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“Excellent,” Kim said. “You’re a smart man, Seth.”
He wasn’t really sure about her assessment of his smarts, but he was too worn out to apply more mental force to the question. Hopefully being helpless would be a temporary affliction.
Summoning every bit of strength he had, he stood again. Vertigo overtook him and he sagged. Kim was there instantly. She took one arm, her touch at once gentle yet solid. Awareness zinged through him. He tried not to think too much about how much he liked the combination. What would be the point?
Lily came up on his left side and took his other arm. He couldn’t help but notice her touch didn’t cause any zings. But, then, he’d known Lily forever; she was like his cousin or something.
Seth fought the urge to lean on Kim as they walked toward the sliding doors leading to the parking lot, reminding himself that he only needed her for the next twenty-four hours. And then everything between them would be dead even. Strictly casual. And definitely disconnected.
No matter how much the pretty newcomer intrigued him.
Chapter Three
Kim, Lily and Seth made their way up the crushed-shell path that led from the gravel driveway to the wooden stairs that ascended Aunt Rose’s back porch. A stiff breeze blew Kim’s hair into her face and the fresh scent of the sea filled her lungs. She could hear the roar of the waves breaking on the beach just one hundred yards or so from the ranch-style cottage.
Like a trooper Seth went up the stairs by himself, although Kim noticed he used the handrail, which she was pretty sure an in-shape guy like him wouldn’t normally do. When they reached the porch, he turned, his blue eyes shining bright against the backdrop of his pale face. “You’re sure Rose won’t mind?”
“I’m sure,” she said, sounding amazingly normal considering she almost melted every time he looked at her. Not good. At all.
And even if by some wild stretch of the imagination Aunt Rose did mind, Kim would convince her otherwise. She had caused Seth’s injuries with her careless foray into the ocean. Taking care of him was the least she could do.
Before they reached the door, it opened. Kim’s maiden aunt Rose stood there, her round face wreathed in a smile. Her gray hair was pulled back into its customary bun, her wire-rimmed glasses were shoved up on the top of her head. She had a spatula in her hand and what looked like flour on her cheek.
Rose’s eyes darted from Kim to Lily to Seth, obviously taking in their injured, drowned-rat appearances. Her face fell. “Oh, goodness me,” she said, her forehead creasing. Her concerned gaze held on Seth’s bandaged head. “What happened?”
“Kim almost drowned and Seth saved her,” Lily blurted.
Aunt Rose’s eyes widened and her mouth gaped open.
Kim glared at Lily, then held up a hand. “Don’t worry. Everyone is okay, but Seth needs to lie down and isn’t supposed to be alone for a while, so I brought him here. Let’s go in and I’ll tell you the whole story once he’s settled.”
Aunt Rose, bless her heart, didn’t argue. She was a deeply practical woman, and knew when to ask questions and when to just go with the flow. She stepped back, gesturing them inside. “Of course.” As soon as Seth was in the house Rose hurried over and had him sit on the sofa.
Kim followed her aunt into the house, drawing her eyebrows together. “Where’s Dylan?” she asked. He was usually first to answer the door when someone arrived.
“He’s at Benny’s,” Aunt Rose replied. “The puppies needed exercise.”
“Ah. Of course.” Kim looked at Seth. “Aunt Rose’s neighbor has a dog who gave birth to seven puppies a month or so ago.”
“Nothing like puppies to keep a kid interested,” he replied.
“Dylan could hardly wait to get over there after you left,” Rose added.
“Not surprising.” Dylan loved all animals, but dogs in particular. Kim had promised him that he could have a dog as soon as they had their own place. Another reason, among many, that Kim needed a job and her independence.
“I can’t keep him away,” Rose said. “Good thing Benny loves having Dylan around.”
Kim was pretty sure Benny, a retired widower, had a bit of a crush on Rose, too. He blushed and stammered like a schoolboy every time he talked to her. Truth be told, Kim was envious of the awkward attention Benny paid to Rose. It made her yearn for someone of her own…but that would be a mistake.
