Seaside Kisses: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 4) (22 page)

He drifted off with a smile on his face. Not only would he have a wonderful lunch date with Amara, but he would come up with a plan for what to do about his jealous exes—and that's what they were. He was moving on with his life and they weren't. Tony was strapped with a failing business, thanks to his crappy decisions. Kristine was probably beside herself because of Rafael finding Amara, who was many more times the woman than her.

Rafael's eyes flew open again. What if they decided to go after her next?

Twenty Four

Amara leaned against the wall, her muscles aching. It had been another busy morning—Alex had scheduled three field trips that morning, and they barely had time to catch their breath between them. That didn't even take into account the normal customers who flowed in at unusually high rates.

She half-listened as Alex told the class about the taffy machine this time. She eyed the clock. As soon as the kids left, she would ask Alex about taking a break. Even if Rafael wasn't ready for their lunch date yet, she needed to get off her feet for a little bit.

The kids cheered after Alex announced they'd get their baggies of taffy. Amara stifled a yawn and then joined him in handing out the little gifts. Seeing the kids' excitement usually energized her, but today she just wanted to sit somewhere comfortable.

After the store emptied, Amara picked out a caffeinated pop from the back room and sat at one of the chairs behind the registers. Not exactly comfortable, but at least they got her off her feet. She closed her eyes, nursing the beverage.

The bell over the door dinged, and that could only mean one thing. More customers. Amara groaned. She gulped down the rest of her drink and then rose, opening her heavy eyelids.

Robby and Jordan, their two high school workers, came in, joking and laughing.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked. "Please tell me you aren't skipping."

"No," Jordan said, taking off his baseball cap. "Half day."

Robby nodded. "We're here to earn some more Homecoming money."

Alex came around the corner. "So, you, dear sister, have the rest of the day off."

Amara raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I'm going to take it easy, myself. I want to see how these two handle everything by themselves. We might be able to give ourselves some afternoons off."

The two boys both had wide eyes, appearing excited to be trusted with more responsibilities.

"Sounds good to me," Amara said. "If you need me, you know my number."

They all said their goodbyes and then she headed over to Rafael's shop. She hadn't even had the chance to peek out the window to see if he'd made it to work that morning. Though from the angle she was at, it appeared his light was on.

Energy ran through her, making her forget about the tiring morning. Before she opened the door, she could see him inside dressing a mannequin. Amara admired him for a moment before entering.

Rafael spun around when the door creaked open. He had dark circles under his eyes, appearing as tired as she felt. His face lit up, though, erasing all signs of fatigue. He dropped the belt in his hands and hurried over to her, wrapping her in a big, warm hug. Being in his embrace felt so good. She could stay there forever. Amara wrapped her arms around him, holding him almost as tightly.

He let out a breath, tickling her ear, and leaned his head against hers, seeming to enjoy their closeness as much as she did. It was nice that they didn't need words.

After a few moments, Rafael stepped back and looked her over. "It's so good to see you. I can't tell you how much I've missed you."

Amara took both his hands and brushed her lips against his. "If that hug is any indication, I'd say it was almost as much as I've craved your company."

"Almost?" He pulled her closer. He held her tighter than before, tickling her side. "Is this a competition now?"

"Maybe." She giggled, trying to squirm away even though she enjoyed being so close.

Rafael held her so close it restricted her breathing. "This comes a little closer to showing how much I hated being away from you. Do you want me to show you the full enchilada?"

She shook her head, a laugh trying to escape. He let go and they both burst into laughter. Once they calmed down, Amara leaned against him again, feeling more energy than she'd had all day.

"You ready for lunch?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.

Amara stared into his eyes. "As long as I can spend some time with you, I'd be happy doing anything."

"What about going to a rodeo?" he asked.

She hesitated. "Did you say a rodeo?"

"Wouldn't that be fun?" he asked. "There's one a couple towns over, and I hear anyone can ride a bull. You just have to sign a waiver."

Amara's eyes widened and she studied his face. He had to be joking. A rodeo? Rafael?

He laughed. "I'm just kidding. I don't think there's a person alive less interested in that than me."

She let out a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted to do was ride a wild bull.

Rafael traced her jawline and stared into her eyes before pressing his lips on hers. "How does a homemade picnic sound?"

Amara's mouth dropped open. "You… made a picnic?"

His face lit up. "I did. I hope you like potato salad with vegan mayo."

"I'm sure I will."

He spun around and hurried into the back room, coming out with a large, beautiful picnic basket. He looked proud, and Amara was definitely in awe.

"I can't believe you made a picnic lunch for us."

"Hopefully, you'll like it after you taste it." He chuckled.

"Is your wrist okay?" she asked. "Do you want me to carry that?"

"Not a chance, and my wrist is fine. Besides, it's my other one."

"Oh, right. So, where are we going?"

Rafael set the basket on the counter next to the register and put on his jacket. "Since it's so chilly, I thought we could go to that clearing just before the woods. Is that all right?"

"It's perfect."

"I wanted to watch the waves, but I didn't want to give you frostbite." He wrapped a scarf around his neck.

"Frostbite?" she asked. "I don't think it's that cold."

"It was close to freezing this morning. Speaking of that, we should probably wear hats. Do you need one?"

"I'm fine without one. Really."

