by Jill Sanders
“Hey.” She smiled and waved her in. “Can’t sleep?”
“Thinking about the apartment. I think we should take it.” She sat at the end of Riley’s bed, which was covered with a bright green comforter. Riley’s favorite color.
“Are you sure?” Riley chewed her bottom lip, a move all of the cousins did when they were questioning something.
“Sure, I mean, the rent is only a few hundred a month. If we have to pick up a few hours at the Oar to cover it…” She shrugged. “Besides, owning our own business is a very adult thing and living in our parents’ homes isn’t.” She motioned around Riley’s childhood home.
Riley sighed. “I wanted to do a full overhaul around here, once we were done with the store.”
“Store first,” Lilly agreed. “I think it’s too much to try to move in before we open. I’m sure Patty will let us move in at the end of next month instead.”
“If you can arrange it—” Riley smiled—“count me in.” She set her reader down. “What else is bothering you?”
Lilly sighed. “I sort of have a date with Corey tomorrow.”
Riley’s eyebrows shot up as she smiled. “Finally. I can’t believe he asked when your folks were there.”
“He didn’t.” She winced. “I asked him.”
Riley’s smile grew. “Go, girl.”
“Don’t you think…” she started but then shook her head.
“No, spill. What?” Riley sat up a little.
“Well, it’s just. I mean, I’d hoped that… Doesn’t it show that he’s not really that interested in me. You know, since I had to ask?”
Riley rolled her eyes. “I’ve told you, he’s interested.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Lil, stop. Insecurity doesn’t look good on you. We’re Jordans.” Riley’s shoulders straightened. “We’re strong, smart, and beautiful.” She smiled as she patted the hair on top of her head.
Lilly laughed.
“Okay, some of us more so than others.” She nudged her cousin’s knee. “Go, have fun. He’ll show you if he’s interested. Trust your instincts.”
“Okay, now that that part is over…” She took a deep breath. “What on earth am I going to wear?”
Riley laughed and jumped up from her bed and headed straight for her closet.
6
Corey pulled into the driveway of the Stevens’s house promptly at ten the next day. He had spent the morning making and packing the lunch that sat in the back seat of his car.
It had been almost a year since he’d been on a date of any kind. Carter joked that he was out of practice, but Corey had just pushed back.
“When was the last time you asked a girl out?” He laughed when Carter gave him the finger. “If you can’t stand the heat, bro.” He chuckled.
Still, sitting outside the house, he wondered what the hell he was doing. Lilly and her family were perfect, just like the home that he sat in front of.
His dark history and life didn’t belong anywhere near her or her family. As he always did when memories of his past threatened to surface, he swallowed them away and tried to focus on the now.
Lilly’s dad stepped out onto the front porch with an old yellow dog at his heels and a cup of coffee in his hands and Corey swallowed.
“Suck it up,” he told himself, reaching for the door. “Morning,” he called out.
“Morning,” Mr. Stevens returned.
“Nice dog,” he said, bending down and giving the old dog a scratch on the head. The dog instantly dropped down and exposed her belly, making Corey laugh.
“Ruth has no shame.” Mr. Stevens chuckled. “I’m supposed to apologize for last night,” he said, shaking his head.
“For?” Corey straightened.
“The third degree.”
Corey nodded. “I’m used to it. This town has a lot of people in it with questions.”
“Gossip is Pride’s number one attraction,” he replied.
“No harm.” Corey shrugged.
The man held out his hand. “Call me Aaron.”
Corey took his hand easily. “No Dr. Stevens?” he asked.
“I’m not your doctor.” The man smiled. “And this isn’t my office. Besides, everyone in town just calls me Aaron.”
“Dad!” Lilly cried from inside the house.
“Well, most.” He laughed.
Lilly rushed out the front door. “Where’s the—” She stopped dead when she saw him. “Oh, you’re here already.” She frowned and looked down at her watch.
“What?” Aaron turned around. “Where’s the what?”
“Beach blanket,” she said to her dad. She gave Corey a smile. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He smiled back. “I packed a beach blanket.”
Her smile grew. “Okay, how about drinks?”
“Got it covered. All we need is you.” He held out a hand for her. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She started to put her hand in his, then paused. “Be right back, I need a jacket.” She rushed from the doorway and disappeared back inside.
“I’d invite you in, but I think she’s eager to spend a day outside.” Aaron smiled and leaned against the railing of the porch. “We’ll have to have you out for dinner. Maybe you and your brother?”
“We’d like that,” he replied, thinking that Carter would probably punch him for it, but not caring at the moment.
“Ready.” Lilly returned with a gray sweatshirt in her arms. “It might rain later.” She reached up on her toes and kissed her father’s cheek. “Later.”
She took his hand and followed him to his car. “Nice talking to you,” he called back to her father.
“Same. I’ll check with Lacey and we’ll invite you over for that dinner soon.”
He nodded and opened the passenger door for Lilly.
“Why does it feel like I’m taking you out on your first date?” he asked as he started to pull out of the driveway.
