Seaside Heartbeats_A Sweet Romance

by Stacy Claflin

  When Lana turned the key, Brayden said, "It sure is quiet in there."

  "Maybe the boys are getting a bath."

  They walked in, and Lana looked around, not seeing anyone. "Hello?" she called.

  Silence. She and Brayden exchanged a look.

  "I'm going to look upstairs."

  "And I'm going with you."

  "If you want. I'm sure nothing sinister is going on. They probably just went to the beach."

  He took her hand. "I'm not taking any chances."

  They walked up stairs, with Lana leading the way. "Is anyone home?" she called.

  Still, nothing. She looked into the bedrooms, finding them all empty. She turned to him and shrugged.

  "What do you want to do now?" he asked.

  Lana thought about it. "I know! Why don't we clean up the stuff we found and take it back to your parents' place? Your dad will be thrilled. I'd love to see his face."

  "Is that really how you want to spend the evening of our engagement?"

  "Why not? We've already been to the dusty building. We've already proven we can make anything romantic."

  His face relaxed. "If you want to help me clean some old stuff, I won't stop you."

  "A chance to spend some more time with my sexy fiancé? I'll take it."

  "How did I get so lucky?" He brushed his lips against hers, lingering, before pulling away.

  They went back to the car and brought the painting and the can into the house. After only a few minutes, they had everything sparkling like new.

  "Your dad will love them," Lana said, excited.

  "I hope so."

  "Why are you so nervous about everything today?" Lana asked.

  He took a deep breath. "I just want everything about today to be perfect."

  "It already is, Brayden." Lana left a note for her family, saying they'd stopped by but would be back. Then they left for Brayden's parents' house again.

  When they got there, that house was quiet, too. Brayden's mom, Dawn, came to the door when they got inside. "Did you forget something?"

  "No," Brayden said. "I have something for Dad."

  "Okay, just keep it down because Zachary's sleeping. He's been driving for a few days."

  "Actually," Brayden said, "that works out. Can you tell Dad to meet us in the garage?"

  "Sure, sweetie."

  Lana followed Brayden back to his car, where he again took out the painting and oil can. When they got to the garage, Robert was already waiting.

  "Close your eyes," Lana called before he could see Brayden's gifts.

  Robert covered his eyes, and then they set up the gifts in front of him.

  "Open them," Brayden said. He took Lana's hand and squeezed.

  Robert's removed his hands, and then he stared at the painting before turning to Brayden. "That…it's from the old hardware store?"

  "They both are, Dad. I decided to purchase the building, and I found the two best things inside for you. It's amazing they're in as good of shape as they are."

  "It really is." Robert picked up the painting. "This really brings back memories. I know exactly where I'm going to put it. Thank you, son." He set it back down and hugged Brayden.

  Lana stood back, giving them their moment. Tears welled in her eyes watching them.

  They pulled away and Robert picked the painting back up. "Will you help me with this, Brayden?"

  "Sure. What do you need me to do?"

  Robert led them near the back to a workbench. "We need to take down those posters. That's where this is going."

  Lana wandered around the garage, looking at all the items inside. They pointed to years of memories with a lot of kids. Pictures lined one wall. It was easy to pick Brayden out of the rest. Not only did he have the lightest hair, especially when he was young, but he was the oldest and tallest. All of the brothers were tall and handsome, but Brayden had received an extra dose of both genes.

  She made her way back to Brayden and his dad. The painting was up on the wall, and they both stood admiring it.

  "It's perfect," she said.

  Robert looked at her with wet eyes. He nodded in agreement. "I can't thank you guys enough."

  "Brayden had a lot of fun finding what he thought you'd like."

  They all stared at the painting for a few minutes before Robert cleared his throat. "Coming out to see this will give me an excuse to get back out here. I've all but ignored the garage since I got back from the hospital." He went on to speak about times he'd gone to the hardware store with his own father.

  "Do you know the history of the building?" Lana asked. "Was it anything before Anderson Hardware?"

  "Yeah, it's a building full of history."

