Tiny Bites

by Stacy Claflin

  Maybe just the fact that she was home was enough to alert him that something was wrong. It might be better if she joined her friends, even though she was already really late.

  She heard the sounds of the garage door opening. Dean's arrival made the decision for her.

  Excerpts from Hidden Intentions

  Excerpt One

  The clouds below reflected the sun against the blue sky. It was a beautiful sight, and Clara Erikson didn't want to take her attention away from it. She was aware of the flight attendant announcing that they were getting close to Sea-Tac, but she wanted to stay above the clouds for as long as possible.

  Something brushed against her back. She turned around, her eyes adjusting to the darkened inside of the plane. After blinking a few times, she smiled seeing her long-term boyfriend, William Lennox, sleeping next to her. It had been a long flight, and he had been awake most of the night, packing after a grueling week of finals.

  Clara reached over and adjusted his blanket around him. He scratched his nose, almost hitting her in the process. She kissed his hand before setting it on his lap. He looked so peaceful, she wanted to climb into his seat and snuggle up next to him. The first class seats were big, but not that big.

  She turned her attention back to the clouds for a little while. That was a sight she could never get tired of seeing. If she could find a way to have a home above the clouds, she would make it happen.

  Her neck warned her of impending soreness, so she brought her attention back inside the plane. Another announcement: They had a half an hour until they would land. After spending so much time in the air, taking as few connecting flights from the UK as possible, thirty minutes didn't sound so long.

  Picking up her Kindle, Clara thought about what to read. She was always in the middle of a couple of books, if not more. She was a sucker for free books, and her full device was proof of that. Looking at the three books staring at her from the screen, she chose one of her favorite indie authors.

  Just as she was settling into a post-apocalyptic world full of zombies bleeding rainbows, something bumped her arm. She looked over to see William rolling around—as much as he could, buckled into the seat. She put her Kindle next to her, and then fixed his blanket again. It was stuck under him, so she gave it a fast yank and it pulled free.

  A little box fell from his pocket. She froze. That looked like a box from a jewelry store. It was the perfect size for a ring. She looked around to see if anyone else had seen it fall.

  Clara held her breath. Should she stuff it back in his pocket, pretending that she hadn't seen it? Or should she take a peek inside?

  William said something, and she looked up, feeling guilty. He was mumbling in his sleep. A sigh of relief escaped.

  She looked back to the box. One little peek wouldn't hurt, would it? No one could put on a surprised face better than her, so he would never know if she saw it. She looked around to make sure no one else was watching, and then she looked back to him.

  "William," she whispered, barely audible. "Are you awake?"

  He didn't move.

  "Do you mind if I look at the box?"

  No response.

  Excerpt Two

  "He was the youngest of our family to become a lawyer, but he was persecuted because he often took on clients who were accused of being witches. It was rumored that as a young man, before he met Anna, he had been in love with one of them. Some said he never truly got over her and that was why he—" William froze, staring at a picture.

  "Go on."

  William's pulse quickened as he stared at the image. He had never noticed it before, but in the family picture, someone was hiding in the background, in between some trees. She appeared to be staring at the family—and she looked just like Clara.

  "Son?"

  He shook his head, and mindlessly rattled off more facts about the pictures. He couldn't take his eyes off the girl that looked just like his girlfriend. If he didn't know better, he would think that girl could have actually been her. Throw on two hundred year old clothing, take off the modern makeup, and it really could have been her.

  No one had ever noticed that girl in the picture before. William wasn't even sure how he was able to see it then. But now that he could see it, he couldn't take his eyes off her. All those years he had looked at the albums, how had he missed it?

  Sally came in and announced dinner, and William's dad took the album and put it back on his shelf. William couldn't stop thinking about the picture. He tried to convince himself that he was imagining it, but the image was burned into his mind, and he couldn't deny what was there.

  Obviously, it was impossible for the girl to have been Clara. Could it have been one of her past relatives? How strange that her relative would be in the same picture as one of his.

  Excerpt from Seaside Surprises

  The bell rang and a pretty brunette walked in by herself. Jake did a double take for that fact alone. During tourist season, everyone traveled in packs.

  She looked about his age, early-twenties, and had long, wavy hair that nearly reached her waist. Despite the heat, she had on skinny jeans and a long-sleeved sweater.

  As the door closed behind her, she pulled her dark sunglasses to the top of her head and looked around the store. She had gorgeous, almond-shaped eyes. Most of the girls coming in looked like they hoped to run into a Hollywood producer who would hire them on the spot for the next blockbuster. This girl had a natural beauty, and that made Jake curious.

  He got up and walked over to her. "Can I help you?"

  Looking startled, she turned to him. "I just need a few things. I don't think I'll need any help." She crinkled her cute, button nose as she gazed to the back of the store.

  "Are you sure? I know where everything is."

  She turned back to him, her bright green eyes studying him. "I'm not even sure what I need yet."

  "No one else is here, so you may as well take advantage of my expertise. Once the next rush hits, I'll be stuck at the register."

  One side of her full lips curled down. "I'll risk it, but thanks."