Kim turned and noticed Lily holding back on the porch.
“Um…now that everyone is here safe and sound, I think I’m just gonna head home,” Lily said, rubbing her eyes. “I’m pooped.”
Kim knew that feeling. “All right.” She went out onto the porch and hugged Lily. “Thank you so much for all your help today.” She stepped back and gave Lily a gentle smile. “I appreciate it. I haven’t really made friends since I got here and, well, I’ve been a bit lonely. Even though we only met today, it’s nice to know I have a new friend.” Kim was a social butterfly at heart, and had joined the church’s singles group for friendly fellowship; it was high time her social life arose from the dead. Well, most parts of it, anyway. The safe parts.
“I’m glad I could help out,” Lily replied, returning Kim’s smile. “Call me if you need anything. I’m in the phone book. And remember, the singles group is having a progressive dinner in three weeks. You should definitely come.”
“Sounds good,” Kim said. Spending time with people her own age was definitely on her To Do list.
Lily waved goodbye and headed back to her car.
Kim noted it was raining now, the fine drizzle coating everything in gray mist. Funny how fast the weather could change in Moonlight Cove.
She shut the front door, noting that Seth and Aunt Rose had left the living room. Expecting to find them in the kitchen, she made her way through the cozy living room.
The smell of freshly baked cookies permeated the air—snickerdoodles was Kim’s guess. With fatigue rolling over her in a wave, she headed through the arched doorway that led from the living room into the kitchen to the left, determined to see to Seth’s care before she gave in to her exhaustion.
The homey blue, white and yellow kitchen was the heart of her aunt’s house. Remnants of her aunt’s cookie making session sat on the tiled counters…but Rose and Seth weren’t there.
Frowning, Kim headed back out into the living room, turned left and went down the short hallway that led to the house’s three small bedrooms.
Sure enough, Aunt Rose and Seth were in the first bedroom on the right, Dylan’s room. Seth was already stretched out on Dylan’s twin bed, and Aunt Rose was spreading a handmade patchwork quilt over him.
Rose turned when Kim walked in. “He wasn’t looking good at all, so I decided it would be best if Seth, here, got some rest right away.” She smiled serenely. “This seemed like the best place for him.”
Kim was so glad her aunt had seen what needed doing and had simply done it. She silently thanked God for making her aunt so intuitive, nurturing and levelheaded. A blessing, really, and a much-needed balancing force in a life turned upside down by Scott’s desertion.
“Thank you, Aunt Rose,” she said. “As usual, you’re right.” She turned her attention to Seth, who definitely looked worse for wear. He must feel really rotten if he’d let her aunt put him to bed without any fuss.
Kim moved closer, resisting the urge to sit on the bed the way she did when she said good-night to Dylan. This wasn’t her son, here. No, this was a full grown, very handsome, masculine man.
Warning bells clanged in her head.
She remained standing. “How are you doing?” she asked Seth.
He shrugged, then winced. “I’ve got a headache.”
Her heart tugged at his obvious discomfort. “After the hit your head took, I’m not surprised. So rest is just what you need.”
“I won’t argue,” he said, his eyelids drooping. Obviously the trauma of the day was catching up to him in a big way.
“Good.” She smiled down at him. “Get some rest.”
She turned away, but before she could leave, he reached out and grabbed her hand. His touch sent sparks shooting up her arm. Her breathing snagged.
“Thank you for letting me come here,” he said, squeezing her hand, looking right at her with those gorgeous eyes of his, pinning her in place.
Kim’s tummy flip-flopped. His eyes were so blue, like the sky in summer, clear and beautiful. Completely compelling.
Her heart fluttered and she forgot, very briefly, the past and the tough lessons it had taught her. Forgot that she needed to keep up her shields.
