Page 13 of Always Another Sunset

“You are in a super good mood,” Blake said as he came in the office’s back door. He had a wide grin on his face. “But then that’s been the case for a few days now. Ever since…” The young man paused, and JC looked at him.

“Ever since when?” she asked, but playfully because she already knew the answer.

Blake shrugged. “Well, ever since you ran into Bella.”

Closing the cabinet door, JC smiled wide. “What can I say? Life is good.”

Blake nodded. “It sure is. I’m guessing you’re taking her out again tonight.”

“Actually…” JC hesitated, not sure of her decision over an idea that had been on her mind all day.

“What?” Blake asked.

JC rubbed her cheek. “Well, I thought I would call her and ask if she wanted to come to my house and let me cook for her.”

The young man let out a low whistle. “Wow, JC, you’re getting serious,” Blake said, walking to the counter to put the key to the kayak’s storage area on the top. “But I think it’s an awesome idea. Do you think she’ll go for it?”

Picking up the key, JC stalled as she put the thing away on its hook.Will she go for it?she wondered.That’s the question.The last thing JC wanted to do was screw anything up. She hadn’t been kidding when she said life was good. With Bella back in her world, she had never been happier.And if I’m asking her to move forward too soon, she might back away.But the last few nights felt terrific, and their reconnection solid. They could talk about anything for hours—memories from college, what they did since, hopes for the future, and everything in between. All were reasons JC believed Bella would be receptive to her offer. “I think so,” JC finally answered. “And I guess I won’t know until I ask.”

Blake smiled. “Exactly,” he said, turning to leave for the rest of the day while JC closed things up. “And I think she’s a very lucky lady. Saying no would be crazy.”

With a laugh, JC waved as he opened the door to leave. “Thanks, Blake. We’ll see.”

Alone again and with nothing left to do, JC stared at her phone on the desk. She would normally call Bella and discuss where they wanted to eat and then pick a place to go.Only this time is different, she thought and, taking a deep breath, scooped up the cellphone and dialed.

“Hi,” Bella said after the first ring. “I was just thinking about you.”

JC smiled, loving the sound of that answer. “And what were you thinking?” she asked.

There was a pause on the phone, followed by a bit of laugh. “I’m not going to say,” Bella said, causing a flash of heat to fill JC’s body.Did that mean what I think it means?she wondered, because it wasn’t like she hadn’t thought of Bella in a sexy way plenty of times in the last seventy-two hours. “Maybe we should talk about dinner instead.”

Swallowing hard, JC tried not to be distracted by the sexual tension and instead focused on what she wanted to propose. “About dinner,” she said. “I had an idea. Maybe try something a little bit different.”

“Okay,” Bella said, a hint of curiosity in her voice. “Do you have some new place to try?”

“Sort of,” JC said, working on the best way to deliver her next line. There seemed nothing to do but blurt it out before she lost her nerve. “I thought you could come over to my house.” Suddenly sure she had made a horrible mistake, JC rambled on. “I mean, nothing serious, I’ll cook up some chicken breasts on the grill. Maybe put some broccoli in the oven and—”

There was a delighted laugh over the phone. “Stop, JC,” Bella said. “You don’t have to convince me. I would love to see your house.”

14

Admiring JC’s home set along the maze of canals in Hawaii Kai, Bella couldn’t miss noticing the care the woman had put in to making the simple yet spacious house beautiful. The dark wood floors complemented perfectly with the cream walls and tan accents she used throughout. Large windows let in light from all parts of the house, with nine-foot high folding glass doors that led to a gorgeous patio. Beyond was a small swimming pool and then a peekaboo view of the water. The outdoor space was incredibly private with tall, lush, tropical greenery flanking both sides, dotted with local flowers, and only the blue water of the canal behind them. Everything reflected a sense of serene yet functional design. Bella loved every inch of it.

“JC, your house is unbelievable,” she said when they finished their tour in the modern kitchen decorated in olive green and a soft gray. “Did you do everything yourself?”

Smiling, JC took a tray of raw chicken and vegetable kabobs from the wide, French door, stainless steel refrigerator. “I did,” she said. “The house was a total fixer-upper and needed a complete remodel.” She laughed. “No one touched anything since the 1970s. But I didn’t mind because that way I could do what I wanted to with it.”

“Well, you’ve worked wonders,” Bella said, looking around to take everything in. The kitchen’s glass cabinets, granite counters, and high-end appliances almost made Bella want to cook something. Considering she was only so-so at it, that impulse was a surprise to her.

JC nodded at the fridge as she started toward the patio doors. “I’m going to get these on the grill. There’s white wine in there for you if you want,” she said. “Or some local beer.”

A cool drink sounded fabulous. “I’ll have the wine,” Bella said. “You?”

“I’ll join you,” she said. “You can find glasses in the cupboard to the left of the sink.” Then she was gone outside. Finding what she needed exactly where JC described, Bella followed only to pause when she stepped onto the patio. The smell of plumerias caught her nose, and the sounds of birds in the trees made her think she was in a movie. While the house was welcoming, the patio and backyard were an absolute oasis.

JC stood at the edge of the patio at the built-in grill putting their dinner on to cook.She’s another part of all that is amazing about this place,Bella thought, watching her work with confidence.How can she always look so in control all the time?

As if sensing her gaze, JC looked up from what she was doing at the grill to catch her eye. “Twelve minutes for these to cook,” she said, with a smile Bella was learning to love looking at already. It lit up the woman’s tanned face, making her blue eyes twinkle. “Do you want to pour the wine? I opened it for us earlier.”

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