Forever Love on Fireweed Island (Island County Book 4) (22 page)

“Money?” I asked.

“I suppose.” He shrugged. “But why give up three years of your life for a small amount?”

I nodded. “Not to mention what she did to your alpacas. Do you know where they went? Were they harmed?”

He nodded sadly. “I think that’s why I wanted a farm where I could have even more.”

“Wow. I thought I had it bad.”

“Don’t let my experience tarnish yours, by any means.” He gave a half-smile and shook his head. “You know, I actually feel better telling you.”

“Well, your positive attitude gives me something to strive for. I can’t believe you’re not more bitter.”

“It would only hurt me in the long run. It’s kind of like living your life with regret. Neither action does a person good. I’m sure I learned a lot about human nature by being with her. Maybe I’ll need to recognize the signs someday for something really important. But I actually didn’t realize I’d been purposefully hiding out until you mentioned it. I must have subconsciously decided to be so selective about who I let in. I wound up turning into a bit of a recluse. The problem is that I really don’t mind it.”

“Like you said, maybe what we learned will be used in the future to spot potential oddballs.” I smiled.

His eyes focused on mine. “Like making sure BlznBookie isn’t a psychopath or something.”

“Do you think we might have been married to psychopaths?”

“Maybe not textbook psychopaths, but sociopaths for sure.”

“What if that’s all we’re attracted to? What does that say about us right now?” I gave him a once over, and he laughed, releasing the nervous energy from seconds before.

“Do you think?” he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and munched on a fry. “I don’t think I have any of those tendencies. I even feel guilty about eating meat, but then I smell sizzling bacon and it’s all over. I succumb.”

“You know, my brother and I watched
Babe
and it took him years to eat pork again.”

“What about you?” My brow arched.

“I lasted about five minutes.”

“Well, it’s a good thing Todd can’t be made into bacon or he’d be in trouble.”

“I couldn’t do that to Dotty. She worships him.” He took a sip of water. “That’s why I let him get away with how he treats me. I don’t want him to lose his swag in front of her.”

“Is that so?” I grinned. “I just thought you were afraid of him.”

“A little spit never hurt anyone. I would never be afraid of Todd.”

“You don’t mind losing your swag in front of me?” I teased.

“Did I?”

“No, you’re still number one in my book.”

“Have I nudged out BlznNerd or whatever his name is?”

“You can’t call him that. I doubt anyone who lives like he does could possibly be a nerd. Not that there’s anything wrong with nerds.”

“Nothing wrong with them at all. In fact, I was one while growing up.”

I stared into the brilliant blue-eyed, blond-haired man across from me who could literally strut off the pages of any magazine around. I shook my head.

“Not on your worst day. I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true. Does that change your view of me? Do you have a thing against nerds?”

“Not at all. In fact, I was one myself growing up. I preferred to spend recess in the library.”

“You don’t say.” His expression was unchanged.

“We’ve had a pretty successful meal so far. Maybe we should call it quits for the night before you get called off to some other emergency.”

He smirked. “I know what you’re doing.”

“What?” I feigned innocence.

“You want to get home to a book.”

“Please. That would never happen.” I glanced across the coastal-themed café and chuckled. We were in one of the booths dotting the back wall. This place had stayed the same since I was a little girl. It was half-beach shack and half-fifties café.

The same wooden starfish even clung to the walls, and the red antique Coke machine sat propped behind the counter. I think the only difference was the light fixtures had been changed out to rope-wrapped chandeliers from metal ones.

“But I did read the first page of
Smelling in Purple
, and I could barely drag myself away from it. I can tell it’s going to be a tear-jerker.”

He nodded. “That’s why I haven’t been able to do it. I’d like to see you again before we go to Hound Island, but I actually have a bit of business to take care of off the island.”

“That’s a bummer.” I was surprised by my reaction. I was actually going to miss him. “I’ve started to kind of like you.”

“Glad I’m off to such a rip-roaring start.” His laughter swept over me, and I reveled in the newness of this unknown step in our even newer relationship. “If you need anything while I’m gone, text or call me. I’ll be back on the third.”

“Are we going there on the Fourth?”

“I thought you might like to go over on the third, stay until the fifth?”

“Are you sure your mom wouldn’t mind?”

“I think she expects it.”

“Is your brother going to be there?”

“He’ll be there, and so will my aunt and uncle, and then on the Fourth, the farm will be packed with festivalgoers. It’s always a lot of fun.”

“It sounds like an amazing escape.”

“Just escaping one paradise for another.” He glanced around Norma’s, and we both realized at the same time that we were the last customers.

“We’re so wild we’re shutting down the place.”

“That doesn’t mean much on Fireweed,” he joked.

“Probably not.”

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” A quick thought darted through my mind about the rest of the evening. I had to be at work early in the morning to help set up the Natural History exhibit, but I’d gladly work as a zombie if I could spend a little more time together.

Jake stood up and helped me out of the booth.

“I’ll drive you home,” he said, keeping my hand in his.

“You don’t have to.”

“It’s dark and the shoulder is narrow. I’m at the point where I feel it’s my duty to keep you going.” He swung open the door, and I walked outside, smelling the fresh sea air.

“Whatever you say.” I rolled my eyes, secretly thrilled I’d get a few more minutes with Jake.

“So you’ll stay out of trees and the middle of the road while I’m gone?”

“For the most part. Unless, of course, Coco needs me.”

“Coco needs a leash.”

“She slips out of it. I’ve seen it happen many times.” I grinned as Jake opened the car door for me and I slid in.

He walked around the front of the car, and it was impossible not to gawk at how amazing he looked. Heat flashed through my body at the thought of getting to strip him of his clothes, and I giggled nervously at the thought.

