Seaside Romance

by Mia Ross

  The crews were dressed up in all kinds of costumes, from patriotic to downright odd. Most of their vessels were decked out, too, and a couple of them even had faces added to the front. The bow, she corrected herself while she sipped her coffee. If she was going to live in a fishing village, she had to get a handle on the lingo.

  “Morning.” Lauren glanced up to find Bree standing there, a little green but basically on her feet. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

  Lauren patted the bench with a smile. “Not a bit. How are you feeling?”

  “One step up from bilge water,” her new friend shot back with a wry grin. “But Cooper and Sammy are racing, and I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”

  “Sammy?” Lauren echoed. “Is that a friend of his?”

  “More or less. He’s a huge black Newfie Cooper rescued last year, and when Cooper takes the boat out, that dog is right beside him. I think they’re both happier out on the water than on dry land.”

  Her fond smile faded, and she suddenly went very pale. From her deep breath, Lauren assumed she was fighting off a wave of nausea. When it seemed to have passed, she asked, “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, thanks. I’ve been living on saltines and ginger ale the last week, and even the thought of anything else makes me queasy. I have to leave before the food tents get cranked up, so don’t be offended if I run off without saying goodbye.”

  “Gotcha.” Out of sympathy for Bree, Lauren tossed her latte into a nearby trash can.

  While waiting for the race to start they chatted pleasantly about goings-on around town, and the Martins stopped to say good morning.

  “Happy Memorial Day, everyone,” Lauren replied, adding a smile for Hannah. “There’s my favorite marketing director.”

  Hannah’s bright smile made Lauren’s day. “I just did the picture. You’re doing everything else.”

  “Before the party, I was hoping you’d help me get Jumping Beans set up so you and your friends will have fun there. It’s been a long time since I was your age.”

  “Sure,” she breathed, eyes wide, as her ponytail bobbed with excitement. “Wait till I tell Uncle Nick and Aunt Julia I’m gonna be a market rector.”

  A low chuckle sounded behind them, and Lauren glanced up to find the uncle and aunt in question standing on the sidewalk. “Marketing director, munchkin. If you’re gonna do the job, you need to say it right.”

  Squealing with delight, she launched herself into Nick’s arms, reaching over to hug Julia at the same time. “I missed you so-o-o much. Did you see any whales? Did you get to feed a polar bear? How many dogs were pulling the sled you rode on?”

  Patiently, Julia said, “We saw lots of whales, but it’s dangerous to feed polar bears. There were eight dogs on our team, and we even got to play with some of their puppies. We have pictures of everything, and we’ll show them to you all later.”

  “Awesome! Me and Mommy kept an eye on Lauren while you were gone, just like you asked me to.”

  Laughing, Lauren said, “So that’s why everything went so well. Thank you, Hannah.”

  “I’m sorry to break up the reunion,” Lainie interrupted, holding out a hand for her bubbly daughter. “We have to get to the parade starting line. We’ll catch up with all of you later.”

  “I’m marching with our 4-H group,” Hannah informed everyone proudly. “Sammy’s pulling our wagon, and I have to make sure he does it right.”

  Lauren chuckled. “How on earth did you convince a dog to do something like that?”

  “He’ll do anything for Hannah,” Nick explained. “So he’s pulling a wagon with ducks and chickens in it.”

  Anywhere else, Lauren would have thought that was unusual. In Holiday Harbor, though, it was just par for the course. “We’ll catch up with you later, then. Have fun.”

  “You, too!” Hannah called, waving as she hurried away with Lainie rushing to catch up.

  Nick groaned as he threw himself onto the bench beside Julia. “I love that girl, but I don’t know how Lainie does it. She’d wear me out in a day.”

  “You get used to it,” Todd told him while he angled Noah’s stroller for a good view.

  “Between the two of them, when do you sleep?”

  “When they’re older,” his brother-in-law replied with a grin.

