Seaside Hearts (Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (17 page)

He looked away. “I’m not proud of it.”

“Well, it worked. She basically told me that you were an animal in bed. I thought she’d slept with you, and between that and your comment about erotic, sensual sex…”

A coy grin curved his lips. “Promises, not comments. I got your attention.”

She kissed his chin. “Petey, you had my attention the first time you cleaned the pool in that white tank top and black board shorts, with your John Lennon sunglasses.”

Pete laughed. “You remember my round sunglasses?”

“There are so many things about you that I’ll never forget. And the list just keeps getting longer and longer.”

AN HOUR LATER they were standing at the edge of the crowded Tabernacle in the Campground neighborhood of Oak Bluffs, where Illumination Night was taking place. The Tabernacle was surrounded by small cottages decorated elaborately with flowers and brightly colored paper lanterns hanging from their eaves and off the porch railings. The cottages were built very closely together, boasting vibrant colors, peaks adorned with gingerbread, and decks complete with fancy balusters. Children played on the lawns, light sticks glowing like sabers in the darkness, as people of all ages sang and moved to the melody beneath dozens of paper lanterns that hung from the rafters and on the railings of the Tabernacle.

Pete watched Jenna’s eyes widen as she took in the enormous wooden Tabernacle. A band played on a stage beneath the high ceiling, and the crowd began to sing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” She gasped an excited breath, and he was glad that he hadn’t ruined the surprise by telling her about it ahead of time. Her hand flew to her chest, and she opened her mouth to say something to Pete, who could do little more than beam at her delight. She didn’t say a word. Her eyes shifted back to the crowd, and a few minutes later she joined the crowd in singing, “Someone’s in the Kitchen with Dinah.”

Jenna wrapped her arms around Pete’s waist and gazed up at him. Joey wagged her tail at their feet. “What is all of this?”

“It’s called Illumination Night. It’s an annual event put on by the Camp Meeting Association. They don’t publicize it to try to keep crowds to a minimum.” He watched her as she turned slowly around, taking in the interesting architecture of the two-story cottages. “Back in the 1800s, when the Tabernacle was first built, Methodists gathered here and held their annual meetings. They camped back then, and over the years they replaced the campsites with these cottages.”

“Why are the roads so narrow?”

“Because they were made to fit horse-drawn buggies.”

The crowd sang “Yankee Doodle,” and then the din of the crowd quieted, calling Jenna’s attention back to the Tabernacle. The band silenced, and all eyes were drawn to the stage, where two men, one older and one about Pete’s age, lit a paper lantern. As if the lighting of the lantern controlled the electricity in the entire neighborhood, as soon as the lantern was lit, all of the lights in the neighborhood went off. A collective gasp rose from the crowd as the paper lanterns bloomed to life, illuminating the Tabernacle, cottages, and streets in bubbles of color and magic.

Jenna inhaled loudly, her eyes opened wide as she tugged on Pete’s shirt. “Petey, take a picture. Quick, before the lights go back on.”

He already had his cell phone in hand, clicked a picture, and captured Jenna’s excitement. He bent down so their cheeks were pressed together and snapped another picture; then he kissed her lips. Joey crawled up their legs and they crouched beside her, getting her in the shot. Jenna laughed and made faces as he snapped a few more; then her eyes grew serious and she pressed her small, soft hands to his cheeks.

“It’s not this place that’s magical, Pete. It’s you. It’s always been you.”

THEY TOOK THE last ferry back to Woods Hole, then drove back toward Wellfleet. Joey was sprawled across Jenna’s lap, and Jenna had a dreamy look in her eyes. Pete reached for her hand.

“Did you have fun today?”

She smiled and stroked Joey’s back. “I had the most amazing day. You know how sometimes you want to savor every second of something? Sear it into your brain so ten years from now you remember more than just what you did, but how it smelled, the sounds around you, and the way the air felt? That’s what I’m trying to do. Only instead of memorizing the heat of the sun, I keep feeling the brush of
us
whispering across my skin. I can’t describe it, and I know it sounds strange, but…” She lifted a shoulder, as if that explained it all.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “It’s not strange. I feel it, too. We’re creating our own private history. Then years from now we’ll look back and remember how it felt.”

