Bayside Promises

by Stacy Claflin

  He yawned. He’d need to hit something out of town. At least traffic was light this early on a Saturday. It took no time to leave Enchantment Bay. He grabbed a coffee and headed for the woods.

  A couple hours later, he pulled onto the dirt road surrounded by thick trees. The GPS didn’t show a road. In fact, it wasn’t picking up a signal. Good thing Sullivan had been there before. He followed the bumpy road as best he could based on memory until he came to a pack of familiar cars.

  He pulled next to his cousin Zachary, who was unloading bows and arrows. Sullivan got out and stretched. The caffeine was wearing off fast.

  Zachary turned to him. “Hey, Sully. How’s it going?”

  “Good. I’m tired, but I’ll get over it. Want some help?”

  “Nah. I’m almost done. I can give you a hand in a few.” He disappeared down a path.

  Conversation buzzed down near the other end of the cars. Sullivan felt his spirits lift immediately. He went over and bumped fists with his brothers and cousins before heading back to his car to start unpacking. The next couple hours went by in a blur of activities as they set up everything for the busy week ahead of them.

  Once everything was done, Sullivan ran his fingers through his hair and looked around. There was so much to do, and he couldn’t wait to get started. “What are we starting with?”

  “Food,” Cruz said. “I’m going to make a campfire so big, it’s going to border on being illegal.”

  Logan laughed. “As long as it’s safe and doesn’t spread—”

  “Didn’t ask for legal counsel. Find me some wood while I dig out a pit for this bad boy.” He turned to Sullivan. “Prepare the meat.”

  Everyone got busy, doing their part to get the big lunch ready. An hour later, they had a roaring fire and delicious aromas of foods roasting filled the air. Sullivan’s mouth watered and stomach growled.

  As they sat around the campfire, everyone caught up with their lives. Sullivan talked about his business.

  “What about Haley?” Logan asked.

  “Who’s Haley?” Zachary asked.

  Sullivan shook his head, shot his brother a glare, and continued talking about how great things were going with real estate.

  Luckily, Cruz declared the food ready and everyone forgot about Haley. Except Sullivan. As he filled his plate, he found his rib cage constricting around his heart, threatening to crush it.

  Maybe he should’ve tried harder. He’d gotten so angry, he was too worried about losing his temper with her that he hadn’t been able to try and convince her to work things out. Maybe he should just send her a quick, friendly text.

  He sat, balanced his plate on his lap, and pulled out his phone. No service. Or he could take the next week to figure things out. His thoughts—and his emotions, if he was being honest—were a mixed bag. On one hand, he was still mad that he’d done everything he could to make her happy and still failed, but on the other hand, the ache in his heart was growing stronger.

  Sullivan took a deep breath. He would have to be stronger than his heart. He’d done everything he could to make it work. Real estate, that was his one and only love. Sure, he would get knocked down once in a while, but he’d get right back up. Something that was impossible with relationships. It was just one knock-down followed by ten more.

  But if he was making the right decision, why didn’t he feel better? He ate his food mindlessly and tried to push all thoughts of Haley away.

  Zachary rose. “Who’s ready for an archery competition?”

  Everyone expressed their agreement with high fives and grunts. Sullivan forced a smile. He needed to pull himself together or he wouldn’t even come close to hitting the target.

  Brayden, one of the California cousins, jumped up from his spot. “I have something to make our competitions more exciting.” He ran toward the cars.

  Everyone else exchanged curious glances and raised eyebrows. Brayden returned with an armload of trophies and medals. “Pretty sure I got enough for every event.”

  The excitement in the air buzzed around Sullivan. Everyone cleaned up the mess from lunch and hurried to set up the archery competition. Zachary and Cruz set up the targets and explained the rules.

  “Are we handing out the trophies after this?” Brayden asked. “Or at the end of the week?”

  “End of the week,” Cruz said. “Prizes go to those with the highest overall scores.”

