The Winter We Collided: A Small Town Single Dad Romance (Ocean Pines Series Book 2)

by Victoria Denault

  I have to bite back a smile at that because it makes me think of kissing Chloe. Not quite the big drought my sister is referring to but it did make me realize how starved I really am for a woman. I try to scowl. “My date and my sex life are none of your business, sis.”

  “Your happiness is,” she argues, her voice low so no one else overhears, those intense brown eyes trained on my face. I have to look away and pretend I’m super focused on Finn’s hands as he spins a pen he found lying on the table. “And you looked really happy when you walked in. Happier than I’ve seen you in a very long time. Now I know it was just about the custody stuff, which is great. But I was hoping it was maybe like a blow job or a morning bang after pancakes or something.”

  I swivel my head and lift both eyebrows. “What the hell, T!”

  “Must be Jake’s kidney,” she pats the area of her abdomen where the scar must be. “Sorry.”

  “Sit down. Over there,” I command, and she slinks back to her seat, smiling. I’m grossed out by her words because she’s my sister and I don’t want her thinking about whether or not I get my rocks off but as soon as I heard the word blow job, I thought about that kiss again. How soft Chloe’s lips were and what they might feel like wrapped around my shaft.

  Fuck. I push off the counter and walk over to the small window, my back to everyone so I can adjust my dick in my pants and will it to calm down. “I hate these come-to-Jesus family meetings,” Dad grumbles, his head still in the fridge. “Sometimes I think Declan believes we’re the Sopranos of seafood.”

  Finn, Terra, and Nova all laugh at that and Mom almost smiles. Dad pulls out a beer from the fridge. Ma shoots him a death glare. He puts it back and pulls out a Coke. More glaring. He grumbles under his breath and puts it back, pulling out a flavored sparkling water instead. Ma stops glaring. The rest of us exchange smirks.

  Dad grouses as he pops the tab on the can of water. He takes a sip and makes a face. “Chewie wouldn’t even drink this and I’ve caught him lapping out of the toilet bowl.”

  Before anyone can react, the back-door swings open again, and Declan walks back in. He’s holding the door open for another guy, who is dressed similarly to Deck in a full suit and a woman who is in a charcoal pants suit. They are as out of place as Declan and I know instantly they aren’t from here. Hell, even the mayor’s idea of business attire in Ocean Pines is a golf shirt.

  I glance at Finn with a what-the-fuck-is-this expression and he lifts his shoulders in a no-fucking-idea shrug. Ma and Dad look just as confused. Terra is blinking rapidly, which means she has no clue what is going on either. Nova definitely doesn’t look confused.

  “Hello all,” Declan says briskly in his work-mode voice, like he’s the CEO addressing his shareholders and not a dude talking to his family. “Thanks to all for coming on relatively short notice. I appreciate it, and I think you’ll be happy you did.”

  He motions to the couple behind him as he walks around the table and grabs two empty seats, pulling them out for his guests. “May I introduce you all to Dalton and Lesli Anne McAvoy. They’re brother and sister and owners of McAvoy Marketing and Advertising, a family business just like us. They’re here to help us take Hawkins Family Lobster—”

  “Hawkins Lobster Shack,” Mom interjects firmly, and Finn and I exchange grins.

  “Sorry,” Declan pauses and starts again. “They’re here to help us take Hawkins Lobster Shack to the next level.”

  Dalton clears his throat, puts a large brief case down on the table and smiles. It’s not a friendly smile. It’s a business smile. It’s analytical and distant and kind of condescending. I glance at Dad, and he’s not impressed. He’s leaning back against the counter, arms folded, eyes narrowed. My mom’s expression is stern. Nova glances over at me with a pleading look because she knows this is already not going well. But if she thinks I can save it, she’s loco. I’ve never been able to bail Declan out of problems because he doesn’t listen to me.

  “Nice to meet you all. I have to say, I’ve heard of your amazing company,” Dalton says, his voice too smooth, too even, to sound authentic. “I had your soup for lunch just yesterday, Mrs. Hawkins, and it’s decadent.”

