“Sitting here looking at me with great interest. I think he can hear your voice.”
Hilary laughed, and Arlo’s deep rumble joined her.
“I will. So, why the pleasure of your call, Hilary? Have you managed to reschedule your appointments?” Please let it be the case. He wanted to see her again and soon.
His question was met with a couple of seconds of silence which scared him. She was coming back, right?
“No, not yet. I just wanted to talk to you, to see how you were.”
A ridiculous thrill hummed through his body. She liked him enough to call to say hello, no business involved. “I’m good. It’s a bit quiet here though.”
“Is it? I wish I was there. I’m really looking forward to seeing you again.”
His heart pounded and he chastised himself for getting so excited over the comment. He was out of touch with women his age, but all that was going to change. At least, he hoped so. “Me too. Come on out when you get here. I gather you’re staying at Matt’s again?”
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead to be honest. I’ll call him later and see if he has a room.” She cleared her throat. “Well, I’d better let you go. I’ll call in a couple of days and let you know when to expect me. Bye, Arlo.”
“Night, Hilary.” He waited until she disconnected the call then slid his cell in his pocket. She was coming back and she liked him enough to call when she didn’t need to impart anything to do with the contract she was chasing. That meant a lot to him. He just hoped he wasn’t overthinking things.
Chapter 15
During the week, Hilary started working on a website for Arlo in anticipation of him signing on with her. It couldn’t hurt to have the bones of it ready to show him. If he was deliberating over signing with her, it could be the thing to convince him she was the real deal.
She focused on the reason why she wanted his business so badly—the oysters. If she could get people as interested as she had been at the first taste, it could only mean a better chance for her to sign Arlo. Hilary sighed and let her mind wander to when he’d fed her fresh oysters. The sexual tension between them had been sizzling hot. How she’d managed to breathe when those oysters were placed so seductively on her tongue was beyond her. If Arlo had picked her up and carried her to bed, there was no way she would’ve stopped him.
Hilary took a shuddering breath thinking about it and went back to the website, doing her best to describe the creamy texture, fresh ocean taste, and incredible aftertaste without seeing the lust that shone in Arlo’s eyes.
By the time Friday came around, she had everything loaded on the site except the pictures. It looked so good, she gave herself a pat on the back. There was no way he’d not like it.
Her camera was in her bag, and she wanted to spend a day and an evening taking photos. During their call the other night, when he was describing the sunset had given her some ideas and she wanted to run them past him when they got together. Subsequent phone calls every night since had given her more insight to Arlo and his ways. They’d chatted long into the night, business on the back burner, as their relationship developed and they shared snippets of information with each other. He let her into his life and Hilary began to understand more about him. The more she knew, the more she liked him. She couldn’t wait for Friday to come around.
The quiet, serious fisherman had become more important to her each day, and even though she tried to be realistic and not put too much stake in his calls, she hoped they were more than him just being curious about her and the business because she was chasing a contract with him.
On Thursday night, their call took on more significance for Hilary. She’d had an early shower and was almost ready to crawl into bed after a busy day when Arlo called. “Hey.”
“Hilary. One more sleep.” His voice sent shivers down her spine.
The sweet man was counting down to seeing her again and that thrilled her. She’d been crossing off the days on her calendar but saying it aloud make her feel like a schoolgirl. “I know. So excited! It’s been a hectic week and I need some island downtime.” She climbed into bed and lay down in the nest of pillows. When she was comfortable, she spoke again. “I can’t wait to show you the website. Even if I do say so myself, it’s pretty awesome.”
“I don’t expect anything less from you.”
“Oh, is that right? Have you been checking upon me, Arlo?” Heat flushed her cheeks and she was glad he wasn’t there to see how much it pleased her.
“Of course I have. If I can’t have Hilary in person, I may as well see what she’s done. I must have read just about every blog post you’ve written. I’m getting a good feel for how you work and I like it. You really do know your stuff.”
She squealed and kicked her feet. At last, she felt confident she had him for a client.
“I said the right thing, by the sound of it.” His amused voice brought her down to earth.
“Yes, Arlo. I think you did.” It wasn’t long after that Hilary had to say good night. “If I don’t get my sleep, I’m going to arrive with bags under my eyes. Your family will wonder what you’re doing wanting to work with me.”
“They’ll think I’m making the right move. Sleep tight, Hilary. I’ll see you on Saturday morning. Make it early so you don’t miss the sunrise.”
“You have a deal. Good night, Arlo.”
“Night.”
She held onto the phone until she heard the click from his end, and then turned out the light.
* * *
When she woke up the next morning, Hilary lay in bed and squealed. Finally, she was going to see Arlo again. But first she had to get through her morning appointments before she could leave. Finally, she finished up her last meeting and hurried home to shower and pack, mentally crossing off everything on her list to take to the island. She did a final walk through her kitchen and living room, turning off appliances.
“Right.” She grabbed her laptop bag and small suitcase, and headed out of her apartment that afternoon. Once she was in her car and headed to the ferry, Hilary relaxed. In her mind, she ran through her preparations for the weekend. The contract was in the suitcase, the website all but done, suggestions for promotion and models drawn up to show Arlo and the family what she wanted to do for them, and now it all came down to what they thought of her and the offer she had on the table.
