Jess’s breath caught. It was the driveway to the cottage. Her dream cottage. “Did you buy—?”
“Amazing, right? It was on the market and I—” It was Nate’s turn to blush. “I had some good memories of it.”
“I tried to buy it,” she said. “But my offer was too low.”
“I’m sorry.” The guilty look in his eyes made Jess feel bad for saying anything.
“It’s not your fault,” she said quickly. “I’m glad you got it.”
And it was true. Even if they were just going to be friends, at least someone owned it who she knew loved it as much as she did. Nate would take care of the place.
They pulled up alongside the cottage, got out of the car, and she followed Nate up the path. He fished the key from under the windowsill, in the same spot they’d kept it when they’d shared the place.
“Now you can break in anytime you like,” he said.
“Don’t think I won’t.”
He opened the door and paused in the doorframe. “You know,” he said. “I kind of bought it with this stupid idea that one day—” He dropped his eyes, as if he was considering whether to say more.
“One day what?” Jess pushed.
“That one day we might share it again.”
Thrown by his sincerity, Jess laughed. “You’d be on the couch,” she joked and immediately wanted to take it back. Nate wasn’t love-bombing her. Not once, the whole time she’d known him, had he pushed, chased, or tried to manipulate her. Could he be the guy who’d give her the relationship she deserved? The new picture of him forming in her mind told her he could. He was kind, loyal, genuine. All the things she wanted. Why couldn’t she let herself open up to him?
“It was a stupid—,” Nate said, apologetically. “You’ve probably got a—”
Jess took his hand. “No, it’s a really sweet thing to say.”
Turning towards her, Nate lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed it lightly. It was such a sweet, old-fashioned gesture it made her heart skip in her chest.
“I’m sorry I didn’t contact you while I was in London. I thought about you all the time. I just needed to get things sorted. I didn’t want to have all that baggage and—”
“I get it.” Jess stepped closer. Maybe she could let this man in. She placed her other hand on his chest, his breath quickening under her palm. “I thought about you all the time, too.”
“Even though you thought I was engaged?” Nate wrinkled his nose and smiled teasingly.
“Which is why I didn’t message you or answer your calls.” She smiled back and punched him lightly on the chest.
He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her closer. With a cheeky look in his eye, he swept her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold of the cottage.
Jess laughed and leant into his chest. How was this happening? She wanted to do the cliche thing and pinch herself, it was so surreal. After all these months, they were back in the cottage, together again, as if no time had passed.
He placed her gently down inside, into the familiar smell of tea, the wood piled against the wall, the gentle breeze in the trees outside. It felt like coming home. Not just the cottage which she’d been dreaming about for months, but being in Nate’s arms: he felt like home. Leaning forward, she kissed him lightly on the cheek.
He took her face in his hands, gazing at her with so much warmth and intensity in his eyes she felt like the only person in the world. “You’re so beautiful.”
The phrase triggered a memory, and she pulled back, suddenly remembering how much she resembled his ex. When he looked at her like that, was he seeing her or another woman? She wouldn’t be anyone’s second best.
Nate frowned, dropping his hands to hold her loosely at the waist. “What’s wrong?”
“How do I say this?” Jess pushed her hands against his chest, ready to press him away. Why had she imagined this was a good idea? She wanted to run. To throw her walls up and protect herself. “Am I just a replacement for her?”
HE COULD SEE THE HURT in Jess’s eyes and wanted to comfort her, hold her close and make it all better. To lose her now, after he’d just had her in his arms again, would be devastating. If only he could think of the right words to convince her.
It looked bad. He couldn’t deny that there were similarities on the surface—the reporter wouldn’t have mistaken her otherwise—but the two women were also so different. Once he got to know Jess, he hadn’t even noticed the resemblance anymore.
When he looked at Jess, he didn’t see his ex. He saw the kind, fun, incredibly talented woman he was falling in love with. But how to convince her of that?
