The waiting area of the restaurant was empty when she arrived, but the low hum of voices and clinking of glassware drifted in from the dining room. She made her way toward a round table in the corner next to the swinging door from the kitchen. Jake was already seated, leaning back in his chair, and Sage sat beside him. They were so deep in conversation, neither noticed Laurel until she pulled out a vacant chair across the table. Her down-to-earth sister appeared to have found some common ground with the rugged, self-professed accountant. He didn’t seem like Sage’s type, but then Sage didn’t really have a type. As far as Laurel knew, she hadn’t had a serious relationship since the demise of her all-consuming high school romance years ago.
At the sight of her, Jake straightened. “I’m glad you got some rest. Are you feeling better?”
“I am. Thank you.”
Rosemary pushed through the gleaming stainless-steel door carrying a tray loaded with steaming bowls of chili. “Dinner’s ready.”
Angelica followed with a basket of corn bread squares. “I made these myself, so don’t blame Mom if they’re no good.”
“I’m sure they’re delicious, dear,” Rosemary said. “Your baking is improving every day. Now eat up while it’s hot.” She crossed her arms and smiled expectantly.
Laurel took a square of cornbread and leaned forward to inhale the spicy aroma wafting up from the colorful blend of black beans, tomatoes, corn, and cubed sweet potatoes. The first spoonful was halfway to her mouth when Angelica’s pocket started singing.
“Oh, not now.” Her mom frowned. “I hate it when phones go off in the restaurant. I want people to relax and escape the pressures of their everyday lives, even if it’s only for an hour.”
“At least let me see who it is.” Angelica pulled out her phone and glanced at the caller ID with a frown. “That’s strange.”
“Who is it, dear?”
“I don’t know, but the area code is for Seattle.” Confusion clouded Angelica’s eyes. “Laurel, do you think it might be your fiancé?”
Laurel’s heart began to pound erratically. Richard might have guessed she’d run home, but how could he get her sister’s number?
Before Laurel could stop her, Angelica pressed the Accept button. “Hello?” After a couple of seconds, she handed the phone to Laurel. “He says he’s Richard Vargis. He wants to talk to you, and he doesn’t sound happy.”
Her stomach lurched. I’m not ready. I can’t do this. Not here. Not now.
She stared at the phone, pulse pounding in her throat, and tried to calm herself. What are you afraid of? Richard is in Seattle, almost a thousand miles away. No matter how mad he is, he can’t hurt you.
“Aren’t you going to talk to him?” Angelica prompted.
Laurel hesitated then took a deep breath. “Hello.”
“I assume you decided to go home for Thanksgiving without telling me.” His voice had the hard, flat edge of rigid control that usually preceded an explosion of temper.
A shiver slithered up Laurel’s spine like an icy snake. He isn’t here. He can’t hurt you. “No. I assume you read my note.”
“I did, but—”
“Then there’s nothing to discuss.”
“Laurel, stop being a child. These things happen between adults. I apologized, and that should be the end of it. Now, when are you coming back?” Rising impatience colored his demand.
These things happen? If he’d been in the room, she might have slapped him. “I don’t know how you got this number, but I don’t want to talk to you, and never call my family again.”
“Laurel, damn it—” The words reverberated with full-blown anger.
He was still yelling when she held the phone away from her ear. Her hand shook as she ended the call.
“Are you okay?” Worry creased Angelica’s forehead.
“I’m fine.” But she wasn’t.
Sage leaned across the table. “Laurel, you said you didn’t want to talk until the family was all together. Well, we’re together now, and we need to know what’s going on.”
Her gaze bounced from one sister to the other before coming to rest on her mother’s concerned face. “I…I’ve left Richard.”
“We guessed that, sweetie.” Rosemary’s voice was gentle. “I take it he didn’t accept your decision.”
“No.” An understatement, based on the volume of his diatribe.
“Did he cheat on you?” A spark of anger flared in Sage’s eyes.
“Sage!” her mother chided.
