Read, Write, Love at Seaside(79)

“Honey, why can’t you have Kurt if you work?” Amy’s voice was filled with compassion.

“Because. He’s not going to upend his perfect, organized life in New York and live on the Cape. What’s in the Cape during the winter? Snow? Ice? It’s desolate, and he’s a family guy. I told you about the interviews.” Jenna made a tsk sound. “This is a dilemma. What does Kurt say?”

Leanna bit her lower lip. Jenna had spoken her worst fear. She’d said aloud what Leanna couldn’t force herself to, because doing so would make the words—and the meaning of them—seem more real.

“You haven’t told him?” Jenna exchanged a worried look with Bella. “Leanna, you have to tell him. Monday is only a few days away.”

Leanna’s gut clenched again. “Don’t you think I know that?” She didn’t mean to raise her voice. “I want to be there. And I want to be here.”

Tony came out of his cottage wearing nothing but a pair of board shorts and a rich tan. “Hey, girls.” He stood with his hands on his hips as they approached, taking in each of their worried faces. His smile faded quickly.

“Uh-oh. What’s happened?” He fell in line beside Amy.

“She got the Daisy Chain contract,” Amy explained.

“But she might lose Kurt because she needs to be here and he needs to be in New York,” Jenna added.

Tony pressed his smiling lips into a firm line and cleared his throat while muffling a laugh. “She’s not going to lose Oh gosh, Kurt.”

Leanna glared at each of the women.

“We didn’t say anything. I swear it,” Amy protested.

“Not a word,” Jenna added.

“Your window was wide open, Leanna.” Tony shook his head. “It’s not like I haven’t heard people having sex before.”

Leanna stopped walking and looked up at the sky. “Please, just strike me down right here, right now. Spare me any more indignity. Please!”

“Don’t worry. I deleted it from my memory banks just now,” Tony assured her. “Although I was happy for you. I don’t think I’ve ever heard your cottage rockin’. Now, Bella’s, that’s another story.”

“A girl’s gotta live,” Bella quipped.

“You guys, this is serious. What should I do?” They arrived at Leanna’s cottage and settled in around the table on her deck. Leanna buried her face in her hands. Pepper put his paws on her lap and panted at her until she reached down and stroked his fur. She couldn’t even look at him without thinking of Kurt.

Who am I kidding? I can’t breathe without thinking of Kurt.

Tony clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back. Amy’s eyes slid to his broad chest and the waves of muscles covering his midsection. Jenna kicked her under the table.

“You’re overthinking this, Leanna.” Tony leaned across the table and touched her hand. “Call Kurt. Talk to him. You two will figure it out. Plenty of couples have long-distance relationships, and New York is a short flight from P-town.”

“He has a point.” Jenna brushed a few grains of sand from the table. “And you know, in many ways, seeing a guy on weekends might be better than living together. You won’t get sick of each other.”

“I highly doubt I’d ever get sick of Kurt. He’s so…” She contemplated how to sum him up in one word.

“Hot?” Bella asked.

“Loving?” Amy suggested.

“Attentive? Good in bed? Intelligent?” Jenna bumped Leanna playfully with her shoulder.

“How about normal? Does a guy really have to be all those things all the time?” Tony set his eyes on Leanna’s until she met his gaze. “He’s a bestselling author, so yeah, he’s probably pretty intelligent. He treats you well, from what I’ve heard, and he’s definitely attentive in all the right places. Although I’m pretending that I didn’t actually hear that. You all think he’s handsome, so I take your word on that. He’s not my type, as I like women, but you know, hey, whatever.” He held his palms up toward the sky. “Seriously, Leanna. If what I’m told is right, and you love Kurt the way you said you did the other night, then call him.”

“Call him.” Leanna set her palms on the table and used her most serious voice. “Okay. How would you react if your boyfriend—or girlfriend—committed to living with you, then called and said, Hey, you know that promise? That plan we made? Guess what? I’m really sorry, but I got this great job offer to fulfill my dream, and now you either have to change your entire life for me, or we’re going to see each other on a once-in-a-while basis?” She sat back and crossed her arms. “See? Not exactly loving, is it?”