“I’m really happy for you.”
“I didn’t get to talk with you much last night.” Jack put a hand on Kurt’s lower back. “Excuse us for a minute.” He guided him away from the others and lowered his voice. “You doing okay? You look a little…something.”
Something? Other than the two years when Jack had been dealing with his own loss, he’d always been in tune to his siblings’ feelings. It didn’t surprise Kurt that Jack would pick up on his missing Leanna. His emotions were a little rawer than he was used to or comfortable with. He tried to shift the conversation away from Leanna.
“You’re a lucky guy, Jack. Savannah really loves you.” He waved to Treat and Dane, who were heading their way.
“Don’t want to talk about it, huh?” Jack asked.
Kurt shrugged. “It’ll just make me miss her more.”
“I’ve never heard or seen you like this. Ever.”
“Tell me about it. She threw my whole world off balance; then she righted it with herself firmly lodged smack dab in the center of my heart.” He was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt.
Jack threw his head back and laughed, a deep, hearty sound of joy. “Welcome to love, little brother.”
“Another unsuspecting Remington falls prey to the love of a woman.” Dane was a marine researcher and shark tagger, and at over six feet tall, he was about two hundred pounds of lean muscle. He opened his arms and embraced Kurt, then Jack. “Too bad she missed the wedding. I’d have liked to meet the woman who got you away from your computer. From what I hear, that’s not an easy feat.”
“She had a meeting today that she couldn’t reschedule. She’s just started a jam and jelly business. Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats.”
“She should call me. If her products are as good as the name, I’ll carry it in my resorts.”
“Seriously? That would be great, Treat. I was able to connect with Blue and hire him to renovate my studio at the Cape for her business. He’s working on it now. I plan on surprising her with it in a few weeks.”
“That’s great. I’m glad it worked out.”
“Thanks for the referral. If you’ll excuse me for a minute, I want to give Leanna a quick call.” Kurt walked over by the fence at the edge of the yard and sent Leanna a text. Miss you more than anything. Hope your meeting went well. Call me?
OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH! Leanna had been driving for twenty minutes and her heart was still racing. She’d spent three hours with the executives of Daisy Chain, and though she was initially intimidated by the mere size of their offices, which took up the entire top floor of a four-story office building, the people had been down-to-earth and easy to talk to. They were smart, funny, and driven—and they wanted to carry Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats in every store. Every store! The figures they discussed would allow Leanna to rent space on a full-time basis, which she’d need to keep up with orders. She would also need to commit to her business full-time if she wanted this contract—and she wanted this contract.
Leanna drove up Route 6 thinking about the opportunity and knowing that if Al were able to see her, he’d be proud. Her mind raced in a hundred different directions. She might need to hire a few trusted helpers, because while Leanna knew that she’d never want to dole out all of the day-to-day operations, she wasn’t fooling herself. Wide distribution would take several sets of hands. Leanna also knew herself well enough to understand that there would be times when she wanted a few days off to spend with Kurt.
Kurt. Oh gosh. Kurt.
Therein lay the reason for the tightening in her stomach and the ache in her chest. Daisy Chain wanted her sweet treats not only because they were delicious, or because they liked and seemed to trust Leanna, but also because Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats was a local business. Although Daisy Chain had stores throughout the East Coast, they were big on supporting local businesses. The owners, Arnold and Lilian Hayes, were both born on the Cape and had lived there for more than sixty years. Local to them was Cape Cod. Not New York.
She glanced at her phone on the passenger seat, and the muscles in her neck tightened. She’d seen the message from Kurt, and she needed to call him. She wanted to call him, but she was in such a quagmire about Daisy Chain that she felt sick to her stomach.
I want the Daisy Chain contract.
I want Kurt.
Why me? Why now? Why can’t this be easy?
Leanna went off the main drag and took a residential road through Eastham toward Wellfleet. With her windows down, the breeze from the bay washed over her, settling her nerves a little. The smell of the damp sea air brought memories of the first night she met Kurt and the first time they made love on the beach. It made her long to be with him. The Cape had always soothed her in ways that no other town ever had. Her creativity flowed when she was here. She thought of her family’s vacations at the cottage, arguing with her siblings over who got to sleep in the loft, playing in the surf, and when they all got a little older, scoping out the other teenagers. Summers with Bella, Amy, Jenna, and the other Seaside residents were irreplaceable. Those were memories she’d always cherish, and one day, she hoped to have her own family and create memories that were just as meaningful.