AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He rolled up his yoga mat and packed it away. Last night he’d come to the realization that he couldn’t be involved in anything that would shut down the lodge. Earning professional kudos wasn’t worth it. He’d passed some of the happiest days of his life here, and it needed to stay exactly the way it was. He’d also decided that he wanted to stay for a while longer and explore both the place and the way it made him feel. He didn’t have a plan yet, just a few loose wisps of one floating around in his mind. Before he firmed them up, he wanted to tell Kat. After all, without her, he might have been fifty years old and still never have known that he liked surfing, or that laughing at himself could actually make him feel better.
He found her in the kitchen with Tione. Both looked tense. He wondered if they’d fought about the way she’d left without warning.
“Morning,” he said.
“Ata marie,” Tione greeted him in Maori.
“Kat, I’m heading down to the beach for a walk. Would you like to come with me?”
She and Tione exchanged glances and she seemed to hunch in on herself. “Sure thing.”
“Great. I’ll just put some shoes on. Meet you in the foyer?”
She nodded, and he went to grab his footwear. He’d only brought one pair of sneakers and one pair of work shoes. If he was going to stay, he’d need to invest in sandals so he could feel the sand between his toes. As he met Kat and crossed the parking lot with her, he felt positively buoyant. The air seemed crisper, the sun warmer, the shrubs greener.
“You’re in a good mood,” she observed as they reached the sand.
He grinned. “I am. I’ve figured out some important things over the last few days, and that tends to brighten a man’s outlook.”
The smile she sent his way seemed forced, and that was his first inkling that something wasn’t right, but he decided to ask about it after he’d shared his good news. He simply couldn’t wait another minute.
“I don’t want to buy Sanctuary anymore.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
He laughed at her stunned expression. “You were right. Staying here changed my perspective, and my life. I want you to keep on doing what you’re doing. I’m officially withdrawing my offer.”
Finally, her face relaxed and her lips curved up. “Thank you. You have no idea how good it is to hear that.”
“I mean it, one hundred percent,” he said, gaining confidence. “The time I’ve spent here—with you—has meant so much to me that I’ve decided to stay in Haven Bay for a while.”
Her smile froze in place. “You what?”
Nerves niggled at the inside of his gut. This wasn’t the reaction he’d hoped for. But he was being brave, putting himself out there, and he’d say what he needed to if it killed him. He stopped walking, reached down and took her hands in his. They were limp, and strangely cold despite the mild temperature.
“I have more than three months of vacation time. I’m going to take an extended leave and investigate the possibility of opening a business here. There are a number of people who would benefit from employing a consultant to improve their processes and oversee things at a high level so they can focus on the day-to-day operations.”
Her brows knitted together. “You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you?”
“I suppose so.” That fact took him by surprise. He hadn’t realized he’d been idly turning over the possibility ever since meeting Logan. Even then, it seemed he’d subconsciously known he was happier here, doing his own thing, than back in Auckland, managing a successful multi-million dollar company for someone else. “You’ve helped me see that there are things more important than money.”
He stared into her chocolate brown eyes and everything else ceased to exist, the two of them caught in a bubble of solitude and emotion, cut off from the lodge behind them, and from the seagulls that soared overhead and the waves that nipped at their toes. He shored up his courage. Though it wouldn’t be easy for him, she needed to hear how he felt. To know how important she was to others, and that she was worth so much more than she thought.
“Katarina, you’re beginning to mean the world to me.”
Her eyes shuttered faster than a sprinter racing off the mark. She dropped his hands and backed away, palms facing him like she was using them as a shield. She may as well have screamed, I don’t feel the same way.
“S-Sterling,” she stuttered, then looked around as if hoping someone would materialize to save her. When no one did, she said, “I’m happy for you. I think what you’re planning is brilliant, but I’m sorry, I won’t be able to spend time with you anymore.”
He’d known he risked rejection. Had prepared himself to hear her say these very words. Or so he’d thought. But nothing he’d imagined could compare to the actual sensation of her plunging a dagger of ice into his heart and wriggling it around, leaving the beating center a cold, empty mess. His hand came up to his chest, as if to hold it in.
Why was she doing this? He knew she had feelings for him, at least to some extent. If she didn’t, she’d never have slept with him—the first time she’d been with a man since her husband. Not to mention that she’d have sent him on his way when he turned up with food last night.
“I—”
“Stop,” she interrupted. “I can’t bear to listen to you.” Cradling her head in her hands, she rocked back onto her heels. “I’m sorry. You’re a great guy—”
Ouch.
