A Dream Too Far (Summer Lake Silver Book 2) Read online

  “What for?”

  “For thinking of him like that. For telling him to go out and have some fun.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I hope you’re not mean to him?”

  He laughed. “Of course not. At least, not intentionally so, but you just made me realize that maybe I expect too much of him. I forget that not everyone sees their work the same way I do. I should cut him some slack in the future.”

  “How do you see your work?”

  He shrugged. “I tend to wear blinders. It’s not so much how I see my work, as that I only see my work, everything else is secondary—to be fit in around the edges.”

  “I see.”

  His smile faded. “I’ve been working on changing that, though,” he added hurriedly.

  Chris had to laugh. “Don’t worry. I’m not judging.”

  “I didn’t think you were. I was trying to let you know that I’d like to make more room in my life for things other than work. For …”

  She wondered what he was about to say, but he seemed to change his mind. He smiled. “I have been doing better lately. In fact, why don’t we get out of here?”

  She watched as he called the server to bring the check.

  After he’d paid, they made their way outside, and Chris set off back toward town. They walked in silence for a few minutes before she felt him slip his fingers around hers.

  She looked up at him and smiled.

  “Is this okay?” He brought their joined hands up in front of them, making her laugh.

  “It’s very okay. I like it.”

  “Good.” He let their hands drop down between their sides again as they carried on walking. “I like it, too. I had a good time tonight, Chris.”

  “I did too. I can’t believe that we sat there for four hours!”

  “I know. I thought I had it all figured out earlier. I thought we’d spend two to two and a half hours over dinner, then we’d walk on the beach, and then perhaps a nightcap at the Boathouse before I saw you home.”

  She laughed. “It sounds like we had a similar plan. I’m happy that we surprised ourselves, though.”

  “Yes, this is so much better. We weren’t working to a schedule; we were just enjoying ourselves. I’d almost forgotten how to do that.”

  She laughed. “You stick with me, then. I’ll remind you how to have fun.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Her eyes shone as she smiled up at him. She was beautiful. His heart beat a little faster at her words. Stick with her? The way he felt right now, he’d love to. But he could only stick with what she’d said earlier about playing this by ear.

  “I’d love to take you up on that offer. Fun hasn’t been high on my priority list.”

  She pursed her lips. “I already figured that out. You know what they say about all work and no play, don’t you?”

  He held her gaze for a moment. He didn’t mind admitting that he’d been too intensely focused on his work, but he didn’t want her to go getting the idea that he was dull. He dropped his gaze to her lips for a moment and then looked back up into her eyes. “Just because it hasn’t been on my priority list, doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how.”

  Her eyes widened a little, but there was a definite sparkle to them when she spoke again. “Good to know. And before we left the restaurant, you said that you’d been getting better at doing things that aren’t work. What have you getting up to?”

  He wasn’t sure if she was changing the subject away from the kind of fun they might have—or if she wanted to know how much of that fun he’d been getting. He smiled. “I shared one of my dirty little secrets with you yesterday.”

  She raised an eyebrow.

  “I don’t suppose many people would think of baking cookies as a dirty little secret, but it’s so far out of my lane, that it kind of feels that way.”

  “Aww.” She squeezed his hand, which he’d forgotten she was holding as they walked; it felt so natural. “Aren’t you sweet? The big busy businessman allowing himself to be so vulnerable as to bake cookies.”

  He gave her a puzzled look. “Vulnerable?”

  “Hell, yes! Stepping outside your comfort zone? Trying something you don’t expect to be good at? Being prepared to fail at something you know other people can do with ease? Yeah. I’d say that’s allowing yourself to be vulnerable.” She winked at him. “And I’d also say that—for some strange reason—it’s kind of hot.”

  He laughed. “Baking cookies is hot? Do you have some kind of kitchen fetish?”

  She laughed with him. “No. I really don’t. Kitchens don’t do much for me. But trust me. There’s something about it that … I don’t know.”

  “Are you sure you’re not just teasing me? Do you think it’s sad and you’re not telling me?”

  She laughed again. “No! I do not. I’m serious. There’s something sexy about the thought of you in the kitchen—”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Is it the rolling pin?”

  “Oh, my God! No!” She couldn’t stop laughing now. When she finally managed to, she waggled her eyebrows at him. “Though now you mention it, what do you get up to with the rolling pin?’

  He held his hands up. “I have no idea! I thought you knew something I didn’t.”

  “No. Although, I can tell you that my imagination will be running wild with that one.”

  Seymour watched her as they walked on. She was quite something. He loved that she was so open and honest with him, and so prepared to laugh with him—and at him.

  “You’ve got me wondering what you’ll think about my other attempts at having fun now.”

  “Try me. The baking thing definitely earns you some brownie points—if you’ll forgive the pun.”

  He groaned. “I will, but only this once.”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes they fall flat. Go on, what else do you do in your attempts to have fun and not work yourself to death?”

  He smiled. “I don’t think you’ll find anything sexy about this one, but it’s much more important to me than baking cookies.”

  “What is it?”

  “Playing with my grandson.”

