“And I’m sorry for what I said. I’m a little jaded right now.”
She wanted to correct him and say “grumpy” because “jaded” sounded way too polite, but she just stood there, waiting for him to finish.
“I shouldn’t have taken that out on you. I honestly don’t know why I was so triggered.” His cheeks began to flush. Noah Sterling fromHamptons Housewas feeling uncomfortable. And that could be the victory right there. As if he sensed Dahlia’s awareness, he blurted, “The last thing I’m looking for is … you know.” He pointed to her and then himself.
“Well, that’s a relief,” she said with enthusiasm, trying to hide a tinge of inexplicable disappointment. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not either.”
He nodded. “Say, if I promise never to build that early again, if you’ll reconsider letting me share the barn for the summer?” He raised his brows in a playful plea. “I mean, I know technically it’s yours.”
“Damn straight.” Dahlia exhaled, trying not to connect with his Pacific blue eyes. She had no plan of losing herself in them, but they were stunning and utterly hypnotizing.
Noah leaned closer. “Listen, I see you’ve got some things that need fixing.” He pointed to the hole in the decking. “I can help. Idid construction all through college and …” He paused as if he were trying to find the right words. “I also renovate houses in the Hamptons. Maybe we can barter help with the house in exchange for barn time.”
Dahlia stood frozen in place as she bit the inside of her cheek, something she did when she was nervous or confused. On one hand, she could use the help, but on the other hand, Noah was a veryleading mankind of sexy, and Dahlia was human, after all.
“I’m sorry too. I was a hard-ass this morning. But in all fairness, yesterday was the absolute worst day. I came here this summer looking for tranquility, a bit of peace, and as you can see, it’s been the exact opposite.” She points to the hole in the porch. “I’m not sure a carpenter next door aligns with that.” However, the house needed fixing, and Dahlia had no other potential hopefuls in mind.
“I need to build.” He held up his hands, and even they were cute. Manly, rough, and big, with nice nail beds.
Dahlia drew in a breath, imagining what they would feel like against her skin. A smile pulled at her cheeks, but when she looked up, she was met with an even bigger smile, this one laced with mirth. “Sorry, you were saying?” Her face felt as hot as a tamale.
“Ahh.” Noah was at a loss for words too, it seemed. “Oh, yeah, just that it’s the only thing that’s grounding me right now. And keeping me from going completely bonkers.” As quickly as his bright smile came, it faded like the sun.
Dahlia was quiet, unsure of what to make of his abrupt shift. He could actually be worse off than she was. Suddenly, she felt terrible for the hunk standing at her doorstep and carefully weighed her words. “If I agree to this—and I’m not saying I will—I would pay you for any work you do on the house.”
“I don’t need your money. I’ve got enough.”
Must be nice to get paid the big bucks to be on TV. She wondered why he wasn’t filming. Something must have happened. Perhaps it had to do with what Kara mentioned yesterday, about his best friend double-crossing him.
“Look, think about it. I’ll be gone until tomorrow evening.” He stepped back. “I’m headed to Southampton to meet some friends. How about you sleep on it?”
“Sure. Sounds fair.”
“I’m Noah, by the way.” He reached for her hand.
“I’m Dahlia.” His touch sent racing tingles up her spine and trailed right up into her lifeless heart.
“Tomorrow, then.” He gave a warm nod, leaving a trace of hope floating through the air.
“I’m not making any promises,” Dahlia said with a playful shrug.
“But you’re not saying no,” he said, walking backward to his motorcycle while putting on his aviators.
She was so screwed.
CHAPTER FIVE
July 3
Dahlia’s body glided through the cold water. After another sleepless night of unanswered questions and sticking to the bed sheets, she welcomed the chill. With each stroke, her mind sought answers. Being a Pisces and a water sign, she often found herself drawn to water when she needed to think. Should she let Noah help her? She’d said no distractions, and he was definitely a distraction. Yet Lil’s secret was the biggest distraction of all. Dahlia expelled the bay water as she returned to the surface, turning onto her back to do the backstroke. What could it possibly be about? Maybe there had been a murder, and someone buried the body in the backyard. The tiny hairs rose as she lifted her arm. Kara was right—she was watching too muchDateline. Maybe she would give that a rest, at least for the summer.
Dahlia reached the buoy. She clung to it as her body lifted with the current. The neighboring island was so close she could practically touch it. She remembered all the ferry trips she’d taken withGran, Pop, and Lil. How they would walk on, grab lunch at the Dory, and watch the yachts pull into the harbor while they shared an apple pie from the deli. The good old days when the gang was all together. Dahlia was caught like a fish in a net between the memories of yesterday and the new reality of being alone at Lil’s.
The sun was already intense, and she squinted to see the shoreline. Her favorite Greek revival home was now visible from the water; it had once belonged to a famous seventies rock star. The lawn looked regal against the steely blue water. Dahlia began to drift away, feeling her body release. She could hear Pop’s words echo in her mind with a lingering French accent: “Feel the rhythm, Dahlia. Let her carry you.”
Her grandfather Leon had been a cliff diver and a French Olympic hopeful in his youth, but his winning attribute was his patience. They’d spent countless hours in this bay together, swimming, fishing, and talking. Being here was cathartic. He would remind her, “There’s always a silver lining somewhere. You just have to keep your heart open to find it.”
She headed back, varying her strokes, and wondered about that silver lining. What if there wasn’t one? What if opening Pandora’s box would only bring more pain? What if the secret was about her parents and that night? Or maybe it was about Dahlia herself. Suddenly, her heart felt weighted. She began to tread water, making herself think of something happy. Lil’s garden in its glory days. She could see her Rosanna roses with salmon-pink petals as they canopied over the gate. She could almost smell their fruity flavor drift over the bay. There was lavender, echinacea, and daisies as far as the eye could see. The anxiety eased, and she felt steady enough to finish her swim.