“It’s okay.” Laurel stared at the phone still in her hand. “No, he didn’t cheat on me, at least not as far as I know.”
Rosemary laid a gentle hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Did he hurt you? Are you afraid of him?”
As much as she loved her mother, Laurel couldn’t bring herself to re-hash every humiliating detail of her relationship with Richard. Now that she was here, all she wanted was to forget and heal. “He hurt Rufus.”
Rosemary dropped her hand with a brisk nod. “Then you were right to leave him. Men who abuse animals often move on to harming people.”
Her mother’s approval flowed over Laurel like a soul-soothing balm. She might have made some questionable decisions over the past few years, but coming home wasn’t one of them.
Angelica slid her phone back into her pocket. “What are you going to do now?”
With the truth about her engagement out in the open, some of the tension in Laurel’s muscles began to ease. She tilted her head and massaged her neck. “I’m not sure. That’s what I came home to figure out. I need to start looking for a job.”
Rosemary shot a quick glance toward the kitchen. “We could use some extra help here at the restaurant, but not full-time until summer.”
Laurel returned her mother’s apologetic smile with genuine warmth. “Thanks, Mom, but we both know you don’t want me in your kitchen. I’m no better a cook now than I was in high school. In truth, I’m probably worse.”
Sage turned to Jake. “She once set the kitchen on fire trying to make popcorn.”
“The oil was hot,” Laurel protested, grateful for every step the conversation took away from Richard.
“And you wouldn’t have dropped the skillet if you’d been wearing oven mitts like Mom told you,” Sage retorted.
Laurel huffed. “Whatever. Let’s just agree that cooking is not high on my list of career options.”
Her mother wiped her hands on her apron and turned toward the kitchen doors. “Well, you three need to start eating, or I’m going to start worrying about my career options.”
Her remark popped the balloon of tension that remained after Richard’s call, and everyone dove into their chili.
When their bowls were empty, Angelica appeared to clear the dishes. “I hope you left room for dessert. We’ve got a dynamite flourless chocolate cake tonight.”
Jake grinned. “I wouldn’t say no.”
Angelica nodded then glanced at her sisters. “Cake for everyone?”
“Why not?” Sage quirked a brow at Laurel.
“Sure.” Tonight she was in no mood for self-denial.
Fifteen minutes later her mother popped out of the kitchen to check on them. The heat in the kitchen had sent her curls into a frenzy, and her white apron now sported a matching pair of smeared, tomato-sauce handprints. “How’s everybody doing?”
“It was wonderful, as always, but I think I’ll head back to the house. It’s been a long day.” Laurel folded her napkin and placed it on the table.
Jake followed suit. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at nine.”
She responded with a blank stare.
“To fix your car,” he prompted.
Comprehension dawned. “Yes, of course. My car. Thank you.”
Her mother squeezed her shoulders and planted a swift kiss on the top of her head. “It’s so good to have you home. There’s food in the fridge at the house, but you should come over here in the morning for breakfast if you’re up in time. Tomorrow’
s special is buckwheat pancakes.”
Laurel closed her eyes with a sigh. Diving into a plate of her mother’s sweet, slightly nutty, crispy-outside cakes on a Saturday morning was one of her favorite childhood memories. “I’ll try.”
After she and Jake parted ways on the flagstone patio, she headed for the house. The impenetrable darkness of the forest beyond the parking lot lights caught her by surprise. She fished her phone out of her pocket, turned it on, and searched for the flashlight app. How could she have been away so long that she’d forgotten to pick up a flashlight before leaving the house? The habit should have been permanently imprinted on her brain.
As she left the soft glow of the restaurant and walked deeper into the forest, sight gave way to sound. Gravel crunched underfoot as she picked her way down the dark driveway. Leaves rustled in the underbrush as night creatures scuttled about looking for dinner. An owl hooted from high in a tree somewhere nearby.
When she approached the front door of the house, she stopped and looked up. A thousand stars pierced the clear blue-black sky—so different from the city lights of Seattle. She inhaled the scent of sea and trees. This was what she needed.
