Chapter 7
Seven
It’s not the end of the world.
Liv had been repeating the same thing to herself since noon, when her dad shared the news that Fredrick had accepted someone else’s offer on the building. Maybe if she repeated it to herself for another five hours, she’d believe it.
Shirley hadn’t known whose offer had been accepted.
All she’d known was that three parties had made offers.
Her dad and grandfather were optimistic that someone other than Timberlane Development was purchasing the building and that they’d keep the status quo.
She was trying to follow their lead, but she kept straying off the path.
It was a known fact that Rick and Fredrick had been discussing the possibility of Timberlane Development purchasing the building before it even went on the market.
Not to mention, she couldn’t imagine many people who had the financial resources to compete with Timberlane Development and would want to leave the building as it was.
Despite her dad’s optimism, she knew he was considering their options for the restaurant and catering business.
And tomorrow she’d help him with that and start thinking about her living options.
Both Mom and Dad had assured her that she could move back home if the worst happened.
Even her grandparents had offered her their spare bedroom.
She appreciated their offers, but staying with either would be a short-term solution.
She’d moved out of her parents’ house eleven years ago and had been living alone since Phoebe moved out four years ago.
So tomorrow she’d start looking for an apartment.
Right now, though, she needed to focus on cooking; otherwise, dinner would be ruined, and she and Matt would be eating takeout tonight.
Liv lowered the heat under the saucepan and grabbed the meat thermometer so she could check the chicken.
Why had she told him she was free tonight?
If she’d told him she was busy, she’d be stressing about only her future right now instead of that and the fact that he would be there soon.
Unfortunately, with him sitting so close and her lips still tingling from his kiss last night, it had been hard to think about anything but seeing him again.
There was a knock on her door as the thermometer registered the necessary temperature.
Before opening the door, she scanned the apartment and once again wished she hadn’t invited him over for dinner. Her apartment was neat, and she’d spent a lot of time decorating it. However, compared to his house, it was a tiny hole-in-the-wall.
Too late now.
Matt wasn’t the first man she’d had over at her apartment. He was the first, though, to show up with roses.
“Come on in.”
“Whatever you’re making smells delicious.”
Matt handed her the champagne pink roses and kissed her cheek. “I wasn’t sure what your favorite flowers were.”
“They’re beautiful. Thank you. I’m assuming you got them at Exquisite Flowers?”
“I did. Why?”
“Then you probably met my friend Emma. She works there.”
Matt followed her across the living room and into the kitchen. “The woman who helped me was probably in her mid-sixties with light brown hair and glasses.”
Well, that explained why Emma hadn’t called to tell her she’d finally met Matt Sherbrooke. “Sounds like you met either Emma’s mom or her aunt.”
Boy, was Emma going to be disappointed when she found out Matt finally went into the flower shop when she wasn’t there.
On second thought, maybe Liv wouldn’t tell her.
Heaven knew what Emma might read into the fact that Matt showed up with flowers.
Yep, keeping her mouth shut was the smarter option.
“I didn’t know what you were making, so I brought a bottle of chardonnay and a merlot.” He set a reusable wine bag and a bakery box on the counter.
“I made my version of chicken chasseur.”
“Well, as I said, it smells delicious.”
If it came out as well as she’d hoped, she had planned to have Dad add it as a special at the restaurant and include it as an option on the catering menu. Now it might not matter how it tasted.
“Well, we’ll soon find out.” Opening the top drawer on her left, she pulled out the bottle opener. “Do you mind pouring the wine while I plate our meals?”
Not only did she have Matt all to herself, but he’d brought her a dozen roses. Most women would do anything to be in her shoes right now. Liv should be walking around on cloud nine, not wishing she could drown her sorrows in a container of ice cream.
“No problem.” Accepting the opener, he put it down next to the bakery box and moved closer to her. “What’s wrong? You don’t seem like yourself,” he said, tucking the piece of hair that had escaped her braid earlier and had been driving her crazy ever since behind her ear.
Regardless of whether she was happy, sad, or somewhere in between, she’d never been good at hiding her emotions, which was just one reason she never played poker.
