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“Ally.” His voice warmed her ear, his mouth closer than she’d expected.
The combination of sound and heat sent a pleasant shiver through her.
“Mmm?” She wondered if the plane ride home would be as much fun as the trip here. Already, her body tingled at the suggestion of intimacy.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you won at the national championship.”
His words were so unexpected- so genuinely full of regret- they chased away the sensual thrill curling inside her.
“What made you think of that?” She’d blocked that time from her mind, the final meet a bittersweet win when she’d had no one to share it with. Sure it was nice to win with her teammates, but while they were all mobbed by family, friends and significant others, Alicia had wandered back to the locker room alone.
“This.” He gestured to the fans who’d cheered for Kyle Murphy’s first hat trick at the NHL level. “Thousands of fans celebrating a player’s talent and accomplishment. You should have had that your junior year when you were a two-event winner instead of…”
Instead of informing her dad she’d won by an e-mail afterward. His reply had been full of reminders that swimming would never lead to a real career, though he’d managed a “congratulations” at the end of the note. The memory sparked a surprise burn in her throat, especially with the hum of energy still infusing the Montreal arena after the impromptu tribute to Kyle.
“Sports aren’t everything.” She’d reminded herself of that often, trying to keep the season and the win in perspective over the next year.
“But you worked your butt off to be the best and you deserved to have someone there who knew exactly how tough it was to achieve what you did.” Jack reached to graze her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “I always admired how hard you worked to accomplish your goals.”
Surprised by the admission and the apology, she nodded, mute with emotion for a moment. She hadn’t expected Jack to think back about that day, especially after she’d learned what he’d been going through during the weeks leading up to the championship meet that he’d missed. So it meant a lot – even all these years later – to know he’d been proud of her.
“Thank you,” she finally managed, leaning across the hard metal arm of the folding stadium seats to kiss his cheek. “I missed you that day.”
The warmth in her heart was more than attraction or awareness. It went deeper than that, reaching a place inside her no one else had touched since her break-up with Jack. Despite her best intentions, she knew she was in love with this man all over again.
Could he be apologizing for the past now because he wanted a future with her after all? Hope beat fiercely in her heart. Maybe Jack was ready to be open and honest with her, to let her share in his life in a way that he wasn’t prepared for four years ago. Back then, he’d walked away rather than confide in her. He’d made a decision to join the Navy that affected them both deeply without ever asking for her opinion. He’d just broken up with her – no explanations, no arguments.
Perhaps his apology today was an olive branch that could lead toward a different kind of future. A future where they could not only confide in each other but argue with each other without worrying they would push one another away. For a couple of strong personalities like them, that seemed important. Comforting.
Even if it meant returning to Chatham and forsaking the dream of the inn on the Bar Harbor coast, Alicia wanted to think about a future with Jack. As long as she could be his partner and not someone he informed of his choices after he made them – she was on board. Because after four years of keeping her eyes peeled for a man she’d want in her life, she’d never met anyone close to Jack Murphy.
ChapterTwelve
Actions spoke louder than words, right?
Late the next afternoon, Jack was damn pleased with himself that he was going to pull off an action that would surprise Alicia to her toenails. He had the deed to the Bar Harbor property in one hand and a list of repairs he thought they should make within the first year in the other. He’d even gotten cost estimates on the repairs and made a time table for when and how the fixes could be completed.
Alicia would be thrilled, her dream come true facilitated by the kind of capital that would take the property from ramshackle charm to high functionality for her guests. Better yet, it would be a task they could tackle together. She hadn’t thought he supported her idea of starting a business in Maine. But she would see how serious he was about making a commitment to the property – to her - when he gave her the deed to the inn she’d poured so much thought into with her sketches and plans.
He had been up half the night after they returned from Montreal to make this happen so quickly. Alicia had spent the night on the boat with him and he’d returned to the inn at dawn before she awoke so he could have the sale contract signed by the previous owner. Without a realtor or a bank involved, the process was actually very simple and straight forward. The owner had been elated at the prospect of a cash sale, even knocking a substantial amount off his asking price when Jack presented him with a list of the flaws he’d found in the structure.
Now, seated on the deck of Keith’s boat, Jack waited for Alicia to emerge from the sleeping cabin below. He’d heard the shower switch off about ten minutes prior, so he knew the wait was almost over.
“Morning,” she called as she reached the top step, stretching up on her toes and throwing her arms wide. “Isn’t it beautiful out?”
A pair of softly worn-out jeans showcased her hips while a pink cotton sweater kept her warm in the slight nip of fall in the air. She dried her long hair enough to take the worst of the dampness out, but he guessed it must feel cool against her back in the morning breeze. No makeup hid her pretty features, as per usual. She looked beautiful to him, a vision he’d loved to see every day.
But he kept that sentiment to himself. He’d screwed up with her in the past and he wasn’t going to heap his feelings into an important moment for her now. He didn’t want that kind of pressure mixed up in a gift that he wanted to give her no matter how she felt about him.
“Beautiful,” he agreed, unable to take his eyes off her to assess the scenery.
“There are even a few trees turning red and yellow.” She pointed toward the shore as she closed the distance between them, her feet silent on the deck in a pair of leather moccasins.
“Fall comes early up here.” Even a few hours north of where they’d grown up made a big difference.
Would he get to share this season with her this year? Other years? A chill of foreboding chased down his spine and he wasn’t sure why. He’d worked too hard to make this moment right for her to mess it up now.
He’d simply offer up the property as an olive branch for the past and be done with it. If she wanted more from him on a personal level – she knew where to find him. He didn’t want her to feel like his investment in the inn was tied to any expectation of a relationship.
