In with the Tide Page 15

  The phoned pinged almost instantly. Not really, are you?

  Damien sat back on the couch. Not really.

  You had every right to react the way you did. I’m just asking for a chance to explain. Can we talk this through? Damien reread Lindsey’s text a second and third time. Instead of blaming him for running off, she was faulting herself for everything.

  There are a few things I need to take care of, but I’ll come by later in the day. Kiss Maris for me.

  Already did. The text made him want to smile and cry at the same time.

  Damien rested his head in his palms. He missed his girls.

  *

  Soft footprints tiptoed over the wood floors and Damien looked up from the stove. Kate stretched her arms high over her head, yawned, and walked over to the coffeemaker.

  “Are you cooking breakfast, big brother?” She tilted her head to the side and peered into the skillet. Unable to sleep past the crack of dawn, Damien had untethered a skillet, and cracked a few eggs into the pan.

  “I thought if I buttered you up with breakfast, you’d help me with something today. I screwed up everything with Lindsey, and you’re right, actions speak louder than words. I need her to know I’m committed to her and the baby one hundred percent.”

  Kate’s face perked up and she clapped her hands together. “Oh, Damien! You’re going to propose. I’m so happy for you.” She stretched up on her tippy toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. Was it odd he was relieved at his little sister’s approval? They’d just met and already her input was important to him.

  “I was hoping you could help me with the ring part, being a girl and all. Because it’s the weekend, I thought you might like to pack a bag and stay in Chatham for a few days. You can meet Lindsey and Maris. If she doesn’t forgive me, though, we’ll have to schlep back to Boston.” Would it come to that? He scraped most of the eggs onto Kate’s plate. His choppy stomach couldn’t handle much. Damien set the dish on the table in front of her and took his own plate to sit across from her.

  “Don’t think that way! You love her and she loves you. There’s nothing that can stand in the way of that, even a stupid disagreement. There’s nothing I’d like more than to go with you, but I work double shifts at a diner on the weekends.” A deep frown sloped across her face. Damien wanted Kate there when he faced Lindsey—or afterward at least…if Lindsey forgave him. He now had three important females in his life, and he wanted them all in one place.

  Kate reached her fork over the table to stab up some of his eggs, and he nudged the plate closer to her. “That’s something I wanted to talk to you about, too. You can quit the diner, and you can sign up for college housing. I just found you, and I want you to stay safe.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “Damien, that’s sweet, but money doesn’t grow on trees.”

  “I got an email last night. I put our father’s house on the market, and it’s sold. You’re just as entitled to the profits as I am. We’ll split it fifty-fifty. It should give you plenty to enroll in housing, get that meal plan, plus some nice padding to put in your savings account or do whatever with.” The email had been the only thing to drag him through the endless night of stress. Now he could put that part of his life behind him and move forward with the future.

  Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. Kate put her fork down quickly. “Damien, that’s your money. It wouldn’t be fair; I never even met him.”

  “Then he owes you more. You’ll take it because it’s your money, too.” He cleared the empty plates and took them to the sink. His lips curved when he heard Kate on the phone, giving her notice to the diner.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The gallery had called Lindsey in for a meeting that morning. Her paintings had sold—not just one or two but every piece they had. The owner wanted more, and he wanted to feature her work on an ongoing basis for his Cape Cod location and for his gallery on Martha’s Vineyard. She should be so happy, and on the surface she was, but deep down she was so torn up inside. Lindsey slipped off her patent leather pumps and left them in the sand. Her parents took Maris for the day, so she could meet with the gallery staff. Still outfitted from the occasion, she walked down her stretch of beach, feeling the hem of her dress wisp around her knees.

  The day was gray and cool for summer. Lindsey stepped closer to the ocean, letting the surf wash over her feet as she walked. She wanted to share her news with Damien. After all, he’d helped to make it happen. Now, all her dreams were coming true, except for the one where she and Damien shared happily-ever-after. Failing with Matthew had hurt and embarrassed her. Losing Damien left her broken. Spots flickered in her vision. Lindsey faced the ocean and inhaled the heavy sea air. Damien hadn’t just walked away—she pushed him.

  Her limbs trembled and she hugged her waist. Would he ever trust her again? Sure, he’d texted her last night and seemed willing to talk, but could he really move past what she’d done? Lindsey dug her feet into the wet sand. As much as she screwed up, maybe Damien never planned to stick around anyway, and her mistakes made for an easy exit. Was he waiting for her to slip up and let him down, just like everyone else had? If so, she didn’t disappoint. Her chin wobbled. She had been waiting for Damien to disappoint her, too. He had been so good to them—too good to be true, except he was.

