by Marie Force
“Hard not to when it was such a close call.”
“We got lucky, and the planets aligned in our favor.”
“I’ll never, ever take this for granted, Lizzie, even on days when you blast me out of bed way too early to tend to one of your big ideas.”
“That’s good to know,” she said, smiling over at him. “I worry about the day when I push you one step too far and you tell me, ‘That’s it, Elisabeth with an S. No more big ideas for you.’”
“I’m not seeing that day ever coming, as you well know, which is why you play me like a well-used fiddle to get what you want.”
“You are kind of easy,” she said with a giggle.
“Easy,” he said with an indignant huff. “I’ll show you easy when I get you back home.”
“Oh boy. I can’t wait.”
They pulled up to the building that had served as Gansett Island’s K-12 school since the seventies, and Lizzie saw right away that the abandoned school looked tired, worn and dated. But that was nothing a little TLC couldn’t fix. The second Jared brought the car to a stop, she got out to go peek into dirty windows.
“Be careful,” Jared said. “There might be broken glass in those weeds.”
Lizzie didn’t see the dirt or the weeds or the broken glass. She only saw the big rooms that had once housed students and might one day be rooms for elderly patients. “This is perfect,” she declared.
“You can’t tell that just by looking in a few windows.”
“It’s got good bones, and check out the size of the rooms. Come over here and look.”
Jared joined her at the window, peering inside with his hands around his eyes blocking the sunlight. “The rooms are big.”
“They’re perfect. Who can we talk to about seeing the inside?”
“You can ask your buddy Paul about that, but before you do, are you really sure you want to take this on, babe? This would be a really, really big deal, and we’ve already got a pretty big deal going on at the Chesterfield. I thought the goal when we moved out here was to simplify our lives. This is not going to be simple.”
“No, it isn’t,” she said, her heart racing with excitement as plans came together in her mind. “It’s going to be a huge pain in the ass, but think of the good we could do here. Look at what Alex and Paul are going through with their mother, and David said he knows of ten other families on the island in similar straits. We’d have the place sold out before we begin construction. And then there’s Quinn. This could be ideal for him.”
“That’s a whole other kettle of fish—smelly, complicated fish.”
She glanced at him. “Did you just refer to your brother as smelly fish?”
“His situation is dicey, Lizzie, as you well know.”
“This might be the sort of thing that’ll give him a new purpose in life. It wouldn’t hurt anything to ask him, would it?”
“You’re so far down the road on this, and you only had the idea last night.”
“What’s wrong with trying to make things happen?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong with it as long as you know what you’re getting into from the outset.”
“I’m well aware that this won’t be easy, but I want to do it anyway.” She withdrew her cell phone from her pocket and scrolled through her contacts.
“Who’re you calling, babe? It’s seven thirty on a Sunday.”
“Paul will be up,” she said as she placed the call, smiling at her husband, who just shook his head once again.
The ringing phone pulled Paul out of a deep, satisfying sleep. For a second, he couldn’t figure out who was in bed with him, but then the memories of the night before came back to remind him that Hope had stayed with him. He moved carefully so he wouldn’t disturb her and reached for his phone on the bedside table to see that Lizzie was calling him awfully early.
“Hello,” he said, taking the phone with him as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
“Hey, Paul, it’s Lizzie. I hope I’m not waking you.”
“It’s okay. What’s up?”
“Jared and I are out at the old school, and I think it’ll be perfect for what we have in mind.”
Paul was so groggy that he had to think about what they had in mind. “You’re out there already?”
“Uh-huh. Jared and I got up early to come check it out.”
“She dragged me out of bed early,” Jared said into the phone. “I told her not to call you at this hour.”
Paul laughed even as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“How can we get inside?” Lizzie asked. “And I want first dibs on buying it.”
“You’re serious,” Paul said. The sort of facility Lizzie envisioned on Gansett Island would be an answer to a prayer for him and Alex.
“I’m dead serious.”
“She’s dead serious,” Jared said.
“Hush,” Lizzie said to her husband. “I’m conducting business here.”
“I’ll make a few phone calls and see if I can get someone out there to let you inside. Can you wait for a bit?”
“Sure, we’ve got nothing planned for today.”
Jared’s groan in the background carried through the phone.
“Something tells me you don’t speak for your husband,” Paul said, amused by her doggedness.
“He can wait on the plans for later. It’ll keep.”
“No, it won’t!” Jared said.
“I’ll call you back,” Paul said, laughing at their banter. He ended that call and placed another to the police station. When the dispatcher answered, he asked for the officer in charge.
“Taylor,” a gruff voice replied.
“Hey, it’s Paul Martinez. They’ve got you working Sundays, huh?”
“I’ve got two guys out sick, so I’m holding the short straw. What’s up?”
“I have someone interested in buying the old school building and wondered if you have keys, since Town Hall is closed today.”
“Yep, I’ve got keys.”
“Any chance one of your guys could run them out there? Lizzie and Jared James are there now, and she’s eager to see the inside.”
