Bayside Promises

by Stacy Claflin

  “Take it back to where she got it?”

  Jensyn’s eyes widened. “I’m not going back there.”

  “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all night.” Haley folded her arms. “But that doesn’t solve the problem.”

  Sullivan took a deep breath. “First of all, I know nothing about the contraband. You never mentioned it in front of me. Second, pull over at the first store you see. Check for cameras, and if there are none, stash the drugs in the garbage. I’ll wait for you a few blocks away.”

  They climbed into the cars, and Sullivan waited for Jensyn to get the car turned around, and they headed back for Enchantment Bay. A full half hour later, the beater finally pulled off the highway and into the parking lot of a little mom-and-pop convenience store. Sullivan stayed as far back as he could and still see them.

  Then they headed back for the highway, and an hour later, they finally made it back into Enchantment Bay. He was going to be even more tired in the morning than he had been that day. He was tempted to just head home since they were back in town, but he’d promised to make sure they got home safely. Then he would leave as quickly as possible. Given his exhaustion, his mouth was likely to run wild. He preferred not to say what he was feeling while Haley was so upset.

  When they got to the Faraway home, Sullivan pulled up to the curb.

  The two sisters went to the front door and Sullivan lifted his foot off the brake, ready to go home. They were safe. He’d kept his word.

  Haley turned around and headed for his car.

  “Great,” he muttered. Hopefully, she’d just thank him again and be on her way.

  She knocked on the passenger window. He unlocked the doors, and she came inside and sat.

  So much for a quick getaway.

  Haley put her hand on Sullivan’s arm and gave him a tired smile. “Really, I can’t thank you enough. Can I at least give you gas money?”

  He shook his head. “I’m just glad she’s okay. With any luck, this’ll be a valuable life lesson.”

  “It better be. I’m about ready to send her to my mom for the rest of the summer.”

  “And you’ll go back to Portland?” Sullivan didn’t bother keeping the excitement out of his tone.

  Her brows came together. “What do you mean?”

  No point in holding back now. “You really don’t know?”

  She tilted her head. “About what?”

  “You come into town, act all sweet to me, and then undercut my business. That’s what I mean.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “You think I undercut your business?”

  Sullivan’s nostrils flared. “Think? It’s a fact. The Hunters have always been the only realtors in town. No way you don’t remember that.”

  “Look, if you want—”

  “Keep the client. He hired you. I just thought you were different.”

  Her eyes widened. “From what? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  He clenched his jaw. “How did you not? You gave me your sob story and then pulled the rug right out from under me.”

  “I-I don’t know what to say. You couldn’t be further from the truth.”

  “Oh, really?” He glared at her. “How could it not? It all seems pretty clear to me.”

  She shook her head. “I have to work, Sullivan. My bills back home aren't going anywhere while I’m babysitting my sister all summer.”

  “And undercutting me is the way to pay them?”

  “If that’s what you really think of me, you’re clearly not the person I thought you were, either.” She opened the door. “I won’t be available Wednesday or this weekend.”

  “Fine.” He waved her out.

  “Fine.” She climbed out and slammed the door.

  Nine

  Haley stormed across her yard. How dare Sullivan accuse her of such ridiculousness? The last thing she would’ve done was anything to hurt him. She went inside and slammed that door, too.

  Jensyn came into the living room, carrying a soda bottle. “You okay?”

  Haley glared at her, her anger growing. “And you!”

  “Haley, I—”

  “I didn’t say you could speak! What on earth were you thinking, Jensyn?”

  “It wasn’t my fault. My friends—”

  Haley stepped closer, narrowing her eyes. “They’re not friends if you just met them! I can’t believe you did that to me—to yourself. You could’ve gotten yourself killed, you know?”

  “I—”

  “And you could’ve gotten both of us jailed. Still could! What if someone saw us disposing of those drugs? Or worse, if there was a hidden camera we didn’t see?”

