by Drea Stein
He had met her, again not thinking there was anything odd in the fact that she hadn’t wanted to drive together. All the signs had been there, but he had been blind, hadn’t he? He had grabbed a bottle of wine, some glasses, and a blanket, thinking that perhaps they might spend a lazy afternoon together. Because both of their schedules were so busy, time together had been hard to come by and he had been hungry for her.
She had already said yes to his marriage proposal, and though he had been nervous, determined to make sure everything about the event went perfectly, he hadn’t doubted her ultimate answer. They were meant to be. And they had a plan. He would work in the city for a year, maybe two at the most, getting the experience he wanted, and then he would come back to Queensbay and go into business with Jake.
He and Ash would get married and they’d have kids. Not too soon, of course, since he wanted to enjoy being just with her, but he definitely wanted a family. Evenings on the boat, fishing, swimming, barbequing. Everything had been mapped out. He couldn’t have been happier. But then she had talked about different things, wanting to travel, to have adventures. And he had changed his dreams; they had started to make different plans, her plans. And he thought she was happy again.
Then he had seen her, waiting there, in jeans and shirt, standing on the edge of the bluff, too close, like she always did, risking everything. Her long blond hair danced in the wind and he wanted to call her to him; but he enjoyed her beauty, savoring every line of her tall, powerful body, just watching her, wondering how such a wild and untamable creature could be his.
Because Ash had been that. She had turned down every boy in Queensbay High when they asked her for a date, until he had finally screwed up the courage and asked her, the day after the baseball team had won the state championships. He had been riding high on his MVP status and thought the world owed him. So he had tested his luck that day and asked her out.
It seemed too good to be true; and it was. He’d been too blind to see that Ashley was using him to make another guy jealous. Maybe that’s because he had fallen for her, hard. But she had finally succumbed to his unwavering love. They became inseparable. Ashley became his world, and she needed him because, while she might have appeared like she had it all together on the outside, on the inside she needed him. Needed him to take care of her, to assure her he loved her, to keep her from doing wild things. It had become his mission to keep her safe, to talk her out of her wild, unpredictable moods.
Now, of course, he realized what Ashley had been doing. Creating dramatic situations so that she was the center of them and then demanding attention, energy from everyone, just to fuel her own ego. He’d just been the only one stupid enough to buy into it for as long as he had.
He had known it deep down, recognized it, even as he enabled it because in spite of it all, she was still his Ashley. He hoped that once they were married she would feel safe and secure, that she wouldn’t need to be so wild. But even when she turned to him, he still didn’t know, didn’t understand the expression on her face.
She told him the engagement was off and that she had no intention of living in a small town for the rest of her life, to be saddled with kids, to be stuck with him. She told him she wanted to see places, travel, have adventures.
At first he had begged, told her they could hold off on getting married, that they didn’t need to live in Queensbay, that they could do whatever she wanted. Even as he said those words to her, he hated himself for it. And then she delivered the deathblow: she threw Tucker Wolff in his face. Tucker had been the reason she’d said yes to Jackson all the years ago. She had wanted to make him jealous. Jackson had long ago stopped counting Tucker as a threat. As he and Ashley had moved on and upward, through school and college, making plans, Tucker had stayed behind in Queensbay, gaining a reputation as the town bad boy.
Apparently, while Jackson hadn’t thought about Tucker in years, Ashley had. More than thought about him apparently. And that was all it had taken. He told her to keep the ring, and walked away, angry, pride hurt but with an overwhelming sense of relief. Ashley had set him free.
Jackson brought himself back to the present, found himself standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down to the rocky beach below. He swallowed and took a step back. He was used to heights—if you helped build skyscrapers you had to be—but there was no sense in tempting fate by standing on the crumbling edge of a sandy bluff.
The last time he had spoken to her in person had been here. A seagull wheeled and turned on the current above him. A light chop rippled the surface of the Sound. He swallowed. He was here and he felt what…nothing. Not her presence. She didn’t haunt this place for him.
No, it was just the wind, the water, the ground. A beautiful place, one of his favorites. But she did not haunt him and he was glad. If he was going to stay in Queensbay, he needed it to be his town. Not theirs. He swallowed, taking a deep cleansing breath of the salt air.
“I forgive you Ashley,” he said and the words came out aloud. He hadn’t said it before. He’d been so angry with her. Because even after death, just when he thought he was free, she had reached back and pulled him into her drama. He’d done the right thing by Ashley and her family, let them take their grief and anger out on him. He hadn’t thought that his decision, what had seemed so noble at the time, would turn the whole town against him. He thought if he kept the breakup quiet, kept what had really happened the night of the accident to himself, that the Morans would be spared embarrassment and pain. He would have to play the grieving fiancé for a while but then it would be over. He would be free. It just hadn’t worked out that way.
He couldn’t complain. Life had been good to him, professionally, financially, and he had learned an important life lesson early. Ashley had taught him one thing he wouldn’t ever forget. Love was a trap. You got so consumed, lost in it, you were bound to lose yourself. So no, in some respects everyone was right. Jackson Sanders wouldn’t fall in love again; but not because of Ashley, but because he was smart enough to know that love wasn’t enough.
