How to Keep a Secret

The house had been uninhabited at the time and they’d sneaked onto the beach and talked, laughed and made love in the moonlight. Everything she’d learned about him, she’d learned right there on that strip of golden sand. And he’d learned everything about her.

If a place could keep secrets, then this beach knew all of hers.

She ached for those carefree nights. She ached to be that woman again. She ached for him.

“Great house.” Mack craned her neck to get a better look. “There are balconies on the upstairs bedroom and it has its own staircase down to the beach. How cool is that? Is it a holiday place? Who owns it?”

“Right now, no one,” Scott said. “It’s for sale.”

Lauren tried not to think about a bunch of strangers walking on their beach, trampling on the memories. “I always loved this place.” She was looking at the house but she could feel Scott looking at her.

“I know.”

She turned to look at him and saw all of her memories reflected in his eyes.

“Who wouldn’t love it? It’s a pretty house. Pretty perfect in fact.” Mack gazed at it dreamily. “I wonder what sort of person is going to buy it.”

Scott’s gaze didn’t shift from Lauren’s face. “A guy who loves the ocean, but has decided that the time has come to live near it and not on it. A guy who needs space because although right now it’s just him and his dog, they’re both hoping that’s going to change.” He paused, taking in Lauren’s shocked expression. “A guy who made a big mistake once in his life, but believes in second chances.”

Lauren felt her heart miss a beat. “You’ve bought this house?”

“Not yet. I wanted your opinion first. It’s important that you love it, too. That’s why I brought you here today. To check if this place works for you. It’s close to your sister and not far from the Sail Loft.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you think?”

What did she think?

“I thought—I thought—” She looked into his eyes, and then at his mouth. She wished she could see into his heart. “I thought you were going to tell me you couldn’t do this anymore and were going sailing for the winter. I thought you were leaving again.”

Her knees were shaking and she closed her hands around his biceps to steady herself.

Scott gave a rough exclamation and pulled her close, this time ignoring Mack.

“I’m not leaving you.” He held her tightly, kissing first her head, then her cheek and finally her mouth. “Never again.” He breathed the promise against her lips. “Never again. Not unless you send me away and probably not even then.”

She felt herself come alive under his hands and mouth. The present and the past melted together and her anxiety fell away.

“Hello! Teenager present.” Mack’s voice cut through the clouds of excitement. “Embarrassing public displays of affection are discouraged. You’re supposed to wait until I’m not around to kiss my mom.”

Scott lifted his head slowly. “You’re not the public.” Keeping one arm round Lauren he held the other out to Mack. “You’re my daughter. And I intend to kiss your mom a lot, so you might as well get used to it.”

Mack muttered something about living permanently in the Sail Loft with her grandmother, but Lauren saw her eyes mist and after a moment’s hesitation she slipped into the circle of security Scott was offering.

“So does this mean you’re thinking of sticking around?”

Lauren detected the insecurity under the casual tone and it made her heart ache all over again. One day, perhaps, Mack would stop thinking she was going to lose everything she loved.

Scott obviously heard the same note of insecurity because he nodded.

“I’m sticking.”

“Are you sure? I mean, you don’t know how annoying I can be. You might change your mind when we’ve had our first fight.”

Scott’s eyes gleamed. “I think I can handle it.”

“That’s good to know because I might have told a few of my friends that you’re my dad so it would be kind of awkward if you walked away now.”

Scott tightened his grip and Mack flushed pink with pleasure.

They stood, the three of them, feeling the boat move gently with the water, looking at the shore.