by Carrie Elks
The waiter came to take their orders. Their conversation was silenced as he went from one person to the next, writing down their starters and entrees. Lucas ordered some champagne and the next few minutes were taken up with toasts to Ember. She blushed as Lucas kissed her, hugging her close as he wished her a happy birthday.
“They’re so damn cute, aren’t they?” Brooke whispered, following Ally’s gaze. “I keep wishing he had a brother or something. He’s such a good guy.”
Ally’s heart contracted. She missed being held the way Lucas was holding Ember. Missed being kissed, too. But more than anything she missed him.
She shook her head. Tonight was supposed to be happy. Not spent moping over lost loves.
Lucas turned to smile at Ally. “How’s the leg doing?” he asked.
“It’s okay. I’m due to go back to the orthopedist next week for another x-ray. I’m hoping for good news.”
“I bet you can’t wait to get back in your running shoes,” Ember said, sitting down with her two friends.
Couldn’t wait was an understatement. The events of the past few weeks had put her whole body on edge. Every time she thought about Nate all she wanted to do was fling herself at the sand and run until it stopped hurting. But instead she was trapped with her thoughts. And no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn’t be ignored.
“Yeah, but it may be a while before that happens.”
“More champagne?” Lucas asked, pouring the sparkling liquid into Ally’s glass when she nodded at him. He wandered around the table, filling glasses. His mom said something to him and he laughed, leaning down to join his parents’ conversation. To her right, Ember was talking to her principal from school, her face animated as she described what had happened at recess that morning. And Brooke was talking to Ember’s mom, the two of them laughing at something Ember had said.
She realized she was the only one that wasn’t speaking with somebody. Even worse, she didn’t want to talk, because the one guy she wanted to talk with wasn’t here.
Remembering she’d lost him made her hurt all over again.
Taking a sip of her champagne, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to center herself. She was strong. She’d be okay. She really would. One day she’d even be happy.
But right now that day seemed very far away.
Nate checked his watch. How could it only be seven-thirty? He’d cooked himself a dinner that he’d hardly been able to eat, and stared at that spreadsheet again until the numbers started to swim in front of his eyes. That’s when he found himself wandering around the house, looking for something to do other than think.
But everywhere he looked reminded him of her.
The dent in the sofa where she’d sat and played video games. The side of his bed where she’d curled up and held him tightly. The guest room that still smelled of her flowery scent, and the bed he still hadn’t let the maid strip and remake.
Even when he closed his eyes he could see her. That long, blonde hair and those deep eyes that seemed to see right through him. What would he give to touch her one last time?
By a quarter to eight he was practically bouncing off the walls. He thought about calling Kirsten just to shoot the breeze, but then remembered she was three hours ahead and was probably heading for bed. He switched the TV on to see if there was something worth watching, then flicked it off almost as soon as the screen flickered to life.
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he found himself pressing the number of the last person he should be calling in that moment.
Riley answered as soon as the call connected. “Dad? Is everything okay? I’m not late, am I?”
“No,” Nate replied, shaking his head even though she couldn’t see him. “I just wanted to ask you a question.”
“Okay…” She sounded suspicious. “Shoot.”
“Do you like Ally?”
There was silence, followed by laughter. “Oh, Dad, of course I do. I love Ally. That’s why I think it’s crazy that you won’t talk to her. But it’s your life.”
His heart began to pound against his chest. “I think… I mean I thought…” Oh God, this was harder than he thought. What was it that Grant Sutton had said about connecting with his daughter? It was all about communication. Okay, then. He took a deep breath. “I thought you might resent her. That she was taking my attention away from you. And maybe that’s why you left for Boston.”
“Dad, hold up a minute. I’m going outside.” He waited until she spoke again, her voice less muted now. “Okay, listen to me. I went to Boston because I’m stupid. I’m a teenager and I make mistakes. And yeah, I was pretty grossed out when I saw you and Ally, but what kid wouldn’t be? I’d have been like that if I’d seen Mom with somebody, too. But none of this is Ally’s fault. In fact, me feeling better is thanks to her and you. You guys made me feel like I was part of something again. Like a kind of family or something.” She cleared her throat. “So, no, I didn’t leave for Boston because of you and Ally. I left because I was stupid and sometimes I make the worst decisions.”
Yeah, well that made two of them.
“I think that’s the most you’ve said to me in a while,” Nate said. His eyes were stinging and he blinked to try and soothe them.
“Yeah, well don’t get used to it. I’m a teenager, remember?”
“How could I forget?”
“Was that all you wanted to ask me?”
“Ah, no. There’s one more thing,” Nate told her.
“What?”
“Have you got your keys? Because I might not be here when you get home.”
31
Nate pulled his car into a gap between an old truck and a fancy black sedan and shifted it into park. The sun had almost slipped beneath the horizon, leaving only a ghost of orange blazing and dancing on the ocean waves, a contrast to the indigo expanse of sky above.
With the ignition off he could hear music coming up from the beach. Something with a heavy beat. Beneath it was a low level of chatter interspersed by the occasional tinkle of laughter that cut through the air.
