Cathryn Parry - The Long Way Home

And smiled.

He felt hot inside. Maybe he was nuts, because suddenly, the course of action he was imagining seemed like the only possible one to take.

* * *

ONE MOMENT, NATALIE was checking her messages. Her father had sent her a text—all in caps, but still, it was progress in getting him to switch from his habit of phoning her all the time. She had felt the phone vibrating in her purse, and since she was just sitting there watching everybody dance, feeling disconnected and out of place, she’d read his message.

Tenant called. Check the mousetraps at 3 South Street before you come home.

She’d groaned inwardly. He wanted her to cover for him at the rental apartments above the building that housed the law firm. She’d tried to tell her father she was a lawyer, not his building supervisor, and that furthermore she had her own maintenance-needy cottage to worry about, but he was under the impression that she was at his beck and call, part of the package deal of her insisting on coming home to Wallis Point to work in the family firm.

Just rebait the darn mousetrap for him.

She’d suppressed the shudder. She hated mice.

You have to do it. Besides, you’re at a wedding. Think romantic thoughts.

But Bruce Cole hadn’t shown, and her pie-in-the-sky fantasies had lost their wings and fallen to earth.

Sighing, she’d tossed her phone into her purse and prepared to leave to find a hardware store open at this hour, in case the mice had escaped and she needed new traps. She’d almost made her escape, too, until she’d glanced up at the old balcony where the orchestras used to play.

And saw...him.

She’d blinked and gaped. She must be hallucinating.

But no, it was Bruce Cole. And he looked even better than she’d remembered. The sight of him still made her stop in her tracks.

Her heart had seemed to grow in her chest, squeezing her tight. He seemed taller than before. He was broader in the shoulders and he stood straighter. Then again, he’d been a navy lieutenant, although now he was dressed in a black tux with his tie undone. His dark brown, almost black hair was swept off his forehead in a tousled nonstyle that made her want to run her hands through it and gave him the old, passionate air she remembered. His jaw was edged with a five-o’clock shadow that looked sexy and dangerous.

She lifted her gaze to him. Those dark, intense eyes, so alive with fire, were boring straight into hers.

Her heartbeat sped up. The pull of his eyes seemed to tug on her, an invisible line straight to her...well, to parts of her anatomy that hadn’t felt a man’s touch in quite a while.

His eyes seemed to drink her in. Raked her from top to bottom. And she was standing still, letting him study her. This was what she’d been waiting for, after all.

No man interested her the way Bruce did.

As a kid, he had always known how to connect with people. He had that magical quality, a “people” gene that Natalie had been born without. And now all of his intensity was focused on her. She felt every muscle weaken, as if she were being swept away by his gaze.

A slow smile slid up his face.

Make him feel comfortable, Maureen had said. Well, here was a start, and she would do her best to keep it going.

But then she was distracted by her phone vibrating again, and when she glanced back, Bruce was no longer on the balcony. He was coming down to see her—she knew it in her bones, and, shy-person-at-heart she would always be, she couldn’t help worrying.

What if she didn’t hear him properly? What if she said something wrong, something he misinterpreted, and she was responsible for sending him away from Wallis Point again?

Glancing around her, she looked for an out. Somebody they both knew who could rescue her if she made a misstep.

But every other wedding guest was on the dance floor, singing aloud to Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family,” reminding Natalie she was probably the only person present who was not family.

Okay. She would have to handle the conversation on her own. Pay close attention, focus, and in doing so, hopefully help him see that not everybody in Wallis Point thought badly of him.

Once, he had trusted her enough to open up. Just by listening, she had helped him. A small thing she knew had brought him comfort because he’d told her so himself.

And that had been an extraordinary night to a girl of fifteen with little confidence in herself or sense of her worth. She needed to remember that she’d grown since then. She had achieved some extraordinary educational and career accomplishments, and she had found the courage to come home and carve out a place for herself. Don’t think of me as I was then. Let me show you who I am now.

As Bruce walked toward her, smiling, she remembered Maureen’s deal with her. But even if there hadn’t been one dollar of business on the line, Natalie would be breathing just as hard, her hands sweating just as much, and her heart yearning for Bruce to trust her again, just as deeply.

He reached for two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter. He held one flute up, and the full glass obscured her view of his mouth. It was so loud and so confusing in the room that she had to lean in to catch what he was saying.

He lowered the glass and looked at her, his smile expectant, a gleam in his eye. “So what do you think?”

This close to him, his voice sounded so low and deep that it sent shivers up her spine. But at the same time, she panicked. Because all she could think was, What did he just say?

CHAPTER THREE

BRUCE STARED DOWN at the woman he’d aimed for like a laser beam. She was tilting her head at him, focusing on him with those inquisitive blue eyes as if she were trying to figure him out. To other people that might be a good sign, but not to him. He didn’t want to actually talk to anybody about anything more important than an offer of champagne or a stroll on the beach.

