Love's Retreat(10)

Alex lifted her chin and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You thought I might have had regrets about last night and made a hasty escape?”

Jess couldn’t look at him, couldn’t risk seeing what might be in those beautiful dark eyes. The gentle kisses on her eyelids and cheeks were more than she could bear and she hid her face in his shirt again.

“Didn’t you see the beach stone?”

She nodded, sniffling. He held her tightly.

“Did you ever wonder why I would carry around such a thing? People don’t usually have rocks in their pockets.” She shook her head. “When I achieved my dream of getting the cottage by the ocean I picked up a stone that was being brought in on the tide. While holding that stone I made a promise to find someone who would love the place as I did.”

Jess wiped her face on the soft shirt and looked up into the eyes that were so full of love that her whole being lit on fire. She threw her arms around Alex’s neck and kissed him.

He spun her around until she laughed. “That’s better. Now what do you say we have Nora drive Ryan back to the city and we take a trip to the beach?”

“Yes, please.”