His cell phone vibrated, and Pete tensed. He reluctantly released Jenna’s hand and pulled the phone from his pocket. His father’s name flashed on the screen.
Of all the goddamn nights
.

“I’m sorry, Jenna. It’s my dad, and there’s a good chance it’s not going to be pretty.”

She set her hand on his thigh. “History is rarely all pretty. Why should ours be any different?”

They drove the rest of the way to Pete’s father’s house in silence. His father lived on a quiet street of Cape-style homes, most of which were dark, as it was closing on ten thirty.

“Is this where you grew up?” Jenna asked as Pete parked the truck in his father’s driveway.

“Yeah.” Pete stepped from the truck and came around to open Jenna’s door. Joey jumped out and ran up to the porch. Jenna turned to get out of the truck, and Pete stood blocking her way. He leaned forward and kissed her, despite the worry in his eyes. “Babe, you don’t have to come inside. I appreciate your support, but really. It’s okay if you stay here.”

Jenna touched his cheek. “I’m dealing with a mother who dresses like she’s twenty and acts about the same. There’s no difference, Pete. Your situation might be more dire, but part of being in a relationship is helping each other, and if that meant only when times were good, then we’d never grow together as a couple.”

He searched her eyes, as if he was debating if he should move out of her way and allow her to go inside. “It’s embarrassing for you to see him this way.”

“Then I’ll stay in another room. I just want you to know I’m there with you.”

Pete touched his forehead to hers. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’d gladly do it again and again.”

Jenna followed him and Joey inside. Pete led her into a dark living room and turned on a lamp, revealing a well-loved sofa, fireplace, and a room full of family photographs.

“Do you mind waiting in here?” Pete’s shoulders rode high, knotted with tension.

“Not at all.” She watched him leave the room with Joey on his heels.

Some houses smelled of home cooking, baked goods, or cleaning agents, while others smelled of warm family memories. Pete’s father’s house smelled of sadness. The air was heavy, not stale, but on its way there. It felt empty and lonely, and on top of that, Jenna felt pain hanging in the air. She listened to the sound of Pete’s voice coming from somewhere down the hall. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but she caught his empathetic tone. She perused the photographs on the wall. Although she’d met Pete’s father in the hardware store, she’d never met Pete’s siblings or his mother. The family resemblance was strong among the boys, each tall, dark, and chiseled, with brooding eyes and broad chests. His sister, however, looked different from the others, less serious—probably because she was so young—with large, round eyes and a soft chin. She had full lips, and her hair was a shade lighter than Pete’s and hung to the middle of her back.

She followed a trail of pictures that marked the boys’ journey from lanky and hairless kids to thickly muscled stalks of power, while Sky remained lithe and feminine. The boys had their arms slung over one another’s shoulders in one picture, and in another Pete and another brother each held up fish, still attached to their fishing lines, proud grins on their lips. The other boys were in the background, hip deep in a pond, fishing rods in hand. Sky was sitting on the sand off to the right behind a woman whom she resembled and could only be their mother. Pete had her eyes, and the way she was smiling at Sky spoke of her love for her.

Jenna turned at the sound of footsteps on hardwood and Joey’s nails tapping across the floor. She peered down the hall and saw the back of the two men, Pete’s arm securely around his father’s thick waist, his head bowed, as he helped him toward another room.

“Come on, Pop. That’s it. I’ve got you.” Pete’s voice was compassionate and quiet.

“Bea? Where’s she, Peter?” His father’s words slurred together, and Jenna’s heart squeezed.

Joey padded toward Jenna, and Pete turned, his eyes catching hers with a heartbroken expression. She wanted to go to him, help him, and tell him it was going to be okay. She wanted to help tuck his father into bed and rub a damp cloth over his father’s head, assuring him that he, too, would be okay. A chill ran down her spine at the immense struggle she saw in Pete’s eyes, and she knew she could make no such promise. This was a battle his father had to
want
to win, and no matter how much she wanted to help Peter get his father the help he so desperately needed, this struggle was between father and son. She felt love fill the hallway, bonding Pete and his father in a way that could only come from years of love and respect—and she felt the pressure of the alcohol forcing its way between them, doing everything within its power to create an even greater divide between father and son.

