“It was very nice meeting you,” Sebastian told her. He didn’t quite understand the look on her face. It was the same one she’d given him in the living room earlier.
“I know who you are,” Ida declared.
The swig of water he’d just taken went down hard. “Excuse me,” he coughed out.
Ida glanced toward the bathroom as she stepped closer and looked him straight in the eye. “You’re Sebastian Schultz.”
His heartbeat raced. How did she know?
“I knew you looked familiar, but I could not place it. And then I remembered an article I read a while back about the children of the Schultz Chocolate founder taking on bigger roles in the company.”
“Ida—”
“My memory is very long, especially when it comes to what I’ve read. This I know I’m right about.”
“I have a good reason. Please let me explain.”
“I don’t know why you’re keeping this from Genny, but—”
“I can’t really go into everything at the moment.” His gaze shot frantically toward the bathroom. “I’ve had bad experiences with relationships in the past,” he explained as quietly as he could so Genevieve wouldn’t hear him. “It’s hard to know who I can trust. But I think I can trust her, and I know it doesn’t seem like it, but she can trust me, too, Ida. I promise you, I’m going to tell her. Please, just give me a chance.”
Ida was quiet for a long, uncomfortable minute, and appeared to be contemplating the situation. “I won’t tell her.”
He was shocked by this. “You won’t?”
“I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time, and I know it has to do with you.”
“I never meant to hide this from her. It just happened.”
“I’m sure you have your reasons, but let me say this …” Ida took another step closer, looking him straight in the eyes. “You need to tell her, and soon. The longer you wait, the worse it will be.”
“I know,” he replied.
Ida shook her head. “She’s going to be very hurt.”
He hung his head. “I know that too. And please believe me when I say that hurting her is the last thing I ever want to do.”
Ida nodded once, her lips pressed together in a tight line.
“I will tell her before the regatta.”
She patted him on the arm. “Good. Then we understand each other.”
“We do.”
“We do what?” Genevieve asked as she walked into the kitchen and opened a drawer, removing a notepad and pen from within.
Sebastian’s heart was in his throat. “We need to get back to GR.”
“Yeah, just let me leave a note for Luna about Charisma.” She looked over at Ida. “Mom, I know you don’t like the horses, but I need you to check on her in a while and keep the knee wrapped. If it’s not better in the morning, call me, and I’ll call the vet. If she has to see him, I want to be here.”
“All right,” Ida replied. “And I like the horses just fine. So long as I don’t have to clean up after them.”
Genevieve looked straight at Sebastian, confirming with her eyes what she’d said about her mother earlier. She laid the notepad and pen on top of the counter. “Make sure Luna only comes if Charisma’s knee is better. And if so, make sure she sees this. I don’t want Luna taking her out and making it worse.”
“Got it.”
Genevieve walked over and hugged her mother. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Again, it was nice meeting you,” Sebastian told Ida.
Ida nodded. “Same to you.”
He looked back over his shoulder and gave Ida a final nod of understanding before following Genevieve out the door.
The evening gave way to slightly cooler air as the sun hung lower in the sky.
“Do you want me to put the convertible top down?” Sebastian asked.
Genevieve’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Sure.” He pulled the latch and pressed the button, and Genevieve actually giggled as the top went down behind them.
“I’ve never ridden in a convertible with the top down before?”
“You haven’t?”
“What, like it’s something everyone does?”
He laughed. “I guess not.” He’d been riding in them since he was a teenager. He’d even owned a few. So they were sort of commonplace for him. But seeing the huge smile on her face made it seem exciting and new, like the first time all over again.
She fixed her hair into a bun again as he took off. As they headed down the road, she threw her head back and raised her arms up above her head. “This is so amazing!” she cried.
He couldn’t help laughing at her enthusiasm.
“I’ve always thought it would be fun to ride in one. This is just …” She turned around, waving at a car traveling behind them.
He chuckled.
“Did you ever go on a hayride when you were a kid?” she asked.
“A hayride?” This wasn’t the first time she had jumped from one topic to another in a split second, and it fascinated him how her mind worked.
“Yeah, you know … hay bales stacked in the back of a wagon pulled by a tractor across a field or down a trail?” She was still looking all around them, taking in the sights as if she hadn’t seen them thousands of times before.
“I probably did, but I don’t remember it.”
She looked over at him then. “That’s sad. This reminds me of the way I felt on hayrides.”
He stepped harder on the accelerator. “Except this goes much faster than a tractor.”
She squealed with delight. “I don’t mean the speed. I mean just us, the road ahead, and the sky above. Nothing boxing us in.” She took a deep breath. “Smell that fresh air.”
He took in a breath and smelled nothing but manure from a nearby farm. “It’s fresh all right.”
She started giggling then and did not stop. Her laughter was contagious.
“You have such a great laugh,” he finally said when his own laughter faded.
A few final laughs trickled out of her. “So do you.”
