Stormy Surrender (New Hope #1) Read online

  “So, is the coast clear?” He had asked in a loud whisper.

  “Yes?” She responded questioningly. And the question she had in mind was…where had he gone and where had he come from?

  ‘Whew.” He stood and pulled pine straw out of his hair, brushed it off his jacket, plucked some from a pocket. He looked like he had rolled in the stuff.

  “What happened? One minute you’re here, the next you’ve disappeared. I don’t get it.” She shook her head. He was talking to her while ducked behind one of the posts near the gazebo.

  “I threw myself off the gazebo when I saw Laurel coming.” He looked at her as though that should be obvious. “Did we not just finish discussing how she hates me and has gone so far as to stop serving me? I think that made sense.” He pulled a piece of pine straw from behind his neck. “What if she decided to be angry at you, too? What if she wouldn’t sell cupcakes to either of us?” He made an exaggerated shocked and horrified expression with his face.

  “Okay. Well…I’m going to get back to my reading.” She was trying not to encourage him, too much at the moment. She had such mixed feelings about everything.

  “Stop by the house later. I need your opinion about the kitchen. I would love to have that all done for you before you get back from Vermont. How great would that be to just be able to move in?” He leaned down.

  She stared into his eyes for a moment. It was impossible to not be drawn in to them. Today, the blue outer rim of his iris was such a deep shade of blue green that she wanted to just climb into him. She sighed.

  “Well, if you don’t want to see it, I guess I can do it without you…” His voice trailed off and a disappointed look furrowed his brow.

  “No, I’ll come. What time?” She touched her phone to see the screen. It was now barely 1pm.

  “The guys will leave about five o’clock. How about after that?”

  “Sounds good. Now go away so I can read.” She shoved him away and started to giggle. She couldn’t help herself where he was concerned. And the idea of having someone in her life that she couldn’t get mad at really appealed to her. She could stay mad at Blaine for such extended periods of time that it felt like she was always angry, always in knots. There was good coming out of this divorce. She was going to be happy.

  He craned his neck so he could kiss her on the temple without exposing his hiding place. “Thanks for the cupcake, cupcake.” He winked at her and wandered back towards where his truck was parked near Laurel’s.

  She was all butterflies and tingles inside. It was a new feeling for her, both welcome and uncomfortable. Somehow, she knew that Joey would be more than happy to help make that discomfort go away. She rather enjoyed that idea, even though it was probably a horrible idea.

  By the time she drove over to the house that evening, she was relaxed and happy. The remainder of her afternoon had been spent reading a book. And she had even started a new one. She chose something light and happy. Jennifer Crusie romance novels always fit that bill. Soon after Joey left, Laurel had returned to the gazebo with a fresh sweet tea and a Boston Cream Cupcake. It was heaven. Really, though it may get uncomfortable, there was no way that she was going to leave this town. It had already become more like home to her than Burlington ever was.

  After freshening up, for goodness knew what reason since she was only going to be seeing Joey, she headed down the stairs to leave again. Naturally, she wasn’t able to avoid Keely again. They had made a dinner date, which suited Marti perfectly. It gave her an excuse to not go to Joey’s house, to not get drawn in, to not stay and make a memory…even if it might have been the most amazing memory of her life.

  The charm in his pocket felt warm to the touch. And it should. He had been holding it in his hand for over an hour as he imagined giving it to Marti. He loved the way she lit up every time he found an excuse for a new addition to the bracelet. There was no way he wanted her to ever forget the night before; even though it hadn’t turned out quite like he had hoped. The best part was that he could tell Marti was enjoying herself, too. He would have been absolutely certain had he managed to get her pants down before they were hosed down by his crazy neighbor. Still, nipples don’t lie. Hers responded to him…to his lips, to his touch, and especially to his tongue. He squeezed the sterling silver piece as he waited.

  She pulled in. Why couldn’t she ever take his advice? As much as he wanted to call her out, to remind her that it was safer to back in, he resolved to stay away from that conversation since he was determined to have a nice evening with her. He watched her emerge from the Escape and he had to admit that vehicle was much better suited to her than the Vue. Blue was her color. She walked toward him and smiled.

  “So what would you like me to see?” She asked. She was so calm.

  “You look great,” he remarked as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You must have had a really nice day.”

  “I did, thank you.” She looked toward the house. And he was bothered that she was so interested in the house. Maybe this ruse to spend time with her wasn’t going to work after all.

  “Well, there has been a lot of progress in the house. Can we pick some colors and cabinets? I have samples in the kitchen.” He threw an arm around her and walked her toward the backdoor, since the new porch wasn’t completely finished yet.

  When they entered the room, she all but squealed in delight. The room really was shaping up. There was so much light. The new tile looked great, but he walked her straight through to the front room. “The grout hasn’t set yet. I don’t want us to walk on it much.”

  “It looks amazing. It’s just like I imagined it…only better because it’s real.” He pointed her in the direction of the cabinet samples. He even had a few spare tiles so she could get a sense of what the room would look like with all the different products together.

