Chapter 13

Andre insisted on paying for my lunch. I argued with him, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Landon complained that Andre didn’t pay for his lunch, and one look from Andre had Landon shutting up.

And chuckling.

“What?” I asked.

“What?” both men echoed.

“What did that look mean?” I asked Andre, who avoided my gaze, then focused on Landon. “What was that?”

“Nope, I’m not getting in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel. I’m leaving.”

“We’re not…” I trailed off as both men raised their eyebrows at me. “Oh.”

Landon chuckled. “It was very nice to meet you, Joelle. I hope to see you again before you head back to DC.”

“I hope so, too, Landon,” I told him, meaning it. He was a nice man, and I enjoyed lunch with him.

Even though I wasn’t so sure Andre would have chosen to have us meet.

Landon walked out as Blake returned with Andre’s credit card receipt to sign. She waved to Landon and thanked us for coming in.

“Thank you for saving me,” I told her.

“Right place, right time. You’re a little drier now.”

I laughed. “A lot. It would have been a very wet ride back to the Inn.”

“Will I see you again on Sunday?”

I nodded. “I think so.”

“Good. Have a good day, guys.”

“You, too,” we both said.

Andre pocketed his wallet, then stood and held the door for me to walk out ahead of him.

You never would have known it had been pouring not that long ago. The sun was bright and cheery, and the sidewalks were almost dry again. There were a few puddles on the road, but mostly, it looked like a beautiful day.

“So, listen—” Andre started.

“I didn’t mean—” I said at the same time.

We laughed, and he gestured for me to go first.

“I didn’t mean to invade your lunch. Or to force you to spend time with me. If I’d known Landon was meeting you, I would have—”

“Please don’t say left,” Andre said.

I rolled my lips in. That’s what I was going to say, but it was pouring, so maybe I wouldn’t have left, but I would have not invited Landon to join me.

“I haven’t handled things well with us, and I’m sorry about that.”

I nodded, not arguing.

“I should have been in touch with you.”

I shook my head. “No, you’re under no obligation to do that. I’ve spent too many years with people who only spend time with me because they should. Because they felt like they’re supposed to. I don’t want that. Not from you. Not from anyone, but especially not from you.”

He sighed and moved closer to me. He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my neck. The backs of his knuckles trailed over my throat to the collar of my shirt. “I know you’re leaving, and the other night…”

“You’re looking for something serious,” I said, remembering our conversations. “And I can’t be because I’m leaving. I’m so stupid, Andre. I’m sorry. I knew you were looking for something more when we met, and I wasn’t trying to lead you on or make you think I was going to change my mind about staying here. I—”

“It’s not… You’re not stupid. I do want something more, but I told you I don’t do regrets. Not spending time with you when I have the chance would be a regret. I’ve just been really busy the last few days.”

There was something in his eyes that told me it wasn’t just that, but I had my secrets, too. I couldn’t hold it against him that he didn’t want to share everything with me when I wasn’t sharing much of anything with him. “Are you sure? If you tell me you’re done, I’ll—”

His lips were on mine before I could finish my sentence. He backed me up to the wall, then spun us to rest his own back against the brick. He pulled me against him, locking me in place with both arms around my back.

I inhaled the scent of him, of grass and sunshine and this man I couldn’t resist. I licked his lips, gaining access to his eager mouth, and kissed him like I had been starving for him for days.

Because I was.

I sighed happily, my greedy body readying for him. My nipples were taut in my bra, my breasts heavy with need. My core clenched, aching for him to fill me. We were in public, and I was ready to climb the man and lose myself.

What the hell did he do to me?

“Can I take you out tonight?” he whispered against my lips.

“Yes.”

“Come back to my place.”

“Now?”

He chuckled. “I meant after dinner. I have a meeting to get to right now. But I’ll pick you up at six. If that’s okay?”

I nodded. “Sounds good.” I stepped away, letting him straighten his clothes and draw a full breath.

“Joelle?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really happy you were here today.”

“So am I.”

“Pack a toothbrush for tonight. I’m not letting you go once I get you in my bed.”

“Is that an order?”

He stepped in close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheeks. “No, gorgeous, it’s a promise.”

My knees shook, and my body shivered.

“It looks like you like that.”

