Seaside Dreams (Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers, Book One) Contemporary Romance (4 page)

Caden glanced at the others. “I hope we’re not intruding.” He held a hand out to the brunette that had stuck her head out of the cottage window. “I don’t think we met last night. I’m Caden Grant. And this is my son, Evan.”

“I’m Leanna.” She shook his hand. “Evan already introduced himself.”

He was glad to hear that.

The skinny blonde waved to him. “I’m Amy. Want a glass of wine? Oh, and, Evan, we have Sprite if you’d like, too.”

“No, thanks. I have to drive,” Caden answered. The cop in him cataloged that all four of them were drinking.

“That’s why we take a cab to the bonfires. They’ll pick us up at eleven. Like our personal chauffer,” Amy explained.

“Good to know.”
Responsible
. He liked that. Caden and Evan hadn’t been to a bonfire on the beach, and it wasn’t something Caden would have instigated on his own. He was glad for the opportunity not just to see Bella again, but for Evan to be exposed to something new.

Amy handed a plastic cup of wine to Bella, then dug through the cooler and handed a can of Sprite to Evan.

Caden sat beside Bella on the small blanket, hyperaware of their close proximity. Bella’s hair swept across her face again.

“Does anyone have a ponytail holder?” she asked.

“No, sorry,” Amy said.

The others shook their heads.

“I’m going to the flea market tomorrow and buying three boxes of them. One for my beach bag, one for my car, and one for at home. That way I’m never without,” Bella said. “Anyone want to go with me?”

“The Wellfleet Flea Market?” Evan asked.

“Yeah. Do you want to go?” Bella was asking Evan but looking at Caden with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“Ev?”
Please say you want to go
. He never thought he’d be hoping his son would want to do something so
he
could spend time with a girl.

“Yeah. I’m looking for a few PC games, and that discount guy is there on Sundays, remember, Dad?” Evan leaned forward with hope in his eyes.

Bella pulled her hair off her face again, and with the next breeze, it blew back in her face.

“Sure, we can go.” He tried to contain his excitement.

“Great.” Their eyes connected, and for a beat the world stood still. Bella blinked several times, as if she’d felt it too, and then she leaned forward and patted Evan’s leg, while Caden tried to catch his breath. “I know that video game guy. We’ll negotiate a better deal than the three for twenty.” When she turned her attention back to Caden, her eyes were guarded. “Swing by and pick me up at ten?”

“It’s a date.”

“It’s a trip to the flea market,” Bella said with a serious stare.

“Whatever it is, be sure to stop by and see me,” Leanna added.

Another gust of wind made the fire crackle and sparks fly into the air. Bella’s hair whipped around her face again. She reached up with both hands to push it away once more.

“Ugh. I always forget about the wind.”

“I can fix that.” Caden withdrew his tackle box from the bucket and cut a clean piece of fishing line. He sensed their eyes on him as he gathered Bella’s thick, luxurious hair in his hands. He wanted to linger there, with his hands in her hair, so close they’d brush cheeks if he leaned in a few inches. He cleared his throat and pushed the thought away.
Christ
. His son was sitting right there. What was he thinking?

He took Bella’s hand in his and wrapped her fingers around the thick rope of hair, holding it in place so he could tie it back. He leaned in close, inhaling her warm, inviting scent, and set to work tying the fishing line around it.

“So, you’re a cop and a hairstylist?” Jenna teased.

Bella touched the knotted fishing line and turned to face him. “Thank you. I think you just might be the best husband I’ve ever had.”

Evan’s eyes met his—and held.

Caden rolled his eyes to indicate it was a joke, and Evan, the king of eye rolls and
whatevers
answered with a knowing nod.

“Husband?” Leanna reached for a stick and pushed a marshmallow onto it. “Did I miss something?”

“It was a joke. He did something before and I said it meant we were married.” Bella finished her wine in one gulp, then reached for a marshmallow.

Jenna shot her a narrow-eyed stare and nodded toward Evan.

