The Truest Thing: Hart's Boardwalk #4

by Samantha Young

  Four and a half years ago

  There were many advantages to owning a beach house, but that morning, it was seeing Jack running along the shore.

  Two days ago, when we’d acknowledged each other’s presence outside the counseling building where I volunteered with the kids, my hurt manifested into coldness that I regretted as soon as I got into my car. Ahmad, the receptionist, had said a guy was in asking for me at the beginning of the playgroup, but it wasn’t until I reached my car that I realized it must’ve been Jack.

  Jack had waited outside that building for an hour for me.

  Why? I didn’t know.

  I knew I had every reason to be mad at him … but when he looked at me with those soulful, sad eyes, a voice inside told me something was not right. Iris had said it months ago, before Jack cheated with Dana.

  But I’d let my hurt control my response outside the building.

  Now, seeing his expression in my mind over and over again, the guilt ate at me.

  What if something had happened? What if Jack needed someone to talk to?

  Was I a fool to even offer him that kind of compassion or benefit of the doubt?

  All questions fled as soon as I saw him running past my house.

  I moved.

  I slid my coffee cup onto the porch table, kicked off my fuzzy slippers, and hurried down the steps and through the private gate that offered beach access. It was winter in Delaware, so I was wearing thermal pajamas and an oversized knit sweater.

  It mildly concerned me that Jack wore only a T-shirt and jogging pants.

  But he was running, so I guess he was warm.

  “Jack!” I called, struggling through the sand in my cold, bare feet.

  He kept going.

  Dammit.

  “Jack!” I yelled louder.

  This time he glanced back over his shoulder. Catching sight of me, he stopped and turned to me. I hurried as fast as I could, despite the obstructive sand.

  “How do you do this every day?” I huffed as I approached him.

  Although his eyes moved over my face, there was a cool blankness in them I didn’t like.

  Moreover, his hair was beautifully disheveled, a flush rested high on his cheeks, and I was desperately trying not to stare at his corded throat or muscular forearms or basically any part of his profoundly attractive physique.

  Which meant there was nowhere I could look that didn’t make me blush.

  And quite abruptly, the blankness melted from his expression and something warm moved through him.

  I relaxed a little.

  “Em, what are you doing out here in your pajamas?”

  I ignored the flutter in my belly at the nickname. “I came to apologize.”

  Just like that, his expression grew stony. “Not necessary.”

  “But I was—”

  “Em, leave it.” He turned to go.

  And even more abruptly, I was mad. I’d trusted him enough to approach him despite his past behavior. “You know how hard this is for me?”

  Jack halted and heaved a sigh. He glanced back, frowning. “Em, you don’t owe me anything.”

  “No, but you owe me.” I surprised myself.

  I think I surprised him too.

  Jack wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm, and I tried not to notice the way his T-shirt rose, revealing a flash of hard abs. My eyes darted upward and my cheeks prickled with heat against the icy ocean breeze.

  Jack’s lips twitched with amusement, which was better than the coldness, so I’d take it.

  “I’m sorry I was rude to you in Millton.”

  He shrugged. “I understood why.”

  “It doesn’t excuse my behavior.”

  “It actually does.” He shook his head at me. “Em, you’re too good for your own good.”

  Despite what sounded like a warning in his words, I took another step toward him. A flicker of wariness crossed his face, but I boldly took another step until we were almost touching.

  “Will you tell me why you stood me up?” This man made me inexplicably brave. I wished whatever it was about him that made me feel stronger could be bottled so I could have it with me through the rest of my life.

  Jack’s eyes searched mine before moving down my face to my lips and then back to my eyes. “I wish I could, sunrise.”

  There was that endearment again.

  I reminded him of the sunrise. It was probably the best compliment anyone had ever given me. Sweet and surprisingly poetic from Jack.

  “You can’t tell me or you won’t tell me?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  Hmm. What on earth had happened?

