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He pulled her closer as they walked through the dense sand. “It counts. But,” he added as a kind of warning, “it’s also a first for me. A good first. A great first. And like I know I keep saying, I’m working on changing.”
“Change can be good sometimes,” she said slowly, “but I’m not sure why you are so convinced that you can’t have a wonderful, happy life just being the person you already are. I like who you are. Why can’t you like him a little more, too?”
When he didn’t answer right away, she pulled them to a stop on the sand and pressed her palms to his chest. He loved when she did that. Those two spots, one over his heart, the other over his muscles, were hers. She totally owned him.
“Let me ask you this,” she said. “What if I decide to go back to Maryland instead of moving my business here to the island?”
“Then I’ll find a way to spend most of my time there.”
“Okay, bad example. What if I go to dinner tonight at your parents’ house and fall madly in love with your brother Ethan and decide to sail away to live on his boat with him?”
His gut churned and a scowl replaced his grin.
“See?” She smiled up at him. “You know it’s a silly thought, something that would never happen in a million years, but you still can’t help reacting to it. Your face is all frowny, and you look dejected. It’s really quite cute. Like an angry toddler.”
“Toddler?” He grabbed her ribs, and she squealed.
“Don’t tickle me. I’m making a point.”
“Then make it already, and let’s leave Ethan out of it.” Especially since jealousy was still clawing at his nerves at even the mere thought of his brother touching Shelley.
“Okay, but you’re so cute when you’re jealous.” But then she stopped laughing and grew serious again. “All I’m saying is that if you allow yourself to be seeded with doubt, it weighs you down. Shoulda, coulda, woulda does no good. The only thing that ever works is to believe in yourself. And if that feels too difficult sometimes, then you can believe in me, because I have total faith in you. I have never lived my life afraid of what-ifs, and I’m not going to start now.”
Shelley’s faith in him moved Quinn in a way nothing else ever had. No big deal, no big payout, no big award had ever brought him such pleasure.
Or such happiness.
“I love you, Shelley.”
The words came directly from his heart. It didn’t matter that they’d met less than a week ago or that the logistics of having a relationship both on and off the island were messy.
All that mattered was what he felt for the beautiful woman standing in front of him.
And when she looked at him with her entire heart and soul open to him on her beautiful face and said, “I love you, too,” then kissed him without holding any of her passion—or joy—back, it was difficult to remember why he’d ever had any doubts at all.
Chapter Twenty-two
QUINN AND SHELLEY spent the afternoon exploring the island. Quinn took her to see the lighthouse, and they had lunch at a little café overlooking the water. They drove by the aquarium, and he showed her the rocky cliff where he, his brothers, and their friends used to hang out as teenagers. And the whole time, there were kisses, caresses, and whispered promises of all the wonderful ways he was planning to give her pleasure tonight.
After the call from Rich, she’d expected him to tell her that he was going to head back to Maryland early, but what he had said was a million times better.
He loves me.
And she loved him, too. With all her heart.
While Quinn was with his family, signing papers for the resort, Shelley took a walk to see the cottage she’d rented one more time before finalizing the rental agreement and moving in the next day. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, and there was a gentle breeze coming off the water. Up on the dunes, the breeze was stronger. She couldn’t wait to move in, open all the windows, and feel that breeze in every room.
As she headed back down the beach with her heart beating a little faster, she thought about how angry Quinn had been over the things her mother had said. He cared so much, so fast, and it meant everything to her that he did. Especially because she cared just as much about him and his happiness.
On the beach there were a bevy of flat rocks by her feet. Aunt Marla had tried to teach her to skip rocks every summer, but she’d never been able to master the flick of her wrist. Shelley picked up a flat rock, turned her hand sideways and tried to skip it. It splashed into the water a few feet away and sank.