He wanted a distraction. That was all.

He held the glass out again. “I can’t promise it’s a good year, but I can promise a decent toast from it.”

She smiled at him, a brilliant, relieved smile. “Then I’m glad I didn’t leave and miss the opportunity.”

Her voice was soft and pleasant-sounding. He had to lean forward to hear her, which was nice. She smelled great, something lush and sexy that came from soap or shampoo rather than perfume.

Once there, in her space, she didn’t shrink from him, and he didn’t back away.

He handed her the flute of champagne, his heart kicking up a notch. She accepted it with a small laugh, and for a moment their fingers brushed. Hers felt soft and slight, her nails short and free of polish.

She’s low-maintenance, was his automatic thought. Good.

He lifted his glass to her. “To getting to know you better.”

She gave him a smile that invited him in, like a blond Mona Lisa. He suddenly felt very predatory and very hungry. It had been...months since his last hookup, with an international flight attendant who led the same transitory lifestyle he did. They’d drifted apart, and he missed nothing about her but the sex. Maybe that was cold, but that’s who he was. He just didn’t feel things the way regular people did. Not anymore.

A shout went up from the dance floor. Maureen was dancing with her new husband and everyone was congratulating her.

“I hate these things,” he said to Natalie.

She blinked for a moment, and then smiled harder. “I know. I’d rather be somewhere else, too. With you, of course.”

“That’s heartening.”

She brought the flute to her lips and took a sip, so he did the same. The tart, bubbly taste jarred him. He wasn’t a champagne guy, but he drank a swallow, both of them watching each other over the rims of their glasses. The magnetism between them made his blood pump.

“We should probably toast the bride,” she said, licking the champagne off her lips.

He raised his glass. “To Maureen and Jimmy. May they have years of bliss ahead of them.”

Her gaze moved from his mouth to his eyes, then back to his mouth. She kept doing that, and it made his groin tighten. It also told him to keep going, that she was interested. “How was that for a toast?”

“Scintillating.” She lifted her glass and clinked it with his, her eyes sparkling. “And now it’s my turn. To bliss. May you have a good visit in Wallis Point.”

Yeah, right. If she only knew how short it would be. Then again, she was still looking at his mouth. Maybe she wanted him to stay for purely selfish reasons.

He could handle that.

He took a second drink of champagne and then put down the glass. “I’m Bruce,” he said. “And you’re a...friend of Maureen’s?”

Her brow furrowed. Her mouth opened then closed. Then she pressed her lips together and glanced toward Maureen.

Ah, hell. And they’d been doing so well.

“I’m Natalie,” she said finally. She was still staring at his mouth, so there was that. He needed to press on.

“Pleased to meet you, Natalie.” He held out his hand to shake hers, but she didn’t take it. For some reason, she looked disappointed.

“I’m up-to-date on all my shots,” he said to lighten the mood, “and I haven’t bitten anyone yet.”

Finally she smiled and took his hand, and he felt himself exhale. At the soft press of her flesh against his, he felt a thousand sparks within him.

She didn’t. Or maybe she did—he couldn’t tell because even though she gave his hand a halfhearted shake, her sharp blue eyes were focused on his mouth. It was confusing as hell. Maybe she wanted him to shut up and take her to her hotel room for some quick sex.

That was fine with him.

But first, they needed to stop dancing around the one clarification they needed to get out in the open.

“Look,” he said, steering her gently by the elbow away from some guests returning to their table with dessert plates. “I know you don’t know me from Adam, and that’s fine—it’s how I prefer it, too. But since you’re a friend of my sister’s, I need you to tell me how you know her, so at least there are no misunderstandings between us.”

Protecting his baby sister took priority over anything he would do in town during these few hours. Even over his own need to escape.

“What kind of misunderstandings?” she asked. At least it appeared she was considering his offer.

“I...” When I leave, you might get mad. It had been known to happen. She didn’t look like the stalker type—he didn’t get that vibe at all from her. His impression was that she was sweet and laid-back—exactly what he needed.

But a man with white hair was walking straight toward them. If Bruce wasn’t mistaken, he looked like his old elementary school principal. “How about we take a walk on the beach and sort this out?” Bruce asked.

She frowned. “It’s dark on the beach.”

Wasn’t that the point? He noticed, with alarm, that his niece Nina was skipping his way as well. “None of my family members or old teachers are there, either,” he quipped.

Her head tilted as she listened to him. But it was too late. Nina ran up to them and came to a stop. Natalie put her hands lightly on his niece’s head. “Hello, Nina.”

Shoot. She knew his family better than he’d assumed.

“Hi, Natalie! Uncle Bruce, will you come dance with me?” Nina pleaded. She hopped up and down, clinging to his hand with both her tiny ones.

Aw, hell.

“Dance with your niece,” Natalie said softly. It was noisy, and he had to lean close to hear her. Then she turned and smiled at the white-haired gentleman. “I’ll dance with Bill.”