by Terri DuLong
My sister knew none of this, and yet ... it seemed she resented me. I had the feeling that in her own misery and disappointment with herself and her life, she had come to see my life in a fictional way. The way she wished it could have been for her—the way it truly had not been for me.
Before I fell off to sleep I had the realization that that discussion with my sister had opened a door on our relationship. A door that led me to understand two things—I was now beginning to grasp the meaning of Chloe’s behavior over the years, and the uncomfortable feeling that my sister had always wanted what I had.
11
By the time mid-October arrived, my aunt, Chloe, and I had managed to carve out an amicable routine of living together. The discussion concerning our parents had not been brought up again, and although I can’t say my sister and I had grown any closer, we had managed to avoid confrontations.
Annie’s whining caused me to turn over in bed and find her sitting on the floor staring up at me. Glancing at the digital clock, I saw that it was 5:48. A bluish light was filtering into my room telling me, along with Annie, it was time to begin my day.
“Good morning, girl,” I said, swinging my legs to the floor.
Walking over to press the button on the coffeemaker, I continued talking to her. “Let me hit the bathroom, throw on some clothes, and you and I are heading to City Park to watch the sun rise.”
Within ten minutes, fortified with a mug of coffee and Annie trotting along beside me, I headed down Second Street. Autumn had finally arrived, bringing the long-awaited cooler mornings, and I decided to spend a bit of time on the beach.
Walking toward the shore, I said a silent thank you that the beach area was totally deserted. Unclipping Annie’s leash, I let her do her thing while I settled myself on the edge of the sand. I loved this time of day, when I could let my mind wander and sometimes even come up with all kinds of brilliant thoughts. I enjoyed planning my day, going over my to-do list and getting myself ready for the surprises that each new day usually brought.
Taking a sip of coffee, I recalled the delivery of furniture to the carriage house the day before. My plan for the morning was to get on the computer and do some research on those forums that my aunt had mentioned and then continue with the website design to advertise our knitting retreats, and then maybe I could ...
My thoughts were interrupted by Annie and another dog barking loudly. Damn. Somebody had arrived to intrude on my solitude.
I turned around to see Annie happily scampering with an adorable wheaten color Scottish terrier. And Lucas Trudeau laughing as he watched them.
“Good morning,” he hollered, and waved.
My first thought was, Oh crap, here I am in grungy shorts, a stained T-shirt, no makeup on and barely awake. But my second thought was, Damn, he sure looks good first thing in the morning and an intrusion he’s not.
“Hey,” I hollered back, noticing again how well this man wore a pair of jeans and how the bronze of his tan accentuated his good looks.
“Hope I’m not intruding,” he said, walking toward me and then settling himself on the sand. “Duncan and I try to come down here every morning to begin our day. Isn’t it great? With the water and the sky and the sun?”
Wishing again that I was a bit more presentable, I ran a hand through my hair and was grateful that maybe my curls gave a casual rather than messy appearance. “It is. It’s gorgeous here.”
“Did your furniture arrive yet for the carriage house?”
“Yes, yesterday, and it really looks great. Now I’ll be busy setting up my office in the loft and finishing up the website design. How about you? Still on target to open the coffee shop this Friday?”
“Everything’s on track, but it sounds like you’ll be kept busy, and hey, if you don’t have the time to stop by to help me with the machines, I’ll certainly understand.”
“Oh, no, I love being busy, and besides, I’d really like to help you. I think it’ll be fun.”
That killer smile crossed his face. “Good. Well, if you’re free tomorrow morning maybe you could stop by and give me a quick course in coffee making.”
“Sounds like a ... plan.” I had to catch myself to not say date.
Annie came bouncing over to me, tail wagging. Duncan was right behind her and I smiled. “Hey, girl, got your new friend with you?”
Lucas laughed. “She’s a cutie.”
I put out my hand to let him sniff it. “You’re such a handsome guy, Duncan.” Cuddling Annie to my chest, I said, “Yes, Mom approves.”
