If for Any Reason (Nantucket Love Story #1) - Courtney Walsh Page 0,122

her now would be a mistake, and besides, he’d run out of words to say. Did she really believe those things about him? He drew in a deep breath, saying a silent prayer that somehow God would change her heart. She was injured—he understood that—but he didn’t want to lose her. Were his mistakes too painful for her to forgive? Too much of a reminder of the way her own father had treated her?

He turned and took a step toward his cottage when he saw Jolie, standing off to the side. She glared at him.

“Hey, JoJo.”

Her face crumpled. “See? I knew you’d ruin everything!”

She raced off toward the house, Tilly following close on her heels, leaving Hollis standing on the empty beach with nothing but a sick feeling in his stomach.

CHAPTER 44

AUGUST 2001

Isabelle didn’t get out much anymore. She’d accepted life as a single mother, rarely dated, and had mostly given up on her dreams of traveling the world. Sure, she’d been overseas with her parents and with Emily, but it wasn’t the dream she’d had in mind all those years ago.

Those years when she’d been young and foolish and momentarily impulsive.

And while she wouldn’t trade her daughter for anything, there was, of course, a part of her that wondered how different her life would be if she hadn’t gotten pregnant so young, if she hadn’t lost JD so abruptly, if she hadn’t settled right back into what was expected of her, gone to school, and immediately begun working at one of her father’s companies.

Maybe it was the weight of these thoughts that caused her to agree to a night out with three friends she’d known for years. They were young moms now, and they all complained about how they never had time for themselves. The plan was to take a whole night and not think or talk about children.

But that plan quickly went awry.

Sitting at a table at the Chicken Box, Isabelle listened to all three of her friends drone on about diapers and teething and not sleeping through the night. She quickly lost interest, people watching at the cramped bar, which was unlike any of the places she usually frequented.

This place was unpretentious and down-to-earth, like JD’s friends had been all those years ago. It was hard to be on the island without thinking of him. Hard to look at Emily and not see the resemblance.

Her eyes scanned the crowd, drifting from a group playing darts to a handful of people playing pool and then over to the dance floor, where two drunk women were making complete fools of themselves.

“I should probably get home,” she said absently.

“Are you crazy, Isabelle?” her friend Janet squawked. “It’s only eleven.”

Still, Isabelle was tired. She stood. “I have an early morning.”

Rebecca grimaced. “Doing what?”

“My daughter has rehearsal for Charlotte’s Web. You better all get tickets or I’ll consider it a personal insult.” She picked up her purse with a smile.

A voice behind her stopped her before she could turn to go. “Bella?”

Rebecca, Janet, and their other friend Dawn all looked past Isabelle, to the voice. A voice she hadn’t heard in twelve years but would never forget.

She spun around and found a rugged, slightly older-looking JD staring at her.

“I thought that was you.” He smiled at her.

She smacked him—hard—across the face.

He grabbed her by the wrist and held her still as she steadied her breathing, eyes locked on to his.

“I hoped it was you.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, lingering as the seconds ticked by and her resolve crumbled.

Even after all these years—even after what he’d done—he still cast a spell over her with one single glance.

She pulled her hand from his, hitched her purse over her shoulder, and pushed her way through the crowd. She didn’t get more than a few feet when she felt his hand around her arm. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too tight—too tight and yet still gentle, as if he wanted her to know he would never hurt her.

But he had, hadn’t he? He’d hurt her worse than any physical pain ever could.

She spun around. “What are you doing?”

“I need to talk to you,” he said. “Can we go outside where it’s quiet?”

She hesitated.

“Just for a minute, Bella. Please.”

In seconds she was seventeen again, standing in front of JD, wondering what it would be like if he was her “forever.”

His touch. His kiss. His eyes. They were all so familiar, and yet she had no right to