by Lily Santana
“You all right? You lost all your rosiness.”
Her shoulders sagged with the effort to keep her head up. She looked at Jack and shrugged. “I may have done something really stupid.”
He smiled. “I promise you, Em, that boy is smitten and you could feed him cottage cheese for a year and he’d still come back for more.”
Jack’s attempt to humor her didn’t help alleviate her guilt for mistrusting Mitch. Especially since he hadn’t done anything but be gallant and wonderful this past week, even though she’d tried to put him through small-town-goodness hell.
Heat trailed up her neck from Jack’s perception of Mitch’s feelings. Please let Jack be right. “I’m not so sure,” she said.
“I am. Now, why don’t you go and have fun serving my customers. Me? I’ve got take this friggin’ vest off before I implode.” Jack’s eyes crinkled at the corners and he reached out for her hands, which he clasped in his. “I haven’t seen you this alive in a while. It’s like you’re here with us again. I don’t know if it’s who I think it is who’d done that for you, but if it is, I owe the man free beers for the rest of his life.”
A tear spilled down her cheek, and Jack released her hands to reach out and swipe it dry. She sniffled and then covered it up in an awkward chuckle. Her heart hummed sweetly and she leaned in and gave him a kiss on his scratchy cheek.
* * *
A couple of hours later, Emma was busy lining up bar glassware when a gleeful screech behind her caused her to wheel around. “Mom?”
“Sammy!”
Her daughter rushed toward her.
Emma hugged her daughter tight against her, a huge grin on her face. “When did you get in? How was the trip? How did it go at the University?”
“Slow down, Mom, please. I’m still not recovered from looking at you. Oh, my God. Who are you and what have you done with my mother?” Sammy’s mouth hung open, her palms smacked against her cheeks. “You look amazing.”
The first inkling of how different she must look to her daughter sent a thrill inside her. “You kept saying I needed a change. I took you up on it.”
“Was that my costume from last year?” Sammy ran her fingers down the front of Emma’s low-cut blouse.
Emma felt a blush heat her skin. “I know. A bit daring, huh?”
“It looks so much better on you.”
The sadness around her daughter’s eyes worried her. “Is everything alright?” She could always tell when something was up with Sammy. Call it motherly intuition, but whenever her daughter was in trouble, she felt it deep in her bones. “Let’s talk back here.” She wanted to get away from the customers already filling up the place, especially the guy sitting in the bar with a full beard and wearing a fishing cap, who kept glancing over at her. He was making her feel self-conscious.
Once they were in the back area, away from the peering eyes of the man, Emma took Sammy’s hands in hers. “What’s wrong?”
Sammy’s chin quivered. “I looked in your room to find you. I saw Dad’s stuff was gone. All of it. And the answering machine...you changed the message.”
Emma swallowed a lump in her throat. “I know. I’m sorry, honey. It was time, right? I took Dad’s clothes to Goodwill finally. Now you don’t have to lie to your grandmother anymore.”
“I figured you took it in. It was just strange, that’s all. Are you okay with all of it?”
She squeezed her daughter’s hands. “I’m more than okay, really. It was time. I waited too long.”
Sammy’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “I was worried.”
“Don’t be. I’m fine. I can’t wait to hear about your trip.”
“I can’t wait to tell you. But I think I want to hear more about what’s going on with you.” With her brows knitted together, Sammy reached into her backpack. “This was left for you on the porch.”
Emma noticed the twinkle in her daughter’s eyes. She glanced down at the blueprint drawing. She recognized Mitch’s handwriting on the Post-it note, pointing to the area on the edge of the page.
Emma had been hoping Mitch would have stopped by Surf’s tent by now but when he hadn’t, she’d worried the words they’d exchanged were too awful to take back and that he didn’t want anything to do with her. She turned her attention back to the drawings while tiny butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She clutched the drawing to her chest and looked at her daughter, who was pretending to ignore her shocked expression. “Have you seen this?”
“What?” Sammy answered, her lips trembling to keep from grinning.
Emma blinked back her tears. Mitch had reallocated a long, narrow patch of grass on the side of the condo complex with direct access to the sandy beach as a dog park. Except it wasn’t a simple patch of grass with a fence. The new plans had benches, an obstacle course play area, a water fountain for dogs and what looked like fake fire hydrants. So even though he’d relocated the dog park to make room for the parking lot, the new site was a million times better. Emma’s throat felt thick and it was hard to swallow. She squeezed her forearm tight against her stomach. It would be just like him to drop these off instead of showing it to her himself. He wanted her to squirm, thinking about how he’d make her eat her words again. Her lips curled up at the corner and she bit her lip to stop them from trembling. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
“I told you he was a great guy,” Sammy said.
Emma nodded and a tear spilled down her cheek. “I should have listened.”
Sammy gave her a hug. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too. Now, how about some lunch?”
* * *
It was a half hour later when Brandon Landis entered the tent, his arm around the receptionist from Tim’s office. Emma rolled her eyes and turned to Sammy, whose eyes narrowed to slits. Okay.
Brandon saw them and said a few words to his date before heading over.
