Bayside Promises

by Stacy Claflin

  The corners of her mouth curved up ever so slightly. She took the drink. “Thanks.”

  “Mind if I sit with you? It’s much nicer over here.”

  She sipped the coffee and scooted over, giving him some room. He threw his bag down and sat as close to her as he could without their arms brushing. They drank the iced mochas and watched the water. Kids splashed, teens chased each other, couples held hands, and a few dogs swam after balls or sticks, but Sullivan had the best spot on the beach.

  Haley set her nearly-empty cup down. “How did the open house go? Emilio’s still looking. He wanted something closer to the water.”

  Sullivan nodded. “Actually, it sold to the first couple who showed up.”

  “Congratulations.” She sighed.

  It felt like a slap in the face. If he was really going to make right with Haley, he was going to have to choke down his pride and actually apologize. Though he’d said some nice things to her since their argument, sorry wasn’t one of them.

  He took a deep breath and turned to her. “Haley, I’m really sorry for the way I treated you.”

  She looked at him, her brows coming together.

  “I was…” He struggled to say the word. “…wrong. And worse than that, mean to one of the sweetest and prettiest people in town. I hope you can forgive me, but if you don’t, I understand. I need to learn to control my temper.”

  Haley stared at him, her expression softening by the moment. She didn’t say anything.

  Sullivan took her hand. “I do hope you’ll give me another chance, though. I’d like to try and make it up to you.”

  She opened her mouth, but closed it. Her hand twitched in his. He set down his drink and rubbed her soft palm. She bit her lower lip, reminding him of the girl she’d once been, years earlier.

  “It’s hard for you to be back here,” he observed.

  Haley nodded.

  “I’m sorry I made it worse. You have enough to deal with without me being a jerk.”

  She scooted closer to him.

  He put his arm around her and rested his head on hers. “I hope this means I’m forgiven.”

  Haley nodded yes, her hair tickling his mouth. He lightly kissed the top of her head and laced his fingers through hers. They sat in silence for a while again until she sat back and held his gaze.

  “I really appreciate your apology.”

  “My only regret is that it took so long to say it.”

  “At least you did. It takes a real man to admit he was wrong.”

  Sullivan’s heart swelled—or was that his pride? He needed to keep that in check. He brushed a wisp of hair from her face and let his hand linger by her ear. “Your dad never said he was sorry, did he?”

  She frowned. “Not unless it came with strings. He either wanted to hear us apologize in return, or he wanted something else from us.”

  “In the end, did he ever apologize for his behavior?”

  Haley shrugged. “I doubt it, though I never asked. He wasn’t terribly lucid when Mom and Jensyn saw him in the hospital. His head had been slammed into a table pretty hard during the bar fight. Plus, he was in a lot of pain from the bullets in his arm and chest.”

  Sullivan took her hand. “I’m sure in his final moments, he regretted a lot.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “More realistically, I’m sure he was blaming us somehow. If I hadn’t moved away, if Mom had been more agreeable that night, if Jensyn had gotten better grades, then he wouldn’t have been in that bar to get into that fight.” She blinked, causing the tears to spill onto her face. “Nothing was ever his fault.”

  He pulled her close and held her as she shook. Her tears soaked through his shirt.

  Eventually, she sat up and held his gaze. The skin around her eyes was red and splotchy, but somehow her makeup wasn’t smeared. “Jackson always got mad and wanted to pound my dad. I remember he said he wanted to punch that smug grin off his face. Like that would do any good.”

  His heart broke, thinking of all Haley must have been through at the hands of her father. He wanted to do whatever it would take to fight for her rather than against her.

  She continued staring into his eyes. He couldn’t take the pain she held onto. There had to be something—anything—he could do to help ease it or take it away. More tears filled her eyes and ran down her face.