  She pressed a fist to her chest, and tried to push away the ache. Damien had held her hand during labor, helped her overcome every contraction, and when Maris made her first appearance he was the one to cut the cord and welcome her into the world. She’d never forget the look in his eyes when Maris clutched his pinky finger—he’d simply melted. He had tested her new name, and the syllables slid slowly over his tongue, like he was uttering something precious and beautiful. It’s just right. She’s just right. Damien’s words were branded into her memory. The moment had taken her breath. He was right. She’d damaged two relationships when she chose to find Kate. She’d driven a wedge between Maris and a loving father. The wind carried away her whimper.

  Damien had created her baby a dream nursery, one that could have rivaled any magazine spread. It had come from the heart. And when he touched her, kissed her, those moments were real and profound. She’d felt his heart thud wildly against her chest. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to swipe them away. Lindsey stopped. Suddenly she could feel eyes on her back. She turned slowly and knew it would be him before she saw his face.

  Her heart tumbled. Her breath stilled inside her throat. Damien was on the beach, only feet behind her. She’d thought of him endlessly since he’d left, and poured over all the things that remained unsaid. Now that he was there, his eyes locked on hers, Lindsey was rendered speechless. What did you say to a man you’d cut to the core, yet wanted to see more than anything else in the entire world?

  “I was wrong,” he shouted the words to be heard over the waves smashing against the sand. “You told me I wouldn’t be able to move forward until I faced my past, and I have. I met my sister.” He moved closer, and with each step Lindsey’s breath quickened. She was afraid of what he had to say, afraid to hope for the impossible. When he opened his mouth to speak, Lindsey held her breath. “You were wrong, though, too. I already had a family of my own. One comprised of two people who I care about above all else.”

  Lindsey wanted to go to him, but her feet stayed firmly planted in the sand. The tide was rolling in, and the waves smacked her ankles.

  “I told you once before, and it still holds true. I love you, Lindsey, and I love Maris. You’ve both wrapped an anchor around my heart.”

  The words made hope leap into her throat. “Damien, I lost you when we were kids, and again when you left the cottage. I can’t set myself up to lose you again, but I know I did a terrible thing by finding your sister against your will. That you had a reason to walk away.”

  He took a step forward, then another, slowly closing in on her. His eyes held a mix of fear and desperation. Was he afraid of losing her? Afraid of being rejected? Her hear
t wanted to accept his words, to run into the solid arms that would wrap around her like a safety net.

  “I kept telling myself that I searched for your sister to help you, when in reality it was for me all along. I wanted you to connect with her in hopes you’d be able to find closure, and make a future with me and Maris.”

  “The day your ex visited, I forgave my parents. Forgiving them released a part of me that was still tied up in anger and guilt.”

  Lindsey nodded as tears dampened her cheeks. “Just like when I stood up to Matthew for the first time. Oh, Damien, I’m so sorry. I took the decision out of your hands and with it the opportunity to heal from the experience. Please forgive me?”

  “I screwed up, too, Linds. When I left, I didn’t realize it was because I needed to find Kate. All along, in the back of my mind, I knew I was going to open the file and go to her.”

  “Then maybe, if you’re ready, we could try again.” She choked out the words and clasped her elbows tightly.

  “You deserve better than how I’ve acted. I already forgave you, and if you’ll forgive me too, I’ll spend every day working to be the man you and Maris deserve.” Damien’s voice shook and his feverish eyes searched her face.

  “Will you stay on Cape Cod? When your father’s house sells, will you want to leave? What if you decide you want to be close to Kate, and move to Boston?” she said.

  “The Realtor emailed me last night to let me know the house sold, and I’m standing here. I can visit Kate at school. And who knows where she’ll want to move when she graduates? Maybe it will be to Cape Cod. She’s never been here before. In fact, she’s never even seen the ocean. Her jaw hung open the whole ride here. All she’s ever known are the slums of Boston.”

  Lindsey’s brows knitted together. “She’s here?” Had he brought Kate here, to meet her?

  “I needed to talk with you alone first. She’s waiting in the car.” Damien waded through the water to stand directly in front of her. The tide had risen just below her knees and the cold water had goose bumps running up her legs and over her arms. She didn’t care.

  “Lindsey, do you love me, too?” He stood at arm’s length with his hands at his sides.

  “The day you stole my lunch box, you stole my heart. I’ve always loved you, Damien.” Water sloshed up her legs as she closed the distance between her and Damien. She placed a hand on either side of his cheeks and pressed gently. “I’m ready to fight for this. For us.”

  “You told me family is the most important thing, and you’re right. Let me be part of your family, Lindsey. Let me be a husband to you and a father to Maris. I can’t promise we won’t disagree, or that things will be perfect all the time, but together we can make anything work.” He stared at her, unblinking, waiting for a response.

  When she said nothing, he stepped forward again. He stood so close she could see the worry lines that seemed to pop up on his forehead and face overnight. This hadn’t been easy on him, either. He whispered her name, and his voice held a quiet determination. “No more running from problems. No more fear. We have to have trust. Not just in each other but trust that we’re always on each other’s side. Because both times we’ve broken trust, it was because we wanted something that the other needed.”

