Eleni snuggled up against Dean as they wandered along the beach.
“Your mother deserves a special award for taking the kids shopping today.”
“She didn’t want to wait too late in December or it gets ridiculously crowded. As it is, I’m sure Summerville is busy today. But the kids have saved some money and wanted to do their own Christmas shopping this year. They can’t really buy me something if I’m with them.”
Dean’s arms tightened, and he stopped to kiss her. His lips on hers made her want more of him. Since a week ago at Thanksgiving, when they’d gone to his apartment, she’d tried to squeeze in more time with him. Alone time.
This morning, for instance, when she’d shown up at his place with a thermos of coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls. He’d greeted her at the door in only a pair of pajama pants. Her heart had needed a few minutes to recover.
Then, Dean had set the food on the counter and whisked her into his bedroom, the sheets still warm from him sleeping in them. They’d heated them up even more. The coffee had been cold by the time they got around to drinking it. Neither one of them had minded.
After lunch on Main Street, they’d biked up to the lighthouse and strolled along the sand. Very different when Thea and Xander weren’t yelling to take a look at what they’d found every two minutes.
Her gaze swung to The Hideaway as they wandered close, and she sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Dean stroked her cheek with his thumb. Oh, Lord, she loved when he touched her like that.
She shook her head and shrugged. “Oh, nothing. I heard the house sold.” There was already staging leaning against the porch and lumber stacked in the yard.
His eyebrows dipped down. “Hmm. At least now it’ll have someone living in it.”
“Maybe not. Lots of these cottages get sold to people who rent them out by the week, especially the waterfront ones. Occasionally, you might get someone who wants it for the whole summer season, but rarely does the owner live there. That house needs a family who will love it.”
Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “What would you do to it if you owned it?
“If I could do anything I wanted? Like a fantasy or winning the lottery?”
“Or if I bought it for you.” His breath near her ear had her shivering and not from the cool breeze.
Laughing, she twisted her head to see his face. He was grinning. “Did you buy it for me?”
“Maybe.”
She tipped her chin up, so she could kiss him. “Thank you, kind sir.”
Facing back to focus her attention to the house, she envisioned it from when she’d seen it years ago. “If I’m dreaming and get carte blanche, then I’d definitely redo the kitchen. All updated appliances and a new floor. I’d have someone redo the cabinets in a light stain. The cabinets are gorgeous and had this beautiful stained glass in some of them. That’s where you put your nice dishes.”
“Do you have nice dishes?”
“Smart Alec. I do, but they aren’t what I use every day with the kids. You saw them on Thanksgiving.”
“So you’d spruce up the kitchen. What else?”
“I love the wraparound porch, but it needs fixing. The one above it in the main bedroom is sagging, as well. Then, new siding.”
“Vinyl siding?”
She flinched. “Oh, no. You have to have the wooden shingles to make it look like a cottage and to match the rest of the homes on the island.”
“What are the floors like in there?”
“Well, there’re a few carpets that would have to go. With the sand from the beach, the kids would drag in, I’d be vacuuming all day. The hardwood would need to be resanded, then I’d add hardwood or some nice laminate in the bedrooms. And the kitchen…”
“What about the kitchen?”
“I’d love to have some large ceramic tiles in there. And the bathrooms, too. In the summer when it gets super hot and humid here, standing on the tile floors barefoot would be heavenly.”
“So, that’s it? New floors and an updated kitchen.”
“Not so fast, buster. If I’m dreaming, I’m dreaming big. Every room would need to be sanded and painted.”
“What colors would you like?”
It was fun standing here with Dean’s arms around her, creating fantasies. “Not white. I always find white walls too sterile and cold. Something soft and warm. It needs to feel homey. Welcoming.”
Dean kissed her cheek. “I think any home you’re in would be warm and welcoming.”
“Soft buttery yellow.”
“Yellow?”
“For the kitchen, with navy blue accents. Then lavender for Thea’s room and a pale blue for Xander’s. It would be so great if they had their own room. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep them together.”
Dean’s hand reached out and pointed to The Hideaway. “But you’ve got this great place. Does Georgie have a favorite color?”
She nodded. “Yes, peach. Mom loves how calming and peaceful a soft peach is.”
“And what about you? What’s your room going to look like?”
“Hmm.” She tipped her head and pictured what she’d like in there. “Maybe sage or a really light periwinkle.”
Dean’s arms stiffened. “What’s sage or periwinkle?”
Eleni chuckled. “Sage is a soft, light green. Almost a mossy color. Periwinkle is a light bluish purple.”
As she inhaled Dean’s manly scent, she wondered if he’d ever share a room with her. Not just for a few hours but permanently. In her dreams, he absolutely would.
“This all sounds perfect, Leni. What else would you have in your fantasy house? What kind of furniture.”
“You know I have a soft spot for antiques. I’d probably go and buy up half of Haddie’s stock at Secondhand Antiques. Maybe I’d have Ben make some custom furniture, too. Dressers and large armoires, if Haddie didn’t have something I liked.”
“Are there no closets in the bedrooms?”
“I think I remember them being kind of small, so I’d need extra space. Unless my fantasy consisted of a closet that grew as you used it.”
Dean laughed. “I guess you’d have to contact Dr. Who to get that kind of work done.”
“Closet space is great, but one of the things I remember loving about the main bedroom was the window seat. I’d fix that all up nice, with cushions that matched the bedspread and curtains. I could sit in it and read while watching the ocean and listening to the waves.”
