by Amanda Ashby
He was just passing the bookstore when Britney Spears blared out again. He groaned. His brother and sister-in-law had serious boundary issues. He toyed with ignoring it, but he had time to kill.
He pulled into a parking lot overlooking the sparkling bay.
“Twice in half an hour?” he said by way of greeting. “In the doghouse with Eloise? What did you do this time?”
“It’s not like that.” There was no hint of laughter.
“O-kay.” He killed the engine and leaned back in the seat. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing… Hell. Here’s the thing. I promised not to say anything until you got back,” Ryan said, almost tripping over the words as they tumbled out of his mouth. “But it just feels wrong, you know what I’m saying?”
Not a clue.
His breathing quickened as adrenaline roared through him. The last time his brother had sounded like this was when he’d admitted to sleeping with Adam’s wife.
“Spill it,” he said, and silence hung in the air.
“El’s pregnant,” Ryan finally said.
Something cold and hard hammered in his chest as the words thundered in his temples. His brother and Eloise were having a baby.
Unwanted memories slammed into him.
Eight years ago, but still the ache crawled through his gut. He’d never thought he wanted kids. But when Eloise had told him about the pregnancy—a light switched on. The prospect of his own little family filled a need he hadn’t known was there.
Six weeks later, she’d had the miscarriage, and the light turned off, leaving behind a darkness neither of them could navigate.
It was one of the reasons they’d broken up.
Well, that and the fact Eloise and Ryan had slept together.
He’d been mad as all hell. Betrayed by the two people closest to him. But as it became increasingly obvious it wasn’t a fling, he’d forced himself to accept it. There’d been times when he’d wanted to punch Ryan. Plenty of drunken arguments, until finally the three of them had found a way to make it work.
But this?
It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it was.
“Hey.” Ryan’s voice echoed from somewhere down the line. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He ran his hand across his brow. What he and Eloise once shared had faded away to where it probably always belonged. Friendship. But still jealousy prickled at him. They were building a life. A family. He swallowed it down. “I’m happy for you both. Tell El I said so.”
“You kidding? She’d have my balls if she knew I’d spilled the beans. You gotta act surprised when we tell you. Promise?”
“Will do,” Adam said. Before Eloise, Ryan had been a commitment-phobe, avoiding relationships like most people avoided brussels sprouts. And while he’d never seemed to waiver since the marriage, having a child was still a big step. “How you feeling?”
“H-honestly…” His brother’s voice went hoarse. “I’ve never been happier. I know this whole thing has been…difficult. But—”
“You’re going to make a great dad,” Adam said, cutting his brother off.
“Well, duh. I’ve got the jock and gaming thing covered if it’s a boy. And if it’s a girl, I’ll just scare off any guys who come sniffing around.”
“Nailed it,” Adam agreed before saying a quick goodbye and ending the call.
His head pounded. Not enough air. He yanked the keys from the ignition and climbed out of the car. Bright sunshine stabbed at his eyes as he turned toward the horseshoe bay.
A soft breeze blew in from the water, and he increased his pace.
A baby. It was great. New life and all of that.
Yesterday, he’d discovered Laney Litchfield had moved onto a new and improved life after leaving him, and so had Eloise. There was a lesson in there somewhere if he dared to go looking for it.
Not today.
He kicked off his shoes and walked onto the beach. Some of the pounding tension between his shoulder blades eased as the heat of the sand warmed his feet.
Kids laughed as the waves splashed up, then ebbed away. Farther in the distance, a tall figure walked through the water. Like really tall. He held up his hands to shade his eyes from the glare. The giant thing was still there. All gangling legs.
“They’re walking on stilts,” a voice said, and he spun to where Paige and a teenage girl were standing. He’d met her yesterday. Kylie? Kris? Kira. Paige was engaged to her father.
He raised an eyebrow. “Is there a reason they’re doing it in the water?”
“So they don’t scare the fish,” Kira explained with a giggle. “See. They’re trying to catch them with some nylon wire. But they’re really just showing off for the tourists.”
“Well, as a tourist, it’s working,” he said before frowning. “I think. I’m not sure where stilt-walking fishermen should be filed in my brain.”
Paige let out a throaty laugh. “Want some advice? Don’t try and make sense of what happens in St. Clair. It exists in a different realm.”
“That’s her way of saying we’re weird.” Kira grinned with pride as she executed a dance move, which involved her standing on one leg. Then she let out a little squeal and darted toward a figure at the other end of the beach.
“Boyfriend,” Paige said. “Though don’t call him that in front of Luke. He’s still coming to terms with the fact she isn’t going to wait until she’s thirty-five to get her first crush.”
“Sounds like someone else I know,” Adam said as Ryan’s words floated into his mind. He pushed them away.
“So, you’re getting in one final breath of fresh air before heading back to L.A.?”
The stilt walker began to wobble, then fell into the water. A roar of applause from the beachside watchers followed. The wind whipped sand around his ankles.
“Something like that. Thanks for inviting me. Sorry if I was short at the book signing. It’s been a long tour.”