“Emma, you have a minute?” he asked and then turned to Sammy. “Hey, kiddo.”
“I’m seventeen. You can stop calling me kiddo now,” Sammy snapped.
“Whoa, sorry,” he said with a hint of a smile.
Emma watched the interaction between the two with growing interest. “What’s up, Brandon?”
He cleared his throat. “I’m assuming you saw the article on Mr. McKenna’s property?” When she nodded, he continued, “I thought you’d like to know that Coastal News is rescinding it. I heard it mentioned at the station that the reporter might have been given erroneous information by his source.”
“Does Mitch know?”
“I just told him about a half hour ago. He said I’d better high-tail it and let you know.”
“He did, did he?” A surge of hope filled Emma’s chest.
When Jack hollered for help with lifting some kegs, Brandon waved. “I’d better go help out. I’ll see you ladies later.”
Emma could only nod. A fury of emotion snarled in her chest. She turned to Sammy and stopped short. Her daughter’s forlorn expression tore at her heart. She draped her arms around Sammy’s slender shoulders. “Why haven’t you told me about your crush on Officer Landis?”
Sammy’s face flared a bright red. “Mom! How can you even say that? I don’t have a crush on Brandon. Please.”
Emma’s lips itched to grin but she held it in. “It’s a good thing because he’s much older than you, sweetie.”
“He’s only five years and six months older.”
She couldn’t help the smile that broke on her face. “Is that all?”
“Mom, quit it.”
Emma squeezed her daughter’s shoulders and tears sprang to her eyes. “We’ll catch up later. Go have fun. I’ll see you at the logging competition.”
* * *
Temporary bleachers were set up around the bay inlet for the logrolling c
ompetition. The competitors were paired up, and the crowd of spectators edged its way as close as possible to the floating tree trunks on the shallow bay.
Mitch loosened the black bandana covering his hair. The sun was beating down on him and sweat trickled down from his forehead. The pungent smell of the fish hatchery up the road filled his nose. He searched the faces around him for a pair of familiar green eyes. Those same eyes tortured his dreams when he’d finally fallen asleep after he’d scurried home close to dawn from driving down to see his brother in Bandon. Shane had colorful words to describe Mitch’s revised plan B, but Mitch had been adamant. He’d left without his brother’s agreement but Mitch was confident Shane would come around because he knew what was at stake. Yeah, love sucked when it didn’t work out, but when it did, it was heaven. Shane knew that better than anyone.
The crowd roared their approval when the emcee took the stage, which signaled the final round of the logrolling competition. Mitch looked out at the crowd for the woman who owned his heart. If he would stop being such a fucking coward, he’d admit she’d owned his heart ever since she showed him a glimmer of her true self at the bingo hall amid the fluorescent lighting. Emma was funny and brave, sexy and sweet, everything he’d ever dreamed of finding in a woman. She’d set him on fire the other night with her body, but it was her story of a teenage rocker whose dreams she’d snuffed to raise a family that captured his soul. He wanted to be the one to ignite her dreams, whatever they were, and to know intimately the siren within her.
He hadn’t seen Emma since he’d stormed out of her home yesterday morning but he knew she was here and they needed to talk. Not only couldn’t he get her taste out of his mind, he was still royally pissed as hell she had so easily believed the worst in him. He was sure by now she’d figured out that he’d paid off her loan and had come through on his end of their deal. He wanted nothing more than to have her on her knees begging him for forgiveness. Or on her knees begging him for...
Next to him, David Bruin cleared his throat. Polished as a coin and decked out as a British naval officer, complete with the white wig and the air of superiority, he waved at the crowd. “You surprise me, McKenna. I didn’t think you had it in you. I assume you’re thinking by changing your plans you have my guaranteed yes vote.”
The last thing Mitch needed to do was piss off Bruin—not with his project on the line—but seeing the man’s smug face put him in a worse mood.
Mitch placed his hands on his hips to deter his urge to smash Bruin’s enameled teeth in. The man needed a solid whack to trample him off his high horse. “How about this? If I toss your sorry ass in the water, you vote yes. If you win, you vote no.”
A red flush stained Bruin’s face. “That’s absurd. And unethical. I don’t bet on Bella Del Mar business.”
“And you stonewalling my project because you want Emma for yourself isn’t unethical? Who’re you kidding?”
David snorted. “This isn’t about Emma.”
The emcee introduced Mitch, and he lifted his arm for a quick wave. The crowd, liking his underdog status compared to the returning champion, roared.
Mitch kept a smile on his face, even as he spoke under his breath. “You’re full of shit. This has everything to do with Emma, and you know it. She figured out your dog and pony show yesterday was all for your benefit to make me look like an asshole. Except what is she going to say when she hears the paper’s going to rescind the article? She’ll figure out you’re the asshole.”
Bruin snickered. “I had nothing to do with the article. It just happened to fall into my hands at an opportune time. Don’t pretend you won’t give up the property to the highest bidder if your plan isn’t approved. You can’t even keep your promise not to relocate the dog park. Emma will figure out your word’s no good.”
