Without talking, we continued walking past the mermaid statue, past the fountain, and past the snow cone hut. The more we walked, the better I felt. As the water gently lapped against the shore, I smiled up at Seth. “This was a good suggestion.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ve been working so much since I moved home I practically forgot about the beach. It’s so easy to take the beauty of the island for granted.”
“I suppose so.”
“Hey, how’s your first year of college going?” I asked. “Are you on spring break, or did you just come back to the island to see Marcus?”
He frowned. “Marcus didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“I didn’t go.”
“You didn’t?”
“No. My little brother was having a hard time with the idea of me leaving for college, so I kept my landscaping job and stayed on the island.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah.” He stopped to pick up a discarded cup on the sidewalk and toss it into the trash can. “It’s no big deal. I may go when he’s older. In fact, he’s twelve now, so maybe when he goes to college in six years, we’ll be in the same freshman biology class at A&M.”
I sighed. For as long as I’d known him, Seth had wanted to attend the firefighter academy at A&M. Postponing his dream for Robbie had to be a huge sacrifice. Not that I was surprised. Seth had always been incredibly protective of his little brother, especially after their parents died.
“Hey, you said you needed something to eat. We should go to Henry’s.” Seth gestured toward the old beachside bar that had been here longer than either one of us had been alive.
“No, I should probably—”
“Come on, Vicki. I didn’t eat lunch, and I’m starving. You said you were hungry too. Let’s get a burger.”
“What about your grandma? Isn’t she expecting you for dinner?”
He laughed. “No, I have my own place now. Abuela only expects me a few times a week now.”
“Oh, okay.”
We headed over to Henry’s. After placing our order, I went to the restroom. One glance in the mirror made me grateful I was only here with Seth and didn’t have to worry about impressing him.
Still, I dug a hairbrush and lipstick out of my purse in an attempt to put myself back together. People often accused me of being too perfect. If only they could see me now. Trust me, I was far from the perfect homecoming queen I’d been in high school.
Upstairs on the empty outdoor balcony that overlooked the water, I sat across the table from Seth. From our vantage point, we could see the lighthouse as well as the bridge to the mainland. Below us, a couple walked along the shore holding hands.
The flirtatious waitress who’d taken our order earlier delivered our food. She set my salad in front of me, then batted her eyelashes at Seth. “And you’re the bacon burger, right?”
“I am.” He grinned, completely relaxed around this woman who, in my opinion, was way too mature for him.
“Can I bring you anything else?” Keeping her eyes on Seth, she wound a tendril of hair around her finger.
Seth shook his head and glanced at me. “Vicki? Do you need anything?”
“Actually, I asked for oil and vinegar dressing, not ranch. Can I get that changed?”
She stared at me as if my request was completely outrageous. How dare I question the salad dressing she deemed to provide.
“Sure,” she finally said, giving Seth an exasperated look I didn’t appreciate.
Seth picked up the side of ranch dressing and handed it to her. “Thanks so much, Kylie.”
“Of course.” She giggled and practically skipped away.
Once she was gone, I made a scoffing sound.
“What?” Seth asked.
“Kylie has a major crush on you.”
“The waitress?” He glanced over his shoulder. “No, she doesn’t.”
“Yes, she does. She was totally flirting with you. Couldn’t you tell?”
“Naw, she was just being nice.”
“To you, maybe. You watch. She’s going to forget all about me and my dressing.”
He laughed, the sound reminding me of when he used to come over for family movie night on Sundays.
“What?” he asked, studying me carefully.
I smiled. “I was just remembering when we were laughing so hard at movie night that soda came out of your nose.”
He groaned. “Don’t remind me. I was so embarrassed that night.”
“Embarrassed?”
He nodded. I knew it was because of me. Seth’s childhood crush on me had always been obvious.
Laughing, I took a bite of my salad, wishing I’d ordered the burger basket instead. The French fries on Seth’s plate looked tastier than my plain lettuce and tomatoes.
“Marcus said you’re working at the bakery. How’s that going?”
I shrugged. “Besides all the weight I’ve gained, it’s not bad. Mrs. Delacroix makes me try everything so I can better serve the customers. Next time you see me, I’ll probably weigh about two thousand pounds.”
He laughed before making a great show of leaning over to examine me from my toes to the top of my head and back down. Looking me in the eye, he shook his head. “You haven’t gained any weight, Vicki. You look just as perfect as ever.”
“Just as perfect as ever? Hardly.”
His gaze grew serious. “You do.”
Something odd settled in my gut. Seth had beautiful eyes. They were green with interesting shards of amber, something I’d never noticed before.
After lingering a beat too long, I forced myself to look down at the beach. “I think I’ll go see if I can track down my salad dressing.”
“No need.” He pulled his phone and a piece of paper out of his back pocket. “I’ll just text Kylie.”
“You have her number?”
He shrugged and showed me the receipt where Kylie had written her name and phone number. She’d dotted the i in her name with a little heart. Of course, she had.
I laughed, and Seth did too, realizing I’d been right all along. The waitress did have the hots for him. And honestly, why shouldn’t she?