She was here. Knowing she was so close made him feel relieved and anxious at the same time. But more than anything it made him determined – the same kind of determination that had made him search for her in the first place. He’d spent half the evening driving around town until he bumped into Lorne and Ally’s dad at the bar, and discovered Ally was at Delmonico’s on Paxton’s pier, celebrating Ember’s birthday.
He climbed out of his car, pressing the key to lock it, then walked over to the wooden pier that jutted into the ocean.
Delmonico’s was full, diners spilling out onto the veranda that circled the building. Nate glanced at them, but he couldn’t see her anywhere – she must be inside. He pushed at the glass door, stepping inside, and looked around the tables.
He spotted her almost immediately, sitting between her two closest friends. There had to be at least twenty people at the table, drinking champagne and laughing together.
Ally was sitting in a dining chair, her leg stretched out in front of her, the cast resting on the wooden floor. In the gloom of the interior she seemed to shine like a star. Her blonde hair glistening, her skin glowing. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her.
She was so beautiful.
She blinked as though somebody had called her name, even though everybody was busy chatting. Slowly she turned her head, the smallest of frowns pulling at her brow. Her lips opened as she looked over at him.
He could hear his pulse as it rushed through his ears. Ally’s bottom lip opened a little more, the lines between her eyes deepened. But her eyes – those beautiful, expressive eyes – didn’t move from his face.
Nate walked forward, moistening his lip with his tongue, his eyes never leaving Ally’s face. “Hi,” he said when he reached her.
“Hi.” She blinked, her eyes full of questions.
“I was wondering if we could talk.”
She glanced around the table, her eyes
guarded. “I think our food will be out soon.”
Ember reached out and curled her hands around Ally’s wrist. “It’s fine. I’ll tell them to keep it warm.”
Ally turned back to Nate, her face still impassive. “Okay,” she said, grabbing her crutches and pulling herself up to standing. “You want to speak outside?”
“That would be good.”
He had to clench his hands not to reach out and help her. He knew how soft and warm her skin would be. How good she’d smell as he gathered her in his arms. How amazing her lips felt when they pressed against his.
The temperature was cooler outside, enough for Ally to shiver as the two of them walked over to the far end of the pier.
Nate shrugged his jacket off and tried to put it on her shoulders.
She shook her head. “I’m okay.”
Folding the jacket in his hands, he took a deep breath and let it out. “Thank you for agreeing to talk,” he said.
She shifted, waiting for him to say more.
“I, ah, I wanted to say I’m sorry for the way I treated you the day Riley left. The way I spoke to you on the phone was wrong. I should never have done that.”
Those big blue eyes that seemed to haunt his dreams were full of pain. “You hurt me,” she told him. “When I was trying to show you some support.”
“I know. I’m an asshole.”
A shot of laughter came from the beach, followed by a splash. Teenagers no doubt. But hopefully not his this time.
“You were an asshole. Not always, but that day you were.”
“Do you think you can forgive me?” He knew it was too much to ask, yet here he was saying it anyway. “I hate that you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. I’m mad at you.” Little tendrils of hair were dancing around her face, lifted by the sea breeze. “And I’ll probably get a little less mad every day. So yes, I’ll forgive you. Eventually.” She bit at her bottom lip. “It’s getting cold out here. I should go back in. It’s Ember’s birthday.”
Nate nodded. Somehow her eventual forgiveness wasn’t enough to make him feel better. He wanted more, so much more. But right now wasn’t the time. “Of course you should go.” Even if he didn’t want her to. Even if he’d be happy doing nothing more than talking with her tonight.
“Okay then.” She gave him the smallest of smiles. “Have a good evening.”
“You too. And wish Ember a happy birthday for me.”
“I will.”
He watched as she made her way back into the restaurant, staying in the same spot where they’d talked as he looked through the window to make sure she’d made it safely back to the table. As if she could sense his stare, she turned and looked over her shoulder, a frown pulling at her face.
First contact had been made. Now it was time to think about the second.
Ally was bleary eyed when she walked into Lorne’s shop the next morning, thanks to the combination of too much champagne, and staying awake all night to try and work out what Nate was trying to say. Was he just feeling bad for being an ass or was he trying to reconnect with her? She wasn’t completely sure.
“Morning.” Lorne was in the stock cupboard, pulling bottles of sunscreen down from the shelves. “There’s coffee on the counter for you.”
She picked it up and took a big mouthful. “Thanks,” she told him as she swallowed it down.
“I didn’t make it.”
She put the mug down on the counter. “Who did?”
“I think you can guess.” He winked at her.
She smiled a little smile to herself, looking to her left as if she could see through the wall to the coffee shop beyond. There was only one person she knew who’d think to bring her coffee, and he happened to be the guy who ran the place.
“That was nice of him,” she murmured.
“That’s what I said. He left an envelope for you, too.” He nodded at a brown letter sized envelope propped up next to the register. Ally took it, feeling the thickness. Intrigued, she opened the flap and pulled the pack of stapled paper out, biting her lip as she read the small black print.
