CHAPTER SIX
Tess chewed on her bottom lip as she sat in the town’s only real-estate office and listened to Marsha Lawson go on about property values, comps, and how the market was in an upswing and a prime time for sellers. She’d been very excited to see Tess, and even more thrilled to hear that she was planning on putting her grandmother’s house up for sale. Tess wasn’t sure if the other woman’s eagerness had to do with the commission she’d make, or something else that Tess was missing.
After three weeks of hard, intensive labor on Morgan’s part, along with occasional help from his crew on the more difficult and time-consuming repairs, the renovations were nearly completed. The new counters in the kitchen had been installed, the cabinets had been resurfaced, and the old linoleum had been ripped up. The hardwood floors beneath had been refinished to a gleaming shine, giving the kitchen a richness and warmth it had previously lacked, and Tess had to admit it was now one of her favorite rooms in the house.
Light fixtures, plumbing, and electrical problems had been repaired. A new oak banister had been installed, and a fresh coat of paint made the once dingy, yellowing walls more appealing and chased away the gloom that had seemed to weigh down the appearance of the house.
What was once a run-down, neglected house now resembled the custom built home it once was, one that looked well cared for and loved. And now Tess was about to turn her back on the one thing that had given her a sense of stability and security growing up.
She pushed that melancholy thought out of her head. Putting the house on the market was the logical thing to do, or so Tess had been trying to convince herself for the past week and a half. There were only a few minor repairs left to be done, and there was absolutely no way Tess could afford to keep the place. Not when she was unemployed and there wasn’t much in the way of finding a decent paying job in Wynhaven. She might have received a nice severance from her previous employer, but that money would only go so far in maintaining a place as big as her grandmother’s.
Besides, the house was just too enormous for one person. And much too quiet and lonely with only herself inhabiting the place.
“I’ve seen the work that Morgan has been doing out at your grandmother’s place,” Marsha went on enthusiastically. “And if the inside looks as good as the outside, it shouldn’t take me long to find a buyer.”
That should have been good news to Tess’s ears, but instead it increased the confusion and doubts swirling within her. “Do you know of someone looking for a house in Wynhaven?”
Marsha typed a note on her laptop and glanced back up at Tess with a bright smile. “No, not specifically, but I have some contacts in Atlanta, and I think that house would make a terrific bed and breakfast. I’ve always thought so. It’s right on the lake, there’s plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, and since the nearest hotel is over twenty miles away, it would be a cozy place for guests to stay if they’re passing through Wynhaven or visiting.”
Now Tess understood where Marsha’s eagerness was stemming from. She’d obviously had her eye on Tess’s grandmother’s place for some time now, with her own plans for the house and property, if she could entice the right buyer. Which Marsha didn’t think she’d have a hard time finding at all.
Neither did Tess. She couldn’t deny that Marsha’s idea was an appealing one. Wynhaven could certainly benefit from a bed and breakfast, but the longer she sat in Marsha’s office and listened to the other woman go on about Tess’s grandmother’s house and all its attributes, Tess became increasingly upset. She didn’t like the thought of a stranger transforming the house she’d grown up in, and she realized what a difficult time she was having letting go of the one thing that had been a constant in her life: her grandmother and the only real home she’d ever known.
“I’ll get the house and property appraised in the next week and we can get the house on the market,” Marsha said, interrupting Tess’s thoughts with business details. “I’m sure you’re anxious to sell the place so you can return to Atlanta, and I’m certain someone will snap it up in no time at all.”
Marsha’s secretary buzzed in on the intercom to let her know she had another client waiting, signaling the end to their meeting. After reassuring that she’d be in touch, Tess left the woman’s office and returned to her grandmother’s house.
There was no one working there today, which Tess had expected since Morgan had been called out to help his guys on a construction project they were having problems on. Morgan had promised her he’d finish up the minor repairs still left to be done in the evenings, after his construction work during the day.
Tess walked into the large, quiet house, and immediately missed having Morgan there. His deep, smooth voice. His sexy, lazy smiles. His sensual laughter and the way one sloe-eyed look from him could make her go breathless with desire and wanting.
