I made my way to the platter of hot dogs and flashed a smile at Billy. “Looks perfect. Thank you for doing this.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank Kyle.”
“I will.” I nodded, and Holly slid a stack of paper plates and napkins in front of me.
“This is the best Saturday ever.” Holly glanced at her sister, who frantically nodded as she eyed the platter of food. “And…”
“Don’t tell me there are any other surprises.” I took a bite of my hot dog, and it tasted just as good as if I were at his restaurant.
“Actually, in about an hour, we need to head to my cabin,” Holly informed me.
“Why’s that?” Still afraid Kyle was about to leap out from the back room at any moment.
“I told you we’d make it up to you, and I’ve got a bunch of spa treatments with professionals all lined up for us at Holly’s,” Gina informed me, as she slid her phone into her purse, but I saw a flicker of pain dart through her gaze.
I gave her a quick hug.
“Are you doing okay?” I whispered as all the girls decorated their hot dogs.
“Depends on the hour.” She attempted to push away the sadness, but it was etched deeply into her expression. “How about you? I know you’re trying to pretend like you’ve got everything together.”
“Is it that obvious? I thought I’d mastered looking aloof and like I didn’t care?” I laughed, and she shook her head.
“Not in the slightest.”
“Do you think it’s a bad idea to see Kyle next weekend?” I asked.
“I don’t know if there’s such a thing as good or bad when it comes to the human heart, but I think it would be a worse idea not to at least hear him out.”
I nodded in agreement and polished off my hot dog when my phone buzzed. A flitter of excitement boiled up and Gina hid a smile.
“See? Like that? I didn’t see that right there.” She pointed at me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said under my breath, as I pulled my phone out of my purse.
I’ll probably be out of range until tomorrow night, but I wanted to say I hope today makes up for last weekend. I know I wasn’t who you expected to see on your girls’ trip. You’ve got a great group of friends. Hope this makes up for it.
“I haven’t seen you smile that big in…” Gina paused. “Ever.”
“I’m sure you just haven’t looked at the right time.”
I began texting back.
I’ve never received flowers before and tulips are my favorite. The bouquet is beautiful and the hot dogs were delicious. Thank you for thinking of us.
He wrote back.
I was thinking of only you. I’m just glad Billy didn’t screw it up.
I laughed aloud and wrote back.
Look forward to seeing you next weekend. Have a safe trip.
I slipped my phone back into my purse and lifted my head, only to see all the girls staring at me with smirks on their faces.
“Not what you think. He just wanted to make sure Billy didn’t screw up the order.”
“Whatever you say, Brooke.” Maddie grinned and glanced at her sister. “We’ll all play along.”
Chapter Nine
Spring was in full swing on the islands. It was amazing that only two weeks ago, mountain snow was dumping, and now, I was able to crawl all around and weed the beds with sunshine beating down on the back of my neck with the salty sea air whipping up the banks.
This was one of my favorite times at the farm. It was early morning, and neither tourists or workers had arrived, which left me ample time to tend to some of my favorite gardens in the peace and quiet. Except for the unexpected swooshing of Jake’s helicopter landing across the property, my morning had been blissful.
I had to get on the road by eight o’clock this morning to get to Kyle’s in time for our second attempt at whatever this was going to be.
And I had absolutely no idea what that was.
As the week wore on, my feelings became more pronounced in the wrong direction. I was softening toward Kyle and that was extremely worrisome. I’d made my entire life work well for me because I had clear boundaries outlined with how I dealt with the opposite sex.
Things were clean, simple, and gratifying.
And then out of nowhere, the one man who taught me that rules were necessary when it came to matters of the heart somehow skewed my own guidelines.
I let out a groan and pulled out a tuft of grass lodged underneath a rose bush.
“It’s not every day a man gets to see a view like that.”
My cheeks flamed in fury as Kyle’s voice rolled over me.
Who in the world did he think he was to talk to me like that?
I never imagined I’d be on all fours in front of him, but I certainly didn’t expect him to say that right off the bat.
“Excuse me?” I fumed.
I crawled backward, feeling the squish of the soil under my knees, as my anger only built. I stood up, dusted my gloved hands together, and spun around ready to give him a piece of my mind.
Only to see him not facing me, but the cliff overlooking the water, with the sea grass swaying in the light breeze, and for some reason, I got even more annoyed that the comment wasn’t directed at me.
“I said, ‘it’s not every day a man gets to see a view like that’.”
“I heard what you said,” I grumbled, taking my gloves off.
He spun around with a twinkle in his eye that told me my first suspicion had been correct, and I hid a smile.
He looked as gorgeous as I remembered, possibly more so in his fitted blue and white flannel shirt, worn jeans, and hiking boots. He bent over and picked up one of the shovels I dragged with me, and I noticed the muscles stretching along his forearm. Restoring cabins looked good on him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, dragging my eyes away. “I thought I was going to meet you at your place?”
“Jake mentioned he could take us in his chopper, and who am I to argue with that. I thought it might be easier on you, especially given that you drove all the way to Oregon to see me.” He leaned on the shovel and grinned.
“You’ve already let that go to your head?” My brow arched and his grin widened.
