One Sweet Day I Found You: A Sweet Romance Book 1

by Jillian Walsh

  Nick studied her reaction. He had seen the formations dozens of times. Now he liked to see what other people thought of them when he brought them here. She seemed to be caught up in it.

  “Look, Courtney,” he began before he could change his mind, “I’m sorry we got on your case this morning. It was an honest mistake. I mean, as far as you knew, we were the late ones, and you didn’t get all bent out of shape at us.”

  Courtney looked surprised. She adjusted her sunglasses beneath her visor and tugged on her hair to tighten her ponytail before she answered him. “It’s okay. Thanks.”

  No other response, but she had already apologized several times. She didn’t owe him anything.

  “So did you say you just got back from Australia?”

  “Uh—yeah. Flew back Tuesday. The day I saw you—” She let the sentence go.

  “—At the coffee shop. Right.” Nick cleared his throat.

  “Sorry about that,” Courtney said. “I should’ve been more careful. I was rushing around. Rough morning.”

  “Nah. It was no big deal. You had your hands full with all that luggage, anyway. I should’ve offered to help you.”

  Her expression softened and she nodded.

  They continued paddling alongside each other over the limestone caves. “Slow down a little bit.” Nick gestured ahead of them. “There’s a huge one coming up here. You don’t want to miss it.”

  They went a little farther then brought their kayaks to a near standstill. Courtney cast her glance down into the crystal-clear water again and gasped. “Oh, my gosh, that’s so cool,” she said. “This place is really amazing. I can’t wait to write about it.”

  Nick breathed a sigh of relief. Happy customer. Happy blogger.

  He took off his baseball cap, set it back on his head, smoothed it over his hair, and peered over at Courtney again.

  She had big brown eyes, light freckles on her cheeks, and a touch of sunshine already coloring her shoulders. She was really cute.

  Courtney looked over at him. “Do you have a few minutes after we get back? For the story, I mean. I have some questions about your shop and stuff. I need to take a few notes when I ask you about it.”

  “Oh, sure. How about—hmm? Kira’s got to fly her drone around to get the aerial footage. She said she’ll need about an hour after we put away the boats. We can talk then?”

  “Sounds good.” Courtney paddled ahead.

  About twenty minutes later, Nick pulled in alongside Courtney again, and Kira brought the dinghy in close. “You ready to head back, Aussie? I think I’ve got what I need.”

  Courtney rolled her eyes. Still—with the nickname? “Ready.”

  Nick grinned.

  “How ‘bout you, Nickel-and-Dime?”

  Nick laughed then backed up the boat a few paces so he could turn it around.

  He watched as Courtney dropped one end of her paddle into the water then steered her boat alongside his.

  Nick finished locking up the kayaks and the dinghy and jumped off the truck. “I’ve got a thermos full of coffee in here. Should still be hot. Anyone want a cup?”

  “Now you’re speaking my language.” Courtney’s stomach growled. It was still chilly under the shade of the trees.

  “Thanks. I’ll take some when I get back.” Kira was all business. She’d helped with the boats and readied her equipment. “See you guys in about an hour.”

  They said goodbye and Nick looked at Courtney.

  “You want to go sit by the water while we wait for Kira? I know a good spot. Otherwise we’re standing. Or sitting in the front seat of the truck?”

  Courtney nodded. “The water sounds good. Let me grab my notebook.” She started towards the car. “You want a trail bar? I’ve got a few extras.”

  “Yes, please. I’m starving.” He smiled.

  Courtney headed toward the car. Nick was certainly no leathery old guy in a fishing hat. And he was turning out to be a lot nicer than she’d originally thought he was. He might actually be a decent guy.

  Or was he just being nice so she didn’t write anything bad about him?

  She frowned. Who was she kidding? The story was a sponsored post and he knew it. She couldn’t write anything bad about him—or the shop—even if she wanted to. Sponsored content like this was the reason a sweet gig like hers even existed these days. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Bring it down a notch, Court. He seems okay.

  She reached the car and found the trail bars and notebook.

