Tiny Bites

by Stacy Claflin

  "I don't know if I can keep up with you." Robert smiled.

  "Just follow me. You'll pick it up!"

  And he did. Before long, the other dancers backed up, watching the two of them. The spectators cheered them on until the music stopped and the DJ announced he needed a break.

  Everyone crowded around the refreshment tables.

  Robert took Dawn's a hand and slid his fingers between hers. "Want to walk along the beach?"

  "I'd love to." The cool evening air felt good after hours of dancing, and the sky was gorgeous with pink and orange hues reflecting off the ocean. "It's beautiful."

  "It doesn't compare to you." Robert slid off his shoes. "Want to walk in the water?"

  Dawn kicked hers into the air. "Let's go."

  He rolled up his pants and they stepped into the water. It was still warm from the sun beating down on it all day. Dawn studied Robert for a moment. His attention was on the skyline.

  She kicked up some water, splashing his leg, soaking the bottom of his pants.

  Robert turned to her, his eyes wide. She burst out laughing.

  "Is that the way you want to play?" He bent down and splashed a bunch of water on her legs.

  Dawn splashed him again, this time getting his jacket wet. They splashed each other until water dripped from both of their outfits.

  "Maybe we should stop." Robert laughed. "People are going to wonder about us."

  "Let them. But you're right. I don't want to ruin your suit."

  "Or your dress."

  "This old thing?" Dawn shrugged, pretending she hadn't bought the most expensive dress in the store, hoping Robert would like it. She tried to step over a partially destroyed sandcastle, but tripped over part of it.

  Robert grabbed her arm, but it was too late. They both tumbled onto the sand, laughing.

  He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers.

  She could definitely see herself spending the rest of her life with that hunk of a man.

  Seaside Memories

  Introduction

  This story features Sophia Hunter, the youngest of the Seaside Hunter siblings. By the time we meet her older brothers in their own books, Sophia has passed away from cancer. She left her mark in the lives of all her brothers, both in her life and her death. We've captured bits and pieces of her through the memories of some of her brothers.

  I've always wanted to "meet" Sophia in her prime. A short story seemed the ideal way to do this, and I only felt it fair to start with this warning in case you haven't read any of the Seaside Hunter books. I once read a side story in a series, only to later find out one of the main characters wasn't alive in the other books. It was most disappointing, and I didn't want to do that to you.

  Seaside Memories

  Chapter One

  The flames flickered, moving back and forth ever so slightly. Sophia Hunter took a deep breath and readied herself to blow out the sixteen candles. It was a magical age, and she couldn't wait to take on the world.

  But first, the birthday candles. She released her breath, spreading it evenly across the cake.

  After the last tiny flame turned into a black wisp of smoke, her friends and family broke into applause. She looked up at the living room filled with people who loved her. Her parents, five older brothers, and three best friends were nearest, also crowded around the table. Various other friends and relatives filled the rest of the space.

  "Who wants cake?" Sophia asked, her voice squeaking with excitement.

  "Birthday girl gets the first piece," said Jake, the brother closest in age to her. Now, for less than a month, he was only a year older than her. He rubbed the top of her hair.

  "Hey," she exclaimed, trying to fix it.

  "I'll cut the cake," he said.

  "You're not going near a knife." Cruz pushed Jake out of the way.

  "Why not?" he exclaimed.

  "Do you really want me to tell the story in front of all these people?" Cruz arched a brow.

  Sophia turned to Maya, her best friend. They exchanged an eye roll. Boys.

  All of a sudden, Cruz shoved a plate of cake in her hands.

  "Take the first bite before anyone else gets any," Jake exclaimed.

  She took the fork and cut off a big piece. Moving slowly, she eased it up to her mouth but didn't take her bite yet. She grinned, scanning the room.

  "Come on—eat the cake!" called Matt, a friend from school.

  "Always a ham," said Uncle Gary.

  Sophia laughed and finally bit down, giving permission for everyone else to have some. Being the youngest of six kids, she adored attention, and didn't mind playful banter.

