Page 67 of Love is a Game

Traffic downtown slowed her drive to the dock, and she worried she would miss the ferry and have to wait around for the next one. Fortunately, the line was short when she arrived, but they were already loading the cars when she pulled up to the ticket booth.

Once she was parked inside the ferry, she heaved a sigh. She’d made it in time. It would still be a couple of hours before she got to Briar Cove, and she didn’t know what kind of greeting would be waiting for her when she arrived. She only hoped that somehow, eventually, Andrew could find a way to forgive her.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The drive across the peninsula had never felt so long. Sadie tried listening to music to calm her nerves but it only set her more on edge, so she made her way along the highway in anxious silence. Her thoughts spun with explanations and bids for forgiveness as she considered what she would say to Andrew. Too often, though, her mental role-playing ended with him pulling her into his arms, and she would have to stop herself from letting the idea go any further. Even if that was what she wanted, she knew she had blown any chance of him feeling that way about her.

By the time she arrived in Briar Cove it was already late afternoon, but the library was still open, so she drove straight there. Andrew’s car was the only one in the parking lot, which was a relief. At least she could do this privately. She hurried out of her car and up the walkway, throwing the doors open as she pushed inside.

“Andrew!” she called, scanning the room for him.

He appeared in the doorway of his office, and she watched as his features shifted from surprise to wariness. He already knew, she could tell. Did he hate her?

“Andrew, I’m so sorry. I’ve just heard,” she gushed. “You have every right to be angry with me, but you have to believe I never expected it to turn out like this. I should have helped you.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“Don’t you know? It’s the Cypress.”

He didn’t say anything, just slowly moved toward her. Was it possible he hadn’t heard?

“Archer told me that Robby sold it to a developer. Or he thought it was a developer?” She rubbed a hand against her forehead, trying to recall the conversation. What mattered was that the hotel had slipped out of their hands. “Maddox didn’t have a chance to make an offer. I thought Robby would have told you.”

She saw his eyebrows twitch, but she couldn’t read his face. It only made her feel worse.

“Oh, Andrew, you were right. I was only thinking of myself.” Tears welled up in her eyes at the confession. “I wanted that promotion so badly, I let myself believe it would be all right, but look what it’s cost you. And it was all for nothing because I didn’t even take the job. I quit.” She sighed. “You were right about that too. I wasn’t happy there. All those things my family said were true. I just couldn’t see it.”

He was standing in front of her by then, watching her carefully with his arms crossed. “What are you going to do now?” he asked cautiously.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you staying in Briar Cove?”

“Oh.” She blinked at him. Would he be upset that she was? Maybe he wouldn’t want to stay if she came back. She didn’t want to be the reason he left town, but she knew she wanted to be closer to her family, no matter what happened. She nodded. “Yes. At least, I think so. I might have to find a job in—”

He took her shoulders in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

Andrew Price was kissing her.

The shock paralyzed her for a long moment, and then her senses burst to life.

His hands, heavy and warm, were moving away from her shoulders. Her skin tingled beneath his fingers as they slid up her neck to cradle her face. This close, the smell of him filled her nose, that peppermint scent that she’d grown to like so much. Slowly, hesitantly, she lifted her hands to his chest where she felt the faint beat of his heart against her palm. He seemed encouraged by the gesture and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Heat filled her, radiating from her chest as his mouth moved against her own.

“Ew, Mr. Price! Get a room!”

They both pulled back in time to see Gracie smack Evan up the back of the head. “Shut up!” she hissed.

Sadie let out an embarrassed giggle, but she didn’t move away. Andrew still held her, and she didn’t want him to let go.

“Why don’t you two go back to the conference room,” he suggested calmly.

They did as they were told, both looking back with wide grins on their faces as they went. Sadie felt heat rising in her cheeks, but she was too happy to care.

“I should have done that a lot sooner,” Andrew told her once they were alone. “I hesitated that night we had dinner here, and I have regretted it every moment since.”

She furrowed her brow at him. “I don’t understand. The hotel . . . you don’t hate me?” she asked.

“No.” He shook his head, chuckling warmly.