Page 65 of Final Chance At Love (Chance At Love Duet 2)

“No, I’m good,” Jonathan answered defensively with laughter in his voice. “I wouldn’t dare piss you off.”

Betty approached with drinks at that moment and we all dropped the subject.

“Jack and Sienna texted and said they are on their way back from the ice cream shop,” she told us all. Then she asked, “Did you guys notice there is a pretty cool yacht docked out there?”

I rolled my eyes and answered, “How could I not? It’s hideous. I wish the damn thing would move on south!”

Jonathan almost choked on his drink and Betty blurted out laughing. “You really are not in a good mood today.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry. I slept badly last night,” I told her apologetically.

“Are you feeling ok?” she asked, worried. “Maybe you should rest for a bit.”

“No, I’m fine,” I quickly replied. I didn’t want her to worry. “Deila, a friend I grew up with, will be visiting in an hour or so, and I want to greet her.”

We all sat on the terrace enjoying our refreshments. The children returned from the ice cream shop happy and glowing. Little ones wore half of it on their faces and other half on their clothes. Betty and I started to laugh seeing them like that. They didn’t have a care in the world, as long as they got their ice cream.

“C’mon all of you,” I announced. “Let’s get you washed up and changed. Then you can continue playing. We’ll have a light dinner since I can guess you are not hungry after all that ice cream.”

Betty was laughing along.

“They are a mess,” she agreed, pointing to our youngest four. “All four of them!”

“Are you hungry, Sierra?” I asked my youngest. She shook her head in denial. She was my best eater so if she wasn’t hungry, none of them would eat. Betty and I quickly got them all washed up and put into clean clothes. Every single one of them had a hard time sitting still.

“C’mon,” I smiled. “Now that you are all clean, let’s go back out.”

And just in time, because like clockwork, Deila showed up. Although we spoke regularly on the phone, we haven’t seen each other in years, so there were few tears shed and lots of laughter and hugs. I made all introductions and it took no time for all of us to get into relaxing conversation mode.

It was a beautiful summer evening with a relaxing atmosphere and you could hear the gentle constant run of the waves against the shore. I felt I had everyone I loved and cared about here with me.

Except for Kristoff!If I could only shut down my thoughts lingering in my head, obsessing over him, life would be good.

I stood up and walked over to the medieval stone wall surrounding the terrace admiring the sunset colors reflecting on the surface of the sea. The same large multi-million dollar yacht docked in our little bay pretty much dominated the cover. I was surprised it was still there. Usually the yachts like that didn’t visit this old fishing village. They all went south towards Dubrovnik or further north towards Pula. All the locals, a whopping hundred of them, speculated all afternoon who it was. They were all talking about it. There were guesses as wild as Saudi Arabian princes, to the Croatian president, to the U.S. president.

I was wearing a strapless green dress, its soft material flowing around my body. It felt so light, as if I wasn’t wearing anything at all. Thankfully, my weight gain had not started full force yet, but my stomach was exhibiting a little bump, evidence of the lives that were growing inside me.

A warm breeze drifted in off the sea and I closed my eyes, enjoying the soft caress across my skin. Kristoff haunted my thoughts, day and night. I wondered what he was doing right now. I lay my left hand behind my neck trying to ease the tension, my eyes closed and the sounds of everyone faded behind me.

What if Rick was right? What if I didn’t truly give myself a chance with Kristoff?

A man’s hands touched my shoulders and I whipped my head around with my eyes wide open. Jonathan was behind me, his hands where my shoulders and neck meet.

“Here, let me help you.” He smiled at me, his fingers working my neck and my brain trying to process this. “Your muscles are tense.”

“Ah, thanks Jonathan,” I said as I gently pulled away. “I’m good.”

I realized it was the first time I’d felt a man’s hands on my skin since Kristoff. It felt wrong having anyone else’s touch on me but his. He’s ruined me for anyone else. I’d never want another man as much as I wanted him. Jonathan looked over my shoulder and I turned around to check what he was looking at. He was looking in the direction of the yacht.

I commented assuming he was admiring it. “Locals have been speculating all afternoon who it belongs to. I think the latest guess was that it belongs to the U.S. President. What is your guess?”

He smiled again, a little twinkle in his eye. “I couldn’t even begin to guess. I came to ask you if you want to dance?”

“Now?” I asked, glancing around. “There is no music?” And as if on cue, the music came on, Lana Del Rey’s “Love.” He extended his hand to me with a raised eyebrow in challenge. I lingered on his hand for a few seconds and accepted it. With slow tunes humming on the radio, I followed his lead laying my arm on his shoulder, moving my body with him.

“You are a good dancer,” he flattered me. “You are light to lead.”

“You are not so bad yourself,” I retorted back. He took my hand and twirled me away from him and back to him.

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