“Oh, Evan. I was kidding. Really. We just met last night,” Bella clarified.

“It’s okay. My dad doesn’t even date, so…” He shrugged.

Caden didn’t have time to respond before Amy said, “He doesn’t?”

“Nope.” Evan stuffed a marshmallow in his mouth.

When the hell did you become Mr. Social?

“Why not?” Jenna asked.

“God, you guys. What is this, the Cahoon Hollow Beach Inquisition?” Bella turned to face him. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer them.”

Shit, yeah, I do
. He wasn’t about to let them bat around reasons that would either make him look like a loser or a psycho. “Between work and Evan, there isn’t much time for a social life.”

“So, like, you never date? Or…” Amy asked.

“Maybe this isn’t something we should be discussing right now,” Bella suggested.

“I don’t care if my dad dates,” Evan said.

Caden hadn’t dated much over the years, and the few times he had, he hadn’t told Evan because he knew they weren’t dates that would lead to anything real. Now he read the silent question in his son’s eyes.
Why don’t you date, Dad?
And he decided that was a conversation best held in private.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I recently gave up dating, too,” Bella said before loading up her stick with another marshmallow.

“She’s kidding,” Jenna said quickly.

“Nope. I’m one hundred percent serious. I’m done with commitments.” Bella waved her hand in the air.

Her admission hit with the weight of lead, but the harsh looks Bella’s friends slid her way were skeptical.

“What’s wrong with commitments?” Caden wasn’t sure he could keep the fact that he actually cared about the answer out of his voice.

Bella stared at the fire as she answered. “They’re only as good as the people who make them.”

He saw pain in her eyes, and he wondered how deep that wound went. He needed to change the subject before they got into a discussion that could lead to Evan’s mother and make his son uncomfortable.

“So, how long are you guys at the Cape, or do you live here year-round?” A benign topic that would also give him more information about Bella.
Perfect
.

“I live here,” Leanna said as she handed out graham crackers and chocolate for s’mores.

“I’m here for the summer.” Amy passed a chocolate bar to Bella.

“Same here,” Jenna said.

Bella finished cooking her marshmallow in silence.

“Bella? Are you here for the summer, or do you live here?”

She stacked the chocolate on top of a graham cracker, added the warm marshmallow, and then topped it off with another graham cracker. She stared at it for a minute before cocking her head in his direction and answering.

“I’m here until the s’mores run out.”

Then let me run to the store for more marshmallows.

She took a bite of the gooey treat and licked a streak of chocolate from her lower lip. She had a dab of marshmallow on her cheek, and once again, it felt natural to reach over and wipe it clean with his finger.

Bella narrowed her eyes.
Shit
. There was that invisible boundary again. Maybe she wasn’t into him after all.

“I was saving that for later,” she said. With her back to Evan, who was preoccupied with his own dessert, she grabbed his hand and brought it to her mouth. His pulse quickened with the expectation of a sensually evocative suck. With wide, amused eyes, she turned his finger sideways and nibbled the sticky marshmallow off like it was corn on the cob.

“I’ll teach you not to steal my sugar. Open up.” She shoved the s’more toward his mouth.

“No, that’s okay.” He leaned out of reach to tease her.

“Come on. No one can resist s’mores.” She leaned in closer, holding the s’more to his lips. Her knee pressed against his thigh. “You know you want it.”

Hell, yeah, I do
. He took a bite of the sweet, sticky treat. Heat flashed in Bella’s eyes as she dragged her finger along the edge of his lower lip and held it up to show him the smear of chocolate before she slowly, evocatively, sucked her finger clean.

Holy. Hell.

Beautiful, smart, and sexier than any woman he’d ever met. Bella piqued curiosities and desires that had been slumbering for way too long.