  Sullivan grabbed a bow and tested the string. Satisfied with the tension, he grabbed an arrow and aimed for the nearest target. The arrow sailed right past it.

  “Nice one.” Brayden punched him playfully in the shoulder.

  “It’s called warming up,” Sullivan grumbled.

  “Whatever you gotta tell yourself,” Cruz teased.

  Sullivan shook his head, grabbed another arrow, and focused on the center of the target until everything around him disappeared. He pulled on the bow, aimed, and let go. It shot through the air, heading straight for the target. It sunk into the board on the second circle—right next to the center target.

  Everyone cheered him on and gave him high fives and fist pumps. Maybe he could get Haley out of his mind long enough to have a good time.

  Twenty-Seven

  Haley stopped in front of the dilapidated building and turned to Cassidy Jones, her client. “That’s the full lot. There are nicer ones I can show you if—”

  “It’s perfect.” The tall, slender woman twisted her long dark hair around two fingers. “It needs a little love—okay, a lot—but I’m for it. This lot has the room, and the two separate buildings are perfect for my dog boarding business. The far one is exactly what I’m envisioning for the doggie daycare. If I replace the concrete with grass over there, the dogs will have nearly a half-acre to run and play.”

  “What about this building?” Haley asked.

  “Cat and dog boarding. I love how it’s V-shaped. One half could be dedicated for cats, the other for dogs. They won’t have to bother each other one bit. I’m picturing something like a mini-mansion on each side, giving the pets room to roam and make friends.” Cassidy’s eyes lit up with excitement.

  Haley smiled at her enthusiasm. “It almost makes me want to get a pet just to bring it here.”

  “I’d give you a big discount.” Cassidy winked. “So, be frank with me. Is anyone else interested in the lot? I need to know what I’m up against.”

  “As of yet, you’re the only one to express any interest.”

  Cassidy grinned. “Perfect! What’s the next step?”

  “You’ll need to make an offer. Do you want to go with the asking price?”

  “It’s really reasonable. You sure no one else is going to put a bid in? Not with another realtor?”

  Haley’s stomach tightened at the thought of Sullivan. “I can’t guarantee it, no, but it’s unlikely.”

  “Then I’m going higher. I don’t want to risk losing this place. None of the other buildings come close to what I want.”

  “They’ll take a lot less work, though.”

  Cassidy scanned the entire lot and shook her head. “I don’t care. This is my future business. I can feel it.”

  “Okay. You want to meet at that coffee house we passed down the road? We can get everything going there.”

  “Let’s do it.” Cassidy flashed her a smile and shook Haley’s hand.

  Haley’s spirits lifted, knowing that both the buyer and seller were going to be happy. Not only that, but with her being the buying and selling realtor for the property, her bills would be paid for a while even if she didn’t sell another property all summer.

  Everything went smoothly as her two clients both agreed happily to the deal. She went back home practically walking on air. When she stepped into the front door, she froze. Jensyn sat on the couch in some guy’s lap, and they were making out heavily.

  “Jensyn!” Haley exclaimed.

  Her sister jumped off the guy, her eyes wide. “Haley. I didn’t know you were coming home. I mean…”
r />   The purple-haired guy stared at Haley and then turned to Jensyn. His ear was filled with rings. “Is that your mom?”

  “Out!” Haley ordered him.

  “Haley!” Jensyn protested.

  Haley grabbed a spiked leather jacket and tossed it at the kid. “Go.”

  He glared at her. “I thought you were hot. I was so wrong.” He stormed out of the house and slammed the door.

  “What was that all about?” Jensyn exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. She ran for the door.

  “You’re not going anywhere.”

  Jensyn’s mouth dropped. “You just threw Justin out!”

  “Of course I did.”

  “You’re not Mom.” Jensyn pushed past Haley and threw open the door. “Justin! Wait!”

  Haley blocked her. “You better not leave.”

  “Get outta my way.” Jensyn grabbed Haley’s arm, squeezed it hard, and shoved her out of her way.

