Page 9 of Return to Lovett Cove (Lovett Cove B&B #1)

CHAPTER EIGHT

River thought no pain could be worse than his marriage ending, but seeing Jasmine collapsed on the porch threatened to take first place. When he couldn’t rouse her, panic set in.

Jasmine had her phone in her hand, with her assistant screaming to get Jasmine to the hospital. She has an ulcer, Kennedy yelled.

River ignored all the rules of the road to get Jasmine to the hospital. A burst ulcer could be life-threatening. How could he live with himself if something happened to Lily’s daughter? And he was the cause.

He’d come by the house to apologize for how they'd left things earlier. It gutted him how they’d left things. He never wanted to upset her about her life choices, the inn, nothing. He wanted to tell her that whatever she decided, he’d support her.

He thought he was too late. Jasmine was wheeled into surgery, and only hours later did a doctor say she had a burst ulcer, but the surgery was a success. Jasmine would remain in the hospital for at least three days—more if she didn’t improve as well as they liked.

Kennedy was inconsolable. She and Jasmine would miss the deadline for the project, and Jasmine would lose her promotion. After talking her down, Kennedy only got off the phone when he promised to stay by Jasmine’s side.

River camped out at the hospital until Jasmine woke up from surgery.

She was shocked to see him and thanked him for getting her to the hospital so quickly.

Then she fell asleep. For the next few days, each visit to Jasmine’s hospital room lessened the sense of hopelessness and fear that another complication could arise and he could lose her.

She regained her strength, her unforgettable wit, and that smile that summoned the butterflies in his stomach to flight.

With the doctor’s blessing, she was discharged four days after surgery.

River heard Candace’s voice before he heard her vehicle come up the driveway.

She had agreed to pick up Jasmine from the hospital while River worked on preparing a room for Jasmine on the first floor.

Although the en suite could use a makeover, the plumbing worked, and she wouldn’t need to walk up flights of steps to her mother’s old room.

River jogged to the car and opened the front passenger door. “Morning, Jasmine.” He offered his hand.

Jasmine’s smile was slight and shaky. “Morning.” Her face twisted in pain as she rose.

“Easy,” he encouraged. “Lean on me.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her the rest of the way. As his face relaxed, he breathed a little easier. He couldn’t stand seeing her in pain.

“River,” she began as they approached the porch. “I…I think I owe you an apology—”

“No, you don’t.”

“The other day, at the dunes, I was short with you, and you’ve been nothing but kind and helpful.”

He gently squeezed her waist. “Jasmine, it’s okay. Lovett Cove is an adjustment. Especially for people from the city, like us. I understand. We’ll take the steps slow,” he said. She gripped his hand, and he tightened his hold on her hips to leverage her weight.

Candace followed behind with her arms full of bags. “Now, Doc said nothing strenuous. I’ve got all the food she’ll need for the next few days. Plenty of biscuits and honey, sandwiches, soup, water. I’ll be by every day to check on you.”

“Really, Candace, this is too much. I’m fine.”

“Sweetie, you just had surgery.”

“But the doctor said if I felt up to it, then I should move around.”

River led her into the bedroom. She refused to sit, wanting to stand after spending days in a hospital bed.

River wanted to protest, but he suppressed his protective instincts.

Her laparoscopic surgery went smoothly and would require less recovery time.

As long as Jasmine felt comfortable, he wouldn’t overstep.

Candace set out a container of soup on a table across the room. Tangy tomatoes and fresh herbs. “Mmm, is that your tomato bisque?” he asked.

“The creamiest in the state.”

River grinned at Jasmine. “You’re in for a treat. Candace’s bisque is the best.”

Candace lifted her right hand and rubbed her thumb and fingers together. “Sprinkle some extra cheese on it.” She pointed to the smaller container near the soup. “Plenty in there. I’ll put the rest of the perishables in the fridge.” She sent River an inquiring look. “The fridge is working, right?”

River tapped a small fridge next to the bed that doubled as a nightstand. “Right here.”

Candace patted his cheek. “You think of everything, don’t you, Riv?”

“I try, ma’am.”