“What’s she got in mind for the place?”
“An elderly-care facility, of all things.”
“Wow, that’s a cool idea.”
“My brother and I couldn’t agree more. We’re getting to the point with our mom that we’re going to need more involved care than we can provide at home. If this materializes, it would solve a huge problem for us.”
“I imagine it would. I’ll take the keys out there myself.”
“Are you sure? I could come get them if you’re busy.”
“No problem. I’ve got to do my rounds anyway.”
“Thanks a lot, Blaine. Appreciate it.”
“You got it. So I’ll see you next weekend, huh?”
“Yes, you will.” Paul was hosting Alex’s bachelor party next Saturday night. “Looking forward to it.”
“Me, too. Talk to you then.”
As Paul ended the call, Alex and Jenny came in through the front door.
“Hey, you’re up early,” Jenny said with a cheerful smile.
Paul was frozen in place as it dawned on him that he’d missed his opportunity to get Hope out of the house before they were caught together. Crap. “I, um…”
“Everything okay?” Alex asked as he peeled a banana while Jenny made coffee.
“Um, yeah. I’m going back to bed for a while. I’ll just… I’ll see you later.”
“Okay,” Jenny said.
Out of the corner of his eye, Paul saw Alex shrug at Jenny’s inquiring look. Yes, he knew he was acting strangely, but he had a good reason. Lately, Jenny had been dragging Alex to church on Sunday mornings. He could only hope today would be a church day.
He went back into his room, where Hope was still asleep. Paul got back in bed, moving carefully so he wouldn’t wake her. Listening intently to what Alex and Jenny were doing, he hoped to hear
the shower go on or the car start or something to indicate the coast was clear. But all he heard was the low hum of conversation.
Hope stirred, her legs moving before she turned, her eyes opening and widening at the sight of him. “Oh, um, wow. I didn’t mean to stay here all night.”
When she started to get up, he stopped her with an arm around her waist. “Wait. Alex and Jenny are out there.”
She fell back against the pillow, groaning. “I’m thinking of a four-letter word that I shouldn’t say, but it fits the situation.”
“I’m thinking of the same word.”
“And of course I really need to pee.”
“She’s been dragging him to church lately, so we may get lucky.”
“What time is church?”
“They’ve been going to the eight-thirty mass.”
She glanced at the clock and groaned again. “That’s in forty-five minutes, and what if they don’t go?”
“Let’s pray that they do.”
“Very funny. In the meantime, my bladder is going to explode, which is way more information than you need on our first morning together.”
“What can we do to take your mind off of it?”
“Find me a bathroom?”
“Next best thing?” He held out his arm and brought her into his embrace.
She rested her head on his chest. “Does this feel weird to you in the bright light of day?”
“It actually feels really good. Does it feel weird to you?”
“Just the part about being half-naked in a bed with my boss.”
“Do you think you’ll ever think of me as anything other than your boss?”
“I already do, Paul. That’s the scary part.”
“It doesn’t have to be scary.”
“Things like this never end well for me.”
Paul filed away that information to chew on later.
“And there’s a lot at stake. Your mom and her care, Ethan and how attached he’s getting to you, my job.” She shrugged. “This was fun, but I don’t think it should happen again. You know?”
“No, I don’t know. There’s nothing wrong with two consenting adults spending time together if they enjoy each other’s company.”
“If people could get hurt, there’s something very wrong with it.”
“I don’t want to hurt you or Ethan. I’ve come to care for both of you. All I’m asking for is a chance, Hope.”
The shower went on across the hallway, and the voices of Jenny and Alex disappeared when the bathroom door closed.
Hope sat up, reached for her top and pulled it on over her head. “They’re in the shower. I’m going to run home and change clothes, and then I’ll be over to get your mom up.”
“I can do that. Today is your day off.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Can we please talk about this before you run away?”
“Later. We’ll talk later.” She opened the door, apparently saw the coast was clear and darted out the door, closing it behind her.
Paul had to laugh at the irony. The first time he spends the night with a woman in longer than he can remember and she runs away like her ass is on fire the next morning. Great way to start the day.
Chapter 8
The words “walk of shame” went through her mind as Hope rushed into her cozy cabin and went straight for the bathroom. After taking care of urgent business, she dropped her head into her hands. “God, what the hell was I thinking, letting that happen?”
She took a shower and stood under the hot water for a long time, wishing it could wash away the shame. Paul was such a nice guy, as well as handsome, sexy and wonderful with Ethan, not to mention how great he was to his mother. He was everything any woman could ever want in a man. But she couldn’t have him.
She and Ethan had too much at stake in this new life of theirs to be taking the kind of chances she’d taken with Paul last night. It had to stop, and it had to stop now, before emotions were engaged and someone got hurt. If things went bad between them, and things always went bad, it would be a disaster for everyone involved.