  “You’re making a huge mistake,” Haley warned.

  Jensyn ran after Justin, jumped on his motorcycle without putting on a helmet, and they sped away.

  Haley stared in disbelief. Had all their progress been washed away? She slammed the door and paced. What had changed? And why so suddenly? Jensyn had never mentioned Justin before.

  Her stomach twisted. What could she do? Run into her car and chase after them? Then what? Drag her sister back home, kicking and screaming?

  Pain squeezed her temples and crept toward the back of her head. She closed the door and hoped her sister wasn’t stupid enough to get herself hurt. Haley’s mouth was dry, so she went into the kitchen for some water. The colorful, drooping bouquet greeted her.

  “What am I doing here in Enchantment Bay?” Her chest constricted, making it hard to breathe. She averted her gaze from the flowers and went to the sink, focusing on the backyard as she drank the tap water. After a couple glasses, she hurried back to her room. The first thing she saw was the box holding the necklace from Sullivan.

  Haley wanted to pick it up and throw it, but instead, she sat on the bed and cried into her palms. The tears came immediately, pouring faster with each passing moment. Her breathing grew ragged as she gulped for air.

  Why had she ever come back? What had made her think she could make a difference with her sister? She was rebellious and angry because of growing up with a dictator-like jerk. Haley couldn’t undo any of that damage any more than she could undo the destruction heaped upon her by the same man.

  Why had she been so stupid as to think a relationship with Sullivan could work out? Even if they could manage something, she lived in Portland, not Enchantment Bay. She wasn’t moving back, and she doubted Sullivan had any desire to move to the city that wanted to stay weird—he would probably cringe at all the ‘keep Portland weird’ bumper stickers. It was too different from the charming little town he loved so much.

  Even if she and Sullivan could make things work out, who was she to think that she stood a chance at a normal relationship? She was destined to have a marriage just like her parents’. The lineup of men she’d chosen were proof of that—and now she could add Sullivan to that list.

  Once Haley calmed down, she knew what she needed to do. She pulled out her suitcase and packed everything she wanted to take back home with her. Once it was full, she spun around slowly, making sure she didn’t miss anything. There was plenty of room in her car for anything additional she wanted to take back with her.

  Her gaze landed on her old jewelry box. She opened it and dug out a plain silver ring. It still fit on her left ring finger. She slid it on as her constant reminder to stay single for the rest of her life. She’d get a cat to keep her company. Then life would be good. The last thing she needed was the stress of any kind of relationship.

  She zipped her suitcase and rolled it out into the hallway. What to do about her sister? Haley couldn’t leave her—not with her acting up again. Haley had promised Mom she’d keep an eye on Jensyn. That meant she had to drive her to their great-aunt’s home.

  Haley went into her sister’s room and packed a suitcase. She brought the luggage to the kitchen and walked through the house, making sure everything was off and ready to be left alone for a while.

  Now it was a matter of waiting for Jensyn to get back. As much as Haley wanted to text her rebellious sister and order her home, that would only make Jensyn dig her heels in deeper and stay away longer. Haley needed to wait. She twisted the ring back and forth on her finger and sat on the couch.

  She waited with her thoughts for close to an hour before finally turning on the television. Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it. Eventually, the light outside turned into darkness. She couldn’t take the hunger, so she finally warmed some leftovers while trying to decide what to do about Jensyn.

  Maybe texting her would’ve been better. What if Jensyn decided to stay out all night? They could’ve decided to hit another party out of town. Haley’s stomach twisted in knots at the thought of it. Maybe her sister just needed to learn the hard way—and Haley wasn’t going to bail her out this time. Sometimes the school of hard knocks was the best teacher.

  She went back to the couch, turned on a mindless comedy, and fell asleep halfway through. The sound of the lock clicking woke her. Haley bolted upright and rubbed her eyes, trying to shake her grogginess.

  The door opened. Jensyn walked in and glared at Haley. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

  “Great. You can explain it to Mom.”

