Chapter 31
August 5
The sun setting over Loon Lake was the prettiest thing Lauren had ever seen. Luminous shades of pink streaked boldly across
the sky as the fluorescent globe melted into the horizon. She didn’t understand why, but sunsets seemed more glorious in Pinehaven.
The boat bobbed gently in the water where Jonah had anchored it for their onboard picnic. The food she’d prepared was long
gone, the remnants packed away. Conversation had flowed easily, but now, almost in reverence, they watched the sun set in
silence.
They hadn’t had much time alone lately as Sydney had come up for the weekend, staying in Lauren’s cabin. She’d taken one look
at Graham and fallen head over heels. And by the end of the weekend, she seemed to think Jonah hung the moon. The man did
have his charms.
Lauren leaned back onto Jonah’s chest, head resting on his shoulder. Graham curled up at their side. He’d gained weight in
the month since he’d become hers. Whenever he saw her, his eyes sparkled with joy and his tail wagged gleefully. It was a
wonderful feeling to be so desired. So needed .
Lauren curled her fingers around Jonah’s hand as they watched the last of the sun slip away. A wonderful feeling, indeed.
Who knew she could be so compatible with a country boy? Though she’d seldom dated, she always fancied the city slickers with
their styled hair, freshly shaved faces, and designer suits—Starbucks in hand as they dashed to their next meeting.
Jonah was nothing like that—though he had begun shaving daily, much to her delight. She loved running her fingers over the sharp turn of his jaw. So sexy.
She did so now because he was right there and lately she couldn’t seem to get enough of him. She drew in the scent of his soap that had become as familiar as her own
reflection in the mirror.
He stared at her now, affection in his eyes as they roved over her face. “You’re more beautiful than the sunset.”
“You say the nicest things.”
“I haven’t even begun.”
“Do tell.”
He dragged a finger down her nose. “You have the cutest nose I’ve ever seen. I noticed it right away, the way it flares gently
and ends in a cute little button.”
“My nose ? That’s what you like about me?”
“Patience, I’m just getting started.” His attention shifted to her eyes. “When you smile and your eyes curve, it just about
makes me crazy. And your grin... Those luscious lips of yours just about do me in.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
He leaned down and brushed her mouth, making her insides go warm. “But your laugh... That’s my favorite. I can’t hear you
laugh and not smile.”
“Is that why you tickle me so much?”
“What can I say, I’m addicted.”
“As far as addictions go, it’s not so terrible.”
“Right? But I have another addiction that might be worse.”
“I knew it. You were too good to be true. What is it, gambling? Shopping? You’ve lost all your savings and now you’re after
mine?”
“It’s not your money I’m after, sweetheart. It’s those delicious kisses.” He dragged a thumb over her lower lip, watching
its slow journey. “It’s all your fault. You shouldn’t kiss me like that.”
“Like what? Like this?” she whispered as she reached up and brushed his lips with hers.
He growled as he took the kiss deeper. She didn’t know how to break it to him, but it wasn’t her making these kisses addictive.
But if he wanted to give her the credit... She yielded happily to his explorations. He cupped her neck and worked his magic
until she shimmered and melted just like the sun.
A boat must’ve passed nearby because the dinghy began rocking like mad in the wake. The kiss ended with laughter as they held
each other until the rocking subsided.
Once still again, their gazes locked and their expressions turned serious as the moment drew out. Those eyes of his were stormy
blue beneath sleepy lids. And the way he stared at her—with such desire and affection. Every woman should be gazed at this
way. It was the headiest feeling in the world to be adored by such a wonderful man.
Something welled up inside her, something powerful and moving. It swept over her like a tidal wave, taking her along for the
ride.
But before she could put words to the emotion, Jonah spoke. “Sweetheart... We need to talk.”
A weight dropped like a cement block in her stomach. Nothing good ever began with those words. She should’ve known better.
This thing between them was too good to be true. She’d let her guard down and now the proverbial other shoe was about to drop. Panic took her by the throat. She pushed away from him.
Jonah grabbed her arms, preventing her escape. “Hey, wait. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just say it.”
“Say what?”
“Whatever you were gonna say.”
“I can’t say it now. You’ve gone all prickly on me.”
“Well, what did you expect? ‘We need to talk’ is practically an omen.”
He sighed, giving her that patient look. “Poor choice of words. Come back here, Wentworth. It’s nothing bad, I promise.” He coaxed her back into his arms.
She leaned there rigidly against his chest. Maybe she had gotten ahead of herself. She could’ve misread the situation. Guys
didn’t talk in that gentle voice or gaze at you this way when they were getting ready to break up. Did they?
“Sorry,” she squeezed out.
“It’s okay.” He always seemed to understand when she acted like an idiot.
Well, that made one of them.
He kissed her forehead and they sat in silence while he caressed her shoulder. Gradually, she relaxed in his arms.
“You deserve good things, Lauren,” he said minutes later. “I hope you know that. You’re so special. I know back in June we
just set out to have a little fun. I was determined not to fall for you—and now look at me. I’m a complete goner.”
