***
Jessie parked her Jeep at the curb in front of Harmony and Rick’s gorgeous home. It was situated in one of the more exclusive villages of Cypress, and commanded a great view of the main lakeshore across the street. It was set on a large lot, and was painted a dove gray with a peaked slate roof. A deep porch stretched across the front of the house, dotted with Adirondack chairs and a hanging bench swing. Columns and a railing enclosed the porch, making it look very inviting.
She knew the features of the homes in Cypress, both cosmetic and technological, and she knew her boss’s wouldn’t disappoint. The homes in Cypress, whether in the higher-end villages like this one or in the more densely-populated ones, were state-of-the-art. Though traditional in design and appearance, they were at their guts wired for the homeowners’ every convenience. And now that they were building a village with a heavy leaning toward the environment? She suspected she could look forward to a very successful career here.
Climbing up the wide steps to the front porch, she shifted the spring-green cardboard box of pastries she’d picked up at the bakery in the town center. She couldn’t begin to make anything like Claire Chapman did and, besides, where would she bake in the tent-cabin? A quick rap on the wooden screen door brought the sweet little face of Harmony and Rick’s five-year-old son, Nick.
“Hey, Jessie!” He pushed open the door, holding onto the handle. “I have a new friend.”
She blinked at the little boy’s disclosure. “Oh, that’s nice.”
When he ran back into the house, she could hear voices coming from the interior. She took a second to look over her outfit. She’d gone up to the outlet center with Claire and Harmony on Saturday morning, and found a few things to spruce up her wardrobe. Everything had to be wash and wear, since she wasn’t going to start ironing clothes out in the tent-cabin and she sure as heck wasn’t going to haul her clothes to the drycleaner’s.
So today she wore a crisp pair of tan linen shorts and a buttoned sleeveless top in a yummy shade of lemon. She did wear a sweater, but this new one was a thin white knit and crossed with narrow horizontal lines of cotton candy pink and the same yellow as her top. She felt light and springy, right down to her new pink leather ballet flats.
Stepping through the open screen door, she looked around the marble-tiled entry. “Hello?”
“Jessie!” Harmony came from the direction of the kitchen and gave her a warm hug before pulling her back into the main part of the house. “I’m so glad you came.”
“Thanks for having me,” Jessie said, holding out the bakery box. “I brought these.”
“Ooh, thank you. I love the bakery, but don’t tell Claire I sweet cheat on her.”
Jessie laughed. “I won’t. I’m sure she brought something phenomenal today.”
“She did.” Harmony led her to the kitchen and waved at a clear plastic container. “Chocolate-chocolate chip. Oh, she has my number.”
Jessie nodded and looked around. She’d been here many times before, but she could never get over how Harmony had made the gorgeous oversized interior into a cozy home. The great room had a floor to ceiling stacked-stone fireplace and was completely open to the kitchen. Light granite, tons of cabinets and a tall counter with barstools made this space perfect for the ever-growing Chapman family.
Harmony looked Jessie over, head to toe. “I love those clothes on you.”
“Me, too,” Claire Chapman said as she stepped in through the French doors that led to the patio. “You look so sweet.”
Jessie didn’t mind the description. She’d been called that for so long it was just a part of her.
“Thanks, Claire. I think I could develop a serious habit of shopping with you.”
Claire beamed. “Hey, you gotta know what you’re after when you go hunting.”
“That’s an interesting way to put it,” Jessie said.
Claire tucked a thick strand of strawberry blond hair behind one ear. “I can teach you much, grasshopper.”
Jessie laughed. “I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“Oh, you are,” Harmony said, pouring her a tall glass of lemonade. “You are so ready.”
Jessie held up her hands. “Okay, okay. I left the oatmeal sweater at home today, didn’t I?”
Claire and Harmony shared a look and then both grinned.
“It does look like oatmeal,” Harmony said with a laugh.
“Never mind,” Jessie said. “So Nick told me he has a new friend?”
Harmony brightened. “Yes! Noah brought Max with him.”
