Seaside Surprises: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters)

by Claflin, Stacy

  Once that was taken care of, she was exhausted on top of hungry.

  Even though she had a setback, she was away from Trent and would never have to deal with him again. She was free, even with her car broken down.

  Unable to ignore her hunger, Tiffany headed for the part of town Jake had shown her.

  "Hey, Miss!"

  She turned around and saw the guy from the newsstand. "Oh, hi. How are you?"

  "Dimitri's surprised to see you. Weren't you heading out of town?"

  "Change of plans."

  He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  "Yep. Maybe I'll see you around." She walked away. The last thing she needed was to make friends. Once her car was fixed, she would be out of there. She needed to find a decent sized town—a city would be even better—where she could settle down unnoticed. No friends along the way.

  She found a little dive to grab a bite. It was somewhat busy which meant the food had to be decent, but not so busy that she would have to wait even longer to eat. Tiffany ate and then decided to make her way to the beach. She kicked off her sandals and carried them, allowing her feet to sink into the soft, warm sand. It slid between her toes and she wiggled them.

  Kids ran past, squealing and screaming. Some guys about her age tossed a Frisbee not far away. Plenty of other tourists did their own thing, and none of them paid her any attention. She was glad to be around people, but not needing to interact with anyone.

  Her phone rang, breaking the moment. She didn't even have to look. It was her grandpa—who else had the number? Tiffany walked toward the water and answered. "Hi, Grandpa."

  Warm water splashed over her feet and up to her ankles.

  "How come you didn't call me? Did you get your car in?"

  "They're not even going to get to it today. I'm stuck here until at least tomorrow."

  "I still want to talk to them."

  "They have your number."

  "Make sure they call me."

  "I will."

  "No, Tiff. I'm serious. Vinny checked it out. There shouldn't be anything wrong with it. Nothing."

  "Grandpa, I know. You think I want to be here? I just wanted to travel straight through. It makes my skin crawl that I'm not on the move. I keep expecting to turn around and find Trent."

  "He's still up here. He's been asking around about you. I know, because everyone wants to know where you are. I'm holding to the story that you must have gotten sick of his ugly mug and took off in the middle of the night."

  "If he comes to you, be careful."

  "He knows better than to mess with me. If anyone knows the reach of my resources, it's him."

  "That's what worries me. If he catches you alone, Grandpa…"

  "I can handle a punk kid."

  "But that's the thing. He's not a punk kid. He's—"

  "Tiff, don't worry about me. I've made it over sixty years because I have brains as well as muscle. Now enough about that lowlife. I've put some extra money in your account. I want you to enjoy yourself while you have some down time. Get a massage and a manicure or whatever that town has to offer."

  "Oh, Grandpa. I don't—"

  "No excuses. Trent never let you do anything like that."

  Tiffany sighed. "Okay. I'll see what they have."

  "You'd better. If not, I'm going down there myself to give you a massage and paint your nails. You probably won't like it."

  She laughed. "Point taken. Thanks, Grandpa."

  They said their goodbyes and she slid the phone back into her handbag. What would she do without him? She hated moving so far from him, but in order to get away from Trent, she had no other choice.

  She walked along the shore, kicking water up her legs and keeping her eyes open for a nail salon. The warm sand and water slowly soothed her frayed nerves. Before long, she felt relaxed instead of irritated.

  A group of kids ran by, each carrying an ice cream cone. One was blue, and that reminded her of her date with Jake the night before. Maybe being stuck here wouldn't be such a bad thing, after all.

  Seven

  The store finally hit another lull. Jake went outside and took a deep breath. There was nothing like the fresh ocean air, especially on long days like this one…and every day during the tourist season.

  "Jake, buddy. How goes it?"

  He turned to see Dimitri. "How do you manage to be everywhere?"

  "I wish. Guess who I saw this morning."

  "I'm really not in the mood for games."

  "A beautiful lady."

