Liam grinned. “We’re having too much fun.” He attached Trixie’s leash to her collar and collected the information he’d bought with him. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad we’re working on this together.”
He pulled on his jacket and turned to face Chloe. “Me too. And remember, if you need anything, I’m only a phone call away.”
She looked up at him, and her expression softened. “I know. I’ve nearly finished the next set of edits on your book. If you have some more chapters for me to look at, I could do them this week.”
“That’d be great. I’ve done another three chapters since we last saw each other. Do you want me to drop them off tomorrow night?”
“Make it Wednesday evening,” Chloe suggested. “If you’re free, come for dinner. Oscar will enjoy seeing you and Trixie again.”
As they walked to the front door, there was a comfortable familiarity between them.
Liam reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
She nodded, a gentle smile playing on her lips. “I’m already looking forward to it.”
He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight, Chloe.”
“Goodnight,” she said softly.
He stepped outside with Trixie and walked across to his truck. Before he opened the driver’s door, he looked back at the cottage. Chloe was still standing in the doorway, the warm glow from inside casting a halo around her.
“Drive safe,” she called out.
“I will.” He raised a hand in a final wave, and she returned the gesture before closing the door.
As he started the truck, he thought about Chloe. Everything about her was perfect. She was funny, intelligent, beautiful, and a great mom to Oscar.
He hadn’t felt this attracted to anyone in years. But none of that would matter if he left Sapphire Bay. He couldn’t expect Chloe to put her life on hold for him, and he didn’t want her to.
“It looks like I’ve got a big decision to make, Trixie.” He glanced over his shoulder and sighed. Trixie’s head was between her front paws and she was already half asleep.
Chloe and Oscar weren’t the only people he’d miss if he worked from Asia for a few months. Trixie would have to staywith his parents. She’d lived with them before when he’d gone overseas on another project, but he’d missed her like crazy.
Suddenly, his lifelong dream of writing travel books didn’t seem so important. If it meant leaving behind Trixie and the people he loved, was it really worth it?
CHAPTER 13
Saturday afternoon arrivedwith a crisp chill in the air, the kind that hinted at the approaching winter. Chloe wrapped a scarf around Oscar’s neck after he’d climbed out of their truck.
“Are we going to find treasure today?” Oscar asked, his eyes wide with excitement.
“Maybe not treasure, but hopefully we’ll see something interesting,” Chloe replied with a smile. She took his hand and they walked toward the entrance of the old steamboat museum. Liam was waiting for them.
“Hey there,” Liam said with a smile. “Are you ready to do some exploring?”
“We’ve been looking forward to it,” Chloe said. “I’m sorry we had to change the time to the afternoon.”
“It doesn’t matter. The construction crews were working this morning, so it’s just as well we weren’t here,” Liam explained. “They’re trying to get as many tiny homes built as possible before Christmas.”
Oscar tugged at Liam’s sleeve. “Where’s Trixie?”
“She’s on a play date with Rex, my friend Steve’s dog.”
Oscar’s smile faded. “Was she sad she couldn’t come with you?”
“She was sad she wasn’t able to see you, but she loves playing with Rex. They get up to all kinds of mischief.”
