Small-Town Girl

by Jessica Keller

  Kendall lowered herself onto the blanket and opened up the cooler, peeking inside. She made eye contact over the top of the cooler’s lid. “And what about the other ten percent of the black bears?”

  Brice arranged the chopped wood under the cooking grate of the fire pit, tucking kindling—which happened to be dryer lint—between the cracks. “They’ll probably join us for dinner.”

  “Brice!” She leaned around the cooler and swatted his shoulder. “I’m being serious.”

  “You have nothing to be worried about. Most of that ten percent stays up in the northern portion of the hand of Michigan. We get a sighting of one every few years. Nothing more.” He lit the fire and spent the next ten minutes coaxing the flames to take over the wood.

  “So dryer lint, huh?”

  “Little-known fact, it makes the best kindling. Goes up at a high temperature.” He shrugged. “And easily available.”

  Kendall pulled cups and plates and little Tupperware containers from the cooler. One had cubed cheese. Another had grapes. Still another container held what appeared to be the most mouthwatering chocolate layer cake Kendall had ever seen. In a large plastic zip baggie, Kendall located two huge items wrapped in foil.

  “Oh, good.” Brice eased the foil packs from her hands. “You found the salmon.” He tossed them onto the grate that covered the fire pit.

  Over the next half hour Brice flipped the salmon a couple times while Kendall lay back, hands behind her head, watching the clouds inch across the sky on their way to tuck the sun into bed. Her clothes and hair would smell like wood smoke when she got back home, and she would love it. Somehow the smell made her think of Brice, even though this was their first campfire meal together. Rustic and manly, it suited him. There was no doubt it would be the first of many times sharing food over an open flame. Kendall smiled, comforted by the thought—by this life she was carving out in Goose Harbor.

  When Brice declared the fish ready to eat, he opened both foil packs, arranging the salmon and vegetables beside the cheese and fruit. He said grace for their meal and they dug in.

  Not sure what to expect tastewise, Kendall took her first bite. Notes of citrus, seasoning and something tangy she couldn’t quite place burst on her tongue. “Wow.” She took another bite. “This is so good. How did you make it?”

  “It’s been marinating in a mix of lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and dill.”

  “Dill! That’s the tangy part.”

  “It’s the secret ingredient.” He sent a wink her way before polishing off the rest of his vegetables.

  Kendall gathered their empty dishes and piled everything back into the cooler. She patted her stomach. “That’s the best meal I’ve had in a long time. I’m afraid I’m not much of a cook.”

  Brice touched the spot beside him on the edge of the blanket, facing the water. “Come sit beside me.”

  She gladly cuddled up next to him. He pulled the remaining blanket up to drape over their shoulders and then slipped his arm around her back. Kendall snuggled closer, breathing in the woodsy scent of him as she leaned her head against his side.

  “This is my favorite spot.” Kendall sighed.

  “Watching the sunset?”

  “Well, that’s nice too.” She tilted her head to better look at him, making eye contact. “But I meant being beside you. Right here.” She placed her hand on his chest and leaned closer, stealing a quick kiss before whispering, “You’re my favorite place.” Her heart thundered. It felt like such a bold statement to say out loud, but it was true.

  He pressed his lips to her forehead and then eased her so she was facing the sunset again. “I really admired how you went down and talked to Shelby yesterday. How you encouraged her to mend her relationship with Joel.”

  Kendall gripped the edge of the blanket, pulling it tighter around herself. “When two people love each other they should be willing to work through the hardest parts together. I’ve come to the realization that that’s what love is all about, sticking around through the really tough stuff. Saying you still believe in someone, even when they accidentally hurt you. That’s love.”

  “Not planning a campfire date for a pretty lady?” He leaned into her, his tone letting her know he was joking.

  She leaned back against him. “That part’s nice too. Better than nice. This—you planning all this—was wonderful. Thank you.”