“It may seem like nothing to you, but I’m learning I’ve got to take any small victory I can with you.”
I laughed and banged my gloves against the dirt on my knees. “Well, I wasn’t expecting to leave for another thirty minutes, so I have to go change and get ready. I heard Jake’s chopper earlier so he’s wandering around somewhere.”
“I already ran into him after I parked my car. He pointed me in this direction. Said it was one of your favorite gardens.” He turned to look at the ocean and sighed. “I can see why.”
“It’s a good reminder that whatever problem I have in a day is nothing in comparison to the vastness of our world.” I smiled, and Kyle brought his attention back to me.
His eyes connected with mine, and I felt alive with an excitement I hadn’t felt for a long time. It reminded me of the mornings he’d show up ready for us to start our days exploring Hanging Lake or wherever else he and my cousins had decided on.
He looked like he was going to say something I’d regret hearing so I started away.
“Okay, so I’ll be back in about thirty.”
I’d rented the second story of a home that had been turned into an apartment. Housing was somewhat scarce on Hound Island. Fireweed had a couple of apartment complexes and more rentals, but I didn’t feel like having to take a ferry every day.
“You don’t live on the property?” he asked, surprised.
“No. I love my aunt and cousins, but I figured the only shot I had at them not meddling was to be on a different piece of property owned by someone other than the Harlens.” My brows shot up. “But I underestimated them.”
Kyle chuckled. “Can’t argue there.”
I smiled and a rush of happiness flowed freely through my veins as I
started toward the gravel parking lot behind several small garden sheds.
“Hey, Brooke?” Kyle asked
“Yeah?” I glanced over my shoulder.
“Thanks.”
“For what?” I stopped.
“Seeing me again.” He pressed his lips into a thin line, and his boyish expression completely vanished. “I know I don’t deserve it.”
His words gutted me, and I became lost in his gaze as I saw a collision of emotion rest behind his brilliant blue eyes. Part of me wanted to assure him that I was okay and completely over whatever happened years ago, and the other didn’t want to lie to him or myself, so I stuck to the truth.
“I’ve been looking forward to visiting the falls. Now, if I don’t hurry up, we’ll have another missed adventure.” I waved behind me, continuing toward the parking lot, trying to reconcile all the stories I’d come up with over the years compared to who was actually coming back into my life.
This was going to be a tricky day. I didn’t want to give him or myself false hope, but I was intrigued why he was so interested in seeing me again. Was it just to get some stuff off his chest so he felt better for the rest of his adult life or was there something more to the sudden interest?
By the time I’d driven my car to where I lived and climbed the stairs to my apartment, I was mentally exhausted from thinking about all the possibilities.
There was no doubt about it.
Kyle North was sexy, charming, and remorseful. Considering our history, I’d say the third quality was winning my heart the most. I let out a frustrated groan and shook my head as I unlocked my door and stepped inside my small, yet extremely cozy apartment.
The owners, Lila and Jerry, lived downstairs. They were a sweet couple, in their mid-seventies and retired. A week didn’t go by when I wasn’t invited to have at least one dinner downstairs.
What I loved about my tiny apartment was that it came furnished—complete with the white lace curtains embroidered with tiny rosebuds hanging on every window. The mauve couch and sage-colored looped rug underneath the coffee table sold me on the place. That and the small tchotchkes tucked on every shelf imaginable. If anyone wanted to admire colored glass figurines in abundance, this would be the apartment to do so.
It reminded me of my grandparents’ home in Colorado, which was probably why I loved it so much. I didn’t want to bother finding a place that I’d have to furnish when I knew at some point, I’d hopefully be buying my own home. Until then, I didn’t need to bother spending money on decorating.
The smell of bacon and eggs drifted through the ducting and I chuckled. That was the only downside about my apartment. I knew every single thing that was on their daily menu.
Generally, the smells were nothing short of mouth-watering, but there were those days when I couldn’t even begin to guess what was going on down there, and I tended to hang out at the farm for as long as possible. I’d been able to find the source. It was a crockpot, but what went inside was anyone’s guess.
I quickly grabbed a towel from the dryer and draped it over the curtain rod in the bathroom. I turned on the hot water and stripped out of my gardening clothes, giving myself a glance in the mirror.
A lot of things had changed since Kyle last saw all of me. I wondered what he’d think. I rolled my eyes and shoved the thought aside as I climbed in and felt the warmth sprinkle down my spine. I needed to quit going from zero-to-sixty with my thoughts on Kyle.
I’d already picked out my outfit before I left this morning. I thought a pair of jeans, a long sleeve knit shirt, and a sweatshirt would be perfect.
After the last Silver Falls debacle, I looked up the falls near Silver Ridge and it looked like the terrain was mild leading up to it. I wasn’t really trying to impress him. He’d already seen me at my worst.
I shut my eyes and rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, and Kyle crept right into mind. He looked even better than I remembered. His shoulders broader, paired with a lean, muscular body, and those damn eyes. They were filled with so much depth whenever he looked at me.
Most—okay, all—of the men I’d dated had this vague look in their eyes. Sometimes I wondered if they were mirroring my own.