  He wiped one away and then leaned closer and kissed her eye, trailing kisses down to the corner of her mouth. She gasped but leaned closer. Sullivan closed his eyes, moved his lips to hers, and breathed in deeply the scent of her coconut lotion, feeling whisked away to a tropical paradise. He deepened the kiss and she relaxed. Haley threaded her fingers through his hair and let them rest there.

  Birds sang in the distance and the sounds of the water lapping on the shore grew louder than the playful children. Haley moved closer still, almost sitting on his lap. As much as he wanted to accelerate things, he needed to keep his emotions in check with her. She needed tender care, and he was willing to give that to her.

  He pulled back and opened his eyes. She threw her arms around him and clung to him, shuddering. Sullivan held her tightly and rubbed her back. He was determined to prove to her that he was different from her father.

  Fifteen

  Haley double-checked to make sure they had all the makings for ice cream sundaes and banana splits. It was the first time Jensyn got to have a slumber party. It was long overdue, and Haley wanted to make it a ton of fun for her and her two friends

  The doorbell rang, buzzing near the end. One more thing in need of repair.

  She stuck her head down the hall toward the bedrooms. “Hey, Jensyn! Your friends are here.”

  Jensyn bounced down the hall with a mischievous grin.

  Haley’s stomach flip-flopped. “What’d you do? I said no boys.”

  “Ha. That’s not it. This one’s for you. I thought you could use some girl time with someone your age.”

  “Really?” Haley arched a brow and headed for the door, curious. She opened it, and her mouth fell open. “Sky?”

  Sky Hampton’s gorgeous brown eyes widened. She squealed and threw her arms around Haley, who returned the embrace. “I thought you moved to Seattle.”

  “I moved back.” Sky stepped back and looked Haley over. “How do you get prettier with age?” She grabbed some of Haley’s hair. “Still natural blonde?”

  Haley smiled. "Mostly. I give it highlights." She studied her friend. "And you're one to talk. You couldn't be any more beautiful if you tried." Her tall, slender friend had long, thick chestnut brown hair. She was gorgeous and could easily have been a movie star. Not that it came as a surprise, given that her identical twin was a star in her own right—she was a world famous singer. "How's Aspen?”

  “Happy enough that I never hear from her, except on social media when she posts to the masses.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I’m used to it.”

  “What brings you back to Enchantment Bay?”

  Sky laughed. “I should be asking you the same. Never thought I’d see the day you’d return.”

  Haley put her arm around Jensyn. “I couldn’t stay away from this one.”

  “I love the blue hair, by the way.” Sky smiled at Jensyn. “And thanks for inviting me over.”

  Jensyn shrugged. “This way my friends and I can hang out without direct supervision.”

  “Supervision?” Haley exclaimed.

  “That reminds me.” Sky stepped back outside and grabbed a bag. “I brought wine and chocolate.”

  Haley took the bag. “I knew I always liked you.”

  “I do have good taste.” She closed the door, and the two friends headed into the kitchen. “What have you been up to? I never could find you online.”

  “I’ve been using Mom’s maiden name as my professional name. I was worried Dad might find me, but he never did.” Haley put the bag on the counter and pulled out the popcorn popper. “It’s actually been weird hearing the name Haley
Faraway again. It’s like entering a time warp.”

  “Yeah, I bet. But I totally get what you mean about trying to hide your identity. I came back here to get away from everyone in Seattle thinking I’m Aspen. Drives me nuts. Even with her hair magenta now, people still run up to me, begging for autographs.”

  Haley poured in the popcorn kernels. “You could always just pretend to be her.”

  Sky rolled her eyes. “No. She’s always been the diva. That’s why she was discovered on YouTube. You know me, I’d rather be behind the scenes of my blog.”

  “Oh, come on. You know you like getting on screen for the fashion and beauty videos you make.”

  The corners of Sky’s mouth twitched. “Fine, you got me—but I’m no diva. How’d you know about the blog, anyway?”

  “I never stopped following it. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown it. You’re full time with it, right?”

  “Yeah! Who’d have guessed?”

