Page 73 of Beach Cottage Kisses

A breath that seemed lodged forever in his throat when Iris looked up at him. Those green eyes, usually so cool and calm, seemed to be melting pots surrounded by a nest of flames—her messy amber hair.

He was cooking, that was for sure. His heart melting more by the second, he couldn’t tear his gaze away.

And felt an almost physical blow as she held his gaze and said, “I was in the car, Scott.”

She’d survived. Clearly her love had not.

Knowing what Sage went through when Gray left all those years ago…his sister hadn’t been all that much older than Iris when it had happened…the way it had sucked the life out of her. And Gray had still been alive and well. Out of Sage’s life, but not gone forever. He’d still loved her.

And Sage had never stopped loving him. She’d adopted the child she’d always wanted to have, built the family she’d wanted, had dated a lot, but had never been in another serious relationship. Until Gray had needed her help. A more mature Gray, who’d had the courage to believe that his love would be enough…

Had Iris’s love survived? Maybe with a permanent disability? Rejected her, as Gray had rejected Iris? Was he out there?

Could there be a happy ending for her?

The jolt of jealousy the idea gave Scott was unwelcome. Beneath him.

And wholly unfair as he had no intention, ever, of being a part of any happy ending for anyone, most particularly not Iris. No way he’d risk hurting her…

She’d resumed her head-down position. Had found a third string to work.

“Did he live?” The words hurt his throat.

But got her to look at him again. The frown she was sending him made him regret the question he hadn’t wanted to ask in the first place.

“She. And no.”

She.

The look in Iris’s eyes, intent, filled with a pain he seemed to understand…

And he knew. Even while his mind told him he had no basis in the thought, that he was being ridiculous…things fell into place. The way Iris understood him and Sage—knowing that he’d known when Sage had been hurting that she’d needed to not be alone, but to be left alone—along with so many other little nuances he’d picked up on…

“What was her name?”

Tears filled her eyes. She blinked them away. “Ivy.” Her lower lip trembled. She bit it. Let it go. Gave him a weak smile.

Iris and Ivy.

Twins.

Identical?

He’d been told that the bond was sometimes stronger than fraternal. “What did she look like?”

“Me.” Iris faced him straight on, crossed her legs, let go of her shirt and looked right at him. “She looked exactly like me.”

His sweet strong friend.

She blinked back tears. Her chin trembled, but she got the smile out, too.

Raised her eyebrows at him.

Nodded.

And Scott knew his life had just been forever changed.

* * *