Searching for Love: The Complete Story Page 9

  At the sound of her name, she turned in his direction. For the briefest of seconds, he thought he saw deep, soul-weary sadness glowing from her eyes. But when her gaze met his, a smile curved her mouth.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  Something in her body language told him otherwise—slightly sloped shoulders, wavering smile, hesitant stare. “Do you want to come back out to the balcony and finish eating?”

  Immediately, she shook her head. “I’ve had enough.” Then chagrin flashed across her face. “Unless you’re not done?”

  Sensing that something was bothering her, he shook his head. “No, I’m good.” He stepped towards her. “Looks like you were enjoying the view. The sun will be setting soon. Do you want to take any pictures?”

  She hesitated, which seemed strange to him. He thought she would jump at the chance.

  Reese silently debated. This will be my last opportunity to get shots from this vantage point, so maybe I should. Then again, that will drag out our final good-bye.

  “Reese?”

  Knowing she had to give some sort of answer, and not wanting to appear ungrateful for his hospitality, she decided to acquiesce. “Great idea.” She widened her smile. “Thanks.” She walked to the table where she had left her camera, which was near the door that led outside, and briefly considered bolting—just dashing down the stairs and out of Brody’s life.

  That would be rude and inconsiderate. You have enough personal baggage you’re ashamed of without compounding it with bad behavior. At least take a few pictures and pretend you’re fine.

  “Do you want to go onto the balcony?” Brody asked.

  His voice tore her away from her negative self-talk, and with her camera in her hand, she turned to face him. “Yes.”

  He led the way, and a moment later they stood at the railing, looking over the ocean. Waves crashed onto the shore, reminding Reese of the fun she had had with Brody in the ocean only hours earlier—and the way she had felt when he had hauled her against him when the huge wave had approached.

  Being in his strong arms, crushed against his chest. Yeah, I liked that. A lot.

  Her face heated at the memory, and she realized she craved his closeness. Needed it with a fierceness that stunned her.

  Get a grip, Reese. You already decided. And now it’s time to move on and forget about this wonderful, amazing, devastatingly hot man.

  Holding the camera in front of her, pretending to focus on the oranges and reds of the setting sun, Reese tried to ignore the subtle scent of Brody’s aftershave as he stood only inches away. But it was difficult. She wanted to set the camera down and sink against him, encourage him to wrap his arms around her and protect her from all the bad in her life.

  “The sunset seems extra gorgeous tonight,” Brody murmured next to her ear.

  His warm breath slid across the tender skin of her neck, sending a tremor of desire cascading through her, and she barely managed to whisper, “Yes.”

  As much as Brody wanted to let his lips brush against her creamy skin, he held back, amazed with his self-restraint. The floral scent from her hair filled his senses and he closed his eyes as that self-restraint began to slip.

  With her focus on her camera and the pictures she had begun to take, she hardly seemed to notice he was there, and he wondered if she was even attracted to him. Typically, after spending this much time with a woman, by now he would have kissed her multiple times, with no doubt that she was attracted to him.

  With Reese it was different. He thought she was attracted to him, and he knew he was extremely attracted to her, but there was so much going on just below the surface that he felt off-kilter with her most of the time. Unsure of himself.

  Maybe Avery or Logan can get her to open up tomorrow night and I’ll be able to get a glimpse of the woman behind that lovely face and gorgeous body.

  Tearing his focus away from her, he looked at the sunset and saw that the colors had faded as the sun had settled deeper onto the horizon.

  A few moments later Reese let her camera hang from her neck, then turned to him, her smile radiant. “I think I got some fantastic pictures. Thank you.”

  Captivated by the sparkle in her eyes, for a moment he didn’t know what to say.

  Then, as she gazed at him, the sparkle dulled, and she seemed to fight off a frown. “I should probably get going.”

  Her statement startled him—he thought he would have at least another hour or two with her. “What about dessert? I want to try those brownies you brought.”

  Twenty-Five

  Reese had forgotten about dessert. It would be awkward to leave without eating the dessert she had brought. “Oh. Right.”

  He gestured towards the door that led inside.

  With a small smile, Reese walked to the door, and a moment later Brody held it open for her.

  “I have some ice cream we can put on top of the brownies, if you’d like,” he said.

  “That sounds good.” Trying to ignore the powerful attraction she felt for him, she went to the kitchen island, sat on a barstool, then said, “Perhaps we can heat up the brownies first.”

  He set a carton of ice cream on the island between them and smiled. “Great idea.” His smile grew as he held her gaze. “See? We make an excellent team.”

  She couldn’t look away, and as their focus on each other lingered, she found she didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to give up so easily.

  As Brody gazed at Reese, her lips parted slightly, and energy surged between them. He felt it, and he was certain she felt it too. The thick slab of granite that lay between them was like an island that would have to be traversed, and it wouldn’t be an easy journey. Even so, he felt as if they had taken a tiny step in the right direction.

  He marveled at the affect she was having on him after knowing her for such a short amount of time, especially after the long mourning period he had gone through for Megan. Finding Reese seemed miraculous—someone who had captured his attention so thoroughly after the deep sadness he had suffered at the loss of Megan.

