Page 58 of The Guest Cottage
Most of all, though, she made herself happy. There was a deep satisfaction in that realization.
She gulped another drink of coffee, set the mug aside, and stretched out on her back. The sun wasn’t yet high enough to blind her, but it felt nice and warm caressing her skin, and oh, that sky was a startling, beautiful shade of blue.
Because it was a new and interesting realization, she said aloud, “I’ve made myself happy. Not just content but seriously happy.” She turned her head to look at Cort. “Isn’t that remarkable?”
He, too, set aside his coffee. “We’re talking about Marlow Heddings, right? I’ve already seen you in action, so no, nothing surprises me where you’re concerned. I think you could move mountains if you really put your mind to it.”
Over and over again, he gave her the most outrageous—and wonderful—compliments. “Thank you, Cort.” And since he deserved to hear it, she said, “I think you’re pretty special, too.”
He suddenly had that sensual look in his eyes that meant he was about to stretch out over her, but then his phone buzzed. Only the slightest disappointment showed in his expression as he lifted a hip to get his cell from his pocket. “It’s Bren Crawford. He runs the boat rental.” With a swipe of his thumb, he answered the call.
Marlow stayed on her back, listening to the one-sided conversation but catching the fact that Bren apparently had a leaking pipe that needed immediate attention.
Cort said, “Just a sec, Bren,” and muffled the phone against his jean-covered thigh. “Do you mind? I know this was supposed to be our day, but it shouldn’t take me too long.”
“I don’t mind at all. Actually, I like that you’ll go to his rescue.”
Skeptical, Cort said, “It’s not a rescue, just a helping hand.”
“And you’re not a hero? Pfft. There’s a whole town here that would disagree.” Giving up her comfortable position on the dock, she came up on her elbows and said, “Seriously, I like that you care about your neighbors and aren’t afraid to pitch in when needed. Don’t worry about me. I’ll use the time to visit with Pixie. You can call when you’re done, and we’ll figure things out from there.”
Wearing a silly, slightly bemused smile, he brought the phone back to his ear and promised Bren he’d be there quickly.
Marlow went with him up to the house.
At the door, he paused to drape his arms around her. “After I repair Bren’s pipes, I’ll need to head to my place for a shower, shave, and change of clothes.” Nudging her closer, he asked, “Any chance I can convince you to join me for that?”
“Hmm, if this was a business deal, I’d insist that you make it worth my while.”
He teased, “Well, I could show you my house.”
She rested her hands on his chest. “And?”
Pretending to think about it, he said, “I’ll take you to lunch after.”
Marlow slid her hands to his neck and tugged his head down. “And in between that?”
“We should have enough privacy to do anything you want.”
“Deal.” Knowing he needed to go, she patted his shoulder and stepped back with a warning. “What I want might take a while, so don’t count on an early lunch.”
“I do love the way you negotiate.”
He gave her a firm but fast kiss, then jogged to his truck and quickly backed out of her driveway.
Ridiculous, but she already missed him.
Going back to the bedroom, Marlow smiled at the rumpled sheets and unmade bed. She, Marlow Heddings, had spent a wild night with a sexy hero, and she felt triumphant because of it, as if she’d conquered a mystery of life.
How to get over wounded feelings and lingering hurt in one mind-blowing encounter. Or maybe,How to downsize your life and upsize your pleasure.
In reality, she knew dealing with the turmoil of life wasn’t that easy and couldn’t be summarized in a catchy title. There were many puzzle pieces she was still fitting together to form an entire image, but she had the border in place, and she had a feel for where things were going.
Cort was definitely an unexpected bonus, but she was determined to finish the puzzle with or without him. And . . . her analogy was now stretching so thin, she almost laughed.
Reminding herself that this was her time, she briskly made the bed, pausing only once to press Cort’s pillow to her nose so she could breathe in his intoxicating scent one more time. It’d be nice if that scent lingered. She wouldn’t mind sleeping with it every night.
After her shower, a quick breakfast, and a minimum of prep, she decided it was late enough to call on Pixie. Rather than drive, she put on her tennis shoes and a floppy brimmed hat to shade her face and crossed the property on foot. The houses were spaced out enough that it was a nice walk.