  "Took you long enough," Rafael teased, putting his arm around his sister.

  "I'm so glad you came up for the party, Raf." Sophia beamed.

  "You think I'd miss your sweet sixteen?" He kissed the top of her head.

  "Well, you did say you had important business to take care of." She shoved him playfully.

  "And I did." He winked at her and snatched a piece of cake from Cruz.

  Sophia turned to Maya. "Wanna go outside?"

  "I think everyone expects you to stay in here." Maya's gaze moved to the stack of presents and lingered there.

  "Yeah. Let's grab the couch, then."

  They hurried around the crowd staked their claim, along with a few other friends in tow.

  "Did you really get your license already?" asked Brooklyn, her eyes wide.

  Sophia squealed. "Got it this morning."

  "Let us see!"

  They all crowded around her.

  "Space." Sophia balanced the cake on her knee and pulled the little paper card from her pocket.

  "Is that even real?" Brooklyn asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Yes." Sophia stuck her tongue out and laughed. "The plastic one is coming in the snail mail."

  Maya grabbed the card and studied it. "Nice. I can't believe I have six more months. It's so not fair."

  Brayden, Sophia's oldest brother, stopped in front of the girls. "Fair is where the swine get their ribbons."

  "Oh my gosh, Brayden," Maya exclaimed. "Go back to Texas already."

  He glanced at Sophia. "Are you going to let her talk to your favorite brother that way?"

  "No," Sophia said with a sparkle in her eye. "But Jake's over there!"

  The girls all burst into giggles and Brayden shook his head. "Walked into that one, didn't I?"

  "Sure did." Brooklyn laughed.

  Brayden ruffled Sophia's hair. "Happy birthday, kid."

  "Thanks." She fixed her hair again. "Why do brothers think messing my hair up shows their love?"

  Jenna leaned closer. "Because boys are weird, and we'll never understand them."

  "You'd think I would." Sophia glanced around the room. "I mean, it's not just my brothers. Most of my cousins are guys, too. I'm totally outnumbered."

  "That's why you have us." Brooklyn smiled and finished off her cake.

  "Exactly. And also why—" Sophia stared at a guy who had just entered the room. With it being her birthday, it was strange that she wouldn't know everyone. He was super cute, so she wasn't going to complain. "Who's that?"

  All her friends turned to look.

  "Oh my gosh," Jenna whispered.

  "Jace is back," Maya said.

  "And he's even better looking than ever." Brooklyn sighed.

  Sophia couldn't even find the words. She and Jace Cavannaugh had been each other's first love way back when they were in the seventh grade. But then he'd gotten into some trouble, and his parents sent him to live with his uncle.

  Jenna nudged Sophia. "Go say hi."

  "Yeah," Maya said. "Find out if he's staying. And if he's single."

  Sophia shot her an annoyed glance, but then rose and straightened out her dress. She took a deep breath and then walked around her friends and family until she reached Jace.

  He brushed some dark brown hair out of his eyes. "Sophia, you look great. Happy birthday."

 
"I didn't think I'd see you again. You never answered my texts." She folded her arms, trying not to focus on how good he looked. All he would have to do would be to smile, and she'd be tempted to forgive him. But she wouldn't let him off that easily.

  Jace frowned. "I'm really sorry about that. Uncle Joe took away my laptop and cell phone. He made me work on the ranch when I wasn't doing schoolwork. I had no access to the outside world."

  Sophia leaned against the wall. "No landline, either?"

  "I was only allowed to call home."

  "Likely story." She spun around to head back to her friends.

  Jace touched her arm. Sophia's breath caught.

  "Wait."

  She stopped, but didn't turn around.

  "Will you let me explain?" he asked. He walked around to face her.

  Sophia paused. "It's my party. Now isn't the time."

  "I understand. If you want me to leave, I will."

  Cruz came over and narrowed his eyes at Jace. He turned to Sophia, rolling up his sleeves and showing off a single tattoo on one of them. "Is everything okay here?"