  “I’m sorry it wasn’t impressive.” He scrubbed his free hand over his jaw. “It’s probably pretty simplistic compared to the dates you’re hired to orchestrate.”

  “This one was better than all those.”

  “Really?” He angled his body to look down at her.

  “Yes, because you didn’t need help. You planned it all on your own. That counts more to me. I don’t need extravagant, Brice. I just want time with you.” She laced her fingers through the fringe on the edge of the blanket. “And besides, there’s something about our relationship and sunsets that goes hand in hand. Don’t you think?”

  Kendall was getting way ahead of herself, but she’d already considered what a wedding to Brice would look like. That should scare a commitment-phobic person such as herself, but with Brice, it didn’t. She’d rent a portion of the beach and wear a flowy white dress. Her hair would be down her back, styled in loose curls, with only a crown of woven flowers for decoration. They’d both be barefoot, of course, and the ceremony would be perfectly timed so that when the minister pronounced them man and wife, the sun would be dipping below the horizon.

  “I think of you every time the sun sets,” he whispered. “Other times too. But sunsets are special. They’re yours.”

  “Ours,” she whispered back. “They’re ours.”

  * * *

  “You can’t do this.” Brice ground the words between his teeth. “You can’t do this to us.”

  Sesser Atwood cleared his throat on the other end of the phone. “Actually I can.”

  The pencil in Brice’s hand snapped in two. Calm down. He gaped at the broken pieces, letting them fall onto the office desk in the shipping warehouse. Wars aren’t won by losing your head. He pushed out of his chair, yanking the phone close to the edge to give the cord enough room for him to stand.

  There had to be a way to fight Sesser on this. Even if Brice had to gather the rest of the renters on the dock and seek legal counsel together, he’d do it. He would even be willing to foot the bill.

  He clapped a hand over his forehead and jammed the tips of his thumb and middle fingers into his temples. Brice took a shaky breath. “I signed a contract in order to move my boat to your downtown pier. A yearlong contract. It said—”

  Sesser’s loud, gravelly voice overtook Brice’s words. “It said you can’t back out of your year contract is what it said.”

  “I’m not backing out,” Brice growled.

  “Sure sounds like you want to.” Was that...a laugh?

  Breathe. Speak rationally. “That contract also states that the monthly charge for docking would stay the same for the twelve-month term.”

  “You’re right. It does say that.”

  “So you’re the one breaking contract.”

  “Your docking fee remains the same. The new fee is a tourist tax. A simple set amount for every passenger who boards your boat. Every single time you sail.”

  “But that’s what I’m saying. You can’t alter the contract terms.”

  “Flip over to article six in the contract papers and you’ll see that I can.”

  Brice bit down hard, pressing his molars together, sending pain shooting throughout his jaw. A headache wasn’t far off. With the way the day was playing out, it would probably become a full-blown migraine before noon.

  Sesser filled the pause. “Now, if you need to break contract over this, remember I’ll need the equivalent of nine months of docking fees u
p front. That’s stated plainly in the paperwork you signed.”

  The tycoon had Brice trapped. It felt as if he’d been tossed onto burning coals and Brice’s only choice was to dance along or go up in flames. It raked him to feel so out of control.

  Showing weakness, being vulnerable with Sesser, was the equivalent of covering himself in raw meat and lying down amid a pack of wolves. But Brice had to know. “Why do you hate us? The Daniels family. What did we ever do to you?”

  “Son—”

  “I’m no son of yours,” Brice snapped. His biological dad might have been an abusive gambler, but at least he didn’t see every person in the world as someone to misuse for financial gain. No one was worse than Sesser Atwood. No one. Not even his father, Mason Daniels.

  “I’m a businessman. I don’t have room for hate.”

  Brice steadied his hand on the windowsill. “Or any other emotion, it would seem. Only money. It’s all you care about.”

