Page 16 of Sweet Passions at Bayside
“That is true,” Desiree agreed. “But does Dean know that?”
“Of course he does,” Emery insisted. There was no denying the blazing heat that had burned between them when they’d first met, but their friendship overrode the instant lust they’d experienced, and she’d grown to love a lot more about him than his looks. “Dean and I arefriends. We’ve been talking nearly every night since I was here at Christmas. What did you think I was doing for all these months while you and Rick were building a life together?”
“I can see that,” Desiree agreed. “You are most comfortable with guys.”
“Like I said,six ways to Sunday,” Violet said.
“Believe it or not, Vi, I’m friends with tons of guys that I do not sleep with. Regardless of your whole bang-your-friend policy, I’ve sworn off sleeping with friends. Dean and I might have started out with sexy innuendos and flirting, but it’s not like that anymore. Dean’s like you, Des. Careful and stable. He brings me back down to earth when I go off on a tangent, and he makes me laugh. And if you have any lingering questions, I told him about all of my dates over the winter, andeverythingthat you and I would usually talk about until all hours of the morning. For goodness sakes, I tell him I love him half the time when we end our phone calls, the same way I do to you, Des. He’s afriend. If there’s one thing I can do, it’s read guys. Y’all must be seeing what you want to see, not what’s really there.”
“My money is still on him wanting to bang you,” Violet said with a shrug. “But what do I know?”
“Maybe you’re right, Em,” Desiree relented.
Emery sighed with relief. “Nowcan we get back to what really matters?”
“Whoa.” Violet held her hands up. “Sex matters.”
“Okay, yeah, it does. Not that I’m having any luck in that department,” Emery said with a sigh. “But more importantly, Vi, I’m really sorry for bailing after you were nice enough to let me stay with you. No hard feelings about me staying with Dean until I move into the inn?”
“I don’t do hard feelings,” Violet said. Emery embraced her, and Violet added, “Do we really have to do thisallthe time?”
“Yes,” Emery and Desiree said in unison.
Chapter Four
AFTER SPENDING THE day tending to the hospital serenity gardens, Dean went to the resort and landscaped around the new patio he was creating on the far side of the property. He dragged his forearm over his brow as he finally headed down to the office later that afternoon. Emery had texted earlier and said that she’d picked up the key from Serena, and no matter how hard he’d worked since, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. His mind had gone straight to the places he told it not to, imagining her in the guest bed, in the shower, and eventually his mind made the jump, putting her gorgeous body and effervescent smile inhisbed.
Had he made a mistake by offering her a place to stay? She was like his grandmother’s cherry pie cooling on the windowsill—something he’d never been able to resist.
“Hey,” Rick said as he climbed the steps to the office and pulled open the door. “How’s the landscaping coming along?”
“Great. I should have it done in a few weeks. The plantings are mostly done, but I’m still figuring out the final designs for the hardscaping.”
“I don’t know what bug got up your butt about needing another patio, but I’m sure it’s going to be awesome.”
The same bug that has been burrowing under my skin since the holidays.Over the winter, Emery had told Dean about a meditation garden in Oak Falls where she liked to do yoga at sunrise. She’d spoken of it like it was a part of her. When she’d made the decision not to come to the Cape for just the summer, but to move there for good, she’d said she’d miss that garden as much as she’d miss her family. Dean had gone online and found pictures of the area she’d spoken of, and by spring, with Emery as his inspiration, his new project had taken shape.
He followed Rick inside and found Brody Brewer, their new surf instructor, talking with Serena. Brody was a good, honest guy with boundless energy and a casualness that people gravitated toward.
Brody turned to greet them, flashing a killer smile that probably opened more bedroom doors than he could handle and ensured a full docket of women wanting to learn to surf on a daily basis. “Dudes, you should have seen the waves on the ocean this morning. I was just telling Serena that one of these days I’ve got to get her out on a board.”
Dean and Rick exchanged an amused glance. Like them, there wasn’t a water sport Serena couldn’t do. That was one of the great things about living where the land was bordered by the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. The possibilities were endless.
“Serena didn’t tell you? She’s been surfing since she was a kid,” Rick said.
“Seriously?” Brody’s eyes widened.
“Rick and Drake’s dad taught us all how to surf,” Serena said.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Brody asked.
“Because it was fun to see you so excited.”
Brody laughed. “I tend to get that way about surfing. Oh, and I met the new yoga instructor, Emery?” He whistled. “She is a sassy one.” He rolled his shoulders back, and a satisfied grin spread across his face. “I’m taking her out tomorrow.”
Dean’s hand fisted by his side. “Out?”
“On the water, after my morning class,” Brody said casually. “She said she’s never surfed.” He shrugged. “I figured, what better way to get to know my new co-worker.” His gaze flicked to the clock on the wall, then back to them. “I gotta jet. I met some girls on the beach today and they invited me to a bonfire over on Cahoon Hollow. Want to come along?”