  Lindsey’s heart thumped wildly in her chest. Damien was pouring himself at her feet. He wanted things she’d only wished for on birthday candles and shooting stars. In the middle of the water, he dropped to one knee and her heart jammed into her throat.

  The ring in his hand shimmered and sparkled under the afternoon sun that was poking through the clouds.

  “Lindsey, will you start a life with me in this cottage by the sea?”

  She stepped forward and lifted her hands to the sides of his face. He wasn’t playing around this time. He wanted her and Maris. She let the tears stream down her cheeks.

  “I’d start a life with you anywhere.” Her words were breathless but it was all the encouragement he needed.

  Damien slipped the ring on her finger. He stood up, and wrapped her into a hug. Had she ever felt more secure? More loved?

  “Lindsey, you gave me a wonderful gift by finding my sister. Kate is warm and sweet—” He stopped mid-sentence and they both turned to the high-pitched squeal from the beach. Kate was standing on an embankment, clapping her hands and doing a little dance.

  “I don’t mean to spoil the moment, which I caught on camera by the way. I’m just so excited!” Kate shouted down to them. She was already half running, half sliding down the sandy hill.

  “She’s very bubbly and very enthusiastic. I think you’ll love her.” Damien’s words tickled Lindsey’s ear and she couldn’t contain her wide grin.

  “I know I will.” She’d love everything about their life together. Even when things were difficult, they’d make it work, because they’d already weathered the storm together and had come out stronger.

  Damien framed her face with his hands and kissed her with the salty waves splashing around their legs and sand beneath their toes. They’d found their way home, together.

  Epilogue

  It was the perfect beach day. The sun warmed the sand and water just enough to enjoy it. Behind her, Damien and Kate played volleyball. The rhythmic whack of skin against the inflated plastic, paired with their laughter and friendly insults, touched deep within Lindsey’s heart. Damien had found a positive connection to his past, a blood relative he could actually count on and trust—and he found it in spades with his sister. Kate had a car on campus now, and nearly every weekend she drove to Chatham and stayed with them at the cottage.

  Lindsey loved having Kate visit. She doted on Maris and filled the house with laughter and fun that only a college student could bring. And then, there was watching Damien and his sister interact. They got along like summer and picnics. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought they’d spent a lifetime bonding as siblings—longer than a year, at least.

  Beside her, Maris kicked at the water and squealed in the delight each time the cool waves lapped against her wiggling piggy-toes. Even the wide-brimmed hat couldn’t shadow her gap-toothed grin. She clapped two chubby hands together and sent a smile toward Lindsey. Drool rolled down her chin. Lindsey draped an arm around Maris’s shoulders and squeezed, leaning in so she could breathe in the sunscreen lathered over her soft skin. There was nothing like being a parent. Nothing like watching her child grow and flourish.

  Each milestone was bittersweet; they filled her with pride and relief, but also a sense of how quickly Maris was growing up. She’d already gingerly folded up the twelve-month-old clothes, held up each tiny shirt, and tucked it inside a cardboard box. The shimmery tulle dress Maris had worn to the wedding hung in the closet. She couldn’t part with that one just yet. Damien and Lindsey had rented the room facing the sea at the restaurant where they shared a turbulent first date. They’d had a small winter ceremony with close family and friends, overlooking the ocean with the glow of flickering tea lights warming the room and the fragrance of creamy roses floating through the air.

  Sand crunched behind her. Damien knelt down, moved her hair to one side, and placed a kiss against her jawline. A shiver ran down her spine as he whispered a playful suggestion in her ear. They both turned to Maris who was yelling “Shell!” A large toffee-colored conch had been tossed in her lap by a crashing wave.

  “Wow, Maris!” Lindsey mirrored her daughter’s excitement. “Hang on to that shell really tight. The most special treasures are washed in with the tide.” A grin stretched over her face and she glanced at Damien who was smiling down at her.

  He pulled her close. “They certainly are.” His lips hovered just above hers and his breath tickled her skin. Goose bumps popped over her arms when he kissed her long and deep. This was the life she’d always dreamed of, the man she’d always wanted, and the family she cherished. She’d found it all on the Cape where she grew up, in the cottage by the sea.

  The End

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  About the Author

  Contemporary Romance Author Charlee James was introduced to a life-long love of reading listening to her parents recite nightly stories to her and her older sister. Inspired by the incredible imaginations of authors like Bill Peet, Charlee could often be found crafting her own tales. As a teenager, she got her hands on a romance novel and was instantly hooked by the genre.

  After graduating from Johnson & Wales University, her early career as a wedding planner gave her first-hand experience with couples who had gone the distance for love. Always fascinated by family dynamics, Charlee began writing heartwarming novels with happily-ever-afters.

  Charlee is a New England native who lives with her husband, daughter, two rambunctious dogs, a cat, and numerous reptiles. When she’s not spending time with her tight-knit family, she enjoys curling up with a book, practicing yoga, and collecting Boston Terrier knick-knacks.