  “Your brother runs a business out of a storefront he rents from me.” Sesser spoke in a calm but authoritative tone. “All of your ships are on my ports. And your pathetic parents may own that joke of a home now, but I still own all the land surrounding their house. I also hear your sister wants to find a part-time job, but one word from me and no business in town will hire her—let alone engage in business with you or your brother. Do you really want to challenge me?”

  Everything Sesser said was true—the man had that much power. Brice really should bite his tongue, but he was so tired of keeping his head down. So weary from all the times in life he hadn’t been able to defend himself, let alone the people he cared about.

  Someone had to put Sesser in his place. “Threaten to get your way. That’s all you know how to do, isn’t it? If Claire knew about—”

  “Oh, I don’t think you’d dare go down that road.”

  The door to his office creaked and Brice spun around, ready to glare at whoever from his crew happened to be interrupting him, but his hard look landed on Kendall. She froze and her smile faltered. A bag from Candy’s Donuts dangled in her hand.

  Brice held up a finger and mouthed, One minute. Then he faced the small window in his office again. He had to end the conversation with Sesser. Arguing was pointless because they were never going to see eye to eye. “Thanks for letting me know about the change in the contract, but listen here—if I have any changes I want to make to my end, I’ll let you know by the end of the week.”

  “Always a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Daniels.”

  “Wish I could say likewise.”

  When he turned around to hang up the phone, he found Kendall waiting on the other side of his desk. She’d set the bag of donuts down. “You’ve stopped by and surprised me every day this past week, so I thought I’d return the favor today. It sounds like I might have come at a bad time.”

  “It’s a fine time.” He rubbed his hand over his short hair.

  “Brice.” She laced her fingers together. “I didn’t mean to listen in. And I honestly didn’t hear much. But I’ve never heard you speak in that tone. What’s wrong?”

  “The dock owner found a way to rob me of all our earnings. Effective on Friday he’s placed a tax on the head of every person I bring on board our sunset cruises.”

  “A tax? I don’t understand.”

  “Somehow he’s caught wind of how successful we’ve been and now he wants a cut of the pie.” Brice sighed. “It’s backhanded and unethical, but I’m afraid that’s how Sesser Atwood works.”

  “Sesser Atwood? What does he have to do with this?”

  Oh, right, Kendall was friends with Sesser’s daughter. Brice tried to infuse gentleness into his voice. “Sesser owns both docks. I pay him for every boat I have to have there. Well, that was him on the phone. He’s going to cut into our profit deeply if he really is allowed to enforce the tax.”

  Kendall dropped into the chair on the other side of his desk. She opened her mouth and then closed it, then opened it again. “Wait. Sesser owns the docks?”

  Why was that so hard to comprehend? He nodded.

  She rocked to the edge of the seat. “No problem, then. I’ll speak to him. I’m sure he’ll waive it for you. He must not realize we’re in business together.”

  Why was Kendall speaking as though she was friends with Sesser? Brice’s head pounded. “What are you talking about?”

  She licked her lips and lowered her voice. “Will you promise not to tell anyone if I tell you something?”

  “Okay.” He drew out the word, not sure he wanted to make the promise she was asking of him, but agreeing anyway.

  “Sesser is my secret business partner. He financially backed Love on a Dime. I know if I go speak with him he’ll be more than happy to—”

  “Your what?” Brice’s voice rose. He couldn’t help it. His mind had taken a moment to catch up to her words, but now they sank in. Sourness crept up the back of his throat. Kendall had a partnership with Sesser Atwood...the man he disliked most in the entire world.

  “Partner.” She looked down.

  “No.” The word came out hoarse, as if it had been ripped from his lungs. “That man...” He shook his head. “You can’t be partners with him.”

  Kendall tipped her head back, her deep, soulful eyes meeting his. They reminded him of a sad animal, begging to be let in from the rain. Look away. He couldn’t afford to go soft. Not when it had to do with Atwood. Not after all that man had done to the Danielses.

