sides of the bucket seat of Sam’s car.
“This is a foolish waste of my time, Eleanor.”
“No, it’s not. This is
your
house Sam, and maybe if you’re involved in fixing it up, you’ll want to spend more time there.”
“Eleanor, I
plan
on spending more time there. But I don’t really give a damn if there’re black tiles or purple carpet on the floors. As long as the bed is comfortable and the place has plenty of Scotch—”
“Oh, hush,” Eleanor cut him off. “You care about that house and how it looks. You just don’t know it, that’s all. Besides, a gorgeous Saturday like this certainly shouldn’t be spent in an air-conditioned office building. And besides that, I needed a ride to my sister’s in Watsonville. My car simply gave up the ghost yesterday. So you see, dear Sam, this worked out for the best for everyone involved.”
Sam set his jaw. He had decided he’d steer clear of the beach house until it was completely finished. He had enough problems without coping with naked decorators on his deck. It was a moment frozen in time, and he couldn’t get away from it, that moonlight vision of her, dripping wet, naked as a jaybird, her eyes luminous, beautiful, deep … her skin as silky smooth as a fine imported fabric. And then the kiss that followed later—hell, it took a freezing swim even to begin to dampen it. And Lord knows he didn’t need it. He had plenty of women friends. He didn’t need to be obsessing about a strange young woman who communed with houses and dressed like a damn hippy.
“She’s a beautiful young woman,” Eleanor mused.
Sam shut off his thoughts, shut out Eleanor, and pressed down hard on the accelerator.
“They’ll meet us here,” Joseph announced as he ushered Maddie inside the restaurant.
The restaurant was on the edge of the Santa Cruz wharf, a quiet, casual place with great seafood and a wonderful view. Strollers sauntered out to the small shops and restaurants along the weather-beaten wharf.
“Cozy,” Maddie mused as Joseph held open the door to the restaurant for her.
“Come now, Madeline, let’s put aside this reluctance to have fun and relax a little.”
“Joseph, that’s my line.”
Joseph’s lined face creased in a grin. “That’s right. So I finally took you at your word, and what happens—you go and turn into a curmudgeon on me!”
Maddie touched his hand. “Not so. I’m okay now. I was a little preoccupied this afternoon, that’s all. I’m fine.”
“I understand. I was wrong to make plans for you, but I did think it wise to have Eastland approve the initial expenditures. We’re spending a hefty sum of his money, my dear.”
A waiter led them to a table near a wall of windows overlooking the ocean and took their drink orders.
Maddie looked out at the ocean, following a wave as it rose up into the air and curled back on itself, finally unraveling into a thin white strip along the beach. Even after nearly five years here, she was still mesmerized by the power of the sea. She loved it, found peace in it. She turned her attention to Joseph.
“This restaurant was a good choice. Since the view is the same as that at the Eastland house, it will be easy to talk about ideas.”
Joseph nodded. “I’m happy to see things are happening out there. The painters called and said they had gone back, left more sample strokes on the walls—”
“Good.” Maddie sipped her iced tea slowly, her brow creased in concentration. “We might need some minor carpentry work done too. I left a note on yourdesk about it. And I want to green up the front and sides of the house with plantings.”
From the front door of the restaurant, Sam Eastland watched the conversation between Maddie and the older man. Her cheeks were flushed, her hands moving through the air like propellers. She wore a black hat tonight, one that fitted her head closely, then curled back in the front. And there were the flowers, yellow and blue and deep rose, tucked into the
“This is a foolish waste of my time, Eleanor.”
“No, it’s not. This is
your
house Sam, and maybe if you’re involved in fixing it up, you’ll want to spend more time there.”
“Eleanor, I
plan
on spending more time there. But I don’t really give a damn if there’re black tiles or purple carpet on the floors. As long as the bed is comfortable and the place has plenty of Scotch—”
“Oh, hush,” Eleanor cut him off. “You care about that house and how it looks. You just don’t know it, that’s all. Besides, a gorgeous Saturday like this certainly shouldn’t be spent in an air-conditioned office building. And besides that, I needed a ride to my sister’s in Watsonville. My car simply gave up the ghost yesterday. So you see, dear Sam, this worked out for the best for everyone involved.”
Sam set his jaw. He had decided he’d steer clear of the beach house until it was completely finished. He had enough problems without coping with naked decorators on his deck. It was a moment frozen in time, and he couldn’t get away from it, that moonlight vision of her, dripping wet, naked as a jaybird, her eyes luminous, beautiful, deep … her skin as silky smooth as a fine imported fabric. And then the kiss that followed later—hell, it took a freezing swim even to begin to dampen it. And Lord knows he didn’t need it. He had plenty of women friends. He didn’t need to be obsessing about a strange young woman who communed with houses and dressed like a damn hippy.
“She’s a beautiful young woman,” Eleanor mused.
Sam shut off his thoughts, shut out Eleanor, and pressed down hard on the accelerator.
“They’ll meet us here,” Joseph announced as he ushered Maddie inside the restaurant.
The restaurant was on the edge of the Santa Cruz wharf, a quiet, casual place with great seafood and a wonderful view. Strollers sauntered out to the small shops and restaurants along the weather-beaten wharf.
“Cozy,” Maddie mused as Joseph held open the door to the restaurant for her.
“Come now, Madeline, let’s put aside this reluctance to have fun and relax a little.”
“Joseph, that’s my line.”
Joseph’s lined face creased in a grin. “That’s right. So I finally took you at your word, and what happens—you go and turn into a curmudgeon on me!”
Maddie touched his hand. “Not so. I’m okay now. I was a little preoccupied this afternoon, that’s all. I’m fine.”
“I understand. I was wrong to make plans for you, but I did think it wise to have Eastland approve the initial expenditures. We’re spending a hefty sum of his money, my dear.”
A waiter led them to a table near a wall of windows overlooking the ocean and took their drink orders.
Maddie looked out at the ocean, following a wave as it rose up into the air and curled back on itself, finally unraveling into a thin white strip along the beach. Even after nearly five years here, she was still mesmerized by the power of the sea. She loved it, found peace in it. She turned her attention to Joseph.
“This restaurant was a good choice. Since the view is the same as that at the Eastland house, it will be easy to talk about ideas.”
Joseph nodded. “I’m happy to see things are happening out there. The painters called and said they had gone back, left more sample strokes on the walls—”
“Good.” Maddie sipped her iced tea slowly, her brow creased in concentration. “We might need some minor carpentry work done too. I left a note on yourdesk about it. And I want to green up the front and sides of the house with plantings.”
From the front door of the restaurant, Sam Eastland watched the conversation between Maddie and the older man. Her cheeks were flushed, her hands moving through the air like propellers. She wore a black hat tonight, one that fitted her head closely, then curled back in the front. And there were the flowers, yellow and blue and deep rose, tucked into the
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