Some Kind of Wonderful (Treasure Harbor Book 1) Read online

  “I guess. A little bit.”

  “I hate to say it, but you really are being blind. You’ve always run from relationships. That’s what you’re doing now.”

  “Not on purpose,” she said in a low voice. “Ryan is perfect in so many ways, but entirely unsuitable in every other way. He’s a Burton. He can have any woman he wants. And his family is invested in finding the lost treasure. I can see it radiating from his eyes when he talks about it. It’s in his blood, surging through his veins. And it scares me.”

  “If he was really all about the treasure, why did he spend so much time helping you with your research?” Avery asked. “The facts don’t mesh with what you’ve been saying about Ryan and the treasure.”

  “That’s not me. It could never be me.” Ryan’s heartfelt words buzzed in her ears.

  Suddenly it all crashed over Lara with the weight of a tsunami. “He must care more about me than the treasure. Even though he felt a responsibility to his family to find the treasure, it was really about making a connection with me, about helping me with this treasure series.”

  “Sounds like it to me,” Avery said, a satisfied smile resting on her lips.

  “I’m an idiot,” she said, burying her face in her hands. “I really blew it with Ryan and I said a lot of things that probably make him think I’m judgy and preachy.” Lara groaned. “And maybe I am.” She looked at her sister. “Am I that person?”

  “We can all be that person from time to time. I think you were just speaking your truths. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “I need to talk to him. Do something. Tell him how I feel…what I’m afraid of. I hate being vulnerable. It’s scary for me. But I can’t let things unravel like this.”

  “Ryan has a lot of pride. I’d think big if I were you,” Avery said.

  Think big. Avery was a genius! Lara wasn’t good at expressing her feelings face-to-face, but she was great at thinking up ideas. If Ryan still planned to attend the gala at the historical society, Lara was going to hatch up a plan to let him know that she was crazy about him.

  Chapter Eight

  The gala in support of the historical society was in full swing by the time Lara arrived. The building was decorated in white twinkling lights. A sliver of moon hung in the sky, lending a romantic vibe to the night. Well-dressed guests flowed into the building. Lara had never felt more conflicted in her life.

  Her heart sank as she looked around at all the other couples. Ryan should be at her side tonight as her escort. She had made an absolute mess of things the other day. God willing, she would be able to take a grand leap of faith this evening and restore Ryan’s faith in her. If not, she would go out in a blaze of glory.

  Even though her stomach was all twisted up inside, she felt a little bit like Cinderella. Jade had helped her pick out her gown a few days ago. It was stunningly beautiful. It was a one-shouldered blush-colored evening gown that swept all the way down to her ankles. She’d borrowed a pink clutch from Avery and purchased a pair of nude heels to complete the outfit.

  Despite her pleading, Avery had refused to come with her. Lara hated when her sister tried to make her stand on her own two feet.

  “You’ll be fine, Lara,” Avery had said. “I don’t want to be the third wheel when you run into Ryan. You need to clear the air. No regrets.”

  He might not even be here tonight, she told herself. The very thought of not seeing him caused her nerves to fray. She missed him! Even though it had only been a few days since she’d seen him, there was an ache in her soul that couldn’t be denied or soothed.

  Please, Lord. Show me the way. I know what my heart is telling me, but my fear has been messing around with my head. Give me the courage to speak my peace with Ryan.

  The minute Ryan entered the venue, hairs stood up on the back of Lara’s neck. On a normal day Ryan was jaw-droppingly handsome. Tonight he looked like James Bond and a male model all rolled into one. She sucked in a deep breath. Before she could figure out how to approach him, Ryan came striding toward her, his movements full of raw power.

  “Lara. We need to talk.” The expression stamped on Ryan’s face was one of determination and intensity. “The other night you knocked me for a loop. I didn’t say half of the things I wanted to tell you.”

  “Oh. I…was there something else you wanted to say?” Ugh. She was beginning to fumble with her words. Ryan’s presence was making her a jumble of nerves.