  “In that little crap town?” Jensyn shook her head. “No way. Besides, if anyone was nearby, Sullivan would have warned us.”

  Sullivan. He’d been witness to everything, and he thought Haley was trying to destroy his career—the one he’d never even told her about.

  “We’re fine,” Jensyn said. “I’ll never do anything like that again. I swear. It was stupid, and I learned my lesson.”

  “I can’t deal with any of this. I thought I was doing some good coming here, but you don’t appreciate it, and all this place does is bring back terrible memories.”

  Jensyn nearly dropped her pop. “What are you saying?”

  “We’d both be better off if you were helping Mom, and I was back home.”

  “No. Don’t do that. I can’t quit my job like that. And—and I thought you were having a good time here. Please, Haley.”

  “There’s nothing here for me. That’s why I left as soon as I graduated, and why I should’ve stayed away.”

  “Don’t send me to Mom, Hales. Please!” Jensyn put the bottle on a shelf and put her hand on Haley’s arm. “Please. One more chance. That’s all I’m asking.”

  “I’m clearly not cut out to deal with an angry teen.”

  “Haley, don’t make me beg.” Jensyn pleaded with her eyes—the same wide puppy eyes she’d given Haley a thousand times before as a little girl. “Mom will take my car away for all of next year—my senior year.”

  Sighing, Haley raked her fingers through her hair. “I’ll sleep on it, okay?”

  Relief washed over Jensyn’s face.

  “But I’m not making any promises. At least back home, people appreciate me.”

  “What about Sullivan? You guys seemed to be—”

  “Go to bed! Now!”

  Jensyn jumped, grabbed her drink, and scrambled down the hall.

  “And think about what to pack!”

  Haley turned and saw a picture of Father. She pulled it off the wall and threw it on the ground. Pieces of the frame broke off and flew in different directions. The glass cracked, but didn’t shatter as she’d hoped.

  She stormed down the hall and went back into her bedroom for what she hoped would be the final time that night. Haley grabbed some clothes from hangers and stuffed them into her suitcase. She threw the suitcase on her bed and started folding.

  Was everyone working against her? Even her father seemed to be—from beyond the grave. His haughty expression egged her on from portraits. Then there was her sister, more than happy to throw both of their futures away. Maybe she should’ve called the police and had them get her. And Sullivan… Haley didn’t even know what to think about his crazy accusations.

  The only thing that made any sense was that all men were jerks. Selfish, stuck-up, arrogant fools who thought the world revolved around them, and because of that, they thought they could treat anyone however they wanted. That had been Dad’s policy on life. Jackson’s, too, when he wrote her off for leaving town. He of all people should’ve understood why.

  All men really were jerks. She was done with the lot of them. Done. She would be happiest if she focused on her career and herself. It wouldn’t be long before she could afford a huge home of her own. She was moving her way through the company. The mere fact that her boss had allowed her the entire summer off spoke volumes—Abby had never given anyone more
than a few weeks without threatening a demotion.

  Maybe it was time to show Abby just how dedicated to the company Haley really was. As soon as she dropped Jensyn off with Mom, Haley would surprise Abby and say how she couldn’t leave her hanging all summer. Then Sullivan could go back to being the only realtor in town, and he could be happy, too.

  It was the perfect solution—as soon as she got some sleep. Her eyelids were closing on their own, and she could barely fold her clothes. Haley dropped the suitcase on the floor, shoved it out of the way, and climbed into bed fully clothed, not bothering to set her alarm. Sullivan could have all the clients. She was done with this town and everyone in it.

  Her eyes closed, and she drifted into a fitful sleep. When she woke, the house was silent and sunlight poured into the room. Her body felt rested, but her emotions were raw. Everything from the night before flooded back, hitting her like a ton of bricks. Her heart constricted, recalling Sullivan’s harsh accusations. Her stomach twisted as she recalled racing against the clock to save her sister, only to illegally dispose of what looked like a felony’s worth of meth.

