“Here. Well, not here-here. But just south of here, near Naples. I’m going to stay in Moonbeam. It seems I’ve become fond of the place.”He reached out and took her hand.“And fond of the people here.”
Her heart leapt, and joy flooded through her.“You’re staying here? In Moonbeam?”She wanted to make sure she’d heard him correctly.
“At least for another year or so, yes.”He stood up and pulled her to her feet.“You’re happy about that, aren’t you?”
“Very.”Her heart skittered as she looked up at him.
“Good, because you see…”He paused and searched her face.“It seems I’ve come to love you.”
“You do?”Her voice squeaked.
“Yes, I do, Donna. Very much.”He leaned close and kissed her gently.
“That’s…nice that you do.”
He stood there staring at her.
“I mean, it’s really nice.”Why wouldn’t her words work? Why couldn’t she tell him she loved him? It was plain that he was standing there waiting for her words. Instead, she turned and walked over to the edge of the patio out on the point. She stood there silently watching the water slip past in the waterway. She was so happy to hear his words. To hear that he loved her. But she just couldn’t give him what he wanted to hear in return.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.“That’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I know I just kind of sprung all this on you. Staying here in Moonbeam. Telling you how I feel.”
She spun around in his arms and looked up into his warm eyes.“It’s just…I do care about you. I do.”But the men in her life that she’d cared about left her. Every one of them. If she told him she loved him, would that just lead to him leaving her, too? It sounded silly in her mind, but it was how she felt.
“Donna, there is no pressure. And if you’d rather me move down near Naples than stay next door, I can do that too. The last thing I want to do is pressure you into something you’re not ready for.”
“No, don’t leave.”That was precisely what she didn’t want to happen. She reached out and grabbed both his hands.“I’m glad you’re staying here. Very glad. I missed you so much this week. I’ve gotten used to seeing you almost every day. And I’ve missed your company. Talking to you. Just sitting with you.”
“I missed you, too.”
“And I’m glad you told me how you feel. I’m just not ready…I can’t…”She sighed.“Just give me some time.”
“I’ll give you as long as you need.”
They sat back down and sipped lemonade in silence. Each of them lost in their thoughts. She wished she would have been able to tell him that she loved him, too.
But did she?
She cared deeply about him, but was that the same thing?
Or was she just too afraid to let herself take that last step and admit she was in love with him…
Chapter 26
Brett waved to Olivia as she came out on the deck at Jimmy’s. She wove her way through the tables and sat down across from him.
“Hey, Livs, I ordered you your favorite beer. At least Emily said it was your favorite.”
She had the wildest thought to refuse it and ask for wine because she couldn’t stand him making decisions for her, even if it was only what she was going to drink. But she really wanted the beer. She reached across the table and took the bottle, pouring it into the frosty glass waiting for her.
“So, how is Parker’s Cafe going? You look pretty busy.”Brett gave her that boyish smile of his, then took a sip of his beer.
“Sea Glass Cafe,”she corrected him.“Sea. Glass. Cafe. I don’t know why everyone has such a hard time with that.”
“Oh, sorry,”he said. But he sure didn’t look sorry.
“Brett, we need to talk.”
“About what?”He threw her an innocent look.
