by Rachel Hanna
“I know you ain’t getting any younger!” Aaron called back to him. Clay waved his hand at him in mock offense.
They walked over to the ferry, and the men shook hands. Clay had long been considered one of January Cove’s most eligible bachelors. With rugged good looks and crystal clear blue eyes, the women loved him but Clay never seemed fazed by it. Some people in the town even questioned whether he was gay for awhile, but he put that to rest when he dated Samantha Lambert for two years.
Everyone thought they would marry one day, but then the whole thing just seemed to fall apart in the blink of an eye. Clay rarely discussed dating the famous model from Savannah, but at least it cemented his status of being a typical heterosexual male.
“Any other crazy people riding this glorified fishing boat today?” Aaron ribbed as they stepped aboard the small ferry.
“Nope, just you crazies,” Clay said as he leaned in and kissed Rebecca and Tessa on their cheeks.
“Quit complaining, sweetie,” Tessa urged sweetly.
“You’re girlfriend just called you a wimp,” Jackson joked.
“That’s not what I said!” Tessa said, slapping Jackson playfully on the arm.
“Jackson Parker, don’t you get involved in their business,” Rebecca said pinching him.
“Hey, hey, hey! No abuse on this boat!” Clay loved to joke around with the Parker siblings.
They had grown up together, attending high school at JCHS at different times. He had played football with Jackson, baseball with Kyle and picked on little Addison. He and Brad had been on the yearbook committee together, and Aaron, the youngest Parker sibling, had even gone camping with his family a couple of times. In essence, Clay Hampton was the fifth Parker brother.
Clay had spent the better part of his high school experience picking at the only female Parker sibling. He was basically another brother to her. Some people thought he was flirting with her as they got older, but her brothers had threatened Clay beyond an inch of his life if he touched a hair on Addison’s head. So he’d held back on any advances. And then she was taken - first by her high school boyfriend and then by her husband, Jim. Clay had met him once and wasn’t impressed.
“So, what’s the reason for the island trip today?” Clay asked as they made their way out of the docking area.
“Well, we’re planning the reception out here after Kyle and Jenna get married on the ferry,” Tessa said.
“Shouldn’t they be here too?”
“Nah. They’re allowing us to take control of the reception,” Jackson said.
“Yeah, they aren’t stupid. They’re somewhere warm right now,” Aaron said as everyone on the ferry simultaneously told him to shut up.
* * *
“So, I think this would be the best place to set up the tent,” Rebecca said, waving her hand on a flat area of sand shaded by a few trees.
“Tent? What is this? A circus?” Aaron asked.
“Aaron, what’s with all the sarcasm today?” Tessa asked as she pecked him on the lips.
“I’m just talented, I suppose,” he said, pulling her closer and planting his lips on hers. “Mmm, you taste like apple pie.”
“New lip gloss,” she said, staring up into his eyes. “You know, one day this might be us.”
“What might be us?”
“Planning our wedding reception…”
“Oh really? I don’t believe I’ve proposed, Tessa,” he said with a sly smile.
“I have faith in you, Aaron Parker,” she said with a giggle.
Aaron and Tessa had been dating only a short time, but he knew in his heart she was the woman for him. He met her while running his RV campground, Crystal Cove, a popular place for area tourists to enjoy January Cove. Tessa had been on the run from her abusive husband, secluding herself in a ramshackle trailer with her young son when Aaron first spotted her.
Still, his heart had been broken by his former girlfriend, Natalie, when she cheated on him. Somewhere, deep in his heart, that betrayal had tainted him in a way he still couldn’t explain. He loved Tessa with his whole heart, but he still wondered if she might one day do the same. Of course, he’d never vocalized that to Tessa as it would’ve broken her heart, he was sure.
“I’m glad you have faith in me,” he said, running his hand over the back of her head and down her neck. “But let’s not rush things, Tessa. We have the rest of our lives ahead of us.”
