Page 19 of Keeping it Local

She took a step toward me, then another. She put her warm hand on my chest then let it trail to the back of my neck. I was taken aback but didn’t move. Before I could do anything, her soft lips grazed mine. Gently at first, but then firmly, like she knew exactly what she was doing. I felt her tongue trace the line of my lips, and I opened up, letting her come into my mouth, touching my tongue to hers.

God, she felt good.

My hands found her hips, as I pulled her into me, deepening the kiss. She smelled like cherries and vanilla, her mouth warm and wet against mine. My eyes were shut tight, and all I could think about was how good she felt up against me, how good it felt as she was rubbing my neck while nipping at my lower lip.

Just then, I pushed her away. This wouldn’t end well—I already liked her too much. I kissed her one more time, just a quick peck.

“Beth,” I said.

“What’s wrong?”

“You have no idea how much I want this, but we can’t.” I couldn’t say that I was already falling for her, so I just left it at that.

She pulled her head back and looked at me, getting that warm flush that I’d grown to love—the one that spread from her breasts up to her freckled cheeks and ears.

“Oh, um, sure. Yeah, you’re right. Let’s just get going.” The woman that had loosened up in front of me under that willow tree shut down. I read it all over her wound-up body.

I embarrassed her—the last thing I’d wanted to do. But there was no way I could explore. It wouldn’t just be a quick fling with her. I knew her. I liked her—really liked her. There was no way that I wouldn’t get hurt, and I had told myself years ago that I wouldn’t put myself through that again. It wasn’t worth it. I couldn’t do it.

Shutting the car door behind her, I walked over to my side, running my hand down my face.

I knew I’d done the right thing, but if that was the case, why did it feel like shit?

I had just finished the inspection of the resort. A local guy that I had become friends with helped me evaluate which properties I should buy.

After looking at each of the little cabins on the resort, he basically gave me the green light. Sure, there was a lot of work to do still, and I’d eventually update all the cabins. But from a functional standpoint, almost everything still worked, or would work, with some light effort. A lot of the items on his checklist that I’d need to do were cosmetic, which was a huge relief. I had the cash for a down payment and some middle-of-the-road repairs, but I didn’t have the capital to revamp everything from the start. This would be a huge move in the right direction for where I wanted to take the rental business, and I could feel that low-key excitement tempered with my dread of not wanting to get ahead of myself. With this business, until it was done, something could still go wrong. Hell, even when it was done, something would go wrong. It was just the way it was. But even still, it felt positive to let the bank know we were moving forward on processing.

I was walking around the grounds with my checklist when my phone rang. I pulled it out. It was Ryan.

Man, his ears must be ringing every time I step foot here.

“Howdy ho,” he said.

“Hey, man, it’s good to hear from you,” I said. And it was.

I hadn’t talked with him in a couple weeks. Ryan and his family were set to come up over July 4th, but after that initial yes, I hadn’t heard more from him. The more I thought about it, I was really looking forward to having him come up, especially with the positive news on the resort. I knew my brother was genuinely happy for me. It’d be good to regroup with each other after not seeing him since Kinsley’s birthday party back in the winter.

“Sorry, I’ve been MIA for a bit. Just wanted to let you know that we’re in for the fourth if you’re good with having us still,” he said.

“Absolutely,” I said, meaning it. “I’ve got a little cottage a couple blocks from town earmarked for you. It’s pretty close to the beach too. I figured we’d just hang out, barbeque, unless you wanted to see more of the sites.”

“That’s perfect. A couple years ago, I would have said yes to the big tour, but now, with Kinsley, we’re moving a bit slower—with a lot more stuff.” He laughed. “I’ll get the details from you later, but I also just wanted to check in, see how you’re doing.”

“Oh,” I said. Even though Ryan and I talked regularly, there was still this unspoken weirdness since I moved here after everything with my dad since they were so close, and my dad and I had been rocky since my divorce.

“Yeah, things are good. I just finished the inspection on the resort. We’re moving forward, which is good news.”

“That’s great, man.” He sounded distracted, like he was talking with someone in the background.

“Everything okay? We can talk later if that’s easier.”

“No, no. Now’s good. I was just curious. You seeing anyone these days?” he asked, his voice holding a hesitant edge to it.

“You know I don’t date anyone seriously.” I took a seat in one of the Adirondack chairs by the fire pit. “Makes it easier.”

“Totally get that.” He was definitely whispering to someone on the other line—probably his wife, Felicia. “Just… It’s been a while since Anne. It’d be great to see you moving past everything.”

I ran my hand down my face. As much as I’d like to think I’d moved past everything, I knew that wasn’t the case. I needed to prove something—to myself, to my family, to everyone. That’s why this resort was so important. It signified that she didn’t break me—that I was worthy, even though I buried the brokenness I still felt. I needed to protect myself, build something that couldn’t crumble around me.