Changing Tides by Tia Souders

Author:Tia Souders [Tia Souders]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cherry Valley Press
Published: 2022-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

After eating what was probably one of the best meals of her life, Rachel sat beside Joe on the sofa. The fire flickered in front of them, and though it wasn’t too late, Rachel already dreaded leaving at the end of the night.

She leaned her head back against the couch and glanced over at Joe, loving how comfortable and sure of himself he was there, in his home—and especially in the kitchen. When he’d shown her how to poach the lobster and explained what she should do to help him with the side dishes, he had done so with a confidence she hadn’t thought him capable of. And she found it insanely attractive, amazed that one man could have so many layers.

“What?” he asked, setting his wineglass down on the coffee table in front of them.

“Nothing. I was just thinking.” She bit her lip and shifted her gaze to the fireplace and the bookshelves with the old books and framed portraits. “I really like your place.”

“It’s not too small?”

She shook her head. “It’s perfect.”

“When I bought it, the walls were covered in that faux wood paneling that used to be so popular in earlier beach homes, but the place had gone into disrepair after what I imagined were quite a few storms. I imagine it was a rental long since paid off, so once it got bad enough, the owners just sold it, rather than sink the money in it for repairs. It was musty. The walls and ceiling had water damage and mold. I had to rip a good bit of it out, but the bones were good, and once I finished, it made for a really nice place to call home.”

“Do you think you’ll have kids here?”

His gaze sharpened. “I always hoped to. Even though the house is small, it would comfortably accommodate a family of four. You?”

Rachel bit her lip and glanced down at her hands. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m open to kids. But I guess it depends.”

“On . . .?”

“How soon I find that person. We’re not exactly getting any younger, you and I.”

“It’s not too late.”

“No, I guess it’s not,” she said, holding his gaze. “Sometimes it almost feels like it is, though, when everyone else around you has found their person but you.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“What’s the deal with you and Carter?”

Rachel blinked, thrown for a moment. It was the last question she expected him to ask. “What do you mean?”

“Well, there was the thing at the Oasis, and then remember how I saw you at Fresh Market?” He grinned. “The night I helped you choose the lettuce?”

She nodded.

“Well, I took Brady next door to Mario’s Pizza, and when we were leaving with our food, I happened to see you two in the parking lot. You got in his car and left with him.”

“Oh.” All the wind left Rachel’s sails. She could imagine how bad that looked, how he might think they were involved. “We used to date. That’s all.”

“In high school?”

“Yes.

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