Read, Write, Love (Love in Bloom: The Remingtons, Book 5) Contemporary Romance (20 page)

God, I love you
. “At least you have Pepper. I’ll have to be content thinking about you.” He saw the front door open, and his younger brother Sage stepped onto the porch of the two-story, stone and cedar-sided home and waved. Kurt waved back, watching Sage approach in his cargo shorts and tank top. He was as religious about his exercise as Kurt was, and it showed in his powerful frame. “Sage just came out on the porch, which means he either wants a peek at you or he’s anxious to see me, and since he’s walking across the driveway, I have a feeling—”

Sage snagged the phone from his hand.

“Dude,” Kurt snapped, although he knew his smile betrayed him. He was enjoying this new and different attention from his siblings, and he was proud to show off Leanna. He knew his family would love her as much as he did. She was easy to love.

“Leanna? Hi, I’m Sage. I wanted to meet you for myself, even if over FaceTime.” Sage’s dark hair had grown in thick and wavy over the summer.

“Hi, Sage. It’s nice to meet you,” Leanna said.

“You, too. Sorry to interrupt, but, well, what else are brothers for?”

Leanna laughed as Sage opened his arms and embraced Kurt. “Sorry, bro. Just wanted to say hi to you both. I won’t let anyone else come out, but I couldn’t resist.” He picked up Kurt’s bags and carried them inside.

“Sorry, babe.”

“It’s okay. Have fun with your family. They seem really nice.”

He heard Bella shouting in the background. “Send one of those brothers over here for me.”

He laughed. “Tell Bella they’re all taken. I was the last of the available Remingtons, but I think Cash has a few single brothers.” He thought of Blue working on the studio and debated telling Leanna about the work he was having done, then quickly decided to surprise her with a trip to the Cape once the renovations were complete.
A nice long weekend with no writing. Just us. And Pepper.
He couldn’t even believe he was looking forward to not writing, but the thought stuck with him like glue.

“Ignore her.” Leanna rolled her eyes. “I love you. Have fun with your family.”

“I love you too. I’ll text you later.”

Kurt ended the call, and as he crossed the driveway, he braced himself for the razz of a lifetime.

LEANNA WOULD GIVE her right arm to be an organized and efficient person for one day. Just today. Hell, she’d take a few hours if she could get it. Just long enough to gather her thoughts, the basket of jams and bread, the brochures and lists she’d picked up from the printer—which looked so professional that she didn’t feel worthy of presenting them—and make it to her meeting on time. She was already late when a delivery truck blocked her driveway.

Great. The one time I actually park in my driveway
. She closed the cottage door and shushed Pepper through the window. He’d been moping around all morning, running from room to room, as if he were trying to figure out where Kurt had gone, and now she felt guilty for leaving him alone.
Kurt wouldn’t have left him alone
.

She put her supplies in the van and went around to the driver’s side door of the delivery van. “I’m in a hurry. Can you please just pull your van up or back a little?”

Carey smiled down at her. “Hey there.”

“What are you doing in this? Where’s your van?” She stepped back and realized it was a fruit bouquet delivery service van.

He shrugged. “I’m doing deliveries to make a little extra money. That’s why I wasn’t at the flea market last Sunday. I’ve got a delivery for you.” Carey climbed out of the van and walked leisurely to the back of the van in his khaki shorts and company polo shirt, complete with a logo over the breast pocket. She had a hard time reconciling his attire to the beach boy she knew.

“Me?”
What are you up to?

He returned with an enormous fruit bouquet, complete with chocolate-dipped strawberries and a balloon that read,
good luck
.

“My bet is that it’s from Kurt, but what do I know?” He shrugged. “You look totally hot, by the way.”

Leanna looked down at her dress. “Oh crap. I’m so late. Thanks, Carey. Hey, I’ve had a great time with you this summer. Will you be at the flea market next summer?”

Amy came out of her cabin. “Wow. What did you get?”

Leanna held up the fruit bouquet.

“I really need to go,” Leanna reminded him.

“Oh, sorry.” He climbed back into the van. “I’m not sure if I’ll be here next summer or not.” He shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out next May. We can keep in touch over text.”

“Sounds good. Thanks for all your help this summer, Carey.”
I’m late. I’m late. I’m late
. She hated rushing their last conversation of the summer after he’d been so patient with her and watched her booth while she walked Pepper, but she would hate herself if she messed up her chance with Daisy Chain.

“No prob. And tell Kurt I’m sorry for kissing you.” He waved to Amy.

“Oh gosh, wait!” Leanna ran to her van and retrieved the books Kurt had brought for Carey. “I almost forgot. He brought these to the flea market for you. They’re signed.”

