Seaside Romance

by Mia Ross

  “He was,” Ben agreed with a fond smile. “He died a few years ago, and I miss him every day. I think he was the one holding our family together. After we lost him, everything started going haywire.”

  Judging by the tone of his voice, Lauren assumed he didn’t realize she didn’t know his history the way everyone else in town did. It was an awkward moment, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it, so she kept quiet.

  After a few moments of quiet, he grimaced. “Sorry, I forgot you don’t know much about me. My parents’ marriage was never the best, but last year Mom took off with a sales rep she met in a nearby town. The divorce went through a few days ago, and now my dad’s MIA.”

  “Oh, Ben, I’m so sorry.” Without thinking, she reached out to rub his shoulder. The gesture was so unlike her, she was startled by how easily she did it. “Holidays like this must be really tough on you two.”

  “Yeah. Folks mean well, but when they invite me over, it just reminds me what a mess my own family is.”

  Lauren flashed back to her momentary envy of Julia and Nick, and she could relate to how he must feel. Her own parents had their problems, but they always managed to talk them through and come to some kind of compromise. Ben’s situation made her appreciate them even more.

  Then the end of what he’d said registered, and she asked, “You told me Thomas and Sons was just you and your father. How do you run the business all by yourself?”

  “Lots of juggling and late nights.”

  The cavalier response did nothing to mask his frustration, and she scowled. “That’s not fair. I mean, I understand he’s upset, but that doesn’t excuse him for leaving you with all that work.”

  “I know,” Ben sighed. “But he’s my dad. What’m I supposed to do?”

  Although she’d had plenty of trouble sticking up for herself, like most people, Lauren had no problem whatsoever identifying someone else’s options. “Would you let any other employee get away with what he’s doing?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ve never been a boss before.” When she tilted her head at him, he gave her a wry grin. “I guess I wouldn’t.”

  “What would you do?”

  “Talk to him, let him know what he’s doing is wrong.”

  His answer came slowly, as if it pained him to say the words, and she reminded herself they were discussing his father. “That’s a good start, but I think you need to tell him what’s going to happen if he doesn’t straighten himself out.”

  Ben let out a long, painful groan. “I can’t fire my own father. It’s his company.”

  “Judging by how exhausted you look now, you’ll be out of business by fall. You need to be tough with him, or he’ll just keep walking all over you.” His dubious expression clearly said he wasn’t convinced. Changing tactics, she homed in on something she knew Ben wanted badly enough to take a stand. “If you get him back on track and hire some new guys, you can take one of those restoration jobs you were talking about.”

  That did it. Hope glimmered in Ben’s eyes, and he pinned her with a deadly serious look. “Ya think?”

  “I can’t be sure, but I know one thing—if your dad can’t operate on his own, your dreams will stay on hold. Maybe forever.”

  She added the last bit for some extra spice, and it had the effect she was after. Ben’s jaw tightened and steel glinted in his eyes. “It makes me mad every time I think about it. There’s a plum job in Boston starting in June, but I’m stalling on an answer ’cause I couldn’t live with myself if I let him down.”

  That was so sad, she thought. Ben was a good guy, and his sense of loyalty had trapped him in a place he no longer wanted to be. Unfortunately, she could relate to that. “Having you to lean on may actually be handicapping him. If you go, he might learn to stand on his own two feet again.”

  Staring out at the water, Ben fell silent, and she let him be. Solutions were so obvious when it was someone else’s life, she thought with a sigh. If only she could fix her own as easily.

  “Well,” he said as he stood up and brushed off his trousers, “I’d best be getting home. How ’bout you?”

  “Sounds good. I haven’t called my parents in a few days, so I should check in with them.”

  Ben pulled his offending shoes back on, and they began walking up the path. “I’d like to meet them. Are they coming up for the wedding?”

