Page 3 of Unspoken Love

“Hey, you’re Faye, right?” He flashed her that sexy grin that she remembered. A grin she’d dreamed about.

Then she blinked and gasped. Yeah, she knew him. Not only knew him, but was related to him. Well, sort of.

“Nate?” Nate Elliott. Juliette’s brother. Juliette, her sister-in-law.

Nate smiled and his entire body vibrated when he chuckled. “I wondered if that was you. Max told me that you would be arriving tomorrow,” he said, still holding onto her as if she was going to fall over at any moment.

He was speaking directly to her, making sure she was able to lip-read his words. Last time they had spoken, he’d used sign language, since she hadn’t been able to hear anything.

She still felt as if she was about to fall over. She had skipped lunch and had planned on eating a big dinner down at the Golden Oar after she unpacked. But after she’d unpacked the boxes from her car, she’d developed a headache and had taken a walk to try to shake it. She’d gone to the stables to see the horses and, after that, the beach had called to her.

So, by now, she was starving. Which was probably why she was light-headed. That and the buzzing that had caused her headache to double.

“I decided to come a day early,” she finally answered him as she glanced down to where his hands were still gently holding her elbows.

“Oh,” he said, noticing. He dropped his hands away quickly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to paw you.”

Faye chuckled slightly, and her cheeks suddenly burned with heat that had nothing to do with the late afternoon sun she’d been enjoying. She brushed some sand off her jeans.

“I was hoping to settle in a bit early,” she said, trying to steady her voice. “I guess I forgot to have lunch.”

Nate frowned slightly. “Well, then I guess it’s lucky that I stopped by. I was doing a quick check on Stormy and Blaze and caught a glimpse of you down here. I figured I’d head over and say hi.”

She tilted her head. “You’re the one taking care of Stormy and Blaze?”

“Yup. My sister isn’t the only one who loves horses.” He tilted his head slightly, studying her a moment. “Are you sure you’re okay? You are still looking pretty pale.”

Faye hesitated, the truth hanging on her tongue. She could say she was fine—she’d been doing that for weeks, months, years really. She had always smiled and nodded, faking it through every silent—and now overly loud—day. But here, with the lighthouse behind her and the ocean stretching endlessly ahead, something about Nate’s presence grounded her. He made her want to be honest.

“I’m… adjusting,” she said finally. “It’s a lot. The implant.” She motioned to behind her left ear. “Everything’s louder than I remember. And quieter at the same time.” She finished with a frustrated shrug. She didn’t have the words to explain how it all made her feel.

Nate looked at her for a second. Not the sympathetic look that she always got when talking to someone about her problems, but a genuine look that told her he understood more than she expected.

“Life can hit hard some days. Sometimes you have to hit back. Moving to Pride was a good start. The city…” He shook his head. “Let’s just say there’s a reason I headed back here for a while.”

Her eyebrows rose. “A while? You’re not staying?”

He shrugged. “I only came back to help with the family business, but that was over a year ago.” He chuckled. “I guess I haven’t decided yet where I’m going next.”

They stood there a second, the surf washing rhythmically behind them. She was suddenly very aware of how good he smelled—like cedar and salt and hay. Why was that mix so sexy?

“I’m sure once I get settled, I’ll feel a little better,” she said, meaning every word.

“Come on,” he said. “I’ll walk back up with you.” He motioned toward the path that led back to the house.

Her stomach took that moment to let out a very loud growl.

He chuckled. “Wow, that was… equal to my own. I was actually planning to head to the Golden Oar for dinner,” he said as they started walking.

“I was planning to head there myself, once I unpacked. Which I still haven’t done.” She held in a groan.

“Do you want some company?” Nate said, glancing over at her.

Her cheeks warmed, and she quickly looked toward the house to hide her reaction. “I’d love some company,”

As they climbed the wooden steps that cut through the grassy dunes, the view of Pride and the endless Pacific opened up for them. The sun was dipping slightly toward the horizon, and golden streaks shone across the town as the clouds parted. The scene reminded her of a puzzle she and her mother used to work on together.

She paused for a moment to enjoy it.