  Ryan leaned in so that there were mere inches between them. He was standing so close she could smell the heady scent of his aftershave. Sandalwood. His eyes blazed a brilliant sapphire. “Yes. For starters, I don’t want this to end. We’re a team, Callahan. We’ve always been meant for each other from the moment you shared your animal crackers with me in first grade.” He gifted her with a pearly grin that made her weak in the knees. “You came blazing back into town like a comet. I was star struck by you from the very first moment you walked into Pirate’s Pizza. We’re good together, Lara. Better than good. We’re great. And I’ve been trying to wrap my head around you ending things, but something just doesn’t compute. Here’s why. The likelihood is that I’m not going to be the one to find the treasure. And that’s okay with me, because it’s not the be-all and end-all of my life. Yes, I admit it. I got caught up in wanting to be the one to find the treasure. I want my family to be proud of me and I foolishly bought into the idea that finding the treasure was my way to accomplish it. I wanted them to see me as someone who was worthy of the Burton name. And I can’t stop looking for the treasure any more than you can stop writing the stories you write. But I promise you I’m not going to lose perspective on who I am and the man I want to become.”

  “Can I get a word in edgewise?” Lara asked with a giggle. She was blown away by everything Ryan had just poured out of his heart.

  Ryan took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. “Sorry. I just needed to say what’s in my heart.”

  Lara blinked back tears. “Ryan, I was wrong. And you were right. To an extent I have been judging. I didn’t mean to, but it’s hard to look at the treasure without letting my own hurts get in the way. Even though I’m an adult now, the idea of getting lost in this treasure madness…it frightens me. And I think that your family must be blind if they can’t see how wonderful you are. You don’t need to find Drake’s treasure to be worthy, Ryan. You’re kind and loving and sweet and uplifting. And coming back to Treasure Harbor was God’s way of pointing me in your direction.” She threw her hands up in the air. “I didn’t want this to happen! I never wanted to complicate my life.”

  “Want what to happen?” Ryan’s voice softened.

  “To fall in love with you. Because I have fallen madly in love with you, Ryan Burton. And I came here tonight hoping and praying that you would be here so I could show you in a big way that you mean the world to me.”

  “You just showed me in the biggest way by saying exactly what I wanted to hear. I love you too, Lara. And I know it might seem fast, but I’ve known you my entire life. We were soulmates when we were kids. We just didn’t know it.”

  Ryan dipped his head down and placed a searing kiss on Lara’s lips. Lara reached up and placed her arms around his neck and kissed him back with every ounce of joy bubbling up inside her. The kiss was full of emotion and certainty and devotion. They both knew that this love was meant to be.

  As they pulled apart, Lara smiled up at Ryan. Her heart had been taken to new heights this evening.

  “Would Mr. Ryan Burton please step outside on the patio?” A voice blared into a microphone.

  “Uh oh,” Lara murmured. “I forgot to tell you something. My grand gesture is waiting outside.”

  Ryan looked at her and laughed. “Are you serious?”

  She bit her lip. “Umm….yes.”

  Ryan grabbed her hand and headed toward the patio. Once they were outside a blast of cool air greeted them. The Treasure Harbor sky was lit up by a brilliant moon and a smattering of dazzling stars. Ryan turned t
oward her with questions lurking in his eyes.

  “Wait for it,” she murmured.

  Just then a pop of color blazed in the sky, along with the letter L followed by a heart then followed by an R.

  “L loves R,” Ryan said, his voice full of awe.

  “Yes. It was a very grand gesture. And it cost me big-time, so I hope you love it just as much as you love me.”

  Ryan wrapped his arms around Lara and held her tight. “Thank you, Lara. Not only for that beautiful pyrotechnic display, but for coming back to Treasure Harbor and for loving me.”

  She grinned up at him. “Coming back to Treasure Harbor was a choice. Loving you was my destiny.”

  Epilogue:

  It was a glorious May day in Treasure Harbor. The sky was a Caribbean blue with not a cloud in sight. Ryan prayed it was a portent of good fortune to come. And he wasn’t thinking one bit about treasure. No, this happily ever after had Lara’s name written all over it.

  Ryan walked down Pirate’s Pier hand in hand with Lara. He felt lighter and more at ease than he had in years. True love will do it every time, he thought to himself. They stopped in front of a large fishing boat, The Flying Dolphin.

  “Morning, Ryan,” a voice called out to him.

  Ryan waved at the good looking man standing on the deck of his boat. “Hey, Max. Thanks for doing this for us on such short notice.”

  His buddy, Max Triton, was the owner of a deep sea fishing outfit. Rumor had it that in a few years Max would be fabulously wealthy as a result of an inheritance. Until then, he would make his living taking customers out on the water for deep sea fishing excursions. As kids, Ryan and Lara had enjoyed many fishing adventures. It was high-time, Ryan thought, they got back to basics and the things that had brought them together in the first place.