But then sanity returned and she forced herself to pull her hand from his warm grasp and look away from him. She needed to get a grip. Now. “It was the least I could do,” she said. “You saved my life.”
“I’m glad,” he said, then closed his eyes, well on his way to a meeting with the sandman.
I’m glad, too.
Her legs shaking, Kim turned and followed Aunt Rose out of the room.
When they reached the living room, Aunt Rose turned around, gave Kim a quick once-over, then pulled her into a hug. “Are you all right, dear?”
Kim nodded, breathing in the comforting scent of the lavender perfume Aunt Rose had worn for as long as Kim could remember. “I’m doing well, thanks to Seth.”
Aunt Rose stepped back. “Why don’t you go change into something dry and cozy, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen so you can tell me what happened.”
“Okay.” Kim pulled at her damp, itchy clothes. “I feel like a piece of freeze-dried seaweed.”
She headed to her room and changed into a pair of black fleece sweatpants and matching top, then padded down the hall to the kitchen, taking care to walk quietly so she wouldn’t disturb the blue-eyed hero sleeping in her son’s bed.
Rose smiled at her when she walked in. “You look like you need to eat. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll make you some tea and my special sandwiches. You can tell me what happened while I work. From the looks of things, it’s quite a story.”
“It is quite a story,” Kim said. She could hardly believe the whole thing was real herself. “And sandwiches sound wonderful.” Her aunt’s mini peanut butter, honey and cinnamon sandwiches were a comfort food if there ever was one.
Limbs shaking, she sank down into a kitchen chair next to the table. Kim gazed at Rose while she worked, her chest constricting with affection and gratitude. With Kim’s mom living in Hong Kong with her third—no, fourth—husband, and Kim’s dad out of the picture since he’d taken off with his secretary when Kim was twelve, moving in with one of them hadn’t been possible.
And since Kim’s only other relative, her cousin, Grant, lived in a tiny studio apartment in Seattle, going there hadn’t been an option, either. The sad fact of the matter was, she’d had nowhere else to go when her ex had decided he didn’t want the responsibility of a family any more and had walked out and obtained a quickie divorce six months ago.
Kim had used her small bit of savings to live on while she’d looked for a job in Los Angeles, but it had become clear after a few months that without a college degree, she wasn’t going to make enough to pay both rent and child care any time soon.
Realistically, she needed a job, money and a degree. In teaching, if she had her wish.
So Aunt Rose had taken her and Dylan in, offering to take care of Dylan free of charge once Kim found a job in Moonlight Cove. College classes would follow when Kim could afford it.
Rose’s help was great, but Kim needed to be able to depend on herself, and no one else. Otherwise, she’d be vulnerable again, and that…well that just wasn’t an alternative.
“So, tell me what happened,” Aunt Rose said as she set the teakettle to boil.
Listening intently as Kim told her the whole story, her face somber, Rose fired the tea and set the steaming cup on the table, along with a plate of sandwiches.
“Gracious,” she said when Kim was done talking. “Sounds like Seth was quite the hero.”
“He was. His bravery…astounds me.” She swallowed and twisted her hands together, profoundly touched and deeply awed by what he’d done. “I never would have made it to shore without him. I’m sure of it.”
“We can thank God for sending Seth out to get you,” Rose said, sitting down next to Kim at the table. “This was His work, you know.” Aunt Rose had always been a believer and was on the Moonlight Cove Community Church’s council. It was no surprise she attributed Kim’s survival to divine intervention.
“Oh, trust me, I’ve already given my thanks to Him.” Her prayers had been answered several times today. Luckily, God was pretty dependable. Kim didn’t know how she would have survived the unexpected disintegration of her marriage without her faith.
God would never let her down. Unlike men.
Aunt Rose regarded her for a long moment, then took a sip of tea. Very deliberately, it seemed, she set the mug down. “I need to say something,” she said, her voice tinged with seriousness.