They left a while later and drove to Seaside in silence. Pete’s forehead was etched deep with worry. When Jenna reached for his hand, he blessed her with a try at a smile—it faltered as quickly as it had been forced to appear.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, but I was glad you insisted on being there. Thank you.” Pete parked in her driveway and came around to open her door. Joey jumped out of the truck and sniffed around his feet.

“Don’t be sorry for me, Pete. I feel bad for you.”

They went inside, and Joey ran straight to her puppy bed, walked in circles, then flopped down on her belly with an exhausted huff. Pete sat on the sofa, his long, powerful legs stretched across the floor. He reached for Jenna’s hand, and as she lowered herself beside him, he lifted her onto his lap. She circled his neck with her arms and ran her fingers through the back of his hair. Their foreheads touched, and Pete’s hand slid from her waist to her cheek. He tilted her head and brought his lips to hers, angling her jaw so they could each take more of the other in a kiss that somehow felt loving and tender at the same time. She wanted,
needed
, to take away his pain and replace it with the feel of her body, the sense of her love, if only for a while. To be his in any way he wished, to love, cherish, possess, until there was no room for sadness or worry.

A deep moan escaped his lungs, filling hers, as he pulled her dress over her head and bared her of all but her lacy black lingerie. Pete unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. Jenna arched back, giving him full access to her breasts, her heart, and he was quick to find the respite he needed. Pete’s hands moved frantically over her heated skin. When his mouth met her breast, Jenna gripped his shoulders, clawing with the need to erase the bad memory of what he’d just gone through. His teeth grazed over her sensitive flesh, and in the next breath, his hands gripped her waist and shifted her beneath him. He tore off her panties with a dark, possessive look in his eyes as he stripped himself bare, then came to her side. Jenna reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his hard shaft as she took him in her mouth. Pete tangled his hands in her hair and helped her efforts. She took him deep, felt him swell, ready and eager for her.

“Jenna.” A plea, as he tore her lips from him and shifted her onto her back.

He came down upon her and took her hands in his as his thick, powerful thighs spread her legs wide and he thrust into her. His fingers laced hers, holding them beside her head as he buried himself with one deep thrust after another, sending hot streaks of lust through Jenna’s body. Her insides coiled like a snake itching to strike. His lips crashed down against hers, taking their love deeper, pinning her beneath him in a way that should have felt too rough, but instead felt all-consuming, passionate, and thrilling. Jenna could barely breathe—Pete breathed for her, long breaths from his lungs to hers, as her mind lost its grasp and her thoughts webbed together in a mash of elicit thoughts. She drew her head back, panting, needing to free her emotions.

“Pete…Oh God, Pete. I love you.”

She slammed her eyes shut as her body bucked and thrust beneath him, taking him deeper, pulsating, squeezing him into his own fierce release. He spoke, but her mind was numb with lust. His words circled around her.

 “Love you…Whole life…”

Every fiber of her body was on fire, and she wasn’t done. She needed more of him, and as he came down from his own release, he moved slowly, lovingly inside her, until he was potent and desirous once again.

He loved her slowly, deeply, his hands pressed against her sides, slipped to her hips. He stilled them both as he arched up and drank her in. “You’re beautiful, but you’re so much more, Jenna. I love making love to you. Not just your body—y
ou
.”

He wrapped his arms beneath her, holding her as tight and as close as two beings were physically able. His cheek pressed to hers, his hot breath stroking her need.

“I love you, Jenna. I love you so damn much.”

A whisper in her ear, a promise, a confession.

Her throat thickened as his admission vibrated through her, rooting itself deep in her heart.

