Dazed, she sat there, her plate half-finished, and her stomach knotted in a way that had nothing to do with food. The kiss had been quick, almost impulsive, but it left her warm clear through. She could still feel the faint press of his lips, the soft scrape of stubble he hadn’t shaved off since yesterday, and the rush of something unexpected that stole her breath before he pulled away.
When the diner came back into focus, she took a sip of her coffee, squared her shoulders, and told herself she wasn’t going to waste a Saturday morning.
After thanking the waitress for the excellent service and food, Tess stepped into the morning sunlight. It was just about ten a.m., and the outside temperature had already risen into the mid-eighties. Main Street was alive now with cars edging into angled parking spots and pedestrians in no hurry to get wherever they were going. Shop doors propped open, and the murmur of conversation spilled from doorways. The air smelled of yeast, coffee, and salt from the nearby shore. A light breeze off the ocean carried the faint cry of gulls before it was smothered by the clatter of someone rolling down an awning. Everything was calm and ordinary, except the way her body reacted to the memory of Brian’s kiss. With a small shake of her head, she turned toward the row of shops, the taste of him still ghosting her lips.
She walked slowly, letting the rhythm of the town guide her. Normally, Saturdays were for catching up on errands, paying bills, cleaning, and laundry—a familiar pattern of moving from one task to the next. Today felt different. Brighter and carefree, but at the same time... unsettled.
Her thoughts kept circling back to Brian.
The way he’d kissed her in the quiet of the morning after she woke up, not like a man regretting a mistake but like someone who wanted her still. The way he’d looked at her across the booth at the diner, steady and open, like he wasn’t second-guessing what’d happened between them. It should have been awkward. She’d expected awkward. Instead, like he’d said, it had been easy, almost natural, and that scared her more than she wanted to admit.
He hadn’t promised her anything. She knew better than to hope for that. But she couldn’t ignore the way he’d smiled when she said yes to breakfast—or the flicker of something like relief in his eyes, as if he’d needed her to say yes more than he would admit.
Tess paused outside a boutique window, pretending to peruse a display of sunhats, when really she was studying her own reflection. She didn’t look like someone caught in the middle of something that had suddenly become complicated. She looked... happy.
The thought made her chest tighten.
She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and started strolling again, letting her feet carry her down the sidewalk.
Chapter Nineteen
The door chimed as Tess stepped inside Petals, a rush of cool air brushing over her skin. The boutique was bright and airy—rows of summer dresses, bathing suits, linen tops, and wide-brimmed hats displayed under soft lighting. A ceiling fan turned lazily overhead, stirring the faint scent of fabric and something citrusy.
Behind the counter, Bonnie was folding a stack of shorts. When she looked up and saw Tess, her expression brightened. “Well, hey there. I was wondering when you’d wander in here.”
Tess smiled. “Day off. I figured shopping sounded better than doing laundry.”
The older woman chuckled. “Can’t argue with that. You settling in all right down at the beach house?”
“Yeah.” She weaved past a rack of dresses to one with some shirts that caught her eye. “It’s been nice. Peaceful.”
“Good. Dan said your brother’s been doing a great job at the store. You and your parents must’ve raised him right.”
Tess smiled, a flicker of pride warming her tone. “He’s a hard worker. I’m just glad he’s got something to do for the summer that’s close enough, so I don’t have to drive him.”
Bonnie nodded, smoothing out another pair of shorts. “Well, if he keeps it up, Dan will never let him leave.” She glanced up again, eyes narrowing with a teasing spark. “What about you? Are you managing to keep busy, or has Brian been keeping you company?”
The question caught her completely off guard. From Bonnie’s expression, it was clear she was fishing for gossip. Brian told Tess that his Uncle Dan and Bonnie had played matchmaker when it came to both his brothers, but that he’d been fighting their efforts to help him find his “happy ever after.” And yes—he’d actually made finger quotes when he said it.
“Uh—yeah. I mean—he’s checked in a few times.” She hesitated, then added, “We had breakfast this morning before he got called into work.”
Bonnie’s hands stilled as a knowing grin spread across her face. “Oh, breakfast, huh? That’s a good way to start the day. He must’ve gotten up early to drive all the way from his place to here.” She said it like it was a two-hour drive, not a thirty- to forty-minute one.
Heat crawled up her neck, and she realized she shouldn’t have mentioned that. “It wasn’t like that. We’re just friends.” She didn’t mention the dinner the night before... or what had happened after. Some things were better left unspoken in a town where everyone knew everyone.
“Mm-hmm. Well, he’s a good man. I’m glad he’s looking out for you.”
“He’s been great,” she said quietly, meaning it more than she’d intended to as she eyed a shirt before putting it back on the rack. “But we’re not... I mean, it’s not... serious.”
“Yet,” Bonnie said easily, carrying the pile of shorts to a nearby table display. “But don’t sell him short, either. Brian’s the kind of man who keeps things close to the chest. When he cares, he doesn’t make speeches about it—he just shows up. He’s steady that way, even if he acts like he’s not looking for anything serious.”
Tess’s pulse stumbled. She pretended to study a row of silver bangles on a display by the register, her fingers brushing over the cool metal. “I don’t know if I have the time to figure out what this is,” she admitted. “Or if he even wants anything more than... well, more than friendship.”
The older woman snorted softly and walked back behind the counter before leaning on her forearms and catching Tess’s gaze. “Honey, Brian needs a strong woman. Always has. Someone who won’t let him bulldoze through life on sheer stubbornness. Someone steady enough to keep him grounded and strong enough to call him out on his drama. I may not know you well yet, but I can tell you’ve got that in spades.”
Tess blinked at her, the words sinking in deeper than she wanted them to. Strong. Grounded. Those weren’t words she would have used to describe herself. She’d spent years believing that she’d used up all her strength trying to hold her world together after her parents died. Since becoming Andy’s guardian, it seemed like she was making life up as she went—just trying to keep them both afloat. She’d told herself she didn’t have the time or space to risk her heart again.
But last night wasn’t a mistake, and this morning wasn’t regret. They were both... real. Uncomplicated. Like something she didn’t have to run from.