She absently pressed a hand to her fluttering belly. So much had changed between them over the past weeks, in ways Tess had only dreamed would ever be possible. Morgan had not only become her lover again, but he’d also become her friend and confidant, and that was something that had been lacking in her life since she’d left him eight years ago. It made her truly realize what she’d given up and had her questioning how she was going to walk away from him once again.
With a deep sigh that brought her no easy answers, she walked through the big house, strolling from room to room and taking in all the new changes while thinking about Marsha’s comment about turning the place into a bed and breakfast. Tess considered the place from the Realtor’s perspective, and felt a shimmer of excitement ripple through her at just how much potential the house held—not for a would-be buyer, but for her.
She wondered if maybe she could be that person to turn this house into a bed and breakfast. The thought tumbled through her mind, the possibilities bringing a sense of adventure and optimism that felt so good and right.
She’d spent the past eight years in Atlanta, attending college and taking on odd jobs to make ends meet, then finally working as a marketing rep for a large Atlanta firm. And never once had her job given her any real pleasure or the kind of satisfaction or accomplishment that came from doing something you loved. She’d obviously never been cut out to be a citified career woman who needed to make her mark on the world and a have an affluent man on her arm.
No, that had been her grandmother’s dream.
Deep in her heart Tess was, and always would be, a small-town girl who preferred a simple, uncomplicated life. One that was rich and rewarding in ways that no high-powered job or lifestyle could compete with. And, she was in love with a man who was a carpenter and worked with his hands for a living, and she knew she always would be in love with him.
She made her way back downstairs, and in the living room she found herself drawn to the hope chest Morgan had given her. It was so evident to her that the hope chest had been made with so much love, and it hit her hard knowing what she’d walked away from all those years ago—even if she’d done so to please her grandmother. As a result, her actions had hurt Morgan deeply.
But Tess believed Morgan had given her the hope chest for a reason now, and it wasn’t because he wanted to off-load the piece of furniture. No, he’d kept it for the past eight years because he hadn’t been able to let it, or her, go. Giving her this precious gift now told her so much, that maybe, hopefully, Morgan was still in love with her, too.
Her throat clogged with tears, and she knelt in front of the hope chest and opened it up. The inside was empty, of course, just waiting to be filled with hopes and dreams and all the cherished memories she’d missed out on the past eight years.
Now, she wanted to fill it with keepsakes from a lifetime spent with Morgan Kane.
She had no idea if he wanted the same thing, but she’d find out soon enough. But no matter how Morgan felt about her, there were choices she needed to make, for herself and no one else. And that meant returning to Atlanta and closing that chapter of her life, so she could begin a new one here in Wynhaven.
That bed and breakfast was going to be all hers, a way of keeping her grandmother’s house and supporting herself as well. Because she just couldn’t give up this place. It was her only legacy, a tie to her past, and the key to her future.
Coming back to live in Wynhaven was something she was doing for herself, even if Morgan didn’t have a place for her in his heart or his life, which was a distinct possibility since he’d made her no promises since her return. But she’d seen the tenderness in his gaze, felt the emotion between them when they made love, and she had to believe in him, in them, and what she knew they could have together.
Her plan was a definite risk the whole way around, but she was so tired of playing it safe; tired of living her life the way her grandmother would want her to. She’d loved her grandmother, and even understood her reasons for pushing Tess to better herself, even if those ideals had been misplaced. But it was time that Tess lived her own life, and she wanted that future to be here in Wynhaven. With Morgan.
She just hoped when she returned from Atlanta a few days from now, Morgan would want her as a part of his life and future, as well.
* * *
After a long day working on renovations for a church at a neighboring town, Morgan sat out on his front porch with a cold bottle of beer, a routine he’d adopted over the past five days since Tess had been gone.
Other than the brief message she’d left on his cell phone the day she’d left for Atlanta, Morgan had yet to hear from her, and that lack of communication between them was eating him up inside. She’d informed him that she had to take care of a few things in the city and that she’d talk to him soon, but for every day that passed without hearing from her his hopes were increasingly drowned out by doubts, along with a deep loss and pain that ached his soul.
