Bayside Destinies

by Stacy Claflin

  He imagined himself floating over the waves not far away. They still crashed lazily against the sand. His mind’s eye watched the waves as he drifted farther, farther, farther.

  Then water splashed over him, soaking his legs, almost to his stomach.

  Logan sat up, looking around.

  Two shrieking boys were throwing buckets of water at each other—and getting it on Logan.

  “Hey! Take it somewhere else.” Logan wiped his legs. The water made it look like he’d peed himself.

  Shale raised himself onto an elbow and glanced at Logan. “Nice.”

  “Kids.” Logan shook his head. “Guess I can’t complain. I’m sure I pulled similar stunts at that age.”

  Shale snickered. “At that age?”

  “What?”

  “I seem to remember you pulling all kinds of pranks when you were older than that—like in high school!”

  “If you’re talking about the time I buried Wes Hoffman in sand, he had it coming after he filled my car with marshmallows on a day hotter than this.”

  Shale laughed. “I didn’t know about that one. No, I was talking about the time you poured maple syrup in my hair. You said it would make my hair the same color as yours, which was dyed dark blond that year.”

  “That wasn’t me! You’re confusing me with Sullivan.”

  Shale shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Don’t try to push that off on him. It was you. I remember that day clearly. I’m surprised you don’t! Mom was so mad—she threatened to ground you for a month.”

  It all came back to Logan. “You’re right! I thought she was going to explode right there. Then we really would have had a mess to clean up.”

  “You mean you would have!”

  Shale and Logan laughed over that incident and a few others until Logan’s stomach hurt and Shale had tears running down his face.

  They hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. Shale had only recently started smiling again, and he’d been back in Enchantment Bay for a couple years. He’d returned after his pregnant wife had passed away unexpectedly.

  Logan almost said something about how good it was to have the old Shale back, but he didn’t want to draw attention to the fact. The last thing Shale needed was a reminder of what had kept him depressed for so long.

  A loud nostalgic melody played not far away.

  Shale arched a brow. “Is that the ice cream truck?”

  “Sounds like it.”

  “Oh, man. That brings back memories.” Shale jumped to his feet. “Want something?”

  “You’re seriously getting something from the ice cream truck?”

  “You bet I am. Want one?”

  “Sure. Surprise me.”

  “Something with maple syrup.” Shale grabbed his wallet and spun around.

  Logan tossed his bottle of sunscreen at his brother. Shale caught it, threw it back, and headed toward the parking lot. Laughing, Logan grabbed it, set it back on his towel and closed his eyes, enjoying the sounds of the beach.

  “Logan?”

  He turned toward the familiar feminine voice. Audrey stood next to his towel. Judging by her expression, she was just as surprised to see him as he was to see her.

  “Hi, Audrey.” He rose and smiled at her. As long as she didn’t bring up marriage again, he was happy to see her. “Good to see you again.”

  She nodded, but didn’t smile.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to bother you. It looks like you’re here with someone.”

  Logan glanced over at Shale’s towel. “Just my brother. He won’t mind—”

  Shale appeared from behind and held out a hand toward Audrey. “Hi, there. I’m just Logan’s brother.”

  She cracked a smile and shook his hand. “Hi, just Logan’s brother. I’m Audrey. Nice to meet you.”

  “Pleasure’s all mine.” He handed a bat-shaped ice cream bar to Logan and sat down with a multi-colored frozen treat.

  Audrey arched a brow. “You like bats?”

  “He’s obsessed.” Shale took a bite of his ice cream. “You should see his bedroom.”

  Logan shot his brother an annoyed glance.

  Shale smirked. “It’s for the maple syrup.”

  Audrey looked thoroughly confused.

  “Don’t mind Shale,” Logan said, “he’s delusional.”

  “So, no bat-themed bedroom?”

  Logan shook his head no. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

  “You going to eat that?” Shale asked. “It’s about to melt.”

  “It’s yours.” Logan tossed the ice cream treat to Shale, who caught it with his free hand.

  “Nice toss. Maybe you should stop by the bathroom.” Shale nodded toward Logan’s shorts.

  His wet shorts.

  Logan turned to Audrey, who was staring with a bewildered expression.

  “It’s not what it looks like,” he insisted.

  Shale snorted. “That’s what he always says.”

  “What’s gotten into you?” Logan exclaimed, having lost all appreciation for Shale’s newfound happiness.

  He shrugged. “Nothing.”

  Logan turned back to Audrey. “Some kids ran by and spilled water on me.”

  She smiled sweetly. “No worries. I honestly figured as much.”

  “Want to join us?” Shale patted the space between his and Logan’s towels.

  “Actually,” Logan said, “we were just about to take a walk before you came back.”

  “Have fun.” Shale finished the bat ice cream, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

  Logan headed for the trail that went around the bay and gestured for Audrey to follow.

  “Sorry about Shale. He’s kind of going through some stuff. He’s not usually like that.”

  “It’s okay. He’s funny. Really, I didn’t fall for anything he said. I swear.”

  “Brothers can be annoying—no matter how old they get.”

