Safe in His Arms--A Clean Romance

by Anna J. Stewart

  And then just like that, the moment broke and the insects flittered away, returning to their home in the eucalyptus trees ringing the edge of the farm.

  The regret that he’d not thought to pull out his camera swept over him, but then he remembered the importance of living in the moment, of being present rather than trying to live life through a lens. The butterfly’s visit felt like, well, it felt like a gift. One he was exceedingly grateful for.

  This had to be the oddest morning he’d ever spent. Anywhere. And he’d been to a lot of strange places.

  Phoebe raced out of the house, paper waving in her hand as she headed straight for him. Her curls bounced around her bright face, her eyes sparkling in the sun just like the bells and shells in Calliope’s hair. Hunter caught her in his arms and held out the paper to examine it. “You did all this?”

  Phoebe nodded. The numbers and equations were definitely scribbled by a seven-year-old, but the logic, the comprehension and the solutions were correct, at least according to Xander’s comments.

  “You are one smart little girl, do you know that?” Hunter asked. So often, when he looked at his niece, all he could see was Juliana, the sister he’d loved and lost. The woman who had always, no matter what, had his back. But today, all he saw was Phoebe, and the amazing future she had ahead of her. A future he was not going to surrender, but fight for.

  He was done running, done hiding. He was done acquiescing to the wants and desires of two people who thought they knew better even though they had no idea who their granddaughter was, who their son had been. Phoebe was his now. His niece. His child.

  Which meant it was his job to make her future as bright and as ripe with possibilities as he could. With him.

  * * *

  THE RUMBLE OF a luxury vehicle’s engine broke through the crashing of waves as Kendall stabbed the palette knife into the jar of spackle and sighed. Now what? She was in the homestretch and glad about it, already thinking of the next task. She’d made her way around to the other side of the tower, so she couldn’t see who was approaching, but if memory served, she had a good idea who it might be.

  With only a few hours’ sleep, she should have been exhausted, but for whatever reason she was buzzing with energy. Energy that had stalled when she’d spotted the homemade card a little seven-year-old someone had pushed under the front door. The stars and an I’m-so-sorry-looking moon apologized and said thank you for helping her get down off the scaffold. After Kendall had recognized the kind gesture for what it was, she’d taken the card to the refrigerator and, after digging around in the drawers, found a magnetic chip clip to hold it in place.

  Now, Kendall scrambled down the scaffold as Gil Hamilton rounded the bend. His too-long blondish hair blew in the midafternoon breeze that was picking up with every second that passed. “We really need to get you a cell phone,” he called to her by way of a greeting.

  She didn’t respond. Instead she welcomed him with a quick smile.

  “It’s looking great, Kendall!” Gil stopped beside the worktable and gazed up. “Am I imagining things or are you ahead of schedule?”

  “I need to be given that storm rolling in.” She pointed toward the horizon, where the gray clouds were gathering.

  “Supposed to be a big one. Might need some help with repairs around town after, if you’re game?”

  Kendall shrugged. “You tell me what needs doing, I’ll get it done. Luke back yet?”

  “Yes. So are Fletcher and Ozzy, so we’ve got a full house at the sheriff’s station.” He rocked back on his heels. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get out here.”

  “Why?” Kendall used an old rag to wipe down her tools. “I wasn’t expecting you, was I?”

  “No, not exactly. But I owe you an apology. For Hunter showing up the way he did. I should have respected your privacy more and given you a heads-up. I take it that’s why you were trying to hunt me down last week?”

  “Oh, that.” She had been on a bit of a rampage that day. Not surprising that word had gotten around. Kendall wasn’t known for her subtlety at times. “Thanks. I appreciate it. I got over it, though.” He was her boss, after all. In truth, she was still getting over it. She really didn’t like being sandbagged. “While you’re here, I think you need to find it in the budget to install a railing system along the perimeter of the cliffs.”

  Gil’s brow veed. He didn’t frown. Not often that she’d seen, but she could tell when he wanted to. “You don’t think that would ruin the aesthetic?”

  “No more than someone taking a walk off the edge at night.” She wasn’t about to tell him what had happened with Phoebe. Knowing Gil, he’d start worrying about potential lawsuits, but Hunter had been relieved only she knew what had happened, and there was no reason not to keep it that way. “I’d also recommend some solar garden lights. We can aim them away from the buildings. Check with the insurance agency and the policy. If it fits within code, it might get you a break on the premium.”

  “Good idea.”

  Yeah. The fiscal bottom line usually made more of an impact than practicality and safety concerns. “So what did bring you here?”

  “I actually wanted to talk to you about what happens after you’re done with the lighthouse.”

  Kendall’s body tensed. “Um, actually, I was thinking about maybe moving on.” Correction. She should have been thinking more about moving on.

  “Oh?” Gil looked both surprised and disappointed.

  “I don’t normally stick around this long, but when I commit to a job, I stick to it until it’s done.” And while seeing Phoebe every day didn’t feel like as much of a gut punch as it once had, her and Hunter’s arrival had only reminded Kendall that permanency was an illusion. Better to get a jump on it, before it got a jump on her. She had to cut ties. And the sooner the better. “Not sure I want to take more on, not being sure and all.”

