Bayside Promises

by Stacy Claflin

  For a moment, Haley admired his profile. Then she got out of the car, carrying the snicker doodles, and headed his way. The soothing sound of his voice reached her before she made it to him. Her pulse raced, making her feel light-headed.

  Sullivan frowned and he tensed. “Ridiculous!”

  Haley slowed. Maybe she should wait until he was done with his conversation.

  “She really said that?” he exclaimed.

  Haley froze in the middle of the parking lot. A car came in and she scooted closer to Sullivan, stopping a few feet away.

  “That’s unbelievable,” he said into the phone. “I—” He paused. “No.” His irritation was increasing.

  She leaned against the nearest car. Maybe she should just meet him inside after he had a moment to cool off after the call.

  “The woman is so ungrateful,” Sullivan muttered. “After everything I’ve done…”

  Haley’s heart constricted. Wait. He wasn’t talking about her, was he?

  “Do you know how much I’ve done for her? The list is a mile long. There’s no pleasing her.”

  She swallowed. He had to be talking about her. She’d been so rude after receiving the necklace, she’d probably come across as obnoxious and ungrateful.

  “Some people you just can’t fix.”

  Haley jumped. Was she so broken that he thought he needed to fix her?

  “I don’t have time for that. Nobody does. She just needs to get over herself—and fast.”

  Tears blurred Haley’s vision. The air itself pushed against her, making it hard to breathe. How had she ever talked herself into trusting him? Men can’t be trusted. Period.

  “Someone needs to set her straight, and it looks like it’s going to have to be me. She’s going to regret ever messing with me.”

  Haley shook. She’d suspected a bigger blowup was coming, and she’d been right. But this time, the surprise would be on him. She wasn’t going to stick around and be part of it. Cold shivers ran through her. She dropped the cookies. The tinfoil split and they spread out over the concrete.

  Haley struggled to breathe. She needed to get control over herself before she had a full-on panic attack. She ran toward her car.

  Twenty-Four

  Sullivan heard something fall to the ground behind him. He spun around, but didn’t see anyone. Just some cookies on the ground.

  “Are you still there?” Nancy asked.

  “Yeah,” Sullivan said into the phone. He glanced around the parking lot and saw Haley rushing to her car. “Haley!”

  She didn’t turn around.

  “Sullivan?” Nancy asked.

  He shook his head to clear it. “Tell her she can represent herself if she wants a house so badly. I’m done with her, and I don’t want Haley dealing with her crap, either. I gotta go.” He ended the call, shoved the phone into his pocket, and ran after Haley. “Haley!”

  She spun around. Her face was pale.

  “Where are you going?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Home.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Everything! Leave me alone.”

  “What?” he exclaimed. He reached for her, but she jerked her arm out of his reach.

  “I said leave me alone.”

  His mind spun as he tried to figure out what was going on. “I don’t understand.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Exactly the problem.”

  He gave her a double-take. “Can we talk about this? If I—”

  “No!” Haley’s eyebrows came together. “Just go away.”

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  Her entire face scrunched together and her nostrils flared. He knew that look. It usually meant either something was about to be thrown at him or broken.

  “Haley, I—”

  “Don’t.” She shook her head and sniffled. “Just don’t.”

  Sullivan’s confusion and hurt was quickly turning to anger. He took a deep breath. “What, then?”

  “Just leave me alone. I can’t deal with this.”

  “With what?” he exclaimed.

  She bit her lower lip and stared at him. “This. Us.”

  He felt like he’d been slapped. “What?”

  “I-I’m serious. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

  He stared at her, trying to make sense of what she’d just said. “Why?”

  “Just go!” She spun around and remote-unlocked her car.

  “No.” He stepped closer.

  Haley spun around. “No?”

  “That’s right. I’m not giving up on us.”

  “Too bad. I’m not giving you a choice.”

  “Then tell me what I did.”

  “You’re such a jerk.”

  “And you’re going to have to be more specific.”

  “Men. You’re all the same. Jerks!”

  “Again, that doesn’t really help me.”

  Haley stepped closer to him, anger covering every feature. “Just think about it.”

  Something inside of him snapped. He took a deep breath and counted to ten silently. “You don’t think I can think?”

  “I’m not spelling this out. Like I said, just leave me alone!” She glared at him and opened the door.

  “Gladly!”

  Haley climbed inside her car and slammed the door shut.

  Sullivan stepped back. If that was the way she was going to be, good riddance.

  The car pulled out of the spot, tires squealing. He stood there, shaking his head in disbelief until Haley was out of sight.

  “Unbelievable,” he muttered.

  What had just happened? He walked back to his car, trying to make sense of it. But there was no making sense of it. He’d bought her the necklace and the flowers, taken her on nice dates, and listened to her. He’d even opened up to her—and he didn’t do that for just anyone.

  He’d thought she was different. The empty parking space where her car had been told him otherwise. Maybe he just wasn’t cut out for relationships. They worked for his parents. His sisters. Not him. He and Logan were cut from the same cloth—they were married to their careers, and that was probably for the best. No, it was for the best.

