No More Secrets

by Cate Beauman

  He also liked seeing Gwen in her own space—bare feet, a casual tank top, and ripped cutoffs showing off her glorious legs. And he hadn’t realized she wore glasses—stylish black frames that accentuated her stunning face and teased his libido. “I love your home, Gwen.”

  She tossed a smile over her shoulder. “Thanks. It’s not mine—or not just mine. It belongs to my family. Carter House gets passed down through the generations via a trust. I’m just the lucky one who gets to live here.”

  He relaxed in the cozy atmosphere. “Did you do the decorating?”

  “Mostly. Mom and I both play with the furnishings and accents when we get an urge. Since I’m here the most, I get more urges.”

  He chuckled as they walked down another hall, stepping into Gwen’s office. The room was pretty, practical, and well-organized, with different whiteboards hanging on the wall, with titles written in Gwen’s looping handwriting: Seashore Drive Staging, Carter Island Clinic, Molly and Brad’s Place, and Carter Island Airport. Several trays sat on a table beneath the boards. The clinic’s, Seashore Drive’s, and Molly and Brad’s trays all held various tiles, paint chips, and other design accessories. Carter Island Airport’s tray was currently empty.

  “Just let me grab what we’ll need, then we can go to the kitchen. We’ll probably be most comfortable there.”

  “Sure. What can I take?” he asked, feeling far more guilty now for putting Gwen on the spot the way he had. His intention hadn’t been to make her day harder, yet ultimately, he had.

  “At this point, we only need these.” She snatched up several large pieces of picture-covered poster board and a marker, then walked out again, avoiding Kaitlyn’s grab for the items Gwen held. “This way.”

  “Sure.”

  He kept pace, playing with Kaitlyn’s fingers as she reached for him over Gwen’s shoulder. “I’ve got your fingers.”

  Kaitlyn grinned, her big blue eyes delighted as drool dribbled down her chin and all over Gwen’s shirt.

  Eager for another smile, he hid behind his hands, making a goofy face as he pulled them away. “Peekaboo.”

  Kaitlyn squealed her delight.

  He chuckled, already half in love with the adorable baby girl. “She looks so much like you, Gwen.”

  “She does.” Gwen grinned as he repeated the game, making Kaitlyn screech again. “It’s hard to tell us apart in baby pictures.”

  His chuckle returned as Kaitlyn bounced about. She was happy, sweet, and beautiful, yet there were no signs of her father’s existence anywhere in the home. There had been no pictures of a loving dad on her nursery wall, just Gwen and her family. The more he glanced from mother to daughter, the more he wanted to know why.

  “Okay. The concept boards,” she said as they entered the enormous top-of-the-line kitchen, setting them out in front of him, displaying various pictures of nautical scenes, different furnishings and lighting, families playing on beaches, and men and women in vacation mode. “These are meant to be a reflection of what I envision for the airport’s passenger areas based on our conversation last night.”

  “All right.”

  “Help yourself to a chair. Do you need anything to drink?”

  “No, I’m good.” He sat down next to her, taking a closer look at her work. “These are great, Gwen.”

  “I’m happy you like them.” She handed Kaitlyn a red-and-black textured block to investigate and chew on. “You mentioned that comfort was your top priority. You also said you wanted to give vacationers a small taste of what they would experience once they walked out the airport doors. We want to work with the pictures that you like—the ones that capture the mood of the design—and represent what you’re ultimately looking for. Let’s get rid of the rest.”

  He nodded. “I like most of this.” He tapped on the fireplace where a man and woman read books while snow fell beyond a window. “And I love this. That’s what I want people to feel when they deplane—like they’ve just walked into their home, even when they’re away from home.”

  “Your home-away-from-home airline,” she said, handing Kaitlyn a rattle next.

  His head whipped up to meet her gaze as he grinned. “That’s excellent. Carter Island Air. Your home-away-from-home airline.”

  She nodded. “It’s catchy.”

  “One hundred percent. Why the hell am I paying an advertising agency when I have you?”

