“He’s okay now?” She looked up ahead. Cole was talking energetically with Jeremy and Tori, his hands gesturing wildly. It was impossible to imagine him slowing down, let alone grinding to a full stop.
Bran nodded. “I think so. But this place...it’s different. He doesn’t want it to simply acquire something new and shiny. He wants to use it to help executives and companies. Corporate retreats. Team building events. That sort of thing. It’s not very Cole, but people change when life kicks them in the ass.”
“Like it changed you.”
“Cole and I grew up in the same world. We wanted for nothing, but that came with heavy expectations. My parents never wanted for me to be a writer. It was a waste of my time, they said. For a kid who supposedly had every privilege, it felt very much like I was in a cage. Until I got to Merrick and found Cole and Jer. So when my life went sideways, it wasn’t all my money or status that got me through it. It was those two.”
He looked over at her. “You’ve been kicked, as well. But you know, quite often we’re better people for it.”
She wondered at that, really. She knew he’d do anything to turn back the clock and redo that night two years ago. But if he also liked the changes that had happened this summer, that was something huge. “Are you happy, Bran?”
They stopped for a moment and he faced her. “I’m happier than I’ve been in a very long time, and it’s unexpected. I have you to thank for that.”
He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She was stunned; while it was no big secret that she and Bran were spending time together, for him to make such a gesture while they were with his friends felt huge.
“Come on,” he said. “We need to catch up or we’ll miss our ride.”
They climbed on the golf cart, squeezing three of them on the bench seat in the back, and Jeremy drove them past the farmhouse and down a long lane, clear to the other side of the island. The land vacillated between green forests and meadows with waving grass and wildflowers, wild and untamed. But before long the landscape turned into landscaped lawns and gardens, and a grand house appeared.
Cole turned around from the front of the cart and grinned. “Twelve thousand square feet. A dozen bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a kitchen that’s a chef’s dream and hopefully a room I can convert into a boardroom-type meeting room. What do you think?”
Jess grinned. “It’s ginormous!” It was more the size of a hotel than a house.
Cole laughed. “I don’t do things halfway. Didn’t Bran tell you that?”
She nodded, still grinning. “He did.”
The Realtor was waiting for them, and Jess and Bran once again brought up the rear as they were taken on a tour of the house. Jess had never been in anything like it, and was absolutely dazzled. There were indeed twelve bedrooms, each beautifully appointed with gleaming wood furniture and expensive linens. The bathrooms had marble counters and gold fixtures; three had Jacuzzi tubs and there was a sauna downstairs, next to the fully equipped exercise room. A theater room with a large projector screen and theater seating made Jess’s eyes goggle.
Back upstairs, the Realtor showed them the addition on the back that held an indoor heated pool. The kitchen was huge, with double stainless-steel refrigerators and a large range with spider burners as well as double wall ovens. There was a small dining area, and then a large adjoining room with a table for at least twelve. To go with the bedrooms, Jess supposed.
One of the large rooms off the foyer could be turned into the meeting room Cole wanted. The other had a conversation pit, and a grand piano in front of tall, gleaming windows.
It was easy to see that Cole was in love with the place, and he and Jeremy kept their heads together, discussing details. Tori took out her phone and called home to check on Rose, and Bran caught Jess’s eye and pointed outside. “Come on,” he said quietly. “Let’s explore outside.”
“I’d like that.”
The sun was bright and cheery as they stepped out of the grand house. “Oh, it’s amazing,” she said, “but too big for me.”
“I know. But for what he’s intending to do with it? It’s perfect.”
“Probably.” She peered up at him. “I think for me it’s...not really a home. It doesn’t have that homey kind of feeling about it.”
Bran studied her for a moment. “Do you feel that way about my house?”
She took his hand, and they started to walk across the plush lawn. “Not really. Yours is different. With yours, it can be cozy and welcoming and have that vibe. The possibility is there. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
“What would it take for it to be that way?”
The answer came to her mind so quickly it left her speechless. Children, she thought. Family. Love.
She couldn’t say those things, so she simply answered, “Healing.”
He tugged on her fingers and turned her toward him. “I’m trying.”
Her heart squeezed at the honest confession. “I know. And you’re doing just fine.” She slid closer, wrapping her arms around him and nestling close to his strong, wide chest. “And along the way, you’ve been healing me, too. For what it’s worth, I’ve loved every moment in your house, from the first time I walked in and saw you with your shirt off.”
His arms cinched tightly around her, pulling her close as he laughed. His breath was warm on her hair as they hugged, his body tall and strong and the kind a woman could lean on when she wanted. The brisk wind off the ocean buffeted their bodies, but they stood firm against it, holding on to each other, the moment touching Jess’s heart more than any of their more intimate moments. He pulled back a bit and cupped her face in his hands, his smile replaced with a look of wonder. “You’ve changed everything,” he said roughly, and brought his lips down on hers for a kiss.