  Sullivan stepped on a cookie on his way to his car. Tinfoil with his name written on it sat to the side.

  “What?” He stared at it trying to make sense of it, but nothing made sense. Had Haley brought cookies to throw on the ground before going off on him like a crazy person? It was useless trying to understand. He wasn’t sure he wanted to, anyway.

  He kicked his shoe against the curb to get rid of the crumbs before climbing inside. Why had he let himself think this had any chance of working out? Not only was she competition, but it never worked out with anyone he dated. He had to let go of that hope.

  In fact, he would. This would be the day he would think of every time the thought of dating ever foolishly crossed his mind again. He stood tall and mentally declared himself done with dating and all its pain forever.

  Sullivan climbed into his car and headed for the gym to work out his frustrations. Then he would be fine. Life could go on just as it had before Haley Faraway had re-entered it.

  As he stood in front of the punching bag, he thought about how simple life would be again once he only had himself and his business to worry about. He clenched his gloved fist and took the first hit. Then another. His life would not only be simpler, but far more pleasant. It would be far less complicated.

  He’d been an idiot to think it could work in the first place. Haley would head straight back to Portland the moment her mom returned to town, anyway. Long-distance relationships never worked.

  Sullivan needed to get his head back into the real estate game—fully focused on that and nothing else. There weren’t silent rules that he was supposed to know. Not like dating.

  Focus.

  He brought his mind back to work—his clients, the properties, and his massive to-do list. It was never-ending, but at least it was something he could get right. Sullivan pum
meled the punching bag until he finally felt better. Sore, but better.

  A quick glance at the time told him he was running late. At least he didn’t have to meet with any clients until later. He cleaned up, grabbed some fast food, and headed back to the office.

  Nancy smiled at him. “Did you have a nice lunch?”

  “It was fine. If anyone shows up, call me. Don’t send anyone in.”

  She nodded, her smile fading. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, fine.” He hurried into his office and ate the greasy food without tasting any of it. Despite his best efforts, his mind kept wandering back to Haley. He wanted to punch something, but not in this nice office he’d worked so hard for—the one his dad had spent so much time and money making nice.

  His phone rang.

  Grumbling, Sullivan checked. It was Logan.

  He took a deep breath. “What do you want?”

  “Someone in a bad mood?”

  “I’m busy.”

  “Okay. Just seeing if you’re ready for the woods this weekend?”

  “More than you know.”

  “Good. Everything’s coming together perfectly on everyone else’s end. You’ve got the meat covered, right?”

  “Yeah, of course.” If he had to drive an hour each way to get to the nearest Costco to buy it in bulk, that’s what he would do. Until then, he would bury himself in work. He glanced at the mile-long list of people waiting for him to return their calls and knew staying distracted would be easy.

  “Great,” Logan said. “You want to ride up together?”

  “I don’t know about you, but my car’s going to be packed.”

  “Come to think of it, so’s mine. I’ve got all that jousting equipment. Okay, I’ll see you this weekend.”

  “I can’t wait.” And he meant it. What could be better than a testosterone-filled weekend with his family?

  Twenty-Five

  Haley threw open the front door and felt another panic attack looming. Though she knew he was dead, she could sense her dad’s presence in the house. Not that she believed in ghosts, but in her current frame of mind, his memories were the ones that surfaced. It felt like the walls would close in around her if she stepped inside.

  She threw her purse inside, barely getting it on the couch, and stepped into the yard. She paced the length of it a few times and then leaned against a tree, closing her eyes. The smell of freshly-cut grass filled her nose. She slid down and sat on the ground, resting her head on her knees. Sullivan’s necklace bounced back and forth underneath her face.

  Her pulse pounded around her body, racing from head to toe. A sharp headache was forming behind her eyes. Her skin was cold and clammy. She half-expected her dad to come outside and yell at her.

  Tears stung her eyes and she let them fall freely. She was sick of them, but they were her constant companion.

  “I’m going to need therapy for life,” she mumbled.

  Haley took deep breaths. Why had she thought it could ever work out between her and Sullivan? She was the last person who could have a successful relationship with him—or any man with a temper. She was broken—far beyond repair. The necklace was only a reminder of that. He needed someone who could handle that side of him. Thanks to her dad, she wasn’t that person.

  A car slowed and stopped not far away.

  Please don’t be Sullivan. There was no way she could handle seeing him again—ever. In fact, Haley probably needed to get away from Enchantment Bay altogether. To get away from Sullivan, this house, and its memories. She needed to pack up and head back home to Portland. That was where she belonged now.

  “Hey, there,” came a familiar feminine voice.

  Haley looked up and wiped her eyes.

  Sky came over and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Trouble in paradise?”

  Haley nodded.

  “Here.” Sky dug a tissue from her purse and handed it to Haley.

  “Thanks.” Haley wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

  Sky sat and put a hand on Haley’s knee. “Want to talk about it?”

  Haley drew in a deep breath. “I think it’s time I head back to Portland.”

  “Looks like we’re on the same wavelength.”

  “You’re on your way to South Carolina?”