  She pulled herself out of bed and tripped over her luggage. That reminded her she needed to finish packing, but after she ate. She was starving.

  The hallway smelled of pine cleaners, and the floor shone. In the living room, all traces of the broken frame were gone. In fact, all the pictures of Dad had been removed. In the kitchen, the counters and table had all been organized and cleaned. Not a crumb remained anywhere.

  Haley sighed. Jensyn had clearly been busy—not that Haley was going to change her mind. She started a pot of coffee and poured herself some cereal. Just as she sat with her food at the table, the front door creaked open.

  “I brought breakfast,” Jensyn called. The door closed, and a minute later, she appeared in the kitchen, holding a large paper bag with the words Waffle House across the front. “I don’t know if you still like Texas biscuits, but I’ll eat them if you don’t want them. There’s also stuffed waffles and mile-high pancakes.”

  Sweet smells filled the kitchen as Jensyn put the boxes on the table. “Take what you want. I’ll have whatever you don’t.”

  Haley arched a brow. “You can’t just buy me off, you know.”

  Jensyn sat. “I’ll do anything. Don’t leave.”

  “You don’t seem too eager to keep me around.”

  “I cleaned the house! Brought breakfast.”

  “No, I mean before that. You went to a party where you didn’t know anyone and put me in the position of being in possession of illegal drugs. You may think it’s no big deal, but I—”

  “They weren’t mine!” Jensyn took a deep breath. “Let me start over. I have no excuse for last night—I was stupid. I swear, I’ll stay on the straight and narrow after this. I’ll do anything you say. Anything at all.”

  Haley’s mouth watered, looking at all the food. She focused on her sister. “Why are you so eager to keep me here?”

  “It’s like I told you. Mom will take my car away. I won’t have anything to drive my senior year. How will I get to school? To my job?”

  “The bus systems are safe and reliable in Enchantment Bay.”

  Jensyn shook her head. “Don’t you remember what it was like to be a senior?”

  Images of Dad screaming at her came to mind. “Of course I do.”

  “Then you know how important a car is. I worked hard to get mine, even though it sucks. I had to do odd jobs all over the neighborhood until I could afford it. Now I have a real job, and I need my wheels to get there.”

  Haley took a deep breath.

  “Do you know how hard it is to get a job at The Chateau? If I leave for the summer, I’ll never get it back—I only got the interview because my friend vouched for me.”

  Haley met her eyes. “Do you understand the severity of what happened last night?”

  Jensyn nodded slowly. “I do.” She again pleaded with her eyes.

  Haley’s heart constricted. She’d watched her baby sister grow up via pictures in emails and some video chatting. This was the one shot at spending time together before Haley returned to Portland. Come fall, they’d be worlds apart again.

  “Please, Hales.”

  She took a deep breath. “You have one chance. Mess up again, and it’s over. You spend the summer helping Mom with Aunt Elma’s house.”

  Jensyn’s eyes widened. “Wait—you’re staying?”

  “Yeah. For now.”

  She scrambled out of the chair and threw her arms around Haley. “Thank you! You won’t regret it. I promise. From now on, I’ll tell you exactly what I’m doing.”

  “And who you’re doing it with—”

  Jensyn giggled.

  “You know what I mean. And you’ll tell me where you’ll be.”

  “Yes. You have my word.” Jensyn stood tall and held up two fingers.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know, but I solemnly swear to do all that. You’re not going to tell Mom about last night, are you?”

  “Not unless I need to.”

  “Why would you need to?” Jensyn’s face paled.

  “If, for instance, the police come knocking.”

  Jensyn embraced Haley again. “I can’t thank you enough—and you won’t regret this. I’ll help out around here, too. Did you notice I already started?”

  Haley nodded yes. “Thank you. What did you do with those pictures?”

  She sat and filled her plate with food, leaving the biscuits. “I put them in Dad’s office. My plan is to replace them with…” She scrunched her face, as though deep in thought. “Happier ones.”

  Haley grabbed some biscuits and poured the gravy over them. “What will Mom say about it?”