It was his own damn fault for allowing his emotions to factor in to what should have been a simple and uncomplicated affair. Their relationship might have started out as a seduction, but he would have sworn he’d felt something more between them over the past few weeks—the love they’d once shared kindling into a deeper, richer, more mature kind of emotion and passion that held the exciting possibility of spanning a lifetime.
How had he misjudged every conversation, every look and touch between them so badly?
He shook his head at being twice a fool. And it didn’t help matters, or his bruised male pride, that when he’d seen Marsha Lawson a few days ago at the coffee shop in town she’d told him that Tess had come to see her about putting her grandmother’s house up for sale. Morgan should have expected as much since that had been Tess’s plan all along, but he would have liked to have heard that news from Tess herself, and not the realtor anxious to bring in a big commission on the Monroe place.
Swearing beneath his breath, he finished off his beer and went back inside the house to see what he could make to eat, even though he didn’t have much of an appetite. He found a fried chicken dinner in the freezer and popped it into the microwave to cook, and grabbed a second beer. He was just twisting the cap off the bottle when his doorbell rang.
Not expecting any visitors and wanting to be left alone for the evening, he frowned and headed to the front door. He opened it and found Tess standing on his porch, wearing faded jeans, a pink T-shirt, and a tentative smile. All he could think was that she was back from Atlanta to say her final good-byes before she returned to the city for good.
He braced a shoulder against the door frame and folded his arms across his chest. “You’re back,” he drawled, his tone giving nothing away. Not his surprise, nor the slim flicker of hope he couldn’t help but feel at seeing her again.
She shifted on her sandaled feet, her soft brown eyes searching his. “I just got in, and I was hoping we could talk.”
Again, he felt that sucker punch sensation to the stomach, but managed to keep his expression bland. “Sure,” he said, and waved a hand toward the chairs on the porch.
Tess inhaled a deep breath, unable to bring herself to sit down when she had so much excess energy running through her, so she remained standing instead. Morgan didn’t seem inclined to sit, either, and instead leaned against the porch railing.
She was incredibly nervous about this conversation with Morgan, and how it was going to end. She hoped she wasn’t about to lose the best thing that had ever happened to her, and he wasn’t giving her any clues about what he was feeling, either. It was like that first day when she’d gone to see him at his workshop, when he was so reserved and his features had been so unreadable.
Her anxiety level rose a notch, and she struggled to keep her composure as she met his gaze. This was something she needed to see through, no matter the outcome. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you while I was in Atlanta, but I had a lot of things I had to take care of and I just wanted to get everything done so I could come back to Wynhaven as soon as possible.”
“So you can get your grandmother’s house sold?” he asked gruffly.
“I’m not selling my grandmother’s place.”
He narrowed his gaze in confusion, and she allowed a small smile to ease up the corner of her mouth as she explained.
“That was my intent when I first came back to Wynhaven, and I even talked to Marsha about listing the house last week, but I realized I just couldn’t do it.”
He slid his fingers into the front pockets of his jeans, his entire demeanor still guarded. “What changed your mind?”
“A lot factored into my decision. Mainly, I just can’t bring myself to let go of the house I grew up in, which gave me the only sense of stability and belonging I had after my mother passed away.” She paused a moment, wondering how Morgan would take her next bit of news. “I’ve decided to turn my grandmother’s place into a bed and breakfast.”
He looked appropriately shocked. “Really?”
She nodded, though she heard the disbelief in his tone, as if he wasn’t sure what to make of her announcement. “Actually, Marsha gave me the idea when she mentioned that the place would make a great bed and breakfast for people traveling through Wynhaven or visiting the town.”
She came up beside Morgan and propped her hip on the railing next to him, taking whatever warmth and closeness she could get from him at the moment. “The more I thought about the idea, the more I wanted to be the person to turn the house into a bed and breakfast. Initially, I was going to sell the place because I couldn’t afford to keep it and live in it alone, and this is the perfect solution for me to keep it. I figure I’ll hire a few people to help me out on a part-time basis with the guests and cleaning and upkeep, and I’ll do most of the cooking and baking, which I love. It’s an opportunity I just can’t walk away from.”
