“Thank you, Mrs. Hunter.” Haley smiled awkwardly and held out her hand.
“Call me Judy.” She ignored Haley’s hand and engulfed her in a hug.
Haley stayed close to Sullivan as he introduced her to everyone. Everyone gave her hugs, welcoming her. Sullivan’s heart warmed as he watched Haley loosen up more and more with each interaction, and eventually she smiled and stepped away from him. Before long, she was laughing with his siblings—this time, the teasing was on Sullivan. He’d pulled more than his fair share of antics growing up, and his family was making sure Haley heard about every last one of them. He was fine with it as long as she kept laughing and smiling.
By the time everyone sat around the large table eating, Haley was teasing Sullivan’s siblings and sharing some of his more embarrassing moments from school. All he could do was laugh and bask in the joy of seeing Haley get along so well with his family. They were beginning to fill the holes left by her own family.
He’d never been happier than he was that evening.
Thirty-Three
Several months later.
The wind whipped Haley’s hair into her face. She dug into her jacket, found a hair tie, and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She stepped over a mud puddle and the wind blew a couple drenched, brown leaves into her face. She ran to the door of Hunter Realty and wiped her cheek.
Leaves fell from trees and flew across the parking lot. Haley shivered, missing the warm days of summer. She pulled out a handheld mirror and checked her makeup. Everything looked good.
Her heart fluttered thinking about seeing Sullivan. She walked inside, and Nancy glanced up from her desk.
“Hi, Haley. How are you?” The older woman smiled sweetly.
Haley smiled back. “Better than the weather.”
“You don’t love these blustery fall days?”
“I do—from inside.”
Nancy sipped from a coffee mug. “I couldn’t agree more. Sullivan’s in his office. He’s expecting you.”
Haley grinned and practically floated into his office. Sullivan jumped up from his desk, threw his arms around her, and spun her around. “You’re back! How did everything go?”
She giggled and gave him a quick kiss. “The moving company made everything seamless. Mom’s not too happy about all the boxes in the living room, but I can tell she’s thrilled to have me home with her.”
Sullivan kissed her nose. “I hope she doesn’t get too used to the idea.” He held up her left hand and admired the diamond engagement ring on her finger.
“As long as I stay in town, she’ll be happy.”
“Speaking of that, a gorgeous tri-level on the bay just went on the market this morning.”
Haley’s eyes lit up.
“I haven’t entered it into the system yet.” He winked. “I thought we could have a look first. Maybe right now?”
“Yes! Let me just grab something.”
Sullivan brushed his lips across hers. “Hurry back. I’ll miss you.”
Haley wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. Then she turned around, passed Nancy, and went into the office with her nameplate on the door. She looked around the lovely office, thrilled about every aspect of her life.
Bayside Destinies Preview
Logan Hunter slid on his sunglasses and made himself comfortable on the porch swing. He closed his eyes and allowed the warm, Oregon morning sun to warm him from the outside in. It had been a few years since he’d taken a real vacation from the firm, and though the two-month break hadn’t been his idea—it was a use-it-or-lose-it situation—he was settling into the idea rather quickly now that it had started.
The plan was to spend most of the summer working on his house and car, then at some point, have a guys’ camping trip with his brothers and some cousins, maybe even his dad and uncle.
Music played from his shorts pocket. The tune told him it was the office.
He pulled out the phone and accepted the call, still keeping his eyes closed. “Logan here. I thought you guys wanted me to take the time off.”
“Do you know where the file is for the Davidson case?” His assistant Carly’s voice was more on edge than usual.
Logan readjusted himself on the seat and kicked up his feet onto the top of the railing. “I passed all my cases onto the others. I think Howe has that one.”
“He’s yelling at me because he doesn’t!”
“Tell him it’s there with all the others. Oh, and tell him he’s smart enough to figure these things out himself. I’m on vacation.”
“Sorry to bother you, but he’s throwing a real fit.”
That didn’t surprise Logan. Howe had no patience and a short fuse. “Want me to chew him out for you?”
“Well, I…” Her voice trailed away. “That isn’t why I called. I was just hoping you knew where the file is.”
“Like I said, with all the others. He probably just missed it. Details aren’t his strong suit.”
Carly sighed. “That’s what I told him. Well, not about him missing details. You’re the most organized person I know. You keep this place afloat.”
Logan couldn’t deny that much. Everyone in the firm relied on him heavily, which was part of the reason he could never bring himself to take more than a few days off at a time—and then only around major holidays. If he was honest with himself, he loved being needed, so he played into the cycle as much as anyone else.
His life was his job. Logan Hunter was the best attorney in town and he had no intention of letting anything hold him back from being the most sought-after lawyer in Enchantment Bay. Friends and family joked about him being married to work, but it wasn’t far from the truth. He certainly wasn’t going to have an actual wife. Not when previous dating relationships had gotten in the way of his job. The last time he’d had a girlfriend, Logan had been so distracted he’d nearly lost a huge case.