  “He’s been good to me,” Kendall pleaded. “He—”

  “I don’t want to hear it.” Brice held up his hand. Blood rushed through his veins like a freight train. “Is there a way to get out of the partnership?”

  “There’s not.” She lifted her chin. “And I don’t want out. I wouldn’t have a business without him. I wouldn’t know you without him.”

  “I owe that man nothing. Not. One. Thing.” Brice shoved away from his desk and stalked to the window. “You have to break the partnership, Kendall.”

  “I can’t.”

  “For me. Please? Can you do this for me?”

  “I can’t.” Her bottom lip quivered.

  Brice shoved his hand against the back of his head. “It’s him or me. Don’t you understand that? I can’t be with you—not in a business deal or in a personal way—if you have a connection to that man.”

  “Where is this coming from? Talk to me, Brice. You’re scaring me.”

  Brice pivoted and stalked toward her. “That man has ruined the lives of everyone I’ve ever cared about. He’s held back my business for years. He uses, crushes and discards people. How can you even consider staying with him?”

  “It’s just business. Brice...look at me.”

  One clipped laugh burst from his lips. “You told Shelby that she shouldn’t keep secrets from Joel, and here you were keeping this whopper of a secret from me. I trusted you, Kendall.” His voice broke. Brice swallowed hard, regrouping. “I thought... It doesn’t matter what I thought. You’re not going to break your partnership with him, are you?”

  A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she shook her head. “My business is gone if I do.”

  Kendall’s confirmation hit with the pain of a crowbar against knees. He wanted to sink to the ground and crawl into a closet. Hide the way he had done when he was a child.

  Worthless. No one wants you. No one would ever choose you. He wasn’t good enough for her. He would never be good enough. Never be the one chosen. Women always picked the man with money. Just like Audra. How had he allowed himself to be blindsided again? Sure, there was nothing romantic between Sesser and Kendall, but that hardly mattered. She was still choosing to align herself with the man.

  Brice crossed his arms over his chest, pressing against the hurt boiling inside. “He’s my enemy, Kendall. How do y
ou not get that?”

  “Enemy? Really? Listen to yourself.” She dashed tears away. “You sound like you’re still in high school!”

  “Out.” Brice pointed toward the door. For her own good, he had to get her to leave. He didn’t want to say something he’d regret later. He had to think first. Had to piece his life together alone. Like always.

  “Brice, you don’t—”

  “I don’t want to talk to you right now. I can’t. Please go.” He sank back into his chair and rested his head in his hands. She hadn’t moved yet. “Go.”

  “I will.” She sounded as if she was choking back a sob. His heart squeezed. The logical part of his brain told him to go comfort her, to end the argument by taking her in his arms. But he quashed that thought by shoving his arms into his chest harder.

  Her feet shuffled against the concrete floor. “But this conversation isn’t done. Call me whenever you’re ready. I’ll wait. I’ll always wait for you.”

  Emotions churned in his chest. Chase after her! But he kept his head down until he was sure she was gone.

  Brice dug his cell phone out of his pocket and tore off the back. He yanked out the battery and tossed it into a nearby drawer. No one would be able to reach him. Good. He should have stayed an island. Should have kept to his cabin. Well, he’d learned his lesson good and hard now.

  He’d never venture outside himself again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Two days.

  Kendall paced the length of her condo.

  No one had seen or heard from Brice in two days. The men at the shipping warehouse hadn’t sounded concerned when she dropped by looking for him the day following their argument. They said Brice was taking a few days off. No return date, at least not one they were sharing.

  She dropped down into her eggplant-colored chair, scooping up her phone. Kendall swiped the screen, bringing it to life. But...she couldn’t call him. Not without making herself look completely pathetic. She set the phone back on the coffee table. The first day she’d left him four messages. Four. And he hadn’t returned her calls. The second day she’d called his phone three different times throughout the day and it still went straight to voice mail.