Out of the Blue

by Elizabeth Holland

  Hailey got out and followed Josie inside. They got a cart and started down the first aisle by the door, and Hailey started tossing snacks in without giving them much thought.

  “Are you really going to eat all of these?” Josie was smirking.

  “Um, yeah,” Hailey shrugged. “I like Cheez-Its.”

  “So, do I, but I still make dinner every night.”

  “I don’t cook. The best I can do is make a cake from a box.”

  “Well, let’s look for something I’m sure you can do. Ooh, how about coffee?”

  “Oh, yes. I need filters and creamer, too.”

  “What’s your favorite flavor? I love vanilla, but Jacob is plain black.”

  “Iced vanilla is what I usually get back in the city. Oh, wow, look at this,” Hailey grabbed up a box of tea bags and pointed to the picture. “My grandma had a set just like this one. Even had the creamer dish.”

  “Oh, that’s a really good tea. They put out tins around the holidays, all in different colors and with neat little patterns.”

  “I miss her.”

  “When did she pass away?”

  “When I was young. I remember her making tea for me on Sundays after church. And homemade shortbread biscuits, too.”

  Josie hummed at the idea.

  “I’ll make some one of these days.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I want to,” Josie nudged Hailey with a smile. “Um, can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but are you really selling the orchard?” Josie spoke quietly like it was a big secret between them. Hailey was getting the idea that everyone in town knew.

  “Well, that’s my plan.”

  “I know it’s not my place, but please don’t sell it to Matt.”

  “I um,” Hailey stammered. What was it about this Matt guy?

  “He’s a snake, Hailey. He takes what he wants and doesn’t care about how it hurts others.”

  “A snake?”

  “Matt was an okay guy for a while. He and Tom have a history, you know. But I guess they made up and all.”

  “Right.” All Hailey could think of was how Tom got upset and called Matt a jackass. His tone, his eyes, the tense muscles in his neck.

  “It wasn’t long before he wronged Tom again.”

  “Who?” Tom’s voice came from behind the women, and Hailey almost lost her breath.

  “No one,” Hailey quickly spoke before Josie had a chance to say Matt’s name. “How are you?”

  “I’m good,” Tom had a curious glare in his eyes. Why was he always in a perfectly cut shirt? And in blue again, just like his eyes that now scanned over her while she kept on checking him out. “Well, it’s nice seeing you two here. I was just grabbing some more scallops. Ash keeps eating them all.”

  Ash?

  “Jacob was just asking about the salmon. Is it on the menu yet?”

  “Nope, it’s a secret recipe.”

  Hailey bit her lip to the sight of those dimples.

  “Wait, recipe? Menu?”

  “I own a bar, it’s down on Mack’s River.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. I’ve never been much of a cook.”

  “You have to go,” Josie jumped at the idea. “And you have to get the Downpour.”

  “The what?”

  “It’s a signature drink,” Tom added. “Something I came up with on a long, rainy night.”

  “Alright, I’ll think about it.”

  Tom and his dimples grinned at Hailey and without a blink she had a flutter of sensations rush straight down through her body. Again, her eyes wouldn’t listen to her mind, trailing over his arms and his chest like they’d never seen a man before. But there was something else to him this time, something that pulled Hailey a bit closer. There was no doubt Tom was a solid nine in Hailey’s mind, but beyond his physical appearance stood a man she wanted to know more about. What was his favorite show? His favorite beer? Did he like sports? Did he have a dog?

  “I’ll make her go,” Josie whispered at Tom.

  “I’ll hold you to it,” Tom grinned, then turned around to go down the aisle when a man caught his attention.

  “Tom, out working hard?”

  “Hey, George, how are the goats?”

  Goats?

  “Just fine, Tom. Thanks.”

  “That cheese Martha made was perfect on the caper salad.”

  “I knew it would be.”

  Goat cheese?

  “I’ll bring more over next week.”

  “You do that, thanks.”

  The old man in overalls went on through and again Tom’s eyes pinned Hailey.

  “I’ll save you a table. Just give me a call.”

  There it was. The first brick in a solid wall of thousands. Hailey had realized something as she watched Tom watching her. She realized he was capable of breaking her heart. Or, breaking her down, in the least. Anyone with eyes could see how much Hailey enjoyed the sight of him, but there was more to it now. Tom and his charm were making her like Blushing Bay. He was giving her reason to second guess the deal with Matt Porter, reason to second guess Lansing, reason to stay… and that wasn’t part of the plan.

  “Okay.”

  “See you around, Tom,” Josie said. Tom glared back over his shoulder with a smile. Once he was out of sight, Josie got close and asked, “So?”

