Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Since Jack’s departure, I’ve been feeling out of sorts. Like there’s an emptiness I can’t fill without being able to interact with him every day, face-to-face. Something changed between us when he stepped out of his comfort zone to visit me. And the way he asked me to fuck him that night did things to me that I can’t fully admit. Except…I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Jack McCoy, which might not sit well with him. Not with this physical distance between us. The fact that he even put himself out there for me speaks volumes. I know he cares about me too, but any little deviation from our status quo might send him running the other way.
And it again strikes me that I wasn’t in Aqua Vista very long, and despite that, I feel connected to that sleepy, coastal town in a way I haven’t most other places. I can’t help thinking that’s telling. And not just about Jack.
My cell ringing startles me. It’s a number I don’t recognize. “Hello?”
“Uh, Aaron?”
“Speaking.”
“It’s Chuck, Jack’s uncle, from Aqua Vista?”
“Hey, how’s it going?”
My gut churns as I wonder if the call is a good or a bad one. Has something happened to Jack or someone in the family? Listen to me, buying into all that curse bullshit.
“I told you I’d let you know if there were any properties available, and one just went on the market.”
“Awesome.” I’d nearly forgotten. “What’s it like?”
“Well, I’m here now. Want me to video you in?”
“Sure! But hang on, I’m almost at my office.”
“No worries. Hope I didn’t catch you in the middle of something.”
“Nah, just driving. How are all of you?”
“We’re hanging in there.”
We make small talk about his beehives as I pull into my paid space in the garage, and then I hit Accept. “Okay, I’m all set.”
He smiles and waves, then flips the screen. “Okay, so here it is.”
It’s an A-frame cottage, with maybe even less square footage than Jack’s, but there’s something so charming and inviting about the design.
“Might be a little small for you,” he says, moving up the walk toward the porch. “And it needs a lot of work.”
“Why are the owners selling?”
“Mrs. Martin passed away, and her children decided to put it on the market.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
He steps inside, and we’re transported back in time. But around the brocade pillows and awful green couch, I can see the charm of the place with its arched doorways, built-in bookcases, and crown molding.
“It has good bones,” Chuck says, knocking on the wall. “But it would be better to see it in person.”
“Not sure when I can get away again,” I admit. We have a few big deals to close in the next couple of weeks. “Do me a favor and let me know if anyone else puts in an offer?”
“Will do.”
I’m distracted all the way inside the building, past our receptionist, whom I grunt hello to, and to my desk. And then something clicks inside me that feels so dead-on, I can’t shake it. And it’s about more than the quaint fixer-upper cottage.
“You all right?” Rocco asks, bringing me out of my thoughts. He throws himself into a chair across from me.
I study him. “From the looks of you, I could ask the same.”
He pushes a hand through his hair. “Long night.”
“Why is that?”
“Another argument.”
I wince. “I’m sorry.”
“I…I think we need to postpone the wedding.”
“I’m assuming that won’t go over well.”
“No, but the way we’ve been arguing about every little thing is making me…” He trails off and shakes his head, a miserable expression on his face.
“You’re having second thoughts?”
“Yeah, I am.” He frowns, and I’m struck by how dejected he sounds. Rocco doesn’t enjoy failure in his professional or personal life. “But I don’t want to ruin anything while I’m thinking things through.”
“Taking the time to figure out how you feel sounds like a good plan.”
He nods. “So, how about you? You were in another world when I walked in here.”
“Oh, I got a call from Chuck in Aqua Vista.”
His eyebrows knit together. “Chuck?”
“Jack’s uncle. Part beekeeper, part real estate agent.”
“Oh, now I remember. Though not about the bees part. I would’ve liked to see that.”
“Right?” I think back to my discussions with June about the family businesses. “Apparently, that’s how Honeycomb—the general store—got its start.”
“Will wonders never cease,” he says, awe in his voice.
“Anyway, he called because there’s a property available, and I’m thinking about purchasing it.”
“A business idea? Something that might work for our—”
“It’s personal.”
He inhales a sharp breath. “Y…you plan on moving?”
“No…well, I don’t know yet,” I admit. Though an idea has been forming in my brain for quite some time. “I miss working with my hands, and this place needs work. I just thought, maybe it could be a second home.”
He stares at me. “You’re serious.”