Page 17

“What’s happening?” I ran my hand along his arm, trying to calm him.

“The asshole claims he is Pops’s son.” He looked at me, his eyes filled with pain. “He says Pops had an affair twenty-eight years ago and kept him a secret from everyone.”

My hand flew to my mouth. “Oh my God. Are you serious?” The way Cole talked about Pops was as if the man was a saint. The most perfect of grandfathers.

“It can’t be true. He has to have some kind of angle. He wants to sell the Dunes to a developer for $2.5 million. For that kind of money, people will say and do anything.” I wasn’t sure Cole believed the story was fabricated. He looked devastated.

How do you handle the news that the man who raised you had an affair and a secret child? If it was true, it wasn’t something Cole would accept easily.

He rose from the carpet, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and headed to the deck. “I’m going to take a walk.” He closed the door behind him and left me on the floor. I watched as he disappeared down the staircase.

If he wanted me to go with him, he didn’t pause or ask. This was one of those moody Cole times I knew I had to leave him alone, even though it was killing me to do it.

I wasn’t sure what time it was when I drifted to sleep. Cole climbed into bed, and I felt him lift the book from my chest and turn off the light. His arm wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me against his chest. He smelled like the beach, salty and warm. If he wanted to talk about Aiden, he would.

“I checked on Grayson,” he whispered.

“We had to read the panda book five times,” I answered half-asleep.

Cole stroked my hair. “Sorry I wasn’t here for bedtime.”

“It’s ok. He was easy.”

He shook his head. “I shouldn’t put all that on you all the time.”

“I love doing it,” I whispered.

He kissed my neck. “I know you do. You’re amazing with him.”

I tried to fight the exhaustion, but I couldn’t. I fell asleep with Cole’s arms around me.

The next morning, the sunlight smacked me in the face. I rolled to the side, reaching for Cole. Last night was a sleepy blur. The covers next to me were flat. He was already gone.

He left a note.

Took Grayson to school. See you soon.

I padded down the hall to the bathroom. The rest of the house was quiet. I was surprised he could get Grayson out of the house without waking me. I realized I didn’t

have that mother’s sleep thing. I think I still slept like a non-mother. I wondered if that instinct would kick in with me. What if Grayson woke up with a bad dream? What if he had a fever and needed help? Wasn’t I the one who had to jump into action?

I pushed the train toothbrush out of the way and looked at my reflection. Did I even look like I could pass as his mother? I shook my head. It shouldn’t matter. Cole wanted me in his life. I had to focus on that.

Our last guests were checking out this morning. We didn’t have any upcoming reservations on the books for two weeks. I dried my hair, dabbed on a bit of makeup, grabbed a cup of coffee, and walked to the Dunes office.

My morning ritual always included cranking up the air conditioner in the window. I usually turned it off at night as a way to save a few pennies on the electric bill. I waited for the cool air to blow through the stuffy room. I turned on the lamp and my laptop.

An older couple walked through the door, holding one of the large brass palm tree key tags.

“We’re all packed up.” The white-haired gentleman handed me the key.

“How was your stay at the Dune Scape?” I plastered a smile on my face. They didn’t need to know I was in the midst of a relationship crisis with the motel’s owner.

The woman, who must have dyed her red hair with an over-the-counter bottle, grinned. “It was fine, but you know it would be nice if there were some amenities.”

“Were you missing something in your room?”

The husband rolled his eyes at the wife as if to say I can’t believe you brought this up.