For a split second, there was a look of confusion on Tessa’s face followed by disappointment. But she quickly replaced it with her sweet smile, which left Aaron wondering if he’d said the wrong thing.
“Come on, let’s join the others,” she said, still smiling sweetly as she pulled out of his grip and walked toward Rebecca and Jackson.
Chapter 4
“So, what’s been going on around the Parker house these days?” Clay asked as he rested his hand on the steering wheel of the ferry and chatted with Aaron and Jackson.
“Well, Mom is busy decorating for Christmas, of course,” Jackson said laughing. “You know how Adele Parker loves her Christmas decorations.”
“Of course. And I assume fruitcake is being made by the truck full?” Clay asked, his dimpled grin on full display. Clay could have been a model if he’d wanted, but he was too dang down to Earth to pursue anything that would put him on display.
“And Addison’s home,” Aaron said. The revelation shocked Clay, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Addison was home.
The last time he’d seen her was years ago, just after she married Jim. She’d brought him home for Adele’s birthday party, and Clay had come by to help hang up the decorations around the Parker house.
Addison had grown into a beautiful woman. She’d grown her hair longer, and her girlish figure had been replaced with womanly curves that had Clay staring at her a little too much. Jackson had caught him looking once and made it abundantly clear that Addison was married and he was to keep his eyes off of her “curves”.
“Addison’s home? With Jim?” he asked nonchalantly. Jackson and Aaron looked at each other, their eyes darting around for a moment. “What?” It was readily apparent to Clay that something odd was going on.
“Jim and Addison are divorcing,” Jackson said. “But don’t take that as an invitation.” Jackson eyed his friend carefully, a look of warning in his eyes.
“Chill out, Jackson. I’m not planning on making any moves on your sister. It would just be nice to see her again. It’s been a few years. And you know, we grew up together too. I’m allowed to care about what happens to her and how she’s doing.”
“Well, she’s going through a lot right now, and I don’t want anything upsetting her further. The divorce isn’t going well. Jim’s a jackass.”
“Could’ve told you that years ago. Never liked that guy. He doesn’t deserve her anyway,” Clay said.
“She’s working at Jolt with me now,” Rebecca volunteered as she walked up and wrapped her arms around Jackson’s shoulders from behind. “In fact, we did some training early this morning.”
“So she’s at Jolt now?” Clay asked, still not making eye contact with any of them and instead keeping his eyes on the water. “Maybe I’ll stop by for a cup of coffee later…”
“I’m sure she’d love to see you, but she won’t be back in until tomorrow morning” Rebecca said, giving Jackson a warning look to keep his mouth shut. It wasn’t that Jackson didn’t like Clay. He just couldn’t stomach the thought of his sister being ogled… by anyone.
It had been very hard to let Addison grow up. Being the only girl, all of the boys had been somewhat protective over her. But Jackson had been like a father to her growing up, and he figured those feelings of protection were never going to change. Jim had already damaged her, and he didn’t intend to let anyone else harm her again. Plus, with a baby on the way, Jackson now felt protective over two people.
“Well, nothing starts a day like a cup of coffee,” Clay said, winking at Rebecca.
* * *
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Addison had never been a morning person, but since being pregnant she seemed to rise earlier and earlier. Maybe it was God’s way of preparing her for the long nights of being a new mother. Whatever it was, it was becoming irritating, she thought to herself as she looked at the clock on her nightstand. Six thirty in the morning? The coffee shop opened in an hour, but she didn’t need to be there until eight-thirty.
She grabbed a muffin and tossed it into her purse on the way out the door and decided to take a walk on the beach to get her bearings for the day. Addison’s mind was full of problems these days. The problem of being pregnant and not knowing what she wanted to do about the baby. The problem of a terrible, contentious divorce. The problem of a floundering career. Everything had seemed so good until it wasn’t.