  “You can always talk to me, Jack,” I offered. “I’m a vault.”

  He chuckled unhappily, and the sound hurt my heart. “Why do you assume I have anything I need to talk about?”

  “Because I don’t believe you just decided to join your father’s company and betray your best friend for the hell of it.”

  The muscle in his jaw ticked. “Well, you’d be the only one.”

  “I don’t think that’s true. But”—I bravely placed a hand on his arm, feeling a tingle in my fingers at the connection—“the longer this goes on, the less likely people are to forgive you.”

  Jack abruptly stepped away from me, his expression shutting down. “I’m not asking for forgiveness.”

  I deflated.

  Embarrassment held me frozen as he turned and walked away.

  What a stupid woman I was to assume that I could coax the truth out of Jack when no one else could.

  I was about to retreat to my house when Jack stopped and spun back around. He marched through the sand, a fierce expression on his face. And my heart leapt into my throat when I realized he wasn’t slowing down as he came at me.

  Then he was there, reaching for me, one hand clasping my nape in a demanding grip as he hauled me against him. His mouth captured mine as his other arm wrapped around my waist. My breasts crushed against his chest.

  And he kissed me.

  It was no simple brush of his lips across mine.

  It wasn’t anything like the kiss I’d seen him give that tourist two and a half years ago.

  This was the hungriest kiss I’d ever experienced in my life.

  Jack’s tongue swept over mine in a dance that consumed. His kiss was deep. Thorough. I could taste coffee on his tongue. And his mouth was hot. So hot, his kiss scorched me from the inside out. I wanted more. I wanted everything. I kissed him back in open invitation, my fingers biting into his shoulders as I pushed into his mouth for more. His grip bruised as his groan vibrated down my throat, and I swear I felt seconds from fainting.

  He was hard against my stomach and I whimpered, my lower body melting against him in mutual need.

  Then, just as suddenly as he’d pulled me against him, Jack pushed me away. But he didn’t let go. He held me by the shoulders as he tried to catch his breath.

  As we both tried to catch our breaths.

  I knew.

  I’d known from the moment I talked to Jack Devlin that his kiss would be the kind I’d waited for my entire life.

  He squeezed my shoulders, his expression warring between desire and affection. “I had to do that.” His voice was hoarse, his tone almost apologetic. “I had to do that just once in my life.”

  Then he released me.

  He walked away.

  And tears filled my eyes.

  Because his words suggested I’d never experience a kiss like that again.

  9

  Jack

  Two years ago

  He’d like to believe Ian was only going after Cooper because he was next on the list to harass. Nearly everyone had been tormented by Ian Devlin at some point in the last twenty years regarding giving up their prime boardwalk real estate. And this would not be the first time Ian had gone after Cooper’s Bar.

  However, Jack got the distinct impression Ian was doing it to anger his son. No matter that his blackmail had wor
ked on Jack, he’d never respect his father. He’d never give him his loyalty willingly, and that bothered Ian Devlin more than he’d like anyone to know.

  Going after Cooper was about punishing Jack.

  He thought Jack would balk at dealing with Cooper in this matter, but as much as Jack didn’t want to face his old friend, he needed to be the one in control of this situation. He’d have to find a way to make sure nothing happened to Coop’s bar without Ian finding out Jack was the reason.

  It did not make heading down the boardwalk to Cooper’s that morning any fucking easier.

  His palms were clammy, for Christ’s sake.

  Shaking it off, Jack reminded himself that this wouldn’t the first time he’d spoken to Cooper in two years. They lived in a small town. They bumped into each other.

  However, it would be the first time he deliberately approached his old buddy.

  As he got closer to the bar, his attention was drawn past it to Emery’s as Cooper stepped out of her store with a to-go cup in his hand. Jack’s gut twisted. He hadn’t spoken to her in two years.

  Two fucking years.

  But he’d kept an eye on her, and he did not like what he saw.

