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“Look at you high-jacking my spot,” Ella’s voice came from behind him, and he turned just as she fell to her knees in front of him.
“I hear this is the best place in town.”
“It is.”
Her mouth dropped open then lifted into a beautiful smile that brightened her entire face. “Are those what I think they are?” she asked, pointing to the bag.
“Little beans of happiness all for you,” he said.
She threw herself into his arms and kissed him. He had to fight the urge to flip her beneath him, show her just how much he wanted her. He had meant what he’d said to her about waiting. He didn’t want to cheapen what they had by jumping into things too quickly, but now looking at her, long brown hair, styled in soft curls and eye makeup that brought out the black specks in her eyes, he was kicking himself.
He wanted her more than he ever wanted anything before, and waiting was pure torture. Still, it was important they took it slow. He wanted to be someone she could remember with a smile and not recall with sickening regret.
She ran a hand through his hair. “You seem tense. You okay?”
He rested back on his elbows, glancing out to the infinite body of water. “My grandfather’s problems aren’t an easy fix like I thought they would be.”
Ella lounged beside him, taking the bag of jelly beans with her. “I’m sorry.”
“I want to help him, but I don’t know what to do at this point. I feel like a total failure.”
“You’re not a failure,” Ella said, and bless her heart for trying, but those were just words. Anybody could say them; it wouldn’t change the truth.
“Thanks, but I still feel like one.”
She rolled onto her stomach, propping her chin on her hand and looking up at him with those big beautiful eyes. She held out a jelly bean, and he took it from her hand with his teeth.
“Why do I have a feeling this goes much deeper than that?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not just about helping Joe; it’s about proving to him you can like maybe it could help make up for all those years you weren’t in his life.”
“Do you have a psychology degree I don’t know about?”
She laughed. “Definitely not. We might have only known each other for a really short time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know you. You’re like me. You wear your heart on your sleeve; you just have a better way of hiding it than I do.”
“I don’t, though,” Lucas said. “At least not until I came here.”
Ella smiled, and it was the perfect combination of adorable and sexy. “Willow Cove has that effect on people.”
Lucas laughed. “No kidding.”
“So what’s the problem?” she asked, and while he probably should hesitate in telling her, he trusted her.
“Joe’s broke. He hasn’t turned a profit in over four years, and I have a few options that’ll get him through this season, but as far as long term, I don’t have any answers.”
“I had no idea,” Ella said.
“No one does as far as I can tell. Not even his own employees.” He ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath. “Joe doesn’t have much. The restaurant is his life. And now I have to find a way to save it.”
“What about a fundraiser? The town would surely chip in. We look out for one another. Feud or not, I’d be happy to help. We could do a raffle and have the local businesses donate or we could see about setting up an event to help raise money.”
Lucas shook his head. “Joe’s too proud. He would never ask for help or want people to know he needed it. I don’t think he’d ever forgive me if I let his secret out. I shouldn’t even be telling you, granddaughter of his sworn enemy. So please, can you keep this between us?”
“Of course. I would never say anything.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you.”
