Searching for Love: The Complete Story Read online

  “Just since I bought the beach house. About six months ago. Before that I lived in LA.”

  Reese nodded. “Which do you prefer?”

  “Malibu,” he immediately said. “No question.” A smile lit his face. “I love the ocean—the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the smell of the salty air, the feel of my body being propelled through the waves.” He laughed. “You might disagree with that last one.”

  With a smirk, Reese nodded. “Definitely, although I do find the sound of the waves soothing.”

  “It helps me fall asleep sometimes,” he said. Then his eyes narrowed slightly. “What about you?”

  He’s trying to discover if I live close to the beach.

  Reese’s lips twitched in a suppressed smile. “I usually fall right to sleep no matter where I am.”

  He gazed at her a moment. “Hmm.”

  Reese was nearly done eating, but she wanted him to leave first—how else to hide the fact that she was a vagabond living in her old RV?

  “How long have you been a photographer?” he asked. “I mean professionally?”

  “About a year, I guess.”

  “Do you do sittings? You know, for families?”

  She shook her head. “No. I enjoy taking pictures of random things, then I upload them and sell them online.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Where?”

  Not sure she wanted him to see her work just yet, she responded with a question of her own. “Why? Are you going to buy one of my prints?”

  “I might.” A mischievous grin curved his mouth. “I’d have to see if you’re any good first.”

  “Exactly.” She tilted her head. “Which is why I’m not going to tell you where they’re sold.”

  “I’ll get you to tell me one day.”

  The promise in his words—that this wouldn’t be the only time she saw him—sent an unexpected thrill through her.

  Careful, Reese. Don’t let yourself go there.

  Brody watched Reese’s face, wondering what she was thinking. They had only spent minutes together, but already he found himself attracted to her in a way he hadn’t been attracted to anyone since before he had met Megan.

  Holding back a wince at the memory of her, he focused on the woman sitting across from him.

  Does she have a boyfriend?

  “Are you single?” he finally asked, too curious to hold back the question.

  Her eyes widened for the briefest of moments, then she shot back, “Are you?”

  Seven

  Reese waited to hear Brody’s answer, and wondered why she hadn’t admitted that she was, indeed, single.

  Maybe it’s because I was married for the last six years and it seems strange to say I’m not anymore. Maybe because if he knows I’m available, it will be harder to say no if he asks me out again.

  “Yes,” he said, and a sadness filled his eyes. “I’m single.”

  Reese wondered if he had had a bad break-up, but decided she didn’t want to know that much about him. She had enough emotional baggage of her own.

  “You didn’t answer the question,” he said a moment later.

  A gentle sigh slipped from Reese’s lips. I suppose there’s no point in hiding from the truth. “Yes. I’m single too.”

  Brody smiled. “Okay. Now we’re getting somewhere.”

  Now he’s going to pressure me to go out with him. Great.

  Deciding to put a stop to that before it even began, she added, “And I’m perfectly happy that way.” That was a total and complete lie—she missed having a special someone in her life. Even so, she was terrified of wasting her life on a man who would end up dumping her for someone else—someone better. Someone who’s father wasn’t in prison, or whose mother wasn’t a drunk. Someone who didn’t live hand to mouth out of an old RV.

  Someone who was good enough.

  Tears pricked her eyes and she had a desire to flee to the safety of her RV. But she didn’t know how to tell Brody that he needed to leave first. How else to keep him from knowing where she lived?

  Brody gazed at Reese and saw a myriad of emotions play across her face.

  What happened in her life that puts her on the defensive when the subject of relationships comes up? Did someone crush her heart?

  A strong impulse to throttle the man who had broken her heart flooded him, taking him by surprise.

  He glanced at her food and saw she had finished, then noticed a slight look of panic in her eyes. Wondering what had put it there, he resolved to discover more about her one way or another.

  “The sunsets from my balcony are spectacular,” he said, then chuckled. “I mean, if you ever want to take any pictures from that angle.”

  Reese’s first instinct was to take him up on his offer—she was always looking for the perfect photo opportunity. But before she could utter a word, her mind filled with images from her failed marriage, and she mentally pulled away from Brody and the idea of spending any time with him.

  Regardless, she didn’t want to be rude. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  He smiled, then took another bite of his fish.

  When it seemed as if Brody was in no hurry to leave, Reese came up with a plan to escape without him discovering where she lived. Standing, she lifted her tray from the table and said, “It was nice seeing you again.”

  He gazed at her. “Are you leaving?”

  She nodded, but didn’t offer any further explanation.

  “I enjoyed talking to you, Reese.” He smiled, and his blue-green eyes sparkled. “Remember, spectacular sunsets.”

  Despite her reluctance to accept his invitation, Reese laughed. “I’ll remember.” Then, with a last smile, she carried her tray to the trash can, dumped her empty containers in the trash, and set the tray on top. She strode down the restaurant’s driveway, stopped at the edge of the PCH, and when there was a safe gap in the traffic, she dashed across the road and to the beach that lay just on the other side.

  Though she could feel Brody’s gaze on her, she stepped onto the sand and removed her sandals before walking toward the firmer ground where the ocean dampened the sand.

