Chapter 10
Ten
She’d intentionally avoided going out in public with Matt for three reasons.
The first was that she wasn’t sure how she’d feel about random people interrupting them.
While she hadn’t appreciated the fans today, it hadn’t been as annoying as she’d feared, at least not for her.
Despite Matt’s friendly smile and willingness to pose for photos, she’d sensed his annoyance.
Her second and third reasons were tied together.
She’d been seeing pictures of Matt with women for at least a decade.
More often than not, including the photos this spring with the dark-haired woman, the headlines claimed the two were in a romantic relationship.
Liv wasn’t used to the spotlight, and the idea of her picture appearing on the Star Insider’s website or a popular social media site made her cringe.
However, what she feared even more than the pictures circulating was seeing some of the comments people would make, which would no doubt leave her in tears.
Keyboard warriors thought nothing of posting mean and spiteful comments.
And Liv could only imagine what some people might say about her, especially if they compared her to some of the other women Matt had been linked to over the years.
At least there hadn’t been any paparazzi hanging around today.
Even she would have noticed some random person walking around with a state-of-the-art camera and snapping pictures.
As for photos that fans had taken, they’d been too obsessed with getting pictures of themselves with Matt to snap any of her with him.
The longer he stayed in Orchard Harbor, though, the more likely it would get out that he was in town.
In turn, that might send professional photographers with their fancy cameras to town.
But at least for the moment, she didn’t have to worry about that.
“You’re awfully quiet over there,” Matt said as he turned into his driveway. “I don’t think you’ve said anything since we left Smugglers’ Cove.”
“Sorry. I’ve been trying to guess what else you have planned for us today.” So far, he hadn’t dropped a single clue. “But since we’re back at your house, does it involve me beating you in a game of pool again?”
They’d played multiple times, and while he’d done better against her, he’d yet to win a game.
“Nope, not tonight.” He waited for the garage door to open and then drove inside. “But soon I want a rematch.”
“Name the date and time, and I’ll be there.” She waited for him to come around and open the car door. She found it unnecessary, but he insisted. Since it seemed to be important to him, she didn’t fight him on it.
“Pool is out. So, are you going to give me a private concert while I eat grapes and cheese on the roof?”
“Hey, that’s not a bad idea. I’ll keep it in mind for another night. Do you prefer green grapes or red ones?”
Taking her by the hand, he led her past the other vehicles in the garage and into the house.
“Red, but I’ll eat either. Just make sure they’re seedless.”
“Noted.”
Matt grabbed the basket on the counter as he made his way to the refrigerator. “I just need to pack up a few things, and then we’ll be ready to go.”
She watched as he added what were clearly take-out containers to the basket before selecting two bottles from the wine fridge and adding them as well.
“Are we going on a picnic?” The last time she remembered doing that, she’d been in middle school.
“Not exactly.” With the basket in one hand, he reached for her left hand. “Follow me.”
After crossing the kitchen, they exited the door that led out onto the back deck. Matt didn’t stop there, though. Instead, he led her down the stairs and across the lawn to the dock.
She noticed the yacht moored there. She couldn’t think of the vehicle at Matt’s house as merely a boat.
Despite growing up near the ocean, she didn’t know a lot about boats.
She’d never been interested enough to spend any time learning about them.
However, even she recognized that the only thing the boat Matt owned and the one her aunt and uncle had at their lake house in New Hampshire had in common was that they could both be used on water.
He escorted her up to the upper deck and gestured toward the sofa that looked nicer than the one in her living room. “Make yourself comfortable.”
It didn’t take long before they were pulling away from the dock, and Liv watched as Matt’s house grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
“I never would’ve guessed this was what you planned for tonight.” Although he’d told her to make herself comfortable, she’d opted for the seat next to his rather than the sofa behind him.
Reaching over her, he kissed her cheek. “There’s more, just wait. Once we get far enough out, I’ll drop anchor, and we can enjoy the rest.”
