Seaside Surprises_A Sweet Romance_The Seaside Hunters

by Stacy Claflin

  Muttering to herself, Tiffany went to the back of the line. She fidgeted, hoping it wouldn't take too long.

  The lady at the front of the line raised her voice, complaining about a wrong date. This was going to take forever.

  Someone tapped her shoulder. Tiffany turned around to see a hotel employee. She smiled at Tiffany. "Are you checking out? If so, I can help you over there." The lady pointed to another corner of the lobby where a smaller counter was.

  "Yes, please," Tiffany begged. "I have a bit of an emergency to get home to."

  "I thought you looked worried. Follow me, hon."

  Less than five minutes later, Tiffany climbed into the back of a taxi.

  "Where to?"

  Tiffany looked at her phone to see Vinny's text. "Arcata-Eureka Airport."

  "Okay. Hang on." The driver hit the gas before Tiffany had a chance to buckle in.

  The traffic wasn't too bad, so it didn't take long. She was surprised at how small the airport was. It was no Sea-Tac.

  "I'm probably going to have to take a connecting flight."

  "More than likely. The only direct flight from here is San Francisco. Otherwise, it'll just take you to one of the larger local airports."

  "Wonderful," she grumbled. That would only make her travels longer. Tiffany swiped the credit card and got out. She was relieved to find that she only had a short wait for her flight. Checking her phone, she found another text from Vinny with the remaining flight info.

  Twenty Three

  "Tell me more about Elena." Cruz sipped a cup of coffee, staring at Jake from across the counter. Some customers entered the shop, but neither brother paid any attention.

  Jake couldn't hold back a smile. "She's amazing."

  Cruz grinned and reached across the counter, punching Jake in the arm. "Look at you. What's she like?"

  "Beautiful, smart, funny, and sweet." Jake sighed.

  "Oh, come on, bro. That tells me nothing. I could tell you that from my short interaction with her. I want to know more about the woman who finally got your attention."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Jake asked, wondering if he should be annoyed.

  "Dude, you've been so busy the last few years, you've barely gone on a date, much less hooked up with anyone."

  Jake made a face. "I'm not into hooking up. If I'm going to spend time with someone, I want it to be meaningful."

  "Yeah, yeah. I know, but that's the problem. Things always come up, and you just need some fun."

  "Well, I've been having a blast with Elena. Why are you suddenly so interested in my love life?"

  "I hate seeing my baby brother miserable."

  "You also know I hate it when you call me that."

  Cruz walked around the counter, put his hand on top of Jake's head, and messed up his hair.

  "Would you stop?" Jake tried to fix his hair.

  "You could try thanking me for taking over the shop so you could go to the beach with her." He stared at Jake's shirt. "Is that sand under your shirt?" He wiped at Jake's neckline.

  Jake stepped back. "I forgot how annoying you are."

  Cruz put the coffee cup down. "Really? I hired two assistants for you. One's even cute."

  "Mom and Dad are going to freak—you realize that, don't you?" Jake shook his head.

  "What are they going to do? If they're not here, they can't do nothing. Right?"

  "I guess. When do they start?"

  "Bella—she's the cute one—will be here in the morning. Then at lunch she leaves and Calvin will be here all afternoon. He's not cute, but he seems responsible." Cruz shrugged, taking another sip of coffee.

  "We'll give it a try. So, do you have anyone special in your life?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

  "Not with my schedule, yo. You know I'm working at the tat parlor on the weekends?"

  "Yeah."

  "I ain't got time for no relationship. Then I'd just hear about how I'm never home, and blah, blah, blah. Who needs that? Not me." Cruz rubbed a new tattoo on his arm. Jake figured it probably itched.

  "As long as you're happy, Cruz. So, have you heard anything new about Dad today?"

  "Nope. If something was wrong, they'd call."

  Music sounded as both of their phones rang.

  Cruz looked at his screen and scowled. "Damn. Jinxed that."

  A group of customers walked over.

  Cruz slammed his fist on the counter. "You take the call, and then tell me what's going on. I'll get the customers."

