Feels Like Falling - Kristy Woodson Harvey Page 0,83
“Oh, I’m very aware of that. But I have a suggestion of my own.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Yeah? What’s that?”
“Well, we always stay at your house…”
I backed away. “Listen, babe, I adore you. But I’m not going to go stay with a bunch of twentysomething boys.”
He laughed. “Is this how little you know about me? I’m staying at my parents’ house for the summer. It’s big and beautiful and right on the beach.”
It was a bad sign that I didn’t even know where the kid lived. I’d give him that. But that was mainly because when I was with him on my weeks without Wagner, he was basically living with me.
“Okay. Are there dishes piled in the sink? Towels piled on the floor? Dirty underwear piled in the corner?”
He laughed. “(A) no. And, (b) if it weren’t for Diana, you would have all that stuff at your house.”
He wasn’t wrong.
He kissed me. “I know the sound is beautiful, but I sure would love to spend a night with you falling asleep to the crash of the waves on the shore. We can take a midnight stroll on the beach.… The stars are beautiful, and it’s very, very isolated.…”
I laughed, finally getting the picture. “Aha. So, you don’t care about my staying at your house. You’re looking for a little on-the-beach action.”
He pulled me in suggestively. “Maybe the dunes? On the Cape?”
We both started laughing.
“It’s a bucket list item.”
I nodded. “Okay. I do owe you. But I’ll warn you, it’s not as glamorous and romantic as it might seem. There’s a lot of sand, and it gets in some pretty uncomfortable places.”
He looked at me in faux astonishment. “Why, Miss Gray, how on earth would you know that?”
I winked at him and, in my most innocent voice, said, “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve just heard.”
He kissed me again and said, “Okay. So we have a deal?”
I smiled. “We have a deal.”
He pulled away and jumped in the air, doing a little fist pump. “Yes! You are the most awesome girlfriend in the world.”
Girlfriend. It was a weird realization. It was very strange to go from being someone’s wife to being just a girlfriend again.
“Am I your girlfriend?” I asked teasingly.
“I’m not doing this with you tonight,” Andrew said. He wrapped his arms around me. “Call it what you want, but I am all yours.”
I didn’t say it, but I was all his too.
Andrew’s parents’ house was big. And beautiful. And right on the beach. We sat on the built-in bench on the front deck, having a cocktail before dinner, watching the sunset. I snuggled up under his arm, and he kissed my head. “You know, Gray,” he said, “this has been the best summer of my life.” He winked. “I love you. I really mean that. And I know you want this to be a summer fling, but the idea of having to not be with you—”
I put my finger up to his lips. “Shhh. Let’s just enjoy the sunset.”
He nodded and looked back toward the water breaking and crashing to the shore just over the dunes, the sea oats waving in the wind.
“There’s my little sweetie!” I heard from behind me.
I sat straight up and turned to see a polished, beautiful woman, probably in her late forties, a fact that was very well hidden by what I presumed was a good deal of Botox. She was wearing white jeans and a patterned silk tunic and looked like she belonged to this house perfectly. Andrew got up and wrapped her in a hug. “Hi, my little momma,” he said.
My heart was racing through my chest and into my throat, and I felt momentarily like I might pass out. I was stunned to see this woman, yet Andrew didn’t look surprised in the least. He had tricked me. I wanted to be mad—only he had to trick me, didn’t he? Because I would never in a million years have agreed to meet his mother.
“There’s my boy,” another, deeper voice called as its owner, in crisp khaki pants and a blue-and-white-striped knit shirt, stepped onto the deck. He and his son hugged briefly. I stood up, my maxi dress flowing in the breeze, thankful that I hadn’t worn the low-cut one I’d considered when getting dressed.
“Mom, Dad,” Andrew said. “This is Gray.”
If they were surprised to see me, they didn’t let on. His mother took my hand and kissed my cheek. “We have heard so much about you,” she said. “Please call me