I bit my lip and nodded. “I guess I do.”

He kissed me. “Good. I like you.”

I smiled. “I sure hope so.”

He chuckled. “Do you need a ride?”

I shook my head. “No. My car isn’t far. I was in town enjoying the nice day when it started pouring.”

He laughed loudly. “Sounds about right. Hopefully, you got in some good time before then.”

“And after,” I said.

His cheeks turned pink. “I’m looking forward to tonight, Joelle.”

“Me, too.”

He kissed me again, quickly, then stepped away. “I’ll see you at six.”

“Me and my toothbrush.”

“Yep. Bye, gorgeous.”

“Bye.”

I watched him jog across the street and disappear around the corner before I turned and headed to my car.

My mind started whirring as I drove to the Inn, and by the time I got there, I knew I needed to start making some plans.

Piper was at the desk and smiled as I approached her. “Hey. Where are you coming from?”

“Lunch. I went to Cove Bakery, and Harriett suggested I check out Catherine Park. She should have suggested I check out the weather, but it all worked out.”

“Oh, no! Did you get caught in the storm?”

I laughed. “Yeah, but it was okay. Blake saw me and waved me into Cracked.”

“Oh, good. That’s a good place to wait out a storm. And yummy, too.”

“It was.”

“Now you look like you’re on a mission. What’s going on?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know how you can see that, but I am. I realized when I was eating that I have been living a life I don’t really like. I want to start to figure out what I do want my life to look like. Do you have some paper or something I can use to write some things down?”

“Sure.” She reached under the desk and came out with a small notepad. “Do you want this or would you rather have something like printer paper or lined paper?”

“That’s perfect. If you don’t mind me taking it.”

She shook her head. “Not at all. Enjoy making your new life plans.”

“Thanks, Piper.” I carried the notepad to my room and kicked off my shoes. I curled up on the bed, grabbing the remote for the TV for some background noise. I was so used to the activity of my mother’s house that there were times the Inn was too quiet.

I started writing all the things I didn’t want in my life going forward. Things like someone who controlled my every move, people who were only interested in what I could do for them, and a husband who was willing to cheat on me.

As I wrote, I grew more and more angry about the life I’d lived. I wanted to make my own choices and do my own thing. I’d gone along with my mother’s rules for so long that I stopped considering my own thoughts years ago. Probably around the time I decided on the college major she insisted on for me.

When I exhausted all the things I no longer wanted to be a part of my life, I knew I needed to take a break. I flipped to a new page and set the notepad and pen down on the side table. I crawled off the bed and removed my clothes. Between the clothes I’d bought and the few things I was willing to wear that were in my suitcase, I still had some clean things, but I was running out quickly. I needed to ask Piper and Zoey if there was a place I could do laundry.

And if they could teach me how.

Another thing on the list. I needed independence. To stand on my own two feet and do simple things like my own laundry.

But first, I needed to heal.

My tears were building as I walked into the bathroom. A lifetime of regrets pressed down on me. All Andre’s talk about not having regrets made me wish I could be more like him.

I would be. I would create a life that allowed for that.

The shower was hot on my skin, but it felt good. I stepped under the spray and tipped my head back, letting my tears mingle with the water. I cried for the little girl I used to be, who only wanted her mother’s love. I cried for the teenager who wanted friends to hang out with. I cried for the college student who wanted to choose her own path. And I cried for the adult woman whose mother fucked her fiancé on her wedding day.

I didn’t want any of those things in my life. I didn’t want to be that person anymore. I couldn’t change my past, but I could refuse to bring all the toxic pieces of it into my future.

When my tears dried up, I washed my hair and body and smoothed a razor over my legs and pits. The wax my mother insisted I get was starting to wear off, and I had stubble showing up. I didn’t want that for my date with Andre.

I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I wrapped my hair in a towel and a robe around my body. I applied lotion to my skin and took my time getting ready for my date.

Someone knocked on my door at five-fifty-seven, and I knew it was Andre. I slid my toothbrush into my handbag and opened the door.

His hands were on the top of the doorframe, and he blocked my path. His gaze slid over my body, lighting me up as if his hands had followed the same path. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.”

“Not so bad yourself,” I said.

