A Devoted Heart (The Heart's Temptation Series Book 2)

by Genevieve Matthews

  I start cleaning things for closing early so I’ll be ready to leave when I can finally switch the lock. After closing, I almost start walking home until I remember that I drove myself here and I don’t want to leave my car in the parking lot overnight.

  I walk around the building to where my car is parked. I’m unlocking the front door when I realize there’s something under my windshield wiper. My first instinct is that it’s a parking ticket but that doesn’t make any sense. I wouldn’t get a ticket for parking in my own parking lot.

  I pull the paper out and get in my car before opening it. I lock the door for good measure. I open the paper and realize that it’s a note. I immediately think that it must be Aaron. Maybe he forgot to tell me something and didn’t feel like coming back in so he left it in a note on my car.

  I read through it and I quickly get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. The letter says:

  I’m sorry you’re hurting right now.

  Call me if you need someone to talk to,

  I’m here for you.

  Jake

  725-5243

  I read the letter at least five times and I find it equally strange every time. Finally I stuff it in my purse and make the short drive back to my apartment. I can’t help looking all around on my walk from the building’s parking complex to the front door.

  I can’t stop thinking about how weird it is to get a letter like that from Jake. I’m assuming it’s from Jake Ballard, but I don’t really know why he’s leaving notes on my car. Not to mention he told me he lives in New York, which is quite a distance from Winterhaven.

  And we don’t have that type of relationship. We were very casual friends in high school and we didn’t keep in touch when it was over. Maybe he has decided to initiate a friendship again after seeing each other at the ten-year reunion. Who knows?

  Whatever’s going on, it’s strange and I can’t wait for Brogan to get home.

  Once I’m inside the apartment, I lock the front door and then walk from room to room turning on the lamps so the place if full of light. I don’t know why, but it makes me feel a little more at ease having everything bathed in a warm yellow glow.

  I also turn on the television, switching it to a show I’ve seen a thousand times but always makes me laugh. I decide to take a warm shower to help me relax. I put on my pajamas and then grab a bowl of cereal from the kitchen. I sit down with it in the living room, covering myself with one of the throws on the couch.

  I can’t stop thinking about the note in my purse, however, and I ponder if I should get up and throw it away. But then I start to wonder if I should call the number to make sure it is from Jake. Who knows, maybe someone put the damn thing on the wrong car and it wasn’t even meant for me.

  After mulling it over for a while, I decide not to do anything about it until Brogan gets home and I can talk to him about it. He’ll put my mind at ease about the whole situation.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Brogan

  It’s late when I finally unlock the door to Cate’s apartment. I figured she’d already be in bed asleep, but when I open the door all of the lights are on and the television is still on. I set my bag by the door and lock it behind me. Just as I step further into the apartment, I can see Cate curled up on the couch, sound asleep under a blanket.

  I walk as quietly as possible through the apartment and turn off all of the extra lights. She still hasn’t moved when I walk into the living room. I switch off the lamp above her head and then find the remote and switch the television off.

  I’m standing over her watching her sleep. She looks incredibly sexy. Her hair is tousled, and lips parted enough for me to imagine slipping my tongue inside of her inviting mouth. I find myself rubbing the front of my pants to relieve some of the ache that’s building in my cock.

  Bending down, I slip my arms under her and lift her off the couch. She finally stirs. I’m carrying her back to the bedroom when her eyes open and she smiles at me.

  “You’re finally home,” she says.

  “Yes. Sorry it took longer than I planned.”

  “That’s okay, I was trying to wait up for you,” she says as I lay her down on the bed. I pull the blankets down so she’s on the sheets. I pull the throw off of her and see that she’s wearing one of my T-shirts and nothing else.

  She spreads her legs so I can see that she isn’t wearing anything under the shirt, either. The ache I was rubbing in the living room is back full-force.

  “I really missed you today,” she says as she moves her fingers between her legs and starts touching herself.

  I pull my shirt off my head and drop my pants to the floor with one swift move.

  “I missed you, too,” I tell her as I lie on top of her and push my cock deep inside. We start moving together, much more frantic and rushed than usual. I know I’m feeling incredibly eager after we weren’t able to enjoy make-up sex last night. She must be feeling it, too.

  It isn’t going to take me long so I’m relieved when she starts to moan, her way of telling me that she’s getting close. She comes as she arches her back and digs her fingers into me. The sight of her coming apart underneath me is enough to send me over the edge, too.

  I snuggle into her side when we’re finished. Cate pulls the blankets up and covers us and that’s the last thing I remember.

  I’ve already showered and am in the kitchen making coffee when Cate finally wakes up.

  “This is something that hardly ever happens,” she says.

  “I know! You always wake up before I do. I don’t know what’s going on with me today.”

  “You going into work?” she asks as she grabs a mug out of the cupboard and pours herself a cup of coffee.

  “I should. We have an away game this weekend so it’ll be a busy week.” I’ve got the pans out, ready to start making eggs and bacon on the stove. Cate comes over and stands next to me while I crack the eggs.

