Page 34 of Sweet Summertide (Christmas Cove #4)

Holly sat on the warm wood of the dock with her legs hanging over the side, rocking the little boat with her bare toes resting on the bow.

Up the path from the shore, a light was on inside Teddy’s cabin.

His shadow would cross in front of his windows every once in a while, like he was pacing back and forth.

Anticipation grew for him to come out and meet up with her at any moment, but now it was eight-fifty-nine and Holly was done waiting for life to unfold in its own time.

She stood, slipped her feet into a pair of orange Crocs she had borrowed from Millie, and marched straight down the path to Teddy’s.

Unsure of what she would say exactly, she slowed her pace and thought it through.

The last thing she needed to do was yell at him or scare him off for yet another reason, though her initial idea was to let him have it.

“Hi, Teddy, You’re late for our date. Are you getting back at me for being late the other day or because you’re avoiding me?

” She kicked some of the gravel and paced the other direction.

“Hi, Teddy. It’s me. No, that’s stupid. He’ll know it’s me when he opens the door.

But will he open the door? I don’t know. ”

A light flicked off inside his place and the windows went dark.

It was early for him to go to bed, although they did have a big day tomorrow with the Chamber members evaluations and soft opening.

As it was, she still had to go back to her shop and check on the ice cream she had started earlier, so maybe he was turning in early or had forgotten about meeting her at all.

She considered that it was selfish for her to have added something more to his plate that night by asking him on a date in the first place.

But then why would he just not tell her?

She still didn’t have her phone, and supposed it was in her car at the repair shop or flung into a field somewhere.

And even though she had been without it for several days, she didn’t mind being disconnected.

That’s what small towns are for. Despite not having a phone, he could have just met with her, a hundred yards from his cabin, and said he was tired and going to sleep.

He was avoiding her, just like she suspected.

She practiced what she really wanted to say and what she wanted him to know as she walked the pathway. “Hi, Teddy. I changed my mind about puffins.”

“Why’s that?” Teddy said from a rocking chair on his front porch and nearly caused her skin to jump off her body.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and she covered the most violent spot with her palm. “You scared me half to death. Where did you come from?”

“I heard someone outside my room talking and came out to see what was going on. I was surprised to see you out here pacing and chatting to yourself,” Teddy said and rocked his seat.

She approached with caution. “How much did you hear?”

“What about puffins, Blake Holly Hollis?”

Now that she was on the spot, and clearly not in control of this interaction, she didn’t want to tell him.

She hesitated to answer until she stood at the bottom of his steps.

“Well, everyone knows how cute they are, that’s obvious.

” She stepped up one stair. “They’re docile, which some people might think is a drawback, but you see …

” she stepped up one more tread and he stood from his seat.

She was three feet away and could already smell the thick scent of cocoa emanating from him.

It was an aroma she wanted to wrap herself with.

“What do you want me to see, Blake Holly Hollis?” he closed the distance between them. Towering above her, he planted his feet on the edge of the landing just in front of her on the first step. The low light didn’t stop him from exploring her eyes.

Weakness struck her legs, and she wanted to crumple into his arms. Instead, he gave her a hand and she took it. He pulled her up. They stood toe-to-toe. “You see, puffins are docile, but they will fight viciously to protect what’s theirs.”

“How do you know that?” Teddy asked.

“It’s important to study the enemy so you know their weaknesses.”

“And I’m the enemy?”

She shook her head. “How can you be the enemy when I would do anything to keep you?”

“You mean, you would fight to have me to yourself?” He brushed her hair away from her cheek the way she knew he liked to do.

She leaned her face into his warm palm. “What do you think I’m doing here? I want you … to come with me?” She tugged on his hand and headed down the steps. He pulled back and stopped her half-way down. “You really don’t want to do this, do you?”

“I don’t know, Holly. One minute I feel like our hearts are speaking the same language, like we’re two magnets drawn close. And the next, I don’t know what to think. My mind can’t reconcile with my heart.”

“That’s fair,” she said because she felt the same way. “If I could go back and undo what I did, I would … Or maybe I wouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it. Without all this strife, would I be as clear as I am now about what I want? And I’m not just talking about you.

I’m talking about being the kind of person that I can be proud of, not worrying about what my parents think.

It’s not important how I got to this point, but it is important that I got here.

And here I am, standing in front of the man that I’ve gotten here with. ”

He was quiet and unmoving. She had no choice but to wait for him to say something. Was her confession enough? She could feel tension increase in his fingers against her hand squeezing her like a vice. If he applied any more pressure, they would risk being fused together. Forever. “Say something.”

“So, you’re saying you want me?” he smirked, his teeth glinting off the ambient light of the solar lanterns lining the path.

“Really?” she giggled. “That’s what you got from all that? You’re such a boy.”

He let that one slide and stepped down one below her. “Where did you want to take me?”

She smiled knowing what she had planned.

What he had almost missed out on. She led him to the boat tied up on the side of the dock.