“What’s got you laughing?” he asked, climbing into the car.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, no way. That’s not how things are going to be played,” he nearly growled. “I can’t let you have all the fun.”

He shut the door and turned in my direction. He reached a hand along my cheek and gently caressed my skin. There was a cockiness about Jake that I liked. It wasn’t that he thought he was better than anyone else—he was just fully confident he was being the best he could be.

I looked into his eyes, and a shiver ran through me as his fingers slid along my throat to my collarbone.

“You’re doing this to me and then telling me you’re leaving town? How fair is that?” I laughed nervously.

“Your long hair sweeping over your bare shoulders . . .” His voice trailed off, and he leaned over to kiss me. “Makes leaving extremely difficult.”

“Yeah?” I asked between kisses, my pulse soaring.

I’d never once been in a relationship where the need was so strong, it couldn’t wait until we were somewhere besides a car, and he wasn’t making it any easier with each tease of his tongue. He drew back slowly but rested his forehead against mine.

“I’m glad I shared a little with you,” he whispered.

“I appreciate it. I was beginning to feel like I was the oddball with all the problems. It’s nice to know there’s enough to go around.”

He sat back and smiled. “It’s going to be really hard to be away from you these next few days.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” I sighed and rested my head on the seat. “You’re kind of rocking my world, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“I’ve got a few ideas.” His smile deepened.

“And I’ve got an active imagination.”

“This is going to be a brutal trip.” He pulled out of the parking lot, and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to fall for Jake Harlen.

Jake was about to pick me up for our Hound Island trip. The last few days had been filled with endless texting, and I couldn’t wait to see him again. I wasn’t sure exactly what changed between us, but it felt like the walls had started coming down. I’d packed my bag for all kinds of possibilities, and waiting for him to arrive was almost painful.

I had no idea what the future held for us, but right now, I was having a lot of fun, and I felt somewhat adventurous even entertaining the idea. I finished reading
Smelling in Purple
, and my heart was still frozen in those pages. I felt my heart shred into tiny ribbons when she spoke of losing her husband. I mourned the life she’d always wanted and would never have with him again, and I allowed myself to feel her happiness when she let herself discover a new way to exist.

I could understand why Jake wasn’t sure about reading it just yet. I hadn’t lost anyone I loved. Even my grandparents were around, so to experience that kind of pain that literally eats away your will to live left me somewhat hollow. In order to distract myself from wallowing in the sorrow, I wandered over to Mrs. Coleville’s and rang the doorbell.

I’d heard that Mrs. Coleville moved Harry into her home for his rehabilitation, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay before I left. I wasn’t sure how Coco would feel about sharing her home with someone else, but I was sure she’d let them know pretty quickly if she was willing to be kind to Harry or not.

Mrs. Coleville opened the door dressed in a coral caftan and a purple scarf wrapped around her head. She was definitely playing a part. I just wasn’t sure what it was. She invited me in, and I saw that she’d turned her entire living room into a bedroom for Harry. A hospital bed was in the center of the room, and two recliners were perched on either side.

“Where’s Harry?” I asked, not seeing him anywhere.

“He’s doing laps with his walker to and from the kitchen.”

“Already?”

“They don’t mess around. He was already using the walker in the hospital.”

“This is quite the setup.”

“It works perfectly,” she agreed, happy with her handiwork.

I looked around and spotted Coco curled at the end of the hospital bed next to a foam pillow.

“I see someone has settled in well.”

“I don’t think Coco will ever be content with a couch in here again.”

Someone tapped lightly on the front door and pushed open the door. When I saw it was Jake, I jumped up on the balls of my feet before running over to him and giving him a huge hug. He looked refreshed and happy.

“Well, someone’s happy to see you, Jake,” Mrs. Coleville said.

Jake held me tightly and buried his head in the crook of my neck and breathed in. It felt so good to be held in his strong embrace, and I knew I didn’t want to let this go.

We heard Harry making his way back into the living room, and Jake slowly let me down, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.

“I missed you,” he whispered.

“Not as much as I missed you.” I bit my lip and tried really hard to restrain myself in the company of elders. Jake slid his hand into mine and I grabbed it tightly.

Mrs. Coleville went over to help Harry into bed, but he wasn’t having it. He shooed her away and managed to slide himself to where he needed to be without even disturbing Coco in the slightest.

 “You two seem to be getting along well,” Harry said, tugging on his sheet.

“He’s not so bad,” I agreed, feeling Jake’s grip tighten.

“Well, find someone when you’re young, or you’ll be stuck with an old coot like me. Isn’t that right?” He looked at Mrs. Coleville with a twinkle in his eyes that made me smile.

“I can’t imagine it any other way,” she assured him. “Anything I can get you?”

“These damn pain pills have got me all plugged up,” he complained.

I grimaced at the excess information but heard Jake snicker, so I stepped on his toes to quiet him.

“I’ve been feeding him fiber shakes all day,” Mrs. Coleville continued as if we’d asked for an explanation.

“I’m sure things will get better in that area,” I promised, turning to look at Jake, who couldn’t even attempt to keep a straight face.

“They should have a warning label on those things,” he grumbled.

“They do, dear.” She patted his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

“Well, I think that’s our cue to exit. I’ll be on Hound Island until the fifth. If you need anything, feel free to call.”

“We’ll be fine,” she assured me.

“The only one that could cause us trouble is Coco, and I’m not sure you’re who we should call first. From what I heard, you’ve almost killed yourself twice.” Harry laughed a jovial tune, but I had to agree. I probably wasn’t Coco’s best hope for making it to her next birthday.