  “Thanks for the warning,” Nick grumbled just as she noticed the Thomases making their way down the ramp toward the water.

  Lauren hadn’t seen much of Ben since their dinner the other night, and she’d assumed he was busy preparing for his big move to Boston. He was leaving tomorrow, so he must have a lot to do. Still, she’d been wishing they could have some more time together before that happened. Apparently, he didn’t share that wish.

  There was no more room on the benches, so the family greeted everyone before heading farther down the dock. Except for Ben, who for some odd reason stayed behind even though there was no place for him to sit.

  “I just love how the Playtime area turned out,” Julia gushed. “You and Lauren did a wonderful job.”

  “Yeah, we make a good team.” Flashing Lauren a quick smile, he sprawled out on the weathered planks in front of her like a loyal golden retriever. Tipping his head back, he said, “Morning, sunshine.”

  She loved the way that sounded, and her murky mood improved considerably. “Morning. How’s your packing coming along?”

  “Nice day for a race.”

  He’d neatly sidestepped her question, and she wasn’t sure what to make of that. But since he clearly didn’t want to discuss his upcoming trip, she figured it was best to go along. “And for riding in a bathtub.”

  That got her one of those slow, mischievous grins of his, and she couldn’t help laughing. “You’re still not gonna tell me your big secret, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  She angled a look at Nick, who stared back at her with the most deadpan expression she’d ever seen. “And don’t start whispering with my wife. She doesn’t know, either.”

  “A bunch of macho nonsense, I’m sure,” Julia huffed, but her adoring smile gave her away.

  Seeing her old friend so happy no longer made Lauren envious, she realized with a start. It gave her hope for her own future, and who might be part of it. That thought led her to the man seated at her feet, and she fought the urge to grab those broad shoulders and hold on tight to keep him from leaving. She’d never wanted anything more than she wanted him to stay and see if they could build a life together in this charming town on the edge of the sea.

  She’d never tell him that, of course. She didn’t want him to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime because of her. They had one more day together, she reminded herself sternly. She wasn’t about to do anything to spoil it.

  The race was a short one, mostly because it was the first event in a long day of celebrating. Cooper and Sammy came in a close second, which Bree assured them all was part of the plan. Capable of winning every one of the six races held each year, he threw two out of three to allow someone else the joy of hoisting the trophy once in a while.

  Once all the boats were secured at the dock, sailors and spectators alike trooped up to find seats for the parade. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Lauren had grown up surrounded by America’s proud history. Their parades were large and lavish, so she wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. What she got was far beyond anything she could have imagined.

  A Revolutionary War color guard started things off, dressed in period costumes and playing an upbeat military tune on antique instruments. The flag they carried looked like it had been around as long as the town, and when they stopped in the middle of Main Street, every hat came off. A man with a fabulous tenor voice stepped out from the ranks to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Lauren joined in with everyone else along the route. It was a touching, patriotic moment that seemed ideal for this quaint place.

  Behind them came the school’s marching band and a group of people in old-fashioned costumes riding high-wheel bike
s. Around the corner, Lauren caught sight of good-natured Sammy, his black fur brushed and shining while he calmly pulled a wagon full of caged birds. Hannah walked beside him, patting him and slipping him a treat every chance she got. It was absolutely adorable, and Lauren snapped several pictures before they disappeared from view.

  When the horseback contingent appeared, Ben and Nick got to their feet.

  “We should get going,” Ben said, offering Lauren his hand. “The race’ll start as soon as they clean up from the horses.”

  “Good planning,” Lauren joked, hoping her nervousness wasn’t too obvious. She still had no idea what their secret weapon was, and whether it would win them the race or land her on the pavement in a bruised heap.

  “You be careful with my girl,” Julia warned them sternly. “I like her in one piece.”

  “Yeah,” Lauren agreed as they hurried away. “Me, too.”

  * * *

  “On your marks...” the Bakery Sisters shouted in unison. “Get set... Go!”