As his arms tightened around her, he spun until they faced the ocean. “Is that window seat big enough for two?”
She grinned at him. “It could be if we were creative.”
Dean ran his hands over her back until she pressed fully against him. “I can be creative.”
Now, he was speaking her language. The kids were away most of the day with her mother. What else did they have to do?
She touched her lips to his. “Maybe you could show me.”
Dean rested his arm on the back of Eleni’s chair as Marek stood and offered his hand to Nadine.
“Would you care to dance, beautiful lady?”
Nadine made a surprised face. “Who? Me? Why, I’d love to, kind sir.”
Dean laughed at the antics of the happily married couple now swaying to the music on the dance floor. Sundown was a casual restaurant on the ocean, near the pier. It had soft music, and often local musicians played guitar or keyboard. He preferred that to a few of the other bars, where it was so loud you couldn’t even hear the person next to you.
They’d come here a few times when they’d gotten someone to watch all the kids. Tonight, Vlad was keeping Georgie company with a sleepover for Kandra and Livy.
“I hope the kids are good tonight and aren’t too much for Mom,” Eleni said as her hand tapped to the beat of the music. Dean wasn’t much of a dancer, yet he still itched to hold her in his arms.
“I think your mother is happy that you’re getting out. Vlad is frosting on the cake.”
The smile on Eleni’s face was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He loved when she was happy. Making her that was his new number one goal.
“It is nice to get away from the house every now and again, especially with good friends.”
“Good friends.” He squeezed her hand, remembering exactly how good they’d been together. Unfortunately, they’d need to go their separate ways once they got back tonight. Eleni was responsible for all four kids. It was Marek and Nadine’s turn for a quiet night alone. They were warming up on the dance floor right now.
“Thank you again for helping us put the Christmas tree up. It was so much faster with an extra set of hands.”
Dean caressed her cheek. “It’s been a long time since I’ve decorated a tree. I appreciate being included. You always make me feel like one of the family.”
Wasn’t that the truth. Between her mother and her children, being at Eleni’s brought a feeling of home that he hadn’t felt in too many years. Often, Maggie arranged for someone to put up and decorate a tree for him just so he’d have one there. But he’d never been involved. Not since he was much younger, and his dad had still been alive.
Dean picked up his soda and took a sip. Nadine had a fancy drink and Marek had a beer, but he didn’t feel right drinking in front of Eleni, not with all she’d confided in him about her husband.
“Do you want to order another appetizer?” Eleni asked as she nibbled on the last nacho in the tray. “You were eyeing those pretzels with the cheese dip.”
“You’re too observant. I can’t get away with anything around you.” She knew his entire work schedule, when and where he ate, how often he took a short break, and even when his hip was bothering him. Which made the fact she still didn’t know exactly who he was more pronounced. He needed to tell her and soon.
Once he and Trey set a few traps, he’d let Eleni know what was going on. Not that he was in any hurry to find the culprit. The most recent marketing hadn’t gone anywhere, so maybe the person stealing it had decided enough was enough and given up.
Marek and Nadine sat down and cooled off with their drinks.
“Your friend, Hugh, is chatting up Cindy Turner over there,” Nadine said, her chin tilting in the direction of the corner.
Dean glanced over to where the assistant manager cozied up with a voluptuous woman in a corner booth. “Do I know her?”
Eleni shook her head. “She’s a long-time islander. Works in the snack shop at The Sands. I thought she had better taste than that.”
Another person to look into. He couldn’t access much information on someone who didn’t work for Yios, but it was a start. Possibly a link.
“Dean wants some pretzels and cheese,” Eleni said. “Should we get something else, too?”
Nadine grinned. “How about some of the loaded potato skins? I love how much bacon they put on them.”
Dean waved his hand at the waitress and put in the order. The singer had started a sultry ballad, and Eleni swayed to the beat. He needed to man up and dance.
“Would you care to join me on the dance floor?”
Eleni’s mouth curled up in surprise. “I’d love to. Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.”
As they made their way over to the empty space, Dean circled his arm around her shoulder. “It’s a great excuse to get you in my arms in public.”
“I’m sorry about tonight. Nadine mentioned they’d take the kids to their house soon to reciprocate.”
Their feet stepped side to side as his hand brushed along her lower back and hers combed through the hair at his nape.
“The kids seemed excited about seeing the Christmas lights along the island. Not to mention the boat parade.”
“We’ll wait for the lights for another few weeks. If you drive around the island right before Christmas, so many more houses have decorated. Will you come with us?”
Dean shrugged, “I don’t see why not.” Unless they found who’d been responsible for stealing their marketing ideas. Even then, did he have to return to the rat race? He’d been running Yios Corp. from Last Chance Beach for four months now. The company had been thriving, and Dean had somehow managed to work a full-time maintenance job at the same time. How much more could he get done if he wasn’t cleaning toilets?
It was something he really needed to think about. Make plans for.
Eleni twisted her head and chuckled. “Must be Ocean Pearl day at Sundown tonight. Reva’s here, too.”
Swirling Eleni in a circle, he peeked around until he saw the Activities Director sitting at the bar. Hair and makeup was even more outrageous than when she was working. She was in full flirt mode as she chatted up the bartender.
Wouldn’t Trey be heartbroken?
Truthfully, his brother wouldn’t care. The poor woman was just one in a line of many that Trey used. It was hard to feel sorry for her, though, with the way she treated him.
Even though Reva was working it tonight, he had a feeling, with all the pictures he’d seen in her office, if Trey showed up in town, the bartender would be yesterday’s news.