  “You mean my chowder?” Mom corrects and she’s almost frowning. “Thank you.”

  Oh buddy, it’s going to take a lot more than that to win this lady over. A self-made Maine woman who raised four kids while growing a business and keeping her ornery fisherman husband in check is not falling for bullshit compliments.

  “But here’s the thing, I think you need to get your products into more people’s hands,” Dalton says, and he leans on the table and pauses to look each of us in the eye. When he gets to me, I give him a smile for Nova’s sake. “And I don’t think enough locals know about you.”

  “We have a very supportive community,” Dad replies tersely. “Everyone in Ocean Pines knows about us. We’ve served them and their kids and now their kids’ children.”

  “Which is great, but Ocean Pines is miniscule. Your food—your business—should be drawing people in from all over Maine and the tri-state area for that matter,” Lesli Ann chimes in and steps up to the table next to her brother. “We think that not only could we improve your in-restaurant business by twenty-five percent but we could also expand your market with one simple and easy idea.”

  “We’re not greedy,” my mom says simply. “We’re getting by fine right now.”

  “After the mortgage on the building is paid, and the employees and expenses, we aren’t putting away enough to pay for the new boat we’re hoping to buy in the spring,” Declan says, and my dad pushes off the counter and straightens up like a lightning rod.

  He is not a fan of talking money on a good day and never in front of strangers. Terra sighs. “Declan, maybe we should have had a meeting before this meeting, to discuss the idea of having this meeting. I don’t think springing an ad agency on us was the best idea.”

  “I’m the head of business development. I’m not going to apologize for developing business,” Declan says sharply.

  “You gave yourself that title, dude,” Finn reminds him with a smirk. “All you are to us is the big brother who doesn’t like to work in the restaurant so we gave you something else to do.”

  “I’m the only one in this family with a business degree and the reason we didn’t lose everything after we had that little financial issue a couple years ago,” Declan snaps and my body turns to stone. Everything is tense, hardened, even the pit of my stomach. Fucking hell, is he really going to bring that up in front of strangers?

  Nova stands up, her chair scraping loudly against the tile floor. “Dalton, Lesli Anne, why don’t I take you out front and get you something to drink while the family takes a moment to work this through?”

  Nova walks around the table and opens the door to the kitchen and motions them to walk through. As they do, she continues to speak in a calm, carefree tone. “A coffee? Or a milkshake? Something harder? We have a nice selection of spirits.”

  As soon as the door closes, the room erupts.

  “Why the hell can’t any of you give them a chance?” Declan barks. “At least hear them out! I picked them because they’re a family business just like us. I thought you’d see how they can relate to us. And they have great ideas if you’d just listen to them! How am I the only one who wants this business to succeed?”

  “Too bad business school didn’t include courses on how to not be a douchebag,” Finn barks back. “You want us to get on board with one of your ideas, try talking to us, not down to us.”

  “And bringing up your brother’s incident is completely out of line,” Ma adds sternly.

  “No one outside of family is supposed to know about what happened, Declan,” Dad says, a scowl on his face as he crosses his arms over his chest. “We didn’t even tell Jake, and you’re mouthing off to these strangers?”

  “I didn’t tell them anything specific,” Declan replies. “I just said we had to help out a family member financial
ly a couple years ago and it set us back. A lot.”

  “It wasn’t a couple years ago. It was five years ago,” Terra tells him furiously. “That’s half a decade, and you refuse to let the past be the past.”

  “Because half a decade later and we still aren’t out of the financial hole!” Declan barks, his frustration impossible to hide, not that he’s even trying.

  I walk toward the back door, giving a short, hard whistle for Chewie to follow. “I’m outta here.”

  “No you’re not!” Declan says, like he has any say in what I do. “You know they won’t make any business decisions without you.”

  “I’m declaring Finn as my proxy, he can vote for me,” I tell Declan, anger and humiliation pumping fast and furious through my veins.

  “I vote for a new Director of Business Development,” Finn says immediately.

