Chapter 41

“Oh, no, no no, of course we’re dying to see her, we adore all three of them, and it will be wonderful having Candace close by…”

“But?” Shameless. He’d even stopped feeling guilty for pushing her. At this point, he was a shark who’d smelled prey and would circle relentlessly until he got what he was after.

“Well, to be honest, we’ve gotten used to being independent. We’re finally having that delayed empty nest, you know, and…well, I feel terrible telling you all this. Edwin is sitting here shaking his head, scowling at me for rambling on. But then you’re practically part of the family.”

He hoped to be. Maybe. Someday. If everything worked out with Candace the way he felt it should. “I completely understand. I won’t say a word to either of your granddaughters. That’s yours to tell. But I might be able to help you keep the nest empty, at least for a while longer.”

“Oh? Yes? What do you think we should do? Talk to her, I suppose.”

Nolan laughed. His mood had turned around one hundred and eighty degrees. The gloves were off. He’d do whatever it took to keep Candace here in Quinley where she belonged. “Tell you what, Edith. Why don’t you and your husband leave all that up to me?”

___________

“You ditched me again.”

Nolan grinned. She was gorgeous, standing patiently waiting for him at the fairly crowded beach house. Even more gorgeous than she’d been so recently when he ‘ditched her again’ in his basement. She’d changed back into the red shorts that exposed her shapely legs—strong thighs, round calves, trim ankles—and the soft yellow top, which hugged her hourglass figure and made it difficult to remember he owed her a response.

“Hey, you know, I’m a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy.”

“That right?” The tiniest anxiety in her voice.

“Actually, no.” He bent and kissed her soft mouth. “Leaving’s your job.”

“I know.” Her features saddened. He tried not to smirk. Candace didn’t know it yet, but she wasn’t leaving. Tonight’s mission was to get her promise to stay another day or two…or three. Buy him time to visit the foundation and put his hat in the ring for the director’s job—a formality, given his father’s influence and desire he take the position—and work out the rest of the details for supporting Annie's artist-studio building, see if she and her partners would agree to hire Candace to manage the building. A form of nepotism maybe, but she was well-qualified, having not only management experience but the artistic bent, as well. Until the property was renovated, she could work with him at the foundation. Or relax and let him be her sugar daddy for a while, not that he thought she’d agree to that arrangement.

He was getting way ahead of himself, daydreaming of a future together.

Nothing he’d ever done before with other girlfriends, especially not within days of their first meeting.

“I spoke to your grandmother.”

Her eyes lit—cautiously. “What?”

“Michelle left her phone and went out for a minute. They called and I picked up to make sure everything was alright.

“She’s okay?”

“More than okay. They’ve heard there was no damage to their condo. I left Michelle a note with the phone.”

Candace frowned. “She wasn’t home? She said she'd stay home today.”

“Hey.” He kept his voice gentle. “You told me at lunch they were okay, remember? And Michelle is fine. Maybe she just went out to get something,”

“Okay. You’re right.” She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I’m worrying too much. Again.”

“Don’t need to this time, I promise.” He pointed up the beach. “Want to take a walk?”

She nodded and fell into step with him. Nolan opened his mouth and geared himself up for a big fat lie—he hoped the only one he’d ever tell her. “They also said the roads are bad. Trees down everywhere, debris on the highways. They told you not to come yet. It’s still dangerous. Give the cleanup crews a few days to get things done first.”

“A few days?” She frowned. “But I want to make sure—”

“They’re fine, Candace, I promise. Your grandmother sounded cheerful and happy, as if she enjoyed the whole thing.” He turned, brushed hair off her forehead the breeze was threatening to push into her eyes. “It’s me that really needs you.”

“Oh?” She tried to look suspicious, but a smile pushed at her lips. “What do you need me for?”

He held up fingers to count. “Cooking, cleaning, mending, picking up my dry cleaning, giving me on-demand blow—”

“I don’t think so, caveman.” She suppressed a giggle and took off walking.

“Okay. Not that.” He caught up to her and grabbed her hand, swung it gently between them. “But if you ask me, what’s between us is pretty special, Candace. Maybe you don’t agree…”

Her pause, all of two seconds long, seemed to go on forever. “I do.”

“So?” He had to tamp down his adrenaline or he really would start with the leaping for joy. “If they’re okay without you and I’m not…”

She pursed her lips, but at least didn’t reject him outright. “Did Gran say anything about her leg?”

“I mentioned it, and she acted as if the injury were so minor I was weird for asking.”

“That’s Gran. A total stoic.”

Hmm. He’d have to pound that one home a little harder. “She said she’s back doing, um, everything she was doing before.”

“It could happen again.” Candace bit her lip. “Did she say what caused the fall?”

“She was bending over fastening her…footwear, when someone bumped into her. She promised to do all her footwear-fastening seated from now on.”

“Oh, gosh, so her balance isn’t what it was. I’m really wor—”

“Candace.” He stopped walking. This had gone far enough.

“What?”

“Bend over.”

“What?”

He pretended innocence. “What, you haven’t had doggie sex in public in broad daylight before?”

She burst out laughing. “Geez. Listen to you.”

“Seriously, don’t knock it ’til you’ve—”

“Nolan.”

He relented. “Pretend you’re tying your shoe. I promise I have a point.”

She rolled her eyes and bent over. It was all he could do not to grab on and experience heaven, but it was public and daylight and he did have a point. It took only a gentle push followed by a quick grab to keep her toppling onto the sand.

“Wow, your balance isn’t what it was, Candace. I’m really worried.”

She stood and glared at him, color high in her cheeks, eyes dancing. “Fine. You won.”

“Not until you say you’ll stay. Then I win.”