Seaside Kisses

by Stacy Claflin

  Amara's breath caught. "I noticed everything you did," she whispered.

  "Really? You never looked at me. Not once that I can remember."

  She bit her lower lip. "I was shy, and you were Mister Popularity."

  He gave her a curious expression. "Too shy to say hi?"

  Amara shrugged, feeling a bit like she used to back then. She nodded.

  Rafael frowned. "I should have said hi first. It's just that I had the feeling you didn't like me."

  "What?" Amara exclaimed. She took a deep breath. "Truth be told, I adored you. But I was terrified of what I would do if you ever would have called me Four-Eyed Fowler."

  He looked ashamed. "I can't say I never did, Amara, but I swear if I knew how nice you were, I never would have. I'm sorry you never felt you could talk to me."

  She shrugged. "I was shy. You hung out with kids who tortured me."

  "Torture?" His eyes widened.

  "Can we talk about something else?" she asked, squirming.

  He held the door open, and a gust of icy wind blew in. "I'm going to wear a scarf," he said. "Do you want one?"

  "Oh, I—"

  "It's on the house. Consider it an apology for anything I did as a stupid teenager." He grabbed her hand, and led her to a different part of the store.

  Butterflies danced in her stomach. She loved the feel of his hand on hers.

  "Pick a scarf. Any of them."

  "Are you sure?" she asked.

  Rafael picked one up a pretty multi-colored one. "This is my top-of-the-line one. I think it'll look gorgeous on you." He held it up to her face. "It does."

  Amara's face burned. "I couldn't."

  "I insist." He pushed her hair back and slid the scarf around her neck, brushing his hands against her cheek and neck. Amara held her breath. He adjusted the scarf and stepped back. "Beautiful."

  She wasn't sure if he meant her or the scarf. She couldn't find the words to thank him for the compliment, so she changed the subject. "I'll accept the gift if you let me pick one out for you."

  "Deal." He nodded.

  Amara found a black one that matched his coat and wrapped it around his neck. Her hands shook the entire time. She hoped he didn't notice. She felt an odd mixture of her current confidence blending with her old insecurity.

  Rafael gazed into her eyes, and they held the contact. Amara wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything that didn't sound lame. She knew her silence wasn't helping her show him that she was no longer the shy nerd, but it was better than saying something stupid since her mouth always ran ahead of her brain.

  He reached for her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. He readjusted the scarf, pulling some hair out from it.

  "Perfect," he whispered.

  She continued staring into his eyes, her heart pounding like a wild stallion. If she knew how he felt about her—if she knew she was picking up the right vibe—Amara would have kissed him herself instead of waiting for him. But with him awake, she wasn't nearly so bold.

  Rafael stepped back. "Are you ready for lunch?"

  Amara released a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. She nodded, but she wasn't nearly as hungry as she'd been before entering his shop.

  He went back over to the door and held it open for her again. The icy wind blew into the shop, blowing some papers over. Amara sprinted over and picked them up, stacking them away from the breeze.

  "Thank you," he said, and then locked the door behind them once they were outside.

  Another gust blew before she could reply. She shivered, and then he put his arm around her. Amara warmed instantly, both from his body heat and from the joy of him wrapping himself around her.

  "Does that help?" he asked, his deep voice gentle and near her ear.

  "More than you know." She swallowed.

  "Would you like to take my car?" he asked.

  And have him remove his arm? "We can walk. I'm happy like this."

  "Me, too." He held her a little tighter.

  They made their way to one of the closest restaurants, which was busier than normal for this time of year.

  "Everyone must have had the same idea," Rafael said. "Nothing beats Miss Marjorie's soup on a wintry day." He removed his arm from her shoulder and ran his fingers through his windblown hair.

  Amara went over to a mirror by the waiting area and looked at her hair, knowing it had to be a mess. She was right. Digging around her purse, she found a small brush and fixed it as best she could. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

  She turned around to see Rafael talking with Marjorie, the owner of the restaurant.

  Rafael waved her over. "Marjorie is going to give us the best seat in the house."

  Amara glanced around the busy waiting area. "But all these people were here first."

  Marjorie smiled, showing deep lines around her eyes. "When one of our own returns to town, they get special treatment. Come on." She led them to a booth near a fireplace that had a roaring blaze.

  "This is perfect," Amara said. "Thank you."

  "My pleasure. I'll have one of my kids bring out the soup of the day for you two."

  Rafael waited for Amara to sit, and then he sat across from her, smiling. They discussed his grand opening until the soups arrived. Amara looked back and forth between the fire and Rafael as she ate. She both warmed and relaxed, almost forgetting the crisp air outside.

  Just as she finished the chowder, a man with a bouncing toddler walked by their table and stopped.

  "Rafael?" he asked.

  Amara studied him. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't place him. He had thinning hair and dark circles under his eyes.

  "Jackson?" Rafael asked.

  Then Amara realized where she'd known him from. He'd been in their class—one of the main kids who had picked on her. In fact, Amara was pretty certain he'd been the one who'd coined her nickname. He'd stuck a wad of gum in her hair in math class freshman year and she'd had to cut it out and get an ugly hairstyle which only made her more of a loser.