  She wasn’t so sure about Kira.

  Apparently, when Beecham said he’d be watching her, he must’ve meant through Kira.

  But Kira already seemed over it. Maybe Courtney could just ignore her remarks and move on. Getting into it with her wasn’t worth losing the job.

  Back at the truck, Nick grabbed the thermos and an extra travel mug. “Cool. Let’s go.” She fell in step beside him as they headed toward the lake.

  Six

  A soft breeze slipped through the trees behind them as Nick kicked at the rocks with his heels. He sipped from a stainless-steel travel mug as Courtney dangled her feet over the large outcrop of rocks at the water’s edge. She looked happy there.

  The sunshine warmed their faces and Nick squinted, glancing at Courtney as she gazed out at the bobbing waves and sipped from her paper coffee cup.

  A thick forest of cedar, fir, and birch lay behind them. Mossy green earth and fern blanketed the rocks in shaded spots along the short trail they’d taken to reach the low-lying cliff.

  They’d chatted along the way about Courtney’s impression of Heritage Bay and some of Nick’s favorite places to take a kayak out on the lake. Nick explained that this particular lookout was one of his favorite spots on the entire peninsula.

  He’d also offered her some useful facts and figures for her article beyond that of the kayak tours, which he hoped she’d use. For instance, the peninsula’s three-hundred-plus miles of coastline saw a surge of population throughout the summer, but most people thought it never really felt crowded.

  Courtney reached again for her pen without looking and accidentally brushed Nick’s fingers. When she pulled her hand back, he automatically sat up and repositioned himself, stealing a glance at her. Those soft freckles across her nose. Her rosy cheeks. He felt distracted.

  “So, what’s the best time of day to take these trips?” Courtney asked. “Like, do the waves pick up a lot in the afternoon? Seemed calmer out there this morning.”

  Already, the water was beating against the shoreline with greater force.

  “Yeah, sometimes afternoons are rougher, but often, they’re not. Just depends.”

  “Safe answer?”

  “You guessed it,” Nick said. “We offer both morning and afternoon tours. Wouldn’t want to scare anyone away. But really, the weather’s the main factor. If a storm’s expected, we don’t go out at all.”

  “Okay. Makes sense.” Courtney jotted a few more notes on the page then looked up again, fixing her gaze on the water. “Well, I think I have just about everything I need.”

  She removed her visor and took out her ponytail holder. He watched the breeze slip through the long, sun-kissed brown locks of her hair as it fell across her shoulders. She glanced at him and he looked away before she caught him staring.

  “Can you think of anything else to add?”

  Where had this girl come from? She looked perfectly at home sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere. Most of the women he met couldn’t pull off that look, at least not well.

  And what demon had gotten into his head and taken over his thoughts? Keep it together, dude. It would be unprofessional to flirt right now.

  Nick willed himself not to look at the soft outline of her neck or the curves of her gently toned arms. “Uh, nope,” he answered. “I think you’ve got it all.”

  Courtney looked up from her notebook.

  “So, what would you like to leave the readers with? Why should they choose your company when there are so many o
thers around here offering these kinds of trips?”

  She might not be distracted but Nick had better cool it. He flashed a goofy grin and shrugged innocently. “How could they go anywhere else? I mean, what’s not to like?”

  Courtney laughed playfully. “Besides the obvious, then?”

  Was she flirting now? “I’m just kidding around.” He sat back. “But, seriously, we know this sport; we know these waters; we offer more time slots than the other companies around here, and all at a great rate. More bang for your buck. Check online for our reviews. Great track record. We’ve been around the longest, too.”

  “Got it.” Courtney grinned. “Quite the salesman, eh?”

  Man, she was cute.

  “I try.” He stared out at the water. Should he ask for her number?

  Nah. She was conducting an interview, not making the rounds through some nightclub. Besides, well...

  He hated to think it, but she was exactly the kind of girl who worried him. The kind that could do him real damage—the kind of damage his ex-girlfriend, Regina had done. He didn’t need to see that look on a woman’s face again.