“Awesome. That’s so cool of him. Here’s to a great summer.”

As Carey drove off, Leanna handed the bouquet to Amy and opened the card.

“Kurt?” Amy asked.

“Who else would ever send me anything?” Leanna read the card, “
Go get ’em. I love you, K
.” She smiled at Amy. “He’s the best, and I gotta run. Would you mind taking these in and maybe playing with Pepper a little? He’s going a little nutty without Kurt.”

“I don’t blame him. Good luck, Lea. You’ll do great.”

She drove away with the card from Kurt on the passenger seat and she already felt better, late or not. Pepper had Amy, and in a few days, she’d be with Kurt.

HAL BRADEN’S RANCH encompassed a few hundred acres of rolling pastures set against the backdrop of the majestic Colorado Mountains. The air was crisper than at the Cape, fresher, cleaner. The grassy yard fell away to the east, ending at a large barn, and just beyond, there were more horse pastures, bordered on the far side by a thick forest.

The yard beside the house had been set up for Jack and Savannah’s wedding, reminding Kurt of the last time he’d been at the Bradens’ ranch, for Savannah and Jack’s engagement party, and Hugh, one of Savannah’s younger brothers, married Brianna. Brianna had a seven-year-old daughter, Layla. Kurt watched her running through the yard wearing a pretty white dress, her brown hair pinned up away from her face with barrettes. She’d grown at least two inches since he’d last seen her. His eyes slid to Hugh and Brianna, standing arm in arm by Hal. They were a handsome couple, Hugh in his dark suit and Brianna in a white lacy dress. Kurt wished Leanna were there with him.  

White lilies and red roses adorned the hand-carved wooden gazebo that had been brought in for the wedding. Wooden chairs were lined up in neat rows with an aisle in between. The interior and exterior chairs were decorated with white satin bows and flowers. Kurt watched as everyone took their places in preparation for the wedding, and noticed, not for the first time, how similar the Braden family and the Remington family were. The men were tall and fit, with dark hair and, as he watched Treat with his arm slung over his younger brother Dane’s shoulder, then caught a glimpse of Sage standing with Dex, both leaning in close, he realized that both families were also closely knit.

His father approached, looking important and imposing in his dark suit and starched collar, with a chin that could chisel granite and a serious look in his midnight-blue eyes.

“It’s good to see you, son.” James Remington wasn’t an openly affectionate man, but over the past few months, since he and Jack had reconciled their differences and as each of his siblings had found their significant others, Kurt had noticed his father softening. Not just in his mannerisms, which included a smile more often than they used to, but also in the way he spoke to them. His father would always be a four-star general, retired or not. That stern, strict military skin was hard to shed. But he was also making strides at becoming more of an integral part of his children’s lives, and Kurt was glad for that.

“Hi, Dad. I was just watching everyone. They all seem happy. Look at Mom. She looks beautiful, doesn’t she?” His mother wore a long lavender skirt with a white blouse. Her gray hair flowed in natural waves down her back, and the smile on her lips hadn’t faded for a second since he’d seen her last night.

“Yes, she does. How did your writing go at the Cape?”

Last night his brothers had ribbed him about Leanna, and it felt good to hang out with them again. His father and mother had been happy for him, and they were all looking forward to meeting her. Talking about the Cape only made him miss her more.

“It went well. I submitted the manuscript, and I actually think this one might be my best one yet.”

His father smiled and nodded, then patted him on the shoulder. “I’d say I expect nothing less from you, but you’ve heard that too many times in your life. So instead, thanks to your mother’s late-in-life lessons, I’ll say…I’m proud of you, Kurt. I always have been, and not just for your success.”

Kurt and his father had enjoyed the least challenging relationship of all of his siblings. Kurt challenged his father only when his convictions were strong enough to be worth the battle, and as a quieter child growing up, he usually did what he was told. He followed the path of least resistance, except when it came to writing. He and his father had gone head-to-head about his pursuing a writing career, and Kurt hadn’t backed down. In the years since, his father had grown accustomed to, and even taken pride in, Kurt’s career and success. Kurt felt a little bad for his father. He’d wanted so badly for his sons to follow in his military footsteps, but they’d each gone their own way. After college, Jack had joined the Special Forces, but after he’d lost his first wife in a terrible accident, he’d left his military career behind.

“Thanks, Dad. I really have you to credit for how well I’ve done. At least on some level.”

His father drew his thick, dark brows together.

“It’s true,” Kurt insisted. “You instilled in me the value of being one hundred percent focused on my goals, and in doing so, you taught me determination and drive. I worked every waking hour to be better than everyone else.” He met his father’s gaze. “And, hopefully, I’ll use that same fortitude to be the best man that I can be for Leanna.”

