by Elks, Carrie
“How’s your work going?” he asked her after drinking some water.
“It’s okay. I’m trying to get everything finalized for the charity day on the pier. And my sister keeps bugging me on instant messenger, asking how you are.”
“What’s your sister’s name?” he asked.
“Lydia. She’s a few years younger than me.”
“Does she look like you?”
“I think I’ve got a picture of her somewhere. Hang on.” Autumn grabbed her phone and scrolled through it, biting her lip as she concentrated on the screen. “There you go. That’s us at my dad’s summer party in the Hamptons.”
“The Hamptons, huh?” He raised an eyebrow, then took her phone, looking at the two women grinning on the screen. Autumn was wearing a pale blue dress, her shoulders bare, and her hair cascading in curls down her back. Her sister was smaller, more athletic, with skin a darker shade and her hair blonder and longer. But the resemblance between them was unmistakable, from the same pale blue eyes to the wide, toothy grin. “She’s pretty, but not as pretty as you.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
“What does she do?”
“Lydia? Oh god.” Autumn laughed. “She’s Lydia. That’s pretty much her full time job.”
“She’s different than you, huh?”
“Yeah. I was the good girl. The one who worked hard and got all top grades and went on to grad school. She was the force of nature.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
Autumn laughed again. “You’ll be able to see for yourself next week. She’s coming to visit. She’s staying until the charity day. I figure she’ll be able to persuade everybody to donate big amounts. She has that way about her.” She put her plate on the coffee table, her sandwich only half eaten.
“Can I have that?” He nodded at her sandwich.
“Help yourself.” Autumn watched as he bit into the sandwich. “Oh, and by the way, Lydia wants to meet you.”
He swallowed the chunk down. “She does?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, I should have kept my mouth shut about you.”
It touched him that she hadn’t. “I want to meet her, too. Maybe we can take her out.” He looked around her tiny cottage. “Where’s she going to stay?”
“I guess she’ll take the sofa. Or she can bunk up with me. She’s slept in worse places.”
“You should both come stay with me. I have a guest room with it’s own bathroom.”
“Really?” She leaned forward to kiss him. “That would be wonderful. Thank you. Underneath all those muscles you’re kind of sweet.”
“Don’t tell anybody,” he whispered. “It’s our secret.”
She pinched her fingers and drew a zip across her lips.
Shaking his head, he grinned and picked up their plates, carrying them over to the kitchen. Autumn was a tidy chef, so it only took him a couple of minutes to fill the dishwasher and wipe the counter, until it was spotlessly clean.
“Okay. I’d best head home.” He stretched his arms up, his shoulder muscles groaning in relief.
“Yeah. Stop cluttering my cottage with all that bare skin.” She winked. “Some of us have work to do around here.”
He walked over to the sofa and kissed the top of her head, pulling at her ponytail until she squealed.
“I’ll speak to you later.”
“Are you walking home like that?” she asked, her eyes scanning his bare chest, the thin pants and his unshod feet.
“I figure it’s better than going home naked.” He quirked an eyebrow.
“You look like you’re doing the walk of shame,” she pointed out.
“I kind of am,” he said, grinning at her look of horror. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll put the top on. That way nobody will know what you did to me last night.”
“Remember what I said about keeping them for my doctor fantasies,” she told him. “Oh, and Griff?”
“Yeah?”
“What time will you be back?”
“Back where?”
“Back here? You’re staying tonight, right?”
He curled his hand around her neck and brushed his lips against hers. “Yeah, I am,” he said, his mouth curling up. “And I’ll bring dinner with me.”
* * *
“Griffin Lambert, come here and let me look at you,” Deenie said, pulling his head down as she scanned her eyes over the cuts on his face. “Ugh. That ocean really battered you about. Do they hurt?”
“They’re fine,” he said, gently pulling away from her hold, biting down a smile at her using his full name. She only did that when she was cross or scared. “I look worse than I feel.
“I hear you saved Sam’s life,” Frank Megassey said, shaking Griff’s hand. “That was a brave thing to do, son.”
Ally pushed his large Americano across the counter. “This one’s on us, hero.” She winked.
Griff rolled his eyes. He’d only walked into Déjà Brew to grab a caffeine fix on his way to the pier, where Mike had been keeping the Ocean Explorer going for the day. But Lorne had seen him walk in, and told half the shop owners on the boardwalk and Main Street, because now Griff was surrounded by their concerned faces.
“I knocked on your door this morning,” Deenie said, as Griff took a mouthful of coffee. The bitter liquid washed over his tongue. “I wanted to check on you on my way to work, but you didn’t answer.”
“I wasn’t there.” He glanced at the door from the corner of his eye. Three strides and he could be out of there. Shame his muscles ached too much to make a run for it.
“Oh.” Deenie’s lips formed a perfect circle. “Were you with Autumn?”
“You can’t ask him that,” Ally said, leaning across the counter. “What kind of gentleman would admit to it?”
Deenie clamped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry.” Her voice was muffled. “I only wondered if she looked after you.”