That night, she slept deeper and longer than she had in years.
****
The next morning on the stroke of nine, Jake knocked at the door of the McDowell house. Laurel answered wearing a long-sleeved beige knit top, slim black jeans, and running shoes. The shadows around her eyes had faded, and she’d secured her long auburn hair in a ponytail. Overall, she looked refreshed and much more relaxed than she had yesterday.
He smiled. “Good morning.”
She ran a perplexed glance over him from head to toe, but before she could speak, Rufus poked his head around the side of her leg. “Rowr!” She bent down to rub his ears.
“Is he feeling better?”
She glanced up but kept rubbing, and Rufus rumbled like a poorly-tuned Harley. “He’s happy to be out of the carrier and free to roam the house.”
“I’m sure he’ll be glad when that thing comes off. I know I would.”
“It’s only for a few more days. Right, buddy?”
Rufus swished his tail and butted his nose into her hand.
Jake tossed his keys in the air and nabbed them with one hand. “Are you ready to go?”
“Just let me grab my jacket and purse.”
He waited while she locked the door then led the way to his truck, which was parked in the lot at Earthly Delights. He unlocked the truck and held the door open. “Did you get any breakfast this morning?” He’d scanned the restaurant for her when he arrived and kept an eye on the entrance while he demolished a stack of Rosemary’s signature buckwheat pancakes.
Laurel reached up to grasp the handle and pulled herself into the cab. “I ate in the kitchen with Mom.”
At least she was eating. That was a good sign. She’d seemed to recover after the call from her fiancé, but some women were good actresses. He shut her door, walked around to the driver’s side, and swung up onto the bench seat. “I’m glad. You need to let your mother take care of you.” He shoved the key into the ignition, and the powerful engine roared to life.
Laurel raised her brows with a soft snort. “Stopping mom would be like trying to stop a charging rhino. But I don’t want to be a burden.” She leaned back against the seat and gazed out the window. “I need to start taking care of myself.”
He glanced both ways then wheeled the truck onto Highway 1, which was wide open at this hour on a Saturday morning. “At least let her feed you. For Rosemary, food is an expression of love. You’ll only frustrate her if you resist.”
“That’s true.”
He tried to keep his attention on the road, but as they drove north, she kept stealing surreptitious glances at his legs. Ordinarily, he didn’t mind a little feminine attention, but Laurel looked more disturbed than impressed. After several minutes, he was beginning to feel self-conscious. “Is something wrong?”
“Do you ever wear real pants?”
A laugh burst from his lips. That was the last thing he’d expected to hear. “Only when I have to.”
“You do know it’s November, right? Not exactly shorts weather.”
He chuckled. “Hey, any day above freezing is shorts weather for me.”
She muttered something he couldn’t understand that might have contained the word “accountant” and turned to face the window. After a long, awkward pause, he gave up trying to come up with something to say and reached over to turn on the radio to a local country music station. Half an hour later, her forlorn yellow Beetle came into view, still sitting by the side of the highway where they’d left it.
Her lips tipped up in a relieved smile. “I’m glad it’s still there. I was afraid someone might have stolen or stripped it during the night.”
“A thief would have to be pretty bold to strip a car on this busy stretch of highway. Besides, I called a buddy of mine who’s with the Highway Patrol to let him know we’d be back today to pick it up. He promised to cruise by from time to time and keep an eye on it.”
Her brows rose slightly. “Thanks. I guess it pays to have friends in the right places.”
He pulled a u-turn at the next exit and parked the truck on the sandy shoulder behind the car. “Let’s get you back on the road.” He hefted her wheel from the truck bed and carried it over to the VW.
Laurel opened the trunk and peered inside. “There must be a jack in here somewhere.”
“I’m sure mine’s better.” Jake leaned the wheel against the side of the car and went back to the truck. He returned with a heavy-duty jack and a lug wrench. It didn’t take much effort to jack up the lightweight Beetle, and in a few minutes, he had the wheel back where it belonged. “On the way home you should stop at Nelvin’s Garage in Carmel and have them tighten these with the pneumatic wrench.”
