Read Online From This Moment On: Heartwarming Contemporary Romance (Windswept Bay Book 1) by Debra Clopton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Debra Clopton
Tags: Windswept Bay Book 1
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the coral and rocks for them to find.”
“That’s what I always hope for… Look, I need to be honest with you. This is the first time I’ve painted since the crash. And I can’t guarantee it’ll be my best.”
He moved past Cali and over to the railing again and stared out at the ocean. Every line in his face was tense. Cali stood beside him and suddenly wanted to smooth the lines from his brow with her fingertips…or her lips. She was losing her mind. That’s all there was to it. Or Shar had come to live in her mind and that was the same thing as losing it.
“You’ll be okay.” She placed her hand on his. “The fact that you’ve struggled is a testament to how much you cared about the men who died.”
“I cared. But doing something that brings me joy just doesn’t feel right. I can’t explain it. And until I got here and spent time with you yesterday, I wasn’t sure I even found joy in it anymore. But I do. I know that at least.”
She pulled her hand from his, too aware of the hum of electricity buzzing through her. “That’s a start,” she urged. “You’ll figure it out as you go.”
He nodded. “So far, anyway. I just wanted to warn you.”
“I’m duly warned. I better go now, and let you get busy.” She headed inside the sliding glass door.
“Is that what you’re doing? Figuring it out as you go?”
She paused with one hand on the doorframe. “It is. So that’s my only helpful explanation. I came back to the island, to the place and the people I love. And I’m staying busy and I’m determined to move forward.” And she was.
The fact that she had an infatuation with him was nothing.
Infatuation. That was a good word.
It explained everything.
Chapter Eight
Cali headed back to work now that he planned to go ahead and begin working in the lobby as soon as he organized his supplies. Now that he’d made a decision to paint, he seemed distracted and as she left, she hoped that it was because his mind was on the work ahead of him and not the tragedy behind him.
She knew how that could be. Although, her tragedy was far different than his. Innocent men had perished in his tragic past but that couldn’t be said about hers. Paul had not been innocent. And he was still alive and well last time she’d heard anything. It was one of the sad, unfair things about life. Good men often died and sorry ones remained. And only God knew why.
She had no plans to let thoughts of her ex sidetrack her today, so she shoved him under the proverbial rug and instead of leaving thoughts of him there as usual, this time she gave the rug a good hard kick for good measure.
And then she moved on as the memory of the sketch Grant had drawn of her made her smile. She couldn’t explain it but it felt good that he’d seen that determination and strength in her. Even when she hadn’t felt it.
“Now that’s more like it,” Horace said when she walked off the elevator. “Got a smile on those pretty lips and a pep in your step.”
She placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head up to where he was working on another light fixture. “Are you sure you’re working or just perched up there watching everyone and giving out hard times?”
“I’m working. And giving a hard time to anyone I can.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Hey, keeps life interesting. I do like to people watch and I’m wondering what happened on the top floor to put that smile on your face? Wouldn’t be our painter, would it?”
Nothing got by the man. She wasn’t exactly sure how he knew she’d been on the top floor but she wasn’t going to deny it. “Mr. Ellington is going to begin working on the lobby mural tomorrow, I think. He may start organizing his things this afternoon. Or this evening. If your crew could move the furniture out of his way that would be helpful.”
“You got it, boss. Grant told me when he came in from his jog he was probably going to work this afternoon.”
She sighed. Of course Horace
“That’s what I always hope for… Look, I need to be honest with you. This is the first time I’ve painted since the crash. And I can’t guarantee it’ll be my best.”
He moved past Cali and over to the railing again and stared out at the ocean. Every line in his face was tense. Cali stood beside him and suddenly wanted to smooth the lines from his brow with her fingertips…or her lips. She was losing her mind. That’s all there was to it. Or Shar had come to live in her mind and that was the same thing as losing it.
“You’ll be okay.” She placed her hand on his. “The fact that you’ve struggled is a testament to how much you cared about the men who died.”
“I cared. But doing something that brings me joy just doesn’t feel right. I can’t explain it. And until I got here and spent time with you yesterday, I wasn’t sure I even found joy in it anymore. But I do. I know that at least.”
She pulled her hand from his, too aware of the hum of electricity buzzing through her. “That’s a start,” she urged. “You’ll figure it out as you go.”
He nodded. “So far, anyway. I just wanted to warn you.”
“I’m duly warned. I better go now, and let you get busy.” She headed inside the sliding glass door.
“Is that what you’re doing? Figuring it out as you go?”
She paused with one hand on the doorframe. “It is. So that’s my only helpful explanation. I came back to the island, to the place and the people I love. And I’m staying busy and I’m determined to move forward.” And she was.
The fact that she had an infatuation with him was nothing.
Infatuation. That was a good word.
It explained everything.
Chapter Eight
Cali headed back to work now that he planned to go ahead and begin working in the lobby as soon as he organized his supplies. Now that he’d made a decision to paint, he seemed distracted and as she left, she hoped that it was because his mind was on the work ahead of him and not the tragedy behind him.
She knew how that could be. Although, her tragedy was far different than his. Innocent men had perished in his tragic past but that couldn’t be said about hers. Paul had not been innocent. And he was still alive and well last time she’d heard anything. It was one of the sad, unfair things about life. Good men often died and sorry ones remained. And only God knew why.
She had no plans to let thoughts of her ex sidetrack her today, so she shoved him under the proverbial rug and instead of leaving thoughts of him there as usual, this time she gave the rug a good hard kick for good measure.
And then she moved on as the memory of the sketch Grant had drawn of her made her smile. She couldn’t explain it but it felt good that he’d seen that determination and strength in her. Even when she hadn’t felt it.
“Now that’s more like it,” Horace said when she walked off the elevator. “Got a smile on those pretty lips and a pep in your step.”
She placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head up to where he was working on another light fixture. “Are you sure you’re working or just perched up there watching everyone and giving out hard times?”
“I’m working. And giving a hard time to anyone I can.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Hey, keeps life interesting. I do like to people watch and I’m wondering what happened on the top floor to put that smile on your face? Wouldn’t be our painter, would it?”
Nothing got by the man. She wasn’t exactly sure how he knew she’d been on the top floor but she wasn’t going to deny it. “Mr. Ellington is going to begin working on the lobby mural tomorrow, I think. He may start organizing his things this afternoon. Or this evening. If your crew could move the furniture out of his way that would be helpful.”
“You got it, boss. Grant told me when he came in from his jog he was probably going to work this afternoon.”
She sighed. Of course Horace
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