“I know, but…Cooper and Max are really bummed you won’t move down here. They were hoping once you were here you would have so much fun you would change your mind.”
“What would I do down here? I have to earn a living.”
“Open your own accounting firm. The way you organized our finances was amazing. A lot of businesses would pay to have you do the same.”
“Allie, I can’t. Is this about Sara?”
She looked guilty. “Maybe, partly. No one but me gives you and Sara a snowball’s chance in hell, but I can see something there. Don’t you want to prove them wrong?”
“So now we’ve become the object of gossip?”
“Just among the people who care about you. Everybody wants you to be happy.”
“What makes you think I’m not happy?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It might be that tense, worried look on your face every time you mention your work.”
Really? “I love my job.” How many times did he have to explain that to people?
The twinge in his stomach stopped him for a second, though. Who was he trying to convince-them or himself? No, no, no, he wasn’t going to let his feelings for Sara cloud his judgment. Yes, he was crazy about her. Yes, he wished there was some way they could be together, at least long enough to find out if their attraction was more than a flash in the pan. But there wasn’t.
Even if Sara wanted to relocate to New York, what if she didn’t like it? Once she’d gotten her fill of ethnic restaurants, not to mention snow and icy wind, would she get restless and take off? She had chosen warm, sleepy Port Clara as a home base for a reason.
Allie didn’t appear happy with him. “If you say so, Reece.”
As the song ended, Cooper appeared to reclaim the bride. His jacket and tie were gone, his shirt open and his sleeves rolled up. He didn’t look quite as happy and carefree as a new bridegroom should.
“Have you guys seen a weather report lately?”
Allie looked surprised by the question. “I’ve been a little busy getting married.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but we’re going to have to delay our honeymoon.”
“What? Why?”
“Because of the hurricane.”
Chapter Twelve
Sara finally gave up waiting for Reece to find her; she went in search of him. She found him a few minutes later, talking with the bride and groom-and all of them looked worried.
“Hey, what’s going on?” she asked. “Did somebody die?”
“Hey, Sara,” Reece said, managing a tense smile. “No one died. But there’s a hurricane.”
“Oh, is that all?”
“Is that all?” Allie repeated. “Have you ever been through one?”
“Yes, and I don’t mean to make light of it, but it’s not a hurricane. It’s an itty-bitty tropical storm, and they don’t even know if it will hit here, or when. It could just peter out.”
Reece looked relieved. “Have you seen a weather report?”
“Yes. Max checked it out on his super-duper phone. You guys are worrying for nothing.” She took Reece’s hand. “C’mon, Reece, let’s dance.”
THE OFFICIAL WEDDING reception lasted for a couple of hours, after which the bartender vanished and the tent came down. The bride and groom said their goodbyes and left for their wedding night in some fancy hotel in Corpus. But the wedding revelers showed no signs of slowing down. The party would probably continue into the night, but for once Sara wasn’t in a partying mood.
Her reunion with Reece hadn’t gone at all as she’d planned. He’d been perfectly pleasant to her, solicitous, even. He’d fetched her a piece of wedding cake and a glass of champagne, which she’d covertly dumped in the sand. He’d danced with her, and he’d touched her often in a way that promised he hadn’t lost interest.
But there was an edge to Reece, something on his mind that kept his forehead creased with worry. Maybe it was talk of the storm, or maybe it was something else.
The worst thing, though, was that she had no idea what his plans were for the evening-and whether they included her.
She would have to take the proverbial bull by the horns.
“So, Reece,” she said, sitting in a folding chair next to him. “Have you had enough party?”
“I’m just waiting for Max. He’s giving me a ride back to Cooper’s house.”
“Oh. Well, I’m heading back to the B and B. Do you want to come with me?”
“How? Isn’t the car at the marina?”
“I planned ahead, aren’t you proud of me? I parked the Benz in the lot just on the other side of those dunes.”
She could see he was tempted, but for some reason he hesitated.
“Reece, what is it? Do you want to spend the night with me or not?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then what is your problem?”
“The problem is…hell, the problem is I don’t want to say goodbye to you. I don’t want to get on a plane Sunday night and never see you again. And if we spend the rest of the weekend together, getting on that plane is just going to be ten times harder.”
Sara smiled. She hadn’t expected such a heartfelt confession. “So don’t get on the plane.”
When she saw the pained expression on his face, she wanted to take the words back. “No, forget I said that. I know it’s not fair. I can’t expect you to give up the life you’ve built in New York-I get that.”
“I’m sorry, Sara. I wish things could work out. But we’ve both known, from the beginning, we’re from different worlds.”
She wanted to tell him what a cheap cop-out that was. Cooper and Allie were from the exact same different worlds that Reece and Sara were from, yet they were making it work. It was all about priorities, and clearly she wasn’t that high on his list. But if they got into a big fight tonight, he would go back to New York mad at her, and that wasn’t what she wanted.
She didn’t want him to leave until she’d had a chance to take a pregnancy test. And if it was positive? Of course she had to tell him. And of course he would take responsibility. But she didn’t want a baby to be the reason he stayed with her.
“So you’re going to let what’s coming Sunday night ruin the whole weekend?” At his questioning look, she took his hand. “We’ve found something special. Sometimes special things are, by nature, short-lived. Why ruin it by worrying about when it has to end?”
Finally he got it. He gave her a look that could melt cold steel and got to his feet, pulling her with him. “I can’t argue with your logic. Let’s get out of here.”
Sara had never seen Reece drive as fast as he did that day. They didn’t talk, perhaps both of them thinking ahead. Only when they entered the house did Reece speak up.
“Do you need to check on Miss Greer?”
“Valerie’s here. Let’s just sneak upstairs.” Sara had never brought a man into this house for the purpose of having sex; in fact, the only time she’d slept with a man under Miss Greer’s roof was two weeks ago, with Reece, while her landlady was absent. She had no idea whether her employer would object, but just now she didn’t care.
All of the guest rooms were full, so Sara and Reece headed directly to her room on the third floor. Belatedly she realized she hadn’t prepared for company, but she didn’t figure Reece would notice. He seemed pretty single- minded at the moment.
Just the same, she didn’t turn on the lights or open the shades. She closed her bedroom door, turned the lock and, still holding Reece’s hand, headed directly for the bed.
Reece stopped before she reached it, tugged her to him and wrapped her in his arms. His kiss was so steamy
