Love Unbroken (Diamond Creek, Alaska Novels Book 3)

by J. H. Croix

  Hannah merely held her gaze, her blue eyes mirroring Emma’s. “Well, I’m even more glad you came out here. Is that why you decided to move here too?”

  Emma shook her head. “I fell in love with Diamond Creek, and I really wanted to get to know you, get to know where my parents lived. Don’t get my wrong, it helped me feel safe leaving Greg for good, but I had a lot more reasons to come here.”

  Hannah smiled slowly and reached over to squeeze Emma’s hand.

  Tess started to say something just as the waitress appeared.

  “Another round for everyone. It’s on me. Don’t ask why, but trust me when I say we all need a drink,” Susie said emphatically to the waitress.

  Unruffled, the waitress simply asked, “Same thing for everyone?”

  When the waitress stepped away, Tess caught Emma’s eyes. “All I want to say is this: we all have jerks in our past. Sounds like your ex was a doozy and then some. But whatever you do, know that you do not need to feel ashamed around us.”

  “Thanks, that means a lot. I should have told you about it sooner…but…”

  When Emma paused, Susie jumped in. “There are no shoulds here.”

  Emma started laughing. “Coming from you? No shoulds…”

  Susie widened her eyes. “Hey, maybe I’m opinionated, but for stuff like this, I’m not.”

  “I know, I know. You just opened that door and I couldn’t resist,” Emma replied.

  Conversation shifted to lighter territory after that. Luke and Nathan showed up, Hannah’s and Tess’s husbands, respectively.

  “Where’s Jared?” Susie asked.

  “The usual, something to do with work,” Nathan replied.

  “You’d think that man could learn how to relax,” Susie said with a roll of her eyes.

  Emma caught Tess’s eyes and then Hannah’s, the three of them sharing a knowing glance.

  Chapter 6

  Sunlight arced through the cab of Emma’s truck as she turned onto the main road, driving toward the harbor to meet Trey and Stuart. She’d inherited her little Toyota truck from Hannah. After Hannah and Luke married, they had one too many trucks. Emma loved that it was slightly worn, its red paint faded. It gave her a sense of comfort.

  The early morning sun was bright, the sky crisp blue. Trey called her yesterday morning to check that she could still meet them to fish. She had been in between appointments when she answered. He had sounded formal and polite. When he’d explained that they’d be going out on his boat, she’d inexplicably gotten more nervous. The doubts in her mind kicked at the tires of her attraction to Trey—assessing its worth, its frivolity and just how ridiculous it was that a tiny part of her wished he was as attracted to her as she to him.

  Emma stopped for coffee at Red Truck Coffee, a tiny coffee shop, housed in an old red square truck, just before the turn into Otter Cove Harbor. Cammi, another friend she’d met through Hannah, owned Red Truck Coffee and had started it on a whim one summer. It was now a Diamond Creek fixture, owing to Cammi’s amazing coffee and an incredibly convenient location for summer traffic.

  Cammi greeted Emma with her usual warmth. Between her honey brown hair in its cute pixie cut, her soft blue eyes and ever-present sweet sentimentality, Cammi’s presence was soothing. “Where are you headed today?” she asked when Emma walked up.

  “The usual, fishing.”

  “Going with Hannah or Tess?”

  Given that’s who Emma almost always went fishing with, Cammi’s question was innocent.

  Emma hedged. “Not today, another friend.”

  Cammi lifted her eyebrows in question.

  Emma sighed, knowing if she didn’t just say who she was going fishing with, someone else would mention it and then there’d be more to explain.

  “With Trey and his son, Stuart,” she added.

  “Oh, Trey Holden?”

  At Emma’s nod, Cammi beamed. “Stuart is such a sweetie! They stop by here a lot. Trey is such a god dad.” Cammi paused and gave Emma an assessing look. “Not to be weird, but Trey isn’t the most social guy. The only reason I’ve gotten to know them a little is that Trey is a serious early bird and comes by for coffee when most of the town is still asleep. How did you meet him and do I get to ask just what this little fishing jaunt is about?” Cammi had a slightly protective edge to her questions.