  Brayden and Lana exchanged a look.

  "It used to be a restaurant, actually. My dad would tell me stories of eating there as a child. It had been in the Kittle family for years. Some say it was the first restaurant in Kittle Falls, but no one knows for sure. They didn't keep the best records back then…."

  "That sounds like quite the history," Lana said.

  "It would be interesting to find out for sure," Robert said, "but I'm glad to have this." He stared at the painting again. "Just looking at it takes me back to the old hardware store. I can almost smell my dad's aftershave."

  "We'll let you have your moment," Brayden said. "I'll come back and work on something in here with you soon, okay?"

  Robert hugged his son. "I'd love nothing more."

  When they got back to the car, Lana felt like she was going to explode. That was the answer they needed regarding the notes. Once they were both inside, she asked, "What are we going to do now?"

  "Think long and hard before we do anything. No one else knows about the letters, but we can't go to the police. Not with Williams being on the force."

  "Maybe we could go in when we know he's not there," Lana suggested.

  "I don't know. They're probably going to side with him. It's a tiny department, and I'm sure they're all buddies. Maybe just knowing that we've solved an old murder is going to have to be good enough."

  "That's not justice." Lana frowned. "Billy Kittle needs everyone to know what really happened—and his whole story needs to be in that museum."

  "What do you suggest?" Brayden asked. "I really think that going to the cops will only lead to evidence being hidden or at the least, ignored."

  "It's like we discussed before, we could go to the state police or one of those reality shows."

  Brayden shook his head. "Why don't we sleep on it?"

  Twenty Seven

  Lana nearly stumbled down the stairs because she couldn't take her eyes off the engagement ring. She caught herself against the railing and acted as if nothing had happened. Looking down, it didn't appear anyone had noticed her nearly taking a fall.

  When she got downstairs, everyone greeted her with a big hug and more congratulations. They'd already taken her and Brayden out for dessert to celebrate the night before, after they'd returned from giving Robert his gifts.

  "I'm going to make breakfast for the new bride-to-be," Lana's mom said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "What would you like?"

  "Surprise me," Lana said.

  "That's not what I said." Her mom gave her another hug. "You pick."

  Lana thought about it for a minute before deciding on cinnamon rolls.

  "That's easy enough." Her mom went into the kitchen, humming.

  Marcus played video games in the living room with the boys and Cora sat at the dining room table, whispering with their dad. That piqued Lana's interest. She sat at the least-cluttered spot at the table, pushing aside papers.

  "Care to let me in on the secret?" Lana asked.

  They exchanged a look and then Cora said, "You should tell her."

  "Tell me what?" Lana asked, unsure if she should be excited or nervous.

  Her dad cleared his throat. "There's been talk at the office about creating a satellite office, in California, actually. We'd been thinking about closer to Lo
s Angeles, but I've convinced them to look around here. One of the partners has been looking into it, and he likes the idea. There are a couple towns not far away he likes."

  "One's even close to the hospital," Cora said. "You could carpool with your husband."

  Lana's eyes widened at hearing 'your husband.' That was going to take some getting used to. Fiancé was difficult enough to speak so far.

  "What do you think, honey?" asked her dad.

  "That sounds wonderful. Although, hopefully, he won't be at the hospital much longer. Then he won't have a commute."

  "Still, you'd have your position in the firm and you could live here. I would travel down here on a semi-regular basis to see you—I mean, check on the firm." He laughed.

  Her mom came into the room and hugged him. "I hope you'd bring me with, also."

  He kissed her. "I wouldn't consider anything else."

  "Think we'll be that cute when we're that age?" Cora asked, indicating toward their parents.

  "You and me?" Lana asked. "I hope not."

  "Funny. Us with our husbands when our kids are grown."

  "It's hard enough to imagine myself married, much less with grown kids."

  "I know what you mean," Cora said. "It hard to think about the twins all grown up."

  The smell of cinnamon tickled Lana's nose. "Breakfast smells good."

  "What smells so good?" Nolan asked, running over.