Turning off the water, I toweled off on the way to my bedroom and dressed in the clothes I’d already laid out.
A car door slammed outside and I jumped, realizing I hadn’t remembered to shut my bedroom window—a hazard of living on the second story—and wandered over to see who was visiting Lila and Jerry.
They usually told me whenever we had dinner what they had planned for the week, and I didn’t remember them saying anything about a visitor today.
I glanced down into the driveway as I began closing the window and my heart did a somersault. It was Kyle and Jake. I tilted my head back and let out a soft whimper. What was it about the Harlens?
I dashed to the bathroom, swept some mascara on my lashes, dotted my lips with gloss, and anchored my wet hair in a ponytail, all before the pounding hit the front door. I ran my hands down my shirt and walked into my living room, relieved that the tulips he gave me were still hanging in there, and opened the door to see Kyle with an iced latte and a pastry bag.
“We thought you might be hungry,” Jake said, walking right into my apartment with Kyle politely standing outside. “And thirsty.”
“I told your cousin you’d probably be just as thrilled to be greeted with the latte and scone at the helicopter as much as not.” Kyle cocked his head slightly. “But you know what it’s like arguing with a Harlen.”
I grinned and took the paper bag and drink from Kyle and motioned for him to come in.
“Oh, did you already eat breakfast?” Kyle asked. “I smell bacon and eggs.”
Jake laughed. “No. That’s her landlords downstairs. Whatever they eat, Brooke might as well be having too.”
Jake could never understand why I was fine with an understated home with furnishings that weren’t mine and smells that were definitely not mine.
Kyle slid his hands into his jean pockets and looked around before beelining to one of the more extensive glass collections on the bookcase near the window. He leaned down and looked at all sizes of clowns. Some were as tiny as a bumblebee and others could act as a bookend.
“Wow.” Kyle straightened before moving onto a new shelf, this one filled with birds. “I never knew you’d be into this kind of stuff.”
Jake snickered, and I shot him an evil eye.
“She spends most of her free time at the wildlife refuge at the south end of the island too,” Jake added in an attempt to win back some points.
“Guess there’s lots to learn about me.” I smiled and Kyle’s eyes fastened on mine as I sat down on the couch, tucking my right leg underneath me.
“I suppose there is.” His gaze landed on the crocheted owl pillows in the corner, and he opened his mouth, only to shut it quickly without a word. It was hard to keep a straight face so I kept focused on my scone. “Guess that explains your affinity for woodland creatures.”
“A little different than your cabins in the woods.” I lifted my eyes when all threat of laughter had vanished.
“Very unique.” Kyle nodded, touching a macrame wall hanging that had a mate in Lila’s home downstairs.
“Mmm. Thank you.” I wiggled my brows, and Jake walked into the kitchen to stifle his laughter.
Kyle took a seat and rested his elbow on one of the doilies draped over the arms of the couch.
“Thanks again for the tulips. I’ve actually never gotten an arrangement before.”
Kyle snapped his eyes to mine. “What?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “I don’t seem to hang out with the flower-giving kind of guy.
His eyes narrowed on mine, and I felt a flutter of embarrassment from the admission.
“So the tulips made my entire week. Thank you.” I drew a breath and felt my pulse climbing.
“Maybe you need to rethink who you spend time with,” he finally stated, as Jake wandered ba
ck into the living room with a glass of water.
“Quite possibly.” I nodded in agreement and finished the last bite of scone.
“I’ll meet you outside. The smell of bacon is getting to me,” Jake said, without looking at either us, and I knew instantly he was lying. He polished off the water, set the empty glass on a pelican coaster, and wandered out the front door.
Kyle glanced around the apartment before settling his gaze back on me. “I thought you hated clowns.”
“With a passion.” I nodded and looked behind me. “But we all have to get over our quirks eventually.”
“If I remember, it wasn’t a quirk. It was pure fear, terror, really.” Kyle stood and walked over to the glass clowns and studied them. “And I don’t think there’s any getting over something that looks like this.”
He picked up one of the larger ones, and truthfully, I avoided that shelf like the plague. As long as I didn’t look at the face of the clown I was fine.
“I’ve gotten over a lot of things in life, clowns included.” I stood and made my way to the kitchen to throw out the pastry bag and wash my hands.
“You’re certainly full of surprises,” Kyle said, coming up behind me in the kitchen.
I turned around, my back pressing against the refrigerator when I caught his bemused expression as he noticed the wall clock with a pair of owls nuzzling against one another.
“I like to keep the people guessing,” I informed him.
“It’s certainly working.” He narrowed the space between us. “But I have to admit…” He took another step closer, and I could feel the heat rolling off his body, his mouth only inches from mine. I took a deep breath and found myself foolishly wanting to be kissed by him.
He moved even closer, his lips grazing my ear as he whispered, “I just don’t believe you’d pick out this wild horses magnet or this cuddling kitten magnet with the year 1973 nearly worn off.”
He reached over my shoulder and grabbed a magnet from the fridge and then another before stepping back.
Irresistible Love at Silver Falls (Island County Series Book 7) Page 8