The Summer of Us (Mission Cove 1)

“So, this is yours?”

He nodded. “The second office of Webber Holdings Inc.” He winked. “Your dining room was getting a bit tight, Sunny.” He indicated the monitors. “I can hold meetings with anyone, anywhere, with the click of my mouse. I’ve leased out the office space in Toronto, keeping one small spot for when I need to go in. I can do everything I need to do from here, but I have a few clients that demand face-to-face.”

“Linc, I don’t know what to say. I know you never wanted to come back here…” My voice trailed off.

“Things have changed. I’ve changed. Besides—” he dropped a kiss on the end of my nose “—I don’t have this view in Toronto.”

I peeked out the window and laughed. He looked right down into the bakery. He stepped behind me, a warm tower of strength at my back.

“I can look across and see you anytime I want. Walk a few steps and touch you. Get the best coffee and biscuits all day long. Any client who comes here will get served items from your bakery. I guarantee they’ll be stopping there before they leave town. It’s a win-win for both of us, Sunny.”

I didn’t know what to say. Turning, I stared up at him, tears forming in my eyes. “Thank you.”

He wiped away the tears that spilled over my cheeks. He bent and kissed my face, whisper-soft kisses that left a trail of heat everywhere they touched. “This is only the beginning, Sunny.”

He pulled back and cupped my face. “Are you ready?”

“Ready.”We pulled up to a set of gates about six minutes outside of town. I looked around in confusion. It looked like the entrance to Gerry and Cindy’s place, but it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. The gates were wrought iron and supported by tall brick walls. Linc punched in a code, and the gates opened smoothly. There was a smooth concrete driveway that branched into two directions. We headed to the left. I looked over my shoulder, certain the right driveway would lead to the house we had visited last month.

But why had Gerry installed gates and a new driveway? And where were we going? I glanced over at Linc, but his eyes were on the road, although a wide smile played on his lips.

A few seconds later, I gasped as we rounded a gentle bend in the road and I saw what the trees had been hiding. The other part of the old camp—or what used to be the old camp. The woods had been shaped and trimmed, leaving a wide-open area. The ground leveled. There was a clear view of the water, which was stunning. The sun was still high in the sky, shining on the water, causing hundreds of shimmering rays to bounce off the lazy rolling waves that broke along the sandy beach. I racked my brain, trying to remember if the beach had always been that sandy or if it, too, was new and spruced up.

We parked beside a catering truck that was set up by a canopied tent. Beside it was a pretty SUV. I admired the rich copper color as Linc got out and opened my door, offering his hand. I let him pull me from the car, gazing around in wonder. He led me around the tent, and we stood looking over the water.

“It’s so lovely.”

“It is.”

I looked over, blushing when I realized he wasn’t looking at the water, but at me. I swung my gaze back to the vista, getting excited when I realized exactly where we were.

“Oh, Linc, look—those are our trees!”

“I know. Our names are still there.”

“You’ll have to show me.”

“Later,” he promised.

I waved at the tent. “You did this?”

He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. “I have a lot of plans I want to show you, Sunny. Lots of things I want to discuss I hope you’ll be a part of.”

“Including your plans for this area?”

He smiled. “I finally figured out what belonged here. Gerry and Cindy are onboard with it—in fact, they’re quite excited.” He tugged on my hand. “Come and have dinner, and later I’ll tell you all about it.”

Inside the tent was a table, set for two, complete with flowers and candles. A small serving area was off to the side. An ice bucket holding champagne was waiting. A bottle of my favorite red wine open on the table. Tiny twinkle lights were strung from the ceiling of the tent, soft music played, and the entire tent felt dreamy and special. At the back of the tent was a longer table. It held two large white boxes covering some secrets I assumed Linc would share after dinner. He had thought of everything to make this romantic and cozy.

In one corner were thick blankets piled with pillows. I met Linc’s eyes, mischief dancing in them, making them sparkle under the lights.