It was the wakeup call he’d needed, and he hadn’t forgotten the lesson. No more dating.
He hadn’t realized Carly was still talking on the phone.
“Logan?”
“Can you repeat the last part?” he asked.
“Do you want me to tell the others you’re unreachable until Labor Day?”
“That would probably be for the best. If they have questions about the cases that aren’t in my notes—and I left meticulous notes in each file—they can ask the clients themselves.”
“Got it. Marked you DNC.”
“DNC?”
“Do not call. This’ll be the last you hear from the firm, Logan. I promise. Sorry to bother you.”
“It’s no problem. Just tell Howe to breathe and maybe take up yoga.”
Carly laughed. “That I’d love to see. Well, have a great summer.”
“Thanks, Carly. You too. Be sure to take some time off for yourself.”
“I will.”
Logan cracked open one eye and ended the call. The real question was if he could stay away from the firm for two whole months. Handing off his cases to the other lawyers had been one of the hardest things he’d done in a long time.
Not going in to the office would be just as challenging. He definitely wasn’t a Mr. Fix-It type, so working on the house would be an interesting adventure, to say the least.
But before he started on any projects, he just wanted to sit on his front deck and enjoy the morning. Birds sang all around the yard. A lawn mower roared to life down the street. Dogs barked in the distance. Sweet aromas from flowers next door wafted his way and mixed nicely with the scent of fresh-cut grass.
It was the perfect day. Once the shade covered this side of the house, he’d have to head over to the beach to catch some more rays. Maybe stop by Mom and Dad’s coffee stand. They loved nothing more than when their kids stopped by to say hi.
In the meantime, Logan had at least an hour of solitude to enjoy.
“Logan? Logan Hunter?” An excited feminine voice pulled him from his thoughts.
He held back a groan and forced his eyes op
en. A tall, slender brunette with cascading waves grinned at him. Logan pulled off the sunglasses and studied her. She was gorgeous, and he’d never seen her before. He would have remembered her face, that much was certain.
She bounced up the walkway, stopped at the foot of the steps, and beamed. “It’s so good to see you again, Logan! You look great.”
So much for never having seen her before. He strolled over to the top of the steps and tilted his head, studying her some more. She had striking green eyes and a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose.
Where would they have met? She still didn’t seem familiar. He was certain he’d remember that face. “You look great, too.”
Her smile faded. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Guilt stung, but he shook his head. “Sorry, no. I wish I did. Care to help me out?”
“Audrey Hughes.” Her pretty eyes widened in expectation.
His mind raced. The name sounded familiar, although he couldn’t remember where he’d heard it before. A client, maybe?
“The summer of our junior year.” Her bright green eyes widened more, obviously in hopes that he’d remember.
Logan’s mouth dropped. “Audrey? Audrey Hughes?”
She nodded and clutched her hands together. “You remember?”
A flurry of fifteen-year-old memories raced through his mind. Audrey had been in Enchantment Bay with her family for just one summer. She’d been a part of his social group all season long, and they had become good friends. More than friends, actually. But after she had returned home, they’d lost contact with each other.
And now that he had a free summer, she was back. Interesting timing.
“I hope your silence is a good thing.” The pleading in her expression made his heart skip a beat. She was a lot prettier than he remembered.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, of course. I’m just surprised to see you. It’s been a long time.”
“Fifteen years. Hard to believe how fast time flies by.”
Logan laughed. “You sure know how to make a guy feel old.”
Pink colored her cheeks. “Sorry, but if you’re old, then that makes two of us.”
He shook his head. “Definitely not. So, what brings you back to Enchantment Bay?”
Audrey’s expression darkened for a moment, but then brightened so quickly that Logan had to question if it had changed at all. She smiled sweetly. “Actually, I came to see you.”
“Me?” She couldn’t have surprised him more than by saying that. “You came all the way here to see me?”
“I don’t suppose you remember our deal?”
Logan pressed his palm against the railing. His mind spun. “We made a deal?”
She nodded toward the porch swing. “Mind if we talk?”
“Uh, sure.” He stumbled back.
What had he agreed to?
~~~
Audrey’s pulse pounded as she followed Logan to the bench.
How would he react? Would he even remember? Would he laugh at her, and send her away?
She sat and jammed her shaking hand underneath her purse.
He turned to her, his expression tense and his face two shades paler than it had been a minute before. “What was the deal we struck when we were seventeen?”
Audrey held her breath. Logan Hunter was going to laugh at her and probably tell all their mutual friends that she was crazy.
“Audrey?” His expression only held kindness.
She relaxed and laughed nervously. “Sorry. Do you remember the weekend before I had to leave, we went to the beach?”