  "I want some." Ryder joined him.

  "What about the game?" Marcus called.

  "I better check the cinnamon rolls." Lana's mom stood and went into the kitchen.

  Ryder and Nolan shrieked with excitement and ran around the table, knocking papers off.

  "Boys," Cora scolded, but they didn't slow down.

  They were too busy chanting, "Cinnamon rolls!" as they chased each other around the dining room.

  "Wish I had their energy," Cora said, not moving. "Sometimes, I'm just too tired to make them calm down."

  "Mom," Lana called, looking into the kitchen. "I think Cora needs stronger coffee."

  Her mom peeked in, eyes widening at the sight of the boys. "I think we all do."

  The oven timer went off.

  "I'll make the coffee." Lana stood.

  "You'll do no such thing," Cora said. "I'll take care of that. You're a princess this morning. You'll have enough to do once you start planning the wedding."

  The wedding—Lana had barely even put any thought into it. Her mind hadn't moved past the ring or the fact that she was going to marry Brayden. Lana sat back down as Cora went into the kitchen to make coffee.

  "Tea for you, Lana?" Cora called.

  "I've tried a bit of coffee here and there," Lana said. "Just add a little water to mine, and I'll be fine."

  "I knew you wouldn't last long." Cora laughed. "Looks like there's some coffee in the maker already. I'll give you that if that's okay. The stuff I'm going to make will be strong enough to wake the dead."

  "That's the batch I made," Marcus called from the living room. Lana could still hear sounds of the video game.

  "I won't even have to water it down for you." Cora winked.

  "Hey, I heard that."

  Everyone laughed. Lana was so glad that everyone was in such a good mood. She wanted everything to be perfect now that she and Brayden were engaged.

  "Breakfast is ready," her mom called.

  Lana helped her dad clear the table of the papers, and in just a few minutes, everyone ate the cinnamon rolls and freshly cut fruit and coffee. Lana enjoyed her weak cup, able to smell everyone else's.

  "Did you use the entire bag of coffee beans?" Lana teased Cora.

  "No, but I did put in quite a bit more than it called for."

  Ryder took the last roll. "I got the last one." He stared at his brother for a reaction.

  Lana's dad laughed. "Two generations of siblings giving each other a hard time. I'm so proud."

  Everyone laughed, and then Lana's mom told a disappointed-looking Nolan that another batch was in the oven, nearly done.

  After a wonderful breakfast, Cora announced she and Marcus were taking the kids to the beach. "Anyone want to go with me?"

  "I'd love to," her dad said, "but I need to look at some possible buildings for our new location. Want to come, Lana?"

  "Or," Cora said, "we could check out a bridal shop I saw near the boardwalk. That would be fun, don't you think?"

  Lana's heart jumped into her throat. She would soon choose a dress, flowers, and everything else. It was really happening.

  "I'm curious to see how close it'll be to the weddings we always dreamed up."

  Their dad looked up from some papers he'd grabbed. "With as much time as you two spent planning imaginary weddings, I'm surprised you have anything left."

  "There's always something to change," Cora said, winking at Lana. "So, what would you rather do? Look at buildings," Cora faked a yawn, "or wedding dresses?" She danced in her seat.

  "You know how to make something sound boring," their dad said.

  "I try." She turned to Lana. "What do you pick? We should dump the guys and plan your wedding. Have you started a Pinterest board?"

  Lana played with her ring. "Not yet. I just got engaged yesterday."

  "My point exactly. Get on it. We have a lot to do today."

  "Sounds like the decision has been made," their dad said.

  "I'm sure you'll pick out the perfect building, Dad," Cora said. "That's what you're good at. Better yet, you could design one yourself. Kind of ironic for an architectural firm to be in a building they didn't design."

  "Not when the firm in question mostly deals with mansions and hotels."

  "Just sayin'."

  Lana finished the roll on her plate, and then ninety minutes later, she and her sister walked into the bridal shop. Her mind quickly wandered to wondering about the history of the shop. Had it been there, helping brides for more than a hundred years or was it a new addition?