  “It’s not a huge deal. Stuart invited me. I met them kind of by accident…” Emma explained how she’d hooked Stuart’s baseball hat and then ran into them twice more after that.

  “That little boy wants his dad to find a ‘lady friend’. I can’t help but say it—if Trey went along with it, he must like you. He’s protective of Stuart.” Cammi wrinkled her nose and winked. “Can’t wait to hear how it went.”

  Emma brimmed with questions and got jittery at the mere mention that Trey must like her. But she didn’t want to let on how curious she was, so she swallowed her questions and shook her head. “I’m just going fishing.” She took a sip of coffee. “Coffee’s amazing by the way. I’ll catch you later.”

  Someone else had just shown up, providing Emma a chance to gracefully make her exit. Moments later, she parked at the harbor and sat in the quiet for a moment, sipping her coffee. Anxiety coursed through her. What she knew to be an innocent and sweet invitation from Stuart had her nerves in knots. Her attraction to Trey discombobulated her. The cool, calm and stable self she’d tried to recapture since leaving Greg didn’t involve her hankering after a sexy wilderness pilot who just happened to be a lawyer too. While Emma hadn’t spent much time with Trey, she could imagine that austere, shuttered expression coming over his face if he knew anything about her marriage to Greg. With a hard shake of her head, she got out of the truck, gathered her fishing gear from the back and headed to the docks, clutching her coffee, comforted by the warmth in her palm.

  She paused for a moment at the top of the dock and looked into the harbor. A salty gust caressed her face, the brisk air enervating her. Otter Cove Harbor was nestled in a small cove with hills curling around it. Spruce trees covered the hills, which gave way to a rocky shore. Beyond the cove lay Kachemak Bay and even further beyond was Cook Inlet, which led to the open Pacific Ocean. World-class fishing happened in every nook and cranny of the Alaskan coastline. Trey had explained he preferred to keep trips close when he brought Stuart with him, so they were heading not too far out in Kachemak Bay to fish for silver salmon.

  Emma took a deep breath, savoring the crisp air. She’d grown to love Alaskan summers, so different from the humid, languid summers back East. She loved both and enjoyed the contrast. When the sun wasn’t shining, it didn’t feel much like summer in Alaska. When it was, the air was crisp, the warmth a balm. With Diamond Creek situated on the coast, there was an ever-present ocean breeze. Another gust of wind blew her bangs into her eyes. She shook them away and began walking down the dock, glancing around to find the boat slip Trey mentioned. She quickly caught sight of Trey and Stuart. Trey was leaning over the boat engine while Stuart stood atop a bench to one side of the boat. Stuart was attired in a bright orange life jacket over a bright blue fleece jacket and jeans tucked into Xtratufs, the indestructible rubber boots favored by Alaskans. He wore a blue baseball cap. Emma had been gifted a pair of Xtratufs by Susie not long after she moved here and was wearing them today. Though she wanted to feel sexy, she knew that was all but impossible when fishing. She also had enough sense to know that she’d look like a fool if she didn’t dress practically for fishing. As with Stuart, she wore her boots over jeans. She’d allowed herself a small frivolity by wearing a bright red fitted button-down jersey over a gray tank top that hugged her curves. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, though wisps were already blowing free around her face.

  “Hey Emma,” Stuart called as she came within earshot. His face shone with a bright grin.

  “Hey Stuart, how’s it going?”

  “Great!” he exclaimed before hopping down from the bench and
tapping his father’s shoulder. “Dad, Emma’s here,” Stuart said, tugging Trey’s sleeve.

  Emma reached the side of the boat and heard a muffled response before Trey lifted his head and stood. When he turned, his eyes landed right on hers, that rich brown gaze so direct she thought he must be able to see through her. While she willed her mind otherwise, butterflies swirled in her center, a wash of heat coursed through her and her face flamed. Despite knowing that it wasn’t a good idea, she couldn’t deny the attraction she felt for Trey. For the barest second, his eyes darkened. Before she could think, he gave his head a quick shake, his expression shifting to bland and friendly.