He was rewarded with a wide smile that smoothed the creases across his father’s forehead.

“Just don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

Kurt shook his head. “Mistakes?”

He followed his father’s eyes as they shifted to his mother as she approached. He reached a hand out to her and pulled her close. His mother put a hand on his father’s chest.

“Are you men ready?” she asked with a smile that Kurt had missed over the past few weeks.

“We are.” His father kissed the top of his mother’s head; then his voice turned serious again and he set his eyes on Kurt. “Be there for those who matter most. Not just with lessons, but with life, Kurt. It goes by far faster than you can imagine.”

“Ah,” his mother said with a smile. “I see I interrupted a moment.”

“No, sweetheart,” his father said as he pulled her close. “You
are
our moment.”

Kurt was struck mute. Rooted to the ground. He’d never witnessed such intimacy initiated by his father, and as he watched his parents walk away arm in arm, he tried to send a message to his legs to move.

You are our moment
.

Four words that changed the way he saw his father.

Four words that seeped into his heart and found Leanna.

You are my moment
.

FROM HIS PLACE by the gazebo, standing beside his brothers, Kurt watched as Jack took Savannah’s hand in his and promised to love, honor, and cherish her for the rest of his life. Three words that resonated with Kurt when he thought of Leanna.
Love. Honor. Cherish
. He’d add a few of his own to that short list.
Trust. Desire. Protect
.

He noticed his brothers eyeing their girlfriends, who were seated together, each holding a fistful of tissues, their eyes playing between Jack and Savannah and his brothers. He wished Leanna were there, too, and longed to be with her again.

Ribbons of yellow and orange hovered over the mountains as the sun shone brightly and the day took on a romantic glow. Treat had become ordained to officiate at resorts he owned all over the world. His deep voice rang out in the silence.

“Jack, I invite you to kiss your bride.”

Jack took Savannah in a deep, loving kiss that brought both families to their feet. When they drew apart, Jack wiped a tear from Savannah’s cheek with the pad of his thumb.

“I love you, Savannah Remington.” Pride and love coalesced in Jack’s dark eyes, bringing a lump to Kurt’s throat.

Savannah laughed and cried as Jack took her in his arms. She wore her auburn hair loose with a ring of white flowers at the crown. She looked beautiful and happy. They were a striking couple, both tall and fit. Jack’s thick, jet-black hair against her long, auburn locks. Jack looked handsome in his black suit and tie, and Savannah’s wedding dress was unlike anything Kurt had ever seen. Made of summery gauze with an overlay of lace, it was cut above the knee in the front and fell to the ground in the back, angling gracefully in between. The fitted waist had two strips of satin tied into dainty bows in the center, and lace sleeve caps covered Savannah’s lean shoulders. The deep V-neck had a swatch of lace in between, giving Savannah a fresh, exotic, and almost daring appearance. It fit her feisty personality perfectly, and he began to wonder what type of dress Leanna might choose for herself.

Sage elbowed Rush. “You’re next, bro.”

Rush ran his hand through his short dark hair and nodded, eyeing his girlfriend, Jayla, as she headed his way. “Damn right.”

“How do you know I won’t be next?” Dex shook his head in an effort to clear his long, straight bangs from his eyes. They fell right back into place as he eyed their approaching girlfriends, three brunettes with wide smiles and dreamy looks in their eyes.

“Uh-oh,” Kurt said. “Looks like all of your women want to be next.” Weddings had never affected Kurt in the past, but as he listened to his brothers, he felt a tug of jealousy, and maybe desire, to be the next one to marry.

He went to congratulate Jack while his brothers embraced their girlfriends—which only made him miss Leanna more. He noticed each of the Braden men were arm in arm with their significant others as well.

Christ.
He couldn’t look in any direction without missing Leanna.

“Hi, Kurt!”

He crouched beside Brianna’s brown-haired, wide-eyed daughter.  “Hey there, Layla. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She clasped her hands behind her back and turned her shoulders in half circles; her dress swished around her legs. “Josh made mine and Mommy’s dresses. Aren’t they pretty?”

He glanced at Brianna, wearing a sleeveless, knee-length, lacy shift.

“Gorgeous. Josh is pretty darn talented.”

“I’m going to tell him you said that!” She ran off in Josh’s direction.

Kurt opened his arms to Savannah. “Congratulations. You look gorgeous.”

Savannah smoothed the front of her wedding gown. “Thank you, Kurt. You know I couldn’t be happier. I adore Jack.”