  "Okay, but if you do need any help, you know where I am."

  She nodded, not moving her feet.

  Jake studied her lightly freckled face. She seemed to have a lot on her mind, very much unlike every other girl running into the shop. People came to town so they could forget their worries and the locals were all busy with their own businesses that time of year.

  "Just give me a shout if you need anything." He went back around the counter, this time, leaning against it rather than sitting, so he could watch her. There was a sadness about her that made him curious. Jake wanted to know more, but she obviously didn't want to talk.

  She switched her purse to the other shoulder while still standing in the same spot. Finally, she went toward the far side, near the back where they had some refrigerated goods. He continued to watch her in the mirrors along the ceiling. The girl stopped and looked at a few things, but didn't even pick anything up.

  The door opened, forcing Jake to focus on ten new people in the store. He recognized a few of them who had been coming in regularly since the previous weekend. Another group came in, followed by another. The store was soon as packed as it had been all day.

  He kept his eye out for the sad, pretty girl, but she didn't come to the register. He couldn't find her in the mirrors either, so she must have not found what she needed and slipped away when he was busy with customers.

  People came in and out for the next half hour before the store emptied again. He looked at the clock. It was only a quarter past three. Where were his brothers when he needed them?

  The brunette came around an aisle, holding a few basic items. Where had she been hiding?

  He smiled. "You found what you need. Sure I can't help with anything else?"

  She shook her head, the sunglasses falling over her forehead. "I'm good." She pushed the glasses back and dumped everything on the counter.

  Jake rang up the microwa
ve dinner, milk, coffee, and cold cereal. He told her the total and waited for her to hand him the card so he could find out her name. Instead, she gave him some cash.

  "No card? You're not the typical tourist."

  "Nope." She looked around, looking eager to get out of the shop.

  Not that he could blame her. Jake couldn't wait for the shop to close. "Where are you staying?"

  "Around."

  "There are a lot of places to eat around here. You don't need to eat this." He held up the TV dinner before putting it into the bag.

  She gave him a sad look. "I'm not a tourist."

  "Do you live around here? I thought I knew all the locals." He did, actually, but he didn't want to put her on the spot.

  She took the bag and stepped away from the counter. "Keep the change."

  "But it's over five dollars."

  "Get yourself a latte. I gotta go. Sorry." She hurried toward the door, sliding her glasses back onto her nose.

  Shaking his head, Jake watched as she left the store. If she wanted to lay low, she had come to the wrong town.

  Excerpt from Seaside Heartbeats

  Brayden knocked on the door before entering the exam room. He stopped when he saw the only person in the exam room was the gorgeous blonde from the waiting room. He hadn't paid attention to the age of the patient on the paperwork.

  "Lana Summers?" he asked.

  She smiled and stood, extending her hand. "Yes. Nice to meet you, Dr. Hunter."

  Brayden shook her hand. Her skin was so smooth and soft, and she smelled like tropical flowers, reminding him of his last trip to Hawaii. It took him a moment to find his voice. "It's my pleasure. Have a seat, please."

  Lana sat back down in the patient chair, and Brayden sat in the plush wheeled chair. He rolled it over closer to Lana. Usually, he stayed by the desk to look over the nurse's notes on the computer. "Tell me about your SVT," he said, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. They reminded him of the ocean during the summertime.

  She leaned forward, bringing the scent of her perfume to him. He took a deep breath, loving it. "Well, it just started the other night when I was sleeping. My family's spending the summer in Kittle Falls in a house on the beach. I woke up because my heart was pounding so fast I didn't know what was going on. I was afraid I was going to stop breathing." The fear in her eyes showed she wasn't exaggerating.

  Brayden looked over the file. "It says here when the paramedics arrived, your heart rate was two-thirty-three." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you didn't pass out."

  Lana's beautiful eyes widened. "Me, too, Dr. Hunter. But I was determined to stay awake."

  He gave her a reassuring look. "I'm glad you're okay, but rest assured SVT is rarely deadly."

  "Rarely? So, it can kill people? I looked it up online today and didn't see anything about that."

  "Usually, only the elderly—and rarely."

  "What if I have another attack?"

  "Episode," Brayden corrected. "There are several ways to lower your heart rate on your own. One is to stick your hands under cold water. A lot of people find that works. Others cough or even hold their breath. And if you ever feel faint, you can try putting your head between your legs."

  She stared at him for a moment. "You mean it's that easy?"

  "Most of the time. Though I wouldn't call it easy. It's scary to have an episode from what I understand. I'm sure I'd be scared, too."

  "But what if that doesn't work?"

  "In most cases, it'll just resolve itself like it did for you." He looked at the file again. "By the time you got to the ER, it looks like your heart rate was in the normal range."

  "Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again?"

  "You can avoid high levels of caffeine and alcohol. Eat well and stay active—general heart care will help to keep it strong and healthy. I don't believe there's any scientific proof, but I've noticed SVT episodes happen more in the warm weather, so try not to get overheated."

  "No caffeine?"

  "That's not what I said." Brayden smiled. "Just don't overdo it. Small amounts should be fine, though you might want to avoid it for a while after an episode."