  “Oh no! How long will you be away?” She looks so worried, it’s out of character for her.

  “Only one night. I’ll be back late on Saturday night.” I lean over and give her a quick kiss on the lips in an attempt to wipe away that pout.

  “Okay,” she says as she wraps her arms around my waist and buries her face into my shirt.

  “What’s gotten into you this morning?” I ask.

  “When I walked out to my car last night after closing the coffee shop, there was a note on my car. I think it was from Jake Ballard, from high school. It was kind of weird and it made me feel a little uneasy last night.”

  “What did the note say?”

  “Something about how he’s here for me if I need a shoulder to cry on. And then he left his phone number.”

  “Yeah, that is weird, I guess. He has probably had a thing for you since high school and finally grew the balls to make a move.”

  “Well why wouldn’t he ask me out then? Why would he leave this cryptic message on my car? Not to mention when I saw him at our ten-year reunion he told me he lives in New York now.”

  “I’m guessing he saw the article about me and Ava at her hotel bar and assumed you were single again. I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. If you run into him again, or if he calls, tell him you’re taken.”

  Grabbing the hand towel, I wipe off the sticky egg residue on my fingers and wrap my arms around her.

  “If you call in this morning I can take you back to the bedroom and make you forget all of your problems. How does that sound?”

  She giggles, the best sound in the world. “That sounds amazing, but I do have to go to work today. Maybe I can take a rain check?”

  “You’re on. At least eat some breakfast with me before you go,” I say.

  “Okay.” She turns to the cupboard and takes out two plates. “Fruit?” she asks while standing in front of the open refrigerator door.

  “Ah, no thanks. I’m good with the eggs and bacon.”

  “Of course you are,” she says.

  I
give her a playful smack on her ass for that sass and then focus back on my job at the stove. Ten minutes later we’re sitting together at the small kitchen table eating breakfast.

  “Maybe when things slow down we should get away together. Take a long weekend somewhere.”

  “Yeah?” she says. “That sounds really nice, actually.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?” She gets up and brings the coffee pot out to the table, refilling our coffee mugs. “And while we’re waiting for things to slow down, why don’t you see if Bree and Heath would want to get together for dinner sometime. I know you’ve been missing her.”

  “You’re right, I should ask them. I’ve been assuming that they’re too busy with the new baby, but maybe they’re desperate for a night out. Who knows?” She scoops some eggs onto her toast and takes a bite. “So how did you know I’ve been missing Bree? My mom?” she says and smiles.

  “Yes, your mom. You can talk to me about that stuff too, you know. I’m not just a pretty face for you to use at night.”

  We both laugh and she kicks me under the table.

  “I know,” she says. “I feel selfish complaining that I don’t see her enough anymore when I know how busy she is. To be brutally honest, I’m so happy for her, but I did like it when she needed me for all of the crazy in her life.”

  “She still needs you, you have to work harder at it now. And once she’s back at work you’ll see her more.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. It takes some getting used to, I guess.”

  “Give her a call and see when they’d be available. I’m sure your mom would babysit.”

  “I’ll do that. You’ll be gone this weekend, right?”

  “Yeah, so maybe the following weekend?”

  “I’ll ask them.”

  We finish breakfast together and then both get ready. Walking out together, I give her a kiss and hug before she sets off down the sidewalk on her short walk to the coffee shop. I watch her walk away for a few minutes, enjoying the sway of her hips and how her hair blows in the breeze.

  When I turn back to head to my car I happen to notice a car parked on the side of the rode with a guy sitting behind the wheel. It looks like he’s doing something on his phone when it clicks that it must be one of the other tenants of the apartment building. She’s told me about the older woman that lives in the building but there were a few empty units. Maybe someone else has finally moved in.

  By the time I walk to my car and drive it out of the lot, the car is gone. It’s completely out of my head by the time I start our team meeting.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Cate

  Once Aaron gets to the coffee shop I let him take over at the counter and head outside to tend to the yard. It is the first week of November and all of the leaves are finally off of the trees. I’ve been waiting to rake so I would only have to do the tedious job once.

  It’s really warm for the first week of November, too. I’m wearing a fleece and I quickly start to sweat once I have a pile of leaves started.

  I’ve been raking for the better part of an hour when my mom walks out of the inn with her rake. She walks over and we give each other a big hug.

  “Hi, honey,” she says.

  “Hi, mom. It’s a nice day for yard work, isn’t it?”

  “It sure is. We have so many beautiful trees but they make a damn mess this time of year, don’t they?”

  “That is a completely true statement.”

  We both start raking. The coffee shop and inn are a shared lot, though the coffee shop is set so far back you wouldn’t think it’s part of the inn or anything. We do get business from people that stop over for a night at the inn and then head on to wherever their destination might be.

  “So how is business? Have you had a lot of people staying?” I ask.

  “Things are steady, for sure. Which is nice because things tend to slow down once winter hits. And that reminds me, I had one of your friends from high school staying here last night.”

  “Really? Who?” I’ve stopped raking and am looking at my mom, leaning against my rake.