Lucas laughed. “It looks like these two really hit it off, doesn’t it?”
“Annie’s very dog friendly, and it seems your Duncan is too. How old is he?”
“Just turned four. And Annie?”
“Well, we’re not real sure. She was a stray and showed up at the coffee shop a few months ago, but the vet thinks she’s about a year old.”
“And you rescued her? That was a nice thing to do.”
I ruffled the top of her head and smiled. “Yeah, I couldn’t not take her in. I think we were meant for each other.”
A look of wistfulness seemed to cross Lucas’s face. “That’s a wonderful thing when that happens.” He jumped up and glanced at his watch. “Well, we need to get going. It’s almost seven.”
“Oh, us too,” I said, clipping on Annie’s leash. And then I had a thought. “Would you like to come by later today and take a look at the carriage house? We’re still in the process of arranging things, but it’s really beginning to shape up.”
“Oh, I’d like that. Would after lunch be okay? Say around two? I’ll close the bookshop for an hour.”
“Perfect,” I said.
“Duncan and I like walking downtown, so we’ll head over to Dock Street now before heading home.”
“And I’ll see you later today,” I said, before walking away.
After preparing myself a cup of tea I went outside to the carriage house. Standing on the flagstone walkway, I looked at the tabby structure and smiled. Sunlight glinted off the glass front. Our sign, done by a local artist, was suspended from a wrought iron bracket and hung to the side of the doorway. BLUE MOON KNITTINGR ETREATS was etched into the wood, and below it was an outline of the island, with a ball of yarn and needles inside and a blue moon hovering above it. We had come up with the perfect logo for our new business.
Unlocking the door, I stepped inside. The workmen had done a great job with the paint and border print, the furniture my aunt and I had selected blended perfectly, and the huge posters hanging on the walls showing scrumptious colors and fibers of various yarns added a cozy feeling to the room.
“This is très chic.”
I turned around to the sound of Lucas’s voice and smiled. “Do you like it?”
Walking inside, he nodded. “I do. Very much,” he said, as I saw his glance taking in the furniture and posters. “It will be ideal for a group of knitters. And that, up there?” he asked, pointing to the loft. “Will that be your office?”
“Yes. My computer and desk were also delivered yesterday. Come on, I’ll show you,” I said, leading the way up the staircase.
We stood in the large room that overlooked the main room below. Lucas walked over to the oak railing and looked down.
“You have a wonderful space for your office. I’m sure you’ll be very happy here.”
I walked over to the computer and booted it up. “I’ll show you what I have done so far on our website,” I said, sitting in the professional-looking leather office chair my aunt insisted that I get. I pulled up the website and could feel Lucas leaning over my shoulder as I caught a whiff of sensual, spicy aftershave.
Fumbling with the keys, I said, “Here it is. I only have a bit more to complete and I’ll be up and running live, which means hopefully the phone will start ringing with bookings.”
“I like it very much,” Lucas said, as the spicy scent seemed to get stronger and sent my thoughts racing to things not at all connected to
websites.
“Thanks,” I said, pushing a bit on the chair to indicate I was standing up.
Lucas nodded his head. “Yes, your site has a very professional look to it. I have no doubt the business will be a huge success.”
“We’re hoping it will be,” I said, heading to the staircase with Lucas right behind me. “Knitting is a very big ...” My words were cut off because about halfway down, I tripped and could feel myself being flung down the rest of the steps where I ended up in a heap on the floor.
“Mon Dieu!” I heard Lucas exclaim as he raced down the remaining steps and knelt on the floor beside me, an arm around my shoulder. “Are you okay, Grace?”
I wasn’t sure what had created the tears that blurred my vision—the pain in my right ankle or the genuine concern in his voice.
Embarrassment canceled out the pain. Talk about a klutz! “Ah, I think I’m okay,” I managed to say. “How incredibly stupid of me.”