She walked slowly, savoring the smell of the salty sea air. The beach had always been her refuge, even as a kid. So many events had been centered around the beach, from July 4th picnics to family photos to school field trips. She found her center there. Her soul was a mixture of sand and salty water, she was certain of it.
As she made her way down the beach toward the ferry dock, she found a big rock and sat down. Pregnancy was making her more tired than she’d expected. Plus, she had been plagued with unrelenting morning sickness the last couple of days. Everyone said the second trimester was better, but her morning sickness had just begun.
Thankfully, her small frame had allowed her to gain weight slowly so far, and she wasn’t showing all that much yet. In fact, Jenna had kidded that she couldn’t even tell she was pregnant from behind. Still, she could feel a small pooch starting to form below her belly button, and it wouldn’t be long before others could tell too.
She knew it was a matter of time before the whole town would know, and everyone would assume Jim was the father. Yet, Jim was nowhere to be found so she’d be stuck looking like the jilted, pregnant wife. On the other hand, if she told the truth, she’d look like a whore, plain and simple. There was no good answer.
Addison sighed and closed her eyes, taking in the quiet solitude of the ocean. The sound of the waves. The feel of the cold rock under her hands. The smell of coffee? She opened her eyes.
“Clay Hampton?” she said, shocked when she saw her old childhood friend was standing before her, drinking coffee from a thermal mug. What was more shocking than seeing him was how incredibly handsome he was in the early morning light. Or maybe it was pregnancy hormones.
“Hey, Addy,” he said with his dimpled smile. She stood slowly, trying to suck her stomach in a bit, and hugged him. He smelled as incredible as he looked, a mixture of salty water and some kind of cologne. And their hug lingered a bit longer than she’d thought it would.
“What are you doing out here so early?” she asked as she sat back down and he joined her on the rock.
“I love getting to the beach early in the morning and watching the sunrise. Helps me focus better during the day,” he said, taking another sip of his coffee. “I heard you were back.”
“You did?” she said, a little shocked that the town was already finding out she was home.
“Yeah. I saw Jackson and Aaron yesterday. And their ladies,” he said, putting air quotes around the word “ladies”.
“Ohhh…” she said. “I was probably at Jolt trying to figure out the stupid cash register at the time.” Clay laughed, and it was the kind of laugh that’s so genuine. Jim never had a genuine laugh. Now, when she thought of him - which she tried to avoid - she imagined him as the Joker from Batman, maniacal laugh and all.
“You doing okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Aaron told me about you and Jim. The divorce…”
“I’m going to kill my brother,” she said softly, her inner hormonal rage issue creeping to the surface.
“Please don’t kill him. We play on the recreational softball league together, and he’s a fairly good first baseman. Not the best, but then you take what you can get in January Cove…” he trailed off, his dry humor apparent.
Addison smiled. “Sorry. I’m a little stressed lately. What else did my fabulous brothers tell you?”
“Not much except that Jim is a jackass.”
“True story,” she said nodding her head.
“Need me to kick his ass?” Clay asked with a wink.
“Maybe. Can I take a rain check on that one?”
“Of course. Seriously, though, if you need to talk to someone… you know, just to vent, if nothing else… I’m here. I know it can be hard talking to family sometimes. They aren’t always impartial.” She appreciated the sentiment.
“Thanks. I just might take you up on that one day,” she said. “Well, I’d better get to Jolt. Don’t want to get fired on my first full day. Wish me luck!”
“Good luck, Addy,” he said as they both stood. “You’ll do fine.”
She smiled and started to walk toward the road when he called out to her.
“Hey, Addy?”
“Yeah?” she said, turning to see the sunrise in full force above the ocean, streaks of orange and yellow almost blinding her vision.
“For what it’s worth, I always thought Jim was a jackass.” He grinned, those dimples making her legs feel a little weak.
“Well, I wish you would’ve told me!” she said, laughing as she turned and walked toward Jolt.