Yes, April had said she had to get to know the family because they were all a close knit group. She understood that. She also understood that there was more than a contract at stake here, no matter how much she said she didn’t mix business with pleasure. The last couple of nights they’d talked long after the sun had set. They’d discovered things about each other that they had in common. Likes and dislikes, with food especially, which was dear to Hilary’s heart. She’d lain on her bed staring at the ceiling with the phone to her ear listening to Arlo talk about growing up on the island. It was easy to envy the rugged, adventurous childhood he must have had growing up on the island with his siblings. Instead she’d had the rush and tumble of growing up in Seattle where life didn’t seem to slow down for anyone.
Especially for her.
She was always trying to make things go faster, to cram more into her days, and to build her business to be better than anyone could imagine. Her parents tried to make her slow down but even they knew that was an impossible quest. Hilary didn’t do things in slow motion, always the hyperactive child and now adult. ‘Life is for the living. Plenty of time to slow down when I’m dead.’ It was her constant reply to their efforts to try to persuade her to take it easier, to slow down and smell the roses. It just wasn’t her way of doing things. But with Arlo, she was tempted to try.
She drove her car onto the ferry, excitement pulsing through her veins. It’d taken so long for this week to roll around to Friday. Now that it was finally here, her skin prickled with nervousness. Would she still feel the pull to Arlo when she saw him again? Talking to him over the phone was one thing, but being face to face was way d
ifferent. Now she was a bundle of nerves, excited to see him again.
The closer she got to Hope Island, the more nervous she got. Get a grip, Hilary. This isn’t the first time you’ve liked a guy. But it was the first time she’d liked a guy she wanted to do business with. Perhaps that was the problem, one suggested by Emily that she wanted to ignore. Now that she was on her way, it reared its ugly head and stabbed her in the face with its pointy finger. How was she going to keep the two apart?
She’d make sure that nothing crossed over and caused friction. She could do it, Hilary was certain of that. So long as the contract was signed and followed to the letter, there shouldn’t be any problems in their personal life. Even saying the words made her second guess everything.
The ferry docked and Hilary drove off and headed straight for Matt’s bed and breakfast.
“Ah, the wanderer returns,” he greeted her as she climbed the front steps. “Welcome back.” He leaned in and gave her a friendly hug.
“Thanks.” She let him take her suitcase and held onto her computer bag as they went inside.
“I’ve given you the same room as last time.” He skipped up the gorgeous wooden staircase ahead of her and deposited the bag on the window seat in the front room overlooking the harbor.
The familiar smell of vanilla candles followed her up the stairs. Matt had told her they were made on the island. Hilary decided she needed to take some home this trip if only to remind her to stay calm when she was caught up in the hustle that was Seattle. Their aroma might go a long way to keeping her calm when she missed this place. “I can’t believe how nice it was to get back on the island. It’s been a hectic week and I really need this break, even if it comes with an agenda.” She slipped her computer bag from her shoulder and put it on the bed.
“Hmm, I don’t suppose my big brother has anything to do with your haste in coming back?” Matt’s lips twitched and the glint in his eyes made her blush.
“Of course he did. We’re discussing the contract this weekend, which I thought you were involved in, considering Arlo said the whole family was going to have their say.”
Matt leaned against the doorframe, and tilted his head as he watched her. “I know that, and I’ll be at the barbeque to give my five cents’ worth of advice. But I’m talking about the man, not the contract.”
Heat burned on her cheeks and she turned away.
“I see I’ve hit a sensitive spot.” He laughed softly and Hilary cursed her pale skin and ability to blush.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Arlo and I get on fine, but this is business.” Who was she trying to kid? Now she thought of him as the man and the business in the same sentence. Not how she’d planned it at all.
He rolled his eyes. “Of course it is, and keep telling yourself that if it helps. When you find it’s more and you need some advice, I’ll be here. Just remember what I said about Arlo. Go gentle with him. He’s not like anyone else you’ve met before.”
She lifted her chin as if she had to defend him. “No, he’s not. I get that, but if there was going to be something between us, I don’t know that talking to you would be the wisest thing.”
“Perhaps not.” Matt gave her a conciliatory smile. “ I’m not trying to sabotage anything between you two so don’t give me that attitude. More like protecting my family.”
“I understand, Matt, and I appreciate the offer. Thanks.” She wasn’t sure if he was trying to help her or warn her off, but right now, Hilary didn’t need anyone getting between her and Arlo. She wanted the two of them to make up their own minds about what would or wouldn’t work without the influence of any outsiders and that included well-meaning family or friends.
“Now that I’ve checked in, I think a walk with my camera is in order.”
“Sounds like a good idea. The tide is coming in so the beach is looking pretty right now. I’ll see you later.” He stepped out of the room and Hilary got her camera out of the bag and slipped into some comfortable shoes in case she wanted to go along the beach as suggested.
Matt was in the kitchen when she walked down the stairs. She exited through the front door and wandered down the hill toward the beach.