  Haley smiled. “You wanna put the sundae stuff on the table? Jensyn’s friends should be here any minute.”

  “Who’d have ever thought there would be a double slumber party here?”

  A gash in the cabinet caught Haley’s attention. “Certainly not me.” She turned on the popper, glad for the distraction. This was one night she didn’t want even one thought of Dad to cross her mind. By the time she turned the popper off, conversation sounded in the living room.

  “Sounds like they’re here.”

  Sky helped her get the popcorn into multiple large bowls. They carried them into the living room, and the introductions were made. Jensyn’s two friends were Asia, a petite girl with super-short green hair, and Saige, a tall girl with auburn hair down to her waist.

  Ten minutes later, they all had piles of ice cream with every imaginable topping. They started watching the movie, a new release sci-fi romance that Haley hadn’t heard about before. After the movie, the younger girls headed for Jensyn’s room. Sky and Haley cleaned up the mess and then brought out the wine and chocolate.

  Haley poured the drinks while Sky opened the candy boxes. Both of them sank into the kitchen chairs and dug in.

  “I needed that.” Sky held up her drink. “To being young and carefree again.”

  “Cheers to that.” Haley tapped her glass with Sky’s.

  After two glasses and running out of small talk, Sky set down her glass. “Tell me you have a good love life.”

  “Sorry. I pick one bad apple after another. How about you?”

  Sky shook her head. “Guys either want to date me because I look like Aspen or because I’m her sister. I’m kind of hoping being back home will fix that, but so many people still just want to talk about her.”

  “Bleh. I don’t. Aspen who?”

  They both laughed. Sky popped a chocolate into her mouth. “Thanks. But seriously, you’re not seeing anyone?”

  Haley tilted her head. “Why do you ask?”

  “You just have that look about you.”

  “Look?”

  “Yeah, I can spot it a mile away. You’ve got the look of love.”

  Haley’s cheeks warmed.

  “You do!”

  “I’ve just been catching up with Sullivan, but it’s—”

  “Sullivan Hunter?” Sky fanned herself.

  “Do you know any other Sullivans?” Haley laughed.

  “I know he was friends with Jackson back in high school, but wow. I never saw this coming. He’s so hot, I’d seriously date him even if he wanted to pretend I was Aspen. Is the feeling mutual? Not that there’s anything to dislike about you, Miss Thing.”

  Haley thought back to their kisses the previous weekend, and her face flamed.

  “Tell me everything.” Sky leaned over the table. “I heard he has a tattoo. Is that true?”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “So your story isn’t that good, but tell me what made your skin turn beet red.” Sky stared at her expectantly.

  “Well, we’ve been texting and talking all week.”

  “That’s not what made you blush. What did? Is he a good kisser? I always used to imagine he was.”

  “Can we talk about something else?”

  Sky shook her head slowly. “I want to hear about this.”

  “Okay.” Haley took a deep breath and listened to make sure Jensyn and her friends were still in her room. “I’m falling hard. I’ve never felt like this about anyone—and definitely not this fast.”

  “Well, it’s not like he’s a stranger. He pulled your ponytail in kindergarten, remember?”

  Haley laughed. “I forgot about that.”

  “So, it makes complete sense. They say that friends make the best life partners, so there you go.” Sky emptied the last sip of wine from her glass.

  “That’s true.”

  “What’s the next step?”

  Haley’s mouth went dry. “I don’t know. We have a date tomorrow night.”

  “Nice. Maybe we can make it a double. Are any of his brothers still single?”

  “I’m not sure. Dakota just got married.”

  “Well, find out. I have to see the two of you two together. I’ll find my own date if I have to, but I’ve always wanted to date a Hunter guy—any of them will do.”

  Haley laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit. Your sister may be a diva, but you’re no wallflower.”

  “Hey, I never claimed to be.” Sky picked up Haley’s phone and handed it to her. “Call Sully. If I have my pick, ask for Logan. Otherwise, Shale is just fine.”