“I’m not sure. We’ve already established that it was fifteen years ago and that I’m old.” The corners of his mouth twitched.
Audrey smiled and relaxed even more. It was nice being with a guy who didn’t enjoy frightening her. She leaned back and thought back to her date with Logan all those years ago. “I know this probably sounds silly, but we agreed that if we weren’t married by age thirty, we’d get married. To each other.”
His expression froze. He didn’t even blink.
Purchase links.
The Hunters
The Seaside Hunters
Seaside Surprises
Work hard. Play often. Love unconditionally.
Tiffany Saunders is on the run. When she winds up stranded in a seaside town, she wants nothing more than to forget her horrific past and kept moving. But a chance meeting with a handsome local changes everything.
Jake Hunter has some deep emotional scars and is trying to cope with running the family business. The last thing he wants is a relationship—until a mysterious brunette walks into his store and complicates it all.
Tiffany prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong—in her rear view mirror. But dark secrets cannot stay hidden forever. Just as the walls around Tiffany’s heart start to come down, the past catches up with her. Will true love be able to conquer all?
Seaside Heartbeats
Sometimes love shows up when you least expect it.
After years of hard work, architect Lana Summers just wants a relaxing vacation in the beach town of Kittle Falls. Instead, she suffers unexpected heart problems, and finds herself in the office of a gorgeous cardiologist—who only makes her heart work harder.
Brayden Hunter left his successful cardiology practice in Dallas to be closer to his aging parents. Focused on building a health care clinic in his hometown, he doesn’t want any distractions. However, the beautiful Lana is one he can’t seem to avoid.
As their attraction grows, they stumble upon a 160-year-old mystery. Brayden catches her adventurous spirit as they chase after answers, and he can’t help falling for her. But can he convince her to stay in the small beach town and with him?
Seaside Dances
Dream big. Dance often. Love completely.
Zachary Hunter is no stranger to rejection. After multiple failed efforts to get his novel published in New York, he’s counting on a trip home to turn his luck around.
Jasmine Blackwell has big dreams. She hopes her internship as a dance instructor in Kittle Falls will be the stepping stone she needs to achieve her lifelong goals.
After a chance meeting, neither Zachary nor Jasmine can deny their attraction. They fear their aspirations are too big to let a relationship tie them down. Can they have both love and the careers of their dreams?
Seaside Kisses
People change, but some feelings last forever.
Rafael Hunter never thought he’d return to Kittle Falls, but life gave him no other choice. Los Angeles chewed him up, spit him out, and sent him back to square one.
Amara Fowler has lived in the small beach town her entire life. She’s overcome her shyness to grow into the woman she always knew she could be, but she never forgot her secret crush. When the alluring Rafael returns, he can’t help but stir in her a whirlwind of old feelings.
They’ve both changed so much. Has life kept them incompatible or has it molded them into a matching set?
Seaside Christmas
He can’t stand her. She thinks he’s crazy. Will their feelings stay etched in permanent ink?
Cruz Hunter has always stuck out in his small hometown. Now that he’s covered in tattoos, the residents peg him as even more of an outcast. It seems like the whole world is against his dream of opening a local tattoo parlor.
When he finally finds the perfect place for his new business, Cruz discovers a pastor and his daughter have already bought it. The only thing more irritating than the change in his plan is Talia, a beautiful and feisty argument in a dress. Cruz would like nothing more than to have her out of his life and his mind, but for some reason, she’s the only thing he can think about.
If Cruz and Talia can stop arguing long enough, opposites may do much more than attract.
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Seaside Hunters Short Stories
Seaside Beginnings
This is the story of Robert and Dawn, the five Hunter brothers�
� parents. We meet them in each of the Seaside books, and they’ve grown on readers almost as much as the brothers themselves. Now we get a glimpse into their story.
Seaside Memories
Sophia is the youngest of the Hunter siblings. Each of her brothers hold her memory in a special place. Her story is one of first love, second chances, and enjoying life.
Seaside Treasures
Allen and Jackie’s story is of an unlikely love and healing old wounds. They couldn’t be more different, but that could be exactly what they need.
Read these and many other short stories in Tiny Bites, a snack-sized multi-genre collection by Stacy Claflin.
The Bayside Hunters
If you enjoyed falling for the Seaside Hunters, you’ll love their Oregon cousins just as much. We’ve already met Logan, Sullivan, and Dakota. They and their two other siblings—twins, Freya and Shale—are about to find the loves of their lives… they just don’t know it yet.
Bayside Wishes
She’s guarding a family secret. He’s investigating a murder. Will a second homecoming lead to true love?
Freya Hunter is living the fabulous life. The west-coast girl rakes it in as a fashion model in New York City, but everything changes after she returns home for a quick visit.
Bayside Promises Page 16