PETE HADN’T EVER thought much about love or marriage. He’d attended friends’ weddings over the years, and he’d still never given the idea a second thought. He watched Jenna standing with her hands on her hips, her face pinched into a scrutinizing leer as she stared into her closet Wednesday morning.
How did I go so long without you?
With Jenna, he was possessive and jealous. She had her own quirks, but somehow they worked well together.  He might think he was nuts if they hadn’t been silently courting each other for years, but during those years their emotions took hold and finally had the space to bloom.

“How can it be that difficult to pick a pair of sandals?” he said with a tender smile as he touched her cheek. He loved that she went to such great lengths to make sure things were just as she liked them to be. He knew she was nervous about her mom’s arrival, but he also knew that she took great pains like this every time she dressed. Bella and the others often teased her about it, but watching her in action gave him a whole new appreciation for Jenna and what she needed to feel comfortable, and he loved her even more for her Jennaisms. He couldn’t believe he’d almost let her slip away. It killed him to think he could have lost her before they’d ever had a chance, and he’d do anything—everything—within his power to ensure she knew how much he adored her.

Jenna slid her eyes to Joey, lying on her doggie bed a few feet away. “How can I explain this to a man?” She wore her green bikini and a pair of cutoffs, and she looked amazing. Her lower lip came out in a little pout that drew his arms around her. “I need to match my cover-up to my flip-flops. And it’s very important. If I pick the wrong ones, I might realize it when it’s too late and I won’t be able to change them.”

“Why won’t you?”

She sighed, with the cutest pout on her lips. “Because what if we’re already out?”

He wrapped his arms around her. “So we come back for them. I will never understand how that brilliant mind of yours works, but I love how you see things that no one else does. The beauty of rocks, the way you pull things together until they calm your obsessions. I want to be your obsession, Jenna.” He smiled—though he was only partially teasing.

“You have been for years.” She went up on tiptoes, and he met her halfway for a sweet kiss. “So you don’t think my OCD will drive you crazy?”

“Never.”

“I’ll make us late to get-togethers.”

He shrugged. “Being on time is for losers.”

“I’ll make you come back home if I decide my earrings aren’t the right ones, even if we’re already late.”

He kissed her forehead. “And I’ll turn the truck around and come back without hesitation. Right, Joey?” He leaned down and pet the pup’s head. Joey rolled over so he could scratch her belly.

“I’ll organize your entire house and you won’t be able to find anything.” She bit her lower lip, her cheeks plumping with her smile.

“I’ll make you a key today.” He planned on paying a visit to his father’s store today, and he’d make her a key while he was there. He sealed his promise with a kiss.

Jenna took his hand and led him into the living room. Sun streaked through the window, warming the room. Pete’s chest tightened with the memory of their lovemaking on the sofa and their admissions of their feelings.

She took her keys from the hook by the door and removed the key to her cottage. “Make one of these for you, too. But I will warn you, there’s a price to pay.”

He arched a brow.

“Darn it. I wish I could think of something sexy to say.”

“Baby, you don’t have to
say
anything. You’re always sexy.” After another heart-thumping kiss, Jenna returned to her closet to choose a pair of sandals while Pete cooked breakfast.

She came out of the bedroom wearing a white tank top over her bikini. She flung her arms up in the air and thrust her hip to the side.

“Ta-da!” She lifted each foot and wiggled her toes.

His eyes never left her face. “Sheer perfection.” 

She swatted his stomach, then reached into the cabinet for plates. “I meant the sandals, not me.”

“Wait, you have feet?” He dodged another swat and glanced at her tan leather sandals with white embellishments. “They’re perfect, too.” He filled their plates with scrambled eggs and toast.

“What time is your mom arriving?”

Jenna’s smile faltered. “Soon.”

He reached for her hand and felt tension in her movements as he held her against him. She took a deep breath and melted against him. Tension relieved. He loved that he could have that effect on her.

“Babe, if you want me to stick around for the morning, I’m happy to.” He’d planned on talking to his father this morning with the hopes of convincing him to get help without having to force the issue, but if Jenna needed him, he’d remain by her side.

“I’m fine. Really.” Her words were stilted.

She was definitely not fine.