SUNDAY ARRIVED WITH the promise of sunshine and a swarm of butterflies in Bella’s stomach. She was supposed to be focusing on getting her new life together, not getting all quivery about going to the flea market with a man, and yet there she was, walking into the flea market beside a handsome, charming man and his soft-spoken son. She’d even taken extra care in choosing the brightly colored sundress she wore, and Jenna had insisted that she wear her sexiest bikini beneath, along with matching sandals, because
that man deserves sexy.
She tried not to stare as she ran her eyes over his handsome face. He had a chiseled, square jaw, and today it was peppered with stubble, darker in the cleft of this chin, giving him an edgier—and impossibly sexier—appearance.

The flea market was held in the parking lot of the Wellfleet Drive-In movie theater. They sold everything from designer duds to cheap jewelry and antiques, and even when it rained, the place was packed. They crossed the parking lot toward the sea of vendor tents and booths, set up in long rows for as far as the eye could see, and joined the crowds of tourists and locals looking for great deals they couldn’t pass up.

“Can I take off, Dad?” Evan shoved his hands in the pockets of his camo shorts. His hair was damp and uncombed, and in his gaming T-shirt, he blended in with every other teen wandering around the flea market.

Caden withdrew a twenty-dollar bill from the pocket of his shorts and handed it to Evan. “You have your phone?”

Evan held it up, like he’d been asked the same question a million times. He probably had.

“Okay. Text if you need me, and don’t leave the grounds.”

“I know,” Evan said with an exasperated sigh, then disappeared into the crowd.

“He’s a sweet kid,” Bella said.

“Usually. He’s in that stage where testosterone can win out over common sense, so if he appears snappy at times, or disinterested, I apologize ahead of time.”

“I’m a high school teacher. I know probably more than I should about teenagers.”

“So you’re a teacher?” He ran his hand through his thick hair, then placed it on her lower back as they maneuvered through the crowd.

He emitted a confident and tender vibe, and it was such a strange combination that Bella found herself sneaking peeks at him. She tried not to focus on how nice his hand felt on her back, and forced herself to respond.

“I’ve been teaching in Connecticut for the last five years, but I’m working for the Barnstable County school system this summer. I’m hoping it leads to full-time.”

She stopped to look at a display of necklaces, and Caden’s hand slipped away. She sensed him behind her, protectively shielding her from the masses as they meandered by. Bella was not a woman who needed protecting, and she’d never had a man treat her like she was. Everything about Caden felt different from the other men she’d dated, and she wondered if it had anything to do with his having a son and being a cop, and protecting others for all those years. It was a strange sensation to have a man she wasn’t dating stand so close that she could feel his warmth and smell his earthy, spicy, almost primal scent—and, God, she loved the smell of him.

Bella looked for Leanna, but her vendor space was empty. She wondered what had come up that would cause her to leave the flea market so early, but she knew if it were something bad, Jenna would have tracked her down.
Probably one of Kurt’s surprise outings
.

The crowd thickened near a popular L.L. Bean display, and Bella felt his big hand settle on her lower back again as they wove their way through to the next booth. His hand felt nice. Maybe too nice.
I’m not getting involved. It’s just a hand.
She rolled her eyes at the thought and reminded herself that she wasn’t really going to swear off men, just commitments.

“So you’re moving from Connecticut?” He stopped and flipped through a box of CDs.

She was considering how much she wanted to reveal about her current situation when he glanced up with that easy smile that distracted her from her thoughts. She realized she was staring and turned her attention to the CDs.

“You don’t share personal details of your life very easily, do you?”

“I just don’t want to bore you.” Even as she said it, she knew it wasn’t the truth. He was so easy to talk to that it took effort not to share everything with him, but she’d made a promise to herself. She knew it would be ten times more difficult to make life decisions based solely on what she wanted if she were involved with a caring, protective man like Caden. He wasn’t someone a person just dated. She knew that already. Caden could be a game changer.

“Bore me. Please.”

His voice was so full of sincerity that it drew her eyes to his again. Damn if they weren’t also honest and interested.
Definitely interested
.

