Coming Home by Marie Force Page A

tell me. She told me.” He shrugged, hoping to convey that everything was fine and not sure if he succeeded. “Nothing more to it than that.”
    Mari tipped her head and looked at him with wise, knowing eyes. “Is that right?”
    “Uh-huh. Are you ready for some dinner? Where do you want to go?”
    “So we’re going to act like nothing happened? That’s how you want to handle this?”
    “Nothing did happen. How else would you have me handle it?”  
    “Maybe you can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me. I know you too well. Seeing her had to rock you.”
    “I was surprised to see her. I won’t deny that, but it’s nothing to worry about.” He stashed his tools in a bucket under the boat and brushed sand off his hands. “I’m starving. Are you?”  
    “I could eat something, I suppose.”
    Hoping to reassure her, he put his arm around her and drew her in close to him as he walked them to the stairs, comforted by her familiar scent and the easy, stress-free bond they’d had from the beginning.  
    Their relationship had often reminded him of what he’d shared with his late wife. With both women, he’d known friendship, companionship, familiarity and satisfying, if not earth-shattering, lovemaking.  
    With Kate, there’d been fire and drama and intensity and earth-shattering lovemaking. And magic. It was that last part he’d missed the most after she left. He told himself he was better off without the fire and the drama, and he could live without the magic. The peaceful existence he knew now was the trade-off. No one got everything. He firmly believed that. His new life with Mari satisfied him, and he wouldn’t do anything to endanger that.
    Magic was beautiful until it wasn’t anymore. And then it was painful. He’d learned that the hard way and had no desire to go there again. Once had been more than enough.  
     
    Apparently, Reid had some major connections with the owner of the Sunset Bay Resort, because Kate found herself in a beachfront bungalow with an amazing view of the moon rising over placid water.  
    “Is this to your liking, ma’am?” asked the young woman who had escorted Kate from the resort’s check-in area.  
    “This would be to anyone’s liking.” Kate smiled and gave the woman a twenty-dollar tip. “Thank you very much.”
    “My pleasure. If you’d like, I could have some dinner sent to you. I can wait for you to make your selection or press nine on any of the house phones to place your order.”
    “I think I’ll wait a bit.” Kate couldn’t imagine eating right now, not when her nerves were still in such a jumble after seeing Reid.
    “As you wish, ma’am. Enjoy your stay with us, and let us know if we can be of service to you.”
    “I will, thank you.”
    A few minutes later, the bellman arrived with Kate’s suitcase and set it in the master bedroom. And then she was finally alone. Kate couldn’t remember a time when she’d wanted to be alone more than she did right now. The last time had been the week after she broke things off with Reid. She’d holed up in her Green Hills condo to lick her wounds until Buddy forced her back to work by threatening legal action.
    He’d done her a favor by playing hardball, and over time she’d gotten past the hurt and shock of losing Reid and moved forward with her life. Except, she’d never moved forward romantically. She’d been stuck on him all this time. Seeing him today had brought that home for her far more than a series of failed relationships or the passage of time ever could have.
    Now that she had her answer, it was time to find a way to get unstuck. They’d had their moment. Their time had come and gone and was not to be repeated. He had someone else and was happy. There was no place for Kate in his new life, and now she had to accept that and go on.  
    She walked onto the balcony that abutted the beach and leaned against the rail to watch the moon rise. This was such a beautiful place. She could see why