Into the Tide (Cottonwood Cove #1)(48)

The pay left my mouth gaping open, and it would make it very possible for me to pay off my father’s program quickly. I responded that I was thrilled for the opportunity and looking forward to it. It wasn’t totally true because I wasn’t ready to go back and start grinding again. I was enjoying being home and not being so exhausted and stressed all the time. Going back to Chicago meant picking up where I left off. This was a job where I’d be working twelve to thirteen hours a day, and corporate America could be cutthroat and most definitely highly competitive. Once again, I’d be proving myself every single day, and I was glad for the time I had here to catch my breath.

Joseph was a graduate of Northwestern University, and he’d also run cross-country there back in the day, so he’d been very supportive of me when I’d come to work at True Solutions. I was honored that he thought I was ready for a position like that.

I closed my laptop and reached for my notebook and added another line.

Catch your breath. Enjoy the little things.

That was what today was about. Going for a run. Going to the cove to hang out with friends. Baking cookies in the middle of the afternoon because you had time to do it. And going to a family dinner at the Reynolds’. I wouldn’t take these kinds of days for granted because they wouldn’t last long.





I was sun-kissed and relaxed when Hugh came through the door. I’d just finished putting the cookies I’d baked into a large Tupperware container.

“Damn. It smells good in here.” He moseyed over and reached for an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie out of the container before I snapped the lid on.

He moaned after he popped the last bit into his mouth. I squeezed my thighs in response. How did he manage to make eating a cookie look sexy?

“Best cookies ever, Snow. Come on. Let’s go.”

“You didn’t have to come back and pick me up.”

“You don’t have a car, right?” He raised a brow, clearly still irritated about that.

“I was going to walk.”

“With a tub of cookies? Not after what went down last night. And sure as shit not while you’re wearing that dress.” He raised a brow and grabbed the Tupperware.

I glanced down at my yellow baby doll sundress. The front did dip a little low, but it was hardly sexy. I’d paired it with my white sneakers, and my hair was in a ponytail. This was totally appropriate for a family dinner. I followed him out to the truck and slapped his hand away when he reached for my buckle.

“This dress is not sexy. And you do not need to buckle me in. I’m a grown-ass woman. I’d think you’d remember that, seeing as I rubbed my naked body all over yours. I don’t think you would have enjoyed it so much if I was just a kid,” I hissed. I was tired of the games.

His eyes widened, and he slammed the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. We didn’t say a word as we drove to his parents’ house, and I was fine with it. The mixed signals were giving me whiplash.

I jumped out of the truck before he could come around and open my door. I didn’t need his help. As both he and my brother had forgotten, I’d been living on my own for the past four years. I walked up the path toward the front door and checked my phone to see a text from my father saying he was on his way.

“Hey,” Hugh huffed from behind me, and I whipped around.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t do things for you because I think you can’t do them yourself.” He shrugged, and he looked a little wounded, which, of course, made my chest squeeze.

“So why do you keep doing it, then?”

He glanced around to make sure we were alone. “Because I like being close to you.”

“I like it, too, Bear. But I’m not afraid of it like you are. So, you’ll have to decide if you want to act on it or not. Otherwise, stop helping me so much because it’s sending me mixed signals.”

I turned on my heels and walked toward the door.

It needed to be said. We couldn’t keep this up. Spending our days together, and last night he’d sat by the bathtub while I bathed and then slept in my bed.

No. This wasn’t normal.

Hugh moved beside me and pushed open the door, and Gracie came charging at us.

“Uncle Hughey. Daddy got to catch puppies today from their mama!”

Hugh scooped her into his arms after he set the Tupperware on the entry table and chuckled. “Puppies, huh? That’s exciting.”

She reached for me. “Hugs, Lila.”

I pulled her into my arms and spun her around. “Hey there, sweet Gracie. I’m happy to see you.”

Hugh reached for the cookies, and I followed him into the kitchen where the conversation was already flowing.

Hugh’s cousin, Dylan, and Georgia both hurried toward us, and I set Gracie on her feet as they both took turns giving Hugh and me a hug.

“You remember my fiancé, Wolf, right?” Dylan said, as he extended his hand to me.

“Yes, it’s so great to see you both.” He had one arm around her waist, and the way he was looking at her, had me longing for that.

That kind of love where it’s clear they can’t live without one another.

I made my way around the kitchen and said hello to everyone. Brinkley and Finn weren’t here today, but it was still a lively group.