Page 91 of Resting Beach Face
I stood in The Roost, taking in the cabin’s transformation. Gray had been hard at work in the kitchen, and it now had knotty pine cabinets and a gorgeous white quartz countertop with bronze swirls that tied all the colors together in a blend of rustic and modern design.
The biggest renovation project was coming together nicely. Better than I could have imagined.
I had Cash to thank for that. Without him, I wouldn’t have even tried.
But instead of focusing on the newest improvements, all I could do was stare at my phone and the texts I’d just exchanged with Cash.
Cash:
Your bed is the only place I want to be, but I’ve got other offers.
Declan:
Don’t you dare take them. Come back to me.
My stomach somersaulted. I was glad I could be there when Cash needed a soft place to land. Damn glad. But I couldn’t stop wondering…
If I left Swallow Cove, who would Cash go to when he needed support? Would he crash with a friend or find someone to comfort him another way? A more…intimate one.
I hated the thoughts running through my head. Jealous, possessive thoughts.
He belongs with me.
He’s mine to comfort.
No one else should have him.
I barely recognized myself, but there was no doubting that I’d grown attached to Cash right when I should have been cutting ties with my life here.
“Declan?” Gray prompted. “Everything okay?”
I lowered my phone, refocusing on the kitchen taking shape before my eyes. “It’s looking really great.”
Gray grinned. “This place has so much potential. I’m glad Cash called me in on this. It’s been really fun to be part of its transformation.”
He glanced around, almost as if he was seeing it again for the first time. “It reminds me of my home growing up. The old man always had some sort of maintenance project going.” He chuckled. “And he was always dragging me into it.”
“I guess we have him to thank for your skills then?”
“Yeah.” His smile faded. “I guess that’s one thing he did for me.”
There seemed to be a story there, but I didn’t know Gray well enough to push. But if Cash was anything to go by, familydynamics could be complicated. I was lucky to have had a stable upbringing with parents who’d loved me enough to let me live with my aunt when the bullying at my high school had gotten tough.
They’d only ever wanted what was best for me, and I still saw them every holiday. My sister saw them even more often. They’d moved to St. Louis a couple of years ago to be closer to their grandkids.
Returning to Chicago would not only take me from Swallow Cove, but farther from my family as well. Why hadn’t I considered that before?
Gray cleared his throat. “We should be ready to move on to tile tomorrow, then refinishing the floors a couple of days after that.”
He continued talking through the rest of the plans for The Roost. I nodded along, but my mind was a thousand miles away.
Well, closer to four hundred miles away, give or take. It was past time I talked to Nathan and officially pulled the plug on the development deal he’d helped broker.
“…and once we reinforce the stairs to the deck?—”
“Sorry, Gray,” I cut in, wincing at my own rudeness. “It all sounds great. Really. I trust you. I’ve just got a phone call I need to make.”
Best to do it now before I lost my nerve. Nathan was bound to be annoyed by my wishy-washiness on this whole deal. I couldn’t really blame him, either. I’d dragged my feet, and now I was backing out.
