Love Will Find You Page 2

  A moment of awkward silence came between them when she broke it. “Oh, right. I’d better go and get the stuff.”

  Ty didn’t have a chance to reply. She was already on her way to get the stuff. He watched her back as she slowly made her way across the sand dune. The thought that she would make a fool out of him and leave him waiting popped into his mind, but he quickly brushed that thought aside. After all, she had come here prepared by bringing a thermos.

  Or had she? He stared towards the dunes as his palms turned moist with sweat. Had it been a ploy to get rid of him? Any paparazzi hiding anywhere? With a deep sigh, he shook all these crazy thoughts out of his head and turned towards the water to take in the picturesque view.

  “I hope you like simple black tea.”

  He startled and turned, only to meet her gaze dead-on. With his heart beating in his throat, his relief she’d actually returned sent a rush through his whole body. He rolled his eyes for having doubted her. With the thermos and a small basket, she stood in front of him. All he wanted to do was touch her.

  Good grief, he was already at the point where he’d have loved to kiss her.

  Ty shook his head and chuckled as he held out his hand to help her carry some of the things. “Can I assume you were hoping I’d be here?”

  Redness spread across her cheeks, and he placed his finger under her chin to lift her face. He got lost in her shining eyes, when he whispered, “I hardly slept last night, hoping to see you again.”

  She seemed surprised. “You don’t even know me.”

  “You’re Katie.” He raised his shoulders, adding in a soft, low voice, “With a gorgeous smile.”

  She laughed. It was the first hearty laugh he’d heard from her since they’d met. It was music to his ears. Ty took her hand. Tracing her palm, he was momentarily lost in his thoughts.

  Thoughts about what he wanted. Her.

  Thoughts about why. She was different and like a magnet that drew people to her.

  Thoughts about how he had met her the previous day.

  Still touching her hand, he refocused. “Will you tell me why you cried yesterday?” he asked, uncertain, as he entwined his hand into hers.

  Something flickered at the far back of Katie’s eyes. When she tried to speak, her voice wavered, and he regretted his question.

  Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she asked, “How about this cuppa?”

  He nodded slowly and met her eyes with his. Hesitantly, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips. When he pulled away from her, he searched her eyes. She didn’t move, but returned his gaze in silence. His pulse rate went up another notch before he finally broke the stillness as he traced her lips with his thumb.

  “Please don’t be mad that I kissed you. After seeing you sad, I wasn’t able to simply walk away.”

  She rewarded him with another smile, and he connected their lips for another kiss.

  When she finally pulled back, she placed her hand on his chest. “Tyson what-ever-your-name-was-again. You’re one very scary person.”

  His eyebrows slanted in a frown. “I’m scaring you?”

  Tracing his eyebrow with her finger, she shook her head slightly. “Not that way. I don’t think I ever felt so comfortable with someone like that before.”

  His lips curved into a grin.

  “It’s funny. I always imagined a hot kiss in front of an open fire. The wind blowing around a cabin in the snowy mountains and—”

  “Hot kiss?” he asked with a big grin.

  She bit her lips. He had to admit, she was about the cutest and nicest girl he had met in a long time, if ever.

  Watching her take a deep breath, he gently pulled her closer and whispered, “I’m sure I can do something about that cabin and the open fire. Just not this week.”

  Ty placed a kiss on her forehead before sitting and pulling her down beside him.

  ***

  That kiss had not only stolen Katie’s breath, but also gave her jelly legs; she was glad he tugged her down to sit beside him. She had to admit, it’d been a while since she’d been kissed like that. It had been a while since she had been kissed, full stop. And she still wasn’t really sure what she was doing with a stranger, at the beach, on a cold day, drinking a cup of tea. Her mum would have a heart attack if she knew. There was an instant pain in her stomach as the two words entered her thoughts. It’d been a couple of months since her sister Paige had died in a car accident. Katie had cried for almost two weeks non-stop, and still came here to find tranquillity.