  Brody couldn’t tear his gaze away from Reese as she strolled along the beach. She walked in the opposite direction of where his beach house lay, and he wondered if she was staying in one of the beach houses down that way.

  She had admitted she was new to Malibu, and he wondered if she was staying with a friend.

  How long will she be in town? Maybe I shouldn’t have invited her to my house. What if she actually comes and I fall for her? Then what?

  With a shake of his head, Brody kept an eye on Reese until she had disappeared from view. A short time later he headed home, eager to get back to his latest programming project.

  Eight

  Two days later, as Reese heated a can of soup on her propane stove, she thought about Brody’s invitation to let her shoot the sunset from his balcony. Each night she had tried to get the perfect sunset photo, but so far she had failed.

  Maybe I should take him up on his offer. Maybe a different angle is all I need.

  Tendrils of steam drifted upward as she poured soup into her bowl, then set the bowl on the table. She slid into the bench seat, but as she lifted a spoonful of hot soup to her lips, she silently admitted that it was more than the perfect shot she was after. She was lonely.

  On her own for months now, Reese missed having someone to talk to, to confide in, to love. She had married her high school sweetheart at such a young age, it was as if she had always had someone by her side. Now completely on her own, it felt as if a part of her was missing.

  True, she feared failing again, but deep down she knew she had to take a chance.

  Blowing a gentle breath across the hot liquid on her spoon, she pictured Brody’s face—his gorgeous eyes, magnificent body, handsome face—and knew he was the one she needed to take a chance on. His interest in her had been clear. Now it was up to her to make the next move.

  This evening.
I’ll go this evening.

  “Logan,” Brody said with a smile when he saw his brother at his front door. “Come in.”

  “Hey, bro,” Logan said as he stood on the threshold. “How’s it goin’?”

  Brody laughed. “What are you doing here?”

  Logan turned and motioned behind him and a moment later a pair of beautiful women came into view and walked toward the front door. “I brought guests,” Logan said with a grin.

  When he saw the women, Brody frowned. “You could’ve warned me.”

  Logan laughed. “Right. Then you would’ve claimed you were working and were too busy to have a good time.”

  “I am working. And I am busy.”

  “Uh-huh.” Logan turned to the two women as they reached his side. “Come on in, ladies.” Then he escorted them past Brody and into the living room.

  “Wow,” one of them said. “This place is amazing.”

  “Brody,” Logan said. “I’d like you to meet Rochelle and Trinity.”

  “Hello,” Brody said as he shut the front door and walked into the living room.

  “Hi there,” the blonde, Trinity, said as she sidled up to Brody’s side.

  Brody smiled politely, but inside he wasn’t happy. Neither of these women interested him in the least, and though he was pleased to see his brother, this wasn’t how he had planned on spending his evening.

  “Let me get you ladies something to drink,” Logan said.

  Wearing a comfortable pair of khaki shorts paired with a loose-fitting t-shirt, Reese grabbed her camera and headed out the door of her RV. The sun wouldn’t set for at least half an hour, which gave her plenty of time to get to Brody’s place and get in position before the window of opportunity opened.

  I hope he’s not busy.

  With no idea of his schedule, Reese worried that her appearance would interrupt him. But with no way to contact him, she pushed on, hoping for the best.

  Striding along the sand, Reese imagined how Brody would react to her unplanned arrival. Would he be happy to see her? He had certainly seemed interested in having her come over. Or would she catch him at a bad time?

  Salty sea air fluttered her hair, blowing it across her face. Using her fingers, she gathered the wayward strands into a thick ponytail and twisted the hair elastic around it.

  A short time later Brody’s house came into view. His amazing eyes and handsome face filled Reese’s mind, and her heart began to pound. Surprised to discover how much she wanted to see him, she paused on the sand to gather herself, breathing deeply and slowly for a moment to calm her rapid pulse.

  Once she felt in control of her emotions, she continued on, and when she was one house away from his, the sound of laughter drew her gaze to his balcony. That’s when she saw him. But he wasn’t alone. Leaning against the railing with his back to her, he was talking to a blonde woman.

  Startled to discover he wasn’t alone, Reese stopped and stared, unsure what to do. Then the blonde woman’s eyes shifted in Reese’s direction.

  Embarrassed to be caught staring—and to have come at all—Reese spun around and began hurrying back the way she had come.

  Brody wondered what had caught Trinity’s attention and turned to see.

  Is that Reese? Was she coming here?

  Without a second thought, he bounded away from the blonde woman his brother had brought over, dashed through the house to the door that led to the beach, and raced down the stairs. Once he reached the sand, he ran towards the retreating figure, anxious to convince her to stay.

  She came. She actually came to my house.

  “Reese,” he called out as he got closer. “Reese. Wait.”

  With her ears buzzing and her mind in a whirl, Reese thought she heard her name being called, but shook her head and continued on.

  It was a mistake to think he would be available. I’m such an idiot to think he would actually be interested in me. I should never have come.

  “Reese,” she heard again. “Hold up.”

