Bayside Passions (Bayside Summers Book 2) Page 23

  All three women grinned.

  “That’s the idea,” Rose said.

  Magdeline picked up her mat and flashed a wicked smile. “And if you park on the end, no one is going to be looking your way.”

  “O…kay. Let’s not go there right now.” Emery laughed and dug around in her bag, withdrawing a box of tea. “I appreciate your suggestions, and I’ll think about the drive-in. In the meantime, I bought this for you, Rose.” She handed her the box. “It’s tea made with a special blend of anti-inflammatory herbs that helps with achy joints. My friend Morgyn Montgomery makes it. She owns a little shop back home in Virginia. If you like it, I can get you more, and a few other flavors to try.”

  “Thank you, Emery.” Rose, who was now seated in her wheelchair, set the box in her lap and took hold of Emery’s hand. “Darling, I know you want your big date to be special, but you must know that what you plan is not nearly as important as the fact that you are spending time together. Whether you’re out at a five-star restaurant, the drive-in theater, or just walking along the shore together isn’t what matters. Time in and of itself is a precious commodity.”

  Magdeline and Arlin nodded in agreement.

  “We know just how unexpectedly the future can be whisked away,” Rose said thoughtfully. “You’ll find the perfect date. Just follow your heart. It will never lead you astray.”

  LATER THAT EVENING, Emery stood in the kitchen at the inn, wrapping yellow ribbons around the pots with the lemon tree sprouts in them. Her phone vibrated with a text. Dean’s name flashed on the screen, and the familiar zing of excitement she’d come to expect skittered through her. They had plans to watch a few more episodes of Outsiders, even though when she’d spoken to her brother Alec earlier, after giving her the third degree about Dean—Thank you, Austin—he’d told her that the show had been canceled and there would be no future episodes.

  She opened and read the message. I should be done working in about half an hour. Grilled salmon sound good for dinner?

  She loved that he didn’t mind cooking, since she sucked at it. She briefly pondered taking a cooking class and had visions of setting the classroom on fire. Nixing that idea, she sent Dean a quick response. Naked boyfriend sounds better.

  Cosmos bolted in the doggy door and tried to climb her legs. She scooped him into her arms without realizing his tiny body was covered in sand, promptly holding him at arm’s length. “What did you get into?”

  “We were down at the beach,” Violet said as she came through the door.

  Emery set Cosmos on the floor. “Hey, Vi.”

  “Today is lemon tree delivery day?”

  “Lemon tree seedlings is more like it. I hope they don’t die. I’m taking them over in a few minutes.” She picked up the box she’d brought to carry them and set each of the planters inside, while Violet dug around in the refrigerator. “I’ve been wanting to ask you. Who was long-dong naked man?”

  “Just a friend.” She bit into a peach and closed the refrigerator door. “We didn’t fuck, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “Right,” Emery said sarcastically.

  “You guys are all hung up on what it means to be naked with someone. But it’s not like that for me. I’ve been naked with lots of guys I haven’t fucked.” She took another bite, and as she headed out of the kitchen she added, “And lots of guys I have.”

  Emery had thought she was enlightened, but wow. Violet took enlightenment to a whole new level.

  Her phone vibrated with another message from Dean. She opened it and stared at the shirtless selfie he’d sent, and thoughts of Violet flitted away like the wind.

  Ten minutes later she was carrying the box of seedlings down the path toward the new patio where Dean was working. The bay breeze carried the scents of flowers and carefree summer nights. It had been a long time since Emery had been carefree, but every morning when she meditated and every evening when she was in Dean’s arms, she felt something close. Over the course of just a few weeks, Dean had helped her stop worrying that being herself might somehow scare him away. He’d helped her feel safe and whole. Centered in a way she never had been. Caring about Dean and his feelings had made her slow down enough to think before she acted…most of the time, anyway.

