able to make it happen. Take care of yourself, Reid.”
“You do the same. Say no to drugs.”
That made her laugh. “I’ll try.” She glanced up at the house. The woman in his life was nowhere to be seen, but Kate had no doubt she was watching them. “Is there a way out that doesn’t require going through your house?”
“Take that path.”
“I was thinking I might stick around for a day or two, since I’ve never been here and it’s so beautiful. Where do you recommend I stay?”
“My friend Desi owns the Sunset Point Resort over in Frigate Bay. I’ll give him a call and ask him to set you up with something private.”
“That’d be very nice. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll see you.”
“Bye, Kate.”
As she ventured up the path he’d pointed out to her, she felt him watching her. Only when she reached the top and saw her waiting cab did she allow herself to breathe again. It hadn’t gone exactly the way she’d hoped, but she’d gotten the closure she needed. She’d have to be satisfied with the partial victory and find a way to go on without him.
Chapter 4
Reid watched Kate go up the path and disappear into the road. For a long time after she was out of sight, he stood there, staring at the path, his mind reeling after the conversation, the surprise, the reaction. To deny he’d reacted to her as strongly as he always had would be disingenuous.
Seeing her again had been like a punch to the gut. Even though his back had been to her, the instant she said his name, he’d known it was her. No one had ever said his name the same way she did. No one had ever electrified him just by looking at him the way she did. No one had ever set him on fire with need the way she had.
“Damn it,” he muttered, turning away from the path and resting his hands on the upturned bottom of the boat he’d been restoring for months now. He’d been perfectly content with his life on the island, his life with Mari, and now… Now he knew Kate still thought of him, that she’d never forgotten him or what they’d shared, that she felt bad about the way things ended. How was he supposed to go on with his contented little life knowing all that?
For a brief moment, he was angry with her. How dare she come here, to his home, and upset his well-ordered life by saying all those things to him? How dare she make herself feel better at his expense? But then it occurred to him that it had probably taken a tremendous amount of courage for her to work up the nerve to first find him and then come to see him, especially after the way they’d left things.
Their relationship had been doomed from the start. No one in their lives had approved of the twenty-eight years between them. Hell, he hadn’t approved, but he’d been powerless to resist falling in love with her sweetness, her innocence, her angelic voice and beautiful face.
She was even more beautiful at almost thirty than she’d been at eighteen. She’d grown into her coltish body, but the long, thick blonde hair and stunning blue eyes were exactly as he remembered. He’d never seen eyes quite like hers, and he’d never forgotten what it had been like to have those eyes look at him with love and affection and desire unlike anything he’d experienced with anyone else.
“Reid?”
Mari’s voice jarred him out of his musings. He turned to find her looking at him warily, as if waiting for him to confirm that a bomb had just dropped into the middle of their peaceful lives. What did he say to her when he wasn’t even sure what to make of it himself?
“Hey.”
“That was Kate.”
“Yes.” He’d once told her about Kate in a moment he now wished he could take back, because she would fully appreciate the importance of Kate’s reappearance. When he’d told her, he’d expected to never see Kate again. It had never occurred to him that she would seek him out.
“And?”
“Nothing. She had something she wanted to
“You do the same. Say no to drugs.”
That made her laugh. “I’ll try.” She glanced up at the house. The woman in his life was nowhere to be seen, but Kate had no doubt she was watching them. “Is there a way out that doesn’t require going through your house?”
“Take that path.”
“I was thinking I might stick around for a day or two, since I’ve never been here and it’s so beautiful. Where do you recommend I stay?”
“My friend Desi owns the Sunset Point Resort over in Frigate Bay. I’ll give him a call and ask him to set you up with something private.”
“That’d be very nice. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll see you.”
“Bye, Kate.”
As she ventured up the path he’d pointed out to her, she felt him watching her. Only when she reached the top and saw her waiting cab did she allow herself to breathe again. It hadn’t gone exactly the way she’d hoped, but she’d gotten the closure she needed. She’d have to be satisfied with the partial victory and find a way to go on without him.
Chapter 4
Reid watched Kate go up the path and disappear into the road. For a long time after she was out of sight, he stood there, staring at the path, his mind reeling after the conversation, the surprise, the reaction. To deny he’d reacted to her as strongly as he always had would be disingenuous.
Seeing her again had been like a punch to the gut. Even though his back had been to her, the instant she said his name, he’d known it was her. No one had ever said his name the same way she did. No one had ever electrified him just by looking at him the way she did. No one had ever set him on fire with need the way she had.
“Damn it,” he muttered, turning away from the path and resting his hands on the upturned bottom of the boat he’d been restoring for months now. He’d been perfectly content with his life on the island, his life with Mari, and now… Now he knew Kate still thought of him, that she’d never forgotten him or what they’d shared, that she felt bad about the way things ended. How was he supposed to go on with his contented little life knowing all that?
For a brief moment, he was angry with her. How dare she come here, to his home, and upset his well-ordered life by saying all those things to him? How dare she make herself feel better at his expense? But then it occurred to him that it had probably taken a tremendous amount of courage for her to work up the nerve to first find him and then come to see him, especially after the way they’d left things.
Their relationship had been doomed from the start. No one in their lives had approved of the twenty-eight years between them. Hell, he hadn’t approved, but he’d been powerless to resist falling in love with her sweetness, her innocence, her angelic voice and beautiful face.
She was even more beautiful at almost thirty than she’d been at eighteen. She’d grown into her coltish body, but the long, thick blonde hair and stunning blue eyes were exactly as he remembered. He’d never seen eyes quite like hers, and he’d never forgotten what it had been like to have those eyes look at him with love and affection and desire unlike anything he’d experienced with anyone else.
“Reid?”
Mari’s voice jarred him out of his musings. He turned to find her looking at him warily, as if waiting for him to confirm that a bomb had just dropped into the middle of their peaceful lives. What did he say to her when he wasn’t even sure what to make of it himself?
“Hey.”
“That was Kate.”
“Yes.” He’d once told her about Kate in a moment he now wished he could take back, because she would fully appreciate the importance of Kate’s reappearance. When he’d told her, he’d expected to never see Kate again. It had never occurred to him that she would seek him out.
“And?”
“Nothing. She had something she wanted to
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