"Nonsense." He went over to a box and pulled out a black hat. "This one will look adorable on you." He slid it over her hair before she could protest. He nodded in approval. "Yep, adorable." He kissed her nose and then slid his arm through the basket handles and then took her hand, leading her outside.

She shivered, the cold air biting her exposed skin. Maybe it really was close to freezing. Rafael locked the shop and then laced his fingers through hers. They walked the short distance to the field against a slight breeze. To combat it, they each put an arm around the other. Amara loved the feel of Rafael's arm against her, pressed against his firm side.

When they reached the field, the wind was almost gone—the trees acted as a barrier, protecting them. Rafael set the basket down, opened it and pulled out a bright blue blanket, spreading it on the grass in front of them. Amara reached in so she could help him with setting it up, but he took her hand, kissed her palm, and shook his head no.

"I want to do this for you."

"And I want to help you."

He cupped her chin, gazing into her eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Will you let me do this for you?"

"All right, but know I'm going to feel bad standing here doing nothing while you do all the work."

Rafael ran his thumb along her palm. "I can live with that." He turned around and set out plates, silverware, napkins, Tupperware containers, wine glasses, and a couple bottles of sparkling water. "How's that?"

Amara stared, speechless. She found her voice. "I can't believe you went to all that effort."

"Oh, wait. It needs one more thing."

She arched a brow. What could possibly be missing? Violinists? She glanced around, half expecting some to step out of the woods.

Rafael pulled out a white pillar candle and lit it. "Now we're ready." He grinned, clearly proud of himself.

Amara wrapped her arms around him. "This is beyond anything I imagined." Really, it was. Not only was he the same guy she'd dreamed about for so many years, scribbling their names together in countless notebooks, but now he adored her so much to go to all this effort.

He kissed her cheek. "I'm so glad."

"I think this goes down as the best date in the history of best dates."

Rafael beamed. "At least try the food before—hey! It's snowing."

Amara took her attention from him and glanced around. Sure enough, flakes fell all around them.

He kissed her again. "It's magical."

"It sure is," she whispered. "It sure is."

Rafael continued to stare into her eyes. "I love you, Amara."

Her mouth gaped. Had she heard him correctly?

"I really do. I love you." He ran his fingers over her jawline, holding her gaze.

Warmth radiated through her body, her heartbeat drumming in her chest. Finally she found her voice. "I love you, too. I always have."

He cupped her chin and brought his lips to hers. He pressed harder and she responded, moving even closer to him.

She wanted more, but he pulled back and cleared his throat. His cheeks were flushed. "We should eat."

Amara nodded, breathless.

He slid his hand down her arm and held her hand, leading her to the blanket. They sat close, their legs touching. "Good thing I brought this." Rafael pulled out a smaller blanket and wrapped it over their backs, blocking them from the chill in the air. He then opened the containers, and they dug in.

They ate the potato salad along with a delicious fruit salad, rhubarb slaw, chicken baked with delicious spices, and finally two hand-sized strawberry pies.

Just as they were finishing the meal, the flakes fell faster and had grown in size.

"That was delicious," Amara said. "Please don't ask me to pick a favorite because there's no way I could."

"I'm so glad." He wiped a snowflake from her coat. "We should probably get going."

"I hope you'll let me pack up," she teased.

"Yes, I will," Rafael said, covering the leftover chicken.

Amara blew out the candle and then gathered the plates and silverware, wrapping them in the linen napkins so the food wouldn't ruin anything inside the basket. Before long, they ran hand in hand back to his shop against the weather.

When they reached Rafael's shop, he paused in front of the door. "I suppose this is where we part." The corners of his beautiful mouth curved down slightly and his eyes widened, making him look sad.

Amara's heart leaped into her throat. Even if she did have to get back to the candy store, she would have stayed just to bring a smile to Rafael's face. She reached for his face and placed her palm on his cheek, shaking her head. "I have the entire afternoon off. And I want to spend it with you."

His eyes lit up, followed by the rest of his face. "Really? You don't have to go back?"

She shook her head, leaning closer. He moved forward also, and their lips met. The breeze picked up, whipping her hair around them. Rafael pulled her closer for just a moment before backing up. "We should get inside. It seems like it's going to storm."

Amara shivered. "It sure does."

He unlocked the door and they hurried in.

Twenty Five

"Are you ready?" Amara called from the back room.

"You know I am. Come on out."

Amara tugged on the fluffy skirt of the sixth outfit she'd tried on that afternoon. She and Rafael had taken turns practicing their walk down the runway. It had taken some work, but they'd managed to readjust the tables and displays so that the shop actually had one, minus the catwalk. It was just an imaginary path—and it was the most fun she'd had in a long time.

"Are you lost?" Rafael called.

"Just making you wait!" She pulled the skirt again, finally giving up. Maybe it was supposed to stick out like that. Puffy was probably in this coming year. She stood tall and walked out like a professional fashion model. Poor Rafael's patience had been tested as he taught her the moves, but he never lost his smile.

He let out a low whistle as she came out into the main part of the store. "I never imagined that skirt could look so good."

"You've said that about everything I've worn."

"Don't engage the audience. You have to be able to ignore anything said."

Amara stopped, raising an eyebrow. "I don't see an
audience
. Just one person… a heckler?"

Rafael chuckled. "Heckler?"

She stepped from the imaginary runway. "Yeah. You keep telling me to stay focused, but you continue to distract me."

"People are going to say all kinds of the things about you during the fashion show."