  Courtney put away her notebook. “Okay, well I think I’ve got what I need to write the best blog post ever.”

  “Really?” He grinned again. You’re that sure?”

  Courtney made a face. “Just you wait.”

  “Well, geez. I can’t wait to read it then.”

  She could pull off ironic, too. He sighed and looked away.

  She downed the last of her coffee. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.” Nick raised an eyebrow.

  “So, is—how do I say this?” She paused a second. “Is Kira always like that?”

  Nick lowered his voice, not that anyone was around to hear them. “If you mean a bit direct, then yes, she is.” He grinned.

  Courtney relaxed a little. “If that’s how you want to put it, then yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” She shot him a look of amusement. “Switzerland.”

  Kira was an original. He knew not to step on her toes or get involved in something that was none of his business. But Courtney seemed genuinely concerned.

  “Don’t worry. She’s basically harmless. Just needs to get to know you, then she’s awesome. She’ll come around.”

  Courtney looked thoughtful. “I hope so. I didn’t know I’d have to fight battles at this level. Hadn’t even considered it—matter of fact.”

  Nick leaned in. “Okay, I’m going to tell you something because I don’t want her to scare you off—and because she’s not usually this bad. It’s no secret, anyway.”

  “Okay?” Courtney leaned toward him. “I’m all ears.”

  “So, the writer you’re replacing was a guy that Kira dated for almost a year. Sam. Good guy. They broke up a few weeks ago when he took a job in Boulder. Some travel resource company. Couldn’t turn it down. He’s from Colorado, so I doubt he’s ever coming back.”

  “Oh,” she said slowly.

  “Kira took it pretty hard.”

  “Well, that makes a lot of sense.” Courtney sat forward again and kicked her heels off the rock. “So she’s been a bit more direct ever since?”

  “Much more.”

  Sam had worked closely with Kira for over a year. They were a dynamo team—Beecham had been very happy with Sam’s work.

  Sam was offered a lot more money at the new job than Beecham could afford to give him. Despite Kira’s emphatic attempts to change his mind, Sam had packed up and left three days ago. Nick was pretty sure the guy had broken Kira’s heart.

  Nick figured Kira was taking out her frustrations on the new girl. “Yeah, she just needs a little time. She’ll come around.”

  “Okay, well, yeah, that makes me feel a lot better. Thanks for telling me.”

  “Probably a good idea not to let on that you know, though.” Nick dumped the last drops of his coffee onto the dirt beside the rock and twisted the cup back on top of the thermos. “Let her tell you herself.”

  “Good idea.” Courtney stared out at the lake again.

  Nick thought she seemed relieved. “You about ready to go? We should head back.”

  “Oh, yeah. Sure.”

  They packed up their things and headed for the main trail.

  “So, where’re you staying this summer? I figured you’re local, since I saw you at the West End?”

  “Right. Yeah, I am. I’m actually staying at a guesthouse not far from town. And it’s pretty cool. There’s a trail you can pick up right out in front that leads all the way to the docks. Runs right along the water. So pretty.”

  “No way? Big yellow house? Little cottage to match?” Nick was shocked.

  “Yeah. You know it?” Courtney sounded surprised.

  “Yep. Sure do.”

  “Wow, this is a really small town, isn’t it?”

  “Have you met the owner? Sweet, older woman. Victoria Brady?”

  “I haven’t met her yet, but I saw her in the window yesterday and she waved. Her housekeeper, Mrs. Schlagel, I think it was, stopped in to make sure I was doing okay. I was planning to stop over at the main house and introduce myself later today. Wait, do you know her?”

  Nick and his brother had spent many summers at the lake as kids with their grandparents, who had a summer home in Heritage Bay prior to their death a few years ago. He and Kenny learned to handle a kayak when they were very young because of those summers. “Yeah, it’s a really small town. My grandparents were good friends with Victoria.”

  “Really? Now I can’t wait to meet her.”

  Nick looked back fondly on those years. His grandparents were so unlike his father.