  “Hi there. Stuart’s been asking when you’d get here,” Trey said, his eyes flicking from hers to smile down at Stuart. “I told you she’d be here any minute. And she’s even early,” he said, ruffling Stuart’s hair.

  Stuart beamed. “Are you ready?”

  “Absolutely,” she replied, returning Stuart’s smile. His earnest sweetness was endearing.

  Trey stepped over to the side of the boat, quickly climbing out onto the dock.

  “Can I help with that?” he asked with a lift of one brow, gesturing to the bag she held.

  “Sure,” Emma said, handing over the small bag that held waterproof gear. Trey had explained there was no need to bring a fishing rod, as he had several on the boat. While Emma had learned that many Alaskans were quite specific about their fishing gear, she had yet to master it, so she was happy to go along with whatever was available.

  Trey immediately stepped back into the boat and handed her bag to Stuart. “Got it?”

  Stuart nodded firmly, holding the bag with both hands.

  Trey turned and reached his hand out to Emma. Placing her hand in his, a current buzzed through her at his touch. His grip was firm and strong as he gave her a lift to step over the side of the boat. Flustered, she stumbled slightly once in the boat, her shoulder bumping against Trey’s.

  “Easy,” he said, his voice right at her ear, his hand anchoring her.

  Her feet steady again, she risked a glance. Her eyes collided with his and she couldn’t look away. His guarded gaze gave way, a smoldering heat arcing from his eyes to hers. She stood close enough that she felt the deep breath he took. Her own breath caught in her throat, her heart raced. She couldn’t seem to look away even though she knew she must. Trey’s eyes fell to her lips before locking with hers again. He closed his eyes quickly. When he opened them again, the heat was gone. A wry smile lifted the corner of his mouth as he stepped away, releasing her hand.

  Emma quickly took another step back, her legs bumping against the side of the boat. She forced herself to look away. The boat was a medium-sized motorboat. There were two cushioned chairs, one at the steering wheel and another at its side, flanking the opening to a small cabin. There was a bench on each side. Though it felt like forever when Trey’s eyes had locked onto hers, Emma noticed that Stuart was just setting her bag down by the bench across from where she stood.

  Stuart quickly turned back. “Dad, can we go now?”

  Trey had remained in place once he stepped away from her. He looked to Stuart. “Just a few more minutes, bud. You want to show Emma around the boat while I finish getting us ready to go?”

  Stuart nodded so fast it was comical. He stepped over to Emma’s side and slipped his hand into hers, giving a tug. “Come on, Emma. Let’s go to the cabin first.”

  Emma let herself be led around, Stuart’s small hand in hers. His utter joy at having a visitor with them touched her. The boat cabin was small and utilitarian. A tiny cooking area, consisting of a mini refrigerator, two-burner stove, microwave and sink, was situated across from a dining nook. A v-shaped bed was tucked into the bow, barely large enough for two people. Stuart helpfully showed her the bathroom, which had precisely enough room for a stand-up shower and portable toilet. When they climbed out of the cabin onto the deck, Trey was waiting for them.

  “Is the tour complete?” he asked Stuart.

  “Yep. Can we go now?” came Stuart’s quick response.

  Trey looked to Emma. “Ready?”

  The few minutes she’d walked around with Stuart had grounded her. She’d braced herself to not keep making a fool of herself, so she managed a nod without losing her sense of time and place.

  Trey returned her nod and looked to Stuart. “Now we can go.” He caught Emma’s eyes again. “I’ll start the boat. Do you mind holding onto the steering wheel while I hop out and get the boat untied?”

  “No, not at all,” she said “I’ve even driven a few boats if you need help driving.”

  “Good to know,” Trey said. In the next few minutes, he started the engine, climbed onto the dock and tossed lines into the boat. Stuart appeared to know the routine and followed each line to where it landed, slowly and carefully winding the lines. His small hands fumbled with the lines, but he insisted he didn’t need help.

  As Trey stepped back into the boat, he looked over to Stuart. “Great job, Stuart.”

  Stuart stood, a tuft of brown hair sticking up from under his baseball cap, and grinned. “I told Emma I could do it myself,” he said, pride threading his voice.

