Lydia let out a whistle. “Does that mean you are?”
“It means I’m thinking.” And she had been all night. Ever since Griff had pressed his lips to her brow. She’d wanted to run her hands over his body, to feel those muscles that swelled and dipped, to touch his skin that always felt so warm.
“Maybe you should think a little less and do a little more,” Lydia suggested.
Maybe Lydia was right. Not that Autumn would ever tell her that.
“What’s stopping you from doing what you want?” Lydia continued.
“Well, there’s the fact that we kind of work together. And we both know mixing business and pleasure is never a good thing.” Autumn picked at a piece of lint on her shorts. “Then there’s my divorce. The ink is still wet on it. And everybody says you shouldn’t date for at least a year after.”
Lydia made a funny sound.
“Not to mention his ex who seems really keen on warning me off. Either she’s right and he really is a commitment phobe, or she’s crazy and I don’t want any part of that either.”
“And none of that matters if you keep it between two consenting adults, right?” Lydia asked. “Who cares if he doesn’t want a commitment? You don’t either. You said it yourself, you shouldn’t commit to anything serious so soon after your divorce. And anyway, you’re not planning on staying in town for long. What happens between you and him is nobody’s business but yours.”
“I guess…” Autumn pressed her lips together.
“He likes you, right?”
She thought about the way he looked at her last night. “I think so.”
“Stop being so modest. You know he does. Guys don’t dance with girls they don’t wanna bone.”
“You have such a way with words.” Autumn shook her head, amused.
“Thanks.”
“But you’re right. There’s a connection there. He looks at me the same way I look at him. And when we touch…” She sighed again. “It feels like magic.”
“I’m jealous. It’s been a long time since somebody’s touched me like that.”
“What about that guy in Quebec?”
“Anton? That was years ago.”
“Five months.”
“Almost half a year.” Lydia laughed. “Anyway, we’re talking about your love life, not mine. Now go and have some fun, and stop thinking about everything that could go wrong.”
“Goodbye, Lydia.”
“And don’t forget to keep me updated. I’m having a dry spell.”
Autumn ended the call with a grin and grabbed her sandals, sliding them on her feet. Lydia was her little sister, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t talking sense.
Maybe it was time to start listening to her.
11
The beach was packed full, even for a Sunday morning. Autumn weaved in between towels and umbrellas, tiptoeing past baby tents and upended surfboards, as she headed toward the pier. In front of the surf zone, she saw Ember sitting on a blanket next to her friend Brooke, whose son Nicholas was playing with baby Arthur. They looked up with a grin as she arrived. Ember shuffled along the blanket, inviting Autumn to take a seat next to her.
“Where is everybody?” Autumn asked. “I’m sure there were more of you here last week.”
“Alyssa barely slept a wink, so Harper and James decided to stay home and catch up on some rest,” Ember told her, passing Nick a bottle of water. “Ally and Nate are beyond swamped at the coffee shop, and Caitie and Breck are driving to LA for a few days.”
“Is Lucas working?” Autumn asked her.
Ember smiled and shook her head. “No, he’s in the water with Griff.”
Autumn shaded her eyes and looked in the direction Ember had nodded, spotting two distant figures out in the waves. She could tell the difference between the two of them just by the height disparity. Lucas was a tall man, but Griff was a giant. When he climbed on his surfboard and rode the waves it looked like he was defying every gravitational law Newton had discovered.
“I hear Frank Megassey collared you last night,” Ember said, grabbing Arthur’s hand before he smashed a fistful of sand into his mouth.
“Yeah. He wants me to hold a fundraiser on the pier.”
“I’m sorry. I thought he might give you a little longer to settle in.” Ember’s eyes met Brooke’s. “I know Ally tried to warn you.”
“It’s okay.” Autumn smiled at them. “He only pushed up a few plans I had anyway. I’ve wanted to do something that brings the community to the pier, and shows them how change is a good thing. I’m going to contact a few companies tomorrow to see if we can have some fairground rides put on there. Maybe some music, too. It should be fun.”
“If you need any help, just say the word,” Ember said. “A couple of years ago, Lucas and I had to help with the Angel Day Fair, so I know what Frank can be like.”
“I might take you up on that.” Autumn felt her heart warm at the offer. In New York, everybody would have called her crazy and refused to meet her eye if she asked for help. Here, people fell over themselves to do what they could, even though it didn’t benefit them.
“I can help, too,” Brooke offered. “Although I also have a wedding to organize.”
“You’ve had a wedding to organize for years,” Ember said, biting down a smile.
Brooke shook her head. “You’re exaggerating. And we will get married. Our lives are so crazy busy at the moment. With Aiden running the resort, and me doing my post graduate training, plus there’s Nick to think of,” she said, referring to her son. “Trying to sort out the wedding is taking longer than we hoped.”
“I keep telling you to get married at the resort.” Ember grinned at Brooke. “You sleep with the owner after all.”
“I don’t want us to get married where he works. Can you imagine it? He’d be in the middle of saying his vows a phone call would come in and he’d have to take it.” She shook her head. “Definitely not happening.”
“Well, congratulations anyway,” Autumn said, looking over at the pier, her eyes narrowing as a thought took root in her mind. “Actually,” she said, running her finger over her lip. “That’s given me an idea.”
“It has?” Brooke tipped her head to the side. “What kind of idea?”
Autumn pulled her lip between her teeth. “Has anybody gotten married on the pier before?”
Ember looked at Brooke, and the two of them shook their head. “I don’t think so,” Ember said. “It’s always been kind of run down.”
“I wonder if it could be another way to raise some money,” Autumn murmured. “Holding ceremonies there.”
“Delmonico’s could host the wedding party afterward,” Ember said, grinning at Autumn’s suggestion. “Or Griff could take everybody out on the boat.”
“It would make a great alternative to the resort or the Beach Club,” Brooke agreed. “And you could make it look so pretty, too.”
Autumn felt the anticipation lick at her belly. She could picture it. The wooden struts and bannisters festooned with garlands of flowers. Strings of lights overhead. And the pretty backdrop of the water – perfect for photographs. She’d start investigating tomorrow.