  “His name was Jake. Really nice young man.” She’s still raking and doesn’t realize her words made me feel like I had a rock dropped in my stomach.

  “What was he doing here?” I ask.

  “He said he was here for work.”

  “Did he say what he does for work?”

  “No.”

  “Did you have a chance to talk to him at all or did he stay the night and leave?”

  “We actually talked a lot last night. He had such nice things to say about you. I told him that you were doing well and that you were dating Brogan.”

  “What did he say about that?”

  “It seemed like he wanted to know whether or not Brogan is a good man. That he is good for you. I think he must have had quite the crush on you.”

  By this point she has stopped raking and is leaning against her rake, too. I imagine it’s due to the rapid fire of questions coming her way.

  “Is everything okay?” she asks.

  “Yes. I was curious what you guys talked about. It has been so long since I’ve seen Jake.”

  “We didn’t talk about you too much. He was very curious about Brogan, though. He said he knew his family growing up and wondered if we were close with them as well. I told him we were close with Brogan and his mom, but his dad was seldom around. Always out drinking and sleeping around.”

  “Mom! You told him that?”

  “I did. But he knew his family, too, so I’m sure it wasn’t anything he didn’t already know.”

  There are a few stray hairs blowing in my face and I forcefully tuck them behind my ear.

  “But what if that story got out to the media? He has a very high-profile job and it would be embarrassing for him.”

  “Cate, Brogan never did anything wrong. He has nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “I know, that’s personal stuff that no one else needs to know about.”

  “You’re right. I got caught up talking about when you kids were younger.”

  Now I feel guilty for laying into my mom like that. It isn’t her fault anyway. I need to figure out what Jake’s deal is. If he’s here because he wants to start up a romance, I need to set him straight. I’m finally with Brogan and that’s not going to change. He’s my forever.

  “Yeah, that’s easy to do. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’re right and nothing will come of it.” I give her another hug and then get back to raking. “So what are our plans for Thanksgiving this year?”

  We spend another hour raking the leaves into big piles around the yard. My arms are sore and I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to lift them tomorrow. When we’ve had enough for the day, I invite her into the coffee shop for a hot cider and slice of pumpkin bread from Embry’s bakery.

  ***

  The rest of the week flies by and the next thing I know it’s Thursday night and I’m sitting on the bed watching Brogan pack his bag for their away game.

  “I love that you’re a coach for a football team, because obviously that’s a dream come true for you, but you sure are a busy man,” I say.

  I pick up one of his shirts and fold it carefully before setting it into his bag.

  “I know, we’re both really busy, which makes it hard. But then it makes the time when we’re together seem really awesome.” He leans over and gives me a kiss. I happily oblige him. I even slip in a quick lick of my tongue to try to entice him. “You’re gonna pay for that,” he says.

  I’m already anticipating what’s to come when he pulls his bag onto the floor, tossing the rest of his clothes down in a heap. I’m laughing and squealing when he launches himself onto the bed, grabbing me and planting kisses in all of my most ticklish places.

  Within a few minutes, though, our playful energy has morphed into something much more sensual and needy. Neither of us wants to play anymore, we need to consume each other’s passion with a night that will keep us satisfied through the next few lo
nely days to come.

  It’s early the next morning when I wake to Brogan’s hand brushing the hair back from my face and kissing my forehead. Once I shake off the deep sleep I realize that he’s already showered and dressed.

  “You’re leaving?” I say.

  “Yes, I have to go. I’ll text you when I can and I’ll see you on Sunday.”

  “Okay.” I kiss him goodbye and then snuggle back in to sleep for a little bit longer.

  The walk to work in the morning is actually a very relaxing way to start the day. I like being able to have time to myself while I wake up and the fresh air clears my head and invigorates me for the day ahead.

  I’m bundled up in my winter jacket, scarf and gloves and I even have my hood up this morning. By the time I walk home this afternoon, I’ll be carrying my jacket. The weather fluctuates so much throughout the day this time of year.

  I’ve rounded the corner and am within a block of the coffee shop when I notice someone walking toward me on the sidewalk. It isn’t unusual to have other people out at this time in the morning, but it doesn’t happen very often.

  I look up so I can smile and say hello as they pass by when I realize it’s Jake Ballard walking toward me. My chest instantly feels tight and I notice how empty the streets seem today. I plant a smile on my face and try to act calm and casual.

  “Jake?” I say, showing my surprise and confusion at him being on this street with me right now.

  “Hi, Cate,” he says. He stops and stands in front of me on the sidewalk. I would feel better if I could keep walking and get closer to the coffee shop but he’s standing in a way that blocks my path.

  “What are you doing in Winterhaven?” Five minutes. I’m going to give him five minutes and then I’m bringing out the excuses as to why I need to get going.

  “I’m here to see you actually,” he says.

  “Oh yeah? What for?”

  “Well, I’ve been thinking about you a lot since we saw each other at our class reunion. I thought I’d track you down again and see if you’d like to go out sometime.”