Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,34
been married and borne a child, she felt centuries older. She still had ugly stretch marks that had never gone away. The thought of all those tanned, supple, gorgeous bodies he probably had in his bed seemed to mock her. “Still young. I’m just pointing out you have endless options.”
His silence struck her as a warning rather than a pause. “You seem to be stuck on the word young. My calculations put you at thirty-one, just four years older. An entire future ahead to do what you want. Like me.”
“No, it’s different for me. I’m stuck here. You’re not.”
His lips thinned. “No one is ever stuck, Bella. You have plenty of options if you want to change your life or career.”
“So do you,” she shot back. “Why do you love Cape May so much? You seem comfortable in the city. Don’t you think you’d have more opportunities here than a beach town?”
Seconds ticked by. He seemed to be pondering his answer as if it were important, and when he finally spoke, his voice was like a smooth, velvet ribbon pulled over naked skin. “Trying to get rid of me?”
She tried not to stutter. “No! I’m just curious.”
“I had two jobs in Manhattan before Cape May. And yes, I liked the excitement and fast pace, but I also felt more like a number than a person. I worked with a lot of other planners, and we’d be assigned our next client by a ticket. Like at the deli counter.” He gave a humorless laugh. “I couldn’t bring my own personal style to anything because I was like a factory worker, assisting the top-level planners who rarely accepted my input. That was never what I wanted. With Sunshine, I’m a valued part of the team. Many of our clients are residents who I’ve gotten to know over the years. People know my name. Cape May is special because for the first time in my life, I feel seen.”
His words tumbled through her, breaking apart pieces of the wall she’d guarded around her heart. She had no idea he’d found his past employment lacking. She’d always believed he strode into her beach town on a whim and decided to stay awhile. Hell, she’d been shocked he hadn’t left within the first year, figuring he’d get bored of the limited opportunities. But the way he described her childhood home touched something inside her. He saw the beauty in it.
“I didn’t know.”
“Because I never told you. Sure, if you’re the top dog, New York can be an amazing place to work. But going up the ladder and being recognized is damn hard. All I’m saying is everyone has a choice, Bella.”
She blew out a breath. “But I have a daughter to be responsible for. My parents created this business so their daughters would run it. Taylor will be leaving in September, which puts more pressure on Avery and me. I grew up here. I know how hard it is to get out. Taylor’s been trying for years.”
“I get it. Definitely a lot of responsibility. But answer this question for me: Do you want to leave Cape May? Or Sunshine Bridal?”
She stared at him, her brain clicking madly for the answer. Not the correct answer. Not the easy answer. The one she’d been avoiding—the truth she’d been afraid to unearth in fear of what she’d find. “I don’t know,” she finally said.
Instead of pushing her further, or questioning her lame answer, he nodded. “That’s fair. But maybe instead of feeling trapped in a life, you should choose to make it what you want. Maybe it’s right here with your sisters. Maybe not. But I think you owe it to Zoe to try, don’t you?”
She shook her head. “Children need routine. Stability. Family.”
“Yes, but they need a happy, well-adjusted mother more. Eventually, they’ll end up figuring out you weren’t authentic and not a whole person, and they’ll feel cheated. Believe me, I know, and it’s a hell of a thing to live with.”
Shock jolted through her at his raw honesty and the way he refused to flinch when talking about his past or his ideas. How had she never known how passionate he was under all that smooth surface charm?
Her heart beat madly, and she struggled to gain control over the conversation that was becoming more intimate with each mile. “Do you think we can hit a restroom? I think I need a break.”
“Sure.”
He pulled over to a gas station. She took her time in the bathroom,