Chapter 2
Seth
Wiping my palms on my jeans, I told myself to calm down. This was just a casual dinner with Vicki Morgan, the great love of my life. No big deal.
“So,” I said, determined to keep the conversation going, “other than the enormous weight gain, do you like working at the bakery?”
Vicki nodded. “I do.”
“Do you think you’ll keep working there? I mean, you’re not planning on leaving the island anytime soon, are you?”
Vicki laughed her beautiful Vicki laugh. “Funny you should ask that.”
Anxiety prickled my skin. “Why?”
The wind whipped her short hair across her face. She held it back with both hands. “Ugh. This is when I hate having short hair.”
“But it’s so cute.” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. “I mean, I liked your long hair too. But this style works as well.”
“Thanks.” She blushed slightly. “Anyway, Mrs. Delacroix wants me to take over the bakery. She wants me to buy it from her.”
“Really?”
“Yes. She wants to retire and thinks I’m the perfect person to replace her. She said she’d teach me everything I need to know, help me talk to the bank about financing, and introduce me to the suppliers.”
“Wow. What’d you say? Are you going to do it?”
Sitting back, Vicki sighed. “I don’t know. I told her I had to think about it. She just asked me this afternoon. With Anna having the baby, I haven’t had very much time to digest it. In fact, you’re the first person I’ve told. Don’t say anything to anybody, okay? I want to talk to my parents before I make my decision.”
“Of course. Your secret is safe with me.”
She nodded. “I just need to take some time, you know?
I love my family and living on the island. And I enjoy the bakery, but becoming the owner feels like a huge responsibility.”
“I can understand that.”
“I’ll probably say no.”
“Why?”
She stabbed at a tomato with her fork and gave a sarcastic laugh. “Mrs. Delacroix opened the bakery nearly forty years ago. If I mess up and run her business into the ground—”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“No?”
“No.” I shook my head. “In fact, I think for you running the bakery would be a cakewalk.”
“A cakewalk?” She groaned at my pathetic pun. Then she laughed, filling me with so much joy my heart burst. I loved making Vicki laugh. Seriously, nothing was better than hearing the sound of her laughter and knowing I was responsible for it.
Unexpectedly, she placed a hand on my arm. “Thanks for that, Seth. I know I worry too much sometimes. I just want to get it right, you know? I don’t want to keep messing up.”
I nodded, not wanting to move an inch or even breathe lest she take her hand away. If this were a movie, I’d gently cup the back of her head and tug her toward me for a kiss. She’d wrap her arms around my neck and kiss me back, confessing that she wanted me as much as I wanted her.
But life wasn’t a movie, of course. At least, mine wasn’t.
Still, now that we were both adults, maybe she’d be able to view me as more than just her little brother’s dorky friend. Maybe now she’d be able to see that we were meant for each other.
Pulling her hand away, Vicki sat back in her chair and gazed up at the full moon. “Anyway, part of me is scared, and part of me is really excited. I’ve got all these ideas for the bakery. They might not work, but I want to try them.”
“You should.”
“Really?”
“Definitely. You should buy the bakery from Mrs. Delacroix and try your ideas. And you should change the name to Vicki’s Bakery.”
“Vicki’s Bakery?” She laughed. “You don’t think renaming the bakery after me would be a little conceited?”
“Not at all. Just . . .”
“What?”
“You’re going to invest in a decent coffee machine, right? Mrs. Delacroix’s coffee—”
“It’s not very good, is it?”
“No, it’s horrible. Even Robbie can make better coffee.”
She laughed again, and I did too, feeling happier and more hopeful than I had in a long time.
*
After we ate, Vicki and I walked back to the hospital where we’d left our cars. Rose Island was bike and pedestrian friendly, but we both lived too far away to walk.
“This was fun,” Vicki said when we reached her car. “Thanks for listening to me. I hope I didn’t talk too much.”
“Not at all.”
She smiled. “Thanks for dinner too. Next time, you’ll have to let me treat you.”
My stomach did this happy, flip-flop thing. “So, you want to do this again?”
“Sure.” Her voice held a hint of uncertainty as if worried she’d said the wrong thing. Then she smiled, filling me with tremendous hope.
Honestly, she had the best smile in the entire world. Aw, who was I kidding? She had the best everything in the world, which was why I’d been in love with her forever.
“Good night, Seth.” She hugged me as she’d done on three separate occasions—once at Christmas, once after a football game, and once when I broke my arm. This time, however, everything changed. Instead of giving me a quick squeeze and stepping away, she held on to me as if she didn’t want to let go.
My pulse jolted. For a moment, I just held her. Then, before I could overthink it, I bent down and brushed my lips across hers. It was a bold move, but I did it anyway.
To my absolute amazement, Vicki threaded her arms around my neck, stood on her tiptoes, and returned my kiss. I drew her closer, unable to believe that I, Seth Watson, was kissing Vicki Morgan. Stay cool, I told myself. Stay cool and keep it together.
All of a sudden, Vicki pulled away and stared at me with wide eyes. “Seth. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“I . . .” She pressed a hand to her lips and stepped back. “This is so inappropriate. I’m so embarrassed.”
