Chapter 35
The coffee and croissants become a daily occurrence.
Deacon never uses them as an excuse to hang around. He delivers them, tells me he loves me, and then leaves again.
He must be working from the Larsen’s house next door.
The notes continue. Every day, another sentence is scribbled on the napkin—each one telling me how he’s feeling.
I miss your smile.
I miss waking up with you in my arms.
I miss the sound of your laughter.
I miss kissing you.
Don’t give up on me.
Have dinner with me tonight. 7.00 p.m.
By the end of the week, he’s begun to chip away at the icy wall around my heart. It’s clear he’s going nowhere.
He’s determined to wait me out.
I assume he’s working remotely because the Deacon I know wouldn’t take this much time off work—not after he’s already been away a month.
There are so many questions to be answered. I’m not sure whether to let him back into my life or not, but to make any kind of decision, I need to know everything.
The apology from Adeline left me unsettled. He’s fighting for me—there wasn’t any need for him to do what he did, but he wants back in enough to be out there dealing with the Adelines of this world.
He did tell me once he’d fight my dragons.
After a week of the breakfasts and the notes, I’m done holding him at arm’s length for an explanation.
By midday, I give up and make my way across the sand.
The speed at which he opens the door after I knock is enough to give me whiplash. It’s like he was poised, just waiting for me to arrive.
“Pippa? This is a nice surprise.”
“Why aren’t you at work? It’s the middle of the day.”
He shoves his hands in his pockets and shrugs. “You’re more important.”
“I just wanted to let you know I’ll be here for dinner. I’ve got questions.”
Deacon nods. “I’m surprised you haven’t asked them earlier.”
Swallowing hard, I shrug. “You being here is confusing. It’s taken me time to get my head together.”
He reaches for me, grasping my chin and pulling my gaze to his. “Take as long as you need, Pippa. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’re infuriating.”
Deacon pops a kiss on my nose and lets me go. “I’m here when you want to talk. I’ll tell you everything—even the things I should have originally told you.”
“What does that mean?”
“Whenever you’re ready, Pippa. Come and see me.” He turns to walk away before looking over his shoulder. “I won’t push myself on you any further. But I am enjoying bringing you breakfast in the morning.”
Despite myself, I smile. I enjoy that too.
I stop on the way back and stare out to sea for a while. Deacon’s presence is unnerving, but I’d still rather be here than anywhere else right now. There are some big decisions coming in my future, and although I’m delaying making them, things will come to a head soon.
I’ve got to start looking for a new job, but this is the first time in my life I’ve just had time out, away from everything and everyone—at least until Deacon arrived.
Screw it.
I’m having dinner with him, but I think I’ll go into the township for lunch. I need some groceries anyway.
It’s only a few minutes away, but I jump in the car and make the short drive.
After a coffee at the cafe, I’m feeling a bit more settled and head to the local Four Square. It’s not a big grocery store, but then again there aren’t a lot of people out here for it to service. We’re probably lucky it’s here at all.
Mrs Lewis waves at me from behind the only checkout. “Hi, dear. You’re still here?”
I nod. “Yep. Will be for a little while, I think.”
After heading toward the first shelf, I grab a loaf of bread.
“I hear you’ve got a handsome new neighbour.”
Resisting an eye-roll, I move to the next shelf.
“I also hear he paid a lot for that house. Gabrielle Larsen was very happy.”
I come to a halt—my arm in midair as I’m reaching for the breakfast cereal.
Wait. What?
“He did what?” I drop my arm and turn back toward Mrs Lewis.
“She was in here crowing about it. The first offer was for well over the last valuation, and when they refused it, he offered even more. It was just too hard for them to turn down.”
It takes me a moment to process what she’s said.
“Deacon bought the house?”
She gives me a smug smile. “He’s already introduced himself? Sounds like a winner to me. Maybe he can help you get over that idiot who jilted you.”
I scrub my face with my right hand. “He is the idiot who jilted me.”