“Please. I used to work as a publicist. I know what your schedule is probably like. Until you demand scented candles and rose petals, I won’t consider you a total diva.”
It drew a smile from him. “You really like this place?”
“I love it.” Her face brightened as her eyes tracked Kira who slowly walked toward them, a gangly teenage boy dressed in black jeans and a black hoodie beside her. “It’s hard to explain how much my life has changed since I moved here. All in nine months. People who live here have a hundred reasons about why it’s special, but if you ask me, it’s magic.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“All I know is something here changed me,” she said, then let out a groan. “Luke would gag if he heard me telling you that. I’m like a reformed smoker. Except my vice of choice had been living in a big city.”
“I get it,” he said as the five magic pages of words flooded his mind. “I stayed up half the night writing.”
“That’s great. I know I’m not the only one dying for your new book to come out.”
“It’s been…tricky. Staying up writing isn’t something that’s happened for a while. My brother reckons there must be something in the water.”
“You do get it!” Paige’s eyes widened, and she let out a little squeal. “You could stay here longer. Like a writing retreat.”
“I couldn’t.” He shook his head as his L.A. life called out to him. Sure, he didn’t have a family to go home to. Or even a pet. But he did have obligations. There were a couple of boards he belonged to, some business meetings, and he’d promised to do a keynote speech for his old college.
Her face fell. “Too bad. But let me know if you change your mind. My tenant just moved out from the apartment above the store, and the new tenant can’t move in for two months.”
“It’s a nice offer. But I—”
He broke off as the stilt walker reappeared h
igh above the water, waving at the crowd. Kid knew how to put on a show.
None of which was the point. He couldn’t stay in St. Clair right next door to a woman who hated his guts.
But what’s waiting for me?
His brother and ex-wife in the glow of pregnancy.
Staring at a blank screen and avoiding emails and phone calls from his assistant, agent, and editor. An empty apartment that mocked him every which way he turned.
His mind whirled. If he stayed for two months, he could finish the book. Get his life back on track. Give him time to adjust to the new dynamic between him, Ryan, and Eloise. And he could shuffle his responsibilities, even fly in and out for the events that couldn’t be cancelled or postponed.
It could work.
“I think you’d really love it here. You’d be next door to Laney, who is literally the sweetest person in the world, and Sam owns the café at the end. It’s just her and Cal,” she said, nodding to the skinny guy talking to Kira. “He’s a great kid, though, full disclosure…he’s learning to play the drums. Right now he’s more enthusiastic than he is good.”
Adam’s mind continued to whirl.
Drums he could deal with, but there was still the small issue of Laney.
If I could talk to her…
He didn’t expect she’d ever forgive him. She’d made that perfectly clear, but it would only be for two months. He’d stay out of her way, and she could stay out of his. Of that part, he had no doubt.
It could work. He’d finish the book and then leave.
He turned back to Paige. “I’m interested.”
“How wonderful. St. Clair’s very own writer in residence. Everyone will be thrilled if you move here.”
Not quite everyone. But at least this time he would tell her in person. She might not like it, but they were both adults. They’d find a way to make it work.
My career depends on it.
Chapter Three
“I keep asking myself, is it something I did? Is it my fault Nina is like this? I don’t have the answer, but I do know one thing. I’m done with dating.” Blue Moon
Laney was hot, bothered, and sorely tempted to kick something.
Not even the warm spring weather could improve her mood. She glared at the fifteen metal pieces lying on the grassed area behind her courtyard. When they were all connected, they formed a tall frame used to hang up flowers so she could paint them.
Pete, the retired plumber who always helped with her installations, usually took it out of the garage and assembled it, but he’d come down with a virus.
Violet let out an encouraging bark.
“Thanks,” she murmured and tried flipping one of the pieces over to see if it would fit into the corresponding bar. It didn’t. “You’re right. We should keep on trying.”
She didn’t have a choice. She had three hundred dahlias to paint gold for an order and a client meeting in an hour.
“Talking to yourself?” a low voice rumbled from behind her.
The muscles in her neck tightened in direct contrast to the flutter in her belly. He shouldn’t be here. And I most definitely shouldn’t be reacting to it.
She’d spoken to Jessica an hour ago. He’d checked out. Left. He should be stepping onto a plane, leaving her free to walk around St. Clair. Paint flowers. To not worry about Adam Fitzpatrick ever again.
“Ruff.” Violet tensed in annoyance, obviously agreeing about his unwanted presence.
“What are you doing here?” She dragged one of the metal bars into a new position, refusing to turn around.
“I wanted to talk,” he said as Violet gave another sharp bark. Then he let out a soft sigh, maybe noticing her tensed shoulders and stiff back. “It’s important.”
Finally, she looked around at him. Mistake. He was leaning against her back fence, wearing a T-shirt and jeans that only made his damn eyes even bluer. His stubble-covered jaw was cocked into the start of a smile.
She ignored her hammering pulse. It was just a Pavlovian reaction based on muscle memory. That was all.
