Hearts at Seaside (Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Book 3) Page 16

  She nearly choked on her drink. She swallowed the liquid and blinked away the surprise. “Excuse me? I didn’t turn off my hot water.”

  He arched a brow. “Jenna, I was there, remember? I fixed it?”

  “I swear I didn’t do that. I even checked the fuse box to make sure it hadn’t flicked off.”

  “Tripped.” He flashed a sweet smile.

  “Whatever. Do you really think I’d take a shower at Bella’s if I could have—Oh my gosh.” She narrowed her eyes. “We’ve been had.”

  “We have?”

  “I didn’t do it, but I’d bet a million dollars that Bella and Amy did. Or at least Bella. They were less than pleased when I asked Charlie out.”

  “Well, then, I’ll have to thank them.”

  She remembered her towel falling and the way Pete had looked over her butt, all the while causing her entire body to catch flames. She thought she might just have to thank them, too.

  “I wasn’t pleased about you asking him out either.”

  She snuggled into his side. “Who are you kidding? If I hadn’t asked him out, you might never have been interested in me.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I have always been interested in you. If I wasn’t interested, would I know that your favorite color is orange? Or that the dinner we’re eating is your favorite? Would I know that on Tuesday mornings you peek at me from around the side of your cottage? Or that you’re afraid of sharks? Would I know that you secretly wish you could go out on the sand barge with the seals when they gather at low tide on the beach near P-town—regardless of the ten-thousand-dollar fine if you’re caught?”

  Holy cow. “Pete? How do you know all that?”

  He ran his finger down her cheek. “Because during all those get-togethers, the only thing that interested me was you. I might look like I’m a million miles away, but my mind has always been on you, Jenna. Just you.” He pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

  “I never knew.” Oh, how she wished she had. Maybe she wouldn’t have been so nervous around him. “You said, just me, but at the Beachcomber you were all over that blonde.”

  Pete smiled and turned away.

  “This is one of those times when you should lie to me.” Jealousy sliced through her.

  Pete moved closer and set their food aside; then he pulled Jenna’s legs over his and wrapped her in his arms. “Babe, I have some fessing up of my own to do, and it’s a little embarrassing.”

  Jenna braced herself for a blow. “If you slept with her, please lie to me.” She heard the fear in her own voice.

  He shook his head. “She’s only a friend, babe. But I did something that I probably shouldn’t have. You were with that guy, and it made me insanely jealous.”

  “I like where this is going.” Jenna smiled and ran her finger along his lower lip.

  Pete’s eyes went dark.

  “Keep going.” She could tell by the way his mouth twitched that he was embarrassed about whatever he was going to reveal, even if he was staring at her like he wanted to devour her.

  He touched his forehead to hers. “I feel like a stupid teenager.” He shook his head. “Here goes. I asked her to make you jealous so you would want me as badly as I wanted you.”

  Jenna threw her head back with a loud laugh. Her hand flew to her mouth. “You tried to make me jealous? Me? The woman who has been trying to get your attention forever?”

  He looked away. “I’m not proud of it.”

  “Well, it worked. She basically told me that you were an animal in bed. I thought she’d slept with you, and between that and your comment about erotic, sensual sex…”

  A coy grin curved his lips. “Promises, not comments. I got your attention.”

  She kissed his chin. “Petey, you had my attention the first time you cleaned the pool in that white tank top and black board shorts, with your John Lennon sunglasses.”

  Pete laughed. “You remember my round sunglasses?”

  “There are so many things about you that I’ll never forget. And the list just keeps getting longer and longer.”

  AN HOUR LATER they were standing at the edge of the crowded Tabernacle in the Campground neighborhood of Oak Bluffs, where Illumination Night was taking place. The Tabernacle was surrounded by small cottages decorated elaborately with flowers and brightly colored paper lanterns hanging from their eaves and off the porch railings. The cottages were built very closely together, boasting vibrant colors, peaks adorned with gingerbread, and decks complete with fancy balusters. Children played on the lawns, light sticks glowing like sabers in the darkness, as people of all ages sang and moved to the melody beneath dozens of paper lanterns that hung from the rafters and on the railings of the Tabernacle.