  “There are some biscuits in the small package under the cups. Mum made them. They’re the best around,” she said.

  Ty smiled. “I’d better have a try then. You’re close with your mum?”

  Katie gave that question some thought. She had always been close with her mother, typical mother-daughter relationship. When Paige’s death had pulled her feet out from underneath her, she’d been in hospital for a week with a nervous breakdown. Her mother had been her solid rock and constantly there for her, instead of the other way around. Yes, they were close. Closer than they’d ever been before.

  “Yes, we’re very close,” she mumbled, but the words didn’t seem good enough to express the bond they shared.

  “What about your dad?”

  Katie smiled. “Close as well. He’d probably have a fit though if he knew I sat here with a stranger talking about him.”

  Ty laughed. She liked the sound of it, the effect it had on his eyes, and the warmth it stirred inside her.

  “Ty?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Why are you here?”

  There were a million answers that rushed through her mind. A million reasons why he could be there with her at the beach, but she wasn’t sure whether she was ready for any of them. She would’ve loved to hear him say for you but those words were only spoken in movies. He’d said he had been awake all night thinking of her. That thought made her blush and at the same time, it scared her.

  For the last few months, she’d tried to get her feet back on the ground. All those weeks, trying to keep it together. After Paige’s death, she’d spent a week in hospital and had another three weeks off work while recovering with the help of her parents. But halfway through the time off, she’d pulled her act together and remembered her parents had lost a daughter. It was time to look after them.

  She had only recently settled back into a routine and started going out again with her friends. The last thing she needed was the complication of a tourist playing with her heart. Was he a tourist? He certainly wasn’t from around here.

  Yet the fact she didn’t need a man in her life, didn’t mean she didn’t want a man. She wanted someone to hug or to be with her. Judging by her body’s reaction to Tyson’s kisses, she wanted more of him.

  ***

  He couldn’t get enough of looking at her. Never had his mind wandered off so often thinking of a woman before. She’d been on his mind the whole day, and all of the night. While having dinner with his parents the previous night, he didn’t stop talking about her. Her name kept crawling back to their conversation. Even his father had noticed, and it brought a broad smile to his face. It had been one of the first genuine smiles after his heart attack. Ty loved the idea of being responsible for his father’s amusement.

  “Dad had a heart attack a few months ago,” he finally said. “We’re trying to give him a bit of a break. Get him out of the busy routine of Melbourne.”

  Her face flushed, and he wondered whether it was something he’d said. Katie took a biscuit from the basket.

  “Okay,” he said quietly. “Tell me, what did I say?”

  She shook her head. “It’s okay. I’m sorry about your dad. How is he now?”

  With a chuckle, he took the last bit of her biscuit and ate it. “He’s fine, although I reckon if you’re genuinely interested, that wasn’t the answer you expected. Right?”

  “Hey!” She gently hit him on his arm. “That was mine.”

  �
��Happy to share.” He laughed and poked out his tongue with the messy leftover crumbs.

  “Oh yuck.” She giggled.

  “Fusspot,” he replied.

  When their eyes met, and their laughter stilled, Ty leaned forward, cupped her neck, and tilted her head up with his thumb.

  He covered her mouth with his, tenderly and chastely at first. His tongue traced her lower lip, until her mouth parted. With her hands fisted into his shirt, she returned his kiss. Not getting enough of her, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Unaware of their surroundings, completely gone, he ignored the kids running past them. It seemed so did she.

  “I’m here, because I woke before the first light and wasn’t able to stop thinking of you,” he murmured against her lips.

  Then he hauled her into his lap and, despite the cool air around them, his body was suddenly on fire. She wound her arms around his neck, curling her body into his and kissed him. A kiss that quickly lost its gentleness and grew urgent. Her moan was his cue to move his hands up her legs. Until Katie slowly pulled back.