  Jensyn swallowed a mouthful of food. “She’ll love it once she sees it. I catch her giving Dad the stink eye, too.”

  “I can help you with that. It’d be fun to go through old photos.”

  “Together.” Jensyn beamed.

  “Yes, together.” All Haley needed to do was avoid Sullivan and figure out what to do about work all summer.

  Ten

  “Second coffee today?” Mom arched a brow and turned to the coffee machine.

  “Something came up last night.” Sullivan stifled a yawn.

  “Watch out,” Mom warned. “Or you’ll find yourself turning into a regular customer. If that happens, I can’t guarantee these family discounts.”

  He managed a chuckle, knowing she gave all her kids a discount regardless of how many times a day they stopped by. In fact, he was pretty sure the more they came by, the more they saved because she liked seeing them. “Where’s Dad?”

  “On a supply run. Should be back in an hour if you want to stop by.”

  “Thanks, but I have a lot to do this afternoon.”

  Mom handed him the coffee. “Well, don’t work too hard.”

  Right. Sullivan would have to work twice as much now that Haley was in town. He forced a smile. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Have a good afternoon, sweetie.”

  “You, too.” He waved and drove off, sipping the iced coffee. It was so refreshing, he’d finished it before pulling into traffic. A few minutes later, the caffeine hit, and he finally felt like he could make it through the rest of the day. But first, lunch with Logan.

  Sullivan headed for Roosevelt’s, gave the valet his key, and headed inside.

  The server smiled at him. “Hi, Sullivan. Logan’s at his favorite table. Want me to walk you back?”

  He glanced around the busy waiting area. “Thanks, Jackie, but I know where it is.”

  “Okay, and it looks like you have a reservation for two, tomorrow evening.”

  His stomach twisted in a knot. That was supposed to be his date with Haley. “Thanks for the reminder, I’m going to have to cancel that one, unfortunately.”

  “Oh, are you sure?”

  “Yeah. Something came up. Sorry about that.”

  Jackie smiled. “No
problem.”

  Sullivan made his way to the back, where it was usually quietest. That was where his attorney brother liked to relax after dealing with clients or court.

  Logan waved.

  Sullivan took a seat and grabbed a piece of bread from the basket. “Hey.”

  “You look as tired as I feel.”

  “Thanks.” Sullivan dipped the bread in garlic butter. “Rough morning?”

  “In court all day.” Logan yawned. “It’s one of those times I regret taking on a client.”

  “What happened?”

  “He wasn’t as forthcoming as he should’ve been at first.”

  “You’re defending a guilty man?”

  Logan shook his head. “He’s innocent, but there’s an unbelievable amount of circumstantial evidence against him. It looks bad—really bad—and it’s up to me to convince the judge otherwise.”

  “You’re the best of the best. If anyone can untangle that mess, it’s you.”

  “But I’m no miracle worker. Makes me wish I’d planned a vacation this summer.”

  “Well, if you want to plan something spur of the moment, let me know. I’m up for another week in the woods.”

  Logan’s eyes lit up. “That would be perfect. I’m going to see if I can make that happen, and let you know.” He pulled out his phone and slid his finger around the screen. “I’ll text you as soon as I come up with something.”

  Excitement built in Sullivan. A week with just his brothers was exactly what he needed.

  “Should we invite some of our cousins?” Logan asked. “Cruz is going to want to get out before the baby comes.”

  Sullivan nearly choked on his bread. “Cruz and Talia are expecting?”

  Logan shook his head. “I forgot I wasn’t supposed to say anything. Act surprised when Mom announces it at dinner on Thursday, okay?”

  “Sure.” Sullivan was pretty certain that in two days, he’d still have a hard time picturing his tattoo-artist cousin as a father. “Yeah, let’s invite as many Hunter men that can make it.”

  Logan’s eyes lit up. “You know what would be fun? Some kind of competition. We could call it Rambo Weekend or something.”