  Jake tapped accept and hurried to the back room, closing the door behind him. "Aunt Alicia?" he said into the phone.

  "Is Cruz with you?" his aunt asked.

  "Yeah. We're at the shop. What's going on?"

  "You boys need to get over here to the hospital right away." Her voice shook.

  Jake's stomach dropped to the floor, and he sat in the nearest chair. "Why? You need to tell me what's going on."

  "His blood pressure dropped, and then he had seizures. The doctors sent us to the waiting room, but your mom and you kids need to get in to see him as soon as the staff will let you in. He needs to be surrounded by everyone he loves."

  Everything disappeared around Jake, and he took several deep breaths. "I thought he was getting better. Why is this happening?"

  "I don't know what's going on, but you and Cruz need to close shop and get over here. Now."

  "Okay. We'll be right over." Jake ended the call, and looked at the phone in disbelief. "How can Dad be getting worse?"

  The shop sounded busy on the other side of the door. Either they would have to wait until it cleared out, or they would need to kick everyone out. He stood up and stumbled.

  "Get a hold of yourself," Jake scolded himself. He took some deep breaths, and focused on what was in front of him. He had to walk out into the store without looking like a drunken fool. Jake took one more deep breath before walking again. One foot in front of the other. It was that simple.

  He stumbled a couple times before reaching the door, but after opening it, he was able to walk normally.

  Cruz looked over at him, raising an eyebrow, as he handed a receipt to a customer. "Is everything okay?" He looked like he knew that answer already.

  Jake shook his head. "We're going to have to close the shop and get over to the hospital."

  Cruz swore, and then he clapped his hands over his head. "Sorry everyone," he yelled, "but we have to close right now. We have a family emergency. If you have something in your hands right now, get to the registers. Otherwise, exit promptly. We hope to be open again later today."

  Groans and mumbles echoed throughout the store. Jake went over to the doors and turned the sign to Closed. Then he went around to the counter and opened up the second register. It creaked in complaint since it was so rarely used.

  Jake and Cruz spent the next fifteen minutes ringing everyone up before closing the tills.

  "Don't tell me what's wrong," Cruz said. "I'll drive, and I need to keep a level head."

  "Yeah, sure." Jake took the money from Cruz and put it in the safe in the back room.

  They went to the hospital in relative silence. The only sounds were of the rock music Cruz had put on. Jake worried about what shape their dad would be in when they got there. Would their family have to deal with another death? His heart nearly leaped into his throat. He wasn't sure he could deal with that, and he knew his mom couldn't.

  When Cruz pulled into a parking spot, he turned to Jake. "Okay, now tell me what's going on."

  Jake cleared his throat. "He had a seizure, and everyone was kicked out of the room. Something about his blood pressure, too." He pulled on his hair. "Aunt Alicia barely told me anything."

  "He's alive, though?"

  "Yeah."

  "Okay, good. Let's get up there."

  They hurried to the waiting room. Their family had taken over and filled it. Jake went over to Brayden. "What's going on?"

  Brayden's eyes shone with tears. "That's what we're waiting to find out." He put his
arms around Jake and squeezed.

  Jake returned the hug and then stood back. "What happened?"

  Brayden wiped his eyes. "Everything was going well. Dad was talking again, like last night." Brayden blinked a few times, and then cleared his throat. "His movement had even improved, and he was talking about getting up to walk around. I went to discuss that with his doctor when the machines all went off. I knew something was wrong, and turned around. That's when I saw him having the seizure." He shook.

  Jake gave him another hug. "Let's sit, Brayden." They sat in the nearest chairs. "I'm sure he's going to be okay. He has to be."

  "Like Sophia?" Brayden buried his face in his palms, sobbing.

  Jake felt helpless. His brother was usually strong—the pragmatic and rational doctor. He had been the family's rock during Sophia's illness. Jake wouldn't have known how to take care of her without him. He'd been on the phone with Brayden constantly those days. Jake put his arm around him, and Brayden turned and put his head on Jake's shoulder, continuing to weep.