  The way she smiled, he knew she understood the joy that brought him.

  “Aww! He’s a little angel, isn’t he?”

  Seymour nodded. “He is. He makes me see life through new eyes.”

  “They’ll do that to you.”

  “You have a granddaughter, don’t you? And earlier you said your grandkids—plural?”

  “Yes. Isabel is my eldest son, Jack’s. He and his wife Emma are trying for another one. And then there’s Scott. My younger boy, Dan, he’s married to Missy. Well, Missy had Scott when she was just a teenager. Scott never knew his father, but since Dan came into their lives, he’s become Scott’s dad—and I’ve become his grandma. He’s a good boy.”

  “He’s the computer kid, isn’t he? Chance has talked about him.”

  “That’s right. Scotty loves his Uncle Chance. They’re an unlikely pair—the cowboy and the geek is how Scott says it, but they’re close.”

  Seymour smiled. “That’s good.”

  “It is, Chance is a good guy. He might have his rough edges, but he has a heart of gold.”

  “I know it. When I first heard that my daughter was running with some no-good ranch hand, I was ready to run him off—buy him off—whatever it took to get him out of her life.”

  “I’m glad you took the time to get to know him before you did that.”

  “So am I. I don’t mind admitting when I’m wrong. And I couldn’t have been more wrong about Chance. I’m proud to call him my son-in-law, and I can rest easy knowing that my daughter found herself a good man.”

  “Here we are.”

  Seymour had been so involved in their conversation that he hadn’t noticed how far they’d walked. They’d just turned a corner and were in the square in the center of the resort, just outside the Boathouse. He was sad their walking and talking would come to an end now.

  “Do you want to get a drink?”<
br />
  “I thought you promised me a walk on the beach?”

  He smiled. “So I did. How do we get there?”

  She pointed across the square. There are steps over there. It’s just the small, town beach, but it’s probably too late to head to the main beach.”

  “Maybe we can walk there another day?” He already knew he wanted to see her again.

  She smiled. “Any day you like.”

  “How about tomorrow?”

  She nodded. “We can if you’re that keen. I’m at the center in the morning, but I’m free in the afternoon.”

  “I am that keen. I don’t see any point in hiding it. I thought if anyone was supposed to play hard to get, it was the woman.”

  She laughed. “I guess it is, but you won’t get any of that from me. I was never into games, and I’m too old to start playing them now.”

  “Good.”

  They reached the steps and made their way down them. Seymour was surprised to find his feet sinking into the sand.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I don’t know why but I thought it’d be a pebble beach.”

  “It should be, but Ben—the guy who owns the resort—brought in some sand a couple of summers ago and it was a big hit with the visitors.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “But you don’t like it? You don’t want to get sand in your shoes?”

  He made a face at her. “Are you trying to make out I don’t know how to have fun?”

  She laughed. “No, just that you might want to loosen up a little.”

  “You might be right.” He thought about it, but only for a moment before he slid his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet, running the short distance to the water’s edge with her. He swung her out over the water, and she clung to him.

  “You wouldn’t dare!” she gasped through her laughter.

  “Wouldn’t I?” he asked with a laugh. “Don’t you think it’d be fun?”

  She laughed and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. “Don’t do it!”

  He swung her feet back down onto the sand and smiled down at her. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t.”

  Her arms were still around his neck, and he tightened his around her waist, drawing her closer until they were touching from knees to chests. Her eyes shone as she looked up into his. As he lowered his head, he wasn’t sure if it was his heart he could feel hammering against his chest or hers. He stopped when his lips were an inch from hers. He wanted so badly to kiss her, but he needed to know that it was what she wanted, too.

  She gave him the answer as her fingers slid up into his hair, pulling him down to close the gap between them. He’d only intended a brief kiss, a declaration of interest, but the moment his lips came down on hers a shot of adrenaline coursed through him. It swept through her, too. There was no tentative beginning, there was only a shared hunger that they each tried to sate—lips crushing against each other, tongues exploring, hands roving. He’d thought this first kiss would be tentative, unhurried; instead, it was demanding. He slid his hands into her hair, tilting her head back to give him better access as he kissed her deeply. Her hands came down, from his shoulders, sliding around his waist, closing around his ass and pulling him against her in a move that only ignited him further.

  When he finally lifted his head, he looked down into her eyes and let out a low whistle. “Wow! I wasn’t expecting that.”

  She shook her head. “I sure as hell wasn’t. And I thought you were such a gentleman.”

  He froze. Had his attraction to her made him go too far too fast. “I can be.”

  She chuckled. “Please don’t.”

  That made him laugh. “You’re definitely going to keep me on my toes, Chris.”

  She nodded. “I’ll do my best. I’ll play with you. Remind you how to have some fun.”

  Seymour was glad of the dark to cover his frown. To his mind, that kiss proved there was a whole lot more than fun at stake here.

  She rubbed her hand up and down his arm. “I can hear those cogs whirring again, Seymour. I felt that just as much as you did, but I don’t think we need to deviate from the plan. We have some fun—whatever else happens, or doesn’t happen, we’ll just have to wait and see.