Before I knew what was happening, Lucas was removing my sneaker from my swollen foot. “Stay here,” he commanded. “I’ll run inside and get some ice from Maude. Do you think we need to call nine one one?”
Oh, Lord, just what I need—an ambulance telling the entire island how klutzy I was. “No, no ambulance. Really, I’m fine,” I said, making an attempt to stand up.
“Here, let me help you over to the sofa.”
Lucas reached under my arm and gently brought me to a standing position. “Are you able to put any pressure on that foot?”
I turned to say I think so and realized his face was inches from mine. The spicy scent seemed to invade all of my senses and for a brief moment pressure on my foot was the last thing I was thinking of.
I quickly regained my equilibrium and did as I was told. “Yes,” I told him. “I can put enough pressure to make it to the sofa.”
With Lucas’s arm around me—and I won’t lie, it felt mighty good—I limped my way to the middle of the room.
“Okay,” he said, taking charge again. “Sit right there and I’ll go get that ice.”
I watched him jog out the door and over to Aunt Maude’s apartment. This wasn’t good. And I’m not referring to the fall. I was beginning to feel way too attracted to Lucas Trudeau, and for the first time in ten years, the same type of feelings I’d had for Beau Hamilton were returning—and based on how that had ended, these feelings for Lucas had me concerned.
“Oh, my goodness,” I heard my aunt say, and looked up to see her scurrying inside the carriage house, ice pack in hand. “Oh, Gracie, dear. You poor thing.” She proceeded to kneel on the floor beside my swollen foot and apply the ice pack. “Are you sure we shouldn’t call an ambulance? Are you in much pain?”
Actually, the pain was beginning to subside with the coldness of the ice. “No ambulance. I think I just twisted my ankle. I can’t believe I fell down those stairs.”
“Well, most accidents happen at home,” my aunt said.
“What happened?”
The three of us turned to the sound of Chloe’s voice.
“I’m afraid poor Gracie had a tumble down the stairs, but it seems to be just a twisted ankle, thank goodness.”
I didn’t miss my sister’s glance going from me to Lucas.
“Yeah,” I mumbled. “We were upstairs and I was showing Lucas my office and coming down ... well, I guess I missed a step or something.”
Lucas sat beside me on the sofa. “I’m just glad it wasn’t anything more serious.”
“Well, the ice should help,” Chloe said, and then, as if dismissing the entire episode, she said, “It really looks great in here, doesn’t it? I think it’ll be the perfect place to gather those knitters. Speaking of which, did you finish up the website yet, Grace?”
So much for sisterly compassion. “Not quite. I planned to work on it this afternoon.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” my aunt said. “You’re not climbing those stairs again today. Lucas, maybe you’ll be a dear and assist Gracie into my sitting room. We’ll get you situated on the sofa in there.”
“Of course,” he said, standing up and once again putting an arm around me he managed to help me wobble my way out of the carriage house.
After I was situated on Aunt Maude’s sofa, a cup of tea beside me, I realized that Lucas had closed the bookshop. “Oh, Lucas. You need to get back downtown to reopen your shop. I’m sorry I’ve kept you here so long.”
“No, no. It’s not a problem. That’s one of the benefits of owning your own business.” A smile crossed his face. “But it does look like you’re in very capable hands now with Maude. Oh, and by the way, I’ll certainly understand if you can’t make it down there tomorrow to help me.”
As if, I thought. “I’m sure my ankle will be fine by tomorrow. I’ll be down after lunch, and thanks for all your help.”
“You take care of yourself, and just let me know if you can’t make it.”
12
My foot was better the next morning—at least enough to allow me to meet Lucas as planned. I walked, with only a tad of a limp, into his bookshop and was greeted with that killer smile I was coming to love.
“Ah, the patient is better, I see,” he said, coming to give me a kiss on each cheek.
“Much. Thank you. Aunt Maude insisted I barely move until this morning, so it had a good chance to heal.”
“Very good. Then we can get started on you teaching me to become a coffee maker.”
