Page 37 of Whispers at Seaside
Matt gave her a quick kiss and said, “Don’t be.”
His father smiled as her skin burned off her bones. She was sure it would slough off her body any second.
“We were just talking about the co-op,” his father said as he patted Matt on the back.
“It’s a great idea,” Matt said. “Isn’t it?”
“The best one I’ve heard in years,” Neil said as he headed into the store.
Mira realized Neil hadn’t asked her any questions, like how the co-op might work, or what companies she was thinking of looking into as potential business partners. Maybe he’d been talking about her and Matt after all.
MATT HAD THOUGHT long and hard over where to take Mira for the weekend before finally settling on his cottage in Nantucket. He’d thought about taking her to Boston, but he knew Hagen wanted to see a library there, and he wouldn’t feel right going without him. He also didn’t want to go too far in case Hagen needed them to return at the spur of the moment, but he wanted to take her someplace special and memorable. He hadn’t spent much time at his cottage, and he’d never been with a woman on Nantucket, making it the perfect weekend getaway to begin building memories with Mira.
The ferry ride was fun, and passed too quickly. When they arrived at his quaint water-view cottage, Matt paid the driver and hitched the bags over his shoulder. The look of sheer bliss and appreciation on Mira’s face as she took in the quaint cottage told him he’d made the right decision. An abundance of pink and white roses climbed over the white picket fence, up the sides of the house, and along an arbor surrounding the front porch. Splashes of weathered cedar shingles and white trim peeked through the mass of pretty blooms and lush greenery.
“This is gorgeous,” Mira said as they followed the seashell walkway up to the front door. “How did you manage to rent this on such short notice? I would think the entire island would be booked all summer long.”
He draped an arm over her shoulder as they walked to the side of the house and took in the view of the water. A sandy path cut through a deep expanse of dune grass separating the cottage from the private beach. Just beyond, the water glistened like glass. Boats decorated the water, and for the first time since Matt had bought the cottage, he wondered what it might be like to spend more time here. They were walking distance from town, but Matt had phoned ahead and purchased two bikes, which he’d had delivered and stored in his shed in case Mira wanted to explore the outer reaches of the island.
“The owner doesn’t rent it out.”
She squinted up at him. The setting sun reflected in her eyes, bringing out vibrant specks of green and gold around her pupils. “Then how’d you manage to get it?”
“It’s mine, sunshine.”
Surprise registered in her expression.
“I bought it as an investment, but never got around to renting it out.”
“Youownthis?” She glanced around the property with awe as he unlocked and opened the door. “Why are you renting a cottage at Seaside if you have allthisat your disposal?”
He smiled at the wonder in her eyes and set the bags inside, then joined her in the yard and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Don’t you know? Haven’t I been clear?”
Confusion riddled her brow.
“It’s okay. I didn’t really know either. Not until Friday night.”
“What…?”
“I thought I came back to the Cape to reconnect with my family and to see what might come of us, but I was wrong.” He pressed a hand to her cheek and kissed her softly. “Friday night I realized that I came back to the Cape to see what would come of us. Connecting with my family was a bonus.”
“But we’re door number two,” Mira said absently.
“Door number two? Baby, what are you talking about?”
“You said you realized you wouldn’t ever get the job you wanted, so you chose door number two.”
“Oh no, baby. That was about work, not about you. You’re not door numberanything.”
She hooked a finger into the waistband of his slacks. “So, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I’ve spent almost a year falling for you from miles away and trying to stay on thefriendlyside of our texts because I couldn’t take the chance of messing up your life. But I know now, without a doubt, that the main reason I came back to the Cape was to see if we could make things work. Everything else was secondary.”
Chapter Fourteen
MIRA KEPT WAITING to be plucked from the romantic rabbit hole she’d fallen down. She and Matt enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at a lovely French restaurant in the center of town and made their way outside, where bulbous streetlights cast halos of gold over brick-paved sidewalks. Couples walked hand in hand, children devoured ice-cream cones, and dogs trotted happily beside their owners. Bicycles lined the empty cobblestone streets, and the din of carefree summer nights filled the air. Nantucket wasn’t so different from the small towns on the Cape, with old-fashioned-looking storefronts, wide sidewalks, and a nautical theme. But somehow, being here alone with Matt made it seem like they were a lifetime away. It feltmagical.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t call and check on Hagen?” Matt asked for the third time since they’d arrived on the island.