  “No problem, Ryan. It’s my pleasure. And you guys picked a great day to be out here. Nothing but blue skies ahead.” Max grinned.

  “That’s what I’m counting on,” Ryan said as he helped Lara on board the fishing vessel.

  For the next two hours Ryan and Lara enjoyed their fishing expedition out on the high seas. Ryan couldn’t help but think of his ancestor, Drake Burton, as the dark waters swirled around them. Ryan couldn’t think of a time when he’d felt more relaxed and at peace. And he knew by Lara’s expression and her light-hearted mood that she felt the same way.

  At the end of the excursion, Lara voiced the exact words Ryan had been thinking all morning.

  “I feel like a kid again, Ryan. Thank you for giving me this day.” They walked hand in hand down the pier. Ryan couldn’t put into words the joy he felt being with Lara. He led her towards the marina and a little spot where they could stand and look across the water without surrendering their privacy.

  He turned toward her, his throat clogged with emotion as the full impact of the past few weeks washed over him. “I’ve been blind for so long, Lara. I’ve been trying all my life to be the Burton golden boy. Ever since I was a kid I dreamed of being the one who rode to the rescue and found the treasure. I thought that by doing that it would put me in my father’s good graces. I thought it would make up for not being the Burton heir he always craved. But what I’ve discovered is that it’s okay just to be me. I’m enough. You’ve made me feel that way.”

  Lara leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips. “Of course you’re enough, Ryan. You’re everything. I came back home for my job. Ultimately, this was about so much more than a series of articles. It was about me coming home again in every sense of the word. It was about forgiving my parents and putting the past aside. And trusting that you wouldn’t make the treasure more important than living your life. Or more important than the two of us. And you’ve done that, Ryan. You’ve lived up to your word.”

  “Lara, I know you’ve only been home for a few weeks, but I have to tell you, I can’t imagine a life without you in it.” He took her hand in his. “I know your life is in Philly is a good one. You have it all there—a great job, good friends.”

  “But I don’t have you,” Lara said. “And going back there without you would be like leaving a big chunk of my heart here in Treasure Harbor.”

  “We can’t have that, can we?” Ryan asked in a light, teasing voice.

  “No, we can’t,” Lara answered, beaming at him.

  “I know some might consider this as the two of us going too fast, but the way I look at it, we’ve known each all of our lives. These last few weeks has just been us catching up.”

  “I agree. My heart raced the very first time I saw you again sitting at that booth at Pirate Pizza. And honestly, it hasn’t stopped racing ever since.”

  Ryan dropped down to bended knee. “Once upon a time a Burton fell so deeply in love with a Callahan that he dared to dream of a happily ever after for the two of them. Against all odds, this Callahan princess fell in love with the Burton rogue. Their dream didn’t come to fruition, but every bit of hope that lies in my soul tells me that you and I will complete the circle. Lara, please make me the happiest man in the world and agree to be my wife. I don’t need treasure or legacy…all I need is you. Today, tomorrow…forever.”

  Sniffing away tears, Lara choked out a response. “Yes, Ryan. Marrying you would be a dream come true. And I can’t wait to make Treasure Harbor my permanent home again. I can freelance and get a job writing for The Daily Treasure. We’ll be together. That’s the most important thing.”

  He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a red velvet box. With shaking hands, he popped it open, revealing a vintage diamond ring. She held out her hand and he slid the ring on effortlessly. It was as if it had been made for her finger.

  “Believe it or not, this is actually an honest to goodness Burton heirloom. It doesn’t go all the way back to the seventeen-hundreds and Drake Burton, but it does go back to the nineteen twenties and Great granny Burton. This was her ring, given to her by her sweetie, Great Grandfather Clifton. They were blissfully married for sixty years.”

  “Now that’s a legacy,” Lara gushed, admiring the simplicity and elegance of the ring as well as the back story.

  “We’re going to create our own legacy and it won’t have anything to do with the treasure. Matthew 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

  Lara couldn’t hold back the tide of tears any longer. “Oh Ryan. I feel so blessed to have you.”

  Ryan reached out and wiped away her tears with his fingers. “We’re both blessed. And I vow to treasure you, Lara Callahan, for the rest of our days.”

  THE END

  Coming Soon: June 20, 2016

  The Space Between Us by Leah Atwood (Treasure Harbor Book 2)