Tidal Patterns (Golden Shores Book 1) (24 page)

“Huh. That’s too bad. I liked him,” Patrick replied.

“I did too,” Lizzie agreed.

“Yeah, you’ve done a lot worse,” Patrick said with a snicker.

“Patrick, it’s not like that.”

“Are you sure?”

Taking in a deep shuddering breath, Lizzie closed her eyes. For a moment at the airport, she’d thought Mark would kiss her. When she first saw him, he’d shortened the distance between them in a second. They’d stood mere inches apart, the air charged between them. But then his posture had changed. He’d tightened, turning to stone before her eyes.

“Well considering I just tried to get him to stay and he got on a plane anyways, yes, I am sure.”

“Sorry Frizz. So, congratulations?”

“Yeah, thanks. I don’t know… I don’t know if I want it anymore.”

“But then you can stay. Then you get your inheritance. This is what you’ve wanted. What’s changed?”

“Everything,” Lizzie whispered.

“Has it?” a voice called out to her.

Lizzie looked up and froze staring at the mirage in front of her. Because he couldn’t be real. He couldn’t have stumbled back to her and he certainly wouldn’t show up at her favorite spot.

“Frizz? You there?” Patrick asked on the other end of the phone.

“Patrick, I’ll call you later,” she whispered.

Lizzie dropped her phone into her purse and scrambled to her feet. She dusted her hands on her skirt and yanked it down. She crossed her arms over her chest but quickly dropped them to her sides. She clasped them together behind her back, but that felt wrong too. She held onto her skirt, nervously playing with the hem in her fingers.
Now what? He’s here? Is he here to yell at me?

“What are you doing here?” she finally asked him, when it became clear that he wasn’t going to speak first.

“I came here to talk to you. In a place where we wouldn’t make a scene.”

Lizzie flushed. “I had no idea that airport was so quiet”

“Neither did I,” Mark relented, his face relaxing and a half-smirk quirking up the corners of his mouth. “And I needed time to think about what you didn’t say.”

“What I didn’t say?”

I think I said everything
. She pressed her lips together.
Except, of course how I feel about…us.

“No, you go ahead. Finish what you were going to say to me at the airport.”

“I already did,” Lizzie countered, licking her dry lips. She hadn’t reapplied her lip-gloss in a couple hours, since the last time she’d checked her make-up before walking in to Frank Cade’s office.
My mascara’s probably run down both my cheeks.

“I don’t want you to leave.” She wiped at her face with one hand, cleaning up the stray mascara.

“If this is about the job, then I stand by my decision it’s yours. You can have the job. I don’t like working events anyways.”

“And that’s it? You’re going to go down to Miami and work at a hotel?”

Mark shrugged and took a step closer to her. “Or I could stay here. And open up a business.”

“Doing what?” Her pulse raced as he closed the distance between them.

“Paddle boarding?” He asked, walking forward inch by inch until he reached out and grabbed her by the waist.

“I think you haven’t thought this through.” Lizzie shivered. The force of his grip, the possession of the movement, and the unspoken promise in his arms offered her a tantalizing future she hadn’t dared to let herself dream could happen.

“No, I haven’t. But I don’t care about the job. I can figure that out. I care about the woman.”

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Instead of deafening her, she somehow heard his words even more clearly. His words amplified.
But this can’t be real.
Somehow a mirage of Mark had appeared. Somehow this Mark had started telling her everything she wanted to hear. Somehow this was a dream. It couldn’t be real.

“I don’t care about the job. And I don’t think you do either. I’m here to say everything that you didn’t,” he whispered into her hair.

Lizzie gulped and her legs wobbled. His grip tightened around her arms, to keep her upright.
Why am I afraid now?
Her courage had held through her showdown with Frank and barging in to Phil’s bar. Racing to the airport to beg him to stay, she hadn’t ever wavered.
But I’d been the one in control of those situations.

“I’m here to tell you that I love you. I’m here because we’re supposed to be together.”

“How do you know?”

Pulling her hands up to his heart, he laid them both flat on his chest. She felt the flutter of his heartbeat under her fingertips. Lizzie heard his breath quicken when she stepped even closer. She looked into his eyes and he tightened his grip on her hands.

“I can’t put it into words, but I’ll try,” Mark whispered.