  "Oh? Do you have a date?"

  Dimitri gave him a slight shove. "No. I'm talking about the one you love."

  "Would you keep your voice down? I don't love her. We had a nice time last night. That's it. Besides, she's probably already gone."

  "No, she's not." Dimitri shook his head.

  "What do you mean?"

  "She changed her plans. I spoke with her myself."

  Jake's heart leaped into his throat.

  "Do you think a handsome shop clerk changed her mind…or heart?" Dimitri's eyes sparkled.

  "What else did she say?"

  "Not a lot. She was in a rush."

  Jake slouched. "She hasn't stopped by the shop, so I doubt her staying has to do with me."

  Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "The pretty lady had all night to think about you. She decided not to leave. You should find her. Maybe she's playing hard to get."

  "Not telling me she's still in town is more than hard to get. It's nearly impossible. Thanks for the heads up, though."

  A group of teens went into the shop.

  "Gotta go. See you later, Dimitri."

  "Find the girl."

  Jake waved him off and went inside. Was it possible that Elena had stayed because of him? His heart fluttered and his face warmed. At least he knew which hotel she was at, so he stood a chance at finding her if she didn't stop by the shop. Although if she didn't come by, that probably meant she didn't want to see him.

  His mind raced as he dealt with customers the rest of the day. Somehow the day actually flew by. Again he was exhausted from another long day. His muscles ached as he locked up. At least it was his last long day. It was time to find out which shift his parents wanted him to take the next day.

  Or…was it time to look for Elena? Some of his soreness melted away at the thought of finding her. If nothing else, his parents would sweat it out while waiting for him to return home. He wasn't going to change his mind.

  Jake made his way back to the hotel. He searched the lobby and little hotel shops for her, but didn't see her. She could have been anywhere. Had Dimitri just been playing a joke on Jake? Or maybe Elena had changed her mind and left town anyway. What did his friend know?

  Could she have gone back to the shop or for more ice cream? She might have not wanted to bother him while he was working. He headed that way, picking up his pace. He scanned the crowds. Aside from being prettier than most, she would have blended in being average height and with long hair. Most every female tourist from age four to forty had long hair this year.

  He passed the auto shop and noticed how full it was. Could that have been why she had stayed in town? Had she had car trouble? If she was on a road trip, any number of things could go wrong. Wear and tear could do a lot of damage to a vehicle.

  Perhaps he could still find Elena and talk her into another ice cream cone. Or would that be too boring? There was usually a concert near the beach in the evenings. Maybe she would be interested in that.

  He peeked in all the stores he passed by, not seeing her in any. Was looking for her a dumb idea? She hadn't even bothered to go where she knew he would be. She probably had a boyfriend—how could someone so gorgeous not? Elena had probably called him to keep her company while she waited on her car.

  Bobby. That was it. He could swing by the auto shop and find out if Bobby had seen her. It was a long shot, but that was all he had.

  He turned back that way and found Bobby sweeping inside.

  "Jake, yo. Lo
ng time no see. How's your family?"

  "We're getting by."

  "Sorry about your sister, man. I know you guys were close." He rubbed his stubble, giving his old friend a sympathetic look.

  "Yeah, thanks. That's not why I stopped by, though."

  "Car troubles?" Bobby looked hopeful.

  Jake shook his head. "I'd have to have a car for that. No, I have a question about—"

  "Dude, you need a car. I can get you one cheap. What's your price range?"

  "Bobby, you're not listening. I need to know if you've seen someone. A tourist."

  "You're going to have to be a little more specific than that, yo."

  Jake described Elena. "Have you seen her?"

  Bobby's lips curved upward. "The girl with the bright green eyes. She's hot. You know her?"

  "I asked what you know about her."

  Bobby gave Jake a knowing look. "Not much. She was anxious to get the car in, but I go in order. No exceptions."

  "That's all you got? You can't give me more?"