Chapter 15
Lynn took a sip of her coffee, letting the hot liquid slide down her throat. She had to be at work in just moments, but really there was nothing like a cup of Darby’s coffee, even if she had to take it in a to-go cup. She decided she wanted it with just a touch more cream so she stopped at the milk and sugar station, took the lid off, and topped off her cup until the liquid turned into a frothy caramel color. She inhaled, the scent of fresh coffee and sweet, rich baked goods filling her nostrils. Darby should think about bottling it, the scent of The Golden Pear, and selling it.
She heard the door open, but didn’t look up, but she felt the air in the room change as the general hum of conversation died down. Curious, she turned and looked. Jackson Sanders, in a business suit, polished shoes, and even more polished shoes, stood at the glass countertop carefully perusing the selection of pastries while just about every other person in the café stared at him, in utter silence.
As if sensing the attention directed at him, Jackson slowly turned around. His eyes were hooded and his expression grim. He stood though, with his feet spread wide apart, his arms at his side. All Lynn could think was that it was a fighting stance.
Jackson’s eyes scanned the tables, looking at each and every person, nodding at some people, who stony-faced, didn’t nod back. His eyes flicked up once to take in Lynn, and there was just the barest hint of recognition there and then he kept up his survey of the room.
The girl behind the counter, not Darby, was fresh-faced and young and stood in silence too, but hers was born out of uncertainty, just as Lynn’s was. Just what in the hell was going on? Did everyone think Jackson was a cad for shutting down the clinic? Tory had said he’d had a reputation as a hard ass, an arrogant prick, but seriously, the public silent treatment—that was just weird.
Lynn swallowed, and she was moving before she had even thought about it, to stand next to Jackson, and pointing to something, anything in the case,
“The croissants are delicious,” she said, even though she hadn’t had one. She was making an educated guess, everything was good here, but there was no way she could let Jackson stand in silence and not do anything.
He smiled, a half smile, rueful, and he gave her a curt nod. She could see his body was rigid with tension.
The door from the kitchen swung open and Darby herself appeared, the white apron straining across her belly. Her green eyes roved, quickly taking the measure of the situation.
“Jackson, how nice to see you. What can I get you?” Darby nudged the sales girl, who seemed to spring to life, blinking and holding up her tongs, ready to take the order.
Darby’s eyes slid to Lynn and she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. Behind them, the noise level slowly ratcheted up, though there were more than a few whispers and smothered exclamations. Beside her, Jackson’s stiff demeanor relaxed fractionally and he inclined his head in Lynn’s direction.
There was something in his eyes, something that made them look less icy and hard, and she accepted his silent thanks with a small nod of her own. She knew she should go now, that there was no reason to stay and that any longer and she was risking being late, very late to work.
“This doesn’t change anything. I still think you shouldn’t close the clinic down,” she said as a parting shot. Jackson’s eyes narrowed and seemed about to say something, but Lynn decided that it was as good a last word as she was going to get, and this time, as she spun on her heel to make an exit, nothing got in her way.
Outside, in the sun and the light breeze that was blowing off the harbor, she shrugged her shoulders; and sparing one more glance into the café, she headed off to work, while it was still there, wondering what in the hell that had been all about.
Chapter 16
“You’re not so bad at this for a football player,” Jackson told Jake.
Jake and Jackson were at the batting cages at Queensbay’s newest sports complex. It was a huge, almost warehouse-like space that held almost every kind of sporting activity known to man, woman or child, including indoor soccer fields, batting cages, a rock-climbing wheel, a full gym, a yoga studio and even a laser tag arena for the kids.
Jackson had asked Jake if they could talk, and instead of suggesting coffee or lunch, Jake had said baseball. Jackson was happy to agree, and now he found himself facing balls being shot out at him at sixty miles an hour. It had taken a few rounds to get used to the feeling, but swinging the bat felt good, as good as it had felt in high school.
“Hey, I’m the star batter on the company softball team,” Jake defended himself as he whacked another one.
“Aren’t you the one who pays the team’s salaries?” Jackson pointed out.
“They’re still happy I’m playing.”
It was Jackson’s turn and he stepped up to the plate, readying his stance.
“You didn’t ask me here to compliment me on my baseball skills, did you?” Jake said as he watched Jackson.
“No, not quite,” Jackson admitted as his bat connected with the ball with a satisfying crack.
“Are you going to tell me why you’re finally back in town? I mean, besides buying up even more property in Queensbay. I wish you’d leave some for the rest of us.”
Jackson tensed. “I guess you spoke to Darby?”
Jake nodded. “I might have stopped by for a cup of coffee. Did the whole place really go silent?”
Jackson nodded. “I half expected them to start to chant something in a creepy whisper. It was eerie. No one said anything, I mean until…”
He stopped himself. What Lynn had done had been unexpected. And kind. Or maybe just ignorant. Maybe she had no idea why the whole town could hate him. She was a relative newcomer to town. Maybe the story of him and Ashley hadn’t made it onto her radar yet. Of course, it was only a matter of time.