  “I can’t believe you made me kiss you like that in public,” she said, her cheeks flushed.

  A smile twitched his lips. “Is this a bad thing?”

  Leaning into him, she nodded. “This is a small town. Everyone knows me, and if someone sees me here, I won’t need a newspaper for everyone to find out.”

  Now he chuckled. “Embarrassed?”

  “Kind of,” she admitted.

  “About me?”

  Shaking her head against his chest, she said, “No. Not you. It’s more… more…” She sighed. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.” Looking up, she met his gaze. “I’m not embarrassed about you, but that doesn’t mean I would like the whole town to know what I’m doing here.”

  The answer gratified him. Yet, despite the embarrassment, it seemed she had no intention of moving out of his hug. Quite the opposite.

  “Katie?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Will you tell me what upset you yesterday?”

  She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as the breeze gently blew her hair across her face.

  Wiping a tear away, she shook her head. “You must think I’m a nut case. It’s just, it’s–”

  “The same tears as yesterday?”

  She nodded. “It’s nice to be held by someone and feel alive.” Her mouth quivered into a smile.

  “I’ve got you,” he whispered against her cheek as he pulled her close again.

  They sat like that for a long moment, and Ty absorbed the fact he had his arms around this beautiful girl. He breathed her in, and his senses reeled. Closing his eyes, he took in the moment to burn it in his memory.

  ***

  Katie exhaled a big sigh and relaxed in Tyson’s arms. Intense emotions washed through her. It was beyond her grasp that she was sitting at the local beach, on a stranger’s lap, feeling more secure than she had in weeks. The sensation of not having to be the strong one was overwhelming. It wasn’t only the comfort of being in his arms, but her whole body stirred, and the desire to continue that kiss was irresistible. There was a need to touch him again, and she would’ve given anything to feel his mouth on her one more time.

  Yet, despite her yearning for him, she slowly moved away and sat at his side. She needed some space. She needed to figure out the situation. Most importantly, though, she was afraid of enjoying the moment without knowing what the next day would bring.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Please don’t be.”

  She met his gaze, and thoughts of what it would be like to have a man like him in her life ran through her head. To belong to someone like him. To be kissed like that every day.

  For a while, Katie and Tyson sat there, drinking their tea and enjoying some biscuits while talking about her life in a small place along the coast, her job, and friends when he suddenly said, “I’m heading back to Melbourne tomorrow.”

  Katie’s heart tangled in her throat, and she simply nodded, too scared her voice would leave her.

  “This is my number.”

  He scribbled his name and number on the back of her hand. “No pressure. I leave it up to you what you do with it.”

  Staring at him, she said, “I don’t understand.”

  Ty smiled. “If you gave me your number, I’d call you every hour on the hour. That’s how much I’d love to see you again.”

  He kissed her once more before they stood, and he walked her to her car, with her hand cradled in his.

  “Where’s your car?” he asked.

  “It’s the old Beetle over there, next to the silver show-off car.”

  He laughed, and she turned in surprise. “What?”

  Casually shrugging one shoulder, he replied, “The show-off car is mine.”

  She stilled, studied his face for a moment before asking, “Yours or your dad’s?”

  “Mine,” he replied as he placed her basket in front of the Beetle. “What’s wrong with it?” he wanted to know, his pride injured.

  “Nothing. Don’t know much ‘bout cars, but I have an inkling this one was expensive.” She picked up the basket and placed it into the boot of her car. “What did you say you do for a living?” With a small effort, she shut the boot, locked it, and turned to Ty. He hadn’t answered, but stared at his feet. “Ty?”

  He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. “Don’t lose that number,” he said and left.

  Katie was so surprised about his sudden departure, she simply stared at the number on her hand and wondered whether the offer to call was still on. Had he been offended by her remark about his car? She knew from her dad a car could be a man’s best friend, but was he really that touchy? She had been crying into his shirt, leaving a big wet spot, and he hadn’t even cared, but a comment about a car had sent him running. Shaking her head, she slid behind the wheel and was glad when it started after the second go.

