by Tess Oliver
“Bends, that’s decompression sickness, right? A diver comes up too quickly and gas bubbles form in the bloodstream?”
I nodded with admiration. “You know your science.”
“Stuff like that has always interested me. I’m kind of a geek.” She brushed a hair back off her face, and even in the dreary haze that was settling over the beach, it glowed.
I threw the ball again. “There is nothing about you that says geek, Noelle.”
“Others might argue that point. Did you go to one of those trade schools?”
“Nope. I learned it in the navy.”
She stopped and looked at me. “You were in the military?”
“Four years after high school. I wasn’t really the college type. I mean I always got good grades, I just didn’t feel like going to school anymore.”
The ocean breeze was kicking up. Noelle shivered. I would have given anything to have been able to wrap my arms around her. “I guess you weren’t in too much danger during the Iraq War, being out on the water and all.” There was a touch of anger in her tone.
I stared down at her. This topic had obviously struck a nerve with her . . . and me as well. Again, I seemed to be on defense with her. “I know your husband died over there. I have the utmost respect for the people who fought in the desert, but I’m not going to apologize for coming back alive.”
“No,” she said, “I didn’t mean that.”
I started walking again. She didn’t follow at first. Then she ran to catch up to me. “I’m sorry, Seth. I really didn’t mean it. Sometimes aside from being a book nerd and a bitch, as you pointed out, I’m also an idiot.” She grew quiet for a second. “I guess I have this horrible tendency to be angry with everyone who came back alive. It’s awful, I know, but I’m just pissed. I’m pissed that he didn’t come back to me.”
“That makes sense.”
Duke had finally tired of ball chasing, and he trotted along next to us. Her phone buzzed, and she took it out to look at it. She typed a text back with a sigh. “My mom wants to know if I passed all my classes. Of course, I’ve told her ten times that finals are next week. I’m in college, but she still checks up on my grades.” She put the phone back in her pocket. “Moms, eh?”
I nodded. “I lost mine when I was in fourth grade.”
“Jeez,” she said. “I just can’t seem to say the right thing around you.”
“You didn’t know, so don’t beat yourself up about it. My older brother Gage was in the principal’s office for fighting, as usual. My brother Luke and I were in our fourth grade class. We’re fraternal twins and couldn’t be more different. He’s got dark hair, and he’s kind of the serious, brooding type. I hate to admit it, but I’m the family clown.” I stopped for a second, and that terrible day flashed back to me, the principal walking in to talk to our teacher and our teacher barely being able to keep her composure as Luke and I, completely confused and sure we were in trouble, followed the principal to her office. I swallowed back the tightness in my throat. It had been more than fifteen years, but the pain never left completely. “A cement truck ran a stop sign and killed my mom as she was driving to the school to pick up Gage. He still deals with major guilt about it.” I shook my head. “My poor dad, a detective, was left raising three wild boys, and, man, did we give him gray hairs. He died a few years back of a heart attack.”
We came to the end of the beach, and the air was too cold and clammy to walk the pier. We turned back. Noelle crossed her arms to shield herself from the chill. “Wow, so you lost both parents already. That’s hard. I’m an only child, so my parents are all I’ve got. Well, there’s Greg. He’s my husband’s grandfather and the owner of Maverick’s. I’m afraid that place you guys are building across the street has him really worried. His shop has been around for a long time but . . .”
“From what I see, that guy Moondoggie, or whatever his name is, doesn’t have a chance with this. He doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. He’ll probably just waste a bunch of money and then have a big tax write off.”
“See, that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell Greg. I’m glad to hear it being echoed by someone else.”
“Even someone like me?”
She laughed. “All right, we’re even. You skulked out of my house with your shoes and shirt in hand, and I’ve said a string of stupid, thoughtless comments. We should start over. That way we can be friends if you decide to start dating Grace.”
Her last sentence wiped the smile off my face. I wasn’t interested in Grace. I wanted to know the girl in front of me.
Chapter 6
Noelle
Grace was stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head as I closed the front door. Duke jumped off the couch to greet me. I dropped my backpack dramatically onto the stool at the counter. “I’m officially done with school until September, and I’m so damn relieved. I think I aced my finals. Of course, I could be completely delusional about that, but fingers crossed.”
Graced took the towel off and ran her fingers through her wet hair. “You’re not delusional. You studied your butt off, so I’m sure you did well. And,” she said, “I think you should celebrate by going out tonight with Terry and me to Killian’s Sports Bar. It’s Thursday so ladies get drinks for half off. I’m hoping Seth shows up. The only time I see him is when he’s across the street working, and most of that time, I’m having to crane my neck around all the big trucks in the street to get a decent view.” She stopped and took a much needed breath. “Well? What do you say?”
“I don’t know, Grace. You know I don’t like that place.”
“Oh my god, Elle, are you going to be like this all summer?”
“Like what?”
“A wet wool blanket, dreary and irritating.”
“Thanks.”
She put on her pretty please face. “At least come and have a drink, just one drink.”
I sighed. Sometimes giving in was easier than saying no to Grace. “Fine. I’ll go, but I’m not changing or putting on makeup. I’m going as is— in post final bohemian fashion.”
