Page 50 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

He reached for her without hesitation, one hand curling around the back of her neck, fingers threading through her hair, as the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her in. His gaze dropped to her lips for a split second. Long enough for them to wonder if this was a bad idea. And then.

Hunter Barrett kissed her.

Daisy melted into him, the warmth of the fire paling in comparison to the heat of his arms wrapped around her. This was not like the kiss she remembered from all those years ago. No. That kiss had been sweet. Timid. A bud in the spring.

This kiss was strong and sure. Wildflowers in bloom.

Hunter pulled back, his forehead resting against hers as they caught their breath.

His fingers traced over her face, drawing her back to him, his lips brushing hers again.

And suddenly, she was back in Chicago, waiting for a call that never came. And she remembered…A broken heart wasn’t part of the plan.

She pulled away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

Hunter’s brows pinched together, and then the realization set in. “Yeah, sorry. You’re right.”

What were they thinking?

“I—We should go,” she said, scurrying to her feet.

Hunter swallowed hard. “Right.”

He doused the flames, leaving the stars to light their walk home. And when he dropped her off at the door, she almost wished a kiss had been part of the plan.

ChapterTen

Episode 5: All Sand and No Play, Uploaded (October 24th)

The camera pans across the interior of the Barrett house, focusing on the worn hardwood floors before settling on Daisy. She stands in the center of the foyer, wearing her signature overalls with a cozy, orange sweater underneath. Hunter, wearing a plain white tee, leans up against the wall behind her, his muscular arms crossed over his chest, a smirk playing at his lips.

“Hi, friends! Daisy here,” she beams, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Today, we’re tackling one of the most important parts of our restoration project: the floors!” She steps aside, gesturing to the floors with jazz hands and Hunter rolls his eyes, his smirk deepening. “Lucky for us, this beautiful house still has its original hardwood floors, but it’s going to take a lot of work to bring these gorgeous floors back to life! So let’s get started!”

Music plays as the camera cuts to a shot of Daisy and Hunter as they work together to gently pry the molding off the walls, a voiceover playing over the footage. “After carefully removing the antique molding around the floors, taping off doors, and nailing down any loose boards—” The footage cuts to a shot of Daisy sitting cross-legged on the floor while Hunter hammers a nail into the wood. He feels around, finding another loose plank, and glances at his tool belt for another nail and comes up empty. His eyes shoot to Daisy, who laughs, holding one out for him. He gives her a playful scowl and snatches it from her fingers—“we’re ready to start sanding. This process involves multiple passes with progressively finer grit sandpaper to smooth out years of wear and tear.”

The camera cuts to Daisy pushing a large sander in a meticulous line along the wood grain. The shot speeds up as she makes short work of the rugged flooring, crossing the room end to end. When she’s about halfway through, Hunter steps into the shot and begins work on the edges and corners with a smaller, handheld sander.

“While the drum sander takes care of the main floor area, it’s crucial to pay special attention to the edges and corners. This ensures a uniform finish across the entire room.”

The pair of them work steadily as shadows move across the space. Daisy backs into the final corner just as Hunter works his way there from the opposite direction. Startled, she spins around, nearly losing her balance as Hunter’s hands shoot out to steady her.

“Oh! Sorry!” Daisy squeaks, her cheeks flushing.

Hunter chuckles, steadying her with a hand on her waist. “No worries,” he says softly, their eyes meeting for a moment before they both look away.

“Sanding floors is no easy task. It requires patience, attention to detail, and plenty of breaks to stay hydrated and avoid fatigue.”

…Hunter sits on the staircase, sweat staining his shirt as he takes a break, a bottle of water hanging from his fingertips. Down the hall, Daisy is crouched on her hands and knees, her sweater now gone, leaving her in a pink T-shirt under her overalls. She is working hard with a square of sandpaper on a remaining scratch, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Hunter glances over his shoulder, watching her for a moment, a soft smile playing on his lips. And then he stands up, walks over, and holds out the water bottle to her. Daisy pauses to look up, surprised, as Hunter nods for her to move aside. Understanding dawns on her face, and she gratefully accepts the water, stepping back as Hunter takes over the troublesome spot…

“What would I do without that guy?”

…Daisy and Hunter sit side by side on the steps, both covered in sawdust, their shoulders tight and their hair a mess. They look thoroughly disheveled.

Daisy’s eyes travel over their finished work and land on Hunter. She laughs, taking in his haggard appearance, and a moment later, he joins in, his laughter bubbling over like water over stones.

“After hours of hard work, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing the transformation. These floors have stories to tell, and now they’re ready for new chapters.”

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