  Or maybe you’re just on the rebound.

  That thought startled him, but he discarded it as untrue.

  That’s not it. Not at all.

  Wanting to break the spell that Brody had seemed to put on her, Reese slid off the barstool and asked, “Do you want me to start heating the brownies?” When Brody blinked, as if her question had broken the spell for him too, she added, “We don’t want the ice cream to melt.”

  “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

  Reese came around the island, keeping a safe distance from Brody, and took the plate of brownies from the counter and set them beside the ice cream. “Do you have a plate or a paper towel you’d like me to put them on in the microwave?” She looked at him expectantly.

  He smiled at her, his blue-green eyes warming her, and she had to drag her gaze away from his face and to the plate in front of her.

  “I’ll grab a plate,” he said, and when he turned his attention away from her and to his task, she felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. A moment later he held out a small plate. “Here you go.”

  She turned to face him, took the dish from him, and smiled. “Thanks.”

  Putting several brownies on the smaller plate, Reese tried to ignore Brody’s nearness, especially as she sensed his eyes on her.

  Brody watched Reese move the brownies from the larger plate to the smaller one, his gaze gliding over her, then stopping on the profile of her face. Her creamy skin begged to be stroked, her lips cried out to be captured by his, and her slender waist beseeched him to slide his arms around her and draw her against him.

  “Here you go,” she said as she turned to him and held up the small plate.

  Without comment, he took it from her, opened the door to the microwave, and placed it inside. With a press of a button, the microwave turned on. A few moments later it beeped and Brody took the plate out and set it on the counter beside the ice crea
m.

  “I only have vanilla,” he said. “But what’s your favorite?”

  Reese smiled. “Hmm. I suppose mint chocolate chip.”

  He nodded his approval. “That’s a good one.” He transferred two brownies to each of two bowls and began scooping ice cream on top of the brownies.

  “What about you?” she asked. “What’s your favorite?”

  He put the ice cream carton in the freezer, then turned to Reese with a smile. “That’s a good question. I like most flavors, but right now I’m partial to rocky road.”

  “Oh yes, the nuts and marshmallows are good.”

  Reese glanced at the dessert Brody had served, wanting to eat it and go. Though she had managed to break out of the spell he had cast, she feared he would capture her with his charms again. And the next time it might not be so easy to break free—she might not even want to.

  Trying to move things along, Reese reached for the bowls. “Do you want to eat these inside or on the balcony?”

  Brody’s eyes narrowed for half a second, then he said, “It might be a little cool outside. Especially for ice cream.”

  Reese smiled. “Inside it is.” Then she brought the bowls to the table and set them across from each other, her back to Brody. When she turned around, he stood two feet behind her. His gaze was locked on her face, and the spell she had feared he would cast began to slide over her.

  No, no, no. Can’t go there. Need to wrap this whole date up.

  With a force of will—and a small smile to take away the sting—Reese turned half-away from Brody. “I should probably get back.”

  Brody sensed Reese’s resistance to his attempt to connect with her—at least he hoped that’s all it was, rather than a loss of any interest she may have had in him. Though disappointed she hadn’t fallen into his arms, he consoled himself that she had committed to spending time with him the next day, and another chance to connect with her would surely arise.

  “All right,” he said. “We should probably eat those delicious brownies you brought then.”

  He stepped to Reese’s side and helped her sit before going around the table and taking his own seat. They ate in silence, and Brody wondered what she was thinking.

  “Thank you for making dessert,” he said, wanting to get a conversation going. “These are really good.”

  She looked at him and smiled. “Thanks.” Then she laughed. “When my oven didn’t cooperate, I started to get a little worried.”

  She had spent so much time in his home, he wanted to get a glimpse of where she lived—maybe get a better idea of who she was. “Maybe your oven thermostat needs adjusting.” He waited a beat. “If you’d like, I can take a look at it.”

  Twenty-Six

  Panic engulfed Reese at Brody’s unexpected offer.

  “No,” she blurted, then repeated more casually, “No. That’s all right. I’m sure it’s fine.”

  Brody’s eyebrows rose. “Despite popular belief, I can be handy.”

  Wanting to derail his suggestion, Reese asked, “Popular belief? Whose popular belief?”

  He chuckled. “My family’s.”

  “Oh, did you have a science project that went awry when you were younger or something?”

  He laughed. “Something like that. And now they won’t let me near appliances, small or large.” His eyes twinkled. “Especially large.”

  Curious to know more, Reese smiled. “What happened?”

  “Let’s just say it has something to do with a washing machine and a lot of soap and water.” Brody grinned. “But in my defense, I was only nine.”

  Reese ate the last bit of ice cream, then set her spoon down. “Nine, and already doing your own laundry? I’m impressed.”

  Brody smiled as if he wasn’t telling her the whole story, his blue-green eyes sparkling, and Reese was drawn to him on a deeper level.

  Tearing her gaze from his, she glanced at her empty bowl and knew she could leave now, although she was reluctant to.