  She laughed. “You said it. I just repeated it.”

  “So, we’ll both take the credit. It’s fucking brilliant.” He winced as he looked at Kaitlyn. “Sorry.”

  Gwen smiled as she brushed her baby’s soft blond hair back. “She has no idea what you said, so I forgive you.”

  Then Kaitlyn dropped the rattle and started fussing.

  Gwen reached for it at the same time as Cade did, but his long arm allowed him to grab the toy first. “Here you go, sweetheart.” He tried handing it to her, but she wanted nothing to do with it.

  Gwen took the toy instead, setting it on the table. “Thanks, but she’s hungry.”

  “Do you want to cut this short? I’m here on your time.”

  She shrugged. “I guess that depends on how comfortable you are with me feeding her while we work.” Her chin jutted out ever so slightly as her eyes held his.

  What was this quiet fierceness—a dare of sorts for him to say that feeding Kaitlyn wasn’t okay? He casually shrugged, even when he’d never been in the presence of anyone nursing their baby. His sisters had bottle-fed their little ones. “Go for it. Everyone’s got to eat.”

  “All right.” She turned away, lifting her shirt, settling Kaitlyn at her breast. Seconds later, she turned back, glancing at him before she looked at the boards again. “Is there anything you see here that you don’t like?”

  He listened to Kaitlyn’s greedy swallows as he breathed in the scent of Gwen’s shampoo, finding the moment appealingly cozy while all three of them sat close together. Right now, he liked everything he saw just fine, but that wasn’t what she spoke of. “I’m not a fan of this lighter shade of blue. I like this darker one here. It seems more on-brand.”

  She nodded, taking the marker, crossing out the lighter shade, then put a check mark next to the darker blue. “I want to hear everything that doesn’t work just as much as I need to know what does. Tell me what you don’t like. I’m also interested in why.”

  He nodded, pointing to one of the pictures with a forest-like feel. “I want to be sure we’re not going too rustic. I don’t want the space to feel like a cabin.”

  She nodded again, making an X through the image. “Does anything else come to mind—anything I’ve missed?”

  “I want the fireplace. Gas, and more upscale than what’s in the picture with the couple—something you’d see in a city apartment.”

  She winced.

  He frowned. “You don’t like it?”

  “No, it’s not that I don’t like the idea. But gas makes things complicated. We’re doing a face-lift—making things pretty. Structurally, everything we’re tackling is already in place and up to code, which keeps this easy and allows us to get started right away. As soon as gas enters the picture, we’re talking gas lines, venting pipes, getting the town involved, dealing with code and inspectors—maybe even calling in my mom and Jeremy, depending on where you want the install. You’re adding serious dollar signs to your bottom line.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not worried about the money. I want it.”

  She set down the marker. “All right. I’ll make some calls.”

  He held her gaze. “But you still think this is a mistake.”

  She nodded. “Frankly, yes, I do. Money may be no object to you, but this is going to cost you in time.”

  He clenched his jaw, not liking what he heard—that Gwen had made several perfectly practical points. Gas sounded like a pain in the ass, and he wanted to get the ball rolling. “So, what are my other options?”

  “We can explore electric—flat-screen wall-mounts.”

&
nbsp; He scrubbed at his chin. “I don’t want it looking cheap.”

  Her left eyebrow winged up. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that.”

  He couldn’t help but grin.

  She smiled. “For your price point, we can order in gorgeous units for each seating area. I can also make you mantles for displaying seasonal décor. Every gate will look like a living room, which will only add to the home-away-from-home vibe. Plus, electric will be safer than real flames, which will keep kids safe and your insurance company happy.”

  And this was why he liked Gwen Carter. She’d held her ground as few would have. He’d demanded, and she’d countered with something better. “Okay. But I want to see what we’re talking about before you place the order.”

  She nodded, jotting down notes on the side of the board. “Now that we’re on the same page, I’ll pull what samples I can from Mini’s design center—a couple of colors for the flooring options. But I’m already planning several trips to the mainland, which means endless variety.”