  It was hard to believe he was the same age as them. He looked a good ten years older.

  "Yeah," Jackson said, picking up the little boy who pulled on his arm. "Are you back in town, too?"

  "Just came back near the end of the summer. How long have you been back?" Rafael asked.

  "Earlier this month. My parents have been whining about never seeing the grandkids, so I finally talked the old lady into moving here."

  "Old lady?" Rafael asked.

  "My wife," Jackson said, giving Rafael a look that clearly said duh.

  "Nice," Amara muttered under her breath. Felt like junior high all over again.

  Jackson glanced her way. "Who's this?"

  "Amara Fowler," Rafael said.

  Jackson's eyes widened. "Four—"

  "Just Amara," Rafael interrupted.

  "Wow. Time has been good to you. Both of you." He gave Amara a once-over. "Contacts?"

  "Yes," she said. "You know, they have things you can take for hair replacement."

  Rafael snorted and then covered his mouth.

  The toddler squirmed out of Jackson's hold and ran for the fireplace.

  "Gotta go," Jackson said, and ran after the boy just before he reached for the fire.

  "It's too bad they don't have surgery for personality," Rafael said, shaking his head.

  Amara smiled. "Time hasn't been so kind to him."

  "Karma in action."

  Thirteen

  Rafael watched Jackson from the corner of his eye as he ate the next bowl of soup. Had he been like that in school? No wonder Amara had never talked to him back then. His old friend had been completely rude to her. Rafael brought his attention back to his table and looked at Amara until they made eye contact.

  "If I ever acted like that to you in the past, I apologize."

  Amara's eyes widened, and she put her spoon down. "I wouldn't say you were like that… I don't think you were ever outright rude. Jackson,
he—he's always been like that." She paused as if remembering something, and then shook her head. "No, you were never like him. Don't worry about it. Even though you were popular, you were always nice."

  He took her hand and ran his thumbs along her knuckles. "Are you sure?"

  "Completely. We never talked because I was shy, and also because we ran in different circles. You had more opportunities than anyone to be mean to me, but you never were. Never once did you throw food at me or try to hurt me."

  "He tried to hurt you?" Rafael could feel defensiveness building. He was about ready to go punch his old friend. "What did he do?"

  Amara shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. It was a long time ago."

  "Yes, it does matter. What happened?" Rafael squeezed her hand, mostly to keep himself from acting on his impulses.

  She turned away. "It wasn't just him. Hardly anyone liked me."

  Rafael squeezed his free hand into a fist. "If I didn't do anything, then talk to me. Look at me."

  Amara turned her gaze back to him. She appeared to want to say something, but didn't. She glanced down to his hand holding hers, and then back up to his eyes. "Really. It was a long time ago. None of it matters."

  "It does to me," Rafael said. "I want to know what happened to you, and I hope I didn't have any part in it. It bothers me that I don't know what you're referring to."

  She pulled her hand away from his, but continued to look at him. "Some of the kids you hung out with were really rude to me. Not all, and never you. Kids threw gum at me, called me names a lot worse than four-eyes, tripped me on purpose, laughed at me, shoved me into lockers, and a whole lot more." She took a deep breath. "Some of them broke my stuff. They made fun of everything about me—my weight, my hair and skin, various body parts… you name it."

  Rafael saw red. "How dare anyone! What about Alex? Did he ever stand up for you?"

  "He punched a kid who made fun of me, so after that, everyone was careful to throw spitballs and insults when he wasn't listening. You were usually with him, so you probably missed most of it, too."

  Rafael shook his head. "I'm so sorry that anyone ever treated you like that. It's no wonder you never talked to me if my friends acted like that."

  "I just wanted to be invisible, hoping it would be enough for them to leave me alone. Sometimes it worked, but usually not."

  "And you stayed in town after high school?" he asked, incredulously. "Why?"

  She glanced down and moved her spoon back and forth in the chowder bowl. "I didn't want to go to college and meet more people like them. I was happy enough staying here, working at the candy shop. Now I run it, and I don't have to worry about anyone treating me the way they used to."

  "What happened? How did you go from… the way you were to how you look now?"

  "I'm not really sure, to be honest. It wasn't some overnight transformation, and maybe that's why no one here sees the change. It started with a new hairstyle, and then I decided to lose weight. That took a while, but it worked. I had no choice except to buy new clothes, and I guess I had enough sense to buy things that were stylish. The next logical step was to figure out makeup."

  Rafael took her hand and squeezed it again. "I'm sorry that no one saw how beautiful you are before, myself included."

  She looked back at him, not saying anything.

  "I mean it. You're beautiful, inside and out. Gorgeous, actually."

  Amara still didn't say anything.

  "It's true. And thanks for giving me another chance."

  "You never did anything wrong," she whispered.

  "Did I intimidate you?"

  "No. Maybe. I don't know. It was years ago." She squirmed in her seat.

  "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. I just want to understand."

  She sighed. "When people treat you like that, it's hard to trust anyone. You don't want to set yourself up for more. There were kids who pretended to be my friend just to turn around humiliate me. I needed those walls to protect myself."

  He frowned. "I had no idea what you went through."