Jessie’s stomach flipped over. Her cheeks flamed. “Noah’s here?”
“What’s with the blush?” Claire asked. Then her eyes went wide. “Oh, you like Noah!”
“Shh.” Jessie looked around, relieved to her soul that there didn’t appear to be anyone else in earshot at the moment. “Jeez what are we, in middle school?”
Claire clicked her tongue. “All right. But I should warn you about these Chapman picnics.”
Jessie glanced at Harmony, who kept her face suspiciously blank. “What is it about these Chapman picnics, exactly?”
“They’re notorious for getting sparks going,” Claire said.
“Sparks?” Yeah, she’d experienced those first hand by the lake with Noah that night. “Oh, I’m not worried about any sparks.”
“Okay,” Harmony said. “But those sparks are inevitably seen later by dear Lettie Fairfax, Jessie.”
Jessie gaped at her friends. “Oh, that woman always seems to be talking about something naughty even when she’s talking about the weather.”
Claire laughed. “Doesn’t she just?”
Jessie grabbed her glass of lemonade and took a long drink. That seemed to give her a few seconds to collect herself before she blushed even redder. Noah was here. Sparks.
Then she heard it. The laughter of children drifting in through the French doors. Children, not just one child.
“Harmony,” Jessie began. “Who’s Max?”
Harmony looked at her for a beat. “Jessie, Max is Noah’s son.”
Jessie could only stare back at her. His son?
Chapter 6
Noah nursed his bottle of beer, watching Max play on the lawn with Rick and Harmony’s son Nick. The easy banter between Rick and his brother Jake felt comfortable to him as they rehashed old stories and gave each other the business, and Noah knew he didn’t have to contribute anything. Ben and his wife sat on the other side of the picnic table, in a quiet conversation. Noah had never had any of this. Not siblings to share a beer with and not a woman to share a life with.
He’d breezed through his life, happily taking whatever came easiest to him. Catching a wave or getting laid was never tough for him. Put the board in the water and float until the ocean brought a thrill. Smile and flirt with the hot girl until she dropped her panties. Hell, he hadn’t even tried to have a kid and he was blessed with the best one he could imagine.
Max’s big grin told him he’d found a buddy here, and Nick seemed just as happy to play with Max.
“They’re too cute, those boys,” Tammy said, leaning her arms on the table. “Before you know it, they’ll be going to school together.” She winked. “And getting into trouble together.”
Noah gave a shake of his head. “Max lives in Melbourne.”
“For now,” Ben said. “So, how about it?”
Noah couldn’t think of a reason to turn down Ben’s offer again. In fact, since Friday night he’d been imagining just how great it would be to bring Max home to Cypress every weekend. Hell, more than the weekend if he and Nadine could work something out.
“I’d be a fool to pass this up,” he admitted to Ben. He took a breath. “I’ll take it.”
Tammy clasped her hands. “You’re renting the townhouse? That’s great, Noah.”
Noah smiled. “I really appreciate the offer. Just text me the particulars?”
Tammy nodded, her eyes bright. “Yes, we’ll—” Her gaze shifted to the patio door
s. “You came!”
He turned his head to see Jessie framed in the doorway. She looked so pretty standing there, even with an expression of uncertainty on her face and a glass of lemonade held in her hands. His mind flashed back to those heated minutes out by the lake. She’d gripped him just as tightly with those hands, her touch just right. He forced himself to set the memory aside.
She’d said that can’t happen again. He wasn’t exactly sure why not, he knew he sure as hell wanted that and more, but he sensed the Pixie was a lot stronger than she looked. She’d stick by her convictions, damn it all.
Her clothes today were brighter and seemed like they were more her size, and the effect was sweetly sexy. That kind of summed her up, really. Sweet and sexy.
“Hi, Tammy,” she said with a small wave of one hand.
She stepped out onto the patio and glided over to the picnic table, her eyes on him. She didn’t wear her glasses and he could see every shade of gold in those big amber eyes.