  Em had lived in Hartwell for seven years, and she was still alone. He knew she went to her kids’ playgroup every second week, but that was the extent of her social life. She didn’t have friends. She didn’t have family.

  She didn’t date.

  A sick part of him was relieved he didn’t have to watch that, but the better part of him grew steadily more concerned every time he saw her. Emery wasn’t happy.

  A little sadness had always existed within her, but it was growing.

  And watching that happen killed him.

  It made him hate his father more than he thought possible for trapping him in this life.

  Stupid jealousy twisted in his gut at the sight of Coop drinking Em’s coffee. His old friend got to speak to her whenever he liked. Petty to be jealous. But there it was.

  Cooper’s steps faltered as he walked toward his bar and spotted Jack.

  Just like that, Jack watched the cold aloofness that had become familiar wrap around Coop. He always looked ready for a fight whenever he saw Jack.

  Not that he blamed him.

  Even though a harsh part of Jack still felt like he’d done his ex-friend a favor by showing him Dana’s true colors.

  “Here on business.” He held up his hands in surrender before Cooper could tell him to fuck off.

  He admired Cooper’s blank expression. It must’ve taken some restraint to master his reaction. As they stopped outside Coop’s bar, facing each other, his friend sipped his coffee with an air of casualness Jack doubted he actually felt. “And Ian thought it was a good idea to send you?”

  C’mon, man, you know Ian likes to inflict as much damage as possible on any given day. “I gave up trying to work out how my father’s mind works a long time ago.”

  “And yet you work for the bastard?”

  There it was. The thing that Jack had destroyed a friendship to avoid discussing. “He’s upping his offer on the bar.”

  Anger and frustration flickered across his old friend’s expression, and Jack wanted to punch Ian for doing this. Cooper took a step closer to Jack; it was meant to be aggressive and intimidating.

  There was a part of Jack that wanted Cooper to hit him.

  He’d hit him when he’d caught him with Dana.

  But it had been one punch.

  Not enough.

  Not what he deserved.

  “You tell your father what I’ve told him every year since the bar became mine … I. Am. Not. Selling. And while I’ve got breath in my body I never will. You tell him if he ever comes back here with another offer, he and I will have a serious problem.”

  It wasn’t anything less than what Jack had expected.

  Ian would escalate things against Cooper now. He’d try something shitty and underhanded. Already attempting to figure out how he could put a stop to anything Ian might initiate, Jack gave his old buddy a tight nod and walked away.

  Several months later

  Every few weeks, Jack found himself at Germaine’s. It was a trendy bar on Main Street where locals and tourists hung out on the weekend. On the nights Jack didn’t feel like sleeping alone, this was where he came.

  Tonight, he needed a warm body to take his mind off Ian’s latest machinations.

  Losing the Beckwith property on the boardwalk to that fancy chef had pushed his father over the edge. He’d been easing up on his plans to fuck with Cooper, but now they were back in motion.

  And Jack had just learned that Ian had greased the palms of someone on the board of licenses. Cooper would not get his liquor license renewed this year. Or the next.

  He would be out of business.

  It took everything within Jack not to swing for Ian when he’d told him.

  No, when he’d taken extreme delight in telling him.

  Jack sipped his beer as his eyes wandered the bar. He had to find a way to warn Cooper. However, he had to do it in a way that wouldn’t get back to Ian, or his sadistic bastard of a father would take it out on him through Rebecca. Or his mom.

  Movement near the bar entrance drew his attention, and Jack tensed.

  Jessica Huntington.

  Cooper’s new woman.

  The blond doctor walked through the bar with George Beckwith, of all people. Jack drew his gaze down her body and back up again. When they’d bumped into each other weeks ago at the music festival, it was deliberate. He wanted to look into her eyes, get a feel for who she was and if she was good enough for Cooper. Everyone in town had welcomed her into the fold so quickly, Jack thought that said excellent things about her. He was glad Cooper had found Jessica. From all accounts, she was exactly the kind of woman his friend deserved: smart, kind, warm. Jack was inclined to like her because since her arrival, she’d made friends with Emery. Everyone was talking about it. The shy bookstore owner was finally opening up to someone.