“It’s a contract,” she said, frowning. Surely he wasn’t trying to recruit her again? But as she skimmed the wording Ally realized it wasn’t an employment contract at all. It was asking her to sell her intellectual property. Nate wanted to buy her idea for Coastal Coffee by Déjà Brew, and he was offering $10,000 plus a percentage of revenue.
“This isn’t right.”
“What isn’t?” Lorne asked her.
She shook her head. “Nothing.” Sliding the contract back into the envelope she took another mouthful of coffee. Right then she needed all the caffeine she could get. “Is it okay if I go next door for a minute?” she asked him. “I won’t be long.”
“Be as long as you like. We’re not exactly swamped with customers.”
It wasn’t that busy in the coffee shop either. Brad was wiping the counter down with a cloth, and she could hear Jeff singing to himself in the kitchen. Then she turned her head and saw Nate sitting at one of the tables, his laptop open as he hunched over it.
“Hi,” she said, walking over to him.
He looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of her. “Hey.”
“Thank you for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome. You can expect one every day.”
She bit her lip, not wanting to show how much she liked the sound of that. “I read this, too,” she said, holding out the contract. “I want to talk to you about it.”
“Take a seat.” He nodded at the chair opposite him. Ally lowered herself into it. “Is there a problem with the contract?” he asked her when she was comfortable. “You can take it to a lawyer to make sure you’re happy with it.”
“You’re paying me ten thousand dollars for an idea I came up with in a moment.”
“Yes.” His face was serious. “Is it not enough? Do you think I should pay more?”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t want your money. It was just me thinking out loud.”
“My lawyer insists I buy the idea off you.” Nate shrugged. “He’s worried that you’ll sue me if I don’t. Think of it as me mitigating my risk. That’s all. This way everybody’s happy.”
“But it’s not worth what you’re trying to pay me.”
“I disagree. And so does my lawyer.”
Ally sighed. “I can’t take this from you,” she told him. “I just can’t.”
His expression was wary. “Can I ask you why not?”
“Because it feels wrong. Like I’m taking money I haven’t earned.” She breathed in a mouthful of air. “And to be honest, it makes me feel cheap.”
“There’s nothing cheap about you. Nothing,” he said, firmly. “You have more class than anybody I know. This,” he said, tapping the envelope, “is just business. Nothing more.”
“I just can’t. I’m sorry.” She hated the way he was looking at her.
He blew out a mouthful of air. “Let’s have dinner so we can talk about this.”
“You want to take me out?”
“Yeah.”
“But I ate out last night.”
He shrugged. “Push the boat out, be a devil.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Is it a business dinner or a date?” she asked him. The way he was looking at her took her breath away.
“Does it matter?”
“It does to me.”
He pulled the laptop screen down so she could see his whole face, his eyes sparkling. “I’m hoping it’s both,” he told her. “That we can get the business done really quickly. After that, as far as I’m concerned it’s all date.”
It took a lot of effort not to smile. She was a strong woman, she shouldn’t let him back into her life too easily. And yet the pull toward him felt as strong as ever.
Stronger maybe.
“Okay,” she said, nodding slowly. “You can pick me up at seven.”
He had no compunction about smiling. In fact, he was grinning ear-to-
ear. “It’s a date,” he said, nodding at her
“Almost,” she reminded him, unable to keep her face straight any longer. “It’s partially a date.”
32
“We’re eating at the coffee shop?” Ally blinked, bemused, as she looked at the darkened café, turning to Nate to give him a questioning stare.
He shrugged and grabbed the keys from his pocket. “I figured we’d have more privacy here.”
“It’s the perfect place for a business meeting,” Ally agreed, her voice teasing. Nate grinned and shook his head, opening the door and flicking on the lights. He gestured for her to walk in first.
He’d cleared all the tables and chairs away, leaving only one in the middle of the room. It was covered with a crisp white tablecloth and all laid up for dinner.
That wasn’t the only thing that had changed either. There was new artwork – huge black and white canvases fixed to the dark blue walls.
It took her a moment to realize they weren’t just random photographs. They were her photos, or her dad’s anyway. Each canvas depicted a different time of her life. There was the one with her parents holding her as a baby, both of them proud as punch as they stood outside the café, the sun shining down on them all. Then there was an elementary school Ally – maybe seven or eight years old, deep in concentration as her dad taught her how to pour the coffee.
She felt her throat thicken as she took them all in. Her eyes fell onto the final one – of Ally standing behind the counter of Déjà Brew, laughing at somebody to the left of her. She had no idea that photograph even existed.
“Do you like them?” Nate’s voice was soft.
Ally turned to him and nodded, her chest too full of emotion to be able to put how she felt into words. “There’s a blank space,” she said, her voice thick. “What’s going there?”
“I don’t know.” He was eyeing her carefully, as though he was trying to gauge her emotions. “I guess that’s up to you.”
“Me?”
He nodded. “I want to take a photo of the café as it is now. But I want you in it.”