SUNDAY ARRIVED WITH the promise of sunshine and a swarm of butterflies in Bella’s stomach. She was supposed to be focusing on getting her new life together, not getting all quivery about going to the flea market with a man, and yet there she was, walking into the flea market beside a handsome, charming man and his soft-spoken son. She’d even taken extra care in choosing the brightly colored sundress she wore, and Jenna had insisted that she wear her sexiest bikini beneath, along with matching sandals, because that man deserves sexy. She tried not to stare as she ran her eyes over his handsome face. He had a chiseled, square jaw, and today it was peppered with stubble, darker in the cleft of his chin, giving him an edgier—and impossibly sexier—appearance.
The flea market was held in the parking lot of the Wellfleet Drive-In movie theater. They sold everything from designer duds to cheap jewelry and antiques, and even when it rained, the place was packed. They crossed the parking lot toward the sea of vendor tents and booths, set up in long rows for as far as the eye could see, and joined the crowds of tourists and locals looking for great deals they couldn’t pass up.
“Can I take off, Dad?” Evan shoved his hands in the pockets of his camo shorts. His hair was damp and uncombed, and in his gaming T-shirt, he blended in with every other teen wandering around the flea market.
Caden withdrew a twenty-dollar bill from the pocket of his shorts and handed it to Evan. “You have your phone?”
Evan held it up, like he’d been asked the same question a million times. He probably had.
“Okay. Text if you need me, and don’t leave the grounds.”
“I know,” Evan said with an exasperated sigh, then disappeared into the crowd.
“He’s a sweet kid,” Bella said.
“Usually. He’s in that stage where testosterone can win out over common sense, so if he appears snappy at times, or disinterested, I apologize ahead of time.”
“I’m a high school teacher. I know probably more than I should about teenagers.”
“So you’re a teacher?” He ran his hand through his thick hair, then placed it on her lower back as they maneuvered through the crowd.
He emitted a confident and tender vibe, and it was such a strange combination that Bella found herself sneaking peeks at him. She tried not to focus on how nice his hand felt on her back, and forced herself to respond.
“I’ve been teaching in Connecticut for the last five years, but I’m working for the Barnstable County school system this summer. I’m hoping it leads to full-time.”
She stopped to look at a display of necklaces, and Caden’s hand slipped away. She sensed him behind her, protectively shielding her from the masses as they meandered by. Bella was not a woman who needed protecting, and she’d never had a man treat her like she was. Everything about Caden felt different from the other men she’d dated, and she wondered if it had anything to do with his having a son and being a cop, and protecting others for all those years. It was a strange sensation to have a man she wasn’t dating stand so close that she could feel his warmth and smell his earthy, spicy, almost primal scent—and, wow, she loved the smell of him.
Bella looked for Leanna, but her vendor space was empty. She wondered what had come up that would cause her to leave the flea market so early, but she knew if it were something bad, Jenna would have tracked her down. Probably one of Kurt’s surprise outings.
The crowd thickened near a popular L.L. Bean display, and Bella felt his big hand settle on her lower back again as they wove their way through to the next booth. His hand felt nice. Maybe too nice. I’m not getting involved. It’s just a hand. She rolled her eyes at the thought and reminded herself that she wasn’t really going to swear off men, just commitments.
“So you’re moving from Connecticut?” He stopped and flipped through a box of CDs.
She was considering how much she wanted to reveal about her current situation when he glanced up with that easy smile that distracted her from her thoughts. She realized she was staring and turned her attention to the CDs.
“You don’t share personal details of your life very easily, do you?”
“I just don’t want to bore you.” Even as she said it, she knew it wasn’t the truth. He was so easy to talk to that it took effort not to share everything with him, but she’d made a promise to herself. She knew it would be ten times more difficult to make life decisions based solely on what she wanted if she were involved with a caring, protective man like Caden. He wasn’t someone a person just dated. She knew that already. Caden could be a game changer.
“Bore me. Please.”
His voice was so full of sincerity that it drew her eyes to his again. Heck if they weren’t also honest and interested. Definitely interested.
“There’s not much to tell. I’m in a transitional period, looking for a new job. You know, figuring things out as I go.” And shoot, why do I want to hold your hand? She fisted her hands to keep from doing just that.
They continued down the row of vendors, and every time the crowd grew thick, his hand returned to her back. A gesture as possessive as it was protective, it made her warm with desire—and shiver with worry, because being with him felt that good that fast.
They turned down the next aisle and Caden stopped. He was tall and broad, making it easy for his eyes to dance over the heads of the crowd, finally settling on Evan, talking to a couple of teenagers by the discount game vendor in the next row over.
“I can probably negotiate a deal for him if you want to go over. Everyone here barters.”
Eyes still on Caden, he pressed his hand a little firmer to her back. “No, not yet. Maybe he’ll meet a friend or two.”
“Doesn’t he have many friends?”
“We just moved here a few weeks before summer began. He didn’t really have time to get to know anyone.” His brow furrowed, and his eyes grew serious. He placed his hand on her back again. “Come on. Let’s find you those hair things you wanted.”
You remembered. “It’s tough on kids to move, especially teenagers. What brought you to Wellfleet?”
“My partner was killed in the line of duty, and it was a wake-up call. I realized that if something happened to me, Ev wouldn’t have anyone. His mom took off a week after he was born, and I haven’t seen her since. Other than my parents, I’m the only family Evan has ever known.”
He was so open and honest, and his words were thick with love. She felt her resolve soften a little more. She wanted to get to know him better, despite her plan to remain distant.