  “They wanted to, but my younger sister’s baby is due at the beginning of May. It’s her first, so she’s pretty nervous about going through labor, not to mention taking care of an infant afterward. Mom’s going to be in the delivery room, just in case they need some expert hand-holding. Then she’ll do the doting grandma thing when they come home from the hospital.”

  “What about your dad? Is he the pacing-out-in-the-waiting-room type?”

  She laughed at the mere idea that Don Foster might be left out of his grandchild’s grand entrance into the world. “Oh, he’s the cameraman. A Hollywood movie set doesn’t have as much equipment as he does.”

  “I was like that after my niece was born,” Ben commented with a smile. “Allie’s a lot like Hannah, a real tomboy with plenty of sugar on top.”

  After his sobering family news, the upbeat topic seemed to restore his normal optimism. Picking up on that, she asked him questions that led to some cute stories and laughter over the funny things kids do. By the time they got back to town, she felt as if they’d made some kind of breakthrough in their unforeseen new friendship. For her, men were dates, not buddies, and this was a novel experience for her.

  In the doorway of Toyland, she turned to him and smiled. “Thanks for walking me back.”

  “No problem.”

  When she unlocked the knob and tried to turn it, it stuck a little, and before she knew what was happening, Ben’s hand reached past hers to twist open the stubborn mechanism. He wasn’t touching her, but he was way too close for comfort, and she stiffened reflexively.

  “I’m not gonna hurt you, Lauren. I promise.”

  The tone of his voice was reassuring, but she flashed back to their earlier conversation and closed her eyes to avoid looking at him. “I haven’t even told Julia what happened. How did you know?”

  “Just a hunch,” he replied as he stepped away. He seemed to realize she needed space, and for that she was incredibly grateful. “But I want you to know you’re safe here with us.”

  Lauren noticed her reflection in the glass door and was disgusted by the terrified look on her face. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “By us, do you mean with the town or with you?”

  “Yes.”

  Offering her a smile of encouragement in the window, he turned and strolled across the street to where his truck was alone in the lot. His easy acceptance of her baffling behavior soothed Lauren’s frazzled nerves, and she found herself staring after him. Could it be she’d stumbled onto a truly good man who respected her wishes? One who wouldn’t try to manipulate or bribe her into doing what he wanted?

  It was hard to believe, but while she made her way upstairs, it was the only explanation she could come up with. As she rounded the top step, Shakespeare called out, “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”

  Thanks to him, Lauren was laughing when her dad picked up the phone.

  “Something’s funny?” he asked, his smile obvious over the long-distance connection.

  “Julia’s bird-sitting this hilarious macaw.” She described the parrot to him, adding in a few entertaining lines from his repertoire. “I’m just calling to wish you a Happy Easter. Is Mom there, too?”

  “On the other line,” she answered. “How are things going up there?”

  “It’s a lot different from what I’m used to, but I’m getting the hang of it.”

  Actually, she loved it, especially the children she’d been hanging out with. They were cute and funny, and she even enjoyed the shy ones, coming up with ways to draw them into a conversation. Not ready yet to tell them she might be staying, instead she described the old building and how her fr
iend had given it new life as a toy store.

  “It sounds like a lot of work,” Dad commented. “How did she manage all that?”

  “She has an incredibly talented contractor who’s good at all kinds of things.”

  “Really?” her mother asked.

  She was a teen counselor, and she had the sharpest ears on the planet. Lauren had done her best to keep the comment casual, but judging by her mom’s suddenly alert tone, she hadn’t quite managed it. In all fairness, she thought with a grin, it was tough to stay neutral when it came to the outgoing carpenter. “His name is Ben Thomas, and he’s a good friend of hers.”

  “What do you know about him?” her father growled.

  “Oh, Don,” Mom chided, “do you really think Julia would allow someone to come around if he wasn’t completely trustworthy?”

  “Well, no,” he admitted grudgingly. “But I don’t like it.”

  “Always the cop,” she chided in a fond voice. “Lauren meets new people all the time, and she handles them just fine. Don’t you, sweetheart?”

