Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Missy
Pretending that I hadn’t pretty much jumped on Cade the night before after an entire bottle of wine was shallow of me.
Still, it was better than owning up to trying to break our agreement to just be friends. I wasn’t ready to be the reason anything came between us. Besides, it was one moment of weakness thanks to the bottle of wine Sarah had ordered for me when she’d dropped by the table after Cade had left.
So that morning, I did what any mature, well-adjusted woman would do.
I lied and overcompensated. A lot.
I joked too loudly at breakfast. I stirred way too much sugar into my coffee, then pretended that’s how I always took it.
Which of course Cade knew was a lie. I made unnecessary comments about the weather, the décor, the fact that the butter came in tiny glass jars, anything except acknowledging the way Cade’s eyes kept flicking toward me like he was checking if I was okay… or if I remembered what I’d done.
Which of course I did.
Painfully.
After breakfast, we headed to the indoor pool since the rain was still falling in soft, misty sheets outside.
Since this was my vacation, I wanted to enjoy the water, and an indoor pool was better than none.
I walked beside him like we weren’t vibrating with the unspoken words between us. Like I didn’t keep almost tripping over my own feet because I was hyper-aware of the way his hand occasionally brushed mine.
The pool itself was warm and quiet. He dove into the water, easy and confident, while I slipped in and pretended my heart wasn’t working overtime.
We played a few lazy rounds of tag, like we had our entire lives, me being terrible at pretending I wasn’t letting him catch me, and then floated side by side, staring up at the fogged ceiling.
When the rain stopped, we wandered outside.
The clouds cracked open like a curtain lifting, letting sunlight spill everywhere.
The air still carried that post-storm coolness, so instead of swimming, we ordered drinks and sat in a cabana.
When the sun came out a little more, we walked barefoot along the shore and let the icy water nip at our toes.
It felt… easy. Familiar. Like us.
Cade knelt once and tried, poorly, to sculpt a sandcastle moat system that lasted approximately twelve seconds before collapsing. I teased him for it, he splashed water at me, and soon we were both laughing, sandy and breathless.
For a moment, I let myself pretend we weren’t afraid of ruining anything. That we were lovers instead of just two best friends. Just for a moment. Then it was back to reality.
When the breeze picked up, we headed back toward the resort and spent the next couple of hours in full pampering mode.
I lost myself in the bliss of a deep-tissue massage, the kind that melted every knot in my back and shoulders.
Then I got my nails and toes done in a frosty, soft pink that reminded me of the spring cupcakes that I had made more than a hundred of the other day.
Meanwhile, Cade got a haircut and a clean shave, emerging afterward looking so handsome I forgot how to inhale for a second.
“Looks good,” I’d managed to say.
“Yeah?” he’d asked casually, but his eyes searched mine like my opinion mattered more than it should. “I haven’t shaved off my scruff for almost a year.”
“I like the scruff, but a clean shave is nice too,” I admitted as heat crept up my neck. It was the truth. I’d like his face even if it was covered in thick fur. If he came in looking like a mountain man, I’d probably still sigh into my coffee about it.
He gave a half smile, the kind that tugged up one corner of his mouth and made him look dangerous, devastating, and so very Cade.
“Good to know,” he murmured.
Why did that tiny comment make my stomach flip? Denial had become something of a hobby this weekend.
“Come on,” he said lightly, bumping his shoulder into mine. “I’m starving. And I know for a fact that if I don’t feed you soon, you’re going to turn feral.”
“I turned feral once around Christmas, and suddenly it’s my reputation,” I joked.
He laughed, and we headed downstairs to the dining room.
The place was buzzing with guests, but not in the chaotic way of normal resorts. East Haven ran on elegance, low conversation, clinking glasses, sunlight pouring through wide windows in long, creamy beams.
We chose to eat outside on the wide deck that overlooked the yard and water. The storm had passed entirely now, leaving the air warm and clean with a faint salt-snap that always made me think of freedom.
Our server brought out fresh baguette slices still warm from the oven, paired with whipped herb butter and a divine-smelling olive tapenade while we waited for our main dishes.
I was buttering my second slice when Lilly, the resort’s official manager and Sarah’s best friend, appeared. She was petite, glowing from the sun, with her blonde hair tucked up into a messy bun with a pen stuck through it.