  “I want in on those trips.”

  She stopped writing as her gaze flew to his. “You do?”

  He nodded, biting his cheek, fighting not to smile, because she was so damn easy to read. Gwen wasn’t loving the idea. “I intend to be hands-on during this entire process.”

  “But you’re so busy. I’m more than happy to collect what I think you’ll like—several options—so accompanying me to Boston really isn’t necessary.”

  The hell it wasn’t. He’d spent a handful of hours in Gwen’s company and knew without a doubt that he wanted to spend several more. There was something about her that intrigued him in a way he’d never been before. Life was still screaming at him, and he hadn’t stopped listening. “The airport’s my top priority. I can fly us over whenever you want.”

  She capped her marker. “All right. I’ll pull what I can at Mini’s, then we’ll figure a plan for the rest.”

  “Sounds good. I spoke to my sister on the drive over here. I’m off to Arkansas tomorrow. We’re having permit issues with one of our new developments. Hopefully, I’ll be able to resolve everything within a day or two.”

  “That’s fine. I have a staging on my books that will be taking up quite a bit of my time over the next few days.” She glanced down at Kaitlyn. “Oh, no, you don’t.” She sat her drowsy daughter up, exposing her excellent breast, covering herself quickly. “You’re staying awake because Mommy needs to sleep tonight.”

  He slid his hand down Kaitlyn’s soft arm, letting her grab hold of his fingers. “She’s not much of a sleeper?”

  “Not lately.”

  He studied Gwen, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes. “We could walk her down to the water—maybe dip our toes in.”

  Gwen laughed. “That would definitely keep her up.”

  He grinned. “It’s a bit on the cold side, but she might like to have a go at a wave or two—maybe dip her feet in the surf closer to the beach, at least.”

  “I appreciate it, but we’ll be fine.” She settled Kaitlyn to burp at her shoulder as her baby used Gwen’s thigh to stand. “I’m going to give her a quick change, put her in her stroller, then take her for a walk down the bike path before I give her a bath. That should keep us both awake until dinnertime.”

  “Sounds like a nice way to spend what’s left of the afternoon.” He stood, recognizing that their meeting was over. “Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.”

  “I’m glad you came by. I’ll get samples pulled and look at some dates for a trip over to the mainland. Maybe the weekend after next or something?”

  He nodded. “I’ll look at what I have going on. We’ll compare schedules.” He crouched to Kaitlyn’s level, sliding his hand over her soft head. “I’ll see you around, kiddo. Get some sleep tonight so your mum can, too.” He held Gwen’s gaze, knowing she was still trying to decide what she thought of him. “I’ll let myself out.”

  She nodded. “Have a safe trip tomorrow.”

  “Thanks.” Standing again, he walked through the house, hoping there would be another opportunity to come back.

  Chapter 6

  Gwen chuckled as Kaitlyn splashed about in the Sandersons’ temperature-controlled pool. She laughed again when her daughter rested her chin on the pink-and-purple-striped baby float, babbling as she explored her world. The day was glorious, sunny and unseasonably hot, with a warm breeze blowing off the Atlantic—perfect for last year’s bikini she’d barely worn—and a little pool time.

  “Are you having fun?”

  Kailyn kicked her legs in response, splashing her hands again, growing louder with her chatter.

  “That’s my girl. You’ll be swimming before you walk.” Gwen had every intention of being as steadfast about swimming lessons and water safety as her parents had been with her and her siblings. It was a necessity with the ocean so close. She started moving them farther into the depths. “Should we go deeper?”

  Kaitlyn stopped her splashing, reaching for Gwen’s sunglasses now that they were face-to-face the deeper Gwen went.

  She laughed, evading before her little snatcher grabbed hold of her favorite designer pair. “Hey, you. These are Mommy’s.” She adjusted Kaitlyn’s sun hat, swimming them deeper yet.

  Kaitlyn grinned, talking some more.