  “Enjoy it.” Audrey gave him a sad smile. “I wish I had siblings to bicker with and tease.”

  Logan stopped under a pine tree and tilted his head. “Wait. You had two brothers and a sister when we were kids. You don’t have them now?”

  She looked away, then played with a nail.

  “Audrey?”

  “They weren’t really my siblings.” She kept her gaze averted.

  “You’re going to have to explain. I remember them. The tall, goofy boy with braces and girl with the crooked bangs—”

  Audrey played with the lace lining on the bottom of her shirt. “They were my foster family for the summer. That’s it. I don’t have a family.”

  Logan stared at her. “No family? Nobody at all?” He couldn’t imagine such a thing. His family was so close that once a week he, his two sisters, two brothers, and some siblings-in-law all went to have dinner at their parents’ house.

  Audrey shook her head, still playing with the lace on her shirt.

  Logan took a deep breath. No wonder she had wanted to talk about a fifteen-year-old marriage pact. It seemed like she didn’t have anyone at all.

  Four

  Audrey watched as seagulls chased each other just above the bay. She tried not to think about the awkward silence between her and Logan.

  That, of course, only made it worse.

  She cleared her throat. “So, yeah. I have no family. It really isn’t that big of a deal. Sorry, didn’t mean to make things weird.”

  He threw her a pitiful glance.

  Great.

  “No, it’s not weird.” Logan gave a small smile. “I was just thinking about family. Mine never leaves me alone—take Shale, for example. Actually, you can just take him.”

  Audrey laughed. It was amazing how easy it was to relax in Logan’s presence, even after all these years. Sure, it had been fifteen years, but had they changed all that much, really? It didn’t feel like it.

  Logan stepped closer to her. “I never once during that summ
er thought you didn’t belong in your foster family. You all just seemed like a regular family.”

  “They were really nice. I think they wanted me to fit in and feel like one of them. It just didn’t last.”

  There was that look again. The one that said he felt sorry for her.

  “It’s fine, though. I only had a couple more families before graduating, and they were all pretty cool. Nothing like those horror stories you hear about.” Not that those horror stories never happened. She’d been in a few homes over the years that not even therapy had helped her to forget fully. She sighed.

  Logan put his hand on her arm. “I’m sorry you had to endure all of that bouncing around and never really having a place to call home.”

  Audrey stood taller. “I always had a home. It just didn’t always last very long. It made me into the person I am today. I don’t have any regrets.”

  She didn’t have any regrets about growing up, anyway. Things didn’t get bad until she had agreed to marry Bryson. Now she was on the run.

  That was something she would take back if she could go back in time. Too bad she didn’t know anyone with a time machine.

  “It sounds like you have a good attitude about everything,” Logan said. “Not sure I could after all that.”

  She shrugged. “We deal with what life has handed us, right?”

  He looked deep in thought for a moment. “It hands some people worse things than others. I’m fortunate.”

  “And what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.”

  “Of course. Do you want to walk a little farther?”

  “Sure.”

  He moved his hand from her arm, and they continued down the trail. It was exactly as Audrey remembered, only the plants shading them had gotten bigger.

  They made small talk, and Logan filled her in on what their friends from so long ago were up to now. It was surprising how many had stayed in Enchantment Bay. Maybe because it was the kind of place that made people feel welcome and wanted. That had been a big part of the reason Audrey had decided to return. That, and her marriage pact with Logan.

  She was about to ask him what he’d been up to—it had to have been good, given the big, beautiful home he lived in—when he stopped walking and turned to her.

  “I’m glad you came back to town, Audrey.”

  “You are?”

  Logan nodded. “How about we grab lunch tomorrow? My treat.”

  “A date?” She wanted to smack herself. Things were going so well, and she had to ruin it by trying to make a lunch more than it was.

  “Yeah, a date.” He smiled.

  Relief flooded her. “Okay. That sounds really nice.”

  “You said you live in the apartments over there?” He nodded his head in the direction of her building.

  “Yeah.” Her heart thundered.

  “I’ll pick you up at noon. Does that sound good?”

  Going on a date with Logan Hunter sounded better than good. “It sounds wonderful.”

  “Perfect.”

  They headed back to the beach, and Audrey’s heart wouldn’t slow down. Her hands shook. It hardly seemed real that she was walking with Logan, much less that he had just asked her on a date.

  When they parted ways, Logan rejoined his brother. She waved goodbye to them, and they returned the gesture. Then Shale started teasing him about something.

  Audrey smiled, enjoying watching the two of them. If she’d had a sibling, she’d have wanted a relationship like that.

  As she made her way back to the apartment building, she replayed every moment of her walk with Logan.

  When she passed through the parking lot, someone called her name.

  Was it an old friend from her summer visit? She spun around and her heart skipped a beat.

  It wasn’t a friend. The farthest thing from it.

  Bryson stood next to his red pickup truck and raked his fingers through his wavy hair. He’d grown it out past his ears.

  How had he found her? She’d been so careful, ditching her old phone and getting another car. The only thing she hadn’t done was change her identity, but she hadn’t thought it necessary since she wasn’t using any credit cards.

  “Surprised to see me?” He sneered.

