Promise Cove (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 1) by Vickie McKeehan Read Free Book Online Page A

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    “ Y ou ’ ve been li v i n g out here alone , ” he dec l ared aloud, n o t really expe c ti n g her t o commen t .
    “ U n t i l H u t t o n cam e alo n g , y e s . ”
    A pre g n ant woman, alone, li v i n g a l l the w a y out of t o w n l i ke th i s ? N o wonder Sc o t t had wo r r ied him s elf s ic k . W h at if sh e ’ d gone in t o la bor out here? W hen he s a w the shadow of wo r r y f l ut t er in her e y e s, he did h i s b e st t o make her feel bet t e r . “ T h er e ’ s s til l time t o get it done, J or d a n . I t can s til l happe n . ” A nd b y Go d h e ’ d mak e it happen for Sc o t t , for he r .
    “ I do n ’ t k no w , ther e ’ s a n a wf u l l o t le f t t o d o . I should h a v e ha d th e p l ac e read y t o ope n b y no w , bee n f u r ther alo n g w it h e ve r y thi n g . ”
    F o r s o m e rea s o n , h e d e spe r a t el y w an t e d t o rea s s ur e he r . “ Y o u should n ’ t b e tha t har d o n y ou r s elf . T h i s i s a hug e under t a k in g fo r on e pe r s o n t o han d l e . T o gethe r , w e ’ ll p ic k u p the pac e . ”
     

     
    A r oun d fiv e-thirt y , N ic k s t eppe d in to th e apa r tmen t over th e g ar a g e J or d a n ha d d es c r ibe d a s a dum p . H o t an d s wea t y af t e r th e a l l - d a y sandi ng an d s t aini ng jo b o n th e f ron t porch, ba dl y i n nee d o f a showe r , h e looke d aroun d an d de c ided sh e ’ d ex a gge r a t e d i t s poo r condi t io n . T h e p l ac e w a s a c t u a l l y spa c io us , alm o s t loft-l i ke , an d s m e l le d l i k e lemo n w a x f ro m th e ol d oa k , hardwoo d f l oo r s sh e ’ d pol i s he d to a glea m . S h e ’ d lef t th e w i ndo w s ope n . T h e ocea n breez e on h i s s wea t y bod y fel t goo d to th e s k i n .
    The p l ace w as spa r s ely f u r n i shed. A nd what w as here looked l i ke lef t ove r s f ro m th e ’70s . A n an c ien t s a g g i n g g reen s ofa di v ided the li v i n g space, c rea t i n g t wo rooms out of on e . Be y ond the s ofa sat the double bed, an old u r n t op maple that looked in bet t er shape than the r e s t . Gl an c i n g around the room, he de c ided, d e s p i t e the l ack of f u r n i shi n g s, he could be comfo r t a ble her e . W hen he sp o tt ed the ti n y k i t ch enet t e , whic h con si s t e d o f a s ma l l re f r ige r a t o r an d a t w o -bu r ner s t ove t op t ucked in t o the co r ner on one w a l l, he went w ith impu ls e . H e w a l k ed over and threw open the door t o the refrigerator . S ure enough, there in s ide, h i s h o s t e s s had s t ashed s i x cold bee r s. G ra t e f ul, he t w i st ed the t op of f , g u z zli n g the cold brew do w n l i ke a man plucked off a d es e r t ed i s l and. H e c r o s s ed over t o the back w indow and s canned the v iew of the ocea n . A s he drank h i s bee r , he thought of Sc o t t . N ick could e n v i s ion him w a l k i n g on the beach, su r f i n g , li v i n g here w ith h i s w ife and ch i ld. H e l l, e ven in broad d a yligh t , Sc o t t ’ s gh o st re f u s ed t o let g o .
    S wea t y , he s t a r t ed sheddi n g cl o th e s, w anti n g n o thi n g more t h an a h o t showe r . H e plopped down on the bed t o pu l l off h i s bo o ts, t e s t ed the mattr es s. H e ’ d been in wo r s e, he de c ided, as he be g an t o pu l l off h i s jeans.
    A n d i t woul d h a v e to d o . E ve n i f h e ha d to p i t c h a t ent to s t a y s omewher e o n th e prope r t y , h e w a s commit t e d no w . A s h e pu l le d ou t h i s sh a v i ng gea r an d w a l k e d in to the bathroom , h e could n ’ t hel p bu t wonde r wha t h e ’ d g o t t en him s el f in t o . H e w a s her e fo r Sc o tt e ve n i f h i s w if e ha d no ide a wh o h e w a s o r ho w h e ’ d k n o w n he r h usband.
    L a the r i n g h i s face w ith sh a v i n g c ream, he k new it w a s n ’t fair t o keep h i s s e c re t . H ow did he in t end t o remedy that? F or a ma n wh o