“I thought I made my feelings perfectly clear.” She turned back to the metal bar and tried dragging it to line up at a right angle. If she could figure out how the frame went together, then surely the rest would fall into place.
“You did.” He picked up the other end of the bar and helped her carry it over. She dropped her end, and he did the same. “But this can’t wait.”
Dirt and oil covered her fingers, and she used the back of her hand to wipe her brow. Her sundress had pollen stains down the front and gold flecks of paint from the last time she’d done this. She was a mess.
Irrelevant.
“Not to me it isn’t.” She picked up another bar as Violet let out a low moan. Her dog narrowed her huge eyes and then turned away from Adam, as if not able to bear looking at him for a single second longer.
Could I love her any more?
He grasped the other end and helped her carry it over. “Please, Laney.” His voice a low caress that sent a flicker of something running up her skin. No one had ever said her name quite like he did. Her itch let out a dreamy sigh.
She ruthlessly vetoed it.
He betrayed me on a global scale.
She kept her eyes firmly on the ground and dropped the bar down next to the first one. It matched up, and she reached for a bolt and thrust it through the two holes. Sweat beaded on the back of her neck, and her hands shook. The unwanted emotions clashed violently with the raw pain of his betrayal.
With how he’d so carelessly taken their private relationship and twisted it into something unrecognizable. How she’d spent years hiding the truth about what he’d done. Even from Simon. Worried it would change the way he saw her. Worried it would destroy the life she’d built for herself.
“Go away, Adam.” Her fingers tightened around the cool metal.
“Please, just hear me out,” he said before his eyes swept across the metal bars. His mouth twisted into a frown. “What the hell is this?”
“I use it to hang flowers and branches. Makes it easier to paint them.”
If I can ever get the dumb thing together.
“Ah.” He studied it, then nodded. “I see now. It looks complicated. I could help you.” He knelt down next to her. His broad shoulders strained against his T-shirt. Heat bounced off his body as he studied the holes drilled into the steel. Laney swallowed.
Veto. Veto. Veto.
But it didn’t work. Being near him was like picking up a candy bar she’d once liked but hadn’t eaten in quite some time. Worst analogy ever. Violet decided to turn around at that moment and nudge her leg.
Saved by the wet nose.
She scrambled to her feet, stepping away from him. A smile tugged at his mouth, as if he knew what she’d been thinking. Irritation drummed in her chest. If he thought that being sexy and smug was going to work on her, he had another think coming.
She snatched up a bar.
Without speaking, he took it and lined it up with the one she’d already connected. His brow pushed together in concentration, and he reached for the bag of bolts and put one through the lined-up holes.
He repeated it with a third piece, still not speaking.
Muscles rippled in his arms as he worked. She looked away. Unfortunately, a couple of passersby had recognized him and had come to a halt, watching them. An audience. Familiar panic sliced through her like a knife. What if, after all this time, someone guessed the truth? She loved everyone in her adopted town, and as far as she could tell, they loved her back. But if they found out she was Nina, would they look at her differently?
Adam, oblivious to his fan club, straightened up the rack and stepped back.
“There. All done.”
She let out an annoyed sigh, hating to be in his debt. “I appreciate the help, but I don’t have tim
e to talk.” Especially in front of a growing audience. “I’ve got flowers to paint and a meeting to prepare for. And what about your flight?”
“I’ve delayed it. Like I said, this is important.” His eyes held hers. “What time does your meeting finish? I can wait.”
Irritation jabbed at her. Why was he doing this? Hadn’t she made her feelings obvious when she’d climbed a tree to avoid him? She stiffened. Grown women didn’t do that. Or hide out in their store for an entire day.
And he’d delayed his flight? A sinking sensation settled in her gut. Avoiding him would only drag it out longer. Fine. But if they were going to clear the air, it would be on her terms.
And once it was done, she could go back to her regular life.
“Okay. But not here. Not now. I’ll be finished by six.”
“Really?” Surprise flickered in his eyes, as if he’d been expecting her to put up more of a fight.
“On one condition. You can say what you have to, but I’m not promising to return the favor. For me, the door’s shut. It’s not something I want to open again.”
“Got it,” he said. “What about the bar on the main street? It looked okay.”
Yes. And filled to the brim with people she knew. She considered her apartment but quickly dismissed it. No way did she want Adam Fitzpatrick intruding on her life. It needed to be public. But not too public.
“There’s a place ten miles out of town called the Trap. It has a red lobster above it. I’ll see you there.”
He opened his mouth as if to challenge it but then nodded. “Until six.”
This was a mistake. A big, big mistake. She smoothed down her dress. She’d bought it because of the floral pattern, but the iris petals were too big, and the way they opened wasn’t botanically correct. Everyone always commented on it. But she’d never been able to forget it wasn’t an accurate representation.
And why had she never noticed how tight it was around her waist?
She sucked in her stomach, then immediately let it out again.
So not playing that game.
The lights around the giant red lobster sitting on the roof were bright against the early evening sky as she walked across the parking lot. The place had been built ten years ago, and most locals avoided it because of the overinflated prices and the bad management.