“That’s evident in everything you say and do. Same with Jack. Transparent as glass.” He nodded at her dress. “Did Josh or Riley design your gown? It’s lovely.”

“Josh designed it for me. Isn’t it beautiful? I wanted something that didn’t feel too formal.”

“It’s perfect, and so was the ceremony.”

Jack pulled Savannah close. “She’s perfect.” Jack had an inch and seven years on Kurt.

Kurt draped his arm over his brother’s broad shoulder. “Yes, she is. Congratulations, Jack.”

“Thanks, man.”

Jack had been so distraught after his first wife had died in a car accident that Kurt wasn’t sure his brother would ever recover. For two years Jack had disappeared to a cabin in the Colorado Mountains that he hadn’t even told his parents he’d bought. He’d spent those years alone, save for sporadic weekends teaching survival courses and flying clients around in his bush plane from time to time just to keep a modicum of income coming in. Savannah had attended one of his survival courses, and by some miracle, she’d seen through the angry, guilt-ridden shell that his brother had worn like armor and helped him heal.

“I’m really happy for you.”

“I didn’t get to talk with you much last night.” Jack put a hand on Kurt’s lower back. “Excuse us for a minute.” He guided him away from the others and lowered his voice. “You doing okay? You look a little…something.”

Something?
Other than the two years when Jack had been dealing with his own loss, he’d always been in tune to his siblings’ feelings. It didn’t surprise Kurt that Jack would pick up on his missing Leanna. His emotions were a little rawer than he was used to or comfortable with. He tried to shift the conversation away from Leanna.

“You’re a lucky guy, Jack. Savannah really loves you.” He waved to Treat and Dane, who were heading their way.

“Don’t want to talk about it, huh?” Jack asked.

Kurt shrugged. “It’ll just make me miss her more.”

“I’ve never heard or seen you like this. Ever.”

“Tell me about it. She threw my whole world off balance; then she righted it with herself firmly lodged smack dab in the center of my heart.” He was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt.

Jack threw his head back and laughed, a deep, hearty sound of joy. “Welcome to love, little brother.”

“Another unsuspecting Remington falls prey to the love of a woman.” Dane opened his arms and embraced Kurt, then Jack. “Too bad she missed the wedding. I’d have liked to meet the woman who got you away from your computer. From what I hear, that’s not an easy feat.” He waved to his girlfriend, Lacy Snow. Lacy was as blond as Dane was dark, with thick spiral curls and a slim figure. Dane was a marine researcher and shark tagger, and at over six feet tall, he was about two hundred pounds of lean muscle.

“She had a meeting today that she couldn’t reschedule. She’s just started a jam and jelly business. Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats.”

“She should call me. If her products are as good as the name, I’ll carry it in my resorts.” Treat owned luxury resorts all over the world. After living out of hotels for most of his adult life, he fell in love with Max Armstrong, who was now just a few short weeks away from giving birth to their first baby. Max had lived and worked in Allure, Colorado, when they met, and Treat had given up his traveling lifestyle and put down roots in Weston to be with her. 

“Seriously? That would be great, Treat. She doesn’t know it yet, but I hired Cash’s brother to renovate my studio at the Cape for her business. He’s working on it now. I plan on surprising her with it in a few weeks.”

“You hired Blue? I hear his work is excellent.” Treat smacked Dane on the back. “Now that Savannah and Hugh are married off, I need to start working on getting my other brothers down the aisle. This one has yet to put a ring on Lacy’s finger.”

“Oh, the pressure. Work on Josh. He’s already engaged, and from what I heard earlier, they’re closing in on setting the date.” Dane lifted his chin at Kurt. “When do we get to meet Leanna?”

“Get married, and I’ll bring her along.”

“I’ve got a better idea.” Dane glanced at Treat. “Let’s all crash one of Treat’s resorts for a weekend.”

“After the baby’s born and Max is up to it, I think that’s a great idea.” Treat excused himself and went to join Max.

“That sounds great.”

“I’ll fly you out if you don’t mind Savannah and me tagging along,” Jack offered.

“Sounds perfect. Hey, I want to give Leanna a quick call. I’ll be back in a minute.” Kurt walked over by the fence at the edge of the yard and sent Leanna a text.
Miss you more than anything. Hope your meeting went well. Call me?

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!
Leanna had been driving for twenty minutes and her heart was still racing. She’d spent three hours with the executives of Daisy Chain, and though she was initially intimidated by the mere size of their offices, which took up the entire top floor of a four-story office building, the people had been down-to-earth and easy to talk to. They were smart, funny, and driven—and they wanted to carry Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats in every store.
Every store!
The figures they discussed would allow Leanna to rent space on a full-time basis, which she’d need to keep up with orders. She would also need to commit to her business full-time if she wanted this contract—and she
wanted
this contract.

