Page 26 of Summer on Sunshine Bay

“No,” she scoffed, angling the tray so she could see herself in the reflection. It was hard to tell, but she thought a bit of mascara had run down her cheek.

He held up his finger. “Do you mind?” he asked as he moved closer. He was near enough that she could feel the heat from his body. He smelled like ocean breezes and fresh laundry.

She shook her head, not trusting her voice.

He held her gaze as he gently smoothed his finger over her cheek. “I suggested Lila stay here because I thought it would be easier on everyone, Eva. I didn’t do it to hurt you.”

The muscles low in her stomach quivered in response to his touch, to the feel of him standing so close. It reminded her of that summer in London when they were young and in love. Her skin warmed, and her pulse quickened as the memories washed over her. They couldn’t get enough of each other back then. They’d said things, made promises that neither of them could keep.

“Mom, Dad, what’s going on?”

Their daughter’s voice broke the spell, and they jumped apart. Eva turned. “I had a lash in my eye.”

Lila eyed them warily, and then her gaze dropped to the pastry box in her hands. She put it on the island. “David’s mom brought some desserts.”

“From Windemere?” Eva asked, flicking open the lid with her tangerine-painted fingernail. “How nice.”

“Lila, why don’t you show the Westfields around while your mother and I prepare the tea?”

“It’s okay, you can show them around, Dad. I’ll help Mom.”

“I need to talk to your mother for a minute, sweetheart.”

Lila looked from her father to Eva. “You’re not going to fight, are you?”

“Why are you looking at me? If anyone is going to start a fight, it’s your father.”

James snorted. “Yeah, right. Don’t worry, Lila. We’ll be fine.”

Their daughter placed a hand on her stomach. “Okay, but don’t be long. David and his father have a meeting at three.”

“I thought she would’ve outgrown her nervous stomach by now,” Eva murmured as Lila left the kitchen.

“She’s anxious about introducing you to David’s parents.”

“Oh, so this is on me?” She shook her head. “Typical. Why don’t you take the Westfields on a tour of the house? I can make the tea.”

“I don’t trust that you won’t put salt on the desserts Jennifer brought.”

Eva’s defensive response stalled in the back of her throat at the teasing smile on his face. “Pft.As if I’d need to stoop so low. Those fancy French pastries can’t hold a candle to my biscotti, cannoli, and anginetti,” she said, and began removing her pastries and cookies from the hamper, arranging them on the tray.

She glanced at James as he filled a kettle with water. “So what did you want to talk to me about? Or was that just an excuse because you don’t trust Lila and me to make the tea?” The British were so particular about their tea.

“You both have a habit of not warming the teapot, and you let the tea steep too long, but no, I wanted to run something by you. There was another reason besides more room that I wanted Lila to stay here.”

“My apartment isn’t that small, James. And Lila was perfectly happy growing up there. We—” The latter was true, the former not so much.

“Can we not do this, please?” He plugged in the kettle and turned to her. “I’m thinking about buying the beach house for Lila as a wedding gift, and I wanted her to spend some time here to see if she likes it.”

Eva tamped down the tiny flicker of resentment she felt because she couldn’t afford to give their daughter such an extravagant gift. Over the years she’d come to terms with the fact that she’d never be able to do for their daughter what James could. “How could she not love it? It’s gorgeous. Although it’s very white.”

His lips twitched. “I’m sure Lila will let you help decorate.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You know perfectly well she won’t let me near this place with a paintbrush.”

He smiled as he warmed the teapot with hot water from the tap. “So you don’t have a problem with me buying it for her?”

She appreciated his asking. “Are you putting it in her name only?”

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