As much as she liked him and enjoyed being with him, not to mention the powerful attraction they shared, it couldn’t continue. They had to go back to being just friends and cordial colleagues. She emerged from the shower with new resolve. It wasn’t just about her and what she wanted. Ethan had been through too much to subject him to another potentially messy situation. If she remained friendly with Paul but not romantically involved, there was no chance of Ethan being hurt when the whole thing went south.
He was the most important person in her life, and this was the right decision for him, even if it sucked for her.
While she got dressed and ate some cold cereal, Hope tried not to think about how amazing it had felt to be held and kissed and touched by Paul. She tried not to think about the best orgasm she’d had in years or the way he’d felt hard and hot and thick in her hand. Her mouth watered as she imagined how he would feel inside her—
“No! Stop. It’s not going to happen, so stop thinking about it.” She gathered her damp hair into a ponytail, her movements jerky. Thinking about what might’ve been didn’t do a thing to quell her desire for more of him. It’d been so long—years—since she’d done anything like what’d happened last night with Paul that she’d forgotten how much she had enjoyed sex before her life blew up in her face like a nuclear bomb.
Now sex was the least of her concerns. Keeping a roof over her head and Ethan’s was what mattered most, and if that meant having to ignore her own needs, well, so be it. She’d been doing that for years, and would continue to do whatever it took to ensure her son’s safety and security. Never again did she want to be in the boat she’d been in after her marriage imploded, when she’d been left in debt up to her eyeballs and mired in the kind of scandal that stuck to people forever.
If Paul had any idea who he’d been rolling around in bed with last night, he’d never come near her again, a thought that profoundly depressed her because she hadn’t done anything other than marry the wrong man. Unfortunately, she hadn’t known he was the wrong man until permanent damage had been done to her and Ethan.
Protecting Ethan from any further hurt was at the top of her list of priorities. The next time she was tempted to get busy with her boss, it would do her good to remember that. Armed with resolve and determination to get things back to normal, she called the mother of Ethan’s friend to check on him, heard he was having a great time and was told to enjoy a day “off” while the other woman took the boys to the beach. Hope was delighted to hear Ethan was having fun with his new friend, but her day stretched out before her, long and lonely without him around to entertain her.
Reminding herself once again about what was not going to happen with her sexy boss, she crossed the yard to the family’s back porch and stepped inside to fulfill her promise to get Marion up and dressed for the day.
Paul was standing in the kitchen, shirtless, eating a bowl of cereal.
One look at his muscular chest and well-defined abs and Hope’s resolve evaporated. She wanted to touch him and kiss him and do so many other things with him that she hadn’t done in far too long. She averted her gaze and headed for Marion’s room, knocking softly before she stepped inside.
“Good morning, Marion.”
As she did every day, Marion eyed Hope warily. “Who are you? Where’s George?”
“George has gone off to work, but he asked me to help you get up and showered.”
“I don’t need help showering. How dare you be so impertinent?”
Impertinent was one of Marion’s favorite words, and Hope had grown used to hearing about her impertinence daily. “Let’s get you up and about.”
“Who are you? What’re you doing here? Where’s George?”
Marion’s confusion was far worse at the beginning and end of each day. As she did every day, Hope replied to the same question a hundred times without ever losing her patience. Dementia patients di
dn’t mean it when they were insulting or demeaning or just downright nasty. That was the disease talking, not the perfectly nice people they’d been before dementia struck.
From all accounts, Marion had once been an absolute doll, devoted to her husband and sons and the business they all ran together. Every so often, Hope caught a glimpse of that woman, never more so than when she interacted with Ethan. For whatever reason, the two of them had bonded, and Marion was never nasty to him.
After her marriage ended, Hope had begun keeping a gratitude journal. Marion’s kindness to Ethan had made the list many a time.
“Can I help?” Paul asked from the doorway.
Hope turned to him, relieved that he’d put on a shirt. Speaking of gratitude… “I got it.”
“Are you sure? You’re supposed to have a day free of us today.”
“I’m sure, and I don’t mind. We’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“George, tell this woman I don’t want her in my bedroom. This is my private space, and she’s not welcome here.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Hope is just trying to help. Be nice to her.”
Hope sent him a grateful smile before returning her attention to Marion, despondent to realize that the sound of his voice and his offer of support had her entire body tingling once again with awareness of him. Ugh!
The day that had begun with bright sunshine turned cloudy and stormy around noon. With his mother out for the afternoon with her devoted friends from church, Paul found himself with an unusual break in the manic action that made up his life. So naturally, he wandered out to the retail store, which closed at noon on Sundays, to do some much-needed paperwork and updating of the accounting software.
He was halfway across the yard when the heavens opened, leaving him completely drenched by the time he reached the wooden building that housed the store. Rain in September was a cold rain that had him shivering. Inside the store, he pulled off his shirt, hung it up to dry and found an old towel in the office that he used to wipe his face.
Paul was waiting for the computer to boot up when he heard a clattering noise from the store. With the towel slung around his neck, he got up to investigate and found Hope, soaking wet and shivering, inside the door he’d left unlocked.