She lifted her gaze to his, searching. Goner? What did that mean exactly?
“I just couldn’t help myself.” He pinched her chin gently, his eyes softening. “I’ve fallen in love with you, honey.”
She sucked in a breath. Blinked up at him. Had he really just said that?
“You don’t have to say anything. I know it’s kind of quick.” He chuckled. “That’s the way I tend to do things. You’ve turned
me upside down, inside out. I thought I knew what love was, but I didn’t have a clue until I met you.”
She was breathless. Wordless. “I—I don’t know what to say.”
He put a finger over her lips. “I just wanted to tell you how I feel. I certainly couldn’t hide it anymore. I was about to
burst. My heart’s in your hands, sweetheart.”
His declaration made her almost giddy. His love was a wonderful and precious gift. She wanted to hold it close like a beautiful,
fragile butterfly.
But how could this ever work? They lived in different states. She had a job awaiting her in Boston, and he was destined to stay here and run Pinehaven. He was made for this place.
Did he expect her to give up her dreams? To forfeit the job she’d worked so hard for? “Jonah... I won’t be here forever.
I have a life in Boston.”
“I know. I get that. But I thought you had a right to know how I feel. And if there’s any possibility you could feel the same
way eventually... Well, I guess we’ll have some things to work out.”
Eventually? Judging by the way her heart pummeled the walls of her chest, she felt that way now . Which begged the question: How had this happened? They were supposed to be having fun! There was nothing fun about the fear
flooding her veins.
“Hey... listen, it’s gonna be okay. I didn’t tell you that to worry you. That’s the last thing I wanted. We’ll work this
out.”
In her experience things didn’t usually work out in her favor. But no, that was her childhood speaking. She was in charge
of her life now, not some well-meaning caseworker. She wouldn’t let anything bad happen. Although she seemed to have let herself
fall in love. Was that a bad thing? It kind of seemed like it.
“Have a little faith, honey. It’s barely August. Let’s just see how it goes.” He smiled gently as he cupped her cheek. “If
you want that, too, that is.”
She should probably tell him how she felt about him. Own up to the fear that roiled in her gut. But the words seemed to be
lodged in her throat. “Sure. Let’s just see how it goes.”
He kissed her then, so softly and reverently she couldn’t imagine anything more breathtaking. But the worry coursing through
her took control. How would this ever work out? And what would become of her when it all came to a crashing halt?
***
Had Jonah thought he was in love with Monica last year? Ha. His emotions hadn’t come close to the overwhelming, consuming
feelings of love and devotion he had for Lauren. He couldn’t be with her enough. Couldn’t kiss her enough. Or touch her enough.
His grades had fallen off a bit this summer, and he couldn’t even bring himself to care. What did his GPA matter when compared
to time with the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with? Because it was becoming apparent that Lauren was the
only woman for him.
In the couple weeks since his declaration, they’d continued working together and exploring the area on her days off. They’d
gone out to dinner a few times, the mood inevitably turning romantic, serious.
She still hadn’t returned his proclamation. It didn’t surprise him that she was hesitant to voice her feelings. But she didn’t
have to say the words—her feelings were obvious in every lingering gaze, every affectionate touch.
But even while he sensed her feelings for him had grown exponentially, he also detected her trepidation. And who could blame
her? It was hard laying your heart on the line when the future was so ambiguous. Hard enough for him with the whole Monica
fiasco in his past, much less for someone like Lauren whose past was rife with uncertainty.
She might be the strongest, most capable woman he’d ever known, but she wasn’t without her vulnerabilities. He hurt for all
the horrible things she’d been through as a child. He wanted to make it up to her somehow. To love her better. To help her
see how much she deserved to be adored. He wanted to give her the stability she’d never had along with the freedom to chart
her own course.
Ultimately, it was that line of thinking that made him realize what he had to do. So on her day off, exactly two weeks after
his profession of love, he invited her to his apartment for dinner. He wasn’t much of a cook, but he cobbled together a meal:
a simple salad, grilled steak, and baked potatoes with all the toppings.
They ate at the small table on his balcony as daylight waned and shadows lengthened. He’d lit the only candle he could find and used the cloth napkins his mom had given him as a housewarming gift. The balcony faced the town park, but if you craned your neck a bit, you could see the evening sun shimmering on the lake’s surface.
Lauren complimented his grilling skills and said it was the fluffiest potato she’d had in ages. Conversation flowed well as
it always did between the two of them.
But as the meal wound down he became nervous about the upcoming conversation. What if he’d read her wrong? What if she wasn’t
in the same place he was emotionally? Would his offer be perceived as too much, too soon? What if he only pushed her away?
“...and then the frog leaped on her head and she ate it.”
The lengthy silence clued him in. He shook away his heavy thoughts and replayed her words in his head. “What?”
She chuckled. “So you are listening. You had that blank look—plus you’ve just about pulverized that potato skin.”
He glanced down. So he had. He pushed back the plate. “Sorry. Guess I’m a little nervous.”