  Amara shrugged. "I wouldn't expect you to. But because of how I felt about you, I couldn't bring myself to risk talking to you."

  "You really liked me back then?"

  Her face turned pink and she nodded.

  They sat in silence as Rafael let everything she'd just said sink in.

  She ate again, but he couldn't. After she pushed the empty plate away from her, he gazed into her in the eyes. "I know it doesn't change anything, but on behalf of everyone who ever hurt you, I apologize."

  She half-smiled. "Thanks, but it was a long time ago. I've moved on."

  "But I'm still sorry you went through any of that. I can't even imagine what that must have been like."

  Amara shrugged again.

  "You didn't deserve any of it. I've never met anyone so nice or generous."

  "Maybe it's because of everything I went through. Who's to say I would've been any different if I'd been popular?"

  Rafael shook his head. "I can't see it. I wish I could do something to make up for everything."

  She pulled out her phone, staring at the screen. "I'd better get going. Alex needs me at the shop."

  "I'm sorry I've kept you so long."

  Amara smiled. "Stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault. Other than the stroll down memory lane, I had a nice time."

  The waitress came to the table. "Are you in the mood for desserts?"

  "Maybe next time," Rafael said.

  "Are you sure? It's on the house, remember?"

  "I have to get going," Amara said. "If you want to stay and have some—"

  "No. I'd rather walk you back."

  "Tell you what," said the waitress. "I'll package a couple pieces of turtle pie. It has a day's worth of calories, but it's so worth it."

  Amara laughed. "If you insist."

  The waitress took off and Amara pulled out her phone and sent a text.

  "Is Alex mad?" Rafael asked.

  "Mad? No. Overwhelmed, yes. I wish we could hire help for the Halloween season."

  "Why not? Don't you hire out for the summer?"

  "Of course, but everyone does that. It's expected around here. If we hired in October, people would expect a year-round job."

  "Not if you told them it was just for a month. Sounds like you could really use the help."

  "You'll see what I mean. Have you hired anyone for your store yet?"

  "Other than Zachary? Not yet. I'm probably going to have information at the grand opening for anyone interested."

  The waitress brought their pies and they left. The wind had picked up while they were eating, and the air was even colder. Amara shivered, so Rafael put his arm around her again. He loved having her so close, and now that he knew more about her, it made him feel even better being able to protect her from something, even if it was just a gust of crisp ocean air.

  When they finally reached their shops, Rafael walked her inside the candy shop. He caught Alex's attention in between customers. "You can blame me for her being late."

  Alex waved, turning to a lady asking about chocolate jack-o-lanterns.

  Amara turned to Rafael, pulling the scarf off. "Are you sure you want to give this to me? It still looks new. You could always sell it still."

  He shook his head. "It looks gorgeous on you. Keep it. It's the least I can do after how much you've been helping me."

  She folded it. "If you're sure."

  "Of course. When you get a chance, stop by the shop and we can discuss the fashion show. Looks like I'd better let you go." Customers surrounded Alex, and a couple little kids ran around the store, bumping into displays.

  "Yeah. I promise to stop by soon." She put her coat and scarf behind the register and ran over to the wild kids, calming them instantly. Rafael watched in wonder as she spoke to them with an animated smile, telling them a story that distracted them from their antics. He couldn't help wondering how she did it.

  There had been time
s in his store back in LA when crazy kids ran around. He'd never handled it with half the grace of Amara. In fact, he'd even ordered one oblivious parent out of the store after a boy broke a picture frame. The dad had even had the nerve to blame it on Rafael, saying he should have had the place childproofed.

  Rafael headed back to his store, lost in thought. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. When he pulled it stopped as if stuck. He pulled again, but it was definitely stuck.

  He checked the lock, but it had worked properly. He moved over to the hinges, and they appeared fine. He looked down and saw something blocking the door.

  A dead rat. It appeared to have froth in its mouth. Had someone poisoned it and left it there?

  That was the last straw. First calling the cops, the egging, the garage door, and now this. It was all too much. Careful not to touch the pest, he closed and locked the door. Fuming, he pulled out his phone and looked for the building maintenance number. He headed for his car as it rang.

  He got inside just as someone answered. He explained the situation, telling them they needed to make it a priority. "There are kids at the candy store just a few doors down. We can't have any of them coming across the dead animal."

  "We'll send someone over, but it could be an hour before it's fully taken care of. There are special procedures and then we have to disinfect the area."

  "Thank you." Rafael hung up, wishing he had brought his laptop with him. He thought about running home while he waited, but wasn't in the mood to find any new surprises. He'd had enough.

  Something had to be done, but what? He didn't even know who was behind it. More than likely, it was the kids of the bridal shop owner, but how could he prove anything? He'd have to set up hidden cameras outside his home and store to prove anything. Money was tight, and growing tighter with the grand opening.

  That was what credit was for, though. He couldn't think of a shop in town that sold anything like that. There was only one place to buy cell phones, and that was more of a kiosk than a store. He hadn't even bothered going there to get his new phone.

  Rafael started his car and planned the quickest route to the best electronics store in the area. He would catch the little punks and put an end to this before his store opened the following week.