“I will. Thanks for helping me.”
He rose to his feet and wiped his hands on a rag he kept with his tools. Hoping to tease another smile from her, he grinned. “I guess it’s a good thing I got Rosemary’s seal of approval.”
Laurel flushed. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize. You can never be too careful about safety.”
Just then her purse beeped with the sound of an incoming text message, and she sucked in a swift breath like somebody had poked her.
“Do you want to check that?” Jake nodded toward her purse.
“Not really.”
“It might be from your mom or one of your sisters.”
She hesitated. “Maybe, but I’m pretty sure I know who it’s from.”
“Still, if it’s your mom, she might need you to pick up something on your way back.”
“I guess.” She looked like she’d rather dance barefoot in a snake pit. Opening her bag, she withdrew the phone. When the message popped up on the screen, a soft expletive escaped her lips.
“What is it?”
She didn’t respond.
“Laurel?”
“I had hoped he would let me go,” she murmured, more to herself than to Jake.
He frowned. “Who? Your fiancé?”
“Ex-fiancé.” She met his gaze with a small smile. “It actually feels good to say the words out loud.”
He didn’t know how to respond, so he nodded. Engagements, broken or otherwise, were outside his realm of experience.
She looked back at her phone. “I wish he’d just accept that it’s over between us and leave me alone.”
“What does the message say?”
“He wants me to come back immediately and promises if I do, there will be no repercussions.”
“Repercussions.” Jake’s frown deepened. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Neither do I.”
He didn’t like the note of anxiety in her voice, either, but it wasn’t his place to interfere. Although he counted her mother and sisters as friends, he barely knew Laurel. “What do you want to do?”
She
took a deep breath and straightened her spine. “I’m not going back.”
“Good.”
She texted a brief, two-letter response and slid the phone back into her purse.
Instead of heading for his truck, Jake remained rooted at her side. “You should get a new phone and number as soon as you can so he won’t be able to reach you.”
“I’ve been thinking about it, but since he somehow managed to track me down through Angelica’s phone last night, I’m not sure getting a new number would solve the problem. We’d all have to get new phones.”
Warning bells went off inside Jake’s head. “He didn’t have Angelica’s number?”
“Not unless he copied the numbers out of my phone without my knowledge. I didn’t think Richard even knew my sisters’ names. He’s never met them or shown any interest in my family.”
He might not know Laurel well, but Jake had trouble picturing Rosemary’s daughter with a man like that. “I know it’s none of my business, but it sounds like you’re better off without him.”
“I have to agree. If he calls or texts again, I’m going to ignore it. Or at least try.” She unlocked the door of the Beetle and opened the door. “Are we ready to go?”
“Let me put my tools away, then I’ll follow you to make sure you don’t have any problems.”
He followed her to the outskirts of downtown Carmel, where she pulled into the lot at Nelvin’s Garage. When she got out of the car, he rolled down his passenger side window and leaned over. “You should be fine now.”
“Thanks again.”
“No problem. Dan Nelvin will take good care of you.” Jake hesitated and glanced around the lot, suddenly reluctant to leave her on her own. He shook off the feeling and smiled. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Since you seem to be a regular at Earthly Delights, I’m sure you will.”
He gave her a little wave then turned the truck around and headed back toward the highway.
****
Laurel watched him drive off, feeling oddly bereft. Having her entire world turned upside down in the past two days was unsettling, to say the least. Even though she barely knew him, she found Jake’s presence comforting. Maybe because he was the anti-Richard—solid, straightforward, and steady. Unlike her former fiancé, there wasn’t anything polished or charming about Jake Carlson. Apparently, he didn’t even know how to dress himself properly. In deference to the chill, he’d thrown on a padded vest this morning, but his basic attire was still a T-shirt and those silly shorts.
Second Wind (Cypress Coast Book 1) Page 4