  "Yeah, Jace was just leaving."

  "Jace?" Cruz arched a brow and stared him down. "Aren't you the one who broke my baby sister's heart?"

  "I didn't mean to." Jace swallowed and stepped back.

  "How dare you show up here at her birthday party?" Cruz narrowed his eyes.

  Jace's eyes widened. "Like she said, I was just leaving."

  "Good." Cruz stepped closer to Sophia. "Bye."

  "I want to explain everything later," Jace said. He turned around and left.

  "Are you okay?" Cruz asked.

  "Yeah." Sophia smiled brightly. She wasn't going to let Jace's return ruin her big day. "How could I not be? Look at this party. All to celebrate me."

  "That's right. And if he bothers you again, tell him I'll come back to Kittle Falls and hunt him down. Make him wish he'd never been born. Sound good?"

  "Thanks, Cruz." Sophia hugged him. He held her tight and then backed up. "Any one of us would kick the crap out of him for you. You know that, right?"

  "Of course. What are brothers for?" She grinned, warmth spreading throughout.

  He tousled her hair and wandered over to their cousin Dakota. Whatever he said made her laugh, and she flipped her red hair behind her shoulder.

  Sophia smiled and fixed her own hair again. The joy of brothers. She went into the kitchen for air. Zachary, the middle of her five brothers sat at the table, scribbling notes on a pad of paper.

  He glanced up. "Sorry, I'm not in there. I had a story idea, and if I don't write it down, I'll lose it."

  She sat across from him. "No worries. I'm just glad you all made it for my birthday. I miss seeing you guys."

  "Pretty boring with just Jake around, huh?" Zachary teased.

  "That's not what I meant." Sophia couldn't help smiling, though. She loved the good-natured joking her family always shared.

  Their dad came into the room. "There's the birthday girl. Everyone's anxious for you to open presents."

  She got up. "We can't leave them disappointed!"

  Sophia had fun opening the presents and making expressive faces as she unwrapped each one. It always delighted the gift-giver. Even if the item wasn't her cup of tea, she still acted like it was the best thing ever. It was the thought behind it that counted more than anything.

  But even with all the fun of that, Jace lingered in her mind. Part of her wanted to forgive everything and hear the rest of his story. On the other hand, even if he had lost access to his devices, it was his fault for being sent away. Jace's parents had given him plenty of warnings, but he continued to smoke and get into trouble.

  Cruz had certainly been in the right to tell him to leave the party. He and Jake had spent hours trying to cheer her up when she'd been unable to stop crying.

  Her first experience with a broken heart had kept her from having another boyfriend. It had been a blessing in disguise because she'd been having so much fun with her friends, cheer team, and karate lessons. Her brothers had insisted on the last one, but really, she loved it as much as cheerleading.

  After the last gift had been opened, guests started giving her goodbye hugs and making their way out. Once she finally had some space, her friends joined her again.

  "Are you going to see Jace?" Maya asked.

  "Don't give that loser another chance," Jenna said.

  "He's hotter than ever," Brooklyn said. "You have to give him another chance."

  Sophia shrugged. "I thought I could take you girls for a spin."

  They all squealed in delight and jumped up and down.

  "Do you have a car?" Brooklyn asked.

  "Mom said I could borrow theirs. I just have to be careful."

  "And only in town." Her mom appeared beside her, putting an arm around her.

  Her dad came over and put a fifty in her palm along with a key ring. "Take your friends out for something to eat while we clean up this mess."

  "Really?" Sophia exclaimed, her eyes wide.

  "Of course. Enjoy your day."

  She hugged them both and ran outside with her friends. They had a blast driving around Kittle Falls for a while before stopping at a greasy burger joint her parents hated. The girls all laughed and joked, but again, Jace stayed in her mind.

  They'd had a lot of fun times before he started getting into trouble. One of their favorite things had been walking along the beach, hand in hand. Butterflies danced in her stomach at the thought of it. He'd been the first boy—not counting family members—to tell her she was pretty. And he'd been the first, and only, one who'd kissed her.