“Oh yeah?” She arched a brow. “What’s up?”
He loved when she arched that brow. It made her look so saucy. Focus, Landry . This is too important to screw up. He gathered his courage and broached the subject. “I’d like to circle back to the conversation we had on the boat a couple
weeks ago.”
She froze for a fraction of a second. And then that saucy expression was back. “Yes, we should definitely resume our debate
about whether or not white chocolate is real chocolate.”
“That’s not up for debate. I clearly won that argument.”
“ Au contraire. Further research has revealed white chocolate is made from cocoa butter. I believe this revelation strengthens my argument.”
He tipped his lips up. He loved it when she got fired up over minutia. “I should’ve come more prepared. I guess I’ll just
have to concede.”
She beamed. “I was hoping you would.”
He gazed at her beautiful face, his heart too small for all the feelings it held for her. He would move to Timbuktu if she’d
have him.
Lauren’s countenance sobered, no doubt a result of his lovesick expression. “I guess you have more than cocoa on your mind.”
He hadn’t said he loved her again since that first time. He hadn’t wanted her to feel pressured to return the sentiment. “I
know we’re still months away from December. I don’t want to rush things, but I sense you’re a little hesitant since I brought
up the L word.”
She placed her napkin on her plate. “That’s a fair statement, I guess.”
“Okay... So what I’d like to know is, are you unhappy that I’ve fallen off the proverbial cliff? Or are you worried about
what might happen if you fall off it too?”
She gave a nervous laugh. “Those cliffs... treacherous little buggers.”
“Maybe so, but the fall is pretty exhilarating.”
“No doubt.” She shifted in her seat. Picked some lint off her pants. “The truth is, Jonah, my hesitation doesn’t exactly stem
from either of those scenarios.”
“I see.” His nerves began fraying at the edges. “Or, I guess, I don’t see. I don’t know what you mean by that.”
She took a sip of her drink and her hand trembled a bit as she returned it to the table. “I’m not worried about falling off
the cliff”—her gaze met his, fear flashing in her eyes—“as I seem to have already fallen.”
The air whooshed from his lungs. Relief swallowed him whole as his lips turned up. “You have?”
“I have.”
He was laughing. He couldn’t help it. He was just that happy. “I’ve been so worried. I thought maybe—I’d hoped. But you’re hard to read sometimes.”
“You were right about what you said before though—I can’t help but be a little hesitant. I live in Boston and you’re rooted
here in Pinehaven. I can’t quite bring myself to feel happy or even content with that obstacle in our way.”
He leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “Will you feel better if I offer a solution?”
She angled her head to the side, eyes narrowing. “Depends what it is.”
“Don’t look so suspicious. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. It’s been eating me up inside. I know it’s awfully early
to talk about this like forever is at stake, but Lauren...” He pinned her with a stare. “You’re it for me, honey. I know
it happened fast, but I love you so much.”
Her eyes glazed over and she blinked against tears.
“Is it too early to talk this way?”
She swallowed. Shook her head.
“ Phew. Under different circumstances I wouldn’t rush this conversation. But I don’t want you holding back because you’re worried
about the future. So I just wanted you to know... I’m willing to leave Pinehaven.”
Her lips parted. She seemed to search his face for some hidden code that wasn’t there. “You’re willing to move to Boston?”
“I’m willing to move to Boston.”
Her expression filled with joy and maybe even hope. “Jonah.”
“I was thinking I could get a management position at a nice hotel. I have plenty of experience in hospitality, and come December
I’ll have a bachelor’s in business.”
“Really?”
She seemed so surprised. As if she’d never believed he would give up so much for her. He pinned her with an accusatory look.
“You thought I was going to ask you to move here.”
Her cheeks flushed. “It crossed my mind. But what about your parents? They’re expecting you to take over the resort. They’re wanting to retire. I don’t want to cause a problem between you and them.”
“They can either put off retirement for a while or hire someone else to run the place. It’s nothing they haven’t talked about
before. They’ve always wanted me to do what was best for me. And if you’re in Boston, that’s where I want to be.” He would
never choose any job over Lauren. She meant way more to him than that. And he would never ask her to give up her dreams. She’d
been given so few advantages in life—had to claw her way to the top. He admired her spunk and resilience more than he could
say.
Her eyes grew intense. “Maybe we should give it a little time before you tell them. I mean, are you sure you’re willing to
do this? You’d be giving up so much.”
“We can wait a bit if you want. But I’m certain—this is what I want.”
“But you love the resort.”
It was true. Running the resort was his dream job. He’d never envisioned doing anything else, despite his parents’ insistence that he explore other options. He tugged
her hand, pulling her from her seat and guiding her to his lap, where she melted into him.
He wrapped his arms around her and brushed her lips with his. “I do love the resort. But I love you even more.”
Her eyes went teary again as she palmed his cheek. “But how can I ask you to give that up for me?”
He kissed her perfect nose. “You didn’t have to ask, sweetheart.”