He kissed her forehead. “Every time I’ve seen you with your mom, you got along well. Is she really that different now?” He’d met her mother several times over the years. She tended to dote on Jenna, and her pride in her daughter was apparent in the things she said and the look in her eyes. He couldn’t imagine how much things had changed for Jenna to look so conflicted. Then again, he never would have imagined his father changing so much, either.

“We still get along.”

“Why do you look so worried? I know she’s going through a hard time, but you were so sure of how we needed to be there for our parents.” He ran his hands along her hips, letting her know she wasn’t alone with her worries. “What are you
not
telling me?”

Jenna lowered her eyes to his chest. “She’s acting really weird. She talks about things I definitely don’t want to talk about with my mother, it’s…nothing. Forget it. It’s nothing.”

That
nothing
was filled with
everything
. He lifted her into his arms and set her on the counter, then stood between her legs so they were eye to eye. “Babe, you don’t have to tell me what’s bothering you, but I’m here if you want to. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.”

Her brows drew together. “I’m fine. Really. She crosses lines these days, so I’ll just be careful how much I tell her.” She picked up a fork and filled it with egg, then offered it to Pete with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Let’s eat before she gets here.”

They took their breakfasts onto the deck, and within minutes, Bella, Amy, and Leanna appeared, mugs in hand, wearing their bathing suits under sundresses. Amy dropped to her knees and loved up Joey.

“It’s about time.” Bella sat across from Pete. “Usually Jenna’s up early.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Amy swatted her leg and then went back to petting Joey. “Ignore her. She has no manners.”

Pete met Bella’s teasing stare with one of his own. “She
was
up early.” Jenna’s cheeks pinked up as she set her hand on his thigh.

“Finally, a man who can give it right back to you, Bella.” Leanna sipped her coffee and smiled at Bella from behind her mug.

“Ha-ha. I’m so glad you two are finally together. I swear, Pete. I thought we were going to have to hang a banner out front spelling it out for you.” Bella held her palms up, pressing them forward with each word. “Jenna. Likes. Pete.”

He laughed and finished his breakfast.

“Jenna, I was thinking that we should take your mom over to the library with us today.” Amy glanced at Jenna’s plate with an arched brow. “You cooked?”

“Petey did.”

“If I call you Petey, will you cook for me, too?” Leanna asked.

“No.” Jenna leaned in to his side. “I told him that I wasn’t the best cook around.”

He draped an arm over her shoulder. “But you’re the best at a million other things. Teamwork.” He shrugged to make it seem like he was well versed in relationships, when the truth was Jenna made everything feel natural. They’d fallen into sync so easily that he was beginning to think he wasn’t meant to have a meaningful relationship until they came together.

“Aw, you guys are so cute.” Amy sighed.

Pete rose to carry their empty plates inside, and Jenna reached for his hand.

“I’ll get them. You cooked; just relax.”

He smiled down at her. “It’s okay. Visit with your friends. This will only take me a few minutes, and then I need to take off.” He glanced out at the road. “I was hoping to see your mom before I left, but I can catch up with you guys later.” Joey followed him inside the house.

Pete glanced out the window above the sink as he washed the dishes. Jenna tucked her feet up under her as she leaned forward and whispered to Amy and Bella. He couldn’t hear a word they said, but the smile on Jenna’s lips told him that she was as happy as he was. After he washed the dishes, he went into the bedroom to gather his things in his overnight bag. Joey trailed his every step. Jenna had made the bed with hospital corners, and it made him laugh a little under his breath.
Jenna
. Several paperbacks were stacked neatly, and upon closer inspection, alphabetized by author, on the bedside table, and he noticed that even the rocks she kept on the floor by the door were perfectly lined up. He grabbed his bag and went into the bathroom to collect his toiletries.

Jenna was on the deck with her mother when he went outside, bag in hand, Joey on his heels. Gina was taller than Jenna by a few inches. She wore her hair shoulder length, and she wore a tight red dress that barely covered her thighs. Jenna had mentioned that she was going through a hard time and dressing younger, and still Pete had to mask his surprise with a fake cough. If the short dress wasn’t enough to tip him off, the heavy makeup on a face that he’d always seen almost bare would have.