It had been a long time since she’d been out on the open water, and while Matt concentrated on operating the yacht, she soaked up the ocean air. Eventually, though, they reached the spot Matt had intended, and he took care of whatever he needed to ensure the boat stayed relatively in one place.
“Follow me.” After grabbing the basket he’d left on the table, he reached for her hand.
“Before we do anything else, how about a tour?”
He’d told her to make herself at home, but much like at his house, it had seemed inappropriate to explore the other levels without him.
“Sure. I’ll follow you,” Matt said, gesturing toward the stairs that led to the main deck.
As with the upper deck, there was ample seating for passengers, a table, a complete entertainment system, and a small galley.
While the majority of the deck was enclosed by glass, the back-most portion, which she vaguely remembered was called the stern, had a well-placed door that allowed the owner to keep the elements from ruining their day.
A third set of stairs brought them to the lower deck.
She’d expected the yacht to have sleeping accommodations, as well as some kind of bathroom similar to the one in the camper her parents used these days.
Although the Class C motorhome they’d upgraded to was far nicer than the camper the family used when she was growing up, it still wasn’t anything like what the yacht’s lower deck contained.
There were three bedrooms. The largest contained what looked like a king-sized bed.
There was a full-sized bed in the second, while the third had two twin beds.
There were also two bathrooms. The larger of the two could only be accessed from the main cabin, while the slightly smaller one was obviously intended for whatever guests were on board.
Despite the slight size difference, both had decent-sized showers.
Once they’d finished the tour, they returned to the main deck.
But rather than sit down near the table, Matt grabbed the basket and walked toward the front of the boat.
From the one cruise she’d taken, she remembered it was actually called the bow, although she didn’t understand why boats had to have special names for the different sections.
Front and back seemed sufficient to her.
The designer had completed the area with a small table featuring seating in the shape of a semicircle, ensuring that no matter where you sat, you’d have a great view.
“You could spend weeks out on the water.” Her first thought was that the yacht was nicer than her apartment. But that would only remind him of their vastly different backgrounds.
“That’s kind of what I have in mind.” Coming up behind her, Matt wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m hoping you’ll come with me.”
Before Liv could process his words, he kissed her neck. “I know your weekends are pretty booked through July, but maybe we can get away in August. It doesn’t have to be for weeks. We could go for five or six days and then plan on something longer when Ocean View isn’t as busy. What do you think?”
She thought she was dreaming, and at any minute she’d wake up, because it sounded as though Matt wasn’t thinking of their time together as a distraction until he got bored with town and left.
But that couldn’t be. Someone like Matt would never be happy living in Orchard Harbor year-round.
Eventually, he would get bored. Maybe he’d make it until August. Although she doubted it, he might even stick around until the winter.
Fall in this area of the country was breathtaking with its vibrant colors. But year-round, never.
“Yeah, I think we have at least one event every weekend between now and the end of July.” While some events were small and didn’t require her attention, Ocean View wasn’t hurting for business right now.
“August it is. We can head down to Sanborn Island or Martha’s Vineyard.”
She’d never visited either of the places he mentioned and wouldn’t mind a short vacation. The farthest she’d traveled in the past year was to see her brother in Boston.
“Or if we don’t get there before then, we could go to Newport.”
Liv considered her words before speaking. “Do you think you’ll still be here in August?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Do you know something I don’t?”
He brushed his lips against the other side of her neck, setting fairies loose in her stomach. And before she changed her mind about the conversation she was about to start, she stepped out of his embrace and turned to face him.
“Orchard Harbor isn’t exactly home for you, Matt. You told me that Florida was.” His exact answer had been less straightforward, but it didn’t change the fact that Orchard Harbor was just one of many places where he owned a home and spent time.
“No, I said it was where I spent most of my time, so I guessed it was home. I like it there, but it’s never really felt like home. If that makes any sense?”
Liv shrugged. “A little.” Except for when she’d attended college, she’d never lived anywhere else.
“I’ve been visiting here for sixteen years. Do you know why?”