  "No idea what's up with her car, but I'll be lucky to get to it by the end of tomorrow after the day I've had today. Even if tomorrow's better…I still doubt it." Bobby rubbed one of the tattoos on his arm.

  Jake felt hopeful. She might be around a little longer. "Did she mention a boyfriend or anything?"

  Bobby grinned, showing some gold teeth. "You really like her. I can try to find more out for you, dude. Oh, wait. I'm supposed to talk to her old man—or was it her gramps?—before I do anything to the car. So, sounds like no boyfriend to me."

  "When you see her, can you text me?"

  "Want me to hold her hostage so you can rescue her?"

  Jake snorted. "Maybe. Depends if I can leave the shop or not. Can you at least put in a good word for me?"

  "You bet. Hey, I gotta finish up here or I'm never getting home tonight."

  "Don't let me keep you," Jake said. "Oh, and thanks, Bobby."

  Bobby waved him off.

  Jake ran his hands through his hair. What was it about that sad girl that had him so eager to find her? Though he was exhausted, he would walk through the entire town if that was what it took to find her. He scanned the crowds across the street. She could be anywhere, including in her hotel room.

  He walked toward the crowd as he continued to look for her. Everyone was in groups or coupled off, and since she was in town by herself, he looked for anyone by themselves. He made his way to the beach and the boardwalk. At least it was a nice night. The sun felt comforting as it beat on his back.

  "Jake!" someone called from behind. "Jake, there you are."

  He turned around to see his cousin, Dan, running toward him. His eyes were wide and he looked pale. "What's the matter?"

  Dan dropped his surfboard. It sent sand flying. "It's your dad, Jake."

  Jake's chest tightened. "What about him?"

  "I'm sorry. He collapsed. An ambulance is on its way. May actually be there by now. Come on." Dan gave Jake a hug and then grabbed his board. "If we hurry, we can get there before he's taken away."

  Eight

  Tiffany made her way back to the hotel. She'd just had a full-body massage followed by a mani-pedi, and it left her feeling relaxed all over.

  She was about to step off the sidewalk when an ambulance whizzed by, whipping her hair into her face. Tiffany pulled the strands that stuck to her eyelashes, and crossed the street. She couldn't take her eyes off her fingers or toes as she walked. It had been so long since they'd had any color, and her big toes even had cute palm trees decorating them.

  Curious about her car, she went the long way into the lobby so she could go through the parking lot. The car was gone from its spot. Maybe they had even gotten to it early. She was too relaxed to drive, so she was glad to have the excuse to stay in the hotel another night.

  When Tiffany got to her room, she moved her luggage from the bed and made herself comfortable. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, but she was more interested in her nails.

  Her eyes grew heavy. Was she supposed to call Grandpa? Or was it only if she knew anything about the car? Probably best to call him either way.

  Tiffany pulled her phone from her pocket and called his number. It rang and then went to voice mail. He almost never let it go to the message when she called. Worried about her safety because of Trent, he kept himself on call in case she needed him.

  She left a message letting him know she'd taken his advice to get the manicure, and then she put the phone on the closest nightstand. Tiffany fell asleep before she had time to focus on what was playing on TV.

  She woke up to the sound of gunfire. Everything was dark except for the glow of the TV screen. Some old western played on the screen. That had to have been what woken her.

  Tiffany released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She slid off the bed and went into the bathroom. Her hair stuck out in different directions, but she noticed her face looked better—her skin was clearing up and the dark circles were fading underneath her eyes. Some of the lines on her face were fading also. Grandpa had said they were from stress. Tiffany had blown him off, but maybe he was right.

  She looked younger just from getting away from Trent. Between living in fear of his temper and him interrupting her sleep so often, the stress had really taken its toll.

  Looking into her green eyes, she struck a deal with herself. If the car wasn't going to be ready before lunch the next day, she would get a facial. Then she would probably feel like a million bucks—or at least like a normal human being.