“Yeah, I heard Darby gave everyone a talking to after you left,” Jake said.
Jackson swallowed. He’d have to thank Darby too. She’d been friendly with Ashley, but not once had she ever laid blame at his doorstep for what had happened, either then or now.
“I did have something I wanted to run by you,” he said, deciding to change the subject.
“Ok. I’ll listen.” Jake, said promptly, being a good friend and not pushing the subject.
Jackson tensed. The idea was crazy, but it was important to him, something that he had realized as he built bigger and bigger buildings in places farther and farther away. He had often wondered why anyone would want to live in such places, had thought about all of the resources that were used to build them. And he knew there had to be a smarter, better way to do things. And that’s what he wanted to do: build something that wasn’t the tallest or the biggest; instead, he wanted to focus on something smarter, something that didn’t rob the future to build it now.
“Green building.”
Jake looked at him like he was crazy. “This is New England, Jax, not the tropics. People here go for more muted colors. You know, lots of whites, cream maybe.”
“Not a green colored building. Green. As in environmentally friendly building practices. Solar power specifically. I think there’s an opportunity here to help communities become more energy efficient.”
Jake scratched his head. “This isn’t the desert either. I know it’s been a while since you weathered a New England winter, but for more than three months out of the year, we don’t always get our fair share of the sun.”
“It’s a common misconception that you need year-round sun in order to use solar energy. In reality, solar panels are viable in just about any climate. Of course, they might not power your home or office building all year long, day in and day out, but even just a few solar panels can have a big impact. Or, even better than the roof of a house, let’s say you have a big space, say like the roof of the parking garage at the mall…now there’s space that just sits, useless old concrete. Why not turn it into a giant battery?”
Jake’s arms were folded but he was leaning in and his eyes were narrowed, a sure sign he was interested. “You know, I’ve noticed a lot more of my customers asking about renewable and recycled materials when we’re doing a job. I’ve even taken a couple of classes on green building so I can talk to clients better.”
“It’s a growing market opportunity—you can do good and make money at the same time. Don’t you like the sound of that?”
Jake’s eyes narrowed, in a considering look. “Of course I do. But what’s in it for me?”
Jackson hefted the bat on his shoulder. “I figured I would be the sales and marketing guy. I have the deal with the manufacturer all lined up. But I don’t have a crew ready to do the installs. But you might.”
“So you want me to go into partnership with you—in this town?”
Jackson swallowed. This was the hard part. Years ago, that had been there plan; but then Ashley’s death had made that impossible. Any association with Jackson might have sunk Jake. Jake had never said that, of course, but he must have known it.
“I know it’s a lot to ask. I thought maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal, but you were right, people in this town have a long memory.”
“And I say screw them. I know one of the reasons you left was because you didn’t want me to feel like I had to go into business with you. But I didn’t care then and I don’t now.”
Jackson smiled in relief, felt his mood beginning to lighten. The reception he’d gotten at The Golden Pear had been much harsher than he expected. He’d been worried that Jake, being a smart businessman, would make the smart, businesslike decision and tell Jackson to go take a hike.
“I figured, I’ll be out there, getting the word out, closing the deals, and then your construction crew can come in do the actual install. I can set them up with training and everything else you need. We can work out all the financial details as needed.”
Jake nodded slowly, but Jackson knew he had him. Sure he could have gone through with his plan without Jake, but somehow it seemed ri
ght that they would do it together.
“Sounds like you have it all planned out. Got anyone willing to pay you for it?”
Jackson shrugged. “First client will be the Osprey Arms Hotel, of course. I convinced Chase to build in a solar powered roof. I figured that will make a powerful statement and be good advertising. Plus I hear the university is thinking of breaking ground on a new science and technology center.”
Jake dropped his voice. “That’s supposed to be hush-hush. But everyone knows, and all the construction companies are trying to get a piece of it. It’s a big job. Why would they consider you?”
Jake’s tone was friendly, curious, and Jackson felt the tension in his shoulders ease. Jake may not have officially said yes, but he was on board.
“I have an in. Not a guaranteed one, but the project manager is someone I know, used to work with. The university is apparently very open to the renewable energy idea and this guy has put in a good word for me, good enough so that I’ve scored a meeting with the planning board next week. But it sure would help my case if I could tell them I was a real company with installation capabilities and not just one man in a suit.”
“Guess reports of your international playboy status were greatly exaggerated. You must have actually been learning something out there,” Jake said, a smile creasing his tanned face.
“So you’re in?”
Jake nodded. “I’m in. But as you said, it’s a long shot.” He paused and Jackson waited. “What if it doesn’t pan out? Are you just going to pick up and go again? Because I won’t give you a third chance.”
Jackson shook his head, knowing that Jake meant what he said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I will stick it out here, no matter what it takes, no matter how hard it is. It’s my town too.”