Her eyes widen.
Oh. I shouldn’t have said that.
By the end of the day, all the locals will know.
“He must be pretty set on winning you back then.”
I shrug. “I guess.”
Why would Deacon have bought the house? I assumed the Larsens had rented it to him in some kind of Airbnb situation, but buying it? The man has more money than sense.
Now I need to talk to him again. Forget waiting for dinner.
I dash through the store, grabbing what I need—hell, I’m sure I’ve forgotten half of it.
Mrs Lewis smiles knowingly at me as I make a mad dash out the door and run to the car. I’m not sure why I’m running. It’s not like Deacon’s going anywhere.
After dropping off the groceries, I race across the sand to the other house again before hammering on the door until I hear a sound inside.
“Just a minute,” he calls.
The door swings open.
Oh my.
He’s fresh out of the shower, a blue towel wrapped around his waist and nothing else. He always looks so good.
“Pippa? You’re here.” The breath he lets out is audible, like he’s relieved to see me. “Two visits in one day. How did I get to be so lucky?”
“Is it true? You bought the house?”
He beams that blinding smile at me. “I did. How did you …?
“Mrs Lewis at the store told me. Why?”
Holding up a finger, he turns back into the house. “Just give me a minute to finish getting dressed and we’ll talk.”
My throat tightens as I watch him walk away.
“Come in and take a seat. I won’t be a minute.”
Stepping into this house for the first time, I’m not disappointed. When I was a girl, I was fascinated by this place—it’s so much bigger than my parents’ beach house. It’s fairly bare—not decorated with family photos and mementos as our house is. I didn’t see any house movers, so I guess he must have bought it fully furnished.
The living room has azure walls, and the lounge suite is a deep red—reminiscent of the colour of the gown I wore at the launch party.
I sigh as I run my hand over the back of the couch before sinking into the seat.
Moments pass before Deacon walks back out. “I didn’t realise you were coming over early.”
“I didn’t plan on it.”
He drops onto the couch beside me, and I suck in a breath. I don’t have to see him standing to know his blue jeans hug those muscular thighs, and he’s still buttoning his shirt. It’s all kinds of distracting.
“I’m glad you’re here.” His warm smile sucks me in.
I know he wants me back. Every day he works a little further into my heart, but I’m still unsure.
“And yes, I bought this house.”
“Why?”
He pauses before blowing out a long breath. “You were … eight maybe? And we came here for the summer holidays.”
My eyebrows shoot up. Deacon and Lucas were fifteen, and that was the summer that was all about girls. Jealousy ate at me while the sound of giggling carried through the air from different parts of the beach.
The last person he was thinking of that year was me.
“You told me how much you loved this house, and you dreamed of buying it as an adult and living out here.”
“I can’t believe you remembered that.”
He cocks his head. “Your family was always so welcoming. I remember a lot about the time I spent with all of you. And somewhere in a box at home, I still have a picture you coloured in for me of a dragon. I think you were five.”
I bark out a laugh. “No, you do not.”
“I do.” His eyes dance with mischief, and I’m not sure I believe him. “One day, I’ll dig it out and show you.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “That’s insane.”
Deacon places his hand on my arm. “I told you. You were always important to me.” He frowns. “And I should have known better that night. I should have come to you, no matter how superstitious you were being, and talked to you face to face.”
I can’t say anything as the conversation takes a serious turn and my stomach falls thinking about it. “Yes. You should have.”
“I’ll forever regret that, Pippa. And my actions afterward. There’s still a lot we need to talk about. Will you stay so we can talk?”
It’s all so much to take in. He bought my dream beach house because I liked it when I was eight.
Eight.
Lucas would tease me about how annoying I was, but all I wanted to do was hang out with the older boy I had such a crush on.
Deacon never called me names, even back then. He never had a bad word to say. And it turns out he paid more attention to what was going on around him than I thought he did.
I nod. “I’ll stay.”