Chapter 19
Charli sat on the end of the pier after her morning walk on the beach, dangling her legs like a little girl. Seagulls squawked as they floated above her, some of them taking sudden plunges when they spotted a fish in the dark waters. A salty breeze tickled her skin and a sense of peace pervaded her with each inhale. She loved the early-morning quiet of the town. She would’ve never believed she could actually like small-town life, and now here she was, sitting on a pier with the ocean wind lapping at her face, feeling there was no other place she’d rather be.
She was itching for a job, though, and the fact that she hadn’t received a single reply from the companies she’d contacted made her feel like a failure. She really wanted to work and keep herself busy. Organizing the festival had been fun but she doubted there would be any other major events the townspeople would need help with, and she couldn’t see herself doing anything else.
But at the same time, the thought of leaving the town made her stomach churn. She had started to like the laid-back atmosphere, the camaraderie, and the way they’d made her feel welcome and pulled her into their circle, even though she was an outsider.
Her morning jogs, or rather walks, never failed to put her in a happy mood—and maybe the chocolate muffin she ate afterward helped, too.
And then there was Kean.
She hadn’t meant to get used to having him around. She’d told herself she could keep feelings out of it all and simply enjoy their naked times together. She’d thought she could do it. Then somewhere along the way he’d climbed over the wall and become a part of her everyday life. And, holy guacamole, the thought of walking away now made her feel lost. But there was no way she could ever stay here, and he wasn’t going to leave the town either, that was for certain. And why did it matter, anyway? It wasn’t as if she were in love with him. It was just sex. And it was fun while it lasted, but as soon as she found a job she’d move on with her life, and he’d be just a nice memory.
She’d purposely stayed away from him these past two nights, finding some kind of lame excuses she was sure he hadn’t bought. But she’d realized she had started craving his company, yearning to see him, kiss him, hear his laughter—she’d started needing him. And that was something she couldn’t afford, if she had any hope of achieving her career goals before she turned thirty. So she’d prescribed herself a detox cure that involved no Kean, either dressed or naked, until she was sure she could go back to considering this thing between them just sex.
She stood up and stretched her arms over her head, just as a sailboat passed by as it approached the harbor. A little boy with a bright orange fisherman hat, who could be slightly older than Sophie, waved at her from the stem of the boat—or was it the stern? She’d never learned the difference. She waved back, smiling brightly as the boy gave her a smile that was missing a front tooth.
Her stomach grumbled, reminding her she had yet to have her daily muffin from Spring Delights. And she needed one today, maybe even two. Too much thinking had made her ravenous, and not spending the night at Kean’s had put her in a cranky mood. She rolled her eyes and set off toward the town center at a brisk pace, leaving the marina behind.
“Hi, Charli.” Someone greeted her from across the street. She shaded her eyes with her hand and squinted.
“Good morning, Candice.” She smiled, waving back at the librarian, who was also Jared’s mother.
“Hello, there.” Shelly, the former librarian who didn’t seem to know the meaning of the word retirement, waved at her as she walked out of the library, probably to go buy some hot drinks and treats for Candice and herself. It was funny, but whenever she saw the two women together she saw Ellie and herself in thirty years.
She walked on toward her destination, greeting more people as they walked in and out of shops. What had once annoyed her was now something that made her feel happy, like she was someone, not just a face. Like she mattered. Maybe living in a small town did have its perks. But she needed a job, and this town couldn’t provide the kind of career she was after.
“Hey, Charli.”
She spun around at the sound of Lauren’s voice. She was dressed in her usual yoga attire and was most likely just about to start a class.
“Want to join us? We’re starting Pilates in fifteen minutes.”
It wasn’t exactly how she had planned to spend her morning, but since she was already wearing sports clothes and she was feeling restless while she waited for a reply from one of the companies she had contacted, she reckoned it might help her keep her mind off the worry of not finding a job.
And off the thought of how much she’d missed waking up snuggled against Kean’s warm body these last two days.
“I need a muffin first,” she said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder toward the bakery. “I’ll wolf it down and be ready for the class. Save a mat for me.”
Lauren smiled and nodded, then walked through the green door of the building that housed the office of the town newspaper on the ground floor and her studio on the first floor. Ever since Charli had agreed to stay in Spring Harbor until she found a job, Ellie had convinced her she should be an integral part of the community, so she’d been attending book club meetings and yoga classes on and off. At first it had been just so that Ellie would stop annoying her, but within a few weeks she’d actually started enjoying Lauren’s classes. Kean had been teasing her about it, saying she should ask Lauren to teach her some special positions they could use in the bedroom. She remembered swatting him and calling him a perv, just before his lips had captured hers and she’d forgotten why she was supposed to be mad at him.
Why was she thinking of Kean now? And just before walking into his mother’s bakery? Yes, his family—as well as the whole town, obviously—knew about them now, but that didn’t mean she was going to look his mother in the eye while remembering the romps she’d had with the woman’s son. And she was supposed to be on a detox program, so no more Kean-related thoughts for today. Or at least until she was back at the cottage where nobody would notice her zoning out, lost in thoughts of the handsome contractor and how much she missed him.
