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Chapter 4

FOUR

A meal, a shower, and a plane ride later, Falcon pulled his rental into the parking lot of the Cape Cod estate where Brody had said Bella would be. It was almost midnight, and the parking lot appeared to be emptying out. The last remaining guests were wandering out to their luxury cars, dressed in high fashion. Women had their hair perfectly done, and they were decorated with jewels. They were laughing, smiling, giggling, chatting.

He parked his truck and leaned back in his seat, watching the exodus of people who definitely showered more than once a week, ate regular meals, and were able to socialize on a normal level. “Hell.”

This place was pure class. Upscale. Everything he wasn’t, and never wanted to be.

Definitely not the place for a rogue loner who hadn’t showered or eaten in days.

Or even one who had.

He wrapped his hands around the steering wheel, flexing his hands.

What the fuck was he doing, walking into a place like this?

Being stupid.

And going after what he wanted. Or at least testing the waters.

He needed to know if he had a chance. If romance was forever impossible with Bella, he’d walk away. She’d never know how he felt, and she’d never have to feel awkward around him when they ran into each other in the future.

But if there was a chance, even a ghostly sliver of a chance, he had to know.

And he had to know now , because now was the first time he’d had the chance to start his life.

Without Bella, he had no idea what that life would look like.

And even with her, he still had no idea what life would look like. He knew nothing about who he had to be now, but he did know how he felt about her.

How he’d always felt about her.

Falcon took a deep breath, then forced himself to open the door and step out. He inhaled the night air, which tasted like ocean salt and sea spray. He could hear music drifting around from the back of the estate, so he headed around that way.

The grass was perfectly manicured, and the landscaping was beautiful. He appreciated the flowers. Someone who knew what she was doing, and cared about it, had spent a lot of time and money making the grounds gorgeous.

His mom had liked flowers, and he still thought of her when he saw something like this masterpiece.

The flowers made him feel like she was there with him, and he relaxed slightly and began to whistle an old song from his childhood. The tune made him relax even further, and this time, his deep breath actually sank into his cells, slowing down time.

He slowed his gait, centering himself as he walked along the stone path beside the main building on the estate. Brody was right. Falcon knew that Bella wasn’t interested in dating or falling in love. He had to give her that space, not haul ass around the corner and throw himself at her feet.

He grinned at the visual. Who knew? Maybe it would work. Bella had never been predictable.

Falcon rounded the corner, and paused at the sight of the tables and chairs spread across the lawn, looking over the bluff down to the ocean. A few couples were dancing, twinkling white lights sparkled around the edges of a big tent, and there was so much laughter.

Female laugher.

He realized that most of the people still there were women, and they were having a hell of a time.

Falcon scanned the tent, looking for the one face he’d come to see.

Not her.

Not her.

Not her…

Her. His gut seemed to freeze when he saw Bella across the tent from him.

God, she was beautiful.

It had been ten years since he’d met her, and she still took his breath away every time he saw her. It didn’t even matter what she was wearing. He usually didn’t even notice.

He just fell into her smile, her blue eyes dancing with laughter, the way she always seemed ready to start dancing, no matter what she was doing.

She was looking at Piper, telling a story with such animation that her free hand was moving quickly. He couldn’t discern her words, but her voice drifted through the night, wrapping around his heart.

He felt like it was the first time he’d really heard her, really seen her. He’d kept himself on lockdown for so long, and now, suddenly, he was free to notice her, to talk to her, to connect with her.

To admit how much he cared.

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