Chapter 13
SUMMER
“You can’t do that.”
I stand, needing room to roam and think through this ludicrous idea with plenty of space to lay out my thoughts to examine them better. Surely, he’s drunk, though I know darn well one beer wouldn’t have clouded his judgment enough to make such a wild offer.
“Why not?”
“You barely know me, that’s why not.” I start pacing, seeking a stride that feels right for a situation like this.
There’s not one. So I walk without purpose to get the shock of Daniel’s offer out of my system.
“These things don’t happen to me. It’s like winning the lottery and losing your best friend. ”
“What does that mean?”
“Good always comes with bad, and I’m not prepared for what the opposite of this luck will be.”
“Okay. Okay.” He’s off the bench and blocking my path.
Catching me before I dart around him, he holds me still and lowers to eye level.
“I wasn’t trying to make things worse for you, but I can confidently say that I don’t regret the offer.
I know enough about you and your intentions to save this town to want to help. ”
My shoulders ease under the realization that I’ve been heard.
My heart, my dreams, and my goals. A man with a million other reasons not to give the time of day to a small-town girl a world away from his own was listening.
The reassurance in his tone lets me know he understands my concerns.
“You still can’t offer a stranger hundreds of thousands of dollars without strings attached.
This is not what most people do, Daniel. ”
How do I manage my feelings from the reality of being in debt to him?
We just met, and he’s throwing money at me like he’ll somehow get it back.
There’s no way for me to earn enough to support my family and pay off a loan like that.
So as much as I love the feel of him holding me like I’m the only woman in the world that matters to him, I can’t take both risks at once.
It’s either my heart or my head. This is when logic needs to prevail.
Give it a rest, heart.
“I’m not most people.” He sure isn’t. His gaze softens as he catches mine.
I’m still not sure how he broke through my carefully built walls with unattainable standards to match, but here he is like he conquered the whole damn fortress. “I’m learning that the more we spend time together.”
But looking at him sends my heart racing again. There’s no restraining a genuine reaction. I cup his face, loving the prickles from the dusting of scruff on my fingertips. “Why are you doing this?”
Reaching over my arms, he cups my face with a grin that can only be construed as he’s lost his damn mind, and replies, “Because I want to and because I can.”
“But it makes no sense for you. This isn’t a good investment, so why waste your money?”
“Are you trying to talk me out of it?” he asks under muted chuckles.
“Yes.” I can’t manage a smile even from seeing his. The pressure to take the offer and run weighs heavy on my chest. “I can’t owe you the rest of my life. I’ll never be able to get out from under that debt.”
“I’m not investing in the property, Summer.
I’m investing in you to keep Mountain Laurel Cove alive.
” He glances toward the ocean. “Look at this place. I thought everywhere had already been overdeveloped. Not here. This place needs to exist, not just for you but for others to see how beautiful nature really is.”
I smile because my heart does. He gets it. He truly understands that if one domino falls, they all do. I can’t let that happen. “Careful, or I’m going to start to think you were brought on purpose.”
“To save the day? It wouldn’t be the first time.” His laughter echoes, thinking he really did something there with that compliment to himself.
I can’t join him, but it’s too real for me. “I’m starting to believe that might be true.”
“All clear?” a little voice calls to us. We turn to see Roman standing in the doorway.
Roman’s been so good and patient that I feel bad for making him wait around as I spiral over something personal.
He’s here for a vacation, not to be dragged into my drama.
“All clear,” I call, checking in briefly with a glance whose smile has stuck to his face like it’s glued there and evokes mine in response. “We need to talk more about this.”
“We will, but I want you to consider it.”
“I am. There’s just a lot of details to consid—”
“Can I go?” Roman asks, dropping his bag beside us and startling us apart like two teens busted making out by their parent.
Daniel rubs his hand over his head. “What do you mean you go?”
“You guys are talking, and that’s boring.” The whine in his tone doesn’t seem to go over well with his dad.
“What do we say about being bored, Roman?”
He kicks his foot out and then drops it with a pout of his lips. “Find something to do.”
“Yep.” He rests his hand on Roman’s back. The pats are light with care as if he’s rooting for him. “So what are you going to do?”
“Go see Dolly. I can walk down there by myself.”
Daniel glances at me with a question in his eyes. “Is it safe?”
“You see how little traffic there is. Ten homes and a dead end don’t impress many to drive down here,” I reply. “She’d love the company.”
“I’m not a baby, Dad.”
“I know you’re not.” He looks at the road once more and takes his bag from him. “I’ll bring this down when we return.”
I pull out my phone again and text Dolly. “I’ll let her know you’re heading her way.”
He throws his arms around my waist. “Thanks, Summer.”
The heart that was shattered slowly pieces itself back together. I hug him. “Go straight there, okay?”
“I will.” Glancing at Daniel, he says, “Promise.”
Ruffling his hair this time, Daniel says, “On your way, kid. Adventure awaits.”
Roman takes off running before Daniel finishes speaking. I come stand next to him, pressing my head to his arm, and say, “Dolly’s meeting him halfway.”
Daniel’s arm comes around me, and he kisses my head. “Thank you.”