  “They want to get our products into grocery stores,” Declan announces, and the bickering instantly stops. “The chowders, the seasoned lobster meat, even the mayo. And they want us to make a commercial that would air on across the tri-state area to draw more people into the restaurant. They have storyboards to show you and a budget we can handle.”

  “A television commercial?” Terra says, confused. “With actors and scripts and stuff?”

  “No,” Declan sighs. “A TV commercial, yes, but not with actors. Just let them do their damn presentation. Please.”

  “What grocery stores?” Mom asks, and she doesn’t seem completely annoyed, which is shocking.

  “All the local chains in the tri-state area,” Declan says. “Eventually. Just hear them out. They’re smart, Ma.”

  “I already don’t like the idea of a commercial, but we have to hear them out,” Dad says begrudgingly. “They came all this way, and we’re not going to be rude. Can you all just grin and bear it please?”

  Everyone grumbles their okays. Dad looks at me and his face softens a little. “A couple minutes, Logan.”

  I sigh and walk back into the room, dropping into a seat next to Terra. Chewie circles twice and drops down in front of the side door. My hands are in fists in my lap, but Terra reaches over and squeezes my shoulder. “Relax, Logan. This too shall pass.”

  Ugh. It will, but not soon enough.

  12

  Logan

  Twenty-two minutes later, once the agency is gone, Declan turns back to the group. “So…it’s good, isn’t it? The commercial idea and the supermarket plan. It’s great. Someone admit it.”

  “It’s worth thinking about,” Mom admits, and her face, with its delicate features so similar to Terra’s, scrunches up like it’s painful to admit. “Later. First we need to brainstorm ideas for the New Dish Competition at the Festival in January. It’s creeping up fast and so far we got nothing.”

  “Mom, with a commercial and your chowder in supermarkets, we don’t need a silly title from a local event,” Declan says, and Mom instantly scowls.

  “It’s a state title, and our customers love seeing the plaques in the restaurant. And that fool Stan doesn’t deserve to win again. You don’t think ‘Best Chowder in Maine’ or ‘Best Dish in Maine’ isn’t a great tidbit for the commercial? Because I think it is.”

  They continue to bicker, and I think of Chloe again and the brunch she put together using lobster in her hollandaise. My mouth waters at the memory. I’ll bring it up to Mom or Dad later. Alone. Because all Finn and Terra will focus on is the fact the recipe came from my date and they’ll hound me relentlessly. So instead of saying anything, I just think about the kiss. It was amazing but also reminded me of my drinking days, when I would do reckless things with abandon. Kissing my landlord, a woman who still seems to have some sensitivity around her divorce, is probably classified as reckless, right? Isn’t this behavior I’m supposed to avoid? I am shit with fine lines, which is why I made my boundaries so big when I left rehab. No dating at all. Besides, I have this huge secret to keep, forever, and if I can’t be honest about who I am and my past, is it even worth trying to be with someone?

  “Logan?”

  Declan says my name with a bite, and I realize everyone in the room is staring at me. “Sorry. I like the commercial idea.”

  “We were asking about new recipe ideas,” Terra informs me. “You okay?”

  Declan’s eyes land on me, wide with excitement, and probably a little disbelief. “So you like the agency’s plan?”

  He knows if he turns one of us, he’ll turn Mom and Dad.

  I take a long slow breath. “Yeah. I think it’s a good idea. Couldn’t hurt.”

  “I’m not exactly against it either,” Finn adds cautiously as he walks to the fridge. “But I don’t want it to look like one of those cheesy ads other family businesses do. With everyone talking too loudly into the camera and kissing babies and wearing cheap Santa suits in their Christmas commercials. None of that bullshit.”

  “I second that,” Dad adds. “None of that bullshit.”

  “No bullshit or gimmicks or cheesy scripts. I swear,” Declan says and a genuine smile starts to spread across his face. He looks like he did that year he won little league VIP. “Dalton knows that won’t work and he knows that’s not who we are. I’ve been working with them for a month now explaining our brand.”

  “Oh God here we go again with the marketing lingo,” Dad rolls his big blue eyes and folds his arms across his chest.