  “I agree. It’s the best. This is the perfect way to spend our—” Her smile quickly faded when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, realizing that Cade was heading their way. “Great,” she muttered.

  He grinned, waving as he walked up the beach steps, carrying his surfboard. At some point during his walk from the water, he’d unzipped the top half of his wet suit, settling it low around his hips, exposing his powerful upper torso. The occasional drop dripped from his wet hair, joining the droplets trailing down his glorious pecs and washboard abs.

  And he had tattoos—two of them. Dynamic Duo had been boldly inked along his impressive left bicep, and Paxy on his right. “This is a surprise,” he said, walking closer to the edge of the pool.

  She focused on his face instead of ogling him any further. Not that his face was any less distracting. Cade Paxton had hit the jackpot in the genes department. It was almost unfair that one man should look like that. “I thought you were in Arkansas.”

  “I got back last night.” Setting down his board, he headed for the outdoor shower. He turned on the water, pulling off his wet suit, exposing black diving shorts beneath. Ducking his head under the spray, he blew out a long breath as he scrubbed at his hair. “I’m happy to be back,” he said, snapping off the water again. “The weather’s something else down there—hot and muggy. Breathing’s a chore. I felt like I was drowning anytime I was outdoors.”

  She watched as he used the pool steps to join them, his new outfit leaving little to the imagination. Apparently, Cade was big everywhere. “I figured hot weather would be your thing.”

  He grinned. “Because I’m an Aussie?”

  She shrugged, making her way back to the shallower water, adjusting her skimpy, powder-blue bathing suit. “No, because you like to surf. But it is hot there, right?”

  “January gets toasty, but it tends to be hotter here in the States. I’ve lived in Los Angeles longer than Sydney, anyway.”

  “I didn’t realize that.”

  He nodded. “We moved toward the end of my eighth-grade year, when running the US branch of PE was becoming too much for my grandfather. Mum and Dad decided it was time to give him a hand, so we made the trip over.”

  “How was the transition?” She blinked, realizing she was asking personal questions—surprised that she wanted to know more about him.

  He shrugged. “It wasn’t bad. We’d been back and forth between California and New South Wales often enough. And Cadence and I had each other. We didn’t have any trouble making friends.” He moved to Kaitlyn. “It looks like you’ve got yourself a water bug.”

  Why did she love his accent and the way certain words rolled off his tongue? Wh
o knew water could sound so sexy? “She seems to enjoy it.”

  He stood on his knees in the four-foot depths, smiling. “Hello, sweetheart.”

  Kaitlyn grinned, reaching for him.

  “Do you mind if I pick her up?”

  She did mind because she wanted to keep her distance—and to deny that he was wonderful with her daughter. But that was selfish and unfair to Kaitlyn. “No, go ahead.”

  He stood, walking her farther out into the depths as he scooped her out of her flotation device, his big hands encircling her little body. “Here we go.” He lifted her high in her pink floral swim diaper, bringing her down slowly, dipping her feet in the water.

  Kaitlyn’s grin turned into a laugh.

  Cade laughed, too. “You like that, do you?” He did it again, earning a belly laugh when he added motor-like sounds with Kaitlyn’s descent.

  The baby screeched, kicking her legs in delight.

  “Should we give it another go?” He brought her back up, keeping her suspended this time. “How’s the view up there?”

  Kaitlyn babbled at him, sending drool dropping, hitting him squarely in the eye.

  “Aw. A direct hit.”

  Gwen laughed, moving closer. “She’s extra drooly because she’s getting her bottom two teeth. Let’s see.”

  He turned his head, his right eye tightly shut as he kept Kaitlyn hovered high.

  Laughing again, Gwen tugged him down, wiping her palm against his face, taking care of the worst of it.

  “Once more?” he requested, keeping his eye closed.

  Gwen moved closer yet, settling her hand against the back of his head, wiping again more firmly with the other. “I think you should be good now.”

  He blinked, holding her gaze, grinning as he brought Kaitlyn down to hold her against him in one arm. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Chuckling, she shook her head. “You’re good with her, Cade.”