  “And you did a great job,” Trey replied, giving Stuart’s shoulder a squeeze as he stepped over to the steering wheel.

  Emma slid out of the way and moved to the other chair. As they drove through the opening to the harbor, Kachemak Bay unfurled in front. Mount Augustine, the sole volcano that sat outside the entrance to Kachemak Bay, rose in the distance, dark and still against the bright blue sky. The shoreline receded behind them. Gulls swooped and called. The high screech of an eagle call cut through the air. The eagle in question flew low above the water to one side of the boat, its talons extended as it swooped to the water in a splash, rising with a fish held in its grip. Every eagle she saw elicited a sense of wonder. She’d never laid eyes on one until she visited Alaska. Their presence was commanding and intense. Its wings cast a shadow across the boat as the eagle arced into the sky, heading back to the shore.

  Stuart came to stand between her and Trey.

  “Do you want to sit here?” Emma asked Stuart.

  Stuart looked up at her, his eyes so open and sweet. “I like to stand,” he said simply.

  Trey looked over. “That he does. Even if you weren’t here, I couldn’t get him to sit down. Whenever we fish, he stands right here while I’m driving unless he’s too tired. Then he falls asleep in the cabin,” he said as he ruffled Stuart’s hair.

  Stuart looked up at her again. With a quick smile, he stepped in front of her and leaned back against her chair. Emma looked down at the top of his head, her hands falling to his shoulders. She looked over at Trey. He gave her a quick smile and a shrug.

  The morning passed in a blur. Trey anchored the boat for a few hours within view of Gull Island, a tiny rock island toward the other side of the bay. Gull Island swarmed with birds—gulls, puffins, cormorants and kittiwakes clustered on the rock ledges. Emma leaned over the cooler to pour ice inside when she felt a tug and then her half of her ponytail lifted straight in the air, forcing her to stand. Reaching up, she felt a fishing hook caught in her hair and turned slowly around to find Stuart giggling. Trey’s back was to them while he fiddled with the reel on his fishing rod.

  Emma laughed. “Well, you got me back. I caught your hat, and now you caught my hair. How do you suppose we take care of this?”

  Stuart kept giggling, but managed to keep his grip on his fishing rod. Emma knew she looked ridiculous when Trey finally turned around to see her with her ponytail hovering above her head. Trey merely shook his head and laughed.

  He glanced down to Stuart. “I’m hoping this was an accident,” he said though he had to bite his lip to stop laughing.

  Stuart giggled and nodded. “I didn’t mean to. It was just like when Emma caught my hat! I went to cast and then it didn’t go anywhere.”

  Emma shrugged. “Turnabout’s fair
play. Do you think you could loosen your line now?” she asked Stuart.

  Still giggling, Stuart adjusted his reel and the line went slack. Emma’s ponytail fell. She sifted through her hair, trying to untangle the fishing hook.

  Trey took the rod from Stuart’s hands and set it in a holder before coming to stand by Emma. “Let me get that,” he said, reaching up and carefully extricating the hook. Having him stand this close set her pulse aquiver. Her breath became shallow and her face hot.

  “There, got it,” Trey said, stepping back, the hook in hand. He flashed a quick smile, which only deepened her flush.

  Flustered, she nodded quickly and stepped further away. She was relieved that Stuart immediately asked Trey to help him cast his line again, taking his attention away from her. By early afternoon, they each caught their daily limit of silver salmon. Stuart’s energy was unflagging until the last fish was tucked in the cooler. The enthusiasm that buoyed him throughout the day finally waned. Standing at his father’s side while Trey layered ice over the fish, his eyes fluttered and he swayed.

  Emma moved quickly behind him, clasping him by the shoulders. “Hey Stuart, you’re about to fall asleep,” she said softly.

  He shook his head forcefully. “No I’m not.” His eyes gave it away as he fought to keep them open.

  Trey looked over his shoulder. “Hey bud, I’m thinkin’ it’s time for a nap. It’s been a long morning.”

  “But Dad, Emma’s here. I want to stay awake the whole day,” Stuart said, his tired voice tinged with a whine.