by Tara Sheets
“I told you I was sorry,” he spat. “But now I’m not so sure. It’s not my fault your house has gone to shit. I couldn’t stand to be around you anymore, did you ever think of that? I mean, think about how I must have felt. You were crying all the time. Always going on and on about your grandmother’s cancer. Never thinking for one moment about how it was affecting my life. We were supposed to be engaged. Except it felt more like being trapped. You were awful to be with back then, and you’re just too stubborn to admit it.”
Anger flared so hotly that she had to fight to control her shaking limbs. She would not punch him. Or kick him in the face. She would not. “It was always about you, Rodney, wasn’t it? And it still is. You could never think of anyone but yourself. I used to try to make you happy, but I was never good enough at it. Maybe that’s why you kept me around. Poor little Emma Holloway. So grateful to be wanted. Always willing to bend over backward. Well that’s not me anymore. I don’t care what you think, or what you feel. I only care that you leave.” She pointed at his pickup truck. “If you ever step foot on my property again, I will file a restraining order. Or maybe I’ll go ahead and do it now, anyway.”
Rodney stiffened as though he were struck by lightning. His mouth pressed into a cruel line and he stepped so close she could smell the whiskey and cigarettes on his breath. “Bitch.”
She trembled, but stood her ground. “Don’t ever come back here again.”
He shook with anger, and for one fraction of a moment Emma wondered if he would hit her. The wildness in his eyes was sharper than she had ever seen.
“You’re going to regret turning me away. You think you can survive on your own, with your creepy house and your stupid bakery? Think again, Emma. You’re nothing, do you hear me? You never were. I thought you were different once, but I was wrong. You really are just a crazy Holloway freak.”
He cursed, then grabbed his tools and threw them in the back of the pickup. The wheels of the truck spewed gravel as he tore off down the lane toward the highway.
Emma walked into her house and the door locked gently behind her. She leaned against the wall and tried to ignore the tears leaking from her eyes. Rodney had always hit every insecure nerve inside her, and even though years had passed, that hadn’t changed. When she was younger, she had tried so hard to be loved. She wanted to belong and to be surrounded by people who accepted her. For a while, being in Rodney’s limelight had felt like she achieved it. But it wasn’t real. It never had been. She was living his life, pretending she belonged.
Now after sending him away, he still managed to bring back all her old insecurities. But something fundamental had changed in her. She was no longer that insecure little girl she used to be.
Ever since Hunter had come into the picture, she knew what it felt like to be genuinely accepted for who she really was. She knew how important it was not to sell herself short; not to settle for someone else’s life when she could live her own.
Emma gasped. It was like she was coming up out of the ocean after being underwater for too long. She suddenly recognized the truth for what it was.
She loved Hunter Kane.
It was as simple and as complicated as that. It wasn’t what she had planned, and it wasn’t what she had initially wanted, but there it was. She loved him. And no matter what the future held, maybe it was time to let him know.
* * *
Hunter spent the evening overseeing the last finishing touches at Haven. The glass light fixtures had finally been installed, the counters were polished, and the seating looked perfect. They were waiting on the bakery oven installation—there had been a last-minute hiccup, but it wasn’t going to be a problem. The rest of the kitchen equipment was primed and ready, and the ovens in the bakery would be ready the day before the festival, at the very latest. For opening day he was shipping in pastries from a warehouse bakery supplier in Seattle. Emma had advised him against it, saying it would be better for his business to connect with people using Haven’s own products. She said it was more personal that way, but he knew what he was doing. It would be less hassle, and until he had that portion of his staff cemented, this was the least problematic way to go.
He watched the contractors leave for the evening, feeling a fierce sense of anticipation as he surveyed the gleaming surfaces, the warm leather booths, the Chihuly glass art fixtures. Everything was falling into place, exactly as he had anticipated. After weeks of talking to Sam Norton, the old man had finally agreed to sell Hunter the waterfront. It had been an odd conversation. One that had more to do with Sam’s reasons for loving the island and wanting to preserve its culture, but it all made sense now, to Hunter. He had only been on Pine Cove Island a short time, but knowing Emma had changed him in ways he wouldn’t have believed when he had first arrived.
Tomorrow he was going to ask her a very important question. A question that would change her life in amazing ways, he hoped. He’d been looking for a person to manage his bakery and she was more qualified than anyone he knew. Of course, he’d offer her a top chef’s salary; enough money to solve all her financial problems and give her the freedom she deserved. He smiled as he turned out the lights and locked the door. Everything was going to be perfect.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It was a beautiful Monday afternoon. The most perfect day Emma could remember in the history of all Mondays she had ever witnessed. It could have been the calm ocean, the cotton candy clouds in the sky, or the soothing summer breeze. It could have been the boat trip Hunter had surprised her with that afternoon after he called and told her he wanted to see her. But as she sat across from him on the deck of the boat, letting the rhythmic waves lull her into a sense of deep contentment, she knew that her happiness was because of him.
She loved him. At some point today, she planned to tell him.
“I’m glad you came out with me,” he said.
Reclining on the cushioned seat, Emma tipped her head back, letting the warmth of the sun seep into her skin. “Me too.”