“My dad can do that to a person. If I was a better planner, I would have made sure he stayed in the house until I’d left.”
He chuckled. “It must be nice.”
“What?” She turned slightly towards him as he drove towards the main road. She may have set the date, but the rest he planned on having on his terms. The beaches near her house and near town were nice, but his favorite spot was a twenty-minute drive down the road.
“Having a father love you so much,” he said absently.
“Are we talking about yours now?” she asked softly.
“What’s there to say? My parents have been out of the picture since Carter and I were seventeen. Actually, long before then.” He turned onto the highway. “To them, Carter and I were just money-sucking entities that cost them more than we were worth. That was until we grew strong enough to start helping our old man on construction sites. Then we were free laborers who could save him a penny by doing the dirty jobs.”
“Where are they now?” she asked.
He shrugged. “We left them in Eugene when we were seventeen. I doubt they stayed there long. They tend to move around a lot.”
“You don’t talk to them?” she questioned.
“Not if we’re smart. Last time they tracked us down, we lost a full month’s rent.” He sighed and glanced over at her. “They have a way of guilting money from us.”
She tilted her head and glanced out the window. “So, you’re hiding from them?”
“In a way,” he agreed.
“Any other family?” she asked.
“A grandfather we haven’t seen since we were about eight.” He could vaguely remember a large gray-haired man with kind eyes who smelled of rich cigars.
“Where does he live?”
“Seattle.”
“Have you tried to contact him?” When he glanced over at her she finished. “My grandparents, paternal, were very opposed to my parents’ marriage. But after I came along…” She smiled. “They lightened up some. Still, we only see them once a year. My father didn’t live up to their sta
ndards.” She rolled her eyes.
“He’s a doctor. A successful one, I’ve heard. He owns a beautiful home, has a beautiful family. What more did they want?”
“Wealth. Fame.” She shrugged. “More, I guess.”
Corey nodded. “What about your other grandparents?”
“Gone, long before I was born. My grandpa George, my brother is named after him, was the glue that held the Jordans together. He died the day my uncle Iian lost his hearing. Boating accident.”
“I’d heard. Well, some of the story, anyway.”
She nodded. “It’s a well-talked-about story in town.” She smiled. “So are a few others. Like the one about my father’s ex-fiancée running over my mother.”
He almost drove off the road and had to jerk the wheel back. “What?”
“Oh, you didn’t hear that one?” She smiled and sighed as she leaned back. “We all have our own stories to tell.”
He nodded as he turned off the main road. “I’m looking forward to hearing some of yours,” he said as he pulled onto the dirt road.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around.
“I found this place the first week we were here.” He smiled and parked along the side of the road. “I go running up here sometimes. If I have the time.”
“That reminds me.” She groaned. “I promised Riley we’d go running again tomorrow.”
He chuckled. “Not a runner?” he asked after opening her car door for her.
“I am,” she said tentatively.
“You don’t sound so sure.” He pulled out the packed basket from the back seat.
“I can run, it’s the wanting to that I’m unclear on,” she admitted.
He held out his free hand and she easily set hers in it as they started up the pathway.
“We can run together sometime,” he said casually. He moved a branch away, so she could step through the path easily.
“You run early,” she said.
His eyebrows shot up. “Stalking?” he joked.
She blushed slightly. “No, it’s just, I’ve seen you a few times in town.”
He nodded. “I usually get back to the house around eight. The days are getting colder, so I’ll probably end up knocking that back an hour.”
“I can probably do an eight o’clock start time. If we meet at the apartment.”
“Apartment?” he said as they entered the clearing.
“Wow,” she gasped lightly. “Why did I not know that this place existed?” She stepped into the soft sand and toed off her shoes, leaving them along the edge of the beach. “I’ve lived here my entire life and had no clue.” She twirled around.
The private little beach was empty, as it had been every time he’d been there. The stretch of beach ran for almost two miles. There were large moss-covered rocks jutting out of the soft sand, some deep in the water, others sitting high up near a very steep ledge. There were at least two homes on the far end of the beach. They almost hung over the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the water. Still, the inlet was quiet and secluded enough that she doubted many people knew about it.
“How did you find this?” she asked as he walked over to a spot in the soft sand and set the basket down.
“Luck.” He smiled. “Is this a good spot?”
“I can’t see a better one.” She walked over.
“Want to do some exploring first?” He held out his hand.
“I’d love to.” She took his hand and they walked in silence for a while, enjoying their private paradise.
“Why a pizzeria?” she asked after a while.
“Why not? Carter is the driving force as far as the food. I enjoy the books and the business side of things more.”
“So, the pizzas were his idea?”
“Yes. I hinted at starting a business, he ran with the idea of a pizzeria. He’s always been good at cooking.”
“And you?” she asked.
“Numbers are my thing. Numbers and business.” He smiled.
“Does that mean our lunch is going to suck?” she joked.
He chuckled. “No, I’m good at cooking, just don’t like it.”
“Like me and running.” She nudged his shoulder and he laughed.