Kim froze, her tea halfway to her mouth. Ominous words. “Okay.” She put her mug on the table, wondering what was on her aunt’s mind.
Aunt Rose drew in a deep breath. “The thing is, I saw the way you looked at Seth.”
Kim’s cheeks heated. Ah.
She paused, thinking that she would have preferred to keep to herself how Seth’s charm discombobulated her. Absolutely nothing was going to come of her notion that he was the best-looking, bravest guy she’d come across in ages. Mooning over him was pointless. And foolish.
“Do you like him?” Rose asked pointedly.
“Um…I don’t know him well enough to like him,” Kim said, scrambling to downplay the situation to Rose. Anything was better than admitting Seth got to her.
“But you do think he’s handsome, right?” Rose picked up a sandwich and took a bite. “A woman would have to be dead not to.”
No kidding. “I suppose,” Kim said, hedging, although her aunt hadn’t said anything Kim hadn’t already thought. Seth was gorgeous. And unfortunately, Kim’s judgment had always been disgustingly poor around handsome guys. Scott had been too good-looking for her own well-being. And look where that relationship had gotten her. “You suppose?” her aunt said, her eyebrows high. She waved a hand in the air. “Oh, pshaw.”
“You don’t believe me?” Kim asked, trying to sound a bit offended to head off her aunt’s suspicions.
“Honey, I was in the room with the two of you. I saw the look you exchanged, and the way you almost fell over.”
Kim gazed down at the table. Guilty. There was no use denying she thought Seth was handsome. And she certainly wasn’t going to lie. “Okay, so he’s good-looking. That doesn’t mean I want to date him. I’m not interested in any kind of romantic relationship. With anyone.” Being left brokenhearted once was bad enough. Twice would be unbearable.
“Are you sure? Seth is very appealing…” Rose said, looking worried.
“Of course I’m sure. You know how devastated I was when Scott left.” While their marriage had been rocky from the start—at nineteen neither one of them had been mature enough to get married—and they’d grown apart since Dylan had been born two years to the day after their wedding, Kim really hadn’t seen Scott’s abandonment coming. Or hadn’t wanted to see it…
Another costly mistake, putting her head in the sand, hoping love would conquer all. Of course, it hadn’t. Instead love had backhanded her.
Kim went on. “I can’t put myself in a position to ever go through that again, and I certainly can’t put Dylan through the loss of a father figure a second time.” She frowned. “He cried every night for weeks after Scott left.” Talk about gut-wrenching.
Rose’s eyes softened, lit with sympathy. “I know Scott hurt you badly.” She looked off into space as if she was in the grip of a bad memory. Something that had wounded her. “A broken heart is terribly painful. It’s not something anyone wants to go through more than once.”
Kim peered at her aunt, suddenly curious. “It sounds like you speak from experience.”
Rose’s eyes got misty. “I had my heart broken a very long time ago,” she said, her voice coated in sorrow.
Kim’s chest tightened, and she could hardly breathe. Obviously there was a lot of sadness behind Rose’s revelation. “What happened?”
“Oh, back when I was young—a girl, really—there was a boy I loved. His name was Arthur.” Rose smiled sadly. “Arthur Bennett. We met at a dance in town.”
“Go on,” Kim said. She needed to hear the story. Making a connection with her aunt via the pain of shared heartbreak seemed important somehow.
“His family was very wealthy, and mine wasn’t. His parents didn’t think I was good enough for him. They had a family friend’s daughter in mind.” She drew in a deep, shaky breath. “He told me that he loved me, but then he married her instead.”
A knot of empathy filled Kim’s chest. She’d had no idea about any of Rose’s past romantic turmoil. “Oh, I’m so, so sorry.”
“Thank you, dear.” She patted Kim’s hand. “So, you see, I understand your wounds and I understand why you don’t want to put your heart on the line. After Arthur left me, I never want to take that risk again, either.”