Leanna drove up Route 6 thinking about the opportunity and knowing that if Al were able to see her, he’d be proud. Her mind raced in a hundred different directions. She might need to hire a few trusted helpers, because while Leanna knew that she’d never want to dole out all of the day-to-day operations, she wasn’t fooling herself. Wide distribution would take several sets of hands. Leanna also knew herself well enough to understand that there would be times when she wanted a few days off to spend with Kurt.

Kurt. Oh God. Kurt.

Therein lay the reason for the tightening in her stomach and the ache in her chest. Daisy Chain wanted her sweet treats not only because they were delicious, or because they liked and seemed to trust Leanna, but also because Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats was a local business. Although Daisy Chain had stores throughout the East Coast, they were big on supporting local businesses. The owners, Arnold and Lilian Hayes, were both born on the Cape and had lived there for more than sixty years. Local to them was Cape Cod. Not New York.

She glanced at her phone on the passenger seat, and the muscles in her neck tightened. She’d seen the message from Kurt, and she needed to call him. She
wanted
to call him, but she was in such a quagmire about Daisy Chain that she felt sick to her stomach.

I want the Daisy Chain contract
.

I want Kurt
.

Why me? Why now? Why can’t this be easy?

Leanna went off the main drag and took a residential road through Eastham toward Wellfleet. With her windows down, the breeze from the bay washed over her, settling her nerves a little. The smell of the damp sea air brought memories of the first night she met Kurt and the first time they made love on the beach. It made her long to be with him. The Cape had always soothed her in ways that no other town ever had. Her creativity flowed when she was here. She thought of her family’s vacations at the cottage, arguing with her siblings over who got to sleep in the loft, playing in the surf, and when they all got a little older, scoping out the other teenagers. Summers with Bella, Amy, Jenna, and the other Seaside residents were irreplaceable. Those were memories she’d always cherish, and one day, she hoped to have her own family and create memories that were just as meaningful.

She wanted to create those memories with Kurt.

She knew he couldn’t move to the Cape full-time. He’d made it pretty clear that his life was in New York and he had no intention of changing that. Why should he? It was Leanna who was changing the plans, not Kurt.

This is why I’m not a planner
.

She pulled into Seaside and parked by the laundry room, then crossed the gravel road to Bella’s cottage and walked right in. She kicked off her sandals by the door, dropped her keys on the floor, and headed into the bedroom. Bella’s king-sized bed was always perfectly made.
Kurt would like that
. The fluffy pink comforter and lacy white pillows seemed out of place beside thoughts of Bella’s brash personality. Pink and lace should be reserved for sweet Amy Maples. Leanna didn’t have the emotional fortitude to figure out Bella at the moment. She was just thankful for their friendship. She knew Amy would have let Pepper out plenty of times and loved him up throughout the day, and right at the moment, she needed to disappear. She also needed to call Kurt. But the bed looked so inviting, and she couldn’t call Kurt until she cleared her head. Just five minutes of escaping her worries; that’s all she needed. Leanna lay facedown on the bed and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh.

Maybe she could just hide out here and everything would somehow be okay.

She heard the screen door open, and she grabbed a pillow and put it over her head.

“I told you I saw her van,” Amy said as she came into the bedroom. “Uh-oh. I guess it didn’t go well. I’ll get a bottle of wine and Pepper.”

Leanna felt the mattress sink on her right side, and a hand landed on her lower back. The scent of Jenna’s Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen gave her away. Bella’s body landed heavily to her left, and when Leanna opened her eyes, Bella narrowed hers.

“Fuck ’em.” Bella pressed her lips together. “You need Daisy Chain like you need a dickless male model. Fun to show off, but what are they bringing to the table?”

Leanna couldn’t help but laugh.

Jenna stroked her back as the screen door opened again and Leanna heard Pepper’s nails
click-clacking
on the hardwood floors. His paws and wet nose popped up by her head, and he barked.

Leanna reached out and petted his head, still sort of wishing she could close her eyes and everything would be okay.

“I’ve got wine and brownies that Pepper and I made together this afternoon. Oh, and we might have eaten a few of the fruits from your bouquet.” Amy paused. “Okay, I might have eaten them, but Pepper didn’t stop me, so he’s sort of responsible, too.”

Leanna flopped over onto her back and reached for Bella’s and Jenna’s hands.

“They want me,” she said flatly.

“They
want
you?” Bella bolted upright and glared down at Leanna. “Then what the hell?”