Why had he abruptly ended the conversation like that? Thank you? That didn’t sound like someone who wanted to continue things. She didn’t want the night to end. He pulled back and looked down at her again. With her eyes, she was asking him to stay. She didn’t want to leave this perfect moment behind. She wanted to put their differences aside because she felt so connected to him. She was sure now what she wanted. She wanted to know what it felt like to wake up to him in the morning, make breakfast together, watch the sunrise over the water. She wanted more time with this side of Jake Buchanan.Please don’t let it end yet, she thought.
“Faith.” He took in a deep breath and let it out. “I wish this night didn’t have to end.”
For some reason, she knew what he was going to say. He’d read her mind again. There was something new in his face. It was subtle, but she’d noticed it. It wasn’t anything like what she’d seen tonight. It was almost apprehension. Was she coming on too strong? Did he not feel for her what she was feeling for him? Or was he, too, worried about that other part of his life where she wouldn’t fit.
“But it does. I think you’re fantastic. But if you stay, this,” he wagged a finger between them. “This will be different. It’s better if we’re just friends.” His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he finally walked over and grabbed their plates, headed toward the kitchen.
“How will it be different?” She asked, following him. They’d been so open and honest with each other. How would anything be different than that?
“Believe me. It will. I’ve been down that road before, and I’m not doing it again.”
“Down what road?” She didn’t like the way that sounded. Did he see being with her as some sort of sentence? The way he’d made it sound—down that road—made her feel like spending real time with her would be a chore.
“Look, we’ve had a really great night. I’ve had a ton of fun. But we both know that when things move beyond what they are now—this one night—neither of us would be happy.”
How dare he think for her! He didn’t know what would make her happy. Shouldn’t she be able to make that determination on her own? But lingering between them in the silence was the real issue:hewouldn’t be happy. Why wouldn’t he be happy with her? She stood, stunned by this truth.
“I’ll call the car.”
He put the plates into the sink and turned around. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. After a few taps on the screen, he put the phone to his ear. “Hello. It’s Jake Buchanan. I’m at mile post seventeen and a half.” He paused, listening. “Yes. That’s me. I was wondering if you could send a car out. I have a lady here who needs a ride back to mile post ten.” More silence. “Excellent. See you soon.” He ended the call.
TEN
The Lincoln Town Car pulled in to the drive at Faith’s cottage. “Thank you,” she said, getting out. The driver nodded, and she shut the door. Jake had been pleasant when they’d said their goodbyes, but he’d stood at a distance, a different emotion behind his smile. She kept coming back to the Tides and his plans for development.
“So?” she heard before she’d even gotten through the door. Casey was sitting in the breakfast nook, her laptop open beside her. “How was it? What was the Mercedes all about? Where did you go?”
“Um…” Where should she start? The whole night and all the emotions it had stirred within her were swirling around in her head.
“You okay?” Casey had gone from excited to concerned in a split second.
“Yes,” she said, taking a breath in an attempt to clear her head. “It was good.”
“Just good?”
It wasn’t just good. It was fantastic. Her date with Jake was probably the best first date she’d ever had—even with the disagreement—and she wanted to see him again. She wanted to have his eyes on her like they had been tonight; she wanted to see his smile directed at her. Tonight, she felt something new and interesting—that flutter. She couldn’t deny the way he’d looked at her, the way he’d responded to her. That’s what had made that moment when he said they should remain friends so difficult to swallow. Maybe he was right, though. As much as she liked him, and as much as they seemed to fit together at times, the gray cloud lingering over them was their fundamental difference in what they wanted. He wanted to make money, even if it was at the expense of the North Carolina shore and all its serenity—the only place she felt truly at ease. She wanted a quiet place to bring her family, where everyone could have a good time and make memories.
“What about the car? You have to tell me about the car.”
“It’s his,” she said, still trying to make sense of it. “And the sailboat’s his too.”
“What? It is?”
“He’s…” Her mind was elsewhere, but she didn’t want to be rude so she pushed the thoughts away and sat down next to her sister. “He’s very wealthy.”
“What?” she said again. “How?”
“He’s a land developer, but he does handyman work for fun.”
“This just gets more interesting by the minute!” Casey said, looking full of excitement. Her eyes were glittery, a big smile on her face. Faith felt her dinner sour in her stomach as she looked at Casey’s face. This was still a game to her. Faith didn’t see it the same way after being with him all night. He’d been vulnerable, honest, and they’d left questions she still wanted to work through. Suddenly, Faith didn’t want Casey anywhere near Jake.
“Why do you have your laptop out?” Faith asked, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. She was tired from the sun and the wine, and attempting to figure Jake out.
Casey’s face dropped from excited to somber in a flash. She looked sad, anxious, her brows had pulled together, a deep crease forming between them, her bottom lip trembling just a little before she chewed on the inside of it—probably to keep it steady.
“I got an email from Scott. An informal list of what he wants to keep of ours, and what he thinks I should have. He wants me to check it over before he sends it to his lawyer.”
Casey didn’t handle tough circumstances well. Things always came easily for her, so when she was faced with something as hard as this, she would want to push it away, ignore the reality of it. When it came to the hard things in life, she struggled, and that’s where Faith had the upper hand. Faith had had enough things not go her way in life that she’d figured out how to deal with the situation. Seeing Casey’s face told her that her sister needed her right now.