  Haley grabbed the phone, excited to hear Sullivan’s voice.

  Sixteen

  Sullivan held the chair out for Haley and scooted her to the table. He hurried to the other side of the table and sat across from Haley, next to Logan. She smiled, looking even more stunning than before. Somehow, she managed to grow more beautiful every day—or was that his feelings for her?

  Sky and Logan were already deep in conversation. Thanks to Haley, Logan knew to avoid the topic of Aspen. They were discussing a local sports team.

  The waiter came over and greeted them with a smile. “Good evening Sullivan and Logan.” He turned to the ladies. “I’m Renaldo, and I’ll be your server. Can I start you off with an appetizer or drink this evening?”

  They ordered some appetizers and drinks, and then Renaldo took off. Sullivan turned back to Haley. “How are you holding up in this heat wave?”

  She glanced up from the menu. “I’m grateful for air conditioning. I don’t want to do anything outside until it cools down.”

  “I know. I was showing a house today, and it had no AC. I thought for sure I would suffocate on the third floor.”

  “Looks like you survived.” Her eyes shone.

  Sullivan laughed. “Tease me all you want. I can take it.” He turned to Sky. “Is it any cooler in Seattle?”

  “It was when I left, but I heard it’s even warmer there now than it is here.”

  “Ugh.” Haley made a face. “That means it’s probably as bad in Portland.”

  “Are you planning to go back soon?” Sullivan’s stomach tightened.

  “Not until September. I’ll probably stay a little bit after my mom returns, but then I’m going back.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be cooler by then.” Sullivan picked up his menu and stared at it, even though he knew what he wanted. Would it be possible to convince her to stay over the next couple months? Maybe if things kept going well between them, she wouldn’t want to leave, except to bring her things back.

  Conversation drifted back to high school days. They all shared laughs over long-forgotten memories. After they ordered their meals, the ladies went to the restroom.

  “Why do women always go together?” Logan asked. “I’ll never get that.”

  Sullivan grabbed a crab cake. “Me, neither.”

  “So, you seem to really like her.” Logan raised his eyebrows.

  He nodded, not wanting to admit how right his brother was.

  “You look
ed like someone took your puppy when she said she was moving back.”

  Sullivan couldn’t deny it—he probably had looked like that.

  “On the bright side,” Logan said, “you have at least two months to convince her to stay. And if it doesn’t work out, you’ll be back to being the only realtor in town.”

  Sullivan didn’t respond. He was growing used to her giving him a little friendly competition, and he kind of liked it—since it was her. It also forced him to step up his business, not that he’d grown lazy. But if he was being honest with himself, he’d grown a little too confident in the short time he’d been the only game in town.

  Now when he thought about Haley, his heart soared high into the sky. He’d pretty much hand over any client she asked for, just to see her smile.

  Logan hit him on the back. “You’ve got it bad. Look at you grinning like a kid in a candy store.”

  Sullivan shook his head. He’d forgotten Logan was there. “Yeah, I guess so. How are you getting along with Sky?”

  “She’s nice, and this is fun, but I don’t have time for a relationship. I barely have time to sleep. I’m happy for you, though. Have you thought of bringing her to a family dinner? Mom would be thrilled that you’re serious about someone.”

  “She already knows about Haley.”

  “Really?”

  “I ordered two coffees, and that was all it took.”

  Logan laughed. “You should bring her. She’d fit in nicely, and Mom would definitely like her.”

  Sullivan shoved him. “You just want Mom to get off your case.”

  He snickered. “Maybe.”

  As they were growing older, their mom was getting more and more eager for her kids to marry off and have kids.

  Haley and Sky returned, laughing together. Sullivan’s heart skipped a beat seeing Haley so happy. He wanted to jump up from his chair, scoop her into his arms, and kiss her. Instead, he ate another crab cake and smiled at her as she took her seat across from him.

  He needed to find a way to convince her to stay in Enchantment Bay.

  Seventeen