  Just get up and go, Reese. Make a clean break before you let things go too far. Before you set yourself up for disappointment.

  She pushed back from the table and stood. “Thanks again for dinner, Brody.”

  He stood as well. “You don’t have to leave, you know.”

  A fleeting smile curved her lips. Yes, I do. “I have some work to do.” Lie, lie, lie.

  “Oh, sure. I totally understand. That’s one disadvantage of working for yourself, right? Always something that needs to be done.”

  “Yes. Right.”

  He moved in her direction, but before he reached her, she picked up her bowl and carried it into the kitchen, placing it in the sink where she filled it with water.

  “Don’t worry about the dishes, Reese.” He stood on the other side of the large island.

  Reese turned around. “Are you sure?”

  He smiled, but stayed where he was. “Yes.”

  “All right.” With a last smile, Reese moved toward the door that led to the beach.

  “Wait.”

  Reese turned to face him and saw a look of impatience on his face.

  “We’ve been over this,” he said, his hands crossed over his chest. “I’m not going to let you go off by yourself in the dark.”

  Though she knew he meant well, the way he had put it rubbed Reese the wrong way and she grasped onto the feeling of annoyance with both hands—it was so much more comfortable than attraction. “Let me? I don’t think that’s your decision to make.”

  Brody’s arms fell to his sides. “I’m sorry, Reese. That’s not what I meant.”

  Shame at lashing out at him when all he had wanted was to make sure she was safe crept over her. Her face heated, then her voice softened. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. That was rude of me.” Which just proves how much more refined he is than you. He never would have said something so thoughtless. Now get out of here before you embarrass yourself more.

  Brody walked in her direction, and she froze. Though she wanted to flee, she didn’t want to be any ruder than she had already been. He stopped less than two feet from her.

  “If you’ll let me,” he said, his voice low, “I’d like to walk you home.”

  Don’t be a jerk and tell him no.

  “That would be nice. Thank you.” Besides, it will be the last time I see you, and I can’t quite say good-bye right this second.

  He laughed. “I guess I just need to ask nicely.”

  Reese smiled.

  Smooth, Brody. Way to convince her to let you walk her home. He held back a frown. Did it ever occur to you that she’s not interested? That she’s just being polite?

  “Ready?” Reese asked as she lifted her camera from the table by the door.

  “Only if you are.”

  “I am.”

  Maybe I just need to back off a bit. Maybe I’ve been coming on too strong. “Great.” He opened the door and they descended the stairs to the beach. Ocean waves crashed along the shore, and a cool breeze ruffled their hair.

  “I’m excited for you to meet Avery,” Brody said as he looked at Reese’s face.

  She seemed to hesitate before saying, “Yes, I’m excited to meet her too.”

  They walked in silence, and when the PCH came into view, Brody slowed down, in no hurry to end his time with Reese.

  Don’t be an idiot. You’ll see her tomorrow.

  When they reached the highway, they waited for a gap in traffic before crossing the road, then made their way to the same dirt path where he had walked with her the night before.

  Reese stopped and turned to him. “Thanks for walking me back.”

  He glanced down the wide dirt path that Reese clearly wanted to walk alone, and although it had intermittent lighting, Brody would have preferred to take her all the way to her RV and wait until she was safely inside. “Are you sure you’ll be all right the rest of the way back?”

  She looked behind her at the path, then faced him with a smile. “Yes. Of course.”

  Not ha
ppy about leaving her there, but knowing it wasn’t up to him, he nodded. “Okay. I’ll pick you up at one o’clock tomorrow to get the groceries for the dinner party.”

  Her smile seemed to waver, but then she nodded. “Okay. See you tomorrow.”

  He wanted to drag her into his arms and kiss her, but she had kept several feet between them, making it obvious that she didn’t want that. Disappointed, but respecting her wishes, he stayed where he was.

  With a final smile, she turned and walked away, but Brody stayed where he was until she was out of sight. Then, missing her already, he headed home.

  Twenty-Seven

  Reese slept late the next morning, and when she woke, she had every intention of packing up and heading out. Though she knew Brody would be unhappy if she left without saying good-bye—not to mention ditching his dinner party—she believed it would be better to leave now, before her attraction to him grew any stronger than it already was.

  But as she showered and ate a late breakfast, she argued with herself about what she should do.

  You committed to helping with this dinner party. How can you just leave?

  She frowned.

  But going to the dinner party will only make Brody think I’m interested when there’s no future for us.

  Tears filled her eyes.

  You are interested. You know you are.

  “It could never work between us,” she whispered as she washed her breakfast dishes. No matter how much I want it to, it just won’t. We come from two very different worlds. Once he discovers my background, there’s no way he’ll want to continue seeing me.

  A single tear slid down her cheek, and she swiped it away with a sudsy finger.

  “That’s enough pity for one day,” she said out loud with more conviction than she felt.

  Once the dishes were dried and put away, she tidied up, which only took a few minutes since there was so little room inside her trailer. Then she began stowing all the loose items. Halfway through her task, she paused.