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“It’s so lovely,” Jo spoke without thought. “I mean, I love your house. I like the layout and the fact that it’s private and surrounded by a forest and water. It’s a nature lover’s dream getaway spot,” she quickly added.
Daniel gave her a knowing smile.
“If you ever think about selling it, count on me to be the first bidder. I mean, I would literally camp out on your lawn until you agreed to sell it to me. That’s how much I love it.”
Daniel chuckled. “All that for a house, huh?”
The deep, husky sound that came from him caused her heart to skip a beat. “I’m a sucker for natural beauty,” Jo replied simply.
“As am I,” Daniel replied, staring at her, his gray eyes peering into her soul.
Jo blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog that took up space in her brain. Her heartbeat had quickened, and there was a flurry of wings in her chest. “Um…” she started, still trying to find enough words to string a proper sentence together from her befuddled thoughts. “Um, I came here to talk to you about something,” she finally managed to get out, her voice slightly trembling from the angst she felt.
“Okay, sure,” he agreed. “Would you like anything to drink?” he offered.
“Uh, just water, thanks.”
“All right.” Daniel headed for his kitchen. His head disappeared behind the stainless-steel doors before coming back with bottled water and a can of beer. “Maybe it would be better if we talk outside.”
“Yes, sure,” Jo agreed, following him out the back door. She fell in love even more with the property as she stared in awe at the beauty of the scene before her.
She had seen glimpses of the water in between the thick barriers the trees created, but from this position, she was treated to a panoramic view of the pristine waters of Penn Cove.
“I knew you would like this,” Daniel said from beside her.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered reverently.
Daniel’s gray eyes crinkled at the corners as his lips curved into a smile while he watched Jo fawn over the view. “What did you want to speak with me about?” he asked after a few minutes of them just staring out across the water. “Let me get you a seat first,” he rushed to say before Jo could start talking. He placed the two Adirondack chairs closer to the center of the back porch. After Jo settled in her seat, he lowered himself into the next one.
“You know… you remind me a lot of your father,” he spoke after taking a swig of his beer.
Jo looked over at him, surprised by his statement. “How so?” she asked.
“He had the same love that you have for nature. Like you, he loved this property from the moment he lay eyes on it and offered to buy it from me.”
Jo grinned in appreciation of the memory of her father Daniel shared with her.
“Sam was a good man. Someone I respected very much.” Jo smiled warmly at this. The two settled into a comfortable silence as they stared out at the water.
“Why did you kiss me?” Jo finally found the nerve to ask. She felt Daniel’s gaze on her but kept her head straight.
“Why did you let me kiss you?” he responded at last.
The question threw Jo off guard, and she made the mistake of turning to him. His steel-gray eyes held her prisoner, and as much as she wanted to turn away, she couldn’t. Her heart rate quickened when she watched his gaze lower until they were on her lips before returning to her eyes. She felt the warmness in her cheeks and knew she was in trouble. Finally, she found the willpower to look away from his hypnotic stare.
“I told you that my husband and son died in a car accident last year, but I didn’t tell you how it happened.” Taking in a deep breath, she continued, “Charles, that was my husband’s name. He worked for an investment company. He… he um…”
“You don’t have to tell me if it’s too hard,” Charles offered.
“No. I need to get this out so that you understand where I’m coming from.”
Daniel nodded his understanding.
“He um used… he made an unauthorized investment using one of his client’s funds, and it tanked. He started drinking because his boss found out and demanded that he pay back the money. On the day of the accident, he’d been drinking, and our son Nicholas was with him. He lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a tree. They both died on impact,” she recited mechanically to avoid the emotions the memory of them would elicit.
“Oh no, Jo, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how devastated you must have been,” Daniel replied.
Jo turned and gave him a grateful smile for his concern. “I didn’t find out about all Charles had been involved in until after the funeral, and I told myself I couldn’t let Tracy find out about this. It would devastate her more than she already was and tarnish her father’s memory. So, for the better part of a year, I kept this from her. I was forced to tell her recently, and it’s created a rift in our relationship. The day after Mom’s party, you saw me acting strangely because of what was happening.”