They made eye contact, and his stomach somersaulted from the affectionate look on her face.
“Tell me more about the horse rescue. What kinds of things did you do when you were there?” he asked.
“I helped feed the horses, did any cleaning duties around the barns, whatever they needed. I especially liked spending time with the horses, though. There was one that we called Roman. He was brought there in such horrible condition—skin and bones. It was hard to believe he would survive.” A sadness crossed over her face, and he could see that there were tears forming in her eyes.
He reached across and clasped her hand in his.
She smiled over at him. “But he did survive. I had to leave before he was fully recovered, but one of the employees sent me a picture. By fall, Roman was strong and thriving. It was amazing.”
“What was the job you applied for?”
“Same as what I’m doing now. Fundraising coordinator.”
“Well, I’m sorry you didn’t get the job you really wanted.” That wasn’t the whole truth. He was thankful she’d walked into the gift shop that morning and called him a cold fish. If she’d gone to Montana to work for the horse rescue, they probably never would have met. He couldn’t even imagine that.
“I’m happy to be at Schultz. It’s a far cry better than my last job.”
“What was your last job?”
“I worked for another non-profit, raising money for breast cancer research—or so they said. I don’t doubt that some of the money actually went to a good cause, but they were not transparent with their budget and there was a lot of misuse of funds going on there. I could not in good conscience work for them anymore once I knew that.”
“That’s awful,” he said.
“Yeah, they were dishonest. And I have no respect for people who don’t tell the truth.”
His heart nearly stopped beating, and a strong sense of guilt washed over him.
�
��I looked up the horse rescue on a whim one day when I was sick and tired of my job, and I saw they were taking applications. I sent my résumé off to them and handed in my letter of resignation the same day. Then when my friend told me she heard The Schultz Foundation was in need of a new event coordinator, I decided not to put all my eggs in one basket, so I applied there too, but I didn’t think I had a chance of getting it.”
“Why didn’t you have a chance?”
“For one, I figured my previous employer wouldn’t give me a good reference because we did not part on good terms.”
“I see.”
“But I got called for an interview, then they called me back for a second interview, and they offered me the position.”
“Good.”
“I almost didn’t take it. I was still kind of holding out hope for Montana.”
He realized his hand was still on hers, and she hadn’t moved hers either, so he gave it a squeeze. “I’m glad you took it.”
“So am I.”
The sun had dipped even lower in the sky by the time they reached the Schultz parking lot. Sebastian parked, opened the door for her, and walked her to her car. He was surprised when she slid her hand into his palm, but he wasn’t complaining, and he wasn’t going to miss out on this opportunity to hold her hand again. The feel of her smooth, warm skin against his palm had his body buzzing. He only wished he’d parked farther away from her car.
They each let go when she reached into her bag for the keys. She pressed the button on the key fob to unlock the doors and turned to him before climbing in.
“I had fun tonight,” she told him.
“So did I—”
She leaned closer and lifted up on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his cheek.
“Hey, what are you doing for the Fourth?” His words came out deeper and more raspy than his normal voice, and by the little curve of the corner of her mouth, he was sure she knew that little impromptu kiss had affected him.
“No plans. I thought about calling Rhonda and going downtown to watch the fireworks along the river.” She gazed up at him. “Do you have a better offer?”
His heart rate was chugging along at an increased rate ever since her soft lips had met his cheek, and the sweet way she was looking up at him at the moment made him want to take her in his arms and make his fantasy of pressing his lips to hers a reality. But he kept himself in check and instead asked, “Will you watch fireworks with me?”
She had the most beautiful smile on her face. “I’d love to.”
TWENTY
The Fourth of July fell in the middle of the following week, and Genevieve could barely concentrate on her work, thinking about spending the evening with Kurtis. She had thought for sure he was going to kiss her on Friday night after the time at her parents’ farm, and she was disappointed that he hadn’t. But now she was looking forward with anticipation to their time together, whatever it might hold.
It had been a long time since she’d been this excited about going on a date. She’d spent extra time in front of the mirror curling her long blonde locks, only to smooth them out again with her straightening iron. She’d never been one to worry about her looks, but something about tonight felt important. Special. She wanted it to go well, and she was hoping it would be the beginning of something amazing.
Kurtis was amazing. It was so easy to talk to him, to open up. She loved that about their … friendship. After tonight, she hoped she could consider what they had as more than that. But she wouldn’t be pushy about it. She wanted it to happen naturally. And so far everything seemed to be progressing in that way.
She only hoped he’d really open up to her, so she could stop feeling like there was something he was hiding from her. She hated that feeling and wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but it was there. Just under the surface. This niggling doubt. She wanted it gone.
The clock ticked on her kitchen wall, and she continuously peeked out the window to see if he had arrived yet. He was running a little late—minutes only, really—but she just wanted him to get there already.
Genevieve was surprised to see Kurtis pull up in Skylar’s convertible. She hadn’t expected him to borrow it tonight, but knowing he’d done it for her filled her heart with joy.