  Audrey stared at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing how shocked she really was.

  He stepped toward her.

  She glanced around. For it being a busy place, nobody was within sight. He could get away with just about anything, and not one person would see.

  Audrey stepped back.

  “Don’t walk away from me again.” He narrowed his eyes, glowering at her. Audrey recognized that look—he was warning her not to cross him.

  She swallowed. Just because people weren’t in view didn’t mean they weren’t nearby. All she would have to do was shout. The beach was packed. Someone would hear her.

  Bryson stopped just in front of her. “Where’s the engagement ring?”

  “I told you, I gave it to your brother.”

  “He doesn’t have it.”

  “Then he’s lying.”

  “You accusing my brother of being a liar?” Bryson’s brows came together.

  “If he says I didn’t give him the ring, then yes.”

  He moved closer, nearly bumping her nose.

  Audrey wanted to scream, but couldn’t find her voice.

  Bryson sniffed the air. “Is that cologne?”

  “What?”

  “Cologne. Have you been with some guy?” His nostrils flared. “You’re my fiancée. Mine!”

  Audrey’s pulse pounded. “I haven’t been with some guy. I ran into an old friend. That’s it.”

  Bryson’s expression tightened. “Did he kiss you?”

  “No!”

  “You’d better be telling me the truth.” He grabbed her chin and squeezed. “Are you?”

  “Yes. But you need to leave me alone. We broke up.” She tried to push his hand away.

  His expression tightened, and he pressed harder on her chin and turned her head. “We didn’t split up. You ran for the hills like a coward while I was at work. You don’t understand—we aren’t over until I say we are.”

  “You need to go back home.”

  He squeezed her chin even harder. “That’s another thing. You can’t tell me what to do. I don’t answer to you. You answer to me.”

  Tears stung her eyes, and she tried to blink them away.

  “Oh, stop being a baby.”

  “No, you stop.” She pulled away from his grasp and glared at him. “You need to get it through your head that we’re over. Over!”

  His mouth formed a straight line and his face turned scarlet. “Excuse me?”

  “We’re not married, and we’re not engaged. We aren’t even dating. Leave me alone!”

  Bryson grabbed her shoulder then slammed her into the minivan behind her. Her cheek hit the window. He held her head against the vehicle. “You can’t talk to me like that, woman.”

  Audrey’s pulse pounded. “There are five people over there. Either you’re going to let go of me, or I’m going to scream.”

  His face paled. “You wouldn’t.”

  She opened her mouth to shout.

  Bryson let go of her and stepped back, calling her a derogatory name.

  Audrey narrowed her eyes. “We’re through. Leave me alone. I never want to see you again.”

  He jutted his jaw. “This is far from over. Just you wait. You’ll see.”

  She barely held in the tears as he stormed away. After he screeched out of the parking lot, she finally let them fall.

  Walking to the apartment complex, she caught her reflection in an SUV window. Bruises were already forming on both her chin and her cheek.

  Five

  Audrey paced her apartment for what had to be the five-hundredth time. She’d nearly thrown up after locking herself inside.

  Maybe she needed to move somewhere else. She’d already paid rent for the month, but leaving might be a ne
cessary sacrifice.

  Or would Bryson continue following her, no matter where she went? Had he taken the summer off?

  He must’ve been serious about hunting her down if he took leave from work now. Bryson worked in construction, and this was the busiest season in the Pacific Northwest. Not working was going to negatively impact his bottom line—and he wasn’t one to turn down money.

  Sighing, she went out onto her tiny deck and leaned on the railing. She turned to the left so she could see the edge of the bay.

  Was she better off staying or leaving? Bryson knew where she was, so that was a strike against staying. On the other hand, she had a date with Logan. That might lead to something nice.

  What if she could convince Bryson that she and Logan were a couple? If he was following her, he would see her with Logan. Maybe he’d decide to give up and go home.

  Yeah, right. Bryson really seemed to believe he owned Audrey, and he was extremely possessive of his belongings. He wasn’t going to give up easily. The fact that he was in town was proof enough of that.

  What she needed was protection. Could she install a security system in an apartment? Or maybe what she needed was a gun.

  Who was she kidding? That involved permits and licenses—paperwork and training. She didn’t have time for that. Maybe pepper spray or a Taser.

  She definitely needed something. Self-defense classes? A dog?

  That was it. Pets were allowed in the building, and the beach was right there. It would be perfect. Dogs were loyal, and if Bryson tried to lay another hand on her, the dog would attack him.

  A slow smile spread across her face. That was the answer. But she needed to find a grown dog. There was no time to train a puppy and wait for it to mature.

  Audrey went into the bathroom and used concealer to cover up the bruising as best as she could, then she headed to her car.

  On the way down to the parking garage, the elevator stopped and a girl about her age stepped in with a Pomeranian in her purse.

  “Cute puppy,” Audrey said.

  She grinned. “Thanks. Isn’t Chloe adorable?”

  Audrey nodded. “Where’d you get her? I’m actually looking for a dog.”

  “Oh, she’s from my friend. But, you know, there's a little pet store off Roosevelt where you can get a puppy.”