  “I’ll get there eventually. Looks like I’m going to stay a while and help Mom and Dad with a few things first. Then I’m going to make a few stops on the way. I might not get there until next year.”

  “You don’t think people will mistake you for Aspen there?” Haley asked.

  “I have a friend who just got back. She said Indigo Bay is the perfect getaway—it’s a whole different pace of life.”

  Haley tried to smile. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

  Sky ran her hands through her hair. “Me, too. Since I’m going to be in town a while, let me know if I can do anything for you. Are you okay?”

  “I will be. Once I get out of town myself.”

  Sky nodded knowingly. “Mind if I ask what happened with Sullivan?”

  “It just isn’t meant to be.” Haley shrugged. “Not much to tell.”

  “I understand. How long are you staying?”

  Haley glanced at the house. “If I get my way, I won’t spend another night in that house as long as I live.”

  Sky wrapped her arms around Haley. “It’ll work out for both of us. Let’s keep in touch, okay?”

  “I’d like that.” Haley returned the embrace. “Drive safe.”

  “I will.” Sky got up and drove away.

  Haley stared at the street for a while before getting up and brushing the grass off herself. She stared at the house. At least Dad’s pictures were down. All she had to do was go inside and pack. Then give Jensyn the bad news about leaving.

  She headed inside, and this time, a fresh new wave of memories struck. Jensyn and her watching movies and having deep talks. Cooking and cleaning together. Having friends over. Laughing and teasing, all without worry of Dad barging in and ruining the moment with his vile yelling and threats.

  Her heart constricted. She really did hate the thought of leaving her sister. Haley had abandoned Jensyn for so long, and now she was about to do the same thing again.

  She flopped onto the couch and sighed. What was she supposed to do? Run again—just to get away from Sullivan? But what message would that give Jensyn who’d gone to such great lengths to turn her life around? Her sister was taking her job seriously and making better life choices. If Haley yanked her out of all that to take her to Mom and their great aunt, Jensyn could very well revert back to her rebellious ways.

  Maybe the best decision would be to stay in town until Mom returned. Haley could avoid Sullivan easily enough. All men, in fact. Anyone who held the potential for a relationship, at least.

  She could handle a couple more months for her sister. It was the least she could do.

  Haley closed her eyes. When she opened them, the sun shone in through a different window. She rubbed her eyes. How long had she been asleep? Groggily, she got up and went into the kitchen.

  She froze when she saw the big, beautiful bouquet. Her argument with Sullivan flashed through her mind. Did men have any other reason for giving gifts other than to hurt people with them?

  Tears blurred her vision. She was done. Never again would she let a man close enough to hurt her. What she needed was a pet. Animals were so loving, and they never asked for anything in return. And more importantly, they didn’t betray.

  She would give her heart to her mom, sister, and pets. No one else. Even her friends back home needed to be kept at a distance.

  Haley wiped her eyes and headed back to her room. She tidied her things and then opened her laptop. She had fifteen new messages related to properties in town. She dug in, eager to forget about everything else.

  Twenty-Six

  Sullivan waved to Nancy on the way out. “Have a good weekend.”

  “And you have a wonderful week off. You deserve it.”
She smiled, showing she meant it.

  “Thanks, Nancy. And don’t forget to take a couple days off yourself. You deserve it.”

  “Get outta here.” She waved toward the door, shaking her head.

  He chuckled and headed out. It was strange knowing he wouldn’t see the building for a week, but he couldn’t wait for the change of scenery. All week, he’d been pushing away thoughts of Haley. Getting out into the woods with the guys would help tremendously. There would be nothing that could possibly remind him of her.

  Sullivan checked the texting conversation between him and everyone going. There were sixty-seven new messages. He sighed. First, he would grab something to eat and then catch up on what he’d missed.

  He called in a to-go order, picked it up, and headed home. There was still so much left to do. He’d be lucky to get any sleep considering how early he was going to have to wake up to leave, and he was already tired.

  The evening went by in a blur of activity between grabbing dinner, driving to get the meat in bulk, and getting packed. There was little room for unwanted thoughts, and when they did manage to push their way through, he shoved them aside. Finally, everything was packed in the car. He stared at it. He’d been right—there was no room to carpool. Especially not with adding what Logan needed to pack. Sullivan turned off the garage light and went into the house.

  Exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks. His whole body ached, begging him for sleep. He sat on the couch, trying to relax. With so much running through his mind, sleep would elude him, despite how tired he was. He turned on the TV and found a movie to stream that looked like a good distraction.

  Halfway through, he groaned. What looked like an intense action flick turned out to be part romance. His mind immediately went to Haley. His heart ached and anger threatened. He skipped past the romance until things started blowing up again. Much better.

  The quiet of the room woke him. When had he fallen asleep? He stretched, turned off the TV, and headed up to his room.

  Sullivan’s alarm went off all too soon. Still aching with exhaustion, he forced himself out of bed. He took what would probably be his last shower for a week, grabbed a quick breakfast, and got into his stuffed car. It was still mostly dark outside. Mom and Dad’s coffee stand probably wasn't even open this early.