He got into the small wooden rowboat first and helped her in next.

Sitting across from him, the sliver of moon reflected little ripples of light around the water’s surface.

Teddy untied the rope and took the oars.

“Where to?”

“Our spot,” she said and grinned.

Teddy rowed the short distance towards the secluded little section surrounded by low trees and wild bushes. The water was still, but for the tiny waves caused by the oars and the rocking of the boat. He propped an oar against the shallow lakebed like an anchor and the boat came to a stop.

From behind her, she pulled out a small soft-sided cooler.

She had almost gone with a basket, but since they were now an hour late for the date, she was glad she had no other choice.

She handed him a spoon and a cloth napkin for his lap and put one over her own legs.

Shaking the cold melted ice from the glass container, Holly popped off the plastic lid and presented the contents to Teddy.

“What’s this?” he said and dipped his spoon in.

“I wanted to show you what I’m so passionate about, since you’ve shared your gift with me. I figured it was time for you to experience mine.” She dipped her spoon in and took a large scoop of ice cream.

“Poison?”

“Just try it.” The ice cream hit her tongue. She savored the cool refreshing flavor, but she kept an eye on Teddy’s face. “See. Not poison.”

He brought the spoonful to his lips before putting the ice cream in his mouth. She hadn’t told him the variety, because she wanted him to experience it without bias. He moaned at the flavor warming against his tongue, and she bit her lip as the anticipation subsided.

“I knew you would like it.”

He finished his bite and took another. “Spiced mandarin with dark chocolate shavings?”

“I was hoping I could feature a local chocolate in the next batch though. Do you know anyone around here I could use?” she baited him.

“I might know someone.” He took another bite. “This is spectacular. I get the smooth creaminess with a bite from the cinnamon, and is that cayenne, too?”

“Just enough for a kick.”

“I like it,” he said and licked his upper lip from corner to corner. She was sure he was thinking about biting something other than the ice cream.

They both dipped back into the rapidly thawing ice cream and their spoons clinked together causing them to laugh. They savored what was likely the last bite before the contents would need to be sipped instead of scooped. Holly put her spoon in the half-empty glassware and Teddy copied her example.

An uncomfortable tension fell on them. She couldn’t think of a time when there was an a more awkward silence.

Maybe it was because there were plenty of unsaid things thickening the atmosphere between them.

She didn’t want to speak and blurt out something else embarrassing, so she cleared her throat.

“Thank you for sharing this with me. Now I feel bad for making you work so hard to get me out here.”

At that, she whacked him good. “You mean, you were teasing me, and you were always planning to meet me tonight?”

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure about anything until …”

“Until what, Teddy,” she said in a soft tone.

“You told me about how you’ve changed, and I know what you mean, because I’ve changed too.

I realized that all those people who I felt like I had to have in my corner were all there for a purpose.

They pushed me. You pushed me. But I also know that some of those people just aren’t going where I’m going. ”

“Like my mother. Without all of her manipulation and interfering, I don’t know if I couldn’t have reached the point where I know exactly what I want and what I deserve. I also know how hard I’ll work for it.”

“How viciously you’ll fight to keep what’s yours?”

“Precisely. I’m only sorry I had to be so awful to you to see it for myself.”

“Oh, honey, I’m not,” Teddy said and brushed her lips with the back of his finger. “I’ve enjoyed every second seeing you become this woman. My woman.”

“If you’ll have me?” she said and closed her eyes as he slid the back of his hand down her neck. A shiver ran through her like every word he spoke kissed her skin. She pressed her lips together in anticipation of his lips caressing hers.

He flicked his tongue against her mouth and caused her lips to part enough for the night air to cool the wet flesh.

He was close enough to taste, and she didn’t let him tease her again.

She bit back, crashing her lips against his like a hammer hitting its target.

This kiss was different than the others, less possessive and more tender.

It was as though their lips were doing all the talking their hearts wanted and not their brains.

His hands were on her body, mapping her curves and exploring her reaction to him.

He knelt in front of her in the boat, peppering kisses down the length of her neck.

The sudden change of weight rocked the boat side to side.

The kisses continued until their laughter overtook their connection.

They both gripped the sides of the boat not wanting to end up in the water.

“Whoa! Teddy!” she yelled through a laugh.

He moved his bottom back to the narrow bench and used the oars to calm the swaying. “Maybe we should head back. We both have a big day tomorrow.”

“Hey, Teddy. Whatever happens with the grant money, I want you to know that I think you have something special. And I know it’ll work out either way,” Holly said.

“I want you to win. Not just the money, but the bet.”

“The bet?” She had nearly memory-holed the wager they made all those weeks ago. “If you win, I have to stock your candies in my shop. And if I win?—”

“You get to take me on a real date,” Teddy said, and she could tell he was smirking.

“Does tonight count?”

He rowed around to the end of the dock and the moon illuminated his face. “Not even close.”