  And why hadn’t he told her about his job?

  Chapter Two

  When Katie returned to her flat, she emptied the picnic basket and cleaned the few dishes as well as the thermos. Seeing the water trickling over her hand, she quickly pulled it away from the tap. Carefully, she dabbed her hand dry and copied Tyson’s number onto the notepad on her fridge. Still puzzled by his quick departure, she admitted to herself that even though they’d only spent a couple of hours together, he occupied her mind like no man ever had before. She’d loved his kisses, the feel of his arms around her, how he’d held her body against his. Shivers ran down her spine when she remembered how she had run her hands over his shoulders and his muscular chest. No doubt, she’d enjoyed their conversation as well. The time to leave had come too early.

  Katie had no intention of losing that number. No way! Although unsure what drew her to Ty¸ she knew there was something between them.

  Since her sister’s death, Katie had learned that life was a current gently flowing on. Her lesson in this tragic loss was that simply moving along in life was dangerous. There was a reason to find the right current in life, the right speed, and the right moment to slow down and start focusing again.

  Katie had been in a fast and furious current. Great job. Great friends. Life had been good. Then—bang. She’d gone straight down a big waterfall and nearly drowned. Determined to get her life back on track and enjoy it, she copied Ty’s number on five little pieces of paper and stuck them to different places. She laughed at herself and pushed aside the thought he’d literally run off. Since she had his number, she’d have to find the courage to call.

  After work the following Wednesday and a quick dinner out with friends, Katie finally caught up with some housework in her apartment. When she finished, she stretched her neck to loosen her tense muscles and then rubbed the kink in her left shoulder. Tiredness spread through her, and all she wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for days. Her whole body ached, and she somehow dreaded that she was at the start of having a nasty cold. Her nose was blocked and
beginning to give her a headache.

  However, curiosity won and she checked her emails. Reading through all the messages kept her busy for a while, but despite her efforts, her thoughts wandered off and she closed her emails quickly. She sat back and stared into the distance. Closing her eyes, she tried hard to recall his surname. It’d been a foreign name, she remembered that. Frustrated, she stood and walked to the kitchen to get a drink, murmuring his first name repeatedly, when she finally thought of it.

  Tyson Gaspaldi.

  Opening up the Internet, she typed his name into the search function. The screen in front of her was loading pages after pages of results with his name, even some of his pictures. At first, she hadn’t been sure about the spelling of his surname. After all, Gaspaldi wasn’t a name one heard every day on the streets. She stared at the screen in front of her and had a quick read through a few.

  Tyson was a football player in Melbourne.

  Although she had no idea about the AFL, it still surprised her that the name hadn’t rung a bell at all with her.

  Not believing what she saw, she double checked a few of the images. Leaning back into her chair, she rubbed her face with her hands to wipe away any tiredness, as well as the crossed-eye vision she thought she’d acquired during the last five minutes. Zooming up the pages to about three hundred percent, she stared at the pictures. And stared. And rubbed her eyes again. It was definitely him.

  The hot looking guy she’d kissed at the beach was none other than an AFL player from Melbourne.

  Holy shit!

  After a couple of deep breaths, she started to curse as she clicked one image after the other—on the field, at the beach, and a few very nice ones he had posed for.

  There was one with a beautiful girl in his arms, as well.

  Jealousy rushed through her, and she clicked on the picture. Part of her wanted to know, part of her hated this woman already. Anita Cooper.

  She’d never heard of her, but Katie wasn’t really up-to-date with celebrity gossip. Enlarging the picture of her and Tyson, she noticed how beautiful Anita was. Suddenly, doubts about the honesty of his words clouded her mind. Had he played with her? Had Katie been a way to pass his time? After all, he’d mentioned, he was in town with his parents. People were bored often enough when they travelled with an older generation.