{Wattys Shortlist 2022}
A one night stand is turned inside out when two strangers discover their shared past.
After a skydiving excursion that ends in a whirlwind one night stand, Camilla writes off ever seeing her handsome instructor again. That...
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I spent the rest of my day in my office with the door closed, trying to smother thoughts of Lianna's tears and angry words from my mind with the scent of lavender oil.
I wasn't sure how much good it was doing my mental well-being, but it had the added benefit of making my office smell like an expensive spa.
At five o'clock, I powered down my computer and locked my door before saying a quick goodbye to Sandra and heading home. The walk back to our house wasn't long, but today I found myself walking without purpose, taking my time and enjoying the warm sun on my shoulders and the salty July breeze floating off the harbor.
Tourists from all over the world were congregating around a row of vendors selling handmade shell jewelry and bags made of recycled sailcloth.
This town was so unlike any town I'd ever lived in before. The jagged coastline and perpetual vacation-feel of the Rhode Island summer months made it easy to fall in love with this place.
I cast my attention from the bustle of the crowds down to the pavement. Even though positivity and life were radiating around me, my mood darkened. Lianna's proclamation that South didn't know how to be in a relationship with anyone but himself ringing in my ears.
Maybe it wouldn't have bothered me so much, but her warning mirrored my own reservations. And then there was the concerning behavior of his father. If South hadn't been the one to hire Jack Dougherty, then perhaps he knew about his dad's cheating and thought it was normal. Or acceptable.
I raked my fingers through a section of my hair in frustration. My heart didn't want to believe that. I'd seen the sadness in his eyes when he'd talked about the old compass.
And besides, South seemed genuinely excited to bring me home to meet his mother—as his girlfriend. A grin found its way into my lips as I turned the corner and started walking up the uneven sidewalk towards our front gate. It seemed stupid to call him my boyfriend, but a little jolt of excitement coursed through me just the same.
No, I decided that if there was any tension in the Tenney House over a scandal like infidelity, South wouldn't be eager to bring another person in on it.
Being around South made me feel something again, and beyond that, I believed South was telling the truth about his feelings for me.
And if I was being totally honest with myself, being with him made me feel less... broken. Like being imperfect was okay.
Rocky tackled me as soon as I unlocked the front door, wagging his tail and assaulting me with kisses. I scratched him behind the ears before hanging my purse up and wandering into the kitchen.