* * *
“Okay, so when you take their order, you just press this button here and then hit total. Take the receipt and give one copy to the customer and then take this copy and put in under the drawer…” Rebecca explained again as Addison’s eyes felt like they were crossing. Why was this so hard for her? She’d been a highly successful businesswoman in Atlanta, designing million dollar houses and high rise condos. Now, she was having problems deciphering how to work a simple cash register in a small coffee house in January Cove. My, how things change in a flash.
“I’m sorry, Rebecca. I know I seem like a complete dunce, but I think it’s my hormones,” she whispered.
“Sweetie, it’s no big deal. Trust me. I’m very laid back. You’ll catch on,” she said, smiling as she held Addison’s shoulders. “You know, I came from New York where life is fast paced and hectic. It was an adjustment moving to January Cove, as I’m sure it has been for you coming back from Atlanta.”
“Yeah, it’s an adjustment for sure. I mean, I grew up here but I’ve been gone for so long. I really thought I left this place behind.” Addison sighed and looked out the large plate glass window facing January Cove’s main street. It was a far cry from the sky scrapers of Atlanta.
“Pardon me for asking, but why would you want to leave this place behind, Addy? I mean, your family is here and this town is a jewel. Most people would kill to live in a place like January Cove.”
“I know, and I feel bad that I was trying to leave it behind,” she said, a sad smile playing on her lips. She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “Do you know what it’s like to grow up with four brothers?”
“No. I was an only child. I only know what’s it’s like to grow up lonely.”
“Well, it’s a double edged sword. On the one hand, you have all of these guys to protect you. But on the other hand, it’s hard to live your life when someone is always watching. I could barely date in high school because Jackson would try to interrogate every guy who came along,” she said giggling. “Once, this boy I’d been drooling over for months finally asked me out and Jackson scared him so bad that he switched schools!”
“Seriously?” she said laughing. “That Jackson Parker is something else.”
“Then I finally had my high school boyfriend, but he turned out to be gay.”
“Nice…” she said as she started cleaning the espresso machine.
“Yeah, it did wonders for my self esteem,” Addison said with a chuckle. “I guess I just wanted to get away and be myself, not a Parker kid. I wanted to make a name for myself and start my own life, free from the protection of my brothers. But look what
that got me,” she said with a sigh.
“Addy, you had a great life in Atlanta. You had that big career you wanted, and you made a name for yourself. You shouldn’t feel bad about yourself because your rat bastard of a husband cheated on you,” she said, a little more anger seeping from her than Addison expected. “Sorry. I just hate cheaters.”
Addison realized she was a cheater too. “Rebecca, I’m the one standing here pregnant with another man’s baby. Yeah, Jim was wrong for what he did, but I basically did the same thing. I’m still married.”
“It’s not the same, Addison.”
“Why? Because he started it? That would be an immature way of looking at it, wouldn’t it?” she asked. Rebecca bit her lips and rubbed Addison’s arm.
“I’m so sorry that you’re going through all this. But it will get better. Trust me. Even when you’re at rock bottom, things always get better.”
Addison knew that Rebecca was speaking from experience. After losing her husband in the September 11th bombings in NYC, Rebecca had been left to raise her young son alone. Leo, now almost fifteen years old, didn’t remember his father. It occurred to Addison that her baby would never know its father either, whether she gave it up for adoption or not.
Her heart hurt.
What kind of life could she provide for her child as a single mother working in a coffee shop? She didn’t want to struggle to make ends meet like her own mother had in those early days, but then again Adele Parker had picked herself up by her bootstraps after the death of her husband and started a thriving real estate business. Addison knew it could be done, but she didn’t know if she had the fortitude to do it.
Addison spent the first half of the day learning the ropes at Jolt, everything from how the coffee machines worked to how to make the perfect blueberry scone. It was a far cry from her interior design business, but it was calm and quiet, which was what she needed right now.