  “So, what?”

  “So, you’re blushing.”

  “I know.”

  “Don’t be bothered by it. All the girls blush around Tom.”

  Yes, but Hailey wasn’t all the girls. And she wasn’t one of the girls. She was a different kind of girl. She wasn’t a jean-wearing, whisky-drinking, apple-pie-making native of Blushing Bay. She wore heels that made her almost as tall as Tom’s chin, her skirts were dry-cleaned and her blouses were made of satin, and she never missed her monthly pedicure. Hailey wasn’t the type of woman to fall for a man like Tom. It just wasn’t the way things were supposed to be.

  Chapter Eight

  Loose Bolts, the hardware store of Blushing Bay, was nestled in the middle of town, right on the roundabout. Tom was in and out of the place at least once a week as he tried to keep his houseboat afloat. Between that and the bar, there always seemed to be something in need of replacing.

  “Hey Lou.”

  “Tom, you in again for that window?”

  “No, I finally got it sealed. Just a deadbolt tonight.”

  “Aisle five,” Lou gestured, stopping as Tom waved him off.

  “Yeah, I know my way around.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  Strutting on through the store, Tom caught sight of Hailey down aisle four. Her presence sent a shiver down his spine, making him forget the reason he was there in the first place. He couldn’t just stand there waiting for her to turn around, though. Quickly, Tom went around the corner and listened to her talk.

  “I need something longer. The ceiling is at least seven feet.”

  “Will this one work?”

  “Yeah, that’s good. I like the charm on the end.”

  Tom leaned close to the wall of hinges as he listened to her talk.

  “It’s perfect. I’ll get it.”

  “Great, I can ring you up then.”

  “I’m going to look around a little more.”

  “Sure thing, here you go.”

  Tom waited for Hailey to say something else, but the sound of her slow footsteps came to his ears instead. If he rounded the corner now, he’d bump into her. But if he went back down the other way, she’d surely see him and know he was there all along. A rattle of the things on the opposite wall—things Tom couldn’t begin to remember for some stupid reason—and her feet were moving again. Everything was moving. The lights, the hinges, her feet—everything seemed to be going except for him. Hailey was close, he could feel it. Scanning the edge of the aisles for her, he shifted his focus around the place like a squirrel evading a dog.
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  “Oh hey,” Hailey called out to someone. She was incredibly near, and Tom’s pulse was thumping like a drum.

  “Hey.” The kid from before. “Need something else?”

  “Yeah, where’s your lubricant?”

  Tom was about to fall over dizzy.

  “Down this way.”

  Her feet were moving again, this time in the other direction. Tom shifted back toward the paint cans and moved from the aisle just as Hailey came to sight.

  How ridiculous is this?

  Tom took a deep breath, reminding himself what had happened the last time he let his heart get away from him. The same heart that now pounded with intrigue. Just seeing Hailey wander through a hardware store gave Tom plenty to daydream about. Like how she’d look in a pair of torn jeans and a white shirt, maybe covered in plaster, little bits in her hair.

  But no. That heart needed to calm down, and quick.

  “There’s plenty to choose from,” the kid’s voice perked. “Do you need any suggestions?”

  Tom rolled his eyes.

  “Nah, I think I’m good. Thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  Anytime.

  Tom went on toward the center aisle and peeked at Hailey. She had a can of oil in each hand, and by the look of her, she had no idea which one to get. Lifting the one in her left hand, Hailey shifted her weight and her jeans tightened around her rear. Tom’s eyes followed her curves until she shifted back to the other foot. Putting the items down, Hailey went further down the aisle. Another couple steps and she’d be out of his sight and he could go grab the thing he needed.

  Aisle five. What was it?

  Hurrying behind a display of flashlights, Tom kept his eyes on Hailey. Her back was to him as she continued to exam the bottles. Anyone who could read knew that the orange bottle was for lawn equipment, and Hailey wasn’t about to go fixing a mower. Girls like her didn’t get their nails dirty. Leaning over the flashlights to see that Hailey was far enough from sight, Tom tipped one of the boxes. Before it could fall, though, he grabbed the box and put it back into place. He slowly hunched over and peered around the flashlight display, further into the aisle, farther from his safe place out of sight. One final nudge toward seeing Hailey and an unboxed flashlight wobbled on the top of the carefully arranged boxes. Tom froze in his tracks. His eyes widened as the flashlight—displayed on its head, lined up with other styles, colors and sizes, rocked back and forth until it settled into place. Tom breathed out as he briefly closed his eyes in relief.