***
Killian’s Sports Bar was popular with the locals and non-locals alike. And Ladies’ Night usually brought a lot of ladies, which in turn brought a lot of men. Only most of them were more the chick type than the lady type.
The floor of the bar was painted green with white stripes to look like the grid on a football field. Dozens of barstools were clustered around counter height, round tables. And every wall had a large television. When there was no particular game or sport on, each television played a different activity. Occasionally, there’d be a surfing competition on, but tonight it was only soccer and baseball.
After five minutes of huddling around a table with a beer tucked between my hands and trying to avoid looking at any guy, afraid it may signal my willingness to chat, I remembered why I’d always hated places like this. Hayden had always been the social one. If we went to a party or a bar or anywhere that required talking and shooting the breeze, the burden fell on Hayden’s shoulders. And people loved him. He was one of those guys who could always make people laugh, especially me. Those wild bouts of laughter we shared together were something I missed more than ever.
Terry had already wandered off to the bar because she had an on and off thing with the bartender. I was sure it was one of the main reasons Grace had wanted to drag her wet wool blanket along. That way, she wouldn’t have to sit alone.
Grace leaned closer as if people might hear her. “There he is.” She sensed that I was already wishing for a quick end to the evening. Shit, I was a wet wool blanket. Grace’s latest obsession was walking toward us with his friend, Rocko. As hard as I tried not to find any guy interesting or attractive, it was hard not to notice Seth. He was truly sigh inducing, as if he belonged on a movie screen playing the star in an action hero film. He’d definitely found a swooning fan in my roommate.
Grace turned to me. “Is my makeup all right?”
&n
bsp; “Yep. Is my non-makeup all right?”
She frowned.
“I’m kidding. You look adorable as always, Grace, and if he doesn’t notice it then that’s his problem.” I’d only spoken to the guy a short while, but I’d gotten some pretty strong vibes that he had no real interest in Grace. I wished to heck she’d find someone to take her mind off him.
Seth and Rocko walked up to the table. Seth’s smile came my direction. Shit. No wonder Grace was still infatuated. Her attention span was usually pretty short when it came to guys, but men like Seth didn’t walk into your life every day.
As if they’d preplanned seating arrangements, Rocko slid past Seth and took the stool next to Grace. Her face fell in disappointment. Rocko noticed. He stroked his beard, a nervous habit it seemed, more than a grooming habit. Grace just loved to wear her feelings right out there on the invisible sleeves of her lavender tank top, not caring in the least that she might be hurting someone’s feelings.
Seth pulled up a stool next to me. Grace skewered me with a pissed glance, and I returned a ‘what the hell was I supposed to do’ shrug. I guess I could have told him the stool was taken, but he might have noticed the lie after awhile.
“What are you girls drinking?” Rocko asked. “I’ll buy the next round.”
I smiled. “It’s ladies’ night. Why don’t you let us buy?”
He waved off the suggestion and looked enthusiastically at my friend, whose attention had not strayed from Seth yet. “Grace,” Rocko said, “why don’t you come with me to help carry the drinks?”
She looked at him perplexed as if it had been a complicated request. “No thanks.”
“I’ll go with you,” I said, suddenly wanting to slap my friend. Even if she only had eyes for Seth, her mean girl behavior wasn’t helping her case any. I hopped off the stool. Rocko glanced at Seth as if to ask permission. There were all kinds of silent communication going on at our table and very little actual talking.
“I’ll buy,” Seth said suddenly. He hopped off before Rocko could move and before Grace could lift her chin back off the table. I went with him to the bar, deciding Grace was getting a touch of bad karma that she deserved at the moment.
Seth stood next to me as we waited for a spot at the bar to clear. “I’m just going to go out on a limb and say that you don’t seem to like being here.”
I looked up at him. “Really, what gave it away? The look of utter boredom? The gritted jaw of irritation?”
“Actually, I was going to say the tortured expression. You look like a kid who’s sitting in the reception room of the dentist office waiting to get her tooth drilled. You know, that look of despair that only the expectation of the dentist’s drill can produce.”
“And I thought I was putting on a good poker face. I guess not.”
“Nope. You’d have already lost all your chips.”
“That would explain my extremely bad luck in card games.” I glanced back to the table. Grace was sitting stiffly on the stool, and Rocko was trying his best to engage her in a conversation. “Look, Seth, if you’re interested in Grace, you should let her know. Or if not, put her out of her misery so she can move on.”
He looked hurt by my suggestion.
“I’m sorry. None of my business. Do what you want but understand that she talks about you a lot.”
“Grace is pretty and fun and a great girl, but I’m not interested. I know I should never have gone home with her after the party, but unfortunately, I’m a guy . . . and you know how it is.”
I lifted a brow at him. “Not really. Maybe you should explain it to me.”
We stepped up to the bar. He ordered four beers. He turned and leaned against the counter and gazed down at me. “Look,” he said, “I thought it was obvious, but I’ll spell it out. I like you. I would very much like to get to know you.”
I froze at the suggestion. But it wasn’t because I would never even consider it. That was not why a sudden cold knot had formed in my stomach. It was because for the first time in two years, for the first time since I’d lost Hayden, I’d met a man who stirred me, physically at least.