“Well, look at you two,” she teased, sliding into the empty chair beside me without asking. “Sarah told me you were here. I’m glad you are finally taking some downtime. You both look sun-kissed and slightly suspiciously smiley.”
“We were both just ridiculously pampered, so you can add fully relaxed to that list,” Cade said with a grin.
“And hungry,” I muttered, waving the bread.
Lilly laughed. “Sarah mentioned you did some work for us.”
“Yes. She arranged for us to stay for the night last night,” he said. “I think Missy’s getting spoiled.”
“Good.” Lilly squeezed my hand. “You deserve it. I hope you’re eating something decadent.”
“Decadent is coming,” said a warm French-accented voice behind her.
Chef Adam Carriveau, Lilly’s husband, arrived carrying two plates like the culinary angel he was. The man was tall and dark-haired, with laugh lines around his eyes and forearms that could knead a mountain into bread dough.
The couple had three kids and were in the bakery at least once a week along with Sarah, her husband Ben, and their two children.
I was loving getting to know all the locals in Silver Cove. It made everything feel more… real. More like home.
“For ze princess of pastries,” he said, setting a plate before me, “a croque-monsieur crafted with Gruyère we aged onsite. And for the man who fixes our lights, a steak frites with au poivre sauce. I wanted to deliver this myself.”
“Oh wow,” I breathed. “Adam, this looks incredible.”
“That’s because I made it,” he said, perfectly deadpan. When I laughed, he winked. “Bon appétit.”
He disappeared back inside with Lilly, who blew us both a kiss as she followed her husband.
“Okay,” I whispered after a moment of reverent silence, “I don’t want to exaggerate, but this might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” I snapped a few photos of the food and tried to get the sunlight hitting the water in the background.
Cade lifted his fork. “I’m a little offended you didn’t say that about me after I shaved,” he teased.
“Oh please. You’re a solid second place,” I joked back.
His grin flashed quickly and he looked so boyish I was reminded of all the times he’d teased me like this growing up. The smile and look were the kind that made something deep in my chest melt like butter left in the sun.
We ate slowly, savoring every bite. The croque-monsieur was rich and melty, perfectly crisped. Cade’s steak smelled sinful every time he cut into it, and he offered me a bite, which I accepted with much less dignity than I intended.
We chatted about everything and nothing, but got hung up on the absurd number of wealthy guests that waltzed through this resort on a yearly basis. All the while, the warm breeze lifted the ends of my hair as sunlight danced across Cade’s shoulders.
The quiet part of me kept whispering:
Don’t get used to this. Don’t fall deeper. Don’t ruin what you already have.
But sitting there with him, full and content, watching the water sparkle?
It was already too late.
All too soon, it was time to catch the ferry.
JT wasn’t driving today, which meant no witty author stories, no crime-novel quips. The deck was quieter without him, the ferry rolling gently over the water as the island receded behind us.
Cade and I stood at the railing with our elbows nearly touching as we watched the water below us and the horizon shifting as small islands passed us by.
“Remember that fishing trip in the Gulf?” he asked, leaning close enough that his shoulder brushed mine.
“How could I forget?” I laughed. “You and your dad insisted that we were going to catch something ‘legendary.’”
“Hey, that stingray was legendary.”
“It was furious,” I corrected. “And you jumped harder than I did.”
“Only because you screamed,” he shot back.
“I screamed because it chased me.”
“That thing moved two inches.”
“Toward me,” I insisted, jabbing his arm lightly.
We stood there, teasing each other, leaning over the railing as the sun dipped lower and painted the water gold. For a little while, my nerves quieted. My heart did too.
Because this, this friendship, this history, was real.
Solid.
And even if everything else was terrifyingly uncertain, being here with Cade felt like home.
When the ferry finally bumped lightly against the dock and the ropes were tossed and tied, I waited for one single blissful second before I let myself breathe in the comfort of home. Silver Cove’s familiar scent of salt and a hint of pine wrapped around me like a favorite sweater.
Then I noticed Cade’s gaze and turned to see what had caused such a strange look on him.
Levi stood at the end of the dock with his hands fisted at his sides, his eyes burning holes straight through Cade.
My stomach dropped so hard I nearly missed the ramp.
Oh no.
No, no, no.
I should have told him. I shouldn’t have avoided him before we left. I should have...