“Yeah, she looked after me.” His voice was low. The memory of her washed over him. Those kisses, her touch, the way they couldn’t pull their gazes away. It made his chest feel tight.
“She’s a lovely young woman,” Frank Megassey said. “And she’s doing a lot of work for the charity day. I know she’s from New York, but I hope she sticks around.”
Yeah, well so did Griff. The thought of her leaving felt like a slap in the face.
He lifted his coffee cup again, and noticed Ally staring at him, her brows drawn together. “What’s up?” he asked her.
She shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Oh come on. You can’t look at me like that and then say nothing.”
Ally licked her dry lips. “I’m just glad you’re okay, that’s all. When I heard you were out there…” Her voice faded as she shook her head. “I was scared.”
“We all were.” Deenie nodded. “Wallace had to hold me back from going down to the beach. He said I’d be a liability.” She wiped the corner of her eye. “Promise me you won’t do anything like that again. I don’t think my heart can take it.”
They were all staring at him, waiting for him to respond.
“I promise I won’t save anybody’s life again,” he replied, deadpan. Ally looked away, stifling her laugh.
“Now stop that,” Deenie said, swatting his arm. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” Griff nodded, his face serious. “And I’m not planning on taking any broken down boats into the ocean again. It was a favor for a friend. I knew the boat was unseaworthy as soon as I stepped on it, but I figured we’d get it to the marina before anything happened.”
“Sam should never have asked you to go.” Deenie folded her arms over her chest. “When he’s better, I’m going to have words with him.”
“He’s an old friend.” Griff shrugged.
“Of your dad’s.” Deenie sighed. “Not yours. You don’t owe him anything.”
“It’s over now,” he told her. “I’m here and I’m okay.”
“I’m so glad you are.” Her voice cracked as she
hugged him tight. “And you should call your parents. Let them know you’re okay.”
“I already did,” he said gruffly.
“Oh.” Deenie’s eyes softened. “What did they say?”
He attempted a smile. “I think I disturbed their sleep.” It was crazy. A thirty-something guy shouldn’t hurt when his parents treated him like shit;. It shouldn’t matter at all. And yet his heart ached at the memory of that phone call. Another rejection to add to the already-long list.
Frank clucked his tongue as though he didn’t know what to say. Then Deenie hugged Griff again, her arms barely reaching around his waist.
“They love you,” she said softly. “Even if they don’t show it. Who could stop themselves?” She smiled up at him. “You’re adorable.”
It was a strange echo of Autumn’s words from that morning. Yet it didn’t soothe the pain completely. It was always there, like a low-level sound. A constant hum that reminded him he wasn’t wanted by those who should love him the most.
“I should go,” he told them. “Mike is waiting for me.”
“Of course.” Deenie nodded. “Would you like to come over tonight? Or I can bring some food to you if you prefer.”
“Can I have a rain check?” He gave her a gentle smile. “I have plans.”
“I bet you do,” Ally said, laughing.
He lifted his eyebrows at her, and gave Deenie a hug, then shook Frank’s and Lorne’s hands. Walking outside, he let the warm California sun wash over him, heating up his bare arms and face.
A wry smile lifted his lips. Maybe Autumn was right. He was loveable. His friends’ concern certainly seemed to confirm that.
But right now, the only opinion he cared about was hers. What did she think of him?
Because after last night, he was pretty sure he was falling in love with Autumn Paxton.
22
“I have an offer for you,” her dad said, as she switched her phone onto speaker. Autumn leaned back in her chair, staring out of her office window at the sapphire blue ocean.
“What kind of offer?” She frowned, tracing her finger around a knot in the wood of her desk.
“A monetary one, of course. We’ve found a buyer for you, and you’ll actually make money on it. Isn’t that great?”
“We?” Autumn repeated, her body tensing. “Who’s been helping you?”
“A friend. He located a buyer in California. He already owns three piers up and down the coast. I sent over the details and he stopped by to take a look.”
“When?” She pressed her lips together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know if he’d be interested. But he is.”
She didn’t like the thought of a stranger looking the pier over without her there. It felt invasive, like somebody rifling through her underwear drawer. “I told you before I’m not interested in selling. Not yet.”
“I know that. But that’s because you wanted to make it profitable first so you could get a better sale. But the buyer doesn’t need you to do that. In fact, it would be a waste. They have plans of their own, including ripping a portion of it apart and rebuilding it. Your efforts would be a waste of time.”
“They want to rebuild?” she repeated, ignoring the pulse thrumming in her neck. “What about the businesses here? That would affect their trade.”
“They’d be given notice. His plans for the pier don’t include them. He wants to build a casino there. It’s been lucrative for him in his other locations. Isn’t that a great idea?”
She sighed. A few months ago she would have agreed. From a pure business perspective, changing the use of the pier would be a savvy decision. Maybe one she might have made herself, if she hadn’t spent so much time here in Angel Sands.
“I don’t think a casino would work here,” she told him. “Angel Sands isn’t that kind of town.”
“Well he says it can. He thinks he can work out a deal with the resort there. It’ll be ideal for us, and that’s what counts.” His voice lowered. “I need you to think about it, okay?”