  Within a matter of seconds, ten bathtubs mounted on wheeled carts got underway. There were modern ones, claw-foot ones like Lauren was riding in, even a stand-up shower. The rules were simple: one person rides, three others push. The first team to go the length of Main Street and back to the start/finish line was the winner.

  For some reason, Cooper, Nick and Ben seemed to be dogging behind her, and Lauren glanced over her shoulder to find them all grinning at each other. They had something up their sleeves, and she couldn’t wait to find out what it was. At the turn, she finally got her answer.

  While the other crews traveled far past the mark and laboriously wheeled their tubs around, the guys behind her simply jumped to the front of their tub and began pushing it back the way they’d come. Some in the crowd began cheering, others booing, and the noise echoing between the tall buildings was deafening.

  They crossed the finish line far ahead of the runners-up, and almost immediately, the arguing started.

  “That’s not fair!” someone yelled.

  “Pretty clever,” another chimed in.

  While people debated whether the win was legitimate or not, things got pretty heated. You’d have thought someone had sneaked away with a solid gold winner’s cup, not a handmade trophy that circulated with each race. Before long, the other team captains had circled around her tub, so Lauren couldn’t have gotten out if she wanted to. Which she didn’t. Delighted to be in the middle of the action, she pulled her knees up and waited to see what would happen.

  “Cooper, you’re the mayor,” one man pointed out. “You should know better than to pull a stunt like this.”

  “I thoroughly reviewed the rules,” he responded in a calm, courtroom kind of voice. “Nowhere do they say that the tub has to be pushed from the same handholds up and back.”

  “I’d like to see that for myself, if you don’t mind,” another man insisted.

  Cooper must have been a Boy Scout, because he smiled and took a folded sheet of paper from the back pocket of his jeans. While people huddled around to read the few lines it contained, Ben broke through the commotion and came over to lean his arms on the rolled side of the tub.

  “So...” he began with a proud grin. “Whaddya think?”

  “I think you’re brilliant,” she returned without hesitation. “Now get me outta this thing.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Reaching up, he grasped her around the waist, holding her steady until her feet were back on solid ground. Then, without warning, he gathered her into his arms for a long, heady kiss. It stunned her so completely that when he finally let go, all she could do was stare up at him and blink.

  “I need to talk to you,” he murmured into her ear.

  “Um...okay.”

  Taking her hand, he led her away from the ongoing discussion about whether the race could officially be called or not. Crossing the street, they skirted around the vendor tents and headed for the gazebo, which was currently the only unoccupied place in the square.

  Ben motioned for her to sit, and she sank onto the bench, her mind racing to guess what he might be gearing up to say. All morning, she’d been getting the impression that he had something important to tell her but was waiting for the right moment. Apparently, this was it.

  He paced a few steps each way, then turned and stared down at her. Those amazing blue eyes shone with something she couldn’t identify, and hokey as it was, she thought her heart actually skipped a beat. When he finally sat beside her, she braced herself for some kind of bombshell.

  “What would you say,” he began in a careful tone, “if I told you I was thinking about not going to Boston?”

  She squeaked then cleared her throat for a more coherent response. “I’d ask you why.”

  Looking down, he took her hand loosely in his then met her eyes again. “Because I think maybe I’m in love with you.”

  Gasping, she threw her arms around him in an impulsive hug, not caring that anyone with a working set of eyes could see them. When he gathered her closer, she marveled at how right it felt to be wrapped in his arms, treasured and protected from anything that might harm her. Resting her cheek on his shoulder, she sighed. “I’d say that’s good, because I think maybe I’m in love with you, too.”

  Pulling away, he gently held her at arm’s length. “You’re sure about this? I mean, we could end up hating each other in a month.”

  “Or we could end up loving each other forever,” she suggested with a smile. “If we don’t try, we’ll never know.”

