Shivering from the awful weather, she rummaged through her purse in search of her phone, when a pair of headlights coming up the road landed on her.
The vehicle slowed.
Please don’t be anyone I know.
Please don’t be anyone I know.
A truck rumbled to a stop in front of the shop, and she shielded her eyes from the glare of the headlights.
“Juliette! Are you okay?” a familiar baritone called out.
Brock.
Why was she not surprised? Her luck was never-ending.
She shook her head to disguise the tremor in her voice.
“Come on and get in,” he called out, pushing open the passenger door.
Juliette didn’t even hesitate. She didn’t care how it looked if she was climbing into Brockton Gallagher’s truck. The cold was deep in her bones now, making it difficult to catch her breath. She wanted a hot shower, warm clothes, and maybe even some good company.
Brock could offer her all those things and more.
He could offer her comfort.
CHAPTER 16
Brock had never considered himself lucky. Nor did he really believe in the hand of destiny. Yet he always managed to be in the right place at the right time for other people. His theory held true when he saw Juliette locked out of the flower shop, soaked from the freezing rain, and covered in what looked like mud.
He didn’t ask any questions, simply drove her over to his place.
He showed her to one of the guest rooms so she could shower and get warm, and though he didn’t have any clothes that would actually fit her, he found a pair of blue flannel pajama pants and a green thermal. They would hang off her, but something was better than nothing at this point. While she showered, he laid the clothing on the bed, soaked her muddied sweatshirt and jeans with a stain spray, and started up the fireplace. All while doing everything in his power not to imagine her naked, with soapy bubbles sliding down her body.
It was later in the evening, but past experience told him a woman who looked like she’d had a shitty day could always make time for something to eat. So he laid out a cutting board with different types of cheese, a few olives, a bowl of grapes, and somecuts of deli meat. He was sure there was a name for it, but it was one he didn’t bother trying to pronounce. He poured her a glass of sweet tea and set out a cabernet to aerate, just in case she wanted something a little stronger.
Right as he uncorked the wine, Juliette appeared.
Her hair was wild—rumpled and damp—like she’d simply run a towel through it. This was the first time he’d seen it down since she’d come back to Mystic Cove, and it hung well past her shoulders in loose waves. Her cheeks were flushed and no longer covered in the reddish-brown mud. She’d knotted the thermal at the waist, but it hung loose around her neck, offering him a glimpse of skin, and she had to hold up the pajama pants when she walked.
She was a vision. Beautiful and distracting. More than anything, dressed like that, she looked like she belonged here, in this house, with him.
“Hey.” He tapped the cork on the counter, trying to distract himself. Maybe bringing her here was a mistake. “Feeling better?”
She shrugged, a careless motion, but it caused his overly large shirt to dip and showcase much more of her freshly scrubbed flesh. He knew better than anyone exactly how the curve of her breast would look below the hem of his shirt. “Better than before, that’s for sure.”
“Got some food in case you’re hungry, nothing fancy.” He gestured to the coffee table where the assortment of food was arranged and tried to look anywhere but at her. “And I went ahead and poured you some sweet tea. But I’ve got wine too.”
“Sweet tea is fine for now, thanks.” Her smile was warm and genuine. “I might take you up on that wine later, though.”
She sat down on the sofa and tucked her legs up under her. She grabbed a handful of grapes and a slice of hard cheddar.“How are things coming at the beach house? Anders mentioned the two of you were out there earlier today.”
Brock came over to join her and made sure to leave plenty of room between them on the cushion. “Really well. We’ve made some decent progress. The old cabinets are gone as well as most of the crappy flooring. Once we get a full team in to help, it’ll be done in no time.”
Juliette nodded, popping a grape into her mouth. Her knee bounced restlessly, then she looked over at him. “Any word from your father?”
He shook his head. It was strange not yet receiving any kind of pushback from his dad, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. “Nothing. I keep waiting for him to come at us with a new setback, but so far, it’s just been silence.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Maybe he lost interest.”