  Sophia would never forget it, either. It had been everything a first kiss should be. The sky was orange as the sun began to set, and the small waves lapping near their feet. Jace had stared into her eyes and then brushed his lips against hers.

  Her heart fluttered, three years and a healed broken heart later.

  Seaside Memories

  Chapter Two

  "Cake for breakfast?" Rafael asked as he sat across from Sophia. He sipped something from a mug with the inscription 'Best Mom in the World.'

  Sophia grinned. "Breakfast of champions."

  "Mom's okay with it?" He arched a brow.

  Sophia shrugged. "What she doesn't know can't hurt me."

  Raf laughed. "Well, you can get away with pretty much anything on your birthday weekend."

  "She gets away with everything, anyway." Brayden sat, winking at her. "Not that we mind. What's a baby sister for, if not to spoil?"

  Sophia played with a piece of hair and laughed. "Exactly."

  Their mom came into the kitchen. "You kids are already up?"

  "Who are you calling a kid?" Brayden asked. "I'm working on my doctorate."

  "You guys will always be my babies. And Sophia, really? Cake for breakfast?"

  The three siblings laughed. Sophia hummed the Happy Birthday song.

  "I'm just glad you're all home again. It's not the same with four of you living all over the country."

  "Oh, they'll be back," Sophia said. "I just know it."

  "They'd better be." Their mom gave the two a mock angry expression. "You kids in the mood for French toast?"

  "My favorite!" Sophia exclaimed.

  "You going to have room for it after the cake?" Zachary teased and sat next to her.

  "Always room for that."

  They all joked and teased each other through breakfast, the noise level growing as each family member came in. After everyone finished eating, they went their separate ways. Her brothers all had friends they wanted to see before they went back to their lives, and her parents and Jake had to get to their shop before the summer tourists went somewhere else to buy what they needed.

  Sophia threw on her favorite one-piece swimsuit and put some cutoffs and a tank over it. She grabbed a beach bag and started the walk down to the beach that only the locals used. It was the perfect day for catching some rays. All she needed was a car of
her own. And that meant she'd have to start working at the family store soon to save money.

  Family "baby" or not, no one was going to buy her a vehicle. That was one thing their parents insisted each one of them purchase on their own to understand the value.

  When she got to the beach that the locals kept secret, it was pretty empty. Just a few families with younger kids, really. Most of Sophia's friends were probably sleeping still. They always poked fun of her for waking early. She couldn't help it. Once the sunlight shone through the blinds, she was ready to get up and start her day.

  She dropped the bag and pulled out a blanket and sprawled out, soaking in the rays before the harsh afternoon ones made sunning uncomfortable.

  Sophia closed her eyes and imagined herself floating away on a warm cloud. The sounds of the waves splashing drifted away and the singing birds drew closer. The sand beneath the blanket warmed her as the sun above did the same.

  Ah, nothing like a summer morning on the beach.

  Kids shrieked. Dogs barked. An ice cream truck played kids' music in a loop not far away. Sand crunched under feet. The sun grew warmer.

  "Sophia?" came a familiar male voice.

  Too relaxed to move, she cracked open an eye. "What are you doing, Jace?"

  "Thought I might find you here. You love your tans." He held a deep purple iris. Her favorite flower.

  "Mmm." She closed her eye. He'd have to do better than that after everything he'd put her through.

  The blanket pulled as he sat next to her.

  "I don't recall inviting you to join me."

  "And I don't hear you ordering me away." She could picture his adorable grin without opening her eyes.

  "What do you want?"

  "Like I said yesterday, I want to explain things to you."

  Some kids ran by, spraying sand on Sophia's arm. She brushed it off. "You mean, like why you got yourself sent away?"

  "I was stupid, Soph."

  She pushed herself up on her side, leaning on her elbow. "Yeah, you were. We had a good thing, and you threw it away for cigarettes and graffiti."

  "And egging places." He smiled, making her want to forgive him.