“Hey, Jessie,” he said.
Her face was a little flushed but the color looked good on her. “Hey, Noah.”
They stared at each other for a minute, and he was suddenly aware of a lull in the conversations that had been going on at the table. A flick of his eyes showed Ben and Tammy watching them closely, and he saw that even Jake was also looking on with an amused smile tilting his mouth.
“How do you want your burger, Jessie?” Rick asked from his position at the massive gas grill.
Jessie started a little, and then smiled at their host. “Just this side of pink.”
“A woman after my own heart,” Noah put in.
Her mouth opened just a bit, and then she recovered by biting her full lower lip. He couldn’t help but stare.
Thankfully, Ben stood and joined his brother at the grill. Soon a platter of big, juicy burgers sat in the middle of the table and everyone began to eat. Claire and Harmony stepped out of the house, their heads together. When they both looked at him, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. What the hell was going on?
“Come on, Nick,” Rick called. “Max, you too.”
The boys tumbled together as they ran toward the patio.
“Uh, wash those hands,” Harmony said.
The boys hurried past the adults into the house and Noah couldn’t help but smile. It was so nice to see Max with a kid around his own age. Noah never got the chance to see him play outside much, and never with another kid.
“So you’re taking Tammy’s townhouse?” Rick asked him.
Noah nodded. “Yes. It’ll be great not having to drive into St. Cloud every night."
“And Max will be able to spend more time with Nick,” Harmony added.
Jessie’s eyes were intent on him. “Max lives with you in St. Cloud?”
Noah met her gaze. “No. He lives with his mother in Melbourne.”
He wanted to tell her more. For some reason he wanted to make it clear that he didn’t have a relationship with Max’s mother. But then the boys came out and settled at the table, nudging each other with their shoulders as they each took a fat hotdog.
Noah lifted the ketchup bottle and squeezed it onto Max’s dog. “Nick?”
Nick nodded and Noah dressed his lunch, too.
“I’ll never get why kids like ketchup instead of mustard on their hotdogs,” Ben observed.
Tammy laughed. “Our little ravioli will probably like marinara sauce.”
Ben gave her a look of mock-fear. “Horrifying.”
Noah smiled and dug into the best burger he’d ever eaten. He saw that Jessie ate delicately but she looked as pleased with her lunch as Noah was.
By the time the boys were finished and back on the lawn, Noah managed to catch Jessie’s gaze.
“How are you, Jessie?”
She flashed a bright smile. “Great, thanks.”
“That’s good.”
“I didn’t know you’d be here, you know,” she said.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t think you were stalking me.”
He’d tried for humor but for some reason she didn’t smile.
“I would never do that,” she said in a small voice.
Whoa. “I’m teasing, Jessie.”
The smile she gave him wasn’t as bright as the other. “Right.” She swallowed. “I know.”
He felt a flicker of something. He’d seen her shy. He’d seen her busy. He’d seen her completely engaged. He’d never seen her afraid. And unless he missed his guess, she wasn’t about to tell him just what she feared. Why the hell would she? He was just a guy she’d known for a few months. One who worked where she did, and managed to kiss her senseless beside her little slice of heaven on the far lakeshore.
“Max,” he called, coming to his feet.
“Yeah, Daddy?” Max said, lifting his head.
Noah smiled to see how mussed up the little boy looked. Dirt smudged and hair standing on end, he looked like he’d had a blast today. Once again, the decision to take Tammy’s townhouse felt so right.
“Time to head out, buddy.”
Max and Nick both groaned. Max walked slowly toward the patio, kicking at the grass. “Okay,” he said, drawing out the last syllable.
“Go hit the bathroom, then. We have a long ride.” After Max went back into the house, Noah turned to Rick and Harmony. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“Anytime,” Rick said.
“It’s an open invitation, Noah.” Harmony smiled at Max. “You and Max are always welcome.”
Warmth spread through him at her words. “Thanks.”
He could feel Jessie watching him, so he made sure to only glance at her before saying his goodbyes to everyone else.