  “Tom?” Hailey’s voice popped into his ears like a firework, and he jumped two feet out. The flashlight display burst all around him as he tried his best to catch any of them that he could reach. Flashlights were in the air, on the floor, rolling over to the center aisle, and some were even breaking. With two flashlights in his hands when the whole mess finally settled, Tom leaned back and tried to act like nothing had happened.

  “Hails!” he smiled big even though he could feel his heart pounding in his throat. “Small town, huh?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” she arched her brow. Scanning the place, she faced him like she had gotten an idea. “What are you doing here?”

  “My deadbolt rusted loose. You?”

  “A ceiling fan chain,” she held up the item. The bottom of the chain had a little rose shaped charm that Hailey now cradled. “I couldn’t reach it last night, and the upstairs got so hot.”

  “Yeah it always did.”

  Hailey’s glare begged an explanation.

  “Oh, well I stayed over a couple of times. After Dierdre’s second fall.”

  “Oh, that was nice of you,” she said, and again looked as though she had an idea come to mind.

  “She was nice to me.”

  “So, do you need help?”

  “I wouldn’t say no.”

  Hailey gave a nod. “Not really smart of them to pile these up right here,” she said as she eyed the end of the aisle as though there wasn’t any room for more items and displays. Tom did the same. It was a tight squeeze, barely room for a cart to slip by. “How many broke?” she scanned the floor for shards of glass.

  “Three I think,” Tom set the flashlights he had caught on a different display rack, and then he kneeled to pick up the broken items. Hailey got down and grabbed the big parts, the plastic handles and the couple of boxes that went sideways. Tom grabbed the glass and cut his hand.

  Flinching back, Tom let out a near-silent shriek. The second the blood started to ooze out Hailey took his hand to inspect. Her warm touch took the wound straight from his mind. For a moment, all he could think about was how soft her skin felt against his. Her dainty fingers caressing his hand like a satin sheet. Hailey leaned close and the scent of lilies—her shampoo maybe—filled the air around them. Tom had lilies out back at the bar. Soft pink ones, pink like her lips.

  Tom kept daydreaming until the pain set in. Sharp and unrelenting, the glass shard, pinched by Hailey’s fingers, came slicing out of his palm. Tugging from her grasp, Tom pulled Hailey right along and she fell directly into his lap. And, even though Tom was once again feeling anything but the sting of the cut, he had ripped the wound wider.

  “Hold still,” she scolded him, getting to her knees as she took his hand again. The tone of her voice brought his eyes up to hers, and all he could do now was watch her. Those beautiful dark eyes of hers, scanning over his cut like someone who cared. “Look at what you did. You’re going to need stitches now.”

  “No, I won’t,” Tom again pulled from her grasp. Not only was he hurt and bleeding, but his neck was stiff as could be.

  “Did you really look at it?”

  “It’ll be fine.”

  Fine was not the word for it. That glass ripped the thin skin just below his middle and ring finger. And he knew it wouldn’t heal right on its own.

  Hailey, with her brow arched and her eyes soft, was starting to make the pain go away again. “Tom, I can take you to the hospital if you want.”

  “I just need to get home and clean it up.”

  “Please. Let me take you. You can’t drive that rickety truck with that hand.”

  “What’s wrong with my truck?”

  “What’s this?” Lou rushed over to the mess. “You alright, Tom?”

  “Just fine, Lou.”

  “Lou, is it? Please tell him to go see the doctor.”

  “Oh, well, is it bad?” Lou got close and Tom hid his hand from sight. He didn’t need advice from a man who ran to the doctor for every ache and pain. “I don’t know, Tom. Looks like a lot of blood.”

  “I’m going home,” Tom got to his feet.

  “What, to bleed out all over everything?”

  “Hails, it’s not that bad.”

  “I’ll go get a broom,” Lou said and off he went.

  “Besides, why do you care so much?”

  “Because I do. You’re hurt, and it’s probably because I startled you.”

  Well that was certainly true. Tom, though, could see the look of concern floating around in Hailey’s eyes. It was enough to make him bite his tongue just then.

  “It won’t heal without a couple of stitches.”

  “I’m not going to trouble you.”

  “You aren’t. Here,” she tugged a tissue pack from her shoulder bag and handed it to Tom. “Put some pressure on it. I’ll go get a wet towel for the blood.”

  Tom knew only a couple of things about Hailey Holloway. For one, she was an only child, the last surviving blood relative of the Holloway estate. She likely never had to take care of any else besides herself. But here she was, coming back for him with a wet paper towel, cleaning his wound, gently wiping up the blood from his arm and wrist like she’d done it a thousand times. Had she, though? Tom didn’t care either