Promise Cove (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 1) (116 page)

It was such
a nice afternoon after Hutton woke up from her nap, Jordan decided it was time to test ride the new porch swing. That’s where Nick found them enjoying the simple pleasure of a lazy afternoon. They hadn’t yet spotted him. So he leaned on the doorjamb and stood back and watched the show. Hutton prattled on in gibberish only she could understand while Jordan pretended to hang on her every word. In her hand, Hutton clutched one of the yellow flowers they’d managed to salvage, a daffodil maybe, and Jordan made up a story about the flower. It was an easy scene to watch. Relaxed, he felt better than he had in a year. Even with all the physical labor, it seemed like every day he felt less stress, and in better shape than even physical therapy ever provided.

J
or
d
an
fina
l
ly
sp
o
tt
ed
him
and
m
o
tioned
for
him
t
o
ta
ke a
s
eat
on
the
o
ther
s
ide
of
H
ut
t
on
in
the
s
w
i
n
g
.
“
I
t
’
s
such
a pret
t
y
d
a
y
.
A
lm
o
st
sp
r
i
n
g
.
”
A
f
t
er
h
e
’
d
s
ettled
in,
J
or
d
an
e
y
ed
N
ick
care
f
u
l
l
y
.
H
e
’
d
been
wor
k
i
n
g
l
i
ke
a
s
l
a
ve
for
wee
k
s
and
w
ithout
much
slee
p
.
The
b
r
u
t
al
time
t
a
ble
they
were
under had
t
o
be
ca
t
chi
n
g
up
w
ith
hi
m
.
“
D
o
y
ou
su
r
f,
N
ick?”

“
N
o
t
in
y
ea
r
s
.
”

“
T
ake
s
ome
time
for
y
ou
r
s
elf,
go
su
r
fi
n
g
th
i
s
af
t
e
r
noo
n
.
Y
ou
and
Ben
should
h
a
ve
spent
more
time
in
the
w
at
er
wh
i
le he
w
as
her
e
.
”

“
O
k
a
y
,
but
only
if
y
ou
and
H
ut
t
on
j
o
in
m
e
.
H
ow
do
e
s
a
w
a
l
k
on
the
beach
s
ound?”

A
w
a
l
k
on
the
beach
s
ounded
g
rea
t
.
“
F
in
e
.
Go
g
r
a
b
a board.
I
’
l
l
get
H
ut
t
o
n
’
s
sun
s
c
reen
and
a
couple
of
t
owe
l
s
and meet
y
ou
at
the
t
op
of
the
tra
i
l
.
”

As he stood
on the cliffs watching Jordan’s approach, Nick’s mouth went dry. The woman wore a red two-piece swimsuit, with some kind of wraparound thing at her hips. It didn’t look possible that she’d ever had a baby. She had a body models might envy but with curves in all the right places and not the stick-figure-thin-as-a-rail variety.

C
a
r
r
y
i
n
g
a
su
r
fboard,
he
led
the
w
a
y
do
w
n
the
tra
i
l
wh
i
le behind
him
J
or
d
an
ca
r
r
ied
H
ut
t
on
and
Dog
plodded
do
w
n each
s
t
ep
at
h
i
s
o
w
n
pac
e
.
B
ut
the
only
thi
n
g
N
ick
had
on
h
i
s mind
w
ere
J
or
d
a
n
’
s
lo
n
g
le
g
s.
U
nt
i
l
t
o
d
a
y
,
sh
e
’
d
m
o
stly
been
s
o
r
t
of
covered
u
p
,
wea
r
i
n
g
jeans,
e
x
ce
p
t
for
that
fi
r
st
d
a
y when h
e
’
d
s
een
her le
g
s
in
sho
r
ts.
B
ut no
w
,
J
or
d
an uncovered
w
as
a
s
weet
thi
n
g
t
o
behold.

H
e
reached
the b
o
t
t
om
fi
r
st and
g
o
t
r
id
of the
su
r
fboard
s
o
he
could
help
J
or
d
an
maneuver
the
l
ast
s
t
ep
ca
r
r
yi
n
g
H
ut
t
on.
H
e
spread
out
the
b
l
anke
t
.
B
ut
J
or
d
an
and
Dog had
o
ther
ideas.
J
or
d
an
k
icked
off
her
san
d
a
l
s
and
moved alo
n
g
the
sha
l
low
su
r
f.
B
arefo
o
t
no
w
,
ca
r
r
y
i
n
g
the
b
a
by
on her
hi
p
,
he
w
a
t
ched
her
move
alo
n
g
the
w
a
t
e
r
’
s
edge
unt
i
l she
s
t
opped
t
o
dip
H
ut
t
o
n
’
s
t
o
e
s
in
t
o
the
cold,
ocean
w
a
t
er a
little
at
a
tim
e
.
The
b
a
by
g
iggled
wh
i
le
Dog
p
l
ay
ed
ta
g
w
ith the
w
a
v
e
s.
B
ut
N
ick
had
trouble
t
a
k
i
n
g
h
i
s
e
y
e
s
off
J
or
d
an.
H
e
k
new
he
had
no
r
ight
t
o
th
i
s
woman,
but
h
i
s
body
’
s
react
io
n
w
as
an
ot
he
r
mat
t
e
r
en
t
irel
y
.
H
e
force
d
him
s
el
f
t
o
t
ak
e
a s
t
ep
back―men
t
a
l
l
y
.