  “Not lingo, just fact,” Declan argues and tugs on the lapels of his suit jacket and he stands taller. He always takes Dad’s lack of business savvy as a personal affront. “You and Mom are the brand. Terra and Nova are the brand. Even Finn is a part of his brand with the goofy way he wears Santa hats all damn December behind the counter. That’s why the commercial is based around all of you.”

  “And Logan,” Mom adds.

  The silence is lengthy and deafening. Every set of eyeballs in the room stare at Declan. His shoulders inch up just the slightest bit, which means he’s bracing for impact. And I realize even before the words leave his mouth that he doesn’t want me in the commercial. “I was thinking it would be best for Logan, and everyone, if he sat it out.” I stand up and Chewie, oblivious to the tension now rocketing around the room, starts to wag his tail and pull himself up. But just as expected, the room erupts in angry voices and Chewie tucks his tail and glues himself to my leg. I bend down and pat him as my family yells at Declan but he can probably feel the tension in my hand so I doubt it eases him.

  “I shouldn’t be in it.”

  “Why the hell wouldn’t your brother be in it?” Mom hollers.

  “I know that Logan has another job, but he’s still part of this business,” Dad tells Declan firmly and then turns to me. “The city can’t fire you for being in the commercial can they?”

  I want to lie and say yes because it would be easier than telling him, reminding him, of the truth, but I don’t lie. Ever. About anything. Truth is a key to my sobriety. And sometimes that sucks. “Declan doesn’t care if I get fired. Declan thinks I’ll end up making the family look bad.”

  I level a hard glare at my oh so unsupportive big bro and he levels one back that says he doesn’t give a shit what I think. And then he turns to address the family. “We paid that guy’s family two-hundred grand. If that ever comes out, god forbid, whenever anyone sees the commercial all they’ll think about is that. Not our food, just how we paid for silence.”

  “Fuck you, Declan,” Finn hisses and Mom gasps.

  Terra stands up and points at him across the table. “We are sworn to secrecy so no one does find out. If we can’t let Logan live a normal life, what the hell was the point?”

  “We gave that money because that man’s family threatened to sue, even though the cops said Logan was blameless. They’re the monsters here, not us!” Mom’s small hands reach up to finger the small silver cross she wears around her neck twenty-four seven.

  “They lost someone they loved as much as you love me,” I reply, and she looks even more anguished. I feel it, deep in my ches
t, the same way I always do. Not just when we actually talk about it, which is rare, but always. I carry this everywhere. Except…today. With Chloe. I didn’t have this tightness in my chest, and now I feel guilty about that. I run a hand through my hair. “I won’t do the commercial because let’s face it, I’m barely involved in the restaurant anyway. And Declan might be a dick but he also might be right. Don’t yell at Declan for this. It’s my choice.”

  I walk to the back door.

  “Logan, wait. Don’t do this.” Finn’s tone is pleading, his face filled with anguish.

  “Logan is doing what’s right here, and deep down if you all could think about this rationally, you’d see it too,” Declan says quietly and the room erupts.

  Everyone starts yelling at him, and he starts yelling back. I don’t wait around to hear it. I’ve heard it all before. None of it matters. I love them, but in the end, I have to live with whatever decision I make here. Just like I have to live with what happened five years ago. Not them. Me.

  I grab my jacket off the coat rack and leave. As I walk around the restaurant, Chewie trods along behind me, pausing to mark the snowbank every few feet. Jake is out in front of the restaurant when I reach the parking lot. He has a steaming cup of some kind of caffeinated beverage in his hands. Maybe the mulled wine Nova makes as a specialty drink every December. He gives me a small, sympathetic smile. “Everything alright? I have never heard you guys scream at each other like that.”

  I nod. “Yeah well, you know us, change isn’t easy.”

  He nods. “You guys do like things tried and true. Same old, same old. That’s why you’re such a staple in the community and a safe haven for outcasts like me.”

  Suddenly, Terra comes sprinting around the side of the building wearing Jake’s jacket, running full tilt across the parking lot. Jake’s dark eyes widen. “I don’t know what you did, but Tink looks pissed!”