  They spoke for a little while until Lana appeared to feel better about the whole thing.

  "All in all," Brayden said, "if you're going to have a heart condition, it may as well be SVT. Can I get your blood pressure?"

  Lana nodded. "The nurse took it before you came in, though."

  "I understand, but I like to check it myself." Brayden stood, and walked to the other side of the room. "I'll need to wrap this around your arm, and the machine will do the rest."

  "Okay." Lana walked over to him, standing only an inch away.

  Brayden wrapped it around her arm and then he pressed the button for it to start. "Your blood pressure is high. Is it usually high when at rest?"

  "I…I'm not sure."

  "Let's try this again." He readjusted the strap around her arm, trying to ignore how soft her skin felt against his. He pushed the button, and it came up with the same high number.

  "Hmm. You can sit back down." He flipped through the chart and saw that her heart rate had been normal when the nurse had taken it before he came in. "I'll be right back."

  "Okay."

  Brayden went into the hall. He got the attention of Eugene, one of the most experienced on the nurse staff. He explained the situation, and sent him into the room to take Lana's blood pressure again.

  He studied the chart before going back in.

  "Everything is normal," Eugene said.

  "Let me see that." Brayden walked over and looked at the machine. Sure enough, it showed numbers within the normal range. He turned to Lana. "Mind if I give it a try again?"

  She shook her head.

  Brayden wrapped the strap around her soft arm again, and then he started the machine. The numbers came high again.

  He frowned. "We'd better get this serviced. Eugene, can you take her to another room to use another machine?"

  "Sure thing, doctor."

  ***

  Lana Summers stopped in front of a fountain near the hospital entrance.

  That had been the most embarrassing experience of her life. Cardiologists had no right to be that hot. None at all.

  Every time Dr. Hunter touched her arm to get her blood pressure, Lana's heart pounded, nearly exploding out of her chest. She was so glad that neither he nor that nurse had figured out why her numbers were so drastically different when Dr. Hunter was there.

  He was tall, well-built, and had a smile that could melt an iceberg. And he smelled heavenly. She could stand there all day with him adjusting her arm.

  She needed to drop coffee cold turkey and stay out of the sun. Whatever it took to keep her SVT under control. There was no way she could face him again. Dr. Hunter would either figure out that she was attracted to him, or he would think she broke all of his equipment.

  Excerpt from Seaside Dances

  Zachary promptly washed the blood off his hands and then splashed cold water all over his face. He stared at his reflection, almost startled at what he saw. It hadn't been so long ago that his features showed his once carefree spirit. Now he had a permanent frown, several days' worth of stubble, and dark bands under his eyes. Even his brown eyes seemed darker.

  Zachary shook out his hands, trying to work out some of the pain. It had been a stupid idea to workout with his brother.

  Brayden was a cardiologist, and as a result, was in perfect shape since heart health was always on his mind. Zachary, on the other hand, hadn't so much as looked at a gym in the last year. Probably longer. He sat at a desk writing all day, ignoring his muscles.

  Now his body ached from head to toe. But, at the same time, his muscles felt good just from a little use. Maybe he would take up Brayden's offer to workout together a few times a week. He'd planned on backing out after this trial session. But it could be just what Zachary needed.

  He grabbed a stack of paper towels for
cleaning his mess, and went out into the hallway. As soon as he did, he ran right into someone.

  "I'm sorry," Zachary said. "I wasn't looking."

  "No, it was my fault." A pretty girl with brownish-red hair turned around and smiled at him.

  He quickly hid his bruised hands behind his back. "Not at all."

  Her bright eyes shone as her mouth continued to curve upward, and she held his gaze. "I wasn't paying attention. I'm heading to class."

  "Ballet?" Zachary asked, noting her leotard. The style reminded him of the one Sophia, his late sister, had worn when she took dance lessons.

  She nodded, pulling her long hair into a bun behind her head, securing it with a bright yellow band. "I'm teaching ballet to a bunch of silly girls."

  A little girl in a tutu ran in between them, giggling.

  "And that's one of them. Hey, Emma—slow down!"

  "I will, Miss Jasmine!" the girl called. She spun around and crashed into another little girl in a tutu. Both girls fell to the floor and burst into tears as they landed.

  Jasmine shook her head, sighing. "I'd better get going. Sorry again for crashing into you." She ran after the kids.

  "It was my fault," Zachary called, but he doubted she'd heard him.

  He watched Jasmine as she helped up the crying girls and got them laughing in a matter of moments.

  She dusted one off and spoke animatedly, keeping them in giggles.

  Zachary admired her optimism. He'd once been like that. There was a time he would have wanted to have a girlfriend like her. But with his current state of mind, he would probably suck all her happiness away. Not that he even had time or the energy for another relationship. Especially after the way things had ended with Monica.

  ***

  Jasmine Blackwell put the broom away after sweeping the dance floor. Even though she didn't allow food in her classroom, crumbs always found their way onto her floor. She glanced over the room to make sure it was pristine for the next class. Everything seemed better than it had when she had come in. Not even a stray hair remained on the floor.