All of You, Always by Lindsay Harrel

Author:Lindsay Harrel [Harrel, Lindsay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Aster Press

How had Ben known exactly what she needed?

“Wow. This view is . . .” There weren’t words for it, really. Bella stood on the precipice of a cliff next to Ben and gazed out over the water. A fifteen-foot arch of rock sheltered them from the sun.

Without pushing her to talk, he’d led her from the dirt-and-gravel parking lot down a path into this tiny cave of sorts. They’d walked through the cool rocky formation, which ended at the bluff.

“I know.” Ben lowered himself to a sitting position, dangling his feet over the edge. About thirty feet below them the water crashed into foamy white waves against the cliff. “You should see it at sunset.”

“I can only imagine.” Careful not to slip on the loose pebbles and sand, Bella seated herself next to him. Her heart raced as she looked down.

Ben pointed to the left. “The beach is that way. We just have to backtrack through the cave and continue down the path we were on.”

“We should check it out in a bit.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “But for now, I like it here just fine.”

“We can stay here as long as you want.”

“Much as I appreciate that, I shouldn’t keep you from your work. You still have several hours of daylight left.”

“Eh.” Ben wove their fingers together and leaned his head against the top of hers. “I need a break anyway.”

“Liar.” But in this moment she couldn’t gather the energy—or positivity—to leave this place of refuge and beauty. The meeting with Mary Robinson had deflated her in ways she hadn’t thought possible. After all, until yesterday she’d never expected that she would find out about her father any other way than through Mom.

But then that tiny flicker of hope had seeped through the cracks of the walls she’d built up around her heart. And boom! They’d crashed down as if hit by a bulldozer.

“Hey.” Ben’s voice rumbled in her ear. “My mom texted me this morning and wanted me to extend an invitation to our next Baker family dinner. Guess you made quite an impression on everyone Friday night.”

Seriously? Goosebumps slid along the edge of Bella’s neck. “They all made quite an impression on me too.”

Ben snorted. “I’ll bet.”

“No, really. You have no idea how blessed you are to have family. And such a great one at that.” She angled her head, pressing her cheek into the soft fabric of his T-shirt.

“I guess I do take it for granted sometimes.” He turned her hand over and traced the palm lines with his thumb, sending shivers up her spine with the light touch. “Do you have any good memories with your mom?”

“Some. We were dirt-poor growing up because my mom was only twenty when I was born. She worked two, sometimes three jobs, to keep us off the street. We were poor but happy.”

Bella smiled as a memory she hadn’t thought about in forever surfaced. “For my sixth birthday, she somehow convinced the manager of a movie

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