  Mostly, Lauren replied silently. To her parents, she said, “Ben’s very nice, the perfect gentleman. Even Shakespeare likes him.”

  Why she added that last part, she had no idea, but it had the effect she was looking for. Dad laughed, and she could imagine him shaking his head. As the only male in a houseful of women, he’d always done that a lot. He probably figured it was better than screaming. “Okay, but if he gives you any trouble, tell him your dad’s a cop with FBI connections. That’ll give him something to think about.”

  Somehow, she couldn’t imagine the FBI threat having much effect on the cocky handyman, but she appreciated her father’s gesture anyway. “I’ll do that. Talk to you soon.”

  In unison, they said, “Love you, honey.”

  After hanging up, Lauren connected her phone to the charger and slumped down on the sofa to stare at the ceiling. All her parents knew was that she and Jeremy had broken up about a month ago, and she was relieved they’d never been nosy enough to ask her for details. Neither of them had mentioned Jeremy calling them, which was good. The more she considered it, though, it seemed odd because he hadn’t tried to contact her, either. Did that mean he didn’t care that she’d left, or was he giving her time to stew about their future confrontation?

  Because, much as she’d like to believe otherwise, she knew they’d have it out eventually. She only hoped she was up to the challenge.

  Chapter Six

  Monday morning, Ben resisted the urge to go check on his father before heading out to put the finishing touches on a customer’s new screened-in porch. He never showed up or called, and Ben focused his attention on the job to keep from worrying. Tuesday ran the same way, and he continued working at the lighthouse by himself. By noon on Wednesday he was no longer worried.

  He was furious.

  Lauren was right, he finally admitted, ripping damaged shingles from the roof with more force than was strictly necessary. His father was taking advantage of the situation, confident Ben would cover his absences with his own overtime. All because he knew his son didn’t have anything better to do, Ben groused while he powered up his circular saw to remove the rotten wood beneath layers of old patches.

  Well, no more, he resolved, as he lowered his safety glasses and started cutting. He couldn’t do much about it now, but by the time his dad bothered to show his face in town again, he’d have a plan. And it wouldn’t involve Ben killing himself to keep the family business going. If Dad didn’t care about it, why should he?

  By the time he was done on the roof, he’d worked out most of his temper with his hammer. But when he entered the lighthouse residence, Mavis met him in the hallway with a cup of apple cider and a plate of gingerbread.

  Giving him a rare look of sympathy, she said, “You need to take a break before you stomp right through what’s left o’ my roof.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Come sit down a minute,” she suggested, leading the way into the parlor. “You’re scaring Reggie half to death.”

  A muffled grunting came from behind a chair, and Ben saw the tail end of her miniature pig wriggling into the corner. He felt awful for frightening the little guy, and he snapped off a piece of gingerbread. Sitting on the floor, he held it out like a peace offering. “Noisy stuff’s done, boy. Come on out.”

  That got him a questioning grumble, and he put a cork in his dark mood. Chuckling, he answered, “Promise.”

  It was a tight squeeze, but the little porker managed to back himself out and give Ben a cautious look. When he caught a whiff of the snack, all was forgiven, and he curled up in Ben’s lap to enjoy his treat. Thankfully, Mavis didn’t press him to tell her what had him so upset. Probably because, like everyone with eyes and a brain, she could figure it out for herself.

  They chatted about the weather, how bad the fishing was this time of year, even Nick and Julia’s upcoming wedding. Everything but his father, which Ben appreciated.

  “Y’know what you need?” she asked with a knowing look.

  She’d been so great about his temper tantrum, he decided to play along. “What’s that?”

  “A girlfriend.” He opened his mouth to protest that he had plenty of them, and she waved him off. “Not the girls around here. They’re all half in love with you already, and there’s no challenge in that. You need a woman who’s seen some of the world and doesn’t like it much. Someone who’ll look at you and see more than Craig Thomas’s fair-haired boy.”

