Seaside Dreams (Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers, Book One) Contemporary Romance by Melissa Foster Read Free Book Online Page B

down the row of vendors, and every time the crowd grew thick, his hand returned to her back. A gesture as possessive as it was protective, it made her warm with desire—and shiver with worry, because being with him felt that good that fast.
    They turned down the next aisle and Caden stopped. He was tall and broad, making it easy for his eyes to dance over the heads of the crowd, finally settling on Evan, talking to a couple of teenagers by the discount game vendor in the next row over.
    “I can probably negotiate a deal for him if you want to go over. Everyone here barters.”
    Eyes still on Caden, he pressed his hand a little firmer to her back. “No, not yet. Maybe he’ll meet a friend or two.”
    “Doesn’t he have many friends?”
    “We just moved here a few weeks before summer began. He didn’t really have time to get to know anyone.” His brow furrowed, and his eyes grew serious. He placed his hand on her back again. “Come on. Let’s find you those hair things you wanted.”
    You remembered. “It’s tough on kids to move, especially teenagers. What brought you to Wellfleet?”
    “My partner was killed in the line of duty, and it was a wake-up call. I realized that if something happened to me, Ev wouldn’t have anyone. His mom took off a week after he was born, and I haven’t seen her since. Other than my parents, I’m the only family Evan has ever known.”
    He was so open and honest, and his words were thick with love. She felt her resolve soften a little more. She wanted to get to know him better, despite her plan to remain distant.
    “I’m so sorry about your partner. That must have been very painful.”
    When he continued, his voice was thoughtful. “It was. Sometimes it still is, but moving helped.” He smiled, but it wasn’t the easy smile she’d seen earlier. His eyes remained serious. “I knew moving would be tough on Evan, and it wasn’t an easy decision to move away from my parents, but it was more important to me that I work someplace safer. Hopefully, I’ll be around for Evan until he’s old and gray.”
    “So you raised him alone?”
    “Since the day he was left in my arms.” He smiled again, and this time it was full of love, and his eyes filled with pride.
    They stopped to look over paintings, but Bella couldn’t take her eyes off of this man who had changed his life to protect his son.
    “What about you? Has the move been tough for you?” she asked.
    His answer came easily. “Nothing is too difficult when I’m doing it for Evan.” He shrugged, as if life decisions were that simple.
    Bella had made her decision to change her life in a split second as well. Maybe life decisions really were that easy.
    “In all honestly, I had to start on the bottom rung here. You know, new department, new city, and all that. It took some getting used to, but hopefully in the long run it will be worth it. What about you, Bella? Have you ever been married?”
    She laughed. “Wow. You don’t beat around the bush. No commitments, remember?”
    “You mentioned that that was a recent decision.”
    What is it about you that makes me want to spill my guts? “It was semi recent. I made the decision not to…” Date? Get involved in a relationship? She didn’t want to stipulate either so definitively with Caden. “I made the decision in the spring, and no, I’ve never been married.” She was feeling too flustered inside toward him. She needed a little deflection. “And I’m not looking to get married anytime soon, so don’t drop to one knee and whip out a ring, either.”
    He laughed. Thank goodness . At least he didn’t think she was as crazy as she felt.
    “I’m basically starting over, too. I’ll be happy to find a job for the fall, sell my house, and settle into a life that doesn’t rely on someone else’s honesty.” Holy crap. Where did all that come from? She couldn’t stop herself from explaining. “I made a deal with myself that I’d make my life decisions based on