“Pete? I didn’t know you were here.” Gina embraced him, and her smile lit up when she noticed Joey sniffing around her feet. She crouched to pet her.

He shot Jenna a look over her shoulder.
Didn’t know? What the hell is going on?
It never dawned on him that Jenna wouldn’t tell her about them.

“Were you fixing something?” Gina’s eyes bounced between Jenna and Pete as she ruffled Joey’s head.

Jenna nibbled on her lower lip and set a pleading gaze on Pete. Bella and Amy had the same look in their eyes. He got the hint, but it pissed him off—and confused the hell out of him.

“Yeah. The sink.” He touched Jenna’s arm. “You should be all set now. Call me if you need anything.”

Jenna let out a breath. “Okay. Thanks, Pete.”

He nodded and hoped like hell her mother didn’t see the confusion or the anger he felt. He climbed into his truck after Joey jumped in, and a minute later Jenna was standing at the window of his truck.

“Pete,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t plan on not telling her, but she started right up with,
Where are the hot men?
” Jenna let out a frustrated breath. “I didn’t want her getting into our business.”

He didn’t know what to say. He was hurt and angry, but the sincere, worried look in Jenna’s eyes softened his annoyance. He glanced at Amy and Bella ushering Jenna’s mother into the cottage.

“You could have warned me, babe.” He stroked her cheek.

“I’m sorry.” Jenna put her hand on his. “It was a split-second decision. I just…She talks about sex and stuff, Pete. She’s not like she used to be, and I don’t want her in that part of our lives.”

“Babe, I get it, but I’m not a liar or a sneak. I can’t look into your mother’s eyes and pretend I’m not falling for her daughter. You’re either all in or you’re not. I’m all in. Can’t you just define boundaries? Tell her what aspect of our lives are off-limits?”

Jenna nodded, but the worry in her eyes seemed to magnify with his words.

“Jenna, is there something else going on?”

Her mother came back outside laughing with Bella and Amy. Jenna took a step back from the truck. He had half a mind to step from the truck and tell her mother himself, but again, Jenna’s pleading look kept him in line.

He ran his hand through his hair and spoke quietly. “Do whatever you need to, but after all this time, the last thing I want to do is pretend you’re not everything to me.”

JENNA SPENT THE day with her mother and Amy at the beach. Her mother wore enormous sunglasses and a bathing suit with cutouts at the waist. Gina Ward was petite like Jenna, without the mammoth-sized bust, and Jenna had to admit that she looked great for a woman in her late fifties. But she lowered her sunglasses and leered at every guy who walked by, and Jenna was mortified. She’d tried to dissuade her, but her mother’s retorts came quick and sharp.
Oh, please. They know they’re hot.
Or,
I’m not doing anything more than looking. Maybe you should look, too.
Or the one that grated on Jenna’s nerves the most.
I settled for years with your father. He never looked that good a day in his life. No more settling for me.

Her mother’s comments about her father put Jenna on the defensive. It was a struggle not to snap at her and remind her that she’d once loved everything about him, from his paunchy stomach to his dry personality and silver hair. But she knew from experience over the weeks before she came to the Cape that comments like that would only feed her mother’s venom toward him and put Jenna in the middle of an even more uncomfortable situation.

Jenna had been mulling over what Pete said all day, and she knew he was right. She needed to tell her mother about their relationship, and she could define boundaries with her mother. She had to, and she wanted to, but every time she tried to bring up Pete, her mother would point out another twentysomething guy on the beach, or bring up a memory of a guy she dated before she’d met Jenna’s father, and Jenna held back.

When they arrived back at Jenna’s cottage in the afternoon, Jenna promised herself she’d say something.

“That was such a fun afternoon,” her mother said as she carried her beach bag to the deck. “Jenna, you’re here with all these available men. I just don’t get why you never seem to date.”

“Mom, I have to—”

Her mother set her bag on the table on the deck and interrupted her. “And Peter?” She fanned her face. “He’s a doll, baby. If one of you ladies don’t go after him, I will.”