They wandered toward one of the three main beverage carts, then paused, watching a band set up on a portable stage. He didn’t know what kind of music they played—country, rock, classical. It didn’t matter. Any song would give him the excuse to hold her close. “I have to warn you, I’m a horrible dancer.”
The smile he loved so much returned to her face. “Me, too.”
“I can’t actuallyflya plane,” Ford admitted. “You aren’t disappointed, are you?”
She shook her head. “Not a bit. Tessa is the thrill-seeker of the Whitmore sisters. I’m quite happy with my feet firmly planted on the ground, thank you.”
Ford ordered them a couple of drinks, keeping his thoughts to himself about Liam’s motivation. It wouldn’t matter anyway. Liam hadn’t won a private jet, which is what he needed to travel that kind of distance to Tessa. And the odds of her showing up in Sunset Ridge seemed pretty slim.
“Iamlooking forward to some crab legs,” Cadence said when he handed her a cup.
“Crab legs I can do.” He waited for her to tell him there was a ticking clock to make good on that offer, but she didn’t, and he let himself relax. They found a bench and took a seat while they waited for the band to start. Ford put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.
“I think my favorite part of summer here,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder, “is that it never gets dark. I know it drives some people crazy, but I absolutely love it. Patty had to catch me a dozen times, passed out in front of her bedroom windows at midnight.”
“Are you sad you never made it back here until now?”
“Yeah. But I’m happy I came, even if it took a tragedy to make it happen. I forgot how special this place was to me.” Cadence let out a contended sigh. “It’s easy to dismiss a childhood dream when the reality of being an adult hits. But now that I’m back . . .”
“You could stay,” Ford said.
“I want to.”
His fingers traced gentle circles on her bare shoulder, the heat of her skin igniting all his senses. “You could run the lodge, you know. Wouldn’t that put you in that elite club you talked about with your sisters?”
“Maybe.”
The band introduced themselves, but Ford didn’t catch the name. Their first song had the crowd up and excited. He pulled Cadence to her feet. Before they dove into heavy, serious topics, he wanted them both to have a little fun.
“I’m really no good at this,” Cadence said about dancing. But they locked their fingers together and bounced to the rhythm, all smiles and laughter. How long had it been since Ford experienced bliss like this? He saw his future in those sparkling eyes.
When the music slowed, she fell into his arms as though it was the most natural thing in the world. She rested her cheek against his wildly beating heart. They swayed to the slow country song about falling in love, and it was then that Ford realized what he truly felt for Cadence Whitmore. He was madly in love with this amazing woman.
Though they had only known each other for a week, he felt he knew her before ever meeting her. Maybe it was the way Patty talked most fondly about her favorite niece, or the way Cadence so easily fit with Sunset Ridge. She felt like home.
“Ford?” Cadence lifted her cheek from his chest and looked into his eyes.
“Yes?” He meant to let her speak, but his hand cupped her cheek without forethought. His thumb stroked her soft skin as he slowly drew her in for a kiss. She met his lips with tenderness, but the kiss quickly deepened. Her hands went around his neck, pulling him down to her as his world spun in dizzy circles. He kissed her as though it might be the last kiss they ever shared. Because if she got on that plane, he wanted this kiss to haunt her dreams.
Clapping erupted around them at the end of the song, and they broke apart. “For the band, right?” Cadence’s cheeks flushed, but her eyes sparkled. He very much wanted to kiss her again.
“Sorry if I interrupted you,” he teased. He was ready to tell her. He was ready to tell her everything. But first, he would let her finish whatever it was he interrupted. “What were you saying?”
Cadence let out a heavy sigh, and every muscle in his body tensed. The carefree atmosphere filled with tension. “Maxwell made me a cash offer for the lodge. I have to give him an answer tomorrow.”
Ford dropped his arms, taking a step back. The hurt that flashed in her eyes made him immediately regret it. “I’m sorry,” he said, wanting to reach for her but unable to move. His world was spinning, but not in a good way this time. He felt as if the ground might split open beneath his feet and swallow him under. “I didn’t expect you to saythat.”
“It surprised me, too,” said Cadence. She nodded toward the bench, and Ford followed.
“What are you going to do?”
She tucked her hands in her lap. “I don’t know. It’s not only up to me, you know.”
Ford rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, though his biceps rebelled from overuse during the competition. “I thought you wanted to stay. Run the lodge.”
She turned on the bench, facing him and reaching for a hand. “I do, Ford. I want it more than anything. I don’t even want to tell my sisters about Maxwell. It’s just a verbal offer. The selfish part of me wants to keep the secret and tell him no. They would never know. But . . .”
They both knew that wasn’t the right answer.