“I imagine it’s hard to let them try new things, to venture farther from us than they have before.”
“It’s good to do it in a safe way. He can’t do this in the city.
Mia and I won’t let him.” There’s a scoff that’s lacking humor, and he says, “I was running all over the place by myself at his age. Shoplifted my fair share of candy and soda with friends I shouldn’t have been hanging around with.
By nine, I was busing it to games on my own.
” Though I desperately want to see his face, his grip is firm, holding me in place. Purposeful? Probably.
Other than anger and temper tantrums, I’m certain most hockey players aren’t used to showing much emotion. Daniel does with me. He gives me these small peeks into his past and feelings. It makes me feel more connected to him.
Exhaling a deep breath, he shifts his head and then releases me enough to aim his eyes out at the ocean. I’m mesmerized by it every day, fortunate to have it in my backyard. I can’t imagine life being lived without the immensity of this beauty in my life.
He crosses his arms over his chest. “I made the mistake of telling my dad I was bored when I was six.” No good story begins like that .
. . my stomach drops at the thought of what’s to come.
He peeks over at me. “He beat the shit out of me with my hockey stick and made me practice two extra hours that night without any dinner.” Sickness gnaws at my insides, leaving my heart feeling raw and aching.
“I was never bored again. My son will never know pain like that. I’ll set the world on fire before I let anyone harm him. ”
Reaching up, I pat his back gently like he did for Roman. Otherwise, I’d be taking him in my arms. It’s what I would want, but what does Daniel need? Screw it. I’ll take the lead and wrap myself around him from behind, resting my cheek against his back, and hold him.
A breeze picks up, cooling us down, and the closeness soothes me.
Listening to his steady breathing becomes a guidepost that he’s okay, giving me the reassurance I need.
“Daniel?” He hums in reply. He co-parents with Roman’s mom, but they aren’t on the same page when they’re apart.
He’s on his own, fighting against what he was shown about what a father is and winning that battle.
“You’re a good dad for breaking the cycle. ”
He turns, wrapping me up like a present in his arms. Holding me so tight that I can feel his heartbeat against my cheek, he rests his head on the top of mine, and whispers, “Take the offer, Summer.” I smile against him because that was said from the heart.
I’d been fighting against the charity he’d offered me because it felt like sacrificing my pride. I don’t want his sympathy. I wanted him to give it for other reasons than guilt. Even as a loan, if it comes from somewhere other than feeling sorry for me.
“You won’t regret it. I promise. You won’t.”
“I know.”
Pulling back, I want to see his face and those amazing eyes of his. When I do, I say, “Thank you. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the money back to you one day.”
“I don’t want it back. I see the magic in Mountain Laurel Cove like you do.” He lifts my chin. “If you can, I want you to keep this town just as it is.”
“I’m doing my best.” I hug him once more, closing my eyes and finally able to breathe again when my phone buzzes. I let go and look at my phone. Smiling, I tilt my head back up for Daniel. “Roman is safely in Dolly’s care.”
“Good.”
Tapping my fingertips under his, I ask, “Are you as exhausted as I am?”
“Yeah, I should pack up to move my stuff over.”
We both turn toward the cottage. He picks up the bag, and we walk together. “I can help.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t have much. You’re tired. Why don’t you head back, and I’ll meet you over there in a little while.”
“You sure?”
“I won’t be long.”
Sometimes you get a sense someone needs time to themselves. This feels like one of those times. “I can take Roman’s bag.”
“It’s okay. I got it.”
I stop on the doormat outside after he enters the house. “Okay.” I rock back on my heels and watch as he heads for the bedroom. Thumbing over my shoulder, I say, “I’m going then.”
Turning to leave, I take two steps before he calls, “Wait, Summer.”
“Yes?” the reply rushes from my mouth so fast as if I needed an excuse to stay a little longer.
Right when I turn back, he captures my face in his hands, and my lids flutter closed as his lips press to mine.
My head swims in the connection, my body leaning into him, my hands grapple to grab onto his shirt as I hold him like my life depends on it.
Our lips part, and our tongues meet in a tangling twist of rules and breaking them, professionalism, and my personal desires. I toss it all aside and kiss with the desire of a thousand fires burning inside for him.
And when we part, my breath pants from my chest, my eyes opening slowly to find him admiring me with his heart on his sleeve. He whispers, “I just wanted to tell you that.”
I hold him as close as I can while this magic lasts. “I’m glad you did.” Unfurling my fingers from his shirt, I take a step back and say, “Maybe you can tell me more about it later?”
A sly grin works its way onto his face. “I can’t wait.”
I start walking backward, smiling like a loon who just scored a fish from the cove. “Me either. I’ll see you later.” I turn and practically skip off the deck onto the ground.
“See you later, Summer.”
I hurry down the road and then just flat-out sprint, filled with the adrenaline from kissing him and the offer to help buy the cottage in play. My thoughts are swirling on the rights and wrongs and the pros and cons when it hits me. I’m halfway back when I come to an abrupt halt.
Out of breath, I look back. I’ve gone too far to still see the cottage and not far enough to see the house. It doesn’t matter. I had a problem, and he stepped in to help. I can do the same for him.