  Pete watched Jenna’s eyes widen as she took in the enormous wooden Tabernacle. A band played on a stage beneath the high ceiling, and the crowd began to sing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” She gasped an excited breath, and he was glad that he hadn’t ruined the surprise by telling her about it ahead of time. Her hand flew to her chest, and she opened her mouth to say something to Pete, who could do little more than beam at her delight. She didn’t say a word. Her eyes shifted back to the crowd, and a few minutes later she joined the crowd in singing, “Someone’s in the Kitchen with Dinah.”

  Jenna wrapped her arms around Pete’s waist and gazed up at him. Joey wagged her tail at their feet. “What is all of this?”

  “It’s called Illumination Night. It’s an annual event put on by the Camp Meeting Association. They don’t publicize it to try to keep crowds to a minimum.” He watched her as she turned slowly around, taking in the interesting architecture of the two-story cottages. “Back in the 1800s, when the Tabernacle was first built, Methodists gathered here and held their annual meetings. They camped back then, and over the years they replaced the campsites with these cottages.”

  “Why are the roads so narrow?”

  “Because they were made to fit horse-drawn buggies.”

  The crowd sang “Yankee Doodle,” and then the din of the crowd quieted, calling Jenna’s attention back to the Tabernacle. The band silenced, and all eyes were drawn to the stage, where two men, one older and one about Pete’s age, lit a paper lantern. As if the lighting of the lantern controlled the electricity in the entire neighborhood, as soon as the lantern was lit, all of the lights in the neighborhood went off. A collective gasp rose from the crowd as the paper lanterns bloomed to life, illuminating the Tabernacle, cottages, and streets in bubbles of color and magic.

  Jenna inhaled loudly, her eyes opened wide as she tugged on Pete’s shirt. “Petey, take a picture. Quick, before the lights go back on.”

  He already had his cell phone in hand, clicked a picture, and captured Jenna’s excitement. He bent down so their cheeks were pressed together and snapped another picture; then he kissed her lips. Joey crawled up their legs and they crouched beside her, getting her in the shot. Jenna laughed and made faces as he snapped a few more; then her eyes grew serious and she pressed her small, soft hands to his cheeks.

  “It’s not this place that’s magical, Pete. It’s you. It’s always been you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  THEY TOOK THE last ferry back to Woods Hole, then drove back toward Wellfleet. Joey was sprawled across Jenna’s lap, and Jenna had a dreamy look in her eyes. Pete reached for her hand.

  “Did you have fun today?”

  She smiled and stroked Joey’s back. “I had the most amazing day. You know how sometimes you want to savor every second of something? Sear it into your brain so ten years from now you remember more than just what you did, but how it smelled, the sounds around you, and the way the air felt? That’s what I’m trying to do. Only instead of memorizing the heat of the sun, I keep feeling the brush of us whispering across my skin. I can’t describe it, and I know it sounds strange, but…” She lifted a shoulder, as if that explained it all.

  He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “It’s not strange. I feel it,
too. We’re creating our own private history. Then years from now we’ll look back and remember how it felt.”

  His cell phone vibrated, and Pete tensed. He reluctantly released Jenna’s hand and pulled the phone from his pocket. His father’s name flashed on the screen. Of all the stinkin’ nights.

  “I’m sorry, Jenna. It’s my dad, and there’s a good chance it’s not going to be pretty.”

  She set her hand on his thigh. “History is rarely all pretty. Why should ours be any different?”

  They drove the rest of the way to Pete’s father’s house in silence. His father lived on a quiet street of Cape-style homes, most of which were dark, as it was closing on ten thirty.

  “Is this where you grew up?” Jenna asked as Pete parked the truck in his father’s driveway.