She quickly closed the curtain before he spotted her spying and waited for him to come to her door. When he knocked, she waited a good ten seconds before opening it.
“Hi.” She tried to say it as sweetly as possible, hoping to convey how happy she was to see him.
“Hi.” His smile told her he felt the same way. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah.”
“You should grab a jacket or sweater. The air by the lake is cooler than it is here.”
“We’re going to the lake?” she asked, suddenly more excited than before.
“Yes. Is that okay?”
“Absolutely.” She grabbed her sweater from the hook by the door and followed him down the sidewalk to Skylar’s car. “I didn’t know you were in the habit of borrowing the boss’s car so often.”
“I owe her a favor now, apparently.”
She laughed at that.
He drove them toward the lake. The top of the car was up this time. The air the past couple days had been significantly cooler than the sticky days of last week.
Genevieve stole glances at Kurtis every so often. He wore a faded red T-shirt, which fit just right across his wide chest and showed off the muscular arms she’d only imagined, khaki shorts, and white slip-on Vans. His deep brown hair was loose and wavy rather than combed back neatly like he wore it for work, and his cheeks had a hint of five o’clock shadow.
“Like what you see?” He interrupted her perusal.
Her cheeks warmed, and she quickly returned her attention to the view outside.
They headed on toward Holland, and he parked at the State Park just as they had the last time they were there. People had already begun gathering on the beach, waiting for the sun to go down and the fireworks to begin.
Kurtis opened the trunk and removed a couple blankets and a small cooler, locked the vehicle, and started walking down toward the water.
“Do you want me to carry something?” Genevieve asked.
He tossed one of the blankets over her head. “You can carry this.”
She giggled as she pulled the blanket down and wrapped it around herself, while he wrapped the other around his own shoulders.
The wind off the water definitely gave a little chill to the air. But when he wound his fingers through hers, she didn’t feel the least bit cold.
Kurtis continued walking past the edge of the park beach.
“Where are we going?”
He nodded ahead. “Just a little ways down. More private.”
She squeezed his hand. “I like private.” Her voice came out deeper and a little more sultry than she meant it to.
Kurtis stumbled a bit, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
Genevieve admired each beach house they passed along their walk. When they were quite a ways off from the public beach, Kurtis finally stopped and lay his blanket out on the sand. He sat down and patted the spot next to him as he opened the cooler and handed her a bottled water.
She sat down beside him and took the bottle as she gazed up at the bluff above to a beautiful cottage overlooking the lake. “Whose place is that?”
“It’s the Schultz family cottage.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious? That is beautiful. Will they mind that we’re here?”
“They don’t own the beach.”
“Oh. Right.”
The sun was nearly below the horizon now. They sat in silence watching it dip lower and lower until it disappeared completely, giving way to gorgeous reds and oranges streaking across the evening sky.
“Lake Michigan sunsets are the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen,” Genevieve said.
“Me too.”
She glanced behind them again. “Do you think we could get closer to t
he house? Or is that not allowed?”
“Do you want a tour?” he asked.
“A tour? Can we even get in there?” she asked.
“Sky gave me the security code,” he replied as he stood.
She was surprised by this. When she followed him to standing, her hands rested on her hips. “Be straight with me. What kind of relationship do you and Skylar really have? I know you said nothing’s going on there, but I mean, you’re friends with her friends, you all go out to dinner and hang out, she lets you borrow her car, and you can get into their beach house. I mean, it seems like a bit much for just friends.”
He stepped closer to her and took her face in his hands, which made her heart skip a beat. “I promise you, she is my friend and nothing more. We just go way … way back.”
“Friends.”
“Please believe me.” His forehead scrunched together as he pleaded with her.
She wanted to. So badly. “Okay. I believe you.”
This didn’t seem like what he’d been holding back from her, though.
They climbed the many steps that led up the hill to a beautiful deck overlooking the lake. There were couches and chairs situated in a seating area to one side and a large dining table covered by an umbrella to the other. He took her hand and led her past all that to an entrance. Pressing several buttons, as if he’d done it hundreds of times before, the lock released, and he opened the door and led her into an expansive living room. The windows wrapping around the room gave way to the very last of the sun setting outside, and Kurtis went around flipping on lights while she admired the space.
“Come on. I’ll show you around.”
As she passed by a cabinet, she noticed a framed photograph of a group of people. Kurtis and Skylar were in the group as well as Sebastian. She wondered who all the others were.
“So, you weren’t kidding that you all go way back.”
He took the photo from her and set it back down. “Yeah. That was at a company party here a few years back.”
“I think I’m going to like working for this company. A lot.”
“You will,” he said as he took her hand and led her into the kitchen, then on through to some bedrooms and their gigantic bathrooms with jacuzzi tubs, downstairs to a game room, and then out onto a private patio below the deck that held a hot tub.
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