  “So I guess I’d better look for someone else to head up the restoration project I have in mind.”

  “What restoration project?” Not that Kendall was a gossip, but she kept her ears open, especially when she was at the hardware store. Harvey Mills, the owner of the store and lumber supply, was a wealth of information on just about every aspect of the town.

  “I don’t know if I should say anything.” Gil suddenly looked uncertain. “If you aren’t going to be available, I might need to reevaluate the entire idea.”

  “Not many people for me to tell, but if that’s how you feel.” Kendall shrugged, tamping down on the curiosity surging inside her. Or was that excitement? She hadn’t felt either for so long it was difficult to tell. She continued to clean her tools, hoping he’d explain.

  “There’s that string of Victorian homes, you know, where BethAnn Bromley lives. They’re some of the original buildings in town, and I was thinking we could restore them, declare them landmarks and open them for tours. You know, deck them out like they were back in the day. Like we’re going to do with the lighthouse.”

  The historic detail of the lighthouse was one of the few parts of this project she was worried about. She did fine fixing things up to within modern standards, but to try to be historically accurate? That came to a level of detail she wasn’t quite used to.

  “Project like that is going to take some serious time,” Kendall said. “Especially if I’m working alone.” Or even with the skeleton crew she’d called on from time to time. Frankie and Matt had full-time jobs, and Kyle Winters was doing better in school than he ever had on top of doing part-time handyman work. Beyond those three, there weren’t a lot of people she knew she could count on—or who could fit extra work into their day.

  “If you’re interested, I can look at the town budget, see what there is to work with. Maybe hire a few crew for you. Town could do with some new jobs, don’t you think?”

  Ah. The light dawned. “I do think.” She should have known. Gil was up for ree
lection soon, and if the rumblings she’d heard around town were true, he was looking for avenues to boost his public image. “And those buildings could definitely use some TLC.” Still, committing to the job would mean staying in Butterfly Harbor for, what? Another year or two? Maybe longer? Her heart was already starting to twitch.

  “Nothing has to be decided right away,” Gil assured her. “You do really great work, Kendall. You’re reliable and, well, let’s face it, cost-effective.”

  Meaning she was cheap and easy to deal with. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Great! I’m sure Hunter will be digging up some information on those homes over the next few weeks. Maybe the two of you can work together.”

  “Like I said, I’ll think about it.” She gave him a quick smile. The idea of working with Hunter had her stomach doing that odd little dance she hadn’t quite defined yet. She was only just now getting used to seeing him and Phoebe every day. Being around them for more than just a cup of coffee or a trip up to the moon? That might take something she didn’t possess.

  “Okay, then. I’ll check in with you in a few weeks. I’m going to hit the diner on the way home, then Calliope’s place to stock up. Town’s closing up nice and tight. Ready to batten down the hatches?”

  “I will be.” Kendall didn’t need much more than her coffeepot and whatever leftovers might be in the fridge. Fully expecting the electricity to go out—there wasn’t much more she could do to upgrade it other than update the fuses and power box—she planned to start plastering the interior of the four-story tower whenever there was enough light. “I’ll see you after the storm.”

  “You bet.”

  Kendall nearly rolled her eyes at that cheesy grin of his that flashed. She’d bet he was born with that expression on his face. From what she’d heard, his father had possessed the same one.

  Another job. She took a slow, deep breath and found her attention pulled to the guest house. Phoebe’s and Hunter’s bikes were braced against the side wall, looking as if they belonged there. The flower boxes remained empty, but there was a feeling surrounding the place now that hadn’t been there before. A feeling of happiness and contentment. Feelings Kendall knew she couldn’t afford. The second these feelings took hold, that’s when life imploded—and Kendall had had enough implosions to last her a lifetime.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “HURRY UP AND close the door!” Hunter, with one of Calliope’s baskets looped over one arm and three earth-friendly reusable bags looped over the other, backed into the house with Phoebe right beside him. He should have listened to Calliope and picked up the basket sooner instead of waiting until the last possible moment. The wind was kicking up something fierce, and he and Phoebe were both soaked from the prestorm drizzle.

  He dropped his purchases onto the kitchen counter while Phoebe stood where she was and dropped her jacket to the floor and then the bag she’d kept dry underneath. She grinned and flipped her soaked hair off her face.

  “Quite a walk back, huh, kiddo?” Hunter teased as Phoebe all but sputtered water. “I think you need a hot bath.”

  Phoebe nodded, but instead of heading into her bedroom, she walked to the window and looked out toward the keeper’s house. She tapped on the window to get Hunter’s attention.

  “What’s up?” He ran a towel over his face and hair and joined her. “Oh, Kendall? I’m sure she’s okay. Snug as a bug in a...” He trailed off at Phoebe’s rolling eyes. “Yeah, I need some new material. But she’s fine, Phoebe. Come on. Let’s get you all dry and toasty.” Speaking of toasty, he looked longingly at the stone fireplace between his desk and the kitchen table. He ran a bath for Phoebe, waited until she was safely ensconced, then picked up her jacket and bag, unloading her books and the new stack of math worksheets Calliope had printed off on her computer. With Wi-Fi not being the greatest out here, he’d been stopping at the library most days and, true to form, he’d lost track of time. Calliope had appeared more amused than irritated as they’d sloshed their way up to the farm, then shooed them home with baskets of goodies and brand-new copies of Stella’s homework for Phoebe.

