtyard, Sammy Jo was struck instantly by how pretty it was with its plants and paved walkways. They walked over several small bridges that led over a lagoon. It wove its way through the grounds and there were even two swans swimming gracefully down the lagoon.

  She found out that Jillian was in charge of the grounds. And very obviously a master gardener. Olivia was over the marketing and Cali was the head of everything.

  Cali laughed when Olivia pointed that out. “I can tell you, it is a joint effort. I just write the checks from the bank account. And I’m very much hoping to write you some checks.”

  The thought thrilled Sammy Jo.

  They took seats at a table on an outdoor patio next to the white sand beach with the sparkling blue water and matching clear sky. Sammy Jo felt herself relax immediately. It was so beautiful here and she was suddenly struck by the realization that this was where she lived. This was actually her home now, this paradise that most people only came to visit for a few days of vacation.

  She had taken the risk and picked up and moved here. And she was now making friends here and setting down roots.

  A knot formed inside her chest and lodged hard in her throat as she thought back to how small her world had been only a few months ago. She stayed home with her grandparents, went to the grocery store about three miles from their home—everything she’d needed was within five miles and if not, she’d been a big online buyer. Her world had been very small, but now, things were changing. She had a stab of guilt hit her but denied it because she knew her gram wanted this for her and she had done everything in her power for them while they needed her.

  She breathed in deeply and accepted the menu as everyone chattered.

  “The chicken salad wrap is amazing,” Jillian said.

  “And I love the fajita wrap.” Shar winked. “It has more kick to it.”

  Olivia added, “Don’t let them pressure you. The Mediterranean salad is to die for.”

  “Everything on the menu is fantastic,” Cali said. “The chef is excellent. He’s been with us for years.”

  Even her food horizons had expanded. Sammy Jo could suddenly not stop grinning.

  In the end, she ordered the special of the day, which was chicken with the most amazing parmesan topping and a strawberry and spinach salad that they all agreed was a fantastic dish. She agreed wholeheartedly after taking the first bite.

  They talked about getting her clothes in the store and she was thrilled to work out a commission for them that would work for both of them. Lunch flew by and she had such a good time. Jake had been so right when he said she would fit in with his sisters. For the first time in a very long time, she felt the hope that she could actually be a part of something. She blinked back a sudden sweep of emotion. It was as if her gram had known this was her place.

  Shar grinned as she finished eating. “So, back to Jake. You are Jake’s neighbor, and you went to dinner with him. What do you really think about our Jake—other than he’s a nice guy? Cali said he was beaming last night when she saw the two of you.”

  Obviously Shar was tenacious. “Um, he’s great. He’s been very helpful since I moved in. But it was just dinner.”

  “Maybe so.” Jillian’s big green eyes held a speculative twinkle in them. “But you aren’t Jake’s normal type. Don’t get me wrong—we are thrilled with the situation. Something about you enticed him to ask you out. That is a very good and welcomed thing, we think.”

  “You do like him, don’t you?” Cali watched Sammy Jo with an expectant look.

  Sammy Jo bit her lip as it hit her that Jake’s sisters were matchmaking.

  The idea sent tremors of uncertainty through her. “Oh, I don’t think there’s anything special going on between us. He’s just being nice.” Better to put the brakes on their curiosity. After his reaction last night, she was fairly certain that he didn’t feel anything special for her. He’d kissed her and realized there was nothing special there and he’d moved on.

  “But you like him, right?” Cali asked again, pressing.

  How was she supposed to answer that? Surely, they wouldn’t run and tell him what she said. But she wasn’t certain about anything at the moment. “Of course. What’s not to like? He’s a great person.” Instant remembrances of what a wonderful kisser he was hit her and of how the feel of his arms around her had filled her with emotions that she did not want to think about right now. Too late, she realized she was blushing and all four of his sisters were smiling triumphantly.

  “That’s what I thought.” Shar slapped her hand to table. “You do like him. Good. Because you are perfect for him. You kind of shake him up in a nice way.”

  What did that mean?

  “No, I mean, there’s no need thinking that. Your brother and I, we’re too different to ever be considered a couple. He’s not afraid to try new things. I mean, he was a Navy SEAL, and he’s a diver and he does adventurous things like skydiving and rock-climbing. I’ve never done any of that. He’s just offered to help me conquer a few of those mountains and get them off my bucket—” She clamped her mouth shut, realizing she’d blurted out more than she’d planned.

  All the sisters were studying her with open curiosity.

  “Bucket list?” Olivia finished for her.

  Shar’s eyes widened. “He’s helping you with a bucket list? How cool. That’ll reel him in.”

  “Reel him in?” Sammy Jo was worried now.

  “Don’t mind Shar.” Jillian patted Sammy Jo’s forearm. “It’s something new for Jake. But I think it’s great that you have a list. I had a list of sorts and Ryan was on it. Him and our sweet baby w
ere all I wanted and now I have both. April is about to be six months old and I can’t believe it. So, bucket list’s fulfilled are fabulous.”

  “That’s wonderful. You’ll have to bring her by the shop one day. I’d love to meet her. I’m thinking of starting a baby line, just a few cute things with the Lovely You logo on it.” There, maybe that would change the subject.

  “I’ll do that. I’m just so excited about you being here and opening your shop.” Jillian’s warm declaration meant so much to Sammy Jo. And thankfully they gave her a break from too many more questions about Jake.

  When she finally left, she felt as if she were leaving friends. And that felt really good.

  Of course, the sisters’ obvious misunderstanding in thinking Jake had taken an extraordinary interest in her was baffling. They would really have been surprised if she’d confided in them about the kiss and then told them how he’d practically run away after that.

  She wasn’t special to him. No matter how much she wished it were true.

  Chapter Eight

  Jake knocked on the back door of Sammy Jo’s shop and waited for her to answer. When she opened the door, his pulse instantly jolted. He’d missed her. He’d stayed away for two days, trying to get his head on straight. But today was their scuba diving lesson and he would not stand her up on that. He’d made a commitment. But the truth was he couldn’t stay away any longer.

  “Hey.” He leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. He didn’t miss that her eyes held a reserve that hadn’t been there before. It didn’t sit well that he’d put that look there.

  “Hey, yourself.” She crossed her arms too. “What’s up?”

  “Are you ready?”

  “For?” She looked baffled.

  “Our dive lesson,” he said, slowly. “At the pool.”

  Her gaze shifted away and then back to him. “Oh, sorry. I’ve decided that I’m putting the dive on hold for now. You’re busy and I have the grand opening on Monday and there are still things to be done. Sorry, I forgot to let you know. But, then, I haven’t seen you, so you are off the hook on that.”