Seaside Kisses

by Stacy Claflin

He gave her a playful smirk. "I'm a whole six minutes older than you."

  "And that makes such a difference."

  "You know it does it."

  Amara laughed.

  "Take your break."

  "If you insist." She tried to get off the chair, but her aching legs resisted. "Or I could just sit here a while."

  Alex grabbed her hands and pulled Amara to her feet.

  "Why do I feel like you're trying to get rid of me?"

  "I'm not. I just want you back so I can take my lunch before the big rush hits this afternoon. Halloween is nearing, and the demand for candy is on the rise. Don't forget to stop by the post office."

  She slid on her coat. "I thought you hired help for the afternoons."

  "I did, but you need to meet them, don't you?"

  "Yeah. Okay, I'm leaving." Amara went to the back room and picked up her purse. She waved to Alex on the way out.

  She went the long way to her car, going by Rafael's shop. It had been a couple days since he'd been released from the hospital, and he'd been eager to get back over. His parents had insisted on him staying at their house to rest, so he and Zachary had been planning the grand opening there.

  The day before, he'd been going crazy when she visited after having slept for almost a full day, and he swore he was moving on with his life and going back home. He appeared back to normal aside from a few of the bigger bruises, which were now almost unnoticeable—almost.

  Peeking in, she saw his shop empty. Hopefully that meant he was settling in at home. She'd have to call him later. It sounded like she had a lot of packages to pick up and bring home. Her stomach rumbled at the thought, knowing that was where lunch waited.

  An icy breeze blew by, giving Amara the shivers. She hurried to her car and made her way to the post office and then her house. It took some time to load and unload all the boxes, first at the post office and then at home. By the time she was done, she barely had time to warm up leftovers and scarf them down.

  So much for a chance to relax. She'd have to rush to make it to the shop in time for her brother to get his break before the afternoon grew busy.

  It was actually already busy when she arrived, but just enough so one person could handle it. She practically shoved Alex out the door and then she gulped down a pop from the back room, hoping the caffeine would help.

  The rest of the afternoon flew by, and she was surprised at how helpful the high schoolers were. With just a little more training, they'd be able to take care of the shop on their own. As it was, when things slowed a little, Alex told her to go home and take care of her online orders.

  Amara had so much to do to catch up, she couldn't even argue with him. She leaned against the counter for a moment watching the two boys help customers find what they needed and then made eye contact with Alex. He gestured for her to go, and she finally did. The shop would be fine, and if something happened, she was only five minutes away.

  Once she arrived home, she lost track of time filling orders and emailing a few more apologies. By the time she stopped to catch her breath, she noticed she'd missed the shop's closing.

  Amara sent her brother a quick text. How'd it go?

  Perfect. Your orders done?

  Mostly. Thx 4 your help. Ur a life saver.

  NP.

  CU in the morning.

  Goodnight.

  Amara stretched and then finished one more order. It was too late to run them to the post office then, so she'd have to do that in the morning.

  After a late dinner, she held her phone in her hands, debating whether or not to call Rafael. On one hand, she hadn't talked with him all day and she missed him like crazy, but on the other, she didn't want to bother him. He was probably just as busy getting everything ready for his opening day.

  Last she'd spoken with him, he still wanted to open before the grand opening. She appreciated his determination, but it was already Monday—the day he'd originally planned to open.

  Amara set her phone on the table, her orders calling her as strongly as her desire to speak to Rafael. Should she wait for him or just call? She decided to text him. That way, if he was busy, he wouldn't feel obligated to talk.

  Hope you're feeling better today. I've been crazy busy, but still found time to miss you. She added some kissing hearts and then sent the message.

  She waited a couple minutes, and when she hadn't received a message back, got up to work on the orders.

  About five minutes later, she had a new text.

  Busy here, too, but I can't stop thinking about you. Can I see you tomorrow?

  Her heart fluttered. Name the time and place.

  I plan to be at my shop. Will you be at the candy store?

  That's the plan. It'll be hard to focus knowing you're so close.

  Me, too. Will you be free for lunch?

  If it means spending time with you, I'll make it happen.

  I can't wait. Come to my shop when you're ready.

  When she was ready? She was ready right then. I'll be there… and I won't stop thinking of you.

  Neither will I.

  See you then.

  Sweet dreams, beautiful.

  Amara's breath caught. How was it that even through a text, he could melt her into a puddle?

  You, too, gorgeous.

  They exchanged a few sets of animated smilies.

  If she was going to spend her lunch hour with him, she needed to get everything ready for the next day. All of her packages needed to be mailed beforehand. And that meant they had to be ready and in her car.

  She glanced at the time. It was going to be a long night, but it would be worth it.

  Twenty Three

  Rafael pulled into his driveway with his new Mercedes, and just before turning it off, thought better of it. He dug through the small pile of things that had survived the car crash and found the garage door opener. He pulled into the one side that was actually cleared out. With all the property damage he'd been experiencing, he didn't want to make his new ride a target.

