She couldn’t imagine what Conner felt about the success of his little brother and sister. Everyone in town knew that Riley’s store, Classy and Sassy, was one of the most successful boutiques around. People drove all the way from Portland to shop there.
Now the talk of the town was how Jacob and Rose Derby were overseeing the construction of Pride’s newest subdivisions. Townspeople drove up to the property on the weekends just to see the progress of the neighborhood. Every time Kara stepped into Sara’s Nook, the local bakery and coffee shop, people were talking about the progress of the new subdivision and how proud the Jordans must be of Jacob.
“I was told I would find you out here.” A woman’s voice broke her out of her deep thoughts. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Allison Jordan walk gracefully across the sand towards her.
The woman had a pair of shoes in her hands and her pant legs were rolled up as if she belonged on the beach. Actually, Conner’s mother could easily have just stepped off the big screen. The woman was so beautiful that Kara had found it difficult to believe she hadn’t made a career in movies instead of art. She reminded her of Aubrey Hepburn in not only her grace but her beauty.
Kara started to get up out of the sand, but Allison stopped her.
“No, don’t get up. If it’s okay, I’ll join you.”
“Sure.” She motioned to the sand. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks.” Allison tossed her shoes down and easily sat next to her and glanced out at the water. “It never gets old. Does it?” she said with a sigh as she rested her elbows on her bent knees.
Kara followed Allison’s gaze out over the water and sighed.
“No,” she agreed. “You always wonder what people who live near the ocean think of it. If they get tired of seeing it,” she added, feeling a little foolish.
Allison chuckled softly. “Some do, I suppose. Or at least grow dull to its beauty.” Allison’s eyes turned back to Kara. “Artists, on the other hand, well, we’re a different breed. Aren’t we?”
Kara’s eyebrows rose slightly at being added into the same mix as the woman who sat next to her.
“Oh, don’t be fooled.” Allison chuckled. “I can spot an artist when I see one. After all, I’ve attended more than one of your wonderful events. You may not paint with a brush like I do, but what you create is still a masterpiece.”
Kara’s heart did a funny little flip.
“I’ve never really thought of it like that before,” she admitted.
Allison sighed and nodded behind them. “It’s the number one reason your business is flourishing.” She turned towards her. “So, enough pleasantries. I’m here to see your cabinets,” Allison said with a smile. “I’m dying to see what you’ve done with the cottage.”
Chapter Ten
Conner had heard that his mother had gone over to the cottage to assess Kara and the work they’d done on the place. But his workweek had kept him too busy to worry about what his mother had said to Kara. Or what Kara had thought of the visit. He knew that some women put more stock than others in a guy’s mother showing up for no real reason.
On Conner’s next full day off, Jacob had specifically asked for his help. Which meant that he was stuck sitting in the construction trailer listening to Rose and Jacob argue about whether the clubhouse should have four tennis courts or two.
After almost five minutes of listening to them, he stood up. “Why not just meet in the middle and have three courts?” he suggested.
The two of them looked at him as if he’d grown a second head.
“That’s a bad idea,” Jacob said at the same time that Rose said.
“That’s a terrible idea.”
“See.” Conner waved his hands. “There. At least you agree on that.” He stalked out of the trailer. A blast of cool air hit him and, without thinking, he took off down the pathway to where the majority of the construction was taking place.
Currently, there were large machines plowing through the dirt, carving the pathways that would become the roadways through the neighborhood.
The Jordans were known for shipping, his mother’s art, and the family restaurant. This was the first time the family was dipping their toes into construction. Sure, they’d remodeled or fixed places up over the years, but they’d never built anything from scratch.
He knew it was one of the reasons his brother had decided to go into the construction field. Each summer their dad had picked a project to work on, and Jacob had been right there, eager to get his hands dirty.
Not that Conner didn’t enjoy seeing something fixed up and made new, like Kara’s kitchen. He just didn’t have the drive his little brother did.
Even working for the Coast Guard, he still felt… dull inside. The last time he’d felt alive, truly alive, had been when he’d kissed Kara.
Damn. He ran his hands through his hair and headed up the trail to the top of the hillside. He didn’t know exactly where all the property markers were, but he figured that he could make it to the top of a small bluff. Maybe the hike would cool him off and give his brother and Rose time to settle the silly argument so they could get back to work.
His schedule at the Coast Guard didn’t usually bother him, but lately, he wished his days off could be his. His family had been stepping in and making requests of him when they knew he had days free.
Forty-hour weeks weren’t hard when he liked the work he was doing. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want some time to himself.
He thought about the day he’d spent with Kara and smiled. What he wouldn’t give to spend a few more days like that. Kara was easy to get along with. She was lighthearted and laughed easily, something he found totally sexy in a woman. Not to mention the little tempting dimple near the corner of her mouth that flashed when she laughed. There was such a spark in her eyes when she was passionate about what she was talking about.
By the time he reached the top of the hillside that overlooked Pride and the beach far below, he was no longer agitated at his brother and Rose. His eyes scanned the treetops for a glimpse of the barn’s rooftop.
Would it be weird if he stopped by tonight? His shoulders slumped. “Yeah,” he answered out loud. He turned away from the view to head back down the hill and help his brother out for the last day off from work that week.
He’d just have to wait until tomorrow evening to enjoy being with Kara again. For the rest of the day, he worked his frustration off by helping pull one of the worker’s trucks from the mud. In the past three days, it had rained enough to turn even the strongest hillside into a muddy mess. Which is why he’d left his truck parked on the main road.
It took several hours, and it didn’t finally break free from the mud until they solicited the help of one of the bulldozers. By then, he was covered in a thick layer of dark Oregon mud and he was dead tired.
Driving home, his mind kept returning to Kara’s last kiss. He should have gotten her phone number so he could text or call her. Damn.
He thought of stopping off at his cousin’s flower shop to pick up a bouquet of flowers before he headed over there tomorrow evening.
He was passing the barn on the edge of his parents’ drive, which used to house horses and a few cows, and, after seeing the light, pulled to the side of the drive and shut off the truck. He walked over, thinking that his mother was searching through the stuff they’d stored there. Instead, he stepped into the dark barn and was hit with a wave of Kara’s sexy scent.