Cape Cod Promises (Love on Rockwell Island 2)

She pushed open the front door and inhaled the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread. Her mother had baked her whole life. A warm and loving family starts with the love you pour into it. And pour love she did. Judith Nicholson was a doting mother who always had a warm hug at the ready. She wore her white-blond hair cropped in a stylish pixie cut. When Reese was younger, her friends used to love to come over after school and for slumber parties, because her mother would treat them all as if they were her own daughters and kept the house stocked with homemade snacks. Reese hadn’t realized until she was much older that her mother was dishing out life advice as she handed out cupcakes and doled out hugs.

“Mom? Dad?”

“In here, honey.”

She followed her mother’s voice into the kitchen and wasn’t surprised to see her holding up flour-covered hands while her father tied an apron around her waist.

“Okay, love,” her father said. “You’re all set.” He opened his arms to hug Reese. “How’s my girl?”

“I’m good.” She hugged her father and kissed her mother on the cheek. “The bread smells delicious.”

“Have you eaten? The first two loaves are out of the oven. I can put some jam on a slice for you.” Her mother reached for a fresh loaf.

“Oh, no thanks. I’m not hungry. I have to get over to the gallery, but I wanted to let you know that I got hired for the mural project over at the resort that I told you about.”

Judith’s eyes widened. She wiped her hands on a towel and said, “I’m so happy to hear that. You must be over the moon.”

“I’m glad, but I’m a little nervous. You know how much the island means to me. I hope I can do it justice.” She also knew how much of herself she poured into her artwork, and even after just one kiss, her inspiration was exploding. Would her mother see those raw emotions in her art and put two and two together now that Trent was back on the island?

“Oh, honey. You’re so talented. Of course you’ll do it justice,” her mother said proudly.

“Does this mean you’re working with the Rockwells? Or one of their staff?” her father asked.

David Nicholson was well liked and well respected by neighbors and friends, but to Reese he was the epitome of the perfect husband and father. He was retired now, but when he’d worked as an editor for Island Press, he’d eaten breakfast with Reese and her mother every morning before work, and he’d been home every evening in time for dinner. He’d never failed to ask both of them how their days were, and he cared—he really cared—about their answers. One of the hardest things for Reese about moving to New York had been leaving her parents behind. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit that when she’d come back home, a piece of her had felt like she’d been tethered to them the whole time she’d been gone. She wasn’t a needy, clingy woman, but she loved them too much to just grow up and move away, to visit only on holidays.

“Actually, I’ll be working with Trent.”

A look of interest passed between her parents before her mother said, “How do you feel about that?”

All I know is that I want to devour him and yell at him every time I see him. “I’m hoping it’ll be fine. A little awkward at first, but…” She shrugged, wishing she had a better handle on her feelings about her ex-husband.

“I’m sure he’ll do everything he can to make it a good experience for you,” her mother said.

Including kissing me senseless, if I want him to.

Reese’s parents had always encouraged her to follow her heart. They’d been supportive of her artistic efforts, and the summer she’d fallen in love with Trent, they’d been just as eager for her to find happiness. And when she’d come home six months after she’d married and moved away, with a shattered heart and broken dreams, they’d wrapped her in their loving arms and had never said a derogatory word about Trent.

They’d simply listened. For hours. Days. Weeks.

Years.

“You know we always thought Trent was a nice man,” her father said, “but I know it must be overwhelming to not only have him back on the island, but also to work with him on the mural.” He looked at her mother again before adding, “We’re glad you stopped by. We’ve been wanting to make sure you’re doing okay with it all, honey.”

“I think it will just take a while to figure out how to navigate the new waters.”

To this day they’d never made her feel like she’d made a bad decision falling for Trent, or that she should have known better than to get married so young. In her tender way, Reese’s mother had shown her that she’d also hindered their ability to flourish in New York. She’d been so frightened about venturing out into the big, new city that she’d holed up in her apartment, unknowingly making Trent her entire world in a way that wasn’t healthy for either of them, thereby adding more stress to an already difficult situation.