Mitch looked down at the fake sword around his waist, wishing it were bona fide high-grade steel. He’d love to wield it right this minute to wipe the arrogant look on Bruin’s face. “What’ll it be?”
They exchanged the obligatory handshakes.
David glared at him for a few seconds before the emcee signaled the start of the final competition. The roar from the crowd was thunderous. “You really want to risk the future of your company on this competition? You remember I’ve won the last three years, right?”
Mitch grinned. “Remind me again.” He held on to the rope the handlers tossed him and then grinned at David, who glowered in response. The bet was stupid on his part but he knew this was his competition to lose.
“You are a fool,” David said.
Mitch searched the crowd one last time as David prepared to grab the rope that would land him on the same log, but rather than finding Emma, Mitch’s gaze landed squarely on his brother, standing next to Nestor not more than a pebble’s throw away. His breath caught in his throat. No fucking way.
* * *
Emma saw Jack and Lorraine in the bleachers and made her way over, climbing several levels up to reach her friends.
Lorraine moved the bag of peanuts she’d placed on the seat to save Emma’s place. “You see Mitch out there? Did you know he was competing?”
Her heart thumped loudly, overpowering the band playing lively baroque music on stage. “I just found out.”
“This is going to be sweet,” Jack said. “I got my money on McKenna.”
“How much, big shot?” Lorraine asked.
“A Benjamin Franklin if you want in.”
Emma gasped. “You’re crazy.”
“I’m in. My money’s on David. I can’t imagine Mitch doing something as crazy as logrolling. David lives for this stuff. It’s his one claim to fame. He’s going to win.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jack said. “Where do you think logrolling came from? From loggers, that’s where. That’s how they got the logs to roll down the river. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to recall my man McKenna there saying his father was a logger. Emma, you in or what?”
“Absolutely not.”
The announcer started with the rules of the game, and everyone hushed to listen. David was introduced as the reigning champion.
Anger still lingered in her chest at David, who had behaved uncharacteristically mean by not only dropping off that copy of Coastal News, but by making her feel guilty for living her life. Who was he to judge her? He’d pretended to be her friend, but friends don’t judge, and they certainly don’t manipulate. He’d have to do some serious apologizing before she’d even consider letting him back in her life.
Lorraine busted out with a whistle that pierced the noise of the crowd.
Jack winced. “This woman scares me sometimes.”
Lorraine threw an imaginary punch at Jack. “Shut up before I snuff that cigarette on your forehead.”
Emma laughed but her eyes remained focused on Mitch. She had wanted a chance to talk with him before the competition but she’d gotten there too late. She didn’t want to confront him in front of David, so she’d slipped out without being noticed. She thought back to the other night. She’d never had a one-night stand before. She’d heard Lorraine talk about her various lovers and Emma had envied her friend’s blasé attitude toward sex.
Instinctively, she knew it wasn’t in her to have that kind of relationship with anyone. And now she was sure of it. It might have been unwise to have chosen Mitch, but she didn’t regret it. He was exactly who she wanted in her life, even if he was too stubborn to admit it. He was scared, she knew. So was she. But fear would not stop her. Not anymore.
The camera crews geared to cover the first matchup. Mitch, looking menacing and sexy, wore black trousers and a billowing black shirt that opened to expose miles of chiseled muscle. He faced David, who swaggered on the platform waving to the crowd.
A guilty pang worked its way into Emma’s stomach. Though she knew it was Mitch’s choice to sponsor the event, if it hadn�
��t been for her deliberate actions to ruin his reputation in town, he wouldn’t have felt the need to go through extreme lengths and money fixing it. He’d have been busy building his condos. Now, David would surely embarrass him in front of the home crowd by tipping him into the murky bay water. She didn’t believe Jack for one second that Mitch would somehow know how to balance on a log just because his father was a logger. Would he?
Along with the crowd, Emma jumped to her feet when the bell rang to signal the start of the competition.
With both men on the floating dock, each took a careful step onto the log, finally letting go of the rope that kept them balanced. Mitch splayed his arms wide, his feet forward pedaling in long smooth strokes, immediately putting David on the defensive, his arms wailing as he backpedaled to keep his balance.
Jack whistled appreciatively. “I tell you, I’m going to get my money’s worth today.”
Emma and Lorraine exchanged a shocked look. “What are you not telling us?”
Jack winked. “Wait and weep.”
The tension as both Mitch and David skittered on the slippery log brought everyone to their feet.
Emma gripped Jack’s hand on one side and Lorraine’s on the other.
The roar from the crowd when Mitch pitched backward but miraculously remained upright was thunderous. David had the advantage and spun his feet adeptly like a fisherman reeling in a catch. Mitch spanned his arms wide to keep balance as he backpedaled. Trying to dislodge him, David dug his foot into the bay to splatter water on Mitch, but Mitch managed to stay afloat.
When a loud splash caused the crowd to gasp, Emma shut her eyes. Lorraine’s ear-piercing whistle snapped her eyes open. Shooting up from her seat, she cupped her hands over her mouth. Her breath hitched in her throat.