After a few silent moments he expressed what was on his mind. “You left for Atlanta once before, Tess. What makes you think Wynhaven is going to be enough for you now?”
It was a legitimate question, and she knew Morgan was looking for some kind of reassurance from her, though she still had no idea where they stood with each other now.
“When I left for Atlanta after graduating high school, I did so for my grandmother,” she said, needing him to understand her reasons for pursuing a life outside of Wynhaven all those years ago. “She wanted me to go to college and be successful, because my own mother was such a disappointment. Helen wanted more for me, and I honestly can’t fault her for that, and though I have a lot of regrets about the way I left Wynhaven, and you, at the time I did what I believed was the right thing to do, even if it wasn’t what I wanted. I was young and impressionable, and a part of me felt as though I owed my grandmother for raising me. Another part just wanted her to be proud of me and what I accomplished.”
“And now?” he asked quietly.
“Now I’m ready to live my own life, for myself.” Her voice was strong and filled with a renewed confidence. “I went to Atlanta and loaded up all my belongings in a U-haul, I closed out bank accounts and canceled the lease on my apartment. There were things I needed to resolve before I came back here and talked to you again. I wanted to return with that part of my life in Atlanta done and over with so I could start out fresh and new here in Wynhaven.”
His eyes darkened, and his expression intensified. “What about us?”
It was time to put her heart and emotions on the line, and she prayed they would be reciprocated. She moved to stand directly in front of Morgan, less than a foot away, and pressed her palm to his lean jaw. “The past three weeks being here in Wynhaven has made me realize that everything I’ve ever wanted is right here in this small town I grew up in. Especially you, Morgan.” She swallowed hard, and gave him everything that made her who she was. “I love you, Morgan Kane. I never stopped loving you.”
With a low groan he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against his body, hugging her tight. “God, Tess, I love you, too.” Too soon he pulled back, and gently brushed away stray strands of her hair from her cheek. “I’m a handyman, Tess, a guy who works construction, and I always will be. You know I’ll never be some fancy city executive with soft, manicured hands.” That he’d allow her to see this vulnerable side to him touched her deeply, but they’d always tried to be honest with each other, and she never wanted to lose that trust again. She held his wrists and ran her thumbs across his tough, work-roughened palms. “I love these hands of yours, Morgan. I love every single one of your calluses and how they feel when you run them slowly over my body. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and I love you just the way you are.”
She felt overwhelmed with a slew of emotions, yet there was still one thing left she needed to say to him. She looked into his handsome face, so he could see the sincerity in her eyes. “Morgan… I’m so sorry about the way I left you eight years ago. I swear I never meant to deliberately hurt you.”
“I know, sweetheart,” he said as a silent understanding passed between them, erasing the pain of the past and making room for a bright new future together. And then he framed her face in his hands and took her mouth in a kiss so hard and deep it literally lifted her off her feet.
“Marry me, Tess,” he breathed once he let them both up for air again, his gaze warm and tender and his eyes shining with the same undeniable emotion bursting inside her. “I want you to be my wife. I want to have babies with you and raise them here in Wynhaven, and I want to grow old with you. I don’t want a day to pass without you in it.”
“Yes,” she shouted exuberantly, wanting all that with Morgan, too. “Yes, yes, yes!”
A small frown furrowed Morgan’s brows, though his eyes sparkled with that southern charm of his she’d missed so much. “Except we have a little problem.”
She stared up at him, wide-eyed and curious, certain after how far they’d come they could work out any issues left between them. “What’s that?”
“You’re going to have to hire someone to stay at the bed and breakfast full-time, because you’ll be in my bed every single night.”
She grinned, feeling his strong heart beating beneath the hands she’d rested on his chest. “I don’t see that as a problem.”
“Good.” He swept her up in his arms and headed for the front door. “Then you’ll be sleeping in my bed from tonight on.”
She laughed joyfully. As he carried her to his bedroom, laid her on the big four poster bed and spent the next hour showing her just how good he was with those talented hands of his, Tess knew she’d come home for good.
* * *
Thank you for reading GOOD WITH HIS HANDS. I hope you enjoyed Morgan and Tess’s story!
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