“That was great, Daddy,” Max said as they walked outside to Noah’s truck.
“I’m glad, buddy.” He got him into the back and buckled him in. “Max, what do you think about staying here with me on the weekends? You know, in Cypress Corners?”
Max’s little face lit up. “I’d love it! I could play with Nick any time I wanted.”
“That’s true.” He couldn’t resist, so he dropped a kiss on top of Max’s head. “Maybe by next weekend we’ll be out of the apartment and right here.”
Max smiled, and then yawned. “Sounds good.”
Noah started the truck and steered them out of Cypress and toward Melbourne. For a second he was pulled back, like he wasn’t meant to leave. He’d never managed to plant roots in the sand out in Melbourne. He could feel them growing into the lush landscape of Cypress today.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
***
Jessie slid on her rubber boots and headed out to take a shower. The tent-cabin boasted an outdoor bathroom, but it was completely plumbed with both hot and cold water. This part of the lakeshore was set to be developed in the coming years, but with the boon in single-family and a planned fifty-five plus community to the south of her place, her slice of waterfront was safe for now. It didn’t take much imagination, especially for someone in sales, to see the potential for this section of the property. Infrastructure was far from complete, but she knew that if more people wanted what she had right now? It wouldn’t take much to connect those structures to utilities as well.
She hummed to herself as she showered and shampooed. Her bathroom might be outside but she didn’t have to share it with Shannon. That alone was worth the boots-and-flashlight nighttime visits.
She dried off and clomped back inside, so ready to change into a comfy top and pajama pants. Her hair was practically dry just from using her thick towel, a perk of having short hair. She pulled on a thin long-sleeve top in spring green and paired it with her Tinkerbell bottoms. It might be a little on the nose, but she liked the little Pixie. Maybe that was why she really didn’t mind her Cypress nickname.
There was a bottle of white wine chilling in her little fridge, so she poured herself a glass and went out onto her back deck. Taking in a deep breath, she let go of the confusion of the day with the exhale
. It was twilight now, and she should be relaxed. She’d spent a lovely day with friends. She got to look her fill at the guy who’d filled her thoughts since Monday night. And his son. She couldn’t get over that revelation.
The boy was adorable, though. And seemed like a sweetheart, from the way he’d quickly bonded with Nick Chapman. Max lived with his mother, Noah had said. What was Noah’s relationship with his ex like?
“Doesn’t matter, does it?” she asked herself softly.
She took a sip of her wine and gazed out at her lakeshore. The night was coming on, but she could still see glints of the waning sunlight on the ripples over the water. It was nearly this time on Monday when she’d discovered Noah here. She glanced at the empty chair next to her. He’d sat right beside her in that chair. Closing her eyes, she relived that amazing kiss. She’d trembled. Her heart had raced. And then skidded to a stop.
A sound reached her and her eyes popped open. An engine, she guessed. Of a good-sized pickup truck. She had a sinking suspicion about just whose truck that was. With a sense of inevitability, she set her glass down and went inside to pour another one for her guest.
The truck door slammed and big booted footsteps sounded on the front porch. The wooden door rattled a little as he knocked on it, and she padded over the rag rug to open it. Gazing up, she drank in the view. He still wore the worn light blue polo shirt and cargo shorts that hung off his narrow hips. His clothes sure fit him just right, casual though they were. Well, wasn’t she in her pajamas?
“Hey, Noah,” she said for the second time today.
He dipped his head a little, looking at her from beneath his lashes. “Hey, Jessie.”
She stepped back and he walked in, easily filling her small living space. Handing him the wineglass, she watched as he arched a brow.
“This is mine?” he asked, taking it.
“Yep. Mine’s out here.” She turned from him and walked out to the back deck.
She settled back into her chair as he joined her.
“You knew I was coming?” he asked with a crooked smile.
“No.” She waited for him to sit in what she was trying hard not to think of as his chair. “It’s hard to miss the sound of your truck, though.”
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