  Once inside, he cut the engine and the closed the door behind him. He rubbed his wrist which was only a little sore, but his mom had insisted on wrapping it before he left. He would take it off once inside and probably take a nice, hot shower. That would help soothe his sore muscles and joints. His wrist actually felt better than his ribs, which the doctors had said were a little bruised but nothing to be concerned about.

  Rafael glanced over at the seat next to him with a small pile of stuff and groaned. He was half-temped to leave the mess for next time, but he couldn't bring himself. He clipped the garage door button to the sun visor, stuck his maps—he never wanted to be lost without a GPS—and important documents in the glove box. That only left a few things that belonged in the house. He gathered them up and made his way inside.

  The bottom level still smelled of cleaners from when Amara had taken care of him just shortly after they'd re-met. A smile made its way onto his face. She was something else. He'd never met anyone—other than his mom—who'd taken such good care of him without asking anything in return or having ulterior motives.

  He made his way upstairs and walked around to make sure everything was as it should be. Zachary had been over several times to check on things, but Rafael still preferred to see everything himself. He piled things in his arms along the way, not wanting to leave work for himself later.

  Once settled in, he drew up a hot bath and poured in some epsom salts to help with the aches and pains. It had been more than a day since he'd taken any of the hospital-issued painkillers, and now he was on the over-the-counter stuff. Those had been working well, but he wanted to see how he did without even them. So far, so good.

  Though he didn't consider himself a health nut—despite Cruz's claims to the contrary—he still preferred to go without meds if he could. Not that he had any desire to torture himself unnecessarily. He climbed into the hot water and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence. After being at the hospital and then surrounded by his f
amily at his parents' house, the solitude was a treat—although he did miss one person.

  Before long, both his mind and body felt better. His mind wandered to where it went most of the time these days… to Amara. He wanted the proposal to go perfectly. She deserved nothing other than the best. He'd picked up a ring after getting his car, and now it sat on his nightstand.

  Just from holding her hand, he'd been able to guess her ring size. His shop in LA had sold some rings, so he'd learned to guess sizes with an accuracy that surprised most. Even though his old store sold nothing as nice as the diamond engagement one he'd just picked up—with a generous payment plan—he was still certain what he'd picked out would fit Amara.

  Rafael knew a guy from college who had become a jeweler in a nearby town, and they were both banking on Rafael's new business being as successful as his old one. He hoped so, for both their sakes.

  He lay there until the water chilled, practicing what he would say to Amara. He really wanted to surprise her at the end of their fashion show. Every time he imagined the look on her face, he grew more excited. Nerves ran through part of him knowing there was a chance she'd say no. Everything had gone quickly with them, but on the other hand, they had connected—really connected. She cared about him, and not because of his wealth—he certainly had little of that now. And it wasn't like they'd just met, either. He remembered chasing her on the kindergarten playground long before cliques.

  Now they were old enough that settling down made sense. At thirty-three, they'd had enough life experience to know what they wanted and didn't out of life. The days of waiting a couple years to see how things went before committing had passed them by. He knew exactly what he wanted. To grow old with the most amazing woman alive.

  Everything seemed to have come together at just the right time—exactly when he wasn't even looking for it. She was a local with no plans to move away. Their businesses were close together. Everything was perfect, especially her. Rafael would do anything for her. Anything at all.

  He wrapped himself in his favorite robe and went into the living room, almost expecting to see Amara there. She was such an integral part of his life; she just belonged. He needed her.

  Rafael sat in the chair she'd slept in the night of the cat. He breathed deeply, trying to find a hint of her sweet scent. He thought he caught a bit of her perfume, but it was probably in his imagination.

  Resting his head against the back of the chair, he once again played out the proposal in his mind. His nerves got the better of him, and this time, he pictured her saying no. He sat up, his eyes wide. What if she did?

  "Take a deep breath, buddy," he muttered. When had he ever been afraid of risk? Life was all about trying things that could blow up in your face. The bigger the risk, the greater the reward when it worked out—and Amara was the best reward of them all.

  A strange beeping sounded somewhere. Rafael listened, trying to figure out where—and what—it was. It wasn't the smoke alarm system. That would have sounded all over the house. What then?

  His newest phone. He hadn't changed any of the settings yet. He went into his bedroom and found a text from Amara.

  Just wanted to wish you a goodnight again. If you need anything, just call. Anytime. A series of various colored hearts followed.

  Rafael's heart swelled inside his chest, pressing on his ribs. Marrying that woman was definitely the best decision he could make.

  Thank you, and that goes for you, too. Call anytime day or night. I love you. He paused and then erased the last part. No, he needed to say that in person, even though he wanted her to know right then. Sweet dreams.

  I know I'll have sweet dreams… they'll all be about you.

  He grinned wide, unable to wipe it off his face. And I'll be counting the minutes until I see your gorgeous face again.

  I can't wait. Goodnight.

  Right back at you, beautiful.

  They sent some smilies and hearts back and forth for a few minutes. Rafael laughed at some of them, having no idea where Amara had found them.

  He climbed into bed and nearly dozed off when he remembered something. The new cameras he'd installed. He'd been watching them before his accident.

