Page 42 of Challenged by the Single Dad

“Thanks. Yeah. I mean, it was all Bennett and Justine, really. They wrote the proposal, but we all gave our input.” He stowed his phone in his jacket pocket again. “But now we have to pitch it in person for the next round.”

“And who do you have to submit it to?”

“A few members of the Sewing Circle actually. As well as other long-time locals. They make up the sort of local governing body. The Island Elders.”

“How very—”

“Commune like? Yeah. It is. But things work differently on the island. We’re in our own little world here.”

“I’m coming to realize that.” She pulled down the laneway, the porch lights of the pub coming into view. “Do you want me to drop you off here?” she asked, stopping at the base of the hill that took him up to the houses.

“This is perfect. Thank you.” He opened his door, but then turned around to face her again. “I really am sorry. For … what I said. And for your son.”

“Thank you.” Her lips twisted. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He still wasn’t ready to say goodbye. But this was the end of the road. The end of the night. The end of their time together. “Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow. Drive safe.”

“You too.” Then she smacked her palm to her forehead. “I mean …”

A real smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I know what you mean.” He stepped out, closed that door, and opened the back one to retrieve his duffel bag. “Goodnight, Chloe.”

“Goodnight, Dom.”

Their eyes locked in the darkness for a moment and something he could only describe as electric passed between them. Like that time when they both reached for the order ticket and were shocked. Only this time, they weren’t even touching.

She was the first to break their eye contact, and he cleared his throat for probably the millionth time that night, nodded, and closed the door. Then he stood there, like a confused idiot and watched her back up and drive off.

It wasn’t until her taillights completely disappeared that he finally uprooted his feet from the ground and climbed the hill.

Tomorrow was a new day, and he was determined to be nicer to Chloe. He’d been a dick until now and she didn’t deserve it. She’d given him no reason not to trust her, and had proven herself on more than one occasion that she was a good hire.

Besides, he had bigger problems to deal with now anyway. Like how was he going to walk that thin line between being kind to her and falling for her?

Because he could already feel himself experiencing the latter and she said so herself, she wasn’t sure she’d ever get to a point where she could move on.

And he wasn’t sure he ever would either.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Morebutterfliesthaneverbefore swarmed in Chloe’s belly when she pulled up to work on November first.

Last night on the beach with Dom had been … unexpected. But also, wonderful.

He apologized more than once for his terrible behavior, but more than that, talking with him allowed her a deeper understanding of who he was as a man.

She also told him about Elliott—and she’d never told a soul about him or what happened since she left North Dakota in her van. He was her hidden pain. Her secret grief.

Until now.

And the unanticipated relief she felt opening up to someone about her son, gave her one of the best sleeps she’d had in years.

Not even the wild twenty-somethings coming into the hostel hours past midnight hooting and hollering managed to rouse her from her catatonic state of rest. It may have also been the earplugs and melatonin. But either way, she didn’t wake up until her alarm, and felt more rested than ever.

She met Vica, Brooke, Justine, and Jordana at the yoga studio again, and after they came to meet her that first time at the bar, they refused to let her put her yoga mat anywhere but beside theirs.

It’d been ages since she’d forged any real bonds or friendships, and didn’t realize how sorely she missed that kind of companionship until it was thrust upon her.

She double-checked her minimal makeup in the rearview mirror, unnecessarily fiddled with her hair that was in a loose fishtail braid over her shoulder with pieces around her face, and touched up her lip gloss, before heaving a big sigh and stepping out of her car.

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