Page 68 of More Than a Helping Hand

“Okay. I’m going to run in there for a few.”

“I’ll get dressed out here while you change in there. Or we can swap if that’s easier.”

“If you don’t mind, swapping would be good. But I need a couple minutes in the bathroom first.”

“Sure. Then we’ll grab something quick to eat and walk out on the pier.”

She walks to the bed and gives me a quick peck. “Sleeping next to you wasn’t so bad.”

“That’s what I strive for—not so bad.” I tug her in for another kiss. “I know this isn’t what we planned, but I’m happy with the way things worked out. Waking up next to you is a treat.”

She nods and hurries into the bathroom, leaving me wondering if I said too much.

When she exits, I carry my clothes in. “When I’m done changing, I’ll knock before walking out of the bathroom.”

“Such a gentleman.” She flashes a smile and picks up her clothes, which is my cue to close the door.

Ten minutes later, we’re standing at the end of the pier. Birds circle boats in the distance as they return from pre-dawn fishing.

I’m staring out at the horizon when Primrose grabs my hand.

“Look.” Her grip tightens as she points at the water just off the pier. “Watch that area.”

Dolphins break the surface, then dive back under the water. Silent, we continue to gaze at the waves, waiting for another sighting.

“It’s almost magical. I wish Bailey could see this.”

“You’re right. She’d love this.” I don’t offer for all three of us to come next time because that would be the opposite of keeping secrets, and we aren’t there yet.

The dolphins move farther from the pier, and after a while, we can’t see them anymore.

Prim whips around and wraps her arms around my waist. “Thank you. That was amazing.”

I drop a kiss on the top of her head, cementing the memory. “What do you say we go poke through some shops, then grab lunch someplace?”

“Sounds perfect.” She holds my hand as we walk back toward our cottage, and her smile is radiant.

Those dolphins are a metaphor for our relationship, unexpected and almost magical. I’m just worried that like dolphins moving out to sea, Primrose is going to pull away at some point.

And I’m not ready for that. I’ll never be.

* * *

On Monday morning,I’m not ready to go back to real life. Most of this weekend, we’ve held hands, and when we weren’t doing that, Primrose was rubbing my arm or back. Some sort of physical contact. I’ll miss that when we go back to the secret dating. Lying in bed, I stay still to let her sleep as long as possible.

She snuggles against my back, and her breath tickles when she exhales. She stayed to her side of the bed the last two nights, and I’m hoping this shift means she enjoyed the weekend as much as I did.

My phone buzzes, but reaching for it might wake her.

Then her phone dings, and she pulls away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to crowd you.”

“I was enjoying it. Is that Bailey?”

“Yeah. She’s sending me selfies from Mom’s phone, which probably means Mom is still asleep.” She holds up the phone and shows a picture of Bailey grinning at the camera.

“I guess we should get moving if we’re going to be back at a decent time.” I hold my arm out, inviting her to cuddle up, which is the opposite of what we should be doing.

She inches closer and drops a kiss on my chest before resting her head in the same spot. “After this weekend, sneaking around will be hard. Not holding your hand will take focus and concentration. In a matter of days, it’s become second nature.” She sits up. “I like you. And I hope you understand why I’m taking this slow when it comes to Bailey. I spent lots of years, hoping for a man to swoop in and make life perfect. But I’ve learned my lesson. I have to do that for Bailey. It’s not fair to ask or expect that of anyone else. No matter how perfect they seem.”

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