If for Any Reason (Nantucket Love Story #1) - Courtney Walsh Page 0,27

breath. “But my parents . . .”

“Aren’t here right now.”

“But there’s no future for us, JD—you have to know that. Isn’t it better to end it now, before it begins?”

He reached out and touched her cheek. “It’s already begun. There’s no way I’m gonna be able to get you out of my head now.”

Her heart sputtered. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to hold on to him because he was more genuine than anyone else she knew. She liked the realness of him—and she liked his lips. They were soft and full, and when his eyes dipped down and drank her in, she imagined what it would be like to kiss him.

“Maybe we don’t think about the future,” he said. “Maybe let’s just think about this moment, right now, and let the rest of it figure itself out—later.”

That sounded good. It sounded better than good. It sounded brilliant. And Isabelle was tired of being practical. For once, she wanted to make a decision based on her own thoughts and feelings and not on something her parents instructed (or ordered) her to do.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“Just this moment right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” she said. “Can you convince me it’s worth ignoring what comes next?”

He smiled. “I’d like to try.”

Her stomach butterflies were back, and as he inched toward her, he didn’t take his eyes off of her for a second. He reached up and took her face in his hands, studying her with such intent it made her insides quiver.

“Can I kiss you, Bella?” he whispered.

She nodded, holding on to his gaze, then begged her breath to steady as his lips met hers. She was right—they were soft and full. His kiss was tender to start but quickly grew more hurried as he drew her closer. It occurred to her that perhaps up until this point she’d been kissing the wrong boys. She’d never much cared for kissing—but in that moment, she thought it might be her new favorite thing.

His hands moved down her back, and Isabelle marveled at the way he felt like someone she’d known for years—or maybe like someone she’d been waiting to know.

He pulled away and searched her eyes. “Sorry, I gotta calm down.”

She could practically feel his restraint and how difficult it was for him to exercise it. Something about that endeared him to her, made her feel safe.

And she felt herself falling for a boy she’d only just met and wondering how to keep his very existence a secret from parents who would most certainly not approve.

Because she understood what JD meant—there was no way she would get him out of her head now.

CHAPTER 10

EMILY FELT THE WET TONGUE OF AN ANIMAL licking her hand, rousing her from sleep. She squinted in the morning light after a very long, very uncomfortable night.

“Emily?”

She forced her eyes open and found Hollis and Jolie staring at her.

A part of her had been aware she was outside on the patio—every time she shifted positions throughout the night—but she couldn’t bring herself to face the inside of the house.

Now she felt completely exposed.

Being back in Nantucket, in this house, forced her to revisit so many feelings she’d put in the background of her life. It was like digging up a time capsule and being transported back decades in an instant.

Why had she agreed to this?

“Sorry,” Emily finally said, straightening her disheveled clothing. “I must’ve been really tired.” It wasn’t all that different from waking up on the beach after a late night out with friends. And yet it was completely different.

As she shifted, Mom’s book of letters fell on the ground. Hollis grabbed it before she could, glancing at it long enough to read the words her mother had painted on the cover.

If for Any Reason

His eyes found hers, and judging by his expression, he had questions. And concerns.

She held out a hand and he gave her the book, which she tucked neatly under her arm, avoiding his watchful eye. She’d forgotten how it felt to be looked after, fussed over.

She wasn’t sure if she liked it.

Emily had carved out a life of adventure, and her fearlessness had started at a young age. It drove Hollis nuts when she’d jump straight in the surf or dive headfirst into the pool or go hunting for crabs—which he refused to touch.

By contrast, Hollis had always been serious and practical. One summer, Emily learned what the word somber meant and decided it described him perfectly. If she were collecting words to describe