  After Brayden calmed down, he thanked Jake. "I don't know what I'll do if Dad doesn't pull out of this. Mom…she's going to…I don't even know. What are we going to do, Jake?"

  How would Jake know? He sat taller. "Let's not worry about that now. Unless…" Jake's stomach twisted. "Do you think…he's not going to make it?"

  "I don't know what to think. Obviously, this is out of my area of expertise, but I've never even heard of all these symptoms together. I can't help thinking the worst."

  "What would you tell your patients? You know, if it wasn't your own family in this situation."

  "The truth, but I always offer hope. They deserve that much."

  "Well, then we need to stay hopeful. What did the doctors tell you about this?"

  Brayden shook his head. "To get out of the room."

  They sat in silence. Jake looked around the room. Aunts and uncles surrounded his mom. His brothers and cousins huddled in small groups. Some looked as miserable as he and Brayden, while others joked around, obviously trying to get his dad's condition out of their minds.

  "How did you do it?" Brayden asked.

  Jake turned to him. "Do what?"

  "When Sophia was sick. You knew she was dying. How did you manage taking care of her?"

  "She's my sister." Jake shrugged. "I wanted to be there for her."

  "We all did, but you were the only one who dropped everything. Most of us couldn't face reality. I could hardly look at her." Brayden looked ashamed, and his voice cracked. "I'm the big time doctor, but I couldn't even come back home to help out my only sister."

  Jake put his hand on Brayden's arm. "Sophia and I were always especially close. I guess because we were the babies of the family. She'd always been there for me, so I had to be there for her. I knew I wouldn't have years and years to…." Tears filled his eyes. "Well, I had to give a lifetime of support in what little time she had left. So I did."

  "I wish I would have, too. I live with the regret. That's why I rushed over here when Dad was admitted." He leaned closer to Jake and whispered, "I'm speaking with my boss about transferring here. There isn't an immediate opening, but I've already spoke with the cardiology department here."

  Jake's eyes widened. "You're going to leave your practice? You've spent years building that up. Plus, wouldn't working here be a pay cut?"

  "A pretty significant one, but family is more important. You'd think that Sophia's death would've shown me that, but it didn't. Now I see it, though. Besides, I'm going to want to settle down and have a family at some point. I can't do that with my schedule. I sleep and work. There's no time for anything else. I want the kind of love Mom and Dad have, and that comes from actually spending time together."

  "It'll be good to have you back," Jake said. "And I know Mom and Dad will be over the moon with joy."

  Brayden looked away. "Hopefully Dad will recover so I can tell him the news."

  "He will, Brayden. He will."

  Twenty Four

  Tiffany's head spun as she stepped off the plane at Sea-Tac airport. She'd been so worried about getting back, she hadn't even thought about what she would do when she got there. Should she get on a shuttle or hail a taxi? There were always car rentals.

  She should have done something to disguise herself. What if she ran into Trent or one of his friends? He probably had everyone he knew looking for her. Her chest tightened around her, constricting her breathing.

  "There she is," came a voice from behind.

  Tiffany's heart nearly stopped. She turned around and saw Vinny. Her legs went limp with relief.

  "Are you okay?" he asked, taking her arm and steading her.

  She nodded. "Just tired. Thanks for setting the flights up for me."

  "Anything for you, dear. Now, let's get you to your grandpa. He's in a coma, but several of us have been stopping by and talking with him. They say hearing familiar voices will help, so you need to talk to him. Think you're up for that?"

  "I'll have to be. What if something happens to him? Then I'll be left with no one."

  Vinny shook his head. "Not true. Me and the other guys will take care of you. Just like he would do for our families."

  Tiffany nodded. "Thanks."

  "I'm sure you know we're more than just poker buddies."

  "Yeah, I know."

  He smiled and ruffled her hair. "Do you have a hat or something? You can't just walk around town looking like yourself. There's a reason you hightailed it out of this place."

  "I don't have anything. I'll have to—"

  "No. I have a hat for you." Vinny pulled out a pink Seahawks hat. "You can keep it. It's not my color, anyway."