He wore a blue collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show off his muscled forearms. He had on khaki shorts and brown flip-flops. Even the man’s feet were sexy. I looked up and met his smirk.

“Are you ready to go?”

“I am,” I said, stepping out into the hallway.

He didn’t move far, his body brushing mine as I closed the door behind me. He reached for my hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss. “I knew if I kissed you, we’d never make it to dinner, so I have to settle for this.”

My heart skipped with his words, and my breath rushed from me. Whoever this man fell for was going to be one hell of a lucky woman.

Too bad it wasn’t going to be me.

* * *

The restaurant Andre took me to was small and intimate and stunning. It was on a stretch of the river that had no houses in front of it, and we could see Canada across the water. It wasn’t fancy, but it was perfect because we could sit next to each other and talk and not feel like anyone was crowding in on us.

Going to dinner in DC always felt like being on display. My mother would command the attention of everyone in a room, and if she wasn’t there, people would watch for her to arrive. I always felt like I was living in a fishbowl.

But not in MacKellar Cove. Another thing going on my list of demands for my new life. I wanted to live somewhere that I wouldn’t be stared at all the time. Where I could be myself without worrying about another media outlet trying to get me in a compromising position, or looking like shit.

Usually the second one.

But here, I didn’t think about that even once.

“How’s your dinner?” Andre asked as he pushed his empty plate away.

“It’s amazing.” I ordered spinach and mushroom risotto with shrimp, and it was the best I’d ever had. Creamy and smooth, with a hint of something that brought it to life. “How was your steak?”

“So good.” He reached for his glass of wine. We shared a bottle of wine that would have made my mother angry at how affordable it was. Everything was affordable. Because we were paying for the food, not for being in a hot restaurant in the city.

“Did you get everything taken care of at that job you got called to on Sunday?” I’d been wondering about it, but he didn’t bring it up. A part of me worried he was lying when he said he had to go.

“I did,” he said with a nod. “It was a one-time thing. The school district’s mower died, and they needed me to fill in for the day. Hopefully, they are back up and running soon.”

“That was nice of you.”

He exhaled a laugh. “They paid me, so it’s not like I was working for free.”

“Yeah, but still. You had to move your schedule around to do it. There are people who would have said no.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know those people. We help each other out around here. I guess it’s different from DC?”

I drew a breath and smiled. “Very different.”

“Is that why you’re here? You said you weren’t sure how long you would be in town. You needed a change of pace?”

“Something like that.”

He raised an eyebrow at me, imploring me to continue.

“I got into an… argument with my mother. She’s very demanding, and she pushed things too far for me, so I left.”

“Why does she have any say in anything you do?”

“She’s my boss, and I still live with her.”

His brows shot up. “I guess I can’t really say anything since I was living with my parents not that long ago. But I wasn’t exactly working for them. That can’t be easy.”

I shook my head. “It’s not. She likes things her way, and if she doesn’t get her way, she’s not happy.”

“Let me guess, your opinion doesn’t usually matter.”

“No. My opinion doesn’t ~ever~ matter.”

Andre winced. “Ouch.”

I drew a breath and shook my head. “But I’m done. I can’t live like that anymore.”

“Good for you. It isn’t easy to push back, but it’s good. When I moved out, my parents weren’t happy, but it’s been good for all of us. I still have dinner with them every week or so.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t move out because I hated them. I moved out because I needed my own space. Your mom will understand that. It’s not unusual for people to leave home eventually. Your relationship will change, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

“It’s definitely going to change,” I mumbled.

“That’s okay. You’ll figure out what works for you.”

“How do you have such faith in me?”

He smiled. “How could I not? I might’ve only known you a week, but I already know you’re smart and creative, you’re kind. You have great ideas and care about the planet and the people living on it. I don’t know what you do for a living, but I’m assuming something with the environment since you’re so passionate about it.”

He leaned closer, and I mirrored his movement.

“And the most important reason I have faith in you is because I listen to you, and I know you can do anything you want to do.”

He captured my lips with his and pressed his tongue between my lips. His kiss was quick, but it made my head spin. This man was nothing like anyone I’d known before. If I wasn’t careful, I’d forget I was leaving town and let him talk me into sticking around.

If I wasn’t careful, I’d fall for him. Hard.