  Her pulse quickened as she approached the end of the path and saw Dean standing shirtless with his back to her. One hand rested on his waist, and the other lifted as he took a drink from a water bottle. As she watched him, his words came back to her. We’ve been in a relationship for months. He was right. Those changes hadn’t occurred because of the past few weeks. They were the culmination of months of friendship. And she wasn’t just falling for him; she was falling in love with him.

  He turned, his eyes catching hers. His lips curved up in that bearded smile she adored. As he closed the distance between them, all power and determined fluidity, her heart stumbled. That beautiful, thoughtful man was all hers.

  “There’s my favorite girl.” He leaned in, bringing his rugged scent with him, and kissed her so deeply her knees weakened.

  Forget falling. I’ve already fallen.

  “You didn’t have to come all the way out here,” he said as he peeked into the box with a curious expression. “But you are the best thing I’ve seen all day.”

  “I couldn’t wait to see you.” I love you was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back, a little unsteady on her feet because of the enormity of her realization.

  He peered into the box again. “What’s this?”

  “Lemon tree seedlings. For you.” She held out the box and he took it with one hand. “You can’t grow them outdoors here on the Cape, but you probably know that already,” she said nervously, closing her mouth before she rambled any more.

  He slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her again. “I know a few things about trees. Is this your way of telling me that you’re here to stay? That you never want me to run out of lemons for your ice water? Because, doll, I’ll grow so many lemon trees we’ll have to get a bigger house.”

  Yes, please.

  Her emotions soared, making her too nervous to answer. She glanced over his shoulder, where the setting sun cast a golden hue over the patio, and she blinked several times, sure she was imagining things.

  Dean followed her gaze. “I was hoping to reveal this to you with some grand gesture.”

  “Did you…?” She walked on shaky legs toward the patio. Awestruck at the trouble he must have gone to, she took in the meticulous and breathtaking design of the koshas. What must be a hundred or more artfully placed flagstones created the most beautiful vision of the Five Layers of Being she’d ever seen. It had to be ten feet in diameter, at the far end of the patio, where she’d thought the firepit should go. She’d been wrong. This was perfect.

  “Dean, this is absolutely gorgeous.”

  He set the box down, took her hand, and walked closer to the patio. “It’s your design.”

  “My…No.” She shook her head. “I didn’t make up the koshas.”

  “I know you didn’t, but last week when we went tubing, you described them, and I knew I’d seen the image before, but I couldn’t put my finger on where.” He withdrew his wallet from his back pocket and took out what looked like a folded envelope. “I went through the things you’d sent to me while you were in Virginia, and there it was.”

  He unfolded it and handed it to her. On the back of the envelope she’d sent him for Valentine’s Day was a doodle of the koshas. Even then he must have been touching the deepest parts of her. She had truly been in denial. How could she have missed all the signs?

  “And you kept the envelope for all this time?” Her heart swelled. She’d kept everything he’d ever sent, too. The cards he’d sent were tucked into the front of her unpacked suitcase, along with the box the bracelet had come in.

  “I’ve kept everything you’ve ever given me.” He took her hand and led her over to a toolbox on the other side of the patio.

  He lifted the top and handed
her a magazine. It was the one she’d sent him in early spring featuring the actors and actresses from Game of Thrones. She studied the faces of the actors, shaking her head with confusion.

  “You were my muse for this garden, doll.”

  He flipped through the pages, and when he stopped, tears welled in her eyes. There, on an advertisement for an upcoming Netflix movie, were her doodles of the meditation garden she’d always dreamed of.

  She swallowed against the rising lump in her throat. “I didn’t realize I’d doodled it on that.”

  “This is your meditation garden, made even more special because you had a hand in creating it. I wanted you to have all the things you’ve ever dreamed of. I’m sorry I didn’t have it done before you moved here, but I really wanted you to be a part of it.”

  A tear slid down her cheek. “You—” Her voice was choked out by emotions. “You did all this for me?”

  “For us, doll. You can meditate or do yoga. Whatever you want.”

  She reached for him to combat her shaky legs. “But how is that for us?” she asked with a laugh. “And what do Rick and Drake think about you using resort property for this?”