  Certain someone was calling her name, she looked over her shoulder and saw Brody running up behind her. Astonished to see him, she stopped and let him catch up.

  “You came,” he said with a grin when he stopped beside her.

  Not sure why he seemed so happy to see her when he was obviously in the middle of a date with another woman, Reese frowned. “I guess it’s a bad time.”

  He shook his head. “No, not at all.”

  What the heck? Does he want me crashing his date? Is he really only interested in letting me use his balcony to take a picture?

  Then it hit her.

  He wants me to take a picture of him and the woman.

  When the memory of him asking if she did portraits filled her mind, severe disappointment pierced her.

  I told him I don’t do portraits, but I guess he figured he could take advantage of my camera lens.

  Not sure if she should be offended or happy for the job, all she felt was sad. She had believed he was interested in her, but it turned out he was just interested in her photography skills.

  “Will you come back with me?” he asked as he gestured to his house.

  Though disheartened, she knew she could really use the money from this job. It’s probably for the best that he’s just interested in my lens. I was kidding myself to think there could be anything more. “Sure.”

  His smile grew. “Great.” Then he glanced at her camera. “I see you have your camera.”

  His comment only confirmed her assumption, and she forced a laugh. “Yeah. I pretty much always have it with me.”

  He glanced towards the sun, which was sinking toward the horizon, then met her gaze. “Spectacular sunsets. I’m telling you.”

  Reese nodded and held back a sigh.

  “Come on,” Brody said as he turned and began the walk back to his house.

  Nine

  “This is Reese,” Brody said once they had gone out to the balcony where the blonde woman waited, along with another woman, and a man who resembled Brody. “Reese, this is my brother, Logan.”

  “Hello,” the man said with a smile, although Reese noticed him giving Brody a questioning look.

  “Hi,” she said, wondering if Logan knew of Brody’s desire to have photos taken. Then her gaze slid to the women. The blonde woman—the one she had seen talking to Brody when she had approached the house—was stunning. Tall and model thin, flawless make-up adorned her lovely face, and her flattering hair style only emphasized her beauty.

  “This is Trinity,” Brody said as he gestured to the blonde. “And that’s Rochelle.”

  Reese glanced at the brunette that seemed to be with Logan, but she immediately dismissed her, focusing instead on Trinity. She was the one vying for Brody’s attention.

  But you’re here to take pictures, Reese. Brody’s way out of your league. Trinity is more his type. Not you.

  With a tentative smile, Reese decided to get this over with. “Why don’t the four of you stand against the railing and I’ll get a shot with the sun setting behind you.”

  The women immediately followed Reese’s directions as if they were used to being photographed, but Brody and Logan hesitated.

  Streaks of orange and red lit up the wispy clouds.

  “Go ahead,” Reese said. “The sun will be gone soon.”

  After a moment, the men stood beside the women and Reese started snapping away. She glanced at the sky before looking at the people in front of her. “Do you want to do couples pictures?”

  “Yes,” Trinity immediately said, then smiled at Brody.

  Brody watched Reese’s face, trying to figure out what was going on.

  I thought she wanted to take pictures of the sunset. Why is she taking pictures of us instead?

  “Now look at each other,” Reese told him and Trinity.

  Feeling distinctly uncomfortable, Brody played along, confused about what was happening. Not wanting to be rude, he did as he was told, then waited while Reese took pictures of Logan
and Rochelle.

  The sun finished setting and Brody turned to the group, but his gaze settled on Reese. “Why don’t we go inside?”

  She was fiddling with her camera and didn’t see him looking at her.

  “Reese?” he asked.

  She looked up, and when she met his gaze, her brown eyes looked downcast. “I need to get back.”

  “But you just got here,” he said, his voice low.

  “Come on, Brody,” Trinity said with laughter in her voice.

  He glanced at the woman in whom he had zero interest, then looked at Reese.

  “Why don’t you give me your email address,” Reese said. “And I’ll send you the best pictures to choose from.”

  His gut told him she wouldn’t be convinced to stay. Not with all these people here. And even if he sent them away, there was no guarantee she would stay.

  But if she emails me the pictures, I’ll get her email address.

  “Okay,” he said, then he told her his email address, which she entered into her phone.

  The corners of her lips turned up into a small smile. “I’ll get them to you tomorrow.”

  “I’d love a copy,” Trinity said, then she gave Reese her email address as well.

  Disheartened that the evening had gone nothing how she had expected, Reese told Brody and the others good-bye.

  “It’s gotten dark,” Brody said as he walked with her to the door that led to the beach. “Let me walk you home.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine.”

  His eyebrows pulled together. “Are you sure?”

  All she was sure of was that she didn’t want to be there anymore, and she most certainly didn’t want him to know that she lived in an old, beat-up RV. Especially compared to his gorgeous beach house. His balcony had more space than her RV. The RV park was quite nice—and the view was amazing—but her RV was nothing like the ones that belonged to most of the other visitors.

  “I’m sure,” she said, then before he could pressure her further, she strode to the door and let herself out. Once she reached the beach, she glanced behind her to make sure he hadn’t followed and walked as briskly as she could, checking behind her occasionally to make sure he wasn’t there.