* * *
“I’ve got an interview!”
Kean staggered as Charli launched herself at him as soon as he opened the door. He caught her in his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. The way she liked to wrap herself around him like a monkey never failed to set his body on fire. The level of intimacy they had reached in such a short time gave him hope that she would eventually change her mind and stay in Spring. With him.
“Hey, that’s great,” he said, squeezing her. She slid back down to her feet and looked up at him, the smile on her face as bright as the sun. “Come in. I was just about to grill burgers. You can tell me everything about it while I cook.”
After the lunch at his parents’, she’d been avoiding him for nearly three days, coming up with lame excuses he hadn’t believed for a minute. Knowing how scared she was of getting too serious with him, he’d preferred to let it go and give her the space and time she needed.
She followed him out onto the back patio where the barbecue was. She sat on one of the wicker chairs and kicked her shoes off, pulled up her legs and hugged her knees. He no longer needed to tell her to make herself at home, and the knowledge she felt so comfortable around him now, as opposed to the stuck-up woman he’d first met, warmed his heart.
“Are you going to tell me about it?”
She smiled. “You know I sent my résumé to quite a few companies lately. But I really only wanted two of them to reply. And guess what?”
He looked over his shoulder when she paused. Her smile grew broader.
“They both did!” She kicked her feet in the air and squealed like a kid. His first instinct was to forget about the burgers, pull her out of that chair, and kiss her senseless. He reined in his emotions, though, knowing now was not the time to drag her into his bedroom. He didn’t know why she had this crazy effect on him. Nobody had ever turned him on around the clock the way she did. It was insane.
“I guess this calls for a toast, then. There’s a bottle of white wine in the fridge. Why don’t you pull it out and grab a couple of glasses?”
She nodded and shot out of the chair, padding barefoot into the kitchen. He smiled. This was what he’d longed for. A quiet night in with a woman he was crazy about, dinner, a movie, and cuddles. Nothing could ever beat that. No fancy city restaurants or hotel rooms. Knowing there was someone waiting for him at home after a long day, someone who’d snuggle up next to him on the couch, was all he’d ever wanted. He’d never had big, fancy goals in life. A good job that would allow him to support a family, a loving wife, a bunch of kids. Some people might think it was dull, but he really didn’t care about having bigger goals. Wanting a simple life wasn’t a crime, was it?
“Here comes the wine.” Charli sing-songed as she waltzed back out onto the porch.
Kean cocked his head to the side. “Have you been drinking?”
She giggled and shook her head as she offered him a glass. When he took it, her arm snaked around his waist, and she rested her cheek on his shoulder.
Man, this feels good.
“I’ve booked a flight for tomorrow. I’ll leave my car at North Bend’s airport so I won’t need a taxi when I come back.”
He stiffened. “Flight? Where are you going?”
“Both companies have their head office in Los Angeles. I’m not driving all the way back and forth for just a couple of days.”
His stomach plummeted to his feet. The thought of her leaving made him feel as if a rock had settled on his chest.
“I won’t be staying there, though. The traffic is crazy.”
A bit of the tension left his shoulders. Was she considering coming back to Spring?
“They both have branches in other cities, and neither of the positions would be in Los Angeles.”
He doubted they had an office close to Spring, but a small part of him still wished they had a chance somehow. Portland would still be a manageable distance—even though it would mean they’d only be able to see each other on weekends, it would be better than seeing her once a month.
Damn. Why was he making plans? It was all doomed to end, and he knew it.
“You okay?” She pinched his hip, bringing him back to Earth.
He nodded. “So, um… how long will you be away for?”
Dude, you sound pathetic.
Yeah, he did. But he couldn’t stop the words from escaping his lips.
“Maybe a couple of days,” she said, moving her hand from his hip down to his butt. She pinched him again. “Why, are you going to miss me, Bob?”
Yes.
“Nah, I’ll be fine,” he lied, flipping the burgers one at the time. “I’ll finally catch up on sleep and recover a bit of energy. A feisty Texan has been disrupting my routine these past few weeks, and I didn’t get much sleep.”
This time she swatted him. “You didn’t seem to mind when I showed up at your door. Or when I tore the clothes off you.”
He chuckled. “Don’t be melodramatic, now. I don’t recall clothes ever being torn off.”
“Maybe I was planning on doing that tonight…” Her voice took on a surly, ultra-sexy tone as she pulled away from him and leaned with her hip against the porch railing. She took a sip of wine and when he dared throw a glance, a saucy smile curled her kissable lips.
“Were you now?” He quirked an eyebrow, and she shrugged.
“I was. But I’ve changed my mind. You spoiled the mood.”
He placed the burgers on the plates sitting on the small table next to the barbecue and turned to look at her.
“Okay, let’s go in and eat. Unless I spoiled your appetite, too.”
“Not my appetite for food,” she said, grinning.
He hip-checked her as he passed her by, and she laughed. Yes, he was going to miss her. And he hated the feeling.