I followed him into the coffee café and let out a gasp. “Oh, Lucas, it looks wonderful,” I said, as I realized he’d followed my suggestions to a tee. Wrought iron bistro tables and chairs lined the entire wall, and two love seats and a few cushy chairs filled the middle space. “It’s certainly more upscale than Coffee, Tea and Thee was. I love it. I just love it.”
“Then I’m glad,” he said, a warm smile covering his face. “I hoped that you would.”
My glance went to the coffee machines behind the counter. “Okay, let’s get to work. But I have a feeling you’re going to be a good student and learn quickly.” I now saw the large sign hanging on the wall behind the counter listing the prices of various coffees and teas. “We’ll go through your list one item at a time. You might want to take notes,” I said, and smiled when he held up a notebook and pen. I loved an organized man!
I had been right. By the end of the afternoon, Lucas displayed the ability to operate the coffee machines and had an understanding of the various terms.
“I think we both earned a double espresso,” he said, preparing the machine before setting two demitasse cups on the counter.
A soft whooshing sound filled the room, along with the aroma of great coffee.
I pulled up a stool to sit across the counter from him. That had been fun. A few hours of something so simple, yet I had enjoyed it tremendously.
As if reading my mind, he said, “That was fun, and thank you for being such a patient teacher.”
“My pleasure,” I said, lifting my cup to touch his. “And here’s to great success. You officially open tomorrow, right?”
He nodded. “Yes. If you get a chance, perhaps you could stop by.”
“Absolutely. I’ll have to come and check on my star pupil.”
“How’s your sister doing? Do you think she likes it here on the island?”
“It’s always hard to tell with Chloe. She’s such a private person. Most of our conversations have been very generic, but I think she wants to like it here and settle in. My aunt and I are taking her to the yarn shop this evening. Monica has resumed the Thursday knitting nights for the winter, so we’ll introduce my sister to the other women.”
“That’ll be good for her,” he said, as I got up to place my cup in the sink behind the counter.
As I did, I dropped the napkin I’d been holding. Both of us bent down at the same time to retrieve it, and like the day before, our faces were inches apart. Neither of us moved for a second, staring into each other’s eyes. But this time before I had a chance to pull away,
Lucas leaned forward and placed his lips on mine with a soft, gentle kiss. I stood up slowly as he did the same, and now I was looking up into those gorgeous deep brown eyes, unsure what to do next. I felt his hands go around my waist as we continued standing there.
“That was nice,” he said, before bending his head and allowing his lips to connect with mine again.
I slid my arms around his neck while savoring the intensity of his passion, which matched my own. His tongue slid inside my mouth, allowing me to remember what it felt like to experience desire and feel desired. As my libido began to notch up, I heard bells ringing in the distance. It was Lucas who broke our embrace, and I realized the bells I heard were the wind chimes on the bookshop door indicating he had a customer.
Lucas ran a hand through his curls and gave me a slow, sexy smile. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That we got interrupted.”
I returned his smile and let out a deep sigh. “Me too.”
“Thank you again for your help.”
I nodded. “I’ll drop by tomorrow,” I told him. “You know, just to make sure the coffee business is going okay.”
I headed home along Second Street in a daze. What was that all about? Yes, I had suspected that Lucas liked me, but his kiss indicated a definite attraction. I think I could now tell Suellen that acquaintance no longer defined our relationship, but I wouldn’t tell her what a great kisser this man was. I was still reeling from the emotions his kiss had stirred up. My mind wandered to the few guys whom I’d dated over these past ten years. None of them had had the impact on me that Beau Hamilton had created—none of them, until Lucas Trudeau. It seemed that up until now an invisible line had been drawn and Lucas hadn’t been willing to step over it, despite the fact that from the first time I’d met him I felt a chemistry pulling us together. I didn’t have the best track record with men, so prior to his kiss I felt maybe that chemistry was wishful thinking on my part—which I knew now it wasn’t. One thing I did know for sure—I was becoming more and more attracted to Lucas Trudeau.