After All (Cape Harbor #1)(93)
“Are you going to stand there and stare at me all night, or are you going to come outside so we can leave for our date?”
“Yeah, Mom, you look like you’ve never seen Bowie before,” Brystol added.
Again, Brooklyn swallowed. She was speechless at being called out by Bowie and her daughter, and the only thing she could do was stand there, looking back and forth between the two of them.
Brystol stood and walked toward her mother. “I love you,” her daughter said. “Have a wonderful time tonight. You deserve it.” Brystol all but shoved her mom over the threshold and slammed the door behind her.
Brooklyn stumbled. However, Bowie’s hands were on her hips, holding her upright. “I got you,” he whispered as one hand moved from her hip to her hair. He gently pushed her hair behind her ear and leaned in, bypassing her lips for her cheek. “I’m never letting go.”
Her mind, heart, and body rejoiced. She didn’t want him to ever let go. “Me neither,” she managed to say. “I should’ve never left.”
Bowie moved closer. He held her head in his hand and brushed his thumb over her lower lip. “You were right to leave, B. The only thing I wish is that I went with you. I would’ve followed you anywhere.” He didn’t wait for her to agree or tell him the many reasons why she couldn’t tell him before he pulled her into a long, deep kiss. When they parted, they were breathless and smiling. “Come on,” he said, reaching for her hand.
In all their years growing up, Bowie had always opened the car door for her. She was surprised when he only opened the driver’s side to his truck and motioned for her to get in. “If you think you’re sitting by the door, you’re crazy. I want you next to me when I drive.”
All in a matter of seconds, he made her feel like a teen all over again. She climbed in and scooted to the middle. He followed, and right after turning his truck on, his hand rested on her thigh. “I feel like I’m in high school all over.”
He laughed and then quickly groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Brystol—she’s going to start high school in the fall. Some dude is going to want to take her on a date. He’s going to want her to sit in the middle so he can touch her, like I’m touching you.” Bowie looked at Brooklyn and couldn’t resist kissing her. “He’s going to want to kiss her.” He gripped Brooklyn’s thigh and started bringing her closer to him, only his truck lurched forward, causing them both to laugh, and panic a bit.
“Maybe we should make out later,” Brooklyn suggested.
Bowie shook his head. “I don’t want to make out, B. I want to be with you. I don’t know if you want to wait or . . . shit, I don’t even know what you want.”
“Shh.” She pressed her lips to his cheek. “We want the same thing.” He nodded, smiled, and returned to driving.
There was a time when Brooklyn couldn’t remember much about Cape Harbor, a time when she couldn’t remember how to get to certain places when she’d tell Brystol about her former home. And when she had returned, she’d felt lost and out of place. Driving down the road with Bowie, she knew exactly where they were going. On instinct, she turned around and looked in the back of his truck. Sure enough, there was a blanket and a picnic basket. After all these years, he remembered what her favorite thing to do was.
When they stopped along the side of the road, she and Bowie rushed out of the truck. Brooklyn grabbed the blanket, Bowie the basket, and they set off down the path, stepping over exposed roots, ducking under overgrown branches, and walking through bushes that hid the trail. They came into the clearing, and she paused—it was exactly like she had remembered. A haven away from their hectic lives—even as teens, they’d come out here to destress—and he had brought her back knowing this was where she would want to be. Wildflowers of every color stood tall along the seagrass. The water of the inlet moved slowly, barely creating any waves, and the sand looked pristine. Some of her happier times had happened here, most of them with Bowie.
“Where is everyone?”
“As many times as I’ve been out here to think, I’ve never seen anyone.”
“Remember when we spent days here, clearing away the dead shrubs?”
“I do. We created this place without even knowing it was here.” He paused. “What are you doing?” he asked as she spread the blanket haphazardly on the ground.
She kicked off her shoes. Next, she took off her shirt and shimmied out of her jeans. Without answering him, she dove into the water, staying under until she couldn’t hold her breath any longer. When she surfaced, Bowie was standing at the edge of the water, staring at her.
“Are you going to come in?”
“I’m having a little trouble here, B.”
Her eyes went right to his jeans. “No one is around. I think you should join me.”
“I’m going to be honest. Fifteen years is a long time to wait for the love of your life to return, to get back to where we were when things went south. It only took once, but you’re burned into my soul, and from the day I saw you in your car, I’ve wanted you. If I come in, it’s only to get you out and finish what we started at my house. I fully intend to lay you down on this blanket and make love to you. I don’t know if I can wait any longer.”