  Ben had a pretty good idea where this was headed, and he laughed. “You sound like Amelia Landry. She wants me to ask Lauren Foster out, just for fun.”

  “Now, I don’t normally agree with that ball of fluff,” Mavis assured him, “but this time, I think she’s right. Life can be hard, and you should have some fun while you’re still young.”

  The flinty advice came with a dash of fondness, and he grinned. “That sounds like something Granddad would say.”

  Her lined face broke into a delighted grin, and her pale eyes crinkled with their own approval. “You’re a good boy, but I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “I mean it.” Gently lifting Reggie to set him on his threadbare rug, Ben stood and kissed Mavis’s cheek. “I’ll finish up your ceiling—quietly—and get outta here. I’m thinking maybe I should stop in at Toyland on my way home.”

  “That’s the way. Nothing much ever comes from folding your hands and waiting for things to line up your way, y’know.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed with a smile. “I know.”

  Compared to the roofing work, the ceiling repair was a cakewalk, and Ben was finished by two. Mavis had dozed off reading a novel, so Ben slipped out the front door, using the spare key she’d given him to lock it behind him.

  On his way into town, he had to stop behind a school bus on Main Street. While he waited for the kids to get off, he looked around absently and noticed Lauren in one of the display windows at Toyland. The space was empty, and she was studying it with her arms folded in a serious-thinking pose. Once the bus got going again, he made a U-turn and parked in front of the store.

  She was concentrating so hard, she didn’t notice him at first. He raised a knuckle to tap on the glass, then recalled how jittery she got when she was surprised. So instead he waited patiently for her to look up, then he waved. She returned the gesture with a puzzled expression and climbed down to meet him outside.

  “Hey, there,” he said, trying to sound casual. “How’s your day going?”

  “Fine. Yours?”

  “I finished up out at the lighthouse early, so my day’s over.”

  “That’s good.” After a pause, she asked, “Did you need something?”

  Come on, Ben, an insistent voice in the back of his mind urged. Ask her to dinner. The worst she can say is no. “Actually, I wanted to thank you for the great advice you gave me on Sunday. About my dad,” he clarified, in case she’d forgotten their conversation.

&
nbsp; “You worked things out with him?”

  “Not yet, but I will.” Forging ahead, he said, “Ann McHenry stopped by with a ton of leftovers from Easter dinner. Ham, potatoes, homemade rolls, stuff like that. There’s no way I can eat it all by myself, so I was hoping you might come by later and give me a hand.”

  “Eating your leftovers?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Are you serious?”

  That wasn’t the reaction he expected, but she’d been startling him since the day he met her. “Sure. I mean, it’s not like a date or anything. Just a couple friends sharing some good food before it spoils.”

  “So we’re friends?”

  Her expression was unreadable, and he couldn’t tell if she was yanking his chain or not. Then he caught the faint quiver at the corner of her mouth, and he decided to join in the game. “Aren’t we?”

  She chewed on that for a couple seconds then laughed. “I’m not sure what we are, but I guess that comes close enough. What time?”

  The sudden burst of laughter from this very serious woman had knocked him for a loop, and his mind went completely blank. “What time what?”

  “What time for dinner? Unless you’ve changed your mind in the last ten seconds.”

  “Not a chance,” he assured her quickly. Realizing that might sound desperate—which of course he wasn’t—he summoned a careless grin. “I’m done for the day, so whatever works for you is good with me.”

  “Julia’s due back around six-thirty to take over until we close at nine. How about seven?”

  “Seven’s great. See you then.”

  Not wanting to create the impression that he was reluctant to go, he quickly turned and headed for his truck.

  “Ben?” He glanced back to find her staring after him with a give-me-a-break kind of look. “Where do you live?”

  Smooth, he groaned silently before rattling off his address. She’d really thrown him off his stride, this lost girl from the big city. While he’d done his best to keep his distance, something about her kept drawing him closer, step by helpless step. As he got into his truck and started the engine, he met his own eyes in the rearview mirror and sighed.