His hot breath tickled her face, playing with the loose strands of hair that hung on her face. She shook her hair back and he let go of one of her hands to smooth the tendrils behind her ears. He pressed his hand against the side of her face. Lizzie closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek into the rough palm.

She felt safe. She felt protected. She felt like she’d come home. She didn’t need his words. But she wanted them anyways.

“When I’m with you, I don’t need to be anyone else but me. I’ve never tried to use an old pick up line or be smooth, because you’d call me on it. I don’t want to be fake.”

Lizzie opened her eyes and smiled.

“When I’m with you, you push me to be my best,” Lizzie said.

“Hey, that was one of my reasons. You can’t steal what I’m going to say,” Mark teased her, knitting his brow in mock outrage.

“Sorry, my bad. Continue.”

“Thank you. You understand me without me explaining myself.”

“Agreed,” she nodded.

“You can have the job if I can have you. Will you marry me?”

“We’ve never even been out on a date.” Lizzie protested, her mind reeling.

“Details. We can go out on one tonight, to celebrate our engagement. What do you say?”

“Yes.”

“Just to be clear?” Mark cleared his throat and frowned, but the smile tugging at the corner of his lips

“Yes, I’ll marry you,” Lizzie said. “And just to be clear, I get the job?”

Mark rolled his eyes and wrapped her in his arms. Lizzie stretched up on her tiptoes and moved her arms around to clasp behind his neck. He lowered his lips to hers, centimeter by centimeter until she thought she might scream at him to hurry up already. Mark chuckled as he pressed his lips against hers. She shivered and felt the kiss down to her toes.

“It’s going to be a short engagement right?”

“Very short. I know a great planner,” Mark replied.

“And what will you be doing?” She arched an eyebrow at her fiancé.

Her fiancé.
The word spread over her like butter on hot toast.
Home, fiancé, family
. After nearly losing all three over the past year, she knew how lucky she was.

Mark shrugged. “Maybe I’ll start a paddle boarding business. And I’ll build into a lucrative, recreation empire. So I can take care of you and our family for the rest of our lives. How’s that sound?”

“Perfect, just perfect,” Lizzie replied, wrapping her arms around him even tighter and stretching up to kiss him.

THE END

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Anchored in the Bay (True North Book 1)

When Emily balked at running away with her childhood sweetheart, Ed, eight years ago, she had no idea he’d disappear from her life. In the years since, she’s managed to open her own business and find love again. Life is good, until Ed shows up on her doorstep. 

Ed vowed he’d never go back for her. But no matter how many miles he put between them, he couldn’t shake her hold on his heart. He’d pictured himself stepping back into her life, but hadn’t counted on her despair over his business or that she’d be pregnant. 

But can they find their way back to each other through years of hurt and with an unexpected baby on the way?

Tiny Island Summer (True North Book 2)
* 2015 Kindle Scout winner

Darcy Rogus has been relocated to the middle of nowhere. But with her determination to succeed and her best friend by her side, nothing is going to get in her way, especially not a handsome and brooding next-door neighbor. Ben Hampton, has put his life on hold to take care of family, he can’t let himself get distracted by anything, even if those distractions come with enticing hazel eyes.

On the Rocks (True North Book 3)
* coming spring 2016

Eric Sadler can’t stay on Madeline Island and watch the girl who got away live her happily ever after. He accepts a temporary teaching position at his alma mater and meets a woman he can’t stop thinking about. Unfortunately for him, it turns out he’s already forgotten her from his long ago college days.

Jennifer Campbell has too much going on to worry about running back into her undergrad crush. She’s trying to figure out a way forward after an ugly break-up that has threatened her career. But Eric won’t let her out of his sights and maybe she’ll let him chase her until she catches him.

Across the Lake (True North Book 4)
* coming summer 2016

Nearly a year and a half after his pregnant girlfriend left him for her childhood sweetheart, Ryan Isaacs is finally moving on. He’s bought and renovated a three-flat in Bayfield, across the lake from his ex. Life is good. But he definitely doesn’t have time for distractions; especially not the beautiful new tenant who’s renting the top floor. Not that she’d be interested in him anyway.

Lauren Clark has to focus. After a decade in Chicago, moving to the middle of nowhere was not the next stop she pictured for her career. But after she let dissatisfaction with brides and weddings sink into her every glance, she had little choice. Besides, she’s only filling in for a year for her friend Francois. Or even less if she has her way. There would be no point to starting something with the hunky landlord.