He joined her on the cushioned sofa that ran the length of the back of the boat. Emma leaned her head on his shoulder as he handed her a wineglass.
“I have something I want to say.” His voice was serious, full of intent.
A jolt of excitement shot through Emma’s entire body. Oh my God, what was this? It had to be something big. Maybe he was going to tell her he loved her. Maybe she wouldn’t have to be the first one to say it.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Hunter draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Emma, you know how I feel about you. At least, I hope you know by now.”
She couldn’t help the tiny smile that lifted the corner of her mouth. He seemed so nervous. “I think so,” she said.
“I want you to know I think you are the most amazing, talented, beautiful person I’ve met in . . . well, in as long as I can remember. You’ve been a great help to me with the upcoming festival, and I know things have been hard for you these past couple of years.” Hunter put his wineglass down, then took hers and did the same.
He held her hands, and stared down at their clasped fingers for a moment. “Emma,” he began.
She couldn’t breathe. Don’t faint! He was going to say something wonderful. This was big. She could feel it. “Yes?” She sat up straighter. Was her hair frizzing? Never mind, who cared. This was way more important. This could be the moment when her entire life changed. He would tell her he loved her. And she’d say she loved him. And then they’d go on, happily together. Maybe even “ever after.”
He smiled into her eyes.
She grinned back, feeling like one big gooey ball of joy.
“Will you be my bakery manager?”
Crickets . . . Crickets . . .
Blank. Her mind went completely blank. Then something that felt like a metal anvil dropped from the inside of her skull to the bottom of her feet. “Wh-what?”
He nodded encouragingly, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. “I’ve been t
hinking for a long time about this, and I have some important news.”
“News?” She tried to swallow, but her throat seemed to have closed off. What the hell was happening here?
“I’ve been negotiating with Sam Norton to buy up all the properties on the wharf, and I’ve been lining up investors for the past couple of months. Last week he finally accepted my offer.” He let go of her hands and smiled triumphantly at her. “I’m now the sole owner of the entire waterfront.”
The anvil that had lodged in her feet rose up and dropped again, resonating through her bones with a jarring clang! “What do you mean, sole owner?”
“I mean, I own all of it. The buildings, the shops. Even yours.”
Emma could almost hear the gears in her head grind to a halt, then scream slowly back into action as she tried to make sense of what Hunter was saying. “Why would Sam do that? His family has owned the wharf for decades. Why would he sell it?”
“Sam recognizes that change is necessary in order for the waterfront to thrive. He’s been considering other offers for the past few years, but he hadn’t found a buyer he felt right about. We talked a lot about my vision for the waterfront, and my dedication to the businesses. He’s been wanting to sell for a long time, says he’s getting too old to hold it all together. But he couldn’t find anyone he felt would do the right thing, until now. He also agreed to sell because of you.”
Emma scowled. None of it made any sense. She felt like she was spinning end over end with no gravity and nothing to grab on to. “What would I have to do with his decision?”
“My agent has been negotiating with Sam for a while now, but Sam was reluctant to sell because he thought I was going to modernize everything and not preserve the integrity of the island. But he’s been watching all the upgrades I’ve implemented, and he saw how much better the waterfront looked. He also saw us together and—” Hunter glanced down at his hands, pausing. “He said you were the heart and soul of Pine Cove Island, just like your grandmother before you, and that you deserved to be happy. He hoped my new plans would give you what you needed.”
A wave of mixed emotions washed over Emma. She couldn’t believe Sam would sell the property his family had owned for so many years, just to make her happy. Why would he bother? “I don’t understand. Why would Sam do that for me?”
“I don’t know the specifics, but I believe there’s a story between him and your family. The important part is that he wants Pine Cove Island to be the best it can be, and so do I. I want to make the waterfront a huge success. Not only that, Emma, I want you to be a part of that success. I’ve been thinking about your financial troubles, and your current business model.”
He kept talking. So much talking, and yet Emma couldn’t register any of the details. Then she heard something that flash-froze her heart, in spite of the warm sunshine. “Wait,” she said sharply. “What did you say about absorbing my shop?”
He nodded encouragingly. “I was thinking about how your business could improve, and I know its close proximity to my building isn’t the best location. Anyway, I’ve done the research, and think it would be an excellent move on your part if you let your shop go and came to work at Haven. I would pay you the highest salary—more money than you could ever make running your own place. You could still make your baked goods, and sell them at the café. Think about it.”
A tiny fissure formed along the edge of her frozen heart.
“You would have all your debts paid,” he continued. “And you could afford to make the necessary repairs to your house. You wouldn’t have to worry about running your shop anymore, because you’d have a whole staff under you at my café.”
“You want me to give up my shop?”
“Just think about how much easier your life could be,” he urged. “I can help you, Emma. And this arrangement would be perfect for both of us. You know I’m crazy about you and I want to continue seeing you. I won’t be able to live here permanently, of course. I have too many business obligations to oversee in Seattle and I’m planning to expand onto other islands, once this place is settled. But I would come back to visit you all the time. What do you think?”