Candace hugged Jasmine goodbye and said, “take your time and heal. No job’s worth dying for.” Jasmine looked away, and River could sense her discomfort. Candace promised to return when the lunch rush was over.

Jasmine looked awkwardly at River. He suddenly felt like he was overstaying his welcome. “I can stay if you want,” he offered. “There are a few things around the inn that I can fix before my next appointment.”

Jasmine’s expression hardened. “I wouldn’t bother. This inn is the reason I was in the hospital for almost a week.” She looked around the room with disdain.

Her harsh tone stunned him into silence. She blamed the inn?

“I was going to fly back to Philadelphia when my ulcer burst,” she explained.

River still couldn’t find his voice. If he hadn’t made the trip out to the inn, he would’ve missed Jasmine. The idea left him feeling cold. Would she ever have returned to Lovett Cove? He didn’t want to imagine never seeing her again. How can I get her to stay?

“All this stuff at work,” she continued. She waved him off as she gingerly sat on the bed. “Now, I’ll never get that promotion.”

“You might not want to hear this right now, but maybe all of this is happening for a reason.”

She looked up sharply. “And what reason could that be?”

He swallowed, loosening his tight throat. If he mis-stepped here, he could lose her forever. He crossed the room and sat on the chair next to the bed. “Maybe you’re supposed to be in Lovett Cove. Your mother thought running an inn in a small town would bring you some…peace.”

Jasmine slowly stood, her gaze glaring. “You’re suggesting I quit my job.”

“I…” He wasn’t sure how her job worked. Maybe she could do it remotely; he didn’t know. But she must’ve had that ulcer before arriving in Lovett Cove. A couple of days of good food and relaxing on a beach couldn’t possibly cause an ulcer. River slowly stood. “That’s not—”

“All my work… All I’ve accomplished should be thrown away for an inn I know next to nothing about running. No matter how much I achieved, it was never good enough for my mother. And it’s clearly not good enough for you, although it has nothing to do with you. We have nothing to do with each other.”

He’d screwed this up. And by the look of anger on Jasmine’s face, there wasn’t anything he could say to make up for it. “I never wanted to imply that what you’ve done wasn’t important. Of course it is.”

“But your choice is clearly better.”

He cupped her face in his hands. “No. This is your choice. I’m only asking that you consider the possibility that Lovett Cove could be home for you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. He could see her mind wrestling with her options as fear and regret swirled in her gaze.

His thumbs stroked away the tears that fell. “And I’m here,” he offered softly. “You won’t be alone.”

Hope flared in her dark eyes. The tightness that had developed in River’s chest loosened.

He was getting through to her. His gaze dropped to her lips.

When he cautiously leaned in, he felt the slightest rise of her face beneath his palms. Her eyes shuttered, and he accepted the invitation, slanting his lips over hers.

Her soft mouth trembled beneath his, but she didn’t pull back. She tasted minty with a hint of Candace’s honey-infused biscuits. River deepened the kiss, and her lips clung to his. He dropped one arm around her waist and drew her in close, molding her body to his as he pressed softly into her lips.

Not since his ex-wife had River felt so much need for a woman. He knew after moving to a town as small as Lovett Cove that the chances of finding a woman who could respect his career choice and desire him were slim.

Jasmine nipped at his bottom lip, and fire pooled into that spot, the heat soothing. She arched into his touch, and he heard his voice whisper her name. A plea for her to stay.

Then she stiffened.

Jasmine shoved him away. “No. I’ve made up my mind. Please leave, River.”

“Jasmine, there’s something between us. I’ve felt it since the second we met. And I know you feel it too. That kiss didn’t mean nothing.”

She closed her eyes in frustration. “You said it’s my choice.” She opened her eyes, resolute. “I’ve made it.”

He stilled himself against the chill that spread through him. For the first time since his divorce, he thought it was possible to have a life with someone who shared the same goals. He thought he’d found a home in Jasmine.

As he bounded down the porch steps toward his truck, his chest burned with heartbreak he’d never imagined feeling again. He’d failed Lily; he couldn’t convince Jasmine to stay.

And his heart would leave with her.