My stomach twisted. “Why?”
“Because . . .” Her cheeks reddened. “Because you’re too young for me. You’re my little brother’s best friend and—”
“So? What difference does that make? We’re both adults now.”
She shook her head. “It’s just wrong to kiss you like that. You’re five years younger than me.”
“I know.” A small voice inside my head begged me to stay quiet. Another voice, the voice that refused to give up without a fight, trudged forward. “Look, I know you think this is insane—that I’m insane for saying this—but I think you’re the most beautiful, most amazing person in the world.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Don’t act like you’re surprised. Everyone on this island, including you, knows that I’ve been in love with you since the day we met.”
“You’re in love with me?”
“Since the day we met.”
She gave a little laugh. “You were in elementary school the day we met.”
“Yeah. And you were in middle school. So what? For me, it’s always been you.”
She shook her head, destroying every fantasy I’d ever cultivated about the two of us being together.
“This is too weird. You’re Marcus’s best friend. And you’re so young. You’re like a little brother to me.”
“A little brother?” I pushed out a slow breath, telling myself not to grovel and make a fool of myself. But I was a fool. Unable to take my own advice, I pressed on. “Look. I know our age difference was once a big deal, but I’m almost twenty now.”
“And I’m almost twenty-five. That’s halfway to thirty.”
“No. Halfway to thirty is fifteen.”
She exhaled. “You know what I mean. I’m too old for you.”
“You’re not, and I think you know it. I think you have feelings for me too.”
She shook her head. “My feelings don’t matter, Seth. I’m sorry, but this can’t happen.” She glanced around the parking lot, the full impact of her embarrassment evident.
Well, I’d done it now. I’d blown my one and only chance with the girl of my dreams. Her rejection plunged into my heart like a knife. Determined to salvage what was left of my dignity, I opened the car door for her. “Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, you know how to find me if you change your mind.”
She hesitated. “I really am sorry.”
I shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Don’t be sorry. You can’t help how you feel. I get that.”
What I didn’t say was I couldn’t help how I felt, and for me, it’d always been Vicki. Vicki today, Vicki tomorrow, and Vicki forever.
Chapter 3
Vicki
Completely dazed, I drove out of the hospital parking lot and headed home. Kissing Seth Watson? Was I crazy? Had I completely lost my mind?
As I made my way up the hill locals called “The Mountain,” I glanced out the window at the water below. Lit by the light of the full moon, the ocean glistened. Apparently, it really was true about the full moon causing people to go crazy and do completely insane things like kiss their brother’s best friend.
I drove a little farther until I reached the entrance to our family’s hobby ranch. I passed through the open gate and headed toward the house where our Labrador retrievers, Duke and Lady, greeted me with their usual barking and tail wagging.
Stepping out of the car, I leaned over and buried my head in Lady’s neck. “I made a real mess of things tonight, girl.”
Lady licked me as if to say, You’re home now, so everything will be fine. Duke pushed past Lady to get my attention. I loved on him, rubbing his ears until he moaned with gratitude.
Because my parents weren’t home, I brought both dogs into the house with me. Upstairs in my room, I showered, brushed my teeth, and crawled into bed. Exhausted and comforted by the dogs’ soft snores, I instantly fell asleep.
Sometime during the night, my parents must’ve taken the dogs because when my alarm blared at four in the morning, I woke up alone. Groaning, I flung off the covers and trudged across the room to the dresser to silence the noise. I wasn’t a morning person, so keeping the alarm on the other side of the bedroom was the only way I could wake up on time.
The bakery didn’t open until eight, but I had to be there by four-thirty to help with the actual baking. If I bought the bakery and became the owner, getting up early was something I’d have to do for the rest of my life. Was I prepared for that?
Speaking of things I wasn’t prepared for . . . that kiss. That incredible, unexpected, mind-blowing kiss.
I smiled at the memory of Seth’s lips on mine, then I chastised myself for smiling. Kissing Seth wasn’t a good idea. No, it was a very, very bad idea.
I’d always thought Seth’s crush on me was cute. Harmless. Sweet. But kissing him in the parking lot last night? That had been a game changer.
Actually, everything about last night had been a game changer, from the way Seth listened to me talk about my life to his belief in my ability to run the bakery.
Then, there was that whole thing he said after the kiss. I think you’re the most beautiful, most amazing person in the world. Nobody had ever said anything like that to me before.
Did he mean it? Was he really in love with me, or was this just fascination left over from his childhood?
Ugh! Why was I obsessing about this? This was Seth Watson we were talking about. Seth Watson, the kid whose shoes I’d once tied. True, his arm had been broken at the time, but still. How was I supposed to reconcile the little kid who’d been Marcus’s best pal with the man from last night?
Heading downstairs, I was startled to hear voices coming from the kitchen. Usually, my parents were sound asleep when I left for work in the morning. Why were they awake so early?
“Well, this is a surprise,” I said, stumbling toward the coffeepot. “What are y’all doing awake so early?”
Vicki’s Gift Page 2