I had been fairly sure that I would never see the inside of Gabe's house ever again, but now I was standing on the deck watching the ocean once more. Not that I was complaining, though. I was happy to be there. In fact, the view of the ocean with the sun overhead never looked so good.“I’m glad you came over today. We need to talk. I’m ready to work through this and make things right again. But first, we both have to come clean with each other,” Gabe said, leaning against the railing of his deck.“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” I agreed. My palms were sweating, but I felt calmer than I had in weeks.His surprise visit at the restaurant had happened just the night before and this was the first time we had really had a chance to hash things out. This conversation needed to happen. It had been a long time coming.“Where should we start?” he asked. The breeze from the ocean ruffled his dark hair.“I guess what I really don’t understand is why you hid it from me?” I asked, starting th
The following week I finally sat down to prepare for my final blog post. My decision was made. It was time to say goodbye and pass the reigns onto a new owner. It made sense and it felt right.Gabe had told me to sleep on the decision, and for most of the week I had made my home at his house, which made sleeping really easy. But the truth was that it really hadn’t taken much deliberation; the blog seemed like a thing of the past, something that opened the door to new writing feats, and I was ready to walk through that door.During our time together I had allowed the blog to slip even further off my mind, which was entirely okay with me. I had checked in periodically and had found a quick selection for Worst Wednesday. But besides that, and for the first time in a long time, I hadn’t paid it much attention. It seemed that the blog and I had finally begun to outgrow each other. At one time it had been my baby, but now it was moving out, and Cora was the perfect guide.If there was anyth
I never thought this day would come.Maybe when I was a little girl, I had hoped that someday it would. But I never actually believed it. It feels like a dream, but I know it’s not because it’s even better than anything I could have dreamt up.I’m marrying Gabe Honors. In just a few moments, I’ll be wed to the love of my life.I’m beyond nervous, but also ready. I’ve spent the last twenty minutes looking at myself in the mirror, making sure that my hair and makeup look absolutely perfect for him.“Hey, it’s almost time,” Cora says, as she steps beside me. “You look perfect, Harper. Seriously, you look gorgeous. Gabe is going to melt.”I hope she’s right.“Well, let’s do this,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m ready.”Just outside, my mom is standing there, holding my little nephew’s hand. He breaks away and runs up to give me a quick hug before she tells him to go take his seat. Mom looks almost more nervous than I am. She can’t keep her hands still and she’s tapping her t
I stepped off the plane. A wave of humid air hit me, the smell of salt and flowers blowing through my hair and ruffling my clothes. I took a deep breath, memorizing the smell. It was the smell of the start of a great vacation. I stepped carefully down the stair ramp, feeling like a movie star as I exited the small plane and followed a red carpet off the runway and to the small terminal. I couldn‘t wipe the grin off my face to save my life.The airport terminal was open to the Caribbean air. It seemed strange to me at first, until I realized that the weather was always nice enough here that they wouldn’t need to have double-paned windows. It was a foreign concept to someone like me who had always lived in a place that required heating and cooling throughout the year. My windows in Iowa were only open in the late spring and early fall due to the weather outside which was either too hot or too cold. I loved the idea of having windows open year round, the weather always nice.My bags were
I stretched out on my towel and then sat up, digging my feet into the sand at the edge of my towel. The sand burned a little, but the heat felt so good on my skin. I couldn’t believe how much I was enjoying being on the beach. The ocean sparkled in the tropical sun, the sand glowed with sunlight. Gulls called in the distance, but the constant breathing of the ocean was all I wanted to hear. I never wanted to stop hearing it.I was almost alone on the beach. A single figure walked along the waterline to my right, and the couple staying in the cabana next to mine played in the water to my left. Other than that, the beach was empty as most of the resort guests preferred the pool with the swim-up bar. I didn’t quite understand why they all preferred being on display in a crowded pool when the ocean was right here, but I was happy to have the beach to myself.I smoothed the front of my swimsuit self-consciously. It was expensive, but the 1940s style cut flattered my curves. “You just have
I ran a brush through my long dark hair and grimaced in the mirror at the sand creature looking back. I looked like I had spent the day on the beach, but I didn’t have time to clean up. Besides, I told myself, he’s been looking at you all day. He doesn’t care that you look like a beach-bum. I grabbed a sundress hanging in my closet and a pair of flip-flop sandals before heading back out. Jack was waiting patiently by the porch step, staring out at the ocean and the setting sun.Jack turned at the sound of the door and smiled his brilliant smile as I walked towards him. My knees felt weak; a girl could get hurt by that smile.“You look great,” he said honestly. I bit my lip and blushed again.“Thanks,” I said as he offered his elbow to me. I wrapped my arm around his, feeling like a princess in a story book. I liked the way he felt, his arm strong and solid under mine as we walked out of the sand and into the resort.Twilight was slowly taking over the resort, the sun’s rays quickly fa
The porch creaked slightly as I stepped up and unlocked the door. I could feel him move in behind me, resting his weight on an arm against the door frame. I turned slowly, captured against the door and his body. His masculine scent made my knees feel weak, and my throat felt dry as he leaned over me, his eyes searching mine. His expression was intense, almost threatening; I looked up into those hazel eyes, the moonlight making them shine with something I wanted. Desire. He wanted me. The thought alone made me shiver with anticipation, as he brought his hand to my neck and pulled my lips towards his.His mouth was hot against mine, his tongue probing gently at my lips, asking to taste me. I opened my mouth and he shifted his weight to kiss me fully. He explored me in a slow and thorough manner before pulling back. His eyes gleamed with an aching hunger that held me captive. I wanted him more than anything.He pushed me back until I bumped against the door. His mouth skimmed my jaw, dow
The sun shone directly into my eyes, waking me from a dead sleep. With a groan, I threw my arm over my face, rolling into my pillow. It smelled like Jack, masculine and intoxicating. I moved my arm and could feel the cool linen next to me; Jack was long gone from my bed. I kept my face buried in the pillow, my eyes shut tight. Maybe if I didn’t open them, I wouldn’t have to wake up and find him truly gone.My bladder, however, had a different idea. I lay still trying to convince myself to go back to sleep, but I finally couldn’t fight it any longer. I stood up and let the sheets fall from my naked body as I hurried to the bathroom, the tile cold on my bare feet.The face in the mirror watched me as I washed my hands and ran a brush through my hair, trying to coax the tangles into some sort of pony tail. I felt pleasantly sore all over, and the memory of the night before made me smile before I realized he had left without even waking me.“Of course he left. He saw me in the morning lig