It had taken Sully three days of trekking around Rosarito Beach with a real estate agent before he found the perfect place. His home in Glendale sat inland, perched on a hill, and he had originally thought he’d like to purchase a small ranch in the country; however, as soon as he saw the oceanfront villas, he changed his mind. The one he settled on was a two-story villa, with three bedrooms and lots of glass windows showcasing a magnificent view of the Pacific. It had a private pool, and the deck opened onto the beach. And most of all, it reminded him of Harper and their Barefoot Bay rendezvous.
On one hand, buying a place here seemed ridiculous. His younger self wouldn’t have considered such a thing. Then again, he wouldn’t have contemplated settling down, either. But now? That was a different matter.
Still, he hadn’t even sought out Harper yet. Every time he thought he was ready, an intense case of nerves overtook him. She could very well reject him. Then what? Grabbing hold of the back of his neck, he massaged the tension there.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, he took a chance and ate lunch at a popular restaurant she’d mentioned: Restaurante. At least he thought that was the name she’d told him the first day they’d met on her boat. He sat in a booth of red pleather and tapped his fingers on the scarred wooden table. From his position he could see the front door. He ordered a bottle of Tecate and took a long drink when it was delivered. It was not his last as he waited.
Two hours later, he heard her laughter outside. His heart raced, his palms becoming sweaty. The minute or so it took for her to cross the threshold and come inside was unbearable.
She was with a group of four, two women and two men, and they grabbed a spot in the dim restaurant. One of the men rolled to the table in a wheelchair and parked it. Sully braced himself. What had he been thinking to surprise her here, when she was with her friends? He should have simply knocked on her front door.
But she could have shut it in his face…
He watched as the waitress came and left with their order, and slipped from the booth.
Showtime.
The impulse struck him at the last minute. It was nothing he’d planned or even stopped to analyze for its positive or negative effect. Maybe it was the influence of the beers he’d had while waiting, but he broke into song, the last thing he’d sung to her at Casa Blanca: “When A Man Loves A Woman.” He got to the phrase about trading the world, he turned to face her.
Harper’s mouth fell open. He walked slowly toward her, singing only to her. It didn’t matter who else was in the room, or what they thought. There was only her.
When he reached her table, he held out his hand. She took it without hesitation, and he pulled her into a dance.
At the end of the song, the people in the restaurant clapped. He captured her mouth in a hungry, desperate kiss.
“I love you,” he said as he pulled back to look into her eyes. “I should have told you before we left the resort.”
“I wouldn’t have listened then,” she said softly.
“And now?”
“I’m willing to see what happens.”
He laughed and kissed her again. “I’ll take it.”
They finally drew back and faced the group. Harper cleared her throat. “Abby, Greg, Terance”—she held a hand out to the person she was introducing as she did so—“this is Sully McGlamery.”
Abby’s eyes were wide, her hand covering her gaping mouth. When she finally removed the pads of her fingers from in front of her lips, she said, “Pleased to meet you.” Her face flushed. She tipped toward Harper, saying under her breath. “I think you have much more to tell me.”
A complete round of hellos commenced, and then Sully grabbed Harper’s hand. “If you’ll excuse us, I have something I need to show Harper.”
* * *
Sully sported a different convertible this time—a silver Ferrari. He opened the door for her, and she slid into the passenger seat. Harper still couldn’t believe he’d come after her.
Someone pinch me.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?”
“No. You’ll see.”
Anticipation gnawed at her stomach, wondering what in the world it could be. He didn’t say much as they drove. He just grinned and kept sliding his gaze to her. Watching her, as if to check and make sure she was actually there.
They drove along Rosarito Beach until he slowed and turned into a condominium complex. Then he pulled in a drive.
She stared at him, her brow furrowing. “What are you doing?”
“Come see.”
He pulled the key from his pocket and opened the door, ushering her inside. She walked around, amazed. “It’s beautiful.”
The place was light and airy, soft creams, travertine tile, modern furnishing, and the entire west side was lined with windows.
“How did you manage this with work? Aren’t you swamped?” She looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t want you to sacrifice your career to visit me.”
“When I returned from Florida, all I could think about was you. But I thought I couldn’t have you. I threw myself into my work. Now I’m ahead.” He shrugged. “I thought it was time for another trip.” He opened the sliding glass door. “Check out the pool.”
She looked around. The high-fenced walls made it very private, yet the back remained open to the beach. She was immediately whisked back to their romantic night at Casa Blanca Resort.
“You rented this?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I bought it.”
Her breath caught as her jaw dropped. Then her lips stretched into a wide smile. “Wh-what?
“I’ll still have gigs and a lot of travel, but this can be my home as well as LA.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him hard, and kissed him, starting on his firm jaw and ending at his mouth. “I love you,” she said, realizing it was true. Gazing deeply into his eyes, her heart suddenly felt light and excited after weeks of living with the aching loss she’d felt the moment she’d left him in Barefoot Bay.
Sully eased back and pulled a ring box from his pocket, opening it and presenting a beautiful marquise diamond ring. “I love you more. And I know you’re my forever girl.”
Her heart beat wildly against her ribs.
“Mmm, the shape kind of reminds me of a sailboat,” she said with a smile, leaning in for a closer look.
He wrapped his large hand around hers. “Sharper Harper, come sail away with me.”
“Yes! Oh, yes!”