  Jack was grateful to the doc for giving that to Em.

  But now, word on the street was that she and Coop had broken up.

  And Jack knew why.

  Because his father was a dirty fucker, Jack knew things about Jessica that no one had a right to know. Horrible, shitty things. Her past was not an easy one, and although he didn’t know her, he couldn’t help but admire her from a distance. His father had blackmailed Jessica to get her to push Cooper to sell the bar.

  Instead, she’d broken up with Coop, which meant she would sacrifice herself to save his ex-best friend.

  Jack could trust her.

  His gut told him that.

  But Jessica needed to trust Cooper. There was no way in hell Cooper would turn his back on her if he knew the truth.

  Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone here, Jack realized.

  Waiting impatiently, Jack found his opportunity when Beckwith left Jessica alone. He moved through the bar and slid onto George’s vacant stool.

  The doc blinked in surprise at his appearance.

  Jack studied her face, stared into her eyes, and tried to get another feel for her. There was intelligence there, but she was closed off. In fact, she was giving him massive fuck-off vibes that pleased him. Definitely still loyal to Cooper.

  “What do you want?” Her tone was cold.

  Jack was used to that from anyone who cared about Coop.

  “Just saying hello.”

  “Hello. Now you can leave.”

  Jack almost smiled. “Last I heard, you and Cooper were broken up.”

  “So?”

  “So that means we can talk.”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  “You’re still loyal to him?”

  “So loyal that if you don’t get your ass off that stool I’m going to make you.”

  Jack would like to see that. Laughing inwardly and feeling fucking pleased for his friend, he glanced around the bar as he tried to work out how to warn Jess
ica about his father. And then a woman with Dana’s coloring threw him a smile across the bar, reminding him of something else Cooper and Jessica needed warned about.

  Dana Kellerman.

  That selfish cow was also working behind the scenes to fuck things up for Cooper.

  That was, if Cooper and his woman hadn’t already fucked things up for themselves.

  Maybe giving Jessica a reason to see Cooper would help things along in that department.

  He looked back at the doc and found her glowering fiercely as ever. It was hot. He absolutely understood what Cooper saw in her. “You know, Dana came to me awhile ago. Just after the music festival actually.”

  She wrinkled her nose in disgust. It was cute. “I don’t care what you and Dana get up to.”

  “Just thought you might find it interesting that the reason she came to me was you.”

  “Oh?”

  “She wanted me to seduce you.” Jack wasn’t even lying. The bitch had come to him at the festival and proposed he break up Jess and Cooper. She really was dumb as a post. “Seduce you. Those were the exact words she used.”

  He knew by the furious flash in her eyes that Jessica understood what he was trying to tell her.

  Watch out for Dana Kellerman.

  Seeing she got him, he moved on. Beckwith would be back any second, and he didn’t need anyone witnessing this conversation with Jessica in case it got back to Ian. “My father isn’t going to use what he knows about you.”

  The color leached out of Jessica’s face, and Jack instantly felt like a prick. When he saw her fingers tremble around her glass, it took a lot not to place a comforting hand over hers. He wanted to tell her she had nothing to be ashamed of, not like Ian was making out.

  She wouldn’t invite that, though. What Jack really wanted to do was shake her and tell her to stop being stupid and tell his old friend the truth. Cooper was not a guy who would judge her for that shit.

  Instead, he waited impatiently for her reaction.

  “And why is that?” she asked, not looking him in the eye.

  “You broke up with Cooper. You’re no longer of any use. That doesn’t mean my father doesn’t know a good resource when he sees it. He’ll keep that information on a back burner until it proves useful again.” So, fucking tell Cooper the truth.