“I like the pier as it is.” Her voice was firm.
“Autumn, sweetheart. You’ll want to come home soon. It’ll be impossible to manage the pier from New York. And you said yourself it’s going to take years to make it profitable. You’re a real estate developer and agent. A businesswoman. I know you’ve been through a lot lately, but it’s time to get back on the horse. Come home. Let me help you.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. The thought of getting on a plane to go back to her old life made her feel sick. “I’m staying here.”
“Is it something to do with the man Lydia was telling me about?”
She let out a mouthful of air. “Yes it is.”
“The whaleboat captain?” Her dad laughed. “Come on, sweetheart. You had a vacation fling. It happens. And maybe you needed it. But that isn’t real life. Real life is here in Manhattan. It’s making deals and feeling the rush as you walk into an expensive restaurant knowing you’re the top dog. It’s winning, not settling for some humdrum life in a California backwater town.”
Maybe she should have been surprised he knew all this information about Griff. But he was a lawyer, he dealt in information. It had always been his currency.
“I’m not settling for anything,” she told him.
“He’s a rebound, Autumn. Josh hurt you, I know that. And maybe this is what you needed to get over it. But this sailor guy? He’s not the one for you, sweetheart. He won’t challenge you. He won’t make you be the best businesswoman you can be. And I know you, whatever you do you always want to be the best. He won’t be able to keep up with you. And then he’ll resent you, the same way men always do when their wives are more successful than they are.”
“Maybe success isn’t always measured in dollars,” she told him. “Maybe it’s about loving somebody and being loved by them. Isn’t being happy more important than being successful?”
“I don’t think so, no. And you wouldn’t either, if you had no money.” His tone was short.
“I’m going to make the pier work. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
He sighed. “Let me at least arrange a meeting with the buyer. Let him tell you what he has to say. And if you decide to not go ahead, then I’ll stop asking. Okay?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head, looking out of the dusty window to the pier beyond. “I’ll just be wasting his time.”
“Let him be the judge of that. Just do this for me, sweetheart.” His voice softened. “This way I’ll know that I’ve done everything I can. And if you make a decision with all of the choices in front of you, we’ll both know you’ve made the right one.”
“Okay.” She sighed. “I’ll talk to him. Give him my details and we’ll set something up.” Once the charity day was over, she’d call him, invite him over, then find a reason not to sell. It was simple, really.
She wanted to stay here. Of that she was certain.
“Thank you. That’s all I ask. And Autumn?”
“Yes?”
“I love you, sweetheart. I miss having you here.”
She parted her lips, a ghost of a smile curling at the edges. He was aggravating as hell, but he was still her dad. “I love you, too.”
* * *
Autumn looked up to the sky, closing her eyes as the sun warmed her face. It was the first time she’d been back to LAX since she’d arrived all those weeks ago. She felt like a different person. Lighter, even though all the walking and surfing had put some additional muscle on her lean body. And so much more relaxed than the uptight recent-divorcee who’d wheeled her luggage out into the Californian sunshine.
As she stepped into the crowded atrium, Griff’s arm slung casually around her shoulders, there was a huge smile on her face.
She was buzzing at the thought of seeing Lydia. Of introducing her to Griff and showing her around Angel Sands.
“Her flight arrived a little early,” Griff said, glancing up at the arrival screens. “U
nless she has a lot of luggage, she should be here pretty fast.”
“Lydia always travels light. She hates waiting for anything, including the luggage carousel.”
The glass doors beneath the arrivals sign slid open and a group of travelers walked through, pulling cabin-sized suitcases. Autumn spotted Lydia almost immediately. She was dressed for the sun, a pretty flowered Bardot top exposing her smooth shoulders where her blonde hair cascaded over them. Her denim skirt had metal buttons down the front, the hem ending halfway down her slender thighs. Her eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on Autumn and Griff, and a huge grin split her face. Abandoning her suitcase in the middle of the crowd, she squealed and ran to them, throwing herself into Autumn’s arms.
Autumn couldn’t help but laugh, though it came out a little strangled thanks to being winded by her sister’s onslaught. A man wheeled her suitcase over and passed it to Griff, before walking away, shaking his head.
“Oh my god, you look so different,” Lydia said when she finally released Autumn from her grasp. “Your hair, it’s down.” She ran her fingers through Autumn’s light brown tresses. “And you’re wearing shorts. Actual shorts. I hardly recognize you.”
“It’s so good to see you, too,” Autumn said with a grin. “And this is Griff.”
He held out his hand to Lydia, but she enveloped him in a bear hug. “Oh god, I want to climb you like a tree,” she told him, tipping her head up, her smile radiant. “Come here.” She pulled his head until her lips pressed against his. “I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
He hid any shock well. Autumn reminded herself to congratulate him later. Lydia was enough to surprise anybody.
“Are you okay now?” Lydia asked him. “Autumn told me about your accident.” She traced one of the cuts on his face. “Does it hurt?”
“Only if somebody touches it.” He grinned.
“Oops.” Lydia quickly pulled her hand away. “Sorry.”
“Let’s head to the car,” Autumn said. “Unless you need the bathroom?”