Love is the Treasure: A Sweet, Island Romance (St. James Sisters Collection Book 4) by Tana Jenkins

Author:Tana Jenkins [Jenkins, Tana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford House Publications
Published: 2023-07-17T23:00:00+00:00

Twelve

Sandra

Sandy sputtered up from the water. It felt like she’d swallowed a fistful of salt. As much ocean as she’d taken in, she probably had. Her eyes stung, and burning water poured from her nose. The wave had swept her off her feet, rolling over her and rolling back out again, taking her dignity with it. She could only imagine how dreadful she must look with her hair plastered to her scalp and her makeup dripping down to her chin.

Jim raced through the water to her side in seconds. He’d hardly left her enough time to wipe the streaks of mascara from underneath her eyes. Scratch that; she definitely hadn’t had enough time to clear the streaks. She probably looked like a drowned raccoon. Was that seaweed or hair plastered on her forehead? She swiped her palms across her brow—both.

Ugh. The water was cool, perfect actually, but humiliation sent hot prickles blanketing her skin from her toes to her messy crown. Yep—that’d be her number one toxic trait bubbling up to the surface—self-consciousness about her looks.

She wiped at her mascara and tried not to frown. Why was she so stuck? Deep down, she knew why, which made it all the worse. Despite her efforts to move on through prayer, therapy, mantras, makeovers, and more prayer, in moments like this she still felt powerless against the weakness that held her back.

“Are you hurt?” Jim asked as he guided her toward shore.

Did wounded pride count? “I’m fine. Just fine.”

His gaze softened into a look of relief that was quickly replaced by humor. The corners of his eyes creased. Her level of humiliation soared. “Are you laughing at me?”

He sobered. “Not at you. With you. For a woman who didn’t want to get into the water, things sure didn’t work out in your favor.”

He had a point. She was soaked. “What can I say? I guess I’m lucky.”

“Well, you are standing with your toes in the sand in the middle of paradise.” He swiped his bangs out of his eyes. This was the first time she’d seen him without his Stetson or a shirt. Even wet, his blond hair was thick and wavy. She tried not to stare at the droplets cascading down his broad shoulders or glistening on his abs. He was one good-looking man.

“So, what do you say?” he asked. “You wanna go back in for a second? On your terms this time.”

He didn’t seem at all put off by her appearance, which she imagined must be atrocious. And before she knew it, she’d said as much out loud.

He reared back, his brows raised. “Are you kidding? I like you better this way. The real you is beautiful.”

Her jaw nearly hit the water. First, she was mortified that she’d made such an admission in front of a man she wasn’t even sure she could trust.

Second, how could two men be so different? Her ex, Jasper, had a list of things he didn’t understand why women did, and at the top was leaving the house without makeup.

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