“Yeah.” He stopped and picked up a flat rock, then handed it to her. “Skip?”
She nodded and expertly tossed the rock across the water.
He whistled. “Four times. Did you know that if you can skip a rock more than three, you’re an expert?”
“My uncle taught me.” She smiled.
“Which one? You have Iian and…”
“Todd.” She smiled. “He runs Jordan Shipping.”
He nodded. “I’ve seen him a few times when they’ve come in. Like I’ve said, it must be nice to have such a big family.”
“It can be.” She smiled over at him. “How about we eat now?” She nodded back to the basket.
“Sure.” They started walking back. “Why a boutique?” he asked.
“Why not?” She smiled. “I have a talent for spotting wonderful things, Riley has a talent for clothes.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Things?” he asked.
“Furniture, paintings, items for around the house.”
“But I thought a boutique meant clothes only.” He pulled out the beach blanket and fanned it onto the sand.
“It does. That’s why we left the word off the sign. Classy and Sassy is going to expand beyond clothing.”
“Such as?” he asked as she sat next to him.
“Secondhand items. I’ve got a few pieces of furniture I’ve refinished over the years. Things that fill my parents’ garage, my uncle’s barn.” She chuckled.
“Furniture?” he asked, setting out the meal he’d prepared for them.
“Small things, nothing major, but yes, a few desks, a table and chairs, end tables.” She looked off over the water. “Little items I find here and there and itch to fix up.”
“You need a workshop,” he suggested. “There’s some good money in refurbishing.”
She turned to him. “Workshop?”
“Sure, I mean, once the store starts making you money—and it will—then you can expand, turn some of that space in the back into a space for you to work on items.”
She nodded. “That’s in my dreams. First and foremost is making enough money to pay the rent.”
“You mentioned an apartment?” he asked.
“Riley and I will be moving into the apartment above Patty’s at the end of next month.” She almost beamed it as she spoke.
“Parents kicking you out?” he said with a grin as he handed her a plate of the cold chicken pasta salad.
“No.” She glanced down at the plate. “You made this?”
“Like I said, I have the skills, just not the will to wield them all the time. Let me know how you like it. Carter wants to add it to the menu.”
She took a small bite then moaned, and he felt his entire body stiffen as he watched pure pleasure flood her face. She was beautiful. Absolutely stunning. And now, as enjoyment flooded her features and turned them, changed them, she became something he knew without a doubt he shouldn’t touch. He didn’t have the right.
“It’s absolutely amazing.” She turned slightly towards him. “You should definitely add this to the menu.” She took another bite and he joined her. They chatted about Baked while they ate and talked a little business while they finished up the meal. She had a solid business plan for the store, and he could tell that she was trying hard to stay organized with all of the business finances. He gave her a few pointers about software she could use to help in that area. He had to admit as he stuffed the paper plates and dishes back into the basket that he’d thoroughly enjoyed the conversation with Lilly.
It had been too long since he’d just sat and enjoyed a lazy day. Leaning back on his elbows, he watched a group of seagulls float overhead. When he tossed a chunk of bread up in the air, one caught it quickly. Suddenly, they were being bombarded.
Laughi
ng, he stood up, rushed a few feet away, and tossed the rest of the crumbs to the sand. The gulls spread out in search of crumbs and he walked back over to sit on the blanket.
Lilly was smiling at him.
“Sorry, I hope none of them got you.”
“No.” She shook her head lightly. “They missed me, this time.” She giggled, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sound.
“Have you been a target before?”
“It’s par for the course. If you live near a beach”—she shrugged with a smile— “expect to be dropped on.”
She tossed some bread out towards the gulls and laughed when they fought over them.
He leaned back again and just watched her.
“Have you always lived in Pride?” he asked, suddenly wanting to know everything about her.
“Yes.” She glanced over at him. “Fourth generation here.” She dusted off her hands and leaned back, mimicking his relaxed state.
“Did you go to school?” he asked. “Away to college I mean?”
“I spent two years taking classes in Edgeview. Driving back and forth five days a week.” She visibly shivered.
“Did you get your associate’s?” he asked. She nodded. “In?”
“Arts.” She sighed. “I took a few business classes. Now, I wish I’d taken some more.” She rolled her eyes. “You?”
“No, no extra school for us.”
“If you could, would you go?”
He smiled. “I’d love the chance. Carter, not so much.” He laughed.
“Something already told me that.” She laughed along with him.
“It’s not that he wasn’t good at school. Both of our grades were exceptional. It’s just…” He sighed and rested his head back, looking up at the blue sky. There were big white puffy clouds slowly floating overhead. “He’s happier standing at an oven or stove.”
“What about your dreams?” She had rolled over so that she was lying on her side, her elbow propping her up.
He was about to say that he was content, but something stopped him. He was silent for a while, running over things in his mind. “I guess I’m not one-hundred-percent sure yet. I like working for myself, running a business.”
“You’re good at it. Or so it seems,” she agreed, her breath almost a whisper in the wind.