Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 5
NOELLE
PRESENT
STANDING BY THE window in my old bedroom at the beach house on Whaite’s Island, I gazed out at the ocean across the road. Seven years had passed since that first summer here, but it felt like yesterday.
The anxiousness running through my veins reminded me of the nerves I’d had back when I first arrived, waiting for Archie and expecting the worst. But facing him this time would be a whole lot harder.
Neither of us had known that first summer would also be our last at this house. It had turned out to be the most memorable season of my life, despite how it ended.
Archie called from downstairs. “Did someone say penne a la vodka?”
I took a deep breath and glanced at myself in the mirror. Let’s go.
My heart pummeled against my chest as I rushed down the stairs. “All I heard was vodka. And I’m totally game.”
Archie dropped the bag of groceries he was holding and held his arms out wide. “Fuck, Noelle… It’s been too damn long.”
I leapt into his arms. “You made it!” I took a deep breath of his scent as he held me tightly, and all of the unwanted memories flooded back. This trip would be short, but I would cherish every moment, while also trying to keep my heart from breaking.
He pulled away, his eyes wandering over me. “You look great.”
“So do you.”
It was hard to look at him, in fact. Archie was even more beautiful in his late twenties than he had been seven years ago, and that was saying a lot. With the same gorgeous, thick hair, he had even more definition to his jaw and slightly more facial hair.
“I figured I’d stop at the market on my way here instead of having to go back out. That way we could just enjoy the day.”
“Makes sense.”
Archie picked up the bag and took it to the kitchen as I followed. He placed it on the center island. “Can I ask a favor?”
“What?”
“I know we have a lot to discuss—namely the wedding invitation and my not telling you sooner. But can we put all of that off for one day?” He sighed as he took a package of pasta out of the bag. “I just want to enjoy your company without any heavy talk.” He flashed a sad smile. “Just today.”
I was in no rush at all to think about him marrying Mariah. I was perfectly happy to live in denial on this one. “Okay.” I nodded. “We can do that.”
“Cool.” He wriggled his brows. “How about a cocktail before we have to meet the realtor?”
• • •
Later that afternoon, we met with Dawn Mahoney, the agent we’d tasked with putting this property on the market. She did a walkthrough of the house and stayed for a longer time than I’d anticipated. But she also felt we could list it for about a hundred grand more than we’d estimated, so that was good news.
By the time she left, it was almost dinnertime. Archie poured us glasses of white wine, and I sat at the kitchen island to watch as he prepared dinner.
I was so proud of Archie for following his dream and becoming a chef. He and his buddy co-owned a restaurant now out in Irvine. Archie was the head chef while his friend, Max, handled the business side of things. Archie had almost chosen a profession his heart wasn’t into. This was so much better.
As he diced the garlic and mellow piano music played from his phone, my heart swelled. When he put the knife down and moved over to the stove, I decided to squelch the inappropriate feelings building inside me by bringing up his bride-to-be. That would cool things down.
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring Mariah with you…” I took a sip of my wine.
He stopped stirring for a moment and tapped the long spoon against the edge of the pot. “She had a friend’s bridal shower this weekend. She wasn’t thrilled about me coming alone, but I’m glad it worked out this way, because I needed the space.”
Space? Interesting.
I’d only met Mariah once when I was passing through California on an assignment. As a field producer for a national news magazine show, my job often took me to different parts of the country. Whenever I was on the West Coast, I tried to meet up with Archie. The last visit had been five months ago, and he’d introduced me to his girlfriend.
“Why do you need space?” I asked.
“There’s just…a lot going on.”
“The wedding?”
Archie took a long sip of his wine and set the glass down. “You promised we could have a day off from wedding talk.”
“Okay.” I ran my finger along the stem of my glass. “You’re right.”
Once we sat down to eat, we kept the conversation light. I told him about the latest piece I was working on—the story of a man who lived multiple secret lives and scammed several women out of thousands of dollars. Archie filled me in on the possibility of him opening a second restaurant.