  “Yeah.” Pete stepped from the truck and came around to open Jenna’s door. Joey jumped out and ran up to the porch. Jenna turned to get out of the truck, and Pete stood blocking her way. He leaned forward and kissed her, despite the worry in his eyes. “Babe, you don’t have to come inside. I appreciate your support, but really. It’s okay if you stay here.”

  Jenna touched his cheek. “I’m dealing with a mother who dresses like she’s twenty and acts about the same. There’s no difference, Pete. Your situation might be more dire, but part of being in a relationship is helping each other, and if that meant only when times were good, then we’d never grow together as a couple.”

  He searched her eyes, as if he was debating if he should move out of her way and allow her to go inside. “It’s embarrassing for you to see him this way.”

  “Then I’ll stay in another room. I just want you to know I’m there with you.”

  Pete touched his forehead to hers. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’d gladly do it again and again.”

  Jenna followed him and Joey inside. Pete led her into a dark living room and turned on a lamp, revealing a well-loved sofa, fireplace, and a room full of family photographs.

  “Do you mind waiting in here?” Pete’s shoulders rode high, knotted with tension.

  “Not at all.” She watched him leave the room with Joey on his heels.

  Some houses smelled of home cooking, baked goods, or cleaning agents, while others smelled of warm family memories. Pete’s father’s house smelled of sadness. The air was heavy, not stale, but on its way there. It felt empty and lonely, and on top of that, Jenna felt pain hanging in the air. She listened to the sound of Pete’s voice coming from somewhere down the hall. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but she caught his empathetic tone. She perused the photographs on the wall. Although she’d met Pete’s father in the hardware store, she’d never met Pete’s siblings or his mother. The family resemblance was strong among the boys, each tall and chiseled, with brooding eyes and broad chests. His sister, however, looked different from the others, less serious—probably because she was so young—with large, round eyes and a soft chin. She had full lips, and her hair was a shade lighter than Pete’s and hung to the middle of her back.

  She followed a trail of pictures that marked the boys’ journey from lanky and hairless kids to thickly muscled stalks of power, while Sky remained lithe and feminine. The boys had their arms slung over one another’s shoulders in one picture, and in another Pete and another brother each held up fish, still attached to their fishing lines, proud grins on their lips. The other boys were in the background, hip deep in a pond, fishing rods in hand. Sky was sitting on the sand off to the right behind a woman whom she resembled and could only be their mother. Pete had her eyes, and the way she was smiling at Sky spoke of her love for her.

  Jenna turned at the sound of footsteps on hardwood and Joey’s nails tapping across the floor. She peered down the hall and saw the back of the two men, Pete’s arm securely around his father’s thick waist, his head bowed, as he helped him toward another room.

  “Come on, Pop. That’s it. I’ve got you.” Pete’s voice was compassionate and quiet.

  “Bea? Where’s she, Peter?” His father’s words slurred together, and Jenna’s heart squeezed.

  Joey padded toward Jenna, and Pete turned, his eyes catching hers with a heartbroken expression. She wanted to go to him, help him, and tell him it was going to be okay. She wanted to help tuck his father into bed and rub a damp cloth over his father’s head, assuring him that he, too, would be okay. A chill ran down her spine at the immense struggle she saw in Pete’s eyes, and she knew she could make no such promise. This was a battle his father had to want to win, and no matter how much she wanted to help Pete get his father the help he so desperately needed, this struggle was between father and son. She felt love fill the hallway, bonding Pete and his father in a way that could only come from years of love and respect—and she felt the pressure of the alcohol forcing its way between them, doing everything within its power to create an even greater divide between father and son.

  They left a while later and drove to Seaside in silence. Pete’s forehead was etched deep with worry. When Jenna reached for his hand, he blessed her with a try at a smile—it faltered as quickly as it had been forced to appear.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that, but I was glad you insisted on being there. Thank you.” Pete parked in her driveway and came around to open her door. Joey jumped out of the truck and sniffed around his feet.

  “Don’t be sorry for me, Pete. I feel bad for you.”