  Hunter wasn’t entirely sure what he’d done in his life to deserve finding people he could immediately call friends, but his gratitude was endless. Seeing the joy on his niece’s face, a joy that hadn’t faded even while they’d trudged up the hill to the lighthouse, was worth whatever had brought him to this moment. He was beginning to have difficulty recalling what things were like for them before they’d come here. And he was having difficulty thinking about leaving.

  Listening to Phoebe hum and splash in the tub, Hunter stood at the window watching as the storm rolled in. Black clouds moved lightning fast, eating away the last of the sun’s rays as the waves tumbled over each other in their rush to reach the shore. The sound felt like a pulse, as if the ocean’s heartbeat was picking up speed, pounding its way to shore.

  He hadn’t been worried about Kendall. Not until Phoebe had brought her to his attention. He’d lost track of the number of days he’d take a break from research and drink his coffee looking out the window while Kendall had continued to bring the Liberty back to life. Instead of quelling his curiosity, however, he found himself more and more transfixed. Never in his life had he met anyone so solitary...so determined to keep everyone at a distance.

  Beyond her quiet, determined sense of self, despite the obvious grief and sadness she’d experienced, she was strong. Confident. And worked hard every single day. Whether it was the sun that began melting that cool exterior or maybe the tenacity of his niece, Kendall had begun to come around at least to the point of offering a wave, a smile or even a good morning when they were lucky.

  Phoebe had taken it upon herself to go out after breakfast every morning and sit on the top porch step, eyes pinned to whatever task Kendall was tackling that day. Being observed like that would have distracted Hunter, and for a while he thought Kendall might not have realized she’d had a seven-year-old for an audience, who could sit as still as stone for hours upon hours and just watch, but he was wrong. She’d realized.

  Because one morning after breakfast, he and Phoebe walked out of the house and found a rope-and-plank swing hanging securely from a branch of a large oak situated between the motor home and the carriage house. Phoebe had raced over to it with a soft exclamation of glee, spinning around and jumping onto the plank, kicking her feet ferociously in her silent demand for Hunter to push her.

  Phoebe’s laughter had chimed through the air then, robbing Hunter of every ounce of breath he possessed and, as he looked toward the lighthouse, stopped Kendall cold.

  He couldn’t be sure, not from such a distance, but he swore he spotted tears in her eyes before she turned her back on them once more.

  That Kendall would have taken the time out of her day to set up that swing for a little girl she was purposely trying to avoid, for a man who no doubt irritated her to no end just by his presence, said more about Kendall Davidson than any conversation ever would. Which was why, he supposed, over the past few days he’d found himself preoccupied with the thought of her.

  Strident in how she pushed herself through life when he could understand the temptation to surrender. He wanted to know everything about her—no. That was wrong. He didn’t want to know, he needed to. Those scars of hers—how deep did they run? Was there any way to heal them?

  The night of Phoebe’s nocturnal excursion, she’d listened to him. Just listened, and it wasn’t until she’d left that he realized how lonely he’d been. Not that Phoebe wasn’t constant company, but he’d kept so much inside, so much that had been set free that night, that he didn’t want to go back. With Kendall, he felt safe. Whatever he’d thrown at her, she’d caught and settled right down with it. Nothing, not a runaway child, not his paralyzing panic that had eroded his ego a good amount, had fazed her. She was the kind of woman who did what needed doing when it needed to be done. Appealing to say the
least.

  Beyond that, however, Hunter couldn’t help but wonder about the woman inside. The woman she’d been before her life had turned upside down. The drawn, tense features, the dark hair and intense eyes, the scars she bared to the world as if daring rejection, all hinted at a strength that struck him to the core. She was beautiful, even when—especially when—she pushed through her own sadness to help a little girl trying to communicate with her lost parents, or to listen to a man afraid of failing the only person who mattered in his life. Kendall Davidson, whether she’d intended to or not, had found a way into his life. And, dare he say it, into his heart.

  Which brought him back to Phoebe’s concern. “Hey, Phoebs?” he called and then knocked on the bathroom door before he pushed it open. “You about done?” He barked out a laugh when he found his niece covered in shampoo soap suds, grinning up at him like a fool. “Okay, kiddo. That brings an end to today’s bath. Duck and rinse off.” He grabbed one of the fluffy blue towels. When she was dressed and combing out her hair, he told her, “I’m going to run over to Kendall’s real quick. Ask if she’d like to join us for dinner. Are you okay with that?”

  Phoebe nodded.

  “With me going over there or inviting her to dinner?”

  Phoebe held up two fingers.

  “Right. Both it is. Maybe she can help us get a fire going.” If the electricity went out, they’d be feeling the chill soon enough. He left Phoebe munching on carrots from Calliope’s garden and working on a new page of mathematic equations as, huddling back into his jacket, he stepped out into the gusty wind and sleeting rain.