From This Moment On: Heartwarming Contemporary Romance (Windswept Bay Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

to herself, not wanting her large family of three sisters and five brothers, parents, and close-knit extended family to know the dirty details. She told herself it was to protect them and keep them from trying to harm Paul, but it was also because she was ashamed. All of this was reminders of exactly why her response to Grant was so unreasonable. At last she snapped, “It’s Grant Ellington. The man is…”
    Shar’s face brightened. “ McDreamboat— I knew it. You’ve already seen him!”
    “Stop calling him that.”
    “He is and I will not. All those make-me-wanna-run-my-fingers-through-it dark curls and that crooked Patrick Dempsey smile makes a girl’s heart go pitter-patter just thinking about it. You can’t stop a runaway freight train when the brakes go out.”
    Cali frowned, because it was all true. Even the pitter-patter part. She just hadn’t expected it to be full-blown explosive in person.
    “What’s he like? I know he checked in late last night.” Her eyes widened. “You have met him.” She stood up in her excitement. “And that’s why you’re all flustered and—”
    “Aggravated. I am not flustered.”
    Her sister started to say something but her mouth dropped open and she clapped her hands together. “You’re interested . Praise God! You are actually interested. That’s life in them thar eyes that I see.”
    Cali glared at her. “I’m not—”
    “You are too. It’s okay if you are, Cali.”
    Her insides balled up in a knot, causing a dull ache. She knew it was okay to think about another man and to have a new relationship if she chose. She didn’t choose. It wasn’t that easy. Shar just didn’t understand. “I know that, Shar.” She wished she could just go crawl under a rock.
    “So what happened? Tell me all about it.” Shar perched on the edge of Cali’s desk. She looked momentarily like the kid sister who’d always waited up for Cali to come home from a date. Back then, she would rush into Cali’s room and jump onto her bed and demand to hear all the details of the date. Back then, Cali had liked having someone to talk to about her hopes and dreams and girlish romantic notions. A girl could dream all she wanted to about romance and how perfect her life and love would turn out…but she’d learned the hard way that wolves could hide behind the shiny armor that a knight in shining armor wore while dating. The ugly came out after the vows were said.
    These days, she just didn’t feel like talking about her sordid past and misplaced trust. The reminder had Cali glaring at her sister—who, as far as Cali knew, had never had a serious relationship in her life. Cali wasn’t sure why that was, considering she was always interested in everyone else’s love life.
    “Come on, give me the details,” Shar pressed.
    “This is the problem with having so many siblings. The brothers are protective and the sisters are nosey. Especially you.” Cali had been away long enough that she’d forgotten just how nosey they could be. There could be more inquisitions if she let on that she was interested.
    But she wasn’t. She wouldn’t let herself be.
    Shar made a face. “Yes, I missed my calling as a writer for the National Enquirer . Now stop stalling. Did he like your ideas? Did he like you?” She waggled her eyebrows on the last part. “It appears you liked him.”
    Cali pushed Shar’s leg. “Stop it. He didn’t want to hear my ideas. He barely looked at the walls where he’ll be painting the murals. Said he needs to get the feel for the place.”
    “That makes sense. Now, about those McDreamboat lips up close and personal. Did you want him to kiss you senseless and have his way with you?”
    “ Nooo. ” Cali glared at Shar. “Who are you? The things that you say sometimes boggle my mind.” It was the truth: Shar was offbeat and loved to tease. But now was not the time. And she certainly didn’t want to be reminded that she’d had thoughts of kissing when she’d been