  Rafael sat up, pushing the blankets aside. He found his phone and scrolled for the app. He hadn't yet installed it on this phone. He searched for it and downloaded it. It took him a few tries to get the right password—after almost getting locked out for three hours for too many failed attempts.

  He scrolled through the saved footage, but it didn't go back as far as the night of his crash. He remembered vaguely seeing something at the shop that had left him irate. But what? Or who?

  Maybe he'd saved the clip. He remembered the app allowed that—but he couldn't remember what he'd seen. Clearly, the human brain was far trickier than technology.

  Rafael went through a couple menus before finding a couple saved pieces of footage. One had been Amara. He smiled, taking in her lovely face for a minute before moving on to the other saved file.

  There it was.

  The two figures staring directly into the camera, gesturing at him. They knew he would watch, and they didn't care. He studied them, trying to see if they were familiar. It was hard to tell with it being dark outside at the time and the two losers wearing all black, even their masks.

  One was clearly a woman, and not the bridal shop owner. She was quite shapely, and some of her movements seemed familiar. A little too familiar, in fact.

  Blood drained from his face. He knew exactly who it was. Narrowing his eyes, he studied the guy for a moment.

  Yes, he knew who they were. But what were they doing in Kittle Falls? And the bigger question was, were they still in town?

  He needed to find Tony and Kristine before they found him again, but they clearly had the advantage. Had they been behind everything else, or had he been right initially about the high schoolers?

  Rafael's pulse raced in his ears as he went over the new footage again. There had been plenty of people walking by, and into, his shop, but he didn't see his former business partner nor his ex-girlfriend. Some cats, squirrels, and raccoons had triggered his home camera, but other than his brother, there weren't any other people.

  He was too upset to sleep now. How could Tony and Kristine be so petty? He would expect such juvenile behavior from teenagers, not adults—even ones as horrible as those two.

  Rafael got up and warmed some water to make tea. That would help him sleep—that and getting his mind off his two exes. While he sipped the chamomile, he thought of Amara and all the wonderful times they'd had together. By the time he'd emptied the cup, he was ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, and after his mind had had the chance to mull over everything, he would be able to figure out what needed to do.

  He drifted off with a smile on his face. Not only would he have a wonderful lunch date with Amara, but he would come up with a plan for what to do about his jealous exes—and that's what they were. He was moving on with his life and they weren't. Tony was strapped with a failing business, thanks to his crappy decisions. Kristine was probably beside herself because of Rafael finding Amara, who was many more times the woman than her.

  Rafael's eyes flew open again. What if they decided to go after her next?

  Twenty Four

  Amara leaned against the wall, her muscles aching. It had been another busy morning—Alex had scheduled three field trips that morning, and they barely had time to catch their breath between them. That didn't even take into account the normal customers who flowed in at unusually high rates.

  She half-listened as Alex told the class about the taffy machine this time. She eyed the clock. As soon as the kids left, she would ask Alex about taking a break. Even if Rafael wasn't ready for their lunch date yet, she needed to get off her feet for a little bit.

  The kids cheered after Alex announced they'd get their baggies of taffy. Amara stifled a yawn and then joined him in handing out the little gifts. Seeing the kids' excitement usually ener
gized her, but today she just wanted to sit somewhere comfortable.

  After the store emptied, Amara picked out a caffeinated pop from the back room and sat at one of the chairs behind the registers. Not exactly comfortable, but at least they got her off her feet. She closed her eyes, nursing the beverage.

  The bell over the door dinged, and that could only mean one thing. More customers. Amara groaned. She gulped down the rest of her drink and then rose, opening her heavy eyelids.

  Robby and Jordan, their two high school workers, came in, joking and laughing.

  "What are you guys doing here?" she asked. "Please tell me you aren't skipping."

  "No," Jordan said, taking off his baseball cap. "Half day."

  Robby nodded. "We're here to earn some more Homecoming money."

  Alex came around the corner. "So, you, dear sister, have the rest of the day off."

  Amara raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

  "Of course. I'm going to take it easy, myself. I want to see how these two handle everything by themselves. We might be able to give ourselves some afternoons off."

  The two boys both had wide eyes, appearing excited to be trusted with more responsibilities.

  "Sounds good to me," Amara said. "If you need me, you know my number."

  They all said their goodbyes and then she headed over to Rafael's shop. She hadn't even had the chance to peek out the window to see if he'd made it to work that morning. Though from the angle she was at, it appeared his light was on.

  Energy ran through her, making her forget about the tiring morning. Before she opened the door, she could see him inside dressing a mannequin. Amara admired him for a moment before entering.

  Rafael spun around when the door creaked open. He had dark circles under his eyes, appearing as tired as she felt. His face lit up, though, erasing all signs of fatigue. He dropped the belt in his hands and hurried over to her, wrapping her in a big, warm hug. Being in his embrace felt so good. She could stay there forever. Amara wrapped her arms around him, holding him almost as tightly.

  He let out a breath, tickling her ear, and leaned his head against hers, seeming to enjoy their closeness as much as she did. It was nice that they didn't need words.