Page 55 of The One for Forever

By the way, Cliff, your dad and I are hot for each other. If the safe house is rocking, don’t come knocking.

Lord, no. I need to come up with some better word choices for when we eventually break the news.

Lark and Danny give me hugs, and Cliff adds a kiss on my cheek. Rex helps me into the SUV and buckles me in. I put on sunglasses to shield my eyes from the sun. “So what’s this LLC that owns the beach house? Do you have some spy identity I don’t know about?” He did look like 007 in that tux at the gala.

He laughs. “Nope. I’ll tell you all about it. But I want you to rest on the drive up. It’ll be about an hour.” His hand gently slides over my knee, below the view of my friends standing in the parking garage. “I’ll wake you when we get there.”

“With a kiss?”

“If that’s what you want, I’m happy to oblige you.”

Christian Hayworth joked that Rex was treating me like a princess. But shockingly, I don’t mind it. I don’t like the reasons this escape is necessary, but I’m going to make the most of it.

I drift off quickly. Before I know it, Rex’s large hand is cradling my cheek, and soft kisses are raining over my face. “Wake up, gorgeous girl. We’re here.”

“Mmmm.” I blink my eyes open. Even with the sunglasses, it’s bright. We’re in a driveway in front of an angular modern house made of white stucco and glass. I yawn, sitting up straighter.

Rex gets out and rounds the SUV to open my door. He leans across me to unbuckle my seatbelt, then lifts me up into his arms. “Carrying me inside too?” I ask. “This is five-star service.”

“I aim to please. I also don’t want you falling over walking into the house. You sway around like a drunken sailor every time you get up for the bathroom.”

“Rude. But true.”

He grins. I rest my head on his chest as he carries me inside. The house looked impressive on the outside, but inside, it’s breath-taking. Soaring ceilings, polished concrete floors. The entire back wall is glass doors and windows. The panoramic viewoverlooks a stretch of sand leading to white-capped waves and endless blue sky.

He sets me down on the couch, then sits next to me. Our sides are pressed together, and he wraps an arm around me. “What do you think?”

“This place is amazing.” I was expecting a small cottage or cabin. Not this.

It’s not massive in size, but it still looks like a page from an architectural design magazine. Yet the space isn’t cold. Far from it. Plush rugs in bright colors make it cozy and inviting. The furniture in the dining and living rooms is especially striking, made of weathered wood.

“How the heck can you afford this?” I blurt out.

Whoops, that came out harsher than I meant it.

But Rex is laughing. “I had some money saved up from my Army days. Lydia and I were supposed to travel more after I retired and took my pension.” His smile turns wistful. “There was some life insurance money as well.”

My heart hurts for him. “I’m sorry.”

He smooths my hair back. “It’s all right. Does it make you uncomfortable when I mention her?”

“No. Not at all. But I don’t want to say something that makes you sad.”

“God, you’re sweet.” He pulls me closer and kisses me, feather-light, at my hairline. “So good to me.”

“You’re the one who’s been taking care of me. Doing a pretty great job of it, too.”

“I hope so. You’re very precious to me, Quinn. I want you to know that.”

I’m seriously swooning, which unfortunately adds to my dizziness. It’s all a little too much. I put my head on his shoulder. “You were telling me about buying the house.”

“Sure. For several years after Lydia died, I pondered what to do with the money. I used some for Cliff’s college. But after he was off living his own life, I stumbled across a listing for this place. There’d been a fire here, including water damage from the mitigation. The owners wanted to take their insurance money and move on. They’d loved this house and had spent happy years here, but it was too hard to rebuild after seeing it destroyed. The price was a steal. It was going to get snapped up fast. In my purchase offer, I told them my plans to rebuild it instead of tearing it down.” He rests his head against mine. “I said I really needed this project. Something totally different from the life I’d shared with Lydia. I was just like the house, in a way. Almost destroyed after the loss I’d been through. But still standing.”

I bury my face against his neck. He holds me tighter. I didn’t expect this story to get so personal for him, and I’m honored he’s sharing it with me.

“I created an LLC to buy the house because I assumed I’d sell it after I was done. Maybe a new business, you know? Even though I hate numbers, it seemed like a viable idea. Something different. A fresh start.”

That shocks me. I’d had no idea. “Did you think about quitting Bennett Security?”

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