He smiled, then. It was the warm, melted caramel smile that always made everything seem to glow around the edges. Only this time the heat was too much to bear. Her icy heart cracked down the center, shattering into painful pieces. What the hell had just happened?
“You—” She drew a jagged breath. “You want me to give up my shop?”
Doubt flickered across his face, as though he was starting to catch on that something wasn’t right.
Emma scooted away to put some distance between them. The entire world seemed to tilt on its axis and she steadied herself on the edge of the boat. He really didn’t understand her at all, did he?
Hunter looked lost. “I thought you’d be happy. I was keeping my acquisition a secret so I could surprise you. Don’t you want a bigger salary? Enough to fix your house?”
“That’s what it’s all about for you, isn’t it? The money. It never occurred to you that what I do, how I live, is my choice? That shop is a part of me. It’s who I am, Hunter. I thought you understood that. It’s my legacy. Fairy Cakes is all that I have left. You can’t tear it down and expect me to be grateful.”
“No,” he said irritably. “Of course not. I see how you care for this town and the people. I know you enjoy what you do. But the shop isn’t all you have left. You have better opportunities now. If you work in my café, you can still do what you’ve always done, plus save your home and make more profits.”
“But I’d be doing it in your restaurant,” she ground out. “I’d be shoehorning myself into your life.”
“Emma,” Hunter tried reasoning with her. “It just makes more sense.”
“Why? Because my shop is too old and shabby to fit into your vision, right? Because who would ever want to keep something like that? Because your place is chic and fancy and new.” Humiliation and anger swept through her. There was a loud roaring in her ears and she had to blink against tears that threatened to fall. She would not cry in front of him. She would not give him that.
She needed to get away. “I want to leave. Take me back to shore right now.”
“Emma,” he began.
“Right now!” She clenched her jaw and hugged herself, staring out at the clear blue water. The endless ocean that had seemed so gorgeous just a few moments ago now seemed cold and unfeeling. The breeze ruffled the hair on her heated neck and she felt almost nauseated. A painful lump had formed in the back of her throat and no matter how hard she swallowed, it wouldn’t go away.
The worst part wasn’t even that he thought she would just give up her shop so easily. No, the worst part was what he said afterward. I want to continue seeing you . . . I would come back to visit you . . . She was an idiot. A complete fool. How could she have thought he was going to say he loved her? How could she have been so stupid?
Hunter started the engine and maneuvered them toward shore. His profile was hard and bleak in the late afternoon sunshine. When the boat dock came into view, he tried again. “Emma, please. I want things to work out between us.”
“Ha!” she scoffed. She could feel hot tears brimming the corners of her eyes. “You care so much for me, that you’d like to ‘continue seeing’ me whenever you come into town. You want me to be your booty call, right? How noble of you.” She could hear the bitterness in her voice and she hated it. “How lucky for me.”
If he thought for one moment that she would spend the next few years of her life waiting for whenever he decided to visit, then he was as clueless as he once believed the locals to be. Emma had spent her entire childhood wondering when her own mother would breeze into town. Wishing that her mother would love her enough to stay. And look how that had worked out. She would never willingly go there again.
“It’s not like that at all. I do care for you,” he said in obvious frustration. “Emma, I’m trying to help you fix all your problems because o
f how I feel for you. What more do you want from me? Is it so wrong that I want to keep seeing you? I thought we had something good here.”
She shot him a look. “So did I. I thought I meant more to you. I thought we could . . .” She hugged herself tighter.
“You thought we could . . . ?”
Emma ground her teeth together. There was no way in hell she was going to say it out loud. I thought we could love each other and stay together and maybe someday get married and have a family and be happy and all those things I never dreamed possible.
A strange expression stole over his face, as if he had read her thoughts.
She turned away and focused on the shore. From the corner of her eye, she could see him watching her.
He was quiet for a long time, as though unable to say what hung in the air between them. He maneuvered the boat into the dock and cut the engine. “Emma, I can’t . . . I’m not . . .”
Humiliation scorched a path from her neck up to her temples. “You don’t have to say anything.” She quickly stood and started to climb onto the dock.
He reached out and stopped her. “Please,” he said quietly. “I’m not cut out for that kind of life. I wouldn’t be any good at it. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
Emma avoided his eyes and shrugged out of his grasp. She should walk away, now. Take the high road and all that. But the high road was so unappealing. Less oxygen up there, for one thing. She turned to face him, forcing her voice to remain steady. “Well, then I guess you should just stick to what you’re good at. Go make money, Hunter. Just don’t expect me to fall neatly into one of your spreadsheets. Because maybe you don’t believe in anything except money, but I do. I want more. I deserve more.”
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill. She gave up trying to fight it. What did it matter anymore? “And you may not believe in love and marriage and family and all that ‘fairy tale’ stuff. But I still do. Maybe I’ve never had it, and maybe I never will. But I still choose to believe in it.” She spread her hands wide. “And why wouldn’t I, right? I mix up magic spells. I am a fairy tale.” She climbed onto the dock and swiped at the hot tears that now slipped down her face. “Thanks for your stellar offer, but I’m going to have to decline. I’m sure you think that’s crazy, but hey. I’m just a crazy Holloway.”