  She sat on the floor and moved tiles and cabinet samples around. There was a light wood that appealed to her. Or there was a cherry that looked really nice. White could make a great fall back and it would really brighten up the room. She was really agonizing over this decision. In the back of her mind, she really wanted the same finish on the cabinetry in the house. That meant that she would have to have matching bathroom cabinets.

  “What do you think?” She asked him honestly. “I’m torn. I really like wood. I know white matches with everything but I think it can look too contemporary or too cheap. So then I thought maybe this light wood to keep it light and bright in here. But I love these cherry finished ones. And if we use those, the bathrooms will have the same wood finish and I really like that idea. I guess the cherry is perfect as long as we go with lighter paint. Yup, that’s what we’ll do. Thank you!” And she smiled at him.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t say anything…” His voice trailed off.

  “You didn’t have to. You let me think it out and I really appreciate that.” She was beaming. “Is that everything, or did you need me for something else?” She stood and brushed off her pants. “I have dinner plans.”

  His face darkened. “Who do you have plans with?”

  Her eyebrows rose at his reaction and tone. Part of her wanted to remind him that it was none of his business how she spent her time, but the other part of her realized that she had pretty much purposely baited him. And she couldn’t be mad at him for reacting, especially since it was the reaction she secretly hoped for. Instead, she smiled. “I’m having dinner with Keely. It’s been a while since we’ve done that and she asked me just before I left.”

  “But you knew you were coming over here. Why would you agree to meet her for dinner?” He looked as though he was completely baffled.

  “You said you needed my input for the house. You didn’t say you wanted me to stay and hang out. You never mentioned that you wanted plans with me. Why would you think I knew that invitation meant more than it did?” She looked at him with sad eyes. “Do you know how much time I spend alone? If I have a chance to do something and not be alone, I’m going to take it.” And with th
at, she turned on her heels and prepared to storm out of the house.

  “Wait.” He sighed. He spent entirely too much time chasing this woman down. “I’m sorry. I figured it was understood. I didn’t think. I should have asked you to spend the evening with me.” He walked over to her where she hung out by the kitchen opening. “I have something for you before you leave.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the charm. It was a bonfire…crossed logs and a flame. The minute she saw it, she softened, she beamed, and she walked into his arms. “Never forget,” he murmured into her hair.

  She looked up at him. “How could I?” She buried her face in his chest. He was growing used to it, welcomed it. He had even taken to making sure he was wearing cologne when he knew he was going to see her. He wanted her to think of him fondly.

  “Let me fix it.,” he said as he reached for her wrist. She backed away and looked up at him with glistening eyes. “Are you happy?” She nodded. “Good.” He wrapped the bracelet around her wrist and smiled as it returned to its rightful place. He held her close against his chest for a moment, simply enjoying the closeness. “I don’t suppose you want to come back here after dinner?”

  “No, we’ll get talking. It will be too late.” She smiled. “There will be other times.”

  “Even if I leave the lights on for you?” He stopped even as he realized he was sounding desperate.

  “What about a movie tomorrow?” She hadn’t been to a movie in such a long time. It sounded like a nice change of pace.

  “Sure. We’ll meet here. We’ll go to a theater in Charlotte. Obviously there are none in this town.” He leaned down and kissed her on the bridge of her nose, high up between her eyes. “Go enjoy your dinner. Have fun. I’ll walk you out.”

  He offered her his hand to lead her through the kitchen maze and out the back door. They walked side by side down the driveway to the car. He opened the door for her. He was about to tuck her into the car when he looked up and saw Miss Gracie out on her front porch looking their direction. Without thinking, he dove into the bushes.

  It was the second time in one day. He was standing there talking with her one minute and gone the next. This was dangerously close to becoming a habit. And she might have laughed, if it had been someone else’s story, if it wasn’t happening to her. Only…it was. “What the hell? Really?” She stood with her hands on her hips.

  Slowly, he peeked out of the bushes, leaned out, and looked around. “Is she still out there?” He whispered loudly.

  “Is who out where?” She asked, clearly irritated. “Listen, I don’t have time for this. You can stay in my bushes. I’m going to meet Keely for dinner. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night…assuming we’re still on for the movie.” She looked at him. He peered out at her. “Are we still on for the movie?”

  He sighed. “Yes, we’re still on for the movie.”

  She all but growled as she opened the door of the Escape and hopped behind the wheel. He had sighed. One minute he wanted to spend time with her, the next minute he was sighing. She shook her head in frustration. It really didn’t matter. Soon they would have a break from each other. She would be back in Vermont. He would be here.

  When she reached Hope House, she was feeling slightly better. It was hard to be angry when the sky was a rich blue velvet shade simply littered with stars. And planets. In all honesty she wouldn’t know the difference. Oh, a plane. That she recognized.

  As she walked up the steps she could feel the warmth of Hope House welcoming her. It didn’t hurt that Keely was standing near the door ready to greet her. “I was watching for you,” she laughed. “I thought we might try something different tonight.” She was so excited about this dinner plan, that there was no way that Marti would have ever been able to say no to her.