  “It’s for us because I care about you and I want you to have all your dreams come true. Seeing this smile?” He touched his lips to hers. “Knowing that every time you enjoy this patio you’ll think of us? That’s my happiness. And honestly, Rick and Drake don’t know the reasons behind it. I wasn’t even sure I was going to tell you.”

  She threw her arms around his neck, tears of joy sliding down her cheeks. “I’m so happy right now. I don’t ever want anything to change.”

  “Nothing ever will. We’re too good together for anything to come between us.”

  She pulled back and raised her brows. “You do know who you’re going out with, right?”

  Amusement filled his eyes like she’d said the most ridiculous thing on earth, and as he lifted her into his arms, she filled with hope that her incredible boyfriend was right once again.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  STANDING ON THE front porch of the inn the following Friday evening, Dean was as nervous as a jackrabbit in a field of wolves. He took several deep breaths, telling himself to calm the hell down. He wasn’t thrilled that their first fancy dinner date would be spent with his father, but he was the only one of his brothers who would attend. Tonight was about supporting their family, fulfilling a duty. He planned to do that as quickly and as painlessly as possible, and then get the hell out.

  Usually he entered the inn without knocking, but he didn’t want to miss out on picking up Emery in proper date fashion. He knocked on the door and heard the sounds of female voices, the clickity-click of high heels on hardwood, and his sweet Emery’s laughter. The door opened, and he was rendered speechless at the beauty before him in a light pink strapless dress. Emery’s eyes were made up dark and alluring, her lips were painted with a sheer gloss, and her shiny hair spilled over her shoulders in gentle waves. His gaze drifted down her bare shoulders and over her gorgeous curves. He could practically feel the flare of her hips against his palms. And her long, tanned legs…

  “Eyes up here, big guy.”

  Desiree and Violet laughed.

  He’d been so enamored, he hadn’t noticed them standing a few feet away by the sweeping staircase.

  “I’m sorry, doll. You literally took my breath away.”

  “Thank you.” Her gaze drifted down his body, and he felt a rush of heat. “You look utterly delicious, too.”

  “Thank you.” He stepped forward, his hand circling her waist as her perfume sent his heart into another spiral.

  She picked up his tie and ran her fingers down the length of it. “I can think of a few things we can do with this silk puppy after dinner.”

  His cock twitched beneath his trousers. “If I can hold out that long.”

  “Okay, that’s my exit.” Violet brushed past them. “You guys look gorgeous. Have fun. And if Daddy Warbucks gets out of line, just give me a call. I’m happy to show up and embarrass the hell out of him.”

  “Violet!” Desiree gave her a nudge toward the door. “They don’t need to hear that. We’re going to think positive. Nothing bad will happen.”

  “Hey, just offering to set the guy straight.” Violet waved and disappeared out the door.

  Desiree turned to them with a tender smile. “Sorry, you guys. You both look amazing. Want me to take a picture?”

  Dean glanced down at his tan trousers, navy sport coat, and light blue shirt. The sight of his dark-chocolate-colored tie jolted his brain into gear. “Yes, in a moment. Something is missing from your outfit.”

  Emery looked down at her dress. “Missing? It’s not fancy enough?”

  Rick came down the stairs and whistled at them.

  Dean shot him an I’m-nervous-enough glance. “You look perfect,” he said to Emery, then lowered his voice and added, “Although I did ask for something non-boner-inducing.”

  Her cheeks flushed. “Should I change? I don’t want to look inappropriate.”

  “You not only look appropriate, but you look like a goddess. You could wear my sweatpants and you’d still make men drool.” He leaned in for a kiss. “And you taste like cherries.”

  “Lip gloss.” She wrinkled her nose adorably. “I didn’t want to get lipstick all over you.”

  “So thoughtful.” He kissed her again, earning another whistle from Rick. He withdrew a long black velvet box from his pocket and opened the top. “For our first fancy date.”