  Returning her smile, he kissed her again then rested his forehead against hers with a sigh. “Y’know, you kinda ruined the moment. I thought I’d have to convince you, and I had this whole speech all planned out.”

  “Is that why you haven’t called me?”

  “Yeah.” His face a study in misery, he explained, “I wasn’t sure you felt the same way I did, and it took me a while to figure out how to ask.”

  “Aw, poor baby.” Laughing, she got up and tugged him to his feet. Slipping her arms around his waist, she suggested, “How ’bout if later you give me the rest of the spiel? I’ll let you know if it would’ve worked.”

  “You mean like tomorrow?” A playful glint lit his eyes. “When I’m not driving to Boston?”

  Beaming at the man who’d stood by her from the first moment she met him, she nodded. “Tomorrow.”

  Epilogue

  “To Jumping Beans!” Ben shouted, lifting his grape-juice box in a toast.

  “Thank you so much for coming, everyone,” Lauren added. “It’s been a long three months, but thanks to my awesome contractors—” she saluted the three Thomas men “—we’re finally ready for kids. By the time school opens, I hope this place will really be hopping.”

  “You mean jumping, don’t you?” Hannah asked, making everyone laugh.

  “Yes, I do, and thanks for reminding me. I never could’ve made this place work without all that help from you and your friends.”

  “We had fun,” the little girl assured her. “I can’t wait to come here when kindergarten’s over.”

  A fresh cookie tray appeared, and Hannah zoomed off to check out the new selection of treats. Lauren circulated among her guests, including friends and families she’d invited to check out Holiday Harbor’s latest business. Some children would attend full-time, some part-time, and others would have fun before and after school while they waited for the school bus or for their parents to pick them up. Even though it was housed in a century-old former candy shop, Jumping Beans was a bright, airy place filled with mats, toys, puzzles and a top-notch art area outfitted with easels and smocks.

  Lauren had designed it with Ben’s pragmatic help, and together they’d overseen every aspect of its creation. Tonight, she was opening the doors for the first time, and people were flooding in to see the results. Judging by the rapidly filling interest sheet, she’d be at max capacity by the time school started. That meant it was time to start pruning her list of potential emp
loyees, but tomorrow was soon enough for that. Tonight, she was just going to enjoy herself.

  When she had a free moment, she paused to get a cup of water from the cooler whose wooden stand was shaped like a stegosaurus. One of Ben’s more creative ideas, it was her favorite piece in the building.

  “Hey there, sunshine,” he greeted her with a wide grin and a peck on the cheek. “Great party.”

  “I’m thrilled so many people showed up. You never know what you’ll get with something like this. It can be a big hit or you might be stuck with trays full of tiny sandwiches.”

  “Can I talk to you a sec?”

  Lifting her bangs, she ran the cup over her warm forehead. “Sure. What did you need?”

  “Not here.”

  His eager expression alerted her that something was up. Over the summer, she’d learned he was fond of surprises. Even better, she’d learned she was fond of getting them, so she took the hand he offered her and followed him out the emergency door into the fenced side yard.

  There, surrounded by bright plastic playground toys, he said, “I got some interesting news from Cooper today.”

  “Really? What’s that?”

  “There’s a new historical restoration starting up over in Oakbridge. Seems they found out one of those creaky old houses belonged to some pirate-turned-naval-hero who outfoxed the British during the War of 1812. Cooper heard about it and did some research. Apparently, it’s a legit landmark reclamation project, approved and funded by the state, and he recommended me for the crew.”

  “And you got the job, of course. I’m so proud of you!” Since that wasn’t nearly enough, she embraced him for good measure. “This is the answer to your prayers. You can be here and still work on your dream job.”

  “It’s pretty cool, but I’ll also have to do a lot of studying to get myself up to speed before we start the interiors in October. The other guys have been doing this kinda thing for years, and I’ve got a lot of catching up to do so I don’t mess anything up. I’m afraid that means I won’t have a lot of spare time this fall,” he added in a hesitant tone.