“There’s not much to tell. I’m in a transitional period, looking for a new job. You know, figuring things out as I go.”
And damn it, why do I want to hold your hand?
She fisted her hands to keep from doing just that.

They continued down the row of vendors, and every time the crowd grew thick, his hand returned to her back. A gesture as possessive as it was protective, it made her warm with desire—and shiver with worry, because being with him felt
that
good
that
fast.

They turned down the next aisle and Caden stopped. He was tall and broad, making it easy for his eyes to dance over the heads of the crowd, finally settling on Evan, talking to a couple of teenagers by the discount game vendor in the next row over.

“I can probably negotiate a deal for him if you want to go over. Everyone here barters.”

Eyes still on Caden, he pressed his hand a little firmer to her back. “No, not yet. Maybe he’ll meet a friend or two.”

“Doesn’t he have many friends?”

“We just moved here a few weeks before summer began. He didn’t really have time to get to know anyone.” His brow furrowed, and his eyes grew serious. He placed his hand on her back again. “Come on. Let’s find you those hair things you wanted.”

You remembered.
“It’s tough on kids to move, especially teenagers. What brought you to Wellfleet?”

“My partner was killed in the line of duty, and it was a wake-up call. I realized that if something happened to me, Ev wouldn’t have anyone. His mom took off a week after he was born, and I haven’t seen her since. Other than my parents, I’m the only family Evan has ever known.”

He was so open and honest, and his words were thick with love. She felt her resolve soften a little more. She wanted to get to know him better, despite her plan to remain distant.

“I’m so sorry about your partner. That must have been very painful.”

When he continued, his voice was thoughtful. “It was. Sometimes it still is, but moving helped.” He smiled, but it wasn’t the easy smile she’d seen earlier. His eyes remained serious. “I knew moving would be tough on Evan, and it wasn’t an easy decision to move away from my parents, but it was more important to me that I work someplace safer. Hopefully, I’ll be around for Evan until he’s old and gray.”

“So you raised him alone?”

“Since the day he was left in my arms.” He smiled again, and this time it was full of love, and his eyes filled with pride.

They stopped to look over paintings, but Bella couldn’t take her eyes off of this man who had changed his life to protect his son.

“What about you? Has the move been tough for you?” she asked.

His answer came easily. “Nothing is too difficult when I’m doing it for Evan.” He shrugged, as if life decisions were that simple.

Bella had made her decision to change her life in a split second as well. Maybe life decisions really were that easy.

“In all honestly, I had to start on the bottom rung here. You know, new department, new city, and all that. It took some getting used to, but hopefully in the long run it will be worth it. What about you, Bella? Have you ever been married?”

She laughed. “Wow. You don’t beat around the bush. No commitments, remember?”

“You mentioned that that was a recent decision.”

What is it about you that makes me want to spill my guts?
“It was semi recent. I made the decision not to…”
Date? Get involved in a relationship?
She didn’t want to stipulate either so definitively with Caden. “I made the decision in the spring, and no, I’ve never been married.” She was feeling too flustered inside toward him. She needed a little deflection. “And I’m not looking to get married anytime soon, so don’t drop to one knee and whip out a ring, either.”

He laughed.
Thank goodness
. At least he didn’t think she was as crazy as she felt.

“I’m basically starting over, too. I’ll be happy to find a job for the fall, sell my house, and settle into a life that doesn’t rely on someone else’s honesty.”
Holy crap. Where did all that come from?
She couldn’t stop herself from explaining. “I made a deal with myself that I’d make my life decisions based on me and me alone. Oh God, that sounds terribly selfish given what you’ve done for Evan.”

“You don’t have children, so it’s different.”

“Either you’re a great liar, or you’re the most understanding man I’ve ever met. I guess it’s different, but what I meant was, I’d make my decisions separate from a relationship. You know, separate heart and mind and all that.”

Caden’s eyes grew serious. “There’s an all that? I thought that when the heart made a decision, the mind had no choice. Huh.”