  Chapter Five

  Chris watched Abbie walk out of the women’s center and shook her head sadly.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Renée.

  “It just makes me sad. Abbie could do so much with her life, but she refuses to leave this place.”

  “Her family’s been through a lot. She doesn’t want to leave her mom. I admire her for that.”

  Chris made a face. “You might see it differently when you have kids of your own. Yes, Abbie’s a kind, caring person and it’s admirable that she wants to be here for her mom. But that isn’t a child’s purpose in life. They’re supposed to go out and spread their wings and live their own life. Her mom’s not helpless or hopeless. And if Abbie wasn’t here for her to lean on, she’d have to figure it out for herself and stand on her own two feet.”

  “Want to tell me what’s really bothering you?” asked Renée.

  Chris laughed. “It irks me that her mother will allow her to stay. My boys wanted to stay close by me. Did I want them to? Of course, I did. Was I scared what I’d do after they left? Damned straight I was. But their happiness, their futures, were more important to me. No way was I going to let them give up their dreams to take care of me. I just don’t understand how Abbie’s mom can do that to her.”

  “Have you ever thought that maybe she’s not as strong or as brave as you?”

  “Pft! That’s my point. I’m not that brave or that strong, not really. The strength I had was the love of my kids.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry. It’s not my place to judge. It’s only my place to support Abbie in whatever she chooses to do.”

  “And what’s she choosing?”

  “To stay here. To keep living with her mom and paying the bills.”

  “And how can we support her with that?”

  “I sent her to see Megan. I heard Michael’s looking to hire a new receptionist. Abbie would be perfect. She’s good with people.”

  Renée smiled. “That sounds like it could work out well.”

  “Yeah. Not as well as her getting her butt out of this town and starting over somewhere, maybe going to school and …” Chris stopped and lowered her hand, which she realized she’d been waving around as she spoke. She tended to do that when she got agitated. She gave Renée a rueful smile. “What do I know?”

  “You know plenty. But none of us can know what’s best for someone else. All we can do is support them to make their own decisions. Even when we don’t agree with them. Do you want a coffee?”

  Chris checked her watch. She had plenty of time before Seymour was due to come over. “I’d love one.”

  They walked through the doors that separated the women’s center from the bakery. Renée owned and ran them both. Chris had a feeling that busy as the bakery was, most of its proceeds went to funding the women’s center.

  “Do you want to take a seat and I’ll bring the coffees?”

  “As long as you let me get you a pastry of some kind to go with it,” said Chris. “And please don’t turn me down, because I really want a brownie, but I won’t eat one alone.”

  Renée laughed. “You’ve got yourself a deal. I’d never turn down a brownie. I’ll bring them out.”

  She went behind the counter to pour the coffees, and Chris took a seat at a table by the window. She liked to watch the world go by. Main Street was always busy around lunchtime, and she liked to see who was out and about. She frowned when she saw a very familiar figure striding down the sidewalk toward the bakery. She made a face when he stopped at the bakery door and came in.

  “Hey, Jack,” Renée called from behind the counter. “What can I get you?”

  Chris had a feeling he wasn’t here to buy pastries.

  Her suspicions were confirmed when he turned and scanne
d the tables and chairs. There were only a few people here. His glance skimmed over them until he spotted her. She smiled and waved at him. He nodded but didn’t smile back.

  “That’s okay, thanks, Renée. I need a quick word with Mom.”

  He came over and bent down to kiss her cheek. “Mom.”

  “Jack.” She tried to hide her smile but couldn’t manage it. He was a good boy. She was so proud of him and all he’d achieved. It made her heart happy that her son was a respected member of the community; a leader if you like, and people looked up to him. But he was still her little boy. She knew why he wanted to talk to her, and she wasn’t going to take any of his nonsense.

  He tried to frown at her, but there was no hiding the smile in his big brown eyes. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine, thank you. And how are you?” She tried not to laugh.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

  “Make what easy?” She tried her best to look innocent but knew that she wasn’t pulling it off.

  Jack blew out a sigh. “Want to tell me what’s going on with you and Seymour Davenport?”

  “Not particularly, no.”

  She smiled at Renée, who came and set down two cups of coffee for them. “I won’t be long,” she told her.

  “You take your time,” said Renée. “I’m here all day.”

  “I don’t have all day,” said Jack when she’d gone.

  Chris laughed. “So, get back to work then, or wherever it is you need to go. I’m not keeping you here.”

  “Mom!”

  “Yes, dear?”

  Jack had to laugh. “I know it’s none of my business. But I care, okay? I worry about you. Surely you can understand that? I just want to know that you’re okay. You know what this town’s like. There are rumors flying around about you and Seymour.”

  “So?”

  Jack scowled. “So. What’s going on?”

  She liked to tease him. He was overly protective of her. She loved that he cared so much and that he looked out for her, but she wasn’t going to let him overstep the mark. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I had dinner with him last night. You shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve known ever since LA that I liked him and that if he ever came up here, we’d go out.”