  “What did you want to do?” She asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

  “Fondue!” She squealed. “I found a couple of recipes for fondue that I have been dying to try. I cut up some apples and bread and carrots for the cheddar fondue. I have this special white wine and chicken stock fondue recipe for cooking the chicken and shrimp in. And then…the standard chocolate fondue for dessert. If I do it right, it should taste like we’re dipping strawberries and pound cake in fudge!” She was clapping her hands together as she spoke.

  “You know what?” Marti said honestly. “That sounds really good. And it won’t just be a meal; it will be an event.”

  They spent the next two hours in the kitchen, eating dinner in courses off the big stainless steel prep table. While the food was exceptional, it was the conversation that Marti would remember even more vividly. As they had begun to dip into the dessert fondue, Keely finally opened up about something that was obviously on her mind. “So, what’s going on with you and Joe?” She asked seriously.

  “Nothing…really…I guess,” Marti responded with a shrug. “He’s one of my few friends in New Hope. He is showing me the ropes, remodeling my house, and helping me cope with the divorce and all the changes my new marital status entail.”

  “And is one of those changes getting used to sleeping with other men?” She raised a blond eyebrow with her question.

  “We didn’t sleep together. We haven’t slept together. We just..”

  “Came damn close from what I’ve heard.” She stabbed a hunk of pound cake and dunked it in the warm chocolate. “I like you, Marti. I like Joe. I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you understand?”

  She set her skewer down. “No. No, I don’t understand. I don’t know why everyone cares. I don’t know why people keep warning me. Maybe they should be warning Joe.” She was starting to get agitated and it was difficult for her voice to stay even in that situation.

  Keely chuckled. “Oh, they are warning Joe, all right. They are warning him to stay away, to not hurt you.”

  “Well, maybe I would hurt him!” She crossed her arms over her chest. Keely tipped her head and smirked in obvious disbelief. “Well, I might. I’m tough. I’m smart. And I don’t know what’s going to happen. I do know that right now, I just want to relax and have fun. I want to start taking chances instead of playing it safe. Most of all, I want to make my own decisions and live with the consequences instead of having others decide for me and then I have to live with the results of that.” She tucked her head to her chest. She was silent for a moment before she met Keely’s eyes once more. “Please. Just let me live my life. I’m thirty-five years old and I’ve never really lived.” There was a pleading edge to her voice.

  “This means a lot to you?” She asked Marti and watched for the nod. She settled back on her stool and seemed to think a moment. “And I guess that you may have already considered the consequences. You are right. You are an adult. And since you are the one to live with the consequences, you should at least get to make the choices that precede them.” She lowered herself from the stool and walked around the table until she was beside Marti. Then she threw an arm over her shoulders. “I wish you the very best. I will be your friend always.”

  Turning on the stool, Marti looked at her with tears in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said simply. “Can you do me one favor?” She wore a shy grin.

  “Of course. Anything for a friend.” And she gave Marti one last squeeze before stepping back to hear her out.

  “Since you are all so quick to spread the goings on, spread the word that it’s time to let us alone.” She smiled. “I’m ready to live.”

  He was no good at sneaking around. He never had been. That’s why he tried to live a life he was comfortable living out in the open. It had never bothered him to bring a different woman to Hope House for Sunday Brunch every week. It never worried him who he was seen with at lunch. And he definitely never cared who came and left at all hours of the night.

  While he might seem completely unprincipled to some, he had his ideals. No woman ever slept over. He never saw a woman two nights in a row. He made sure she achieved orgasm before he did. Was there more to consider? No woman was ever given the mistaken impression that wha
t was between them was anything other than what it was. There were two types of girls. There were girls you slept with. Those were his favorite. And there were girls you married. Those he gave a wide berth.

  Now there was Marti. She was the marrying kind. Everyone knew it. And he was not the kind to get married. Not after Finn. Before Finn, he had never given marriage much consideration. He had seen what marriage did to his father and that had convinced him he was not the marrying kind. When he met Finn and they started dating, all he could think about was marrying her, keeping her forever. Only, she wasn’t the kind of girl who wanted to be kept. There wasn’t enough drama and excitement in that. While they were together, he had never felt more alive. Then when it ended…when he ended it…he wanted to die.

  It seemed like the best option at the time. He couldn’t imagine how he was going to dig himself out of that debt. He couldn’t figure out where he would go. He didn’t know how to make a life. Never much one inclined to pray or believe in prayer, it wasn’t until his hour of need that he found himself crying out for a miracle. He has been carrying the guilt of that ever since. It has weighed heavy on him. Hours after he uttered those words, his father died. It was an aneurism. It was sudden, unexpected, and by all accounts…painless. He suddenly had some place to go, some extra money to get out of debt, and a way to make his life. And so he had decided…that was enough. He didn’t deserve more. He didn’t want more. Then he met Marti and he did. He wanted a real life. It was time to live.

  And that scared the hell out of him. He was standing there, claiming that he wanted a fresh start, thick into his second chance, making the best of his miracle. Then, out of nowhere, she appeared and changed everything. His eye lids were heavy. He had been staring at his dark bedroom ceiling for hours. He had been too wired to sleep, too worried to rest, and too rundown to run away again. Marti was different. Maybe it was time for something different.