“I’m hoping there’s a separation of heart and mind, but if I’m not in a committed relationship, it won’t be an issue anyway.”
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Oh my God, here it goes...
“I have an offer to get my old job back in Connecticut, and I’m trying to build a work-study program here.
That
choice has to come from what I want.”

He reached for her hand—even after all she’d said. “Well, I think that makes total sense.” He guided her to the next booth, and she was sure her jaw was gaping as she stared at their interlaced fingers. They felt like they belonged together.

“Here’s the hair stuff,” he said.

She should pull away. She knew she should, but she didn’t, despite everything she’d just admitted. She told herself it was curiosity, to see if he would pull away first, but in truth, she liked the feel of him.

She liked
him
.

It was that simple.

And that complicated.

She picked up three boxes of ponytail holders. “I’ll take these, please.”

Caden withdrew his wallet.

“I think I can afford hair bands.” She pulled a ten-dollar bill from her purse and paid for the bands. She wasn’t used to men offering to buy anything other than dinner or a movie, and it had never bothered her. In fact, she’d never thought anything of paying for her own things when she was out with a man. Until this very second. She told herself to be careful. Thoughtful, generous, and understanding was a dangerous—and from her experience, uncommon—combination in a man.

They continued down the aisle, and this time he didn’t touch her back as they moved through the crowd. She wondered if she’d completely turned him off.

“Thanks for offering to pay, but it’s a pride thing.”
A pride thing? Oh my God. What the hell is wrong with me? You’re trying to be nice and I’m being a bitch.
But it was kind of a pride thing, wasn’t it? Bella took pride in being able to take care of herself, financially and in other ways.

“A pride thing? Okay, got it. I didn’t mean to imply that you couldn’t afford to pay for your own hair bands. It was just a natural reaction to offer, I guess.”

“A natural reaction? So you buy things for every woman you go shopping with?” She smiled to let him know she was teasing, but the look he returned was serious.

“I don’t usually shop with women, so I guess the answer is yes, because it felt natural with you.”

His gaze was so hot, it brought sweat to her brow.

His cell phone vibrated, severing the connection. As he pulled the phone from his pocket, Bella sucked in a deep breath to get her bearings.
Jesus, what is wrong with me?
He was sucking her right into the crazy man world again. The world where decisions were made based on feelings and minds were too filled with lust and anticipation to think straight. Where, for most guys, lies went hand in hand with getting a girl into bed. But he didn’t seem at all crazy. She had to be strong.
Fix my life. Then date. Maybe.
A moment later, she felt his body press against her back
. Good Lord, you feel good.
His hands gripped her hips, and he guided her out of the center of the crowded aisle.

He looked down at her with honest, dark eyes, and the last of her steely resolve slipped away. She wanted to kiss that sexy dip in his chin and run her tongue along his lower lip. She wanted to press her hands to his chest and feel the hard muscle beneath the soft cotton. She wanted to be in his arms and feel the passion that fueled him to wrap his life around a child at such a young age—and at the same time, she wanted to turn and run as fast and as far away as she could. Because Bella knew that once she opened the door to her heart, making clear-headed decisions would no longer be easy, and pain was sure to follow.

“That was Evan. Those kids he was talking to want him to hang out with them for the afternoon, so I need to go meet them. Do you have time to hang out? Maybe go to the beach while he’s with his friends?”

No. Definitely not
. The words were on the tip of her tongue, which is why when she heard herself say, “Sure,” she knew she was in trouble.

THEY STOPPED AT Caden’s house so he could change into his bathing suit. He’d gotten a sweet deal on the three-bedroom rambler, built at the end of a cul-de-sac and just a few blocks from the bay. Since he moved in, he’d had the hardwood floors replaced, renovated the kitchen, and painted the house top to bottom. He had simple taste, and as he watched Bella’s eyes moving from the brown sectional to the built-in bookshelves, where they lingered on the titles, then circled back to the glass coffee table, and finally landed on the frames on the mantel, he wondered what she was thinking.