My throat tightened, and instinctively, I took hold of the dog tags that always hung near my heart, where they belonged. I’d grabbed my necklace to remind myself where my true love belonged, with Hayden, and not with the extremely appealing man standing in front of me.
Seth peered down at my fingers clutching the metal tags. “I’m not asking to replace him. I know that’s impossible. I’m just asking for you to make a little room for me in your life. We could try it out and see where it goes.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, Seth. It’s not going to happen.”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “I get it. You’re not interested. I’m fine with that.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested. It’s just not going to happen.”
Our beers were up. He turned around and grabbed two to hand to me. His fingers grazed mine as he handed them over. We both felt it, a tiny spark of heat exchanged between us through that brief contact. I pulled in a deep breath and headed to the table with the beers.
If Grace could have shot me with arrows using just her eyes, I would have been bleeding and dead on the fake green football field. I put a drink in front of her. She picked it up without looking at me. Seth sat down on the stool. His shoulders seemed far more rigid than they had when we’d walked to the bar. How could this evening get any worse I asked myself just as the horrid man, Rice, the creep who was always watching me, walked in the door.
“Holy shit,” Rocko said. “Moondoggie is here.”
Seth was noticeably quiet, and it seemed a brief period of awkwardness followed as Rocko tried futilely to strike up any kind of conversation. Seth and I avoided looking at each other. When a table full of girls, locals who I’d known from the beach and school, sent Seth a mug of beer, he used it as his cue to leave our tense little table group. I should have been relieved, but I was slightly irritated. I wasn’t ready to kick myself yet for shutting him down so fast, but I wasn’t feeling exactly triumphant about it either. I just had to keep reminding myself that life was far simpler without attachments to other people, and particularly to men like Seth. Still, I couldn’t help glancing in the direction of the table he was sitting at now. His new friends were laughing wildly at everything he said and staring bright eyed at the glorious newcomer. Grace, on the other hand, had the complete opposite expression. Obviously tired of trying to keep Grace’s attention, Rocko got up and joined the table where Seth had moved to.
I scooted over to Grace. She stared down at her drink. “I guess that’s that,” she said. “I’ve lost him.”
“Technically, you never had him—”
She opened her mouth to protest, but I stopped her.
“You know, as well as me, that falling deliriously drunk into bed after a party means nothing. Grace, look at him. He’s a cad, a rogue, one of those guys who collects trophy panties and then moves on to the next pair. So not what you need. You need someone who’ll treat you like a princess.” My words were probably having less impact than the blatant truth, which was staring her in the face. It was a bit like watching one of those bachelor reality shows. Seth was sitting with four girls leaning toward him, each one trying harder to push her cleavage into his line of sight and each one looking more enamored. And he looked completely at ease as if this was an everyday occurrence for him. I thought briefly of our few seconds at the bar and was now convinced, more than ever, that my quick turn down had been a smart choice. As much as Grace didn’t need someone like him, he was the last thing in the world I needed. I was having a hard enough time inching my way back into life. A man like Seth would surely set me back. I finished my last beer and looked at Grace. “Any chance you want to cut out early?”
“I can’t. I promised Terry a ride home.”
I looked back toward the bar. She was sitting on a stool next to the peanuts, nibbling away and chatting with the bartender. “She doesn’t s
eem inclined to go anytime soon. It’s only a few miles, and it’s not terribly foggy yet. I might just walk home.”
Grace’s eyes widened. “You can’t leave me here alone.”
“Who’s leaving?” a deep voice asked from behind. His aftershave had arrived just before his question, so I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
Without being invited, Rice hopped up on the seat next to me with his highball glass and his designer jeans and leather shoes. His dark eyes were as sharp as his features, and his lips were thin, with a seemingly permanent smirk. But there was no doubt, in the way his lids drifted slowly shut and open again, that he was quite drunk. Mean and drunk and arrogant was never a good combination. “You’re not thinking of leaving yet?” He looked at me as if I was a piece of fudge in the candy shop window.
“Don’t really know why I would tell you my plans.”
“Why would she want to talk to you when you are the enemy?” Grace decided to add in her two bits.
Rice looked briskly her direction and turned back to me. “Enemy? Never. Opportunity. I think you should consider moving across the street. I’m going to need an experienced manager, and I’ll pay you double what that old, washed-up surfer pays you.”
“That old washed-up surfer is family, and I’ll thank you not to talk about him like that. In fact, that brings me to the burning question— have you ever surfed or are you afraid it will mess your hair up too much?”
The muscle in the side of his jaw twitched, and he swayed some as he stared at me. My cold words had not given him the clue to leave. It was hard to tell whether that was because he was so obnoxious and full of himself that his brain couldn’t absorb the notion of someone not wanting to talk to him, or because the booze had completely impaired his good sense. “I think once my shop opens and people stop going to Maverick’s, you’ll come begging for a job. Then it’s going to take more than your pretty face and long legs to convince me to take you on.” There was no mistaking the meaning of his words, particularly when he took the time to look brazenly down at my body as he finished them.