I felt the shift in Cade as he walked beside me. The way his spine straightened and his jaw tightened. He didn’t speak, he just walked beside me with his usual steady stride.
Levi started toward us like a storm breaking loose the heavens.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?” he snarled as his voice carried over the water and the sound of boats coming and going. “A weekend getaway for the happy couple?”
Heat crawled up my neck. “Levi, stop. You’re making a scene.” I took a chance and looked around but realized that we were the only ones on the dock.
“Oh, I’m making a scene?” He laughed sharply. “Funny, because the whole town is talking about the two of you shacking up at the resort.” He turned to Cade. “You’re like a fucking vulture.”
Cade didn’t react. Hell, he didn’t even flinch. Surprisingly, he didn’t even return the insult like he normally did. The pair of them had had plenty of arguments while we’d been together. Usually, the verbal jabs would start the moment they locked eyes.
Now, Cade stood there in silence, a measured infuriatingly calm silence that had my heartbeat skipping.
For some reason, Cade’s silence only fueled Levi more.
“You can’t even deny it,” Levi spat, stepping closer. “You’re a fucking manipulator. A thief.”
“Levi,” I said firmly, placing myself between them.
“Knock it off. Cade was working out at the resort and arranged for me to enjoy the amenities for a night. That’s it.
” Why in the hell was I explaining myself to this man?
“We had separate rooms,” I added for some reason. Why couldn’t I seem to stop talking?
“I’m sure that’s all,” Levi sneered. “Because I know exactly what Cade’s been waiting for this entire time. He was always sniffing around,”
“Enough!” I finally snapped. “My life isn’t any of your business anymore.”
His eyes whipped toward me, sharp and wild. “Everything about you is my business, Missy. You’re mine. Always.”
“No,” I cut in as my heart continued pounding quickly, too quickly. “Let me make this simple. You cheated, I broke things off. You have no say in my life.”
“You’re not thinking clearly. He’s using you. Come on, I’m going to take you somewhere private where we can be alone and talk.” Something ugly twisted in his expression. Before I could step back, he reached out and gripped my arm.
Hard.
Cade moved so fast it barely registered. One second Levi was holding my arm. The next, Cade’s hand was clamped around Levi’s wrist, peeling his fingers off me with terrifying control.
“Let. Her. Go,” Cade said in a low growl.
Not loud.
Not even angry.
Just… ice cold.
Like the dark water beneath the dock.
Levi jerked back, stumbling from the force, and Cade shifted immediately to my side, his hand hovering near my back without touching me, as if waiting for permission.
“Are you okay?” he asked without taking his eyes from Levi.
“I’m fine.” I wasn’t, but whatever sting I was feeling on my skin no longer mattered.
I didn’t want the men to fight, though was no doubt in my mind who would win.
At one point, they had been evenly matched, but within the past year, Levi had obviously gone soft while Cade’s physical work had built lots of muscle.
Levi glared at him with his chest heaving wildly. “Fuck off,” he sneered. “You’ve always wanted Melissa. Always.”
“Go back to the city, Levi,” Cade said in a low tone filled with steel. “There’s nothing here for you. No one wants you around.”
“Not until I get what I came for—” Levi started.
“You’ll never have what you came for. It’s no longer yours,” Cade interrupted again.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Levi’s jaw worked as rage pulsed across his face, but he must’ve seen something in Cade’s eye, something even he knew not to push, because after one last glare, he turned sharply.
“I can see this is going nowhere. I’ll give you time to come to your senses,” he said toward me, then he stalked down the pier without a glance back.
My knees wobbled, and Cade caught my elbow gently.
“Are you okay?” he asked again.
I nodded, then shook my head.
But I didn’t know how I felt, only that my heart hammered against my ribs like it was trying to break free.
“I’m fine,” I whispered. “Just… embarrassed. And mad. And embarrassed,” I said again, feeling the oxygen finally get to my brain. “Thank you,” I said in a small voice.
Cade’s voice stayed soft. “Don’t thank me.”
I looked out toward the water, trying to steady my breathing. Trying to convince myself that what had just happened hadn’t spoiled or tainted the wonderful trip we’d just had. But it had. It loomed over the entire weekend like an anvil on a thin wire.
Still, the pressure of Cade’s fingers on my arm grounded me. I was pretty sure he was the only thing keeping me upright.
His arm wrapped around me after he picked up our bags. “Come on, let’s get you home.”