  Tiffany laughed. "I think it would bring out your eyes."

  Vinny batted his eyelashes. "You think so?" He stuck the hat on her head.

  "Thanks." She moved it around her hair until it was comfortable.

  "Pull it down a bit. You want to cover your face some more."

  Tiffany adjusted it again as they made their way to the parking lot. Vinny talked about all kinds of things but didn't mention Tiffany's grandpa. She wanted to ask more questions, but feared the answers at the same time. If he was in a coma, it had to be really bad. She needed more information.

  Trent had to be behind it. It was the only explanation. If that was the case, then she would have a good enough reason to press charges and hopefully get him put away. He couldn't be jailed for calling her names or throwing stuff at her, but putting her grandpa in the hospital—that was something he could be arrested for.

  When they climbed into Vinny's car, Tiffany could only think of one way to describe it—pimped out. When he started it, she expected the wheels to jump up and down, but they didn't. He put the station on oldies, and Leslie Gore sang about crying at her party.

  Tiffany looked out the window and felt strangely nostalgic. Though she hadn't been gone long, she hadn't been sure if she would ever return to the city she loved. Yet here she was already. Vinny rambled on about last night's Mariner's win as if he'd been in the dugout himself—maybe he had. She wasn't going to ask.

  They made it to the hospital, and her heart sank. "They sent him to Harborview? Don't they only send the worst cases here?"

  Vinny pulled into a tight spot between two SUVs, both in compact parking. "They don't only send the worst ones here, but yeah that's why he's here." He turned and faced her. "You'll want to prepare yourself, dear. He doesn't look good. He has all kinds of tubes hooked up to him, and he's not going to respond to you."

  Tiffany's voice caught, so she just nodded.

  "Remember what I said about talking to him? A bunch of us have spent time talking to him, but I think it'll do him a world of good to hear your voice. He's going to pull out of this, and knowing you're there is going to make a big difference, kid." Vinny squeezed her shoulder. "Let's go."

  She cleared her throat. "Okay." Her head spun as they walked through the parking lot and down the halls of the hospital. She heard cryi
ng at several points walking through the hallways. Tiffany had a feeling she'd join the wailing soon enough.

  "We're almost there." Vinny put his arm around her.

  It felt like they were going through a maze. Tiffany was sure she wouldn't be able to get outside by herself. Her breathing was growing shallower the farther they went.

  "This is the unit." Vinny removed his arm, and Tiffany looked up. The words Critical Care were on the wall. That sounded serious. A lump formed in her throat.

  Vinny stopped where a nurse stood and spoke with her. Tiffany couldn't focus on what was said. They followed her down more halls, passing more nurses.

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She felt like she was being watched. Tiffany looked around but didn't see anyone looking at her. People were everywhere, but no one paid any attention to her.

  Still, chills ran along her back. She turned around and looked again but couldn't see anyone who looked out of place. She decided to ignore the feelings. This wasn't the time to get suspicious. She needed to focus on Grandpa.

  Finally, they entered a patient room, but all Tiffany could see was a large curtain. The nurse pulled on it, and in one swift movement, it slid to the wall.

  Tiffany gasped at the sight of her grandpa lying on the bed with tubes everywhere. She ran to his side, looking at him from head to toe. "Why's he tied down? He's no criminal."

  "It's for his safety," the nurse assured her. "If he thrashed around, he could hurt himself worse than he already is."

  Tiffany nodded. It made sense, but it didn't mean she liked it. She rubbed his arm, and brought her face to his ear. "Grandpa, it's Tiffany. I'm here. You have to wake up. I need you." Tears filled her eyes, and she told him they would get him out of there, but he had to fight.

  When she finished talking, she turned around. Vinny sat and texted, and the nurse typed on a computer.

  "How long will he be in the coma?" Tiffany asked.

  Still typing, the nurse said, "It's medically induced because we want to prevent any further brain damage. Did you notice how cold he is? The cooling is to give his brain the best chance possible."

  "Brain damage?" Tiffany whispered.