Page 8 of Connected By Souls

“Unfortunately not,” I laugh.

“What? That’s a perfectly acceptable request. You’ll thank me later if it comes true.” He winks at me.

Rolling my eyes, I help Dad secure the boat on the lift and begin cleaning up the day’s mess. We caught some hogfish today, so we’ll be eating good tomorrow. Dad’s fish tacos are the best, and there’s nothing like fresh fish that you catch yourself to make your taste buds go crazy. Every Sunday, we try and get together for a family dinner, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s meal.

“You have any plans tonight?” I look at Mav as we hose down the boat and rinse the salt water off.

“I may have a Tinder hookup waiting for me when I get back.” Mav grins.

“God, that app made things ten times easier for you.”

“Definitely. I don’t know how you did it in the olden days.” Mav looks at my dad.

“It’s called dating. You should try it. Where you actually meet someone by chance and ask them out to dinner because you want to get to know them better. The only one-night stands that were a sure thing back in the day are ones you had to pay for,” he chuckles.

“Sounds like a lot of work and a lot of boring dinners. Hmmm, maybe I should be charging for my services.” Mav rubs his chin and looks to be deep in thought.

Dad looks at Mav like he’s lost his mind. “Don’t even think about it. Your mom and dad wouldn’t think twice about locking you up and throwing away the key. Sage and I would help them.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s probably good karma to give back to the community anyway.”

He actually looks serious when he says this. I grin and shake my head. “I can’t wait to see the one that catches your eye and tames you. She’s got her work cut out for her.”

“It’ll be a sight to see for sure. She’ll have to be pretty special to capture that heart of yours.” Dad looks at Mav.

“Don’t hold your breath, boys. I have no intention of getting tamed by anyone.” Mav takes the fishing poles from the boat and sets them on the dock to rinse.

“It happens to the best of us.” My dad slaps him on the back and grins. “One minute, you’re a free man dating around, and the next, you’re hit straight in the heart, unable to think of anything else but her. It happened to me and Sage, and it happened to your parents too. Your days are numbered, my friend.” He laughs and gets out of the boat.

“Sounds more like a prison if you ask me,” Mav mumbles, walking the cooler to the truck.

We spend the next hour finishing up the boat and cleaning the fish on Dad’s dock before we say our goodbyes. I head home and think about what my dad said. Rubbing the ache in my chest, I sigh. I’ve been hit straight in the heart since I was a teenager, but the problem is I have no idea if the person holding the bow is real.

I walk into my house a few minutes later, and I’m greeted by Nala, my golden retriever. She’s two and the only girl in my life who shares a bed with me. My parents have her dad, Hurley. When they decided to breed him, I knew I wanted her the moment I saw her. We always had goldens growing up. There’s a sweetness about them that pulls you in and goes straight to your heart. Nala and I immediately bonded, and she’s been by my side ever since.

Barking excitedly, I reach down and scratch the back of her ears. “How’s my girl doing? Ready to go outside?” Prancing and running to the back door, I let her into the backyard.

When I bought this house two years ago, I basically started from scratch. I gutted the whole inside and redid all the decks and cedar planking. I put in a pool, leaving enough space for a yard for Nala and, eventually, a family. No one knows this, but the main reason I bought this house is because it reminded me of her. We used to live in a quiet seaside village on top of a hill, where we’d spend hours with our children at the beach below. We even had a golden retriever who is very much like Nala. It was one of my favorite memories of how happy and in love we were. I tried to make the house just like I remembered when I designed it.

Nala bounds back in, tail swishing and tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth, panting. I get a treat for her and go to the fridge to grab a beer. Making sure Nala has food and water, I head to the bathroom to shower and rinse off the saltwater.

Twenty minutes later, dressed in faded jeans and a grey t-shirt, I make my way down the driveway to the cottage. Since I’m only looking at repairs, I leave my tools at home and decide to walk. The sun is still bright and hot, but the wind has picked up, giving a nice breeze coming off the ocean. My black Vans crunch on the gravel as I step on the road. Looking to the left, I see the gentle laps of the waves and a few people out for an evening walk on the beach. Nearing the cottage, I notice the front porch needs new paint, and the rail looks in bad shape. Making a mental note to talk to them about that, I head up the stairs and knock on the door.

“Just a sec!” I hear someone say. My palms suddenly start to sweat as my heartbeat increases. Not sure what’s happening, I see the door open as I feel my world spin. Putting my hand on the doorframe for support, I look at the woman before me. She looks just as rattled as I do. Bright green eyes stare back at me, the same eyes that haunt my dreams at night. Long brunette hair hangs in waves down her back. She’s dressed in a green sundress that hugs her on top but flows around her toned thighs ending in bare feet with pink painted toes. Her hand is on her slender throat as she stands there with a look of shock on her beautiful face. I glance at her hand and don’t see a ring on her finger. I silently thank God for that. Licking her full pink lips, she shakes her head and clears her throat. “You must be Mr. Bennett, the handyman.”

That voice. How many times have I heard that same voice whispering things in my ear that were only meant for me as I was deep inside her? Jesus, I probably look like a madman staring at her and not saying a word. “Um, yeah, that’s me, but please call me Noah. Sorry, I was thinking you reminded me of someone, and I got lost in thought.” I try to come up with a reason for looking at her like I’m crazy. The need to touch her is overwhelming. Every fiber of my being wants to grab her and taste those beautiful lips of hers.

“Funny, you remind me of someone too, but I can’t put my finger on it.” She studies me as her green eyes take me in.

Does she remember too? Is she plagued with dreams of us like I am? I can’t tell what she’s thinking—hell, I don’t even know what to think.

Opening the door wider, she stands to the side. “Come in, and I’ll let you take a look at the repairs I was talking about. I’m Emma, by the way.”

She finally has a name. “Emma.” I love the way it sounds. It’s perfect. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” I’ve been waiting my whole life to meet you—I want to tell her. Holding her gaze, I get lost in her eyes. She stares back at me as if searching for answers to questions she doesn’t understand.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” She slowly tears her gaze away from me.

Walking inside, I notice how cozy the place is. She has a great eye for decorating, and the house has good energy, making you feel instantly at home.Good energy?God, I sound like my mom and one of her students. I didn’t notice any male shoes by the door or see anyone else here. “Do you live by yourself?” I glance around, looking for evidence of someone else living here. Things are going to get real messy if she has a boyfriend.

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