  Jensyn’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  Haley tilted her head toward the luggage. “We’re going on a road trip.”

  Jensyn shook her head. “You’re not taking me to Great-Aunt Elma’s.”

  “We’re not staying here! You’d better go to the bathroom. It’s quite a drive.”

  “Haley—”

  “I don’t want to hear it. We’re leaving. Now.”

  “Please, Haley.”

  Haley reached over and turned on a table lamp. Jensyn’s eyes were red and puffy, like she’d been crying. “What’s the matter?”

  Jensyn looked away. “Nothing. If you want to go, let’s go.”

  “What happened?” Haley demanded.

  “Nothing,” Jensyn repeated. “Forget it.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Haley rose and studied her sister’s puffy skin and bloodshot eyes. “I thought we were getting along. Now you’re treating me like the enemy.”

  Jensyn looked at her, tears filling her eyes. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”

  “What happened?” Haley closed the door and led Jensyn to the couch.

  She sniffled and tucked her feet under herself. “Justin just showed up—”

  “Who, exactly, is he?” Haley struggled to keep judgment out of her tone as she sat next to her sister.

  Jensyn took a deep breath. “Kind of an ex-boyfriend. It’s complicated.”

  “Okay. He showed up here?”

  Sniffling, Jensyn nodded. “He said he was on the run from the cops.”

  “And you invited him in?” Haley exclaimed.

  “He said he didn’t have anyone else to turn to.”

  Of course he didn’t. Haley bit her tongue and nodded for Jensyn to continue.

  “I was trying to help him figure out what to do when you showed up.”

  Jensyn had been doing a lot more than that. Haley bit her tongue even harder and waited for Jensyn to go on.

  “Then he drove us to his cousin’s house.” She took a deep breath and her lips trembled. “I don’t want to talk about it. It took me three busses to get here, and I had to walk the last mile. I’m home, I’m safe, and there’s no drugs or alcohol in my system. Can we just go to bed? You look too tired to drive, anyway.”

  Haley clenched her fists. “Fine, but don’t think you’re getting out of going to Great-Aunt Elma’s.”

  “I’m really sorry, Hales.”

  “So am I.”

  Twenty-Eight

  Conversation outside the tent woke
Sullivan. He rolled over, and a rock dug into his ribs. His air mattress had a hole, and he hadn’t discovered that until he’d set everything up. Now it was just his sleeping bag and thin tent floor between him and the rocky soil.

  Someone slapped his tent. “Hey, Sullivan! You going fishing?”

  “Yeah. Give me a minute.”

  “We’re getting an early start. Hurry up.”

  He pulled on some shorts and a flannel shirt over his old Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt. He dug around for his Blazers cap and headed outside as he put his shoes on.

  “Last one up gets to carry the bait.” Zachary laughed and gestured toward two buckets filled with worms.

  “Sounds good,” Sullivan mumbled. He reached for the buckets, realizing how sore he was. He’d slept badly not only because of the ground but because his mind kept going back to Haley. The harder he tried not to think about her, the more thoughts forced their way in.

  A half an hour later, they stopped at a shady spot next to a quieter part of the river. Sullivan put the buckets down by a tree. His heart was heavier than both buckets combined. He picked up a fishing pole from the pile, not caring which one he got.

  The other guys laughed and joked as they prepared their lines. Sullivan sighed and wandered down away from the group. He cast his line without giving any thought to where the fish might be. He tried to ignore the ache in his chest. It was better this way, anyhow. Relationships weren’t worth the trouble. It was impossible to make a girlfriend happy, and that was a stress he didn't need in his life.

  The hours passed. He heard his relatives laughing and joking as they caught fish, but he couldn’t bring himself to join them.

  After a while, footsteps sounded. “You okay?”

  Sullivan turned to see Logan. “Not catching much here.”

  “That’s not what I mean. You haven’t been yourself since we got here.” His brother arched a brow, obviously knowing something was up.

  “I’ve got stuff on my mind.”