  They went inside, and Joey ran straight to her puppy bed, walked in circles, then flopped down on her belly with an exhausted huff. Pete sat on the sofa, his long, powerful legs stretched across the floor. He reached for Jenna’s hand, and as she lowered herself beside him, he lifted her onto his lap. She circled his neck with her arms and ran her fingers through the back of his hair. Their foreheads touched, and Pete’s hand slid from her waist to her cheek. He tilted her head and brought his lips to hers, angling her jaw so they could each take more of the other in a kiss that somehow felt loving and tender at the same time. She wanted, needed, to take away his pain and replace it with the feel of her body, the sense of her love, if only for a while. To be his in any way he wished, to love, cherish, possess, until there was no room for sadness or worry.

  A deep moan escaped his lungs, igniting every fiber of her being.

  He spoke urgently between their kisses. “Love you…My whole life—”

  His words circled her love-addled mind.

  “You’re beautiful, but you’re so much more, Jenna. I love making love to you. Not just your body—you.”

  He wrapped his arms around her, his cheek pressed to hers, his hot breath coasted over her ear.

  “I love you, Jenna. I love you so much.”

  A whisper in her ear, a promise, a confession.

  Her throat thickened as his admission vibrated through her, rooting itself deep in her heart.

  “I love you, too, Pete. I always have.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  PETE HADN’T EVER thought much about love or marriage. He’d attended friends’ weddings over the years, and he’d still never given the idea a second thought. He watched Jenna standing with her hands on her hips, her face pinched into a scrutinizing leer as she stared into her closet Wednesday morning. How did I go so long without you? With Jenna, he was possessive and jealous. She had her own quirks, but somehow they worked well together. He might think he was nuts if they hadn’t been silently courting each other for years, but during those years their emotions took hold and finally had the space to bloom.

  “How can it be that difficult to pick a pair of sandals?” he said with a tender smile as he touched her cheek. He loved that she went to such great lengths to make sure things were just as she liked them to be. He knew she was nervous about her mom’s arrival, but he also knew that she took great pains like this every time she dressed. Bella and the others often teased her about it, but watching her in action gave him a whole new appreciation for Jenna and what she needed to feel comfortable, and he loved her even more for her J
ennaisms. He couldn’t believe he’d almost let her slip away. It killed him to think he could have lost her before they’d ever had a chance, and he’d do anything—everything—within his power to ensure she knew how much he adored her.

  Jenna slid her eyes to Joey, lying on her doggie bed a few feet away. “How can I explain this to a man?” She wore her green bikini and a pair of cutoffs, and she looked amazing. Her lower lip came out in a little pout that drew his arms around her. “I need to match my cover-up to my flip-flops. And it’s very important. If I pick the wrong ones, I might realize it when it’s too late and I won’t be able to change them.”

  “Why won’t you?”

  She sighed, with the cutest pout on her lips. “Because what if we’re already out?”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “So we come back for them. I will never understand how that brilliant mind of yours works, but I love how you see things that no one else does. The beauty of rocks, the way you pull things together until they calm your obsessions. I want to be your obsession, Jenna.” He smiled—though he was only partially teasing.

  “You have been for years.” She went up on tiptoes, and he met her halfway for a sweet kiss. “So you don’t think my OCD will drive you crazy?”

  “Never.”

  “I’ll make us late to get-togethers.”

  He shrugged. “Being on time is for losers.”

  “I’ll make you come back home if I decide my earrings aren’t the right ones, even if we’re already late.”

  He kissed her forehead. “And I’ll turn the truck around and come back without hesitation. Right, Joey?” He leaned down and pet the pup’s head. Joey rolled over so he could scratch her belly.

  “I’ll organize your entire house and you won’t be able to find anything.” She bit her lower lip, her cheeks plumping with her smile.

  “I’ll make you a key today.” He planned on paying a visit to his father’s store today, and he’d make her a key while he was there. He sealed his promise with a kiss.