Seagulls flew overhead and the waves crashed on the quiet stretch of ocean. She kicked off her shoes, left them at the bottom of the stairs and felt the cool sand squish between her toes. She wandered along the shoreline, letting the calm of the waves rhythm ease her mind. She was doing the right thing by signing the business up before making a move on Arlo. It was the sensible way to go. Keep the lines clear between them. Hopefully it would work.
She took some shots of a pretty shell washed up on the sand as the waves came in. The bubbles from the surf against the golden grains and the patterns on the shell’s underside made her think of a simpler time, like the one Arlo had described to her on the phone one night. The freedom he and his siblings had to go scrounging around the shore for whatever the waves washed up appealed to her. Hilary also snapped a few pictures of seabirds on the wing, floating with the wind current, and then a shot of the ferry on its return voyage to Seattle.
She was on her walk back when a small dog jumped up, giving her the fright of her life. She’d been daydreaming and hadn’t seen it heading her way.
“Sorry. So sorry.” An elderly gentleman ran over and clipped a lead on the dog. “He won’t hurt you. Just thinks that everyone on the beach is here to visit him.”
Hilary held her hand against her chest and slowed her breathing. “I’m sorry. I freaked out for no reason. He’s only little and nowhere near as big as Bear. I should’ve known he wasn’t going to hurt me but I was caught by surprise.”
“Bear? Oh, now I see why you reacted why you did. You’re Hilary, aren’t you? Arlo’s friend and the girl Bear caused all that damage to.”
She frowned. “How did you know that?”
“Island life, my dear.” He held out his hand. “My name’s Bradley. I live here on the island and know the family. Know everyone actually.” He laughed. “You’ll get used to it, I’m sure. How are you feeling now? Better, I hope. Arlo told me you had some pretty nasty scrapes.”
“Yes, much better, thank you.” She reached down and patted the dog who sat staring up at her with its tongue out as if it was smiling.
“That’s good to hear. I’ll walk with you if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I needed a walk, and this seemed like the perfect spot to do it.”
He smiled and looked over the ocean. “I agree. We come down here every day. I find the sea air clears the mind, don’t you? Helps me get things straight in my head. Nothing like the tang of the salt to sort out those knotty issues.”
“True. It’s amazing how relaxing it is after the hustle and bustle of the city. I’ve missed being here.” She took a deep breath of the cool salt air.
They walked a few more steps before Bradley spoke again, his gaze on her forever focused camera. “You’re taking photos I see. Are these for Arlo’s website? He told me you’d offered to give it a new lease on life.”
Was nothing secret on this island? “Yes, I did. But, he hasn’t signed a contract with me yet so we’ll have to wait and see.”
Bradley let his dog loose again and it ran ahead of them, scattering seagulls as it went, yapping excitedly. They flew into the air, only to land a little ways down the beach. It set the dog running toward them again. “He loves chasing the birds. Knows he’ll never catch them but it’s the joy of the hunt, I guess.”
“Yes, I guess.” Was that a euphemism? Stop overthinking things, Hilary.
Her walking pal paused and stared at the waves while Hilary took a few more shots of a seagull swooping low over the frothy tips. “Tell me about your business, Hilary. I’m interested how you’ve managed to make a new life for yourself and reinvent the wheel, so to speak.”
So he knew about her past failure too. How embarrassing was that? It stood to reason that Arlo’s family would check her out but this gentleman had nothing t
o do with her. Why would it matter to him? It felt just a little bit weird.
He smiled and patted her reassuringly on the arm. “I’m a friend of the family, my dear. We all look out for each other. Please don’t think I mean anything by it. Arlo is special to me, that’s all. I swear.”
“Why?”
“He’s my godson. His father is my best friend. So we’re almost family or as close as you can get without the blood thrown in. Atticus and I were both born on the island, went to the same college and both came back here to make our lives. Bound together by friendship I guess.”
That made sense. If anyone arrived at her home and offered to make over her life, Emily would do the same thing as Bradley had. She’d quiz them and dig into their reasoning but possibly not so nicely. Emily was more direct. “Oh, I see. Well, I guess you know that I’m here to discuss the contract I have on the table for Arlo. I’m hoping he’ll sign up and we can do business together. I have great hopes for his produce. It’s amazing, as I’m sure you know.”
“That I do, Hilary. Much like the man himself. Not that many people see the real Arlo. He’s too shy for that, but I hear you made quite the impression on him. I’ve been hoping someone sweet and kind would come along for him. He deserves to be happy.”
“Don’t we all?” This was getting a little bit personal and Hilary wanted to step away from that line of discussion. He may be close to Arlo and his family but she’d never met him in her life. Time to change the subject without coming across as too rude. “What do you like best about living on the island, Bradley?”
“Oh, now you’ve got me thinking. So many things to be honest. I like the peace, the gentle way of life. So different from the city, don’t you agree?”
Oh, could she. Island life made her brain go places she had no reason to go. A girl could dream even if she was so far ahead of herself. He’d said he liked her, not that he wanted her to move in! Still, it was nice to let her mind wander occasionally. “I do.”
Hold Me Now: Hope Harbor Page 10