“Dad heard back from Shirley earlier today. Fredrick accepted someone else’s offer on the building.”
Don’t cry.
After taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled and reminded herself it wasn’t the end of the world. It was also something to focus on later when she was alone and could cry all she wanted while eating ice cream from the container.
“I know.”
News spread fast in town, but that was a record even for Orchard Harbor. “Who told you? Owen?” She knew her dad planned to let her brother know, but she assumed he would’ve waited until later tonight. Owen would just be leaving work now.
Matt’s forehead creased in confusion. “Liv, Fredrick accepted my offer.”
“Your offer?”
She was dreaming. That was the only explanation for the past twenty-four hours.
Yep, and all the signs were around her, starting with the fact that not only was Matt Sherbrooke standing in her kitchen, but she knew exactly what his lips felt like against hers.
It also explained why he’d just told her the Worm had accepted his offer on the building.
“Yeah. I made it yesterday before you came over.”
“You made an offer on the building?” That made no sense. Matt had no stake in the businesses that called the building home.
He nodded. “I called Austin at Windsor Realty yesterday. He helped me find my house. And I had him write up an offer. I remember you saying Shirley worked at Windsor too.” Matt shrugged. “I assumed she’d known since she works in the same office as Austin.”
“You’re buying this building?” Complex math aside, she didn’t usually struggle to comprehend things. Right now, though, she couldn’t wrap her head around what Matt was telling her.
He put his hands on her waist and kissed her forehead. “I should’ve called you as soon as I knew. I’m sorry. I honestly thought she would’ve told your dad.”
“But why?”
“I saw what Timberlane Development did to Sandy Cove and didn’t want to see it happen here.
” He pulled her closer and brushed what barely constituted as a kiss across her lips.
“My favorite restaurant in town is also in this building, and I didn’t want to see it go out of business.
” Matt kissed her again. This time, he let his lips linger almost long enough for her to enjoy it.
“I’m also interested in someone who calls this building home and who’s worked her butt off to make her catering business a success. ”
She was about to correct him about it being her catering business, but he silenced her with another kiss.
“Don’t deny it. Owen told me Ocean View Catering is your baby. And I read all the glowing reviews on Yelp.”
“You’re really buying the building?” Maybe if he told her yes one more time, it would finally sink in.
Matt gave her the same who-turned-up-the-heat smile he’d given her last night, and she wished her apartment had air-conditioning. “Don’t worry. I won’t increase your rent.”
He was serious. As crazy as it might seem, Matt was buying the building, not some property developer. She didn’t need to find a new apartment or worry that the restaurant, Ocean View Catering, and her aunt’s bookstore would go out of business.
Matt’s lips were almost on hers when she realized her dad didn’t know.
“I need to call Dad and tell him.” She stepped around him and headed for the end table where she’d left her cell phone.
“While you do that, I’ll open the wine.”
Thankfully, it took her dad a little less time than it had her to wrap his head around the fact that Matt was buying the building and not Timberlane Development or a company like it.
“I take it your dad was okay with the news?” Matt handed her a glass of wine when she joined him near the counter again.
“It’s possible he’s celebrating and opening the merlot he’s been saving for a special occasion.
” Liv took a sip of what was possibly the best wine she’d ever tasted and then set her glass down.
“There’s a salad in the fridge. If you can grab that, I’ll finally plate our dinner. I’m anxious to hear what you think.”
“I can handle that, but there is something I need to do first.” After placing his wineglass next to hers, he pulled her in closer.
Firm lips covered hers, and Liv closed her eyes as the heat inside her built.
Matt slipped a hand under her braid and changed the angle of his mouth over hers. She didn’t wait for him to make the next move. Instead, she put her arms over his shoulders and stepped closer, not stopping until her breasts pressed against his chest.
Matt moved the hand resting on her waist to the small of her back as he teased her lips apart and sent any rational thought straight out of her head.
Then, sooner than she would’ve liked, he pulled his lips away.
“Now, I’ll get the salad or do anything else you want.”
Holy. Wow. He knows how to kiss.
Liv refused to think about why that was the case. “Just, uh, the salad. I, uh, can handle everything else.”