  "Look at this one," squealed Cora, holding up a lacy dress. "It's perfect for you."

  Lana took it and held it up. "I'd have to start working out. It's going to cling to me."

  "Are you joking me? You're in perfect shape."

  "Dream on."

  Cora shoved her. "You're perfect. Go try it on."

  "Wait. I thought we were just looking." Lana's pulse raced.

  "You're getting married, little sis. The dresses aren't going to try themselves on."

  "It's probably not even my size." Lana looked at the tag. It was just her size.

  Cora smirked. "I'll be waiting. Oh. You know what? I should call Mom. She'll want to be here for this." She turned around and went to another rack of dresses.

  Lana stared at the dress as if it was taunting her. Sighing, she headed for the dressing rooms. One of the employees helped her in and asked if she needed any help. Lana declined, not sure she was ready for anyone else to see her in the gown yet—she wasn't even ready herself.

  As much as she wanted to marry Brayden, the thought of planning a wedding felt like a huge burden. No, not a burden… what was the word? She distracted herself with trying to find the right word while she slid on the dress.

  Her eyes widened as she looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was gorgeous, and Cora had been right, it clung to her beautifully, not showing any of her flaws. She would still put in more of an effort to work out again.

  "Are you done in there yet?" asked Cora.

  Lana glanced back at the mirror. "I guess." She unlocked the dressing room and opened the door, hiding behind it. "Come in."

  Core walked in and then gasped. "It's even better than I thought." Her eyes shone with tears. "Look at my little sister." Cora wrapped her arms around Lana. "Just look at you."

  "Can I get back into my clothes now?"

  "Wait." Cora dug into her purse and pulled out her phone. She snapped a couple pictures and then looked at the tag and added notes. "You like it. Admit it."

  "Of course I do. I'm jus
t a bit overwhelmed."

  "Well, yeah. You came here to relax, not fall in love and get married—to a hot, young doctor. Who'd have thought?" Cora snapped one more picture and then exited the dressing room.

  Before long, she and Cora were talking to a wedding consultant, and Lana felt even more overwhelmed than before. There were so many details—way more than they had ever considered when planning their imaginary weddings as kids and teenagers. Although, as Lana thought about it, none of it was a surprise, really. She remembered everything that went into Cora's wedding, though she'd been busy with her studies, which was why the memories seemed fuzzy.

  After they finally escaped the planner, Lana wandered over to a cake display.

  "There you are."

  Lana turned around, expecting to see Cora. She jumped when she saw Tiffany. "Sorry, you startled me. I thought you were my sister."

  Tiffany didn't say anything, but her wide eyes and pale skin drove fear into Lana.

  "What's going on?"

  "I… there's… in the—" Tiffany took a deep breath. "Let me start over. Can we go outside?"

  Lana nodded. Something was obviously wrong, but what? Had Robert been rushed to the hospital? Brayden had mentioned a number of times how he worried about his dad's health.

  Outside, they sat on a bench next to a window looking into the bridal shop.

  Tiffany stared at Lana. "A cop has been poking around the family shop, asking questions."

  Lana felt the blood drain from her face. "Williams?"

  "How did you know?"

  "Lucky guess. What did he say?"

  "A lot of questions about the family, but we didn't know. He's been coming around when employees are there—none of us Hunters."

  Lana ran her hand through her hair. "This is getting out of control."

  "What's going on?"

  "I don't know how much I should say. I don't want you getting involved."

  "Well, I already am. Tell me, please. We're going to be sisters soon."

  Lana nodded. "You guys deserve to know the truth." She leaned in close and whispered in Tiffany's ear, "Brayden and I think we've figured out the mystery behind Billy Kittle's death."

  Tiffany turned and stared at her wide-eyed. "You mean the town's founder."

  "Yeah, and—"

  Tiffany's phone rang. "Let me turn that off." She slid her finger around the screen but then paused. "It's Jake. Just let me take it." She put it to her ear. "Jake?" Her eyes widened even further. "You've got to be joking."