  She finished getting ready for bed, and then went to the nightstand to check her phone. No missed calls or texts. Her stomach twisted in a knot. What if Trent had decided to question Grandpa about her whereabouts? Sure, he was one of the toughest old guys she knew, but did he really stand a chance against someone like Trent?

  What if Trent brought some friends along with him to see what he knew about Tiffany's whereabouts? It was after two in the morning. He was probably sleeping. She didn't want to wake him.

  On the other hand, if something was wrong, she needed to know. Why hadn't he at least sent her a text?

  Tiffany grabbed the phone and carried it to the deck. She looked over the ocean. The moon cast a pleasant glow on it. A few people remained on the beach. Tiffany debated whether or not she should call her grandpa.

  It could be that he was busy with a poker game. Sometimes those went pretty late. He and his friends took those games seriously. She was pretty sure that other things went down then too, but she never questioned it. Whenever they needed something, it was his poker buddies who came through.

  That was how she got her car and new identity.

  Tiffany looked up at the stars. Anxiety built in her chest. She needed to call. Otherwise, she wouldn't get any more sleep. Her stress levels would return to what they had been. He would understand a late-night call.

  Once again, his number went to voice mail. She groaned, and then went back to the bed. Had he just forgotten his phone downstairs? If he was in his room, he would never hear it. It wasn't like him, but if he'd had a late night, maybe he did only forget it.

  She tried a couple more times before giving up. Despite being worried, her eyelids became heavy again. If he was sleeping, she probably should too. If she didn't get rest, she wouldn't be able to drive the next morning. If her car was fixed the next day, she needed to get on the road. Even a few hours of driving would get her closer to wherever she was going.

  He was probably fine—and would be upset with her for worrying. The simplest answer had to be the right one. But if that was the case, why wouldn't that nagging feeling leave her alone?

  Tiffany turned off the TV and climbed under the covers. Surely, in the morning he would call. Maybe even really early, so that was all the more reason to get to sleep and stop letting her mind get the best of her.

  She closed her eyes and pushed away every thought that came to mind. It was only a few minutes before she started to doze. T
hen the image of Jake's face showed up in her mind's eye: he smiled at her, and his tanned skin glistened in the warm sun. Tiffany sighed and rolled over, pulling the covers over her head.

  The last thing she needed was a distraction like him—no matter how adorable he was. She couldn't trust a man, and she certainly didn't need one. Not after Trent. He had shown her that men couldn't be trusted, at least not with her heart. He had appeared to be kind and sweet at first, but he turned out to be a monster.

  What she needed was to get far away from Trent and focus on getting a job and a place to live. Then she needed to find some friends—girl friends—and just enjoy the single life. She'd been too eager to get married and look how that turned out. Once she was busy with work and friends, she wouldn't have time to think about him anymore.

  Jake had been a nice distraction the day before, but nothing else. She pushed his face out of her mind along with every other thought that had managed to enter.

  First thing in the morning, she would go to the auto shop and find out the status of her car. Maybe the tattooed guy would have even spoken with her grandpa, and the car would already be in the process of being fixed.

  Tiffany took a deep breath and held it as long as she could. She let it out slowly. It was time to stop thinking about everything that could be wrong and fall asleep thinking about what was right in her life.

  She could fall asleep without worrying Trent would barge in and wake her, screaming about something stupid just to keep her from getting a good night's sleep. He didn't even know where she was.

  The hotel was locked, keeping her safe. She could sleep as long as she wanted. Not only that, but she'd just had a relaxing day being pampered.

  It gave her pleasure knowing how much that would have pissed Trent off, and even more since he couldn't do a thing about it.

  Tiffany rubbed one of her nails, feeling the polish. Yes, she had made the right decision to leave home and start fresh. As she drifted off to sleep, Jake's handsome face smiled at her from her dreams.

  Nine

  Jake paced the waiting room. "They said they would give us an update an hour ago. What's going on? I'm going to find out."