For the first time, though, he was aware of a real sense of anticipation for the wedding, something he suspected had nothing to do with Gemma’s happiness and everything to do with his own at being able to spend an evening entirely with Samantha.
Letty would be there to take care of the children. She certainly would never miss Gemma’s wedding. That would leave him free, perhaps, to have a dance or two with Samantha under the moonlight.
Nothing would come of it. She had just told him she wasn’t looking for a relationship. Neither was he, even if such a thing between them was possible. But he was a man and she was a beautiful woman to whom he was fiercely attracted. He wanted to dance with her. Wanted it quite urgently in that moment.
He had a strange, bubbly feeling in his chest. Under other circumstances, he might have even called it...giddy.
They walked down the street toward home, the children obviously tired out from the hike.
“Can we play with the puppies for a moment?” Amelia asked as they approached the house. “We only saw them for a short time when we left to go hiking and I’ve missed playing with them.”
“I think we’ve taken up enough of Samantha’s day, don’t you?” Ian said.
“Not at all. I’m sure the puppies would love to see you, too.” Samantha smiled at his daughter with an honest affection that sent soft warmth seeping through him.
She led the way into her tidy house, where they were greeted by a chorus of yips and yaps. As soon as she opened the gate into the room, three little pups emerged, wriggling with delight at seeing the children.
“Let’s take them outside quickly,” Samantha said, handing him one of the puppies before Ian could respond.
The children picked up a puppy each and the mother dog followed them all out to her garden.
Outside, they set them in the grass and the children giggled as the puppies urinated immediately, then waddled about, sniffing at each blade of grass.
They were quite adorable, he had to admit, with their tricolored ears and curly hair.
Samantha smiled as she watched the scene and he couldn’t tell if she was amused by the children or the puppies or both. Either way, looking at her in the soft afternoon sunlight left a strange ache in his chest, one he couldn’t quite identify.
They had only been outside for a few moments when he saw a vehicle pull into his driveway next door. Samantha noticed it, as well.
“Looks like you have company.”
He frowned, not recognizing the vehicle. The only other person he knew in Haven Point was his sister and she drove a little electric hybrid she had purchased after moving here.
Who would visit him driving a sleek, luxurious town car? Curious, he headed in that direction just as the door opened and his father climbed out, tall and commanding.
The heavy weight of expectation seemed to settle on Ian’s shoulders as if someone had draped a blanket lined with lead over him.
His mother alighted the vehicle from the other side, graceful as always.
The children didn’t notice them at first, too busy playing with the puppies. Thomas was the first one to spy his grandparents.
“Nana! Grandfather!” he exclaimed, forgetting the puppies completely and heading toward his grandparents at a steady run.
“Hello, darling.” Margaret Summerhill beamed at her grandson, holding her arms out wide to catch him in a tight hug. She must have been traveling all day but she showed no sign of it, looking as lovely and elegant as always.
Margaret had modeled in her earlier years, until she grew too bored in front of the camera and decided she wanted to be the one holding it instead. She was a gifted photographer who had lined the walls of Summerhill House, his parents’ London townhome and his own flat in Oxford with her landscapes.
When Amelia finally noticed the commotion, she gave a little shriek and rushed toward her grandparents. “You’re here! I thought you weren’t coming until next week!”
Wishing he could put off the inevitable but left with no choice, Ian followed his children to greet his parents. Samantha, he noticed, hung back, as if she didn’t want to intrude on the family reunion.
He kissed his mother’s cheek and shook his father’s hand, as was their strange, formal way. He loved his father and respected him more than any man he knew but Henry Summerhill was not particularly comfortable with excessive affection or emotion.
“Gemma will be thrilled you’ve come early,” he said.
Margaret smiled. “Your father decided at the last minute to attend meetings in New York for a few days. Since we were already halfway here, we decided to bump up our plans a bit to see if there is anything we can do to help Gemma with the wedding.”
“That’s wonderful,” he said, which was mostly the truth.
He loved his parents and was deeply grateful for all the help they had always given, first during his separation and divorce then Susan’s diagnosis.
Despite that debt he knew he could never repay, he still wasn’t completely thrilled to have them here. It felt too much like real life intruding on a delicious dream he didn’t want to end. His time in Haven Point would be over soon enough, wouldn’t it? He thought he had one more precious week of freedom before he had to put away what he loved to focus on the inevitable changes to his life when this summer idyll was over, and he found himself suddenly resentful at the glaring reminder.
“Look, Nana.” Amelia thrust out one of the multicolored puppies. “Isn’t it adorable?”
Margaret smiled and reached for Coco. Or was it Oscar? He couldn’t seem to keep them apart.
“Hello there. You are a cutie. What’s your name?”
“That one is Calvin,” Samantha said. “The others are Coco and Oscar.”
“All designers?” Margaret asked, clearly delighted.
Samantha gave an embarrassed sort of smile and Ian wanted