  Emery and Desiree both gasped. Desiree peered around Emery at the dainty, three-tiered choker he’d had made for her.

  “You don’t strike me as a diamond or pearls girl,” he said, “but if I’ve screwed up—”

  Emery pressed her lips to his, blinking repeatedly. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect. I’m not a diamond and pearls girl, but for you to know that…”

  Rick put his arm around Desiree as she watched with a dreamy look in her eyes.

  Dean took the choker from the case, and Emery lifted her hair, turning for him to put it on her.

  “I know lots of things about you, but I have a feeling that just when I think I’ve discovered all your secrets, you’ll have a hundred more things for me to unveil.” He kissed the back of Emery’s neck.

  He secured the hook on the thin brown leather choker first and then the clasp on the attached silver chains that connected in the front with a silver heart in the center of her neck, and just below, where the thinnest chain met a silver hoop, a beautiful quartz dangled.

  Emery turned to face him, lightly touching the choker. “How does it look?” she asked.

  The brown leather and delicate silver chains against her slender neck looked even sexier on her than he’d imagined they would. “You look spectacular, and the necklace makes you look even more beautiful.” He leaned closer and whispered, “And erotic.”

  “Mm. I like that.” She framed his face between her soft, warm hands and gazed longingly into his eyes. “Thank you.” She pressed her lips to his. “I love it. Did you know the charm was quartz when you bought it?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think if you did, then you’re an even more incredible boyfriend than I thought.”

  “Quartz helps relieve stress and anxiety,” he said proudly. “I knew you were nervous about meeting my family. And I know how spiritual you are, even if you don’t talk about it. You once told me that yoga was a lifestyle, not a job. I want to be part of your life, which means I need to learn about your lifestyle. So, yes. I did know.”

  “Mr. Masters, you do know how to impress a girl.”

  “I only want to impress you.” He glanced over her outfit again, noticing that she was wearing the thick bangle where she’d hidden Splenda—always prepared—and strappy heels. “No hidden compartment for a phone in those. Do you want me to carry yours, or are there other secret compartments I should check out?”

  She shook her head with a mischievous
grin. “There’s nothing hidden in the secret places I want you to inspect, and I’m not taking my phone. I don’t want any outside distractions tonight. Just you, me, and a room full of highfalutin people who, thanks to you, I’ll be a little less nervous around.”

  He withdrew his phone from his pocket and took a selfie of the two of them. Right before taking another picture, he turned and kissed her cheek, earning her melodic laughter, which led to several more pictures of them kissing. Rick and Desiree snagged Dean’s phone to take more appropriate pictures of them, and then Emery insisted that Dean take a selfie of the four of them huddled together. They were all grinning like fools, and he knew it would forever be one of his favorite pictures.

  Forty minutes later they were still kissing and laughing as they entered one of the two Victorian-style mansions at the Ocean Edge Resort. Emery clung to Dean’s arm as they crossed the marble floor, following throngs of women in gorgeous dresses and men in designer suits toward the main ballroom.

  “I’ve never been anywhere this luxurious,” she said in an excited, though hushed, tone. “I don’t even think we have mansions like this back home.”

  “And you’re the most gorgeous woman here.” Dean felt like his skin was stretched too tight beneath his clothes. He didn’t enjoy these snooty dinners, but as they passed a sign directing attendees to the ballroom, his father’s name was noted as the speaker, and a sense of pride washed through him. He was proud of his father’s accomplishments, even if he didn’t agree with the way his father pushed him, or his elitist attitude.

  Emery stopped outside the ballroom, breathing deeply. “How will I know your parents?” She realized she hadn’t seen any family photographs in his house.

  “My father will be the one everyone’s kissing up to, and my mother…” He followed the distinct sound of high heels clicking on marble at a fast pace and saw his mother hurrying toward them. While Dean shared his mother’s honey-wheat hair, hers had turned mostly silver in the past few years, and it was Jett who’d ended up with her vibrant personality. Dean took after his father’s more reserved nature. “Is right here.”