Page 147 of Banter & Blushes

“Simple.” He shifted on the bucket, knowing he could fall but not caring. “I thought I’d be long gone by now, Caroline. I promised one afternoon, but I can’t stay away. It’s not just the project.”

“The project won’t matter anymore.”

“Because?”

“I’m stepping down as mayor after I get out of here.”

“What?” Beck said, eyes wide. “You?”

“Yeah. Me,” Caroline replied. “I’ve been working my tail off and sometimes I think I’m the only one who cares about this. Everyone else is just making up squares on a bingo card. Why should I keep working if no one cares?”

“So, I’m not the only one trying to run away?”

She arched a brow, wondering if Beck was as serious as his voice seemed. “I’m not running away. I’m quitting. There’s a difference.”

“What happened, Hollis? What happened in the few days I’ve been gone?”

“When I thought I was here alone, it made me realize I should never have let Daddy talk me into this. I did not know what I was in for when I agreed, and it’s turning out all wrong.”

“Seems right to me,” he whispered, the words heavier than the rain. “And you aren’t alone.”

“Is it?” Caroline paused as if she was measuring his resolve. “What are we doing, Beck?”

“We’re eating dinner in a bait shop and wearing ridiculous shirts,” he replied, but his smile didn’t reach the uncertainty in his eyes. “And maybe we’re admitting what we want.”

“I don’t know what I want. I’ve just gone from one project to the next.”

“Was this just a project to you?”

“I don’t want to see Bluebell Bay shrivel up like so many of the small tourist towns.”

“Are we just a project?” She shook her head. Beck reached over and grabbed her hand. “Don’t quit, Caroline. Not on the town. Not on us. We need you.”

“You need me?”

“More than you know.”

Her lips parted in a small gasp. The storm wasn’t the only thing building now. But she didn’t let go of his hand, either.

She squeezed it and moved a little closer to close the gap between them. Her pulse raced as she leaned in, and Beck was overwhelmed. With her stubbornness, with her beauty, with the terrifying possibility this could be more than he let himself believe.

“Didn’t get you,” he murmured, his lips brushing against hers. “But I’m thinking I should.”

He kissed her slowly and deep, letting everything go which kept him from telling her she was all he wanted. The world shifted, and he had the same dizzy rush of speed he felt when he walked in the door. After all the weeks of trying to outrun this, it caught him. And he didn’t want to escape.

Caroline was the one who finally drew back from the kiss. Beck gently pulled her onto his lap and encircled her with his arms, holding her close as if he never wanted to let go. “I went home to visit my parents,” he explained.

“Your parents?”

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “They live in Pennsylvania. I had some matters to discuss with them. It’s why it took me longer to get back home. I got caught in the snarl of traffic leaving Philly and then hit the storm.”

Her brow furrowed with concern. “I was worried when you didn’t call me.”

“I needed to sort through some things,” he admitted, his gaze earnest.

“Did you sort them out?” she asked softly.

With a tender smile, he reached up to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. “Yeah, I did. Do you think eight weeks is too soon to fall in love with someone?”

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