  Hardworking but easygoing, they’d given Kenny and Nick the chance to make their own decisions, whether it had simply been their choice of ice cream at age eight, or their thoughts about school and friends at fifteen. He always felt like he had a voice with them.

  He often wondered how someone like his father, so controlling and single-minded, could’ve turned out the way he did.

  Mr. and Mrs. Alfred and Victoria Brady, who owned the property where Courtney was staying, had been very close friends with his Grandma and Grandpa Bingham. Nick and Kenny knew the marsh and her little stretch of beach, as well as the trail Courtney had mentioned, quite well. Victoria reminded him of his own grandmother—they’d been a lot alike.

  Victoria Brady had reached out to Nick when Nick had come to stay in Heritage Bay last year. And he’d offered his support when Mr. Brady had passed on last fall.

  These days, it seemed Victoria Brady had unofficially adopted Nick as one of her own grandchildren, of which she had few. Nick made it a point to check on Victoria every few weeks. The woman was getting on in the world and didn’t have any family nearby. And he didn’t mind. His family was far away, too, after all, and his grandparents were gone. It was good for both of them to have someone close who felt like family.

  But Nick wanted to downplay his connection with Courtney’s landlord and his familiarity with her new home. He should give Courtney her space. If he got to know her better, he could explain later.

  They reached the main trail that met up with the parking lot.

  “Victoria’s very sweet. Tough, optimistic. You’ll like her.”

  “Good to know.” Courtney climbed over a branch on the trail. “By the way, her cottage is so beautiful. I feel like I’ve really stepped up in the world, moving in there.” She grinned.

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Totally. Sure beats the hostel in Sydney. I shared an unlocked room with one to three other girls, give or take, at any given time, for six months. Bunk beds.”

  Nick pulled a branch out of the way and Courtney ducked underneath. “That must’ve gotten old quickly.”

  “It did, kind of. But, then again, it was great. Instant friends and day-trip companions. Couldn’t complain. A lot of them were from other countries, too. It was a great experience.”

  He asked her more about Australia and Courtney
gave him a quick rundown of her trip and the freelance work she did there before they reached the truck. Nick was impressed.

  Kira returned just as Nick and Courtney emerged from the woods.

  “How’d it go, Kira?” Nick took some of the bulkier equipment from her.

  “I think I’m good on video and images. You all set for the article, Courtney?”

  Courtney took her duffel bag off her shoulders as they reached the truck. “Yeah, I think I’m good.”

  Nick unlocked the truck and threw his hat on the front seat.

  “Hey,” Kira said, “so, Courtney, you’re supposed to get this post out by Monday morning, right? They want to see my video by Saturday and then they’ll give me any edits to finish by Sunday night. Do you want to run your post by me before Beecham sees it—since this is your first one? I used to look over Sam’s stories—he was the writer before you got here—just to give them a second pair of eyes before he submitted them.”

  Courtney looked surprised. “Uh, sure. That would be great.”

  Kira pulled a business card from her equipment bag. “Here’s my number. Text me anytime.”

  Courtney took the card, her expression unsteady. “Okay. Thanks.”

  It looked as though Kira was already coming around. Even if only a little.

  Nick ran a hand across his chin, listening.

  “Exactly. And, no problem. I don’t want to give you a chance to tick off Beecham again anytime soon. But I’m still calling you Aussie.” Kira kept a straight face. “It’s fun to say.”

  Courtney snorted, waving it off. “Okay, then. I guess I can live with that.” She dug into her duffel bag for her keys.

  Kira turned back to the truck. “Cool,” she said. “I’ll talk to you soon. Drive safe.” She opened the back door and began loading her equipment onto the seat.

  Courtney took the opportunity to mime her relief to Nick. Nick smiled back, wiggling his eyebrows.

  “See,” he whispered, moving closer to her, “I told you she wasn’t so bad.”

  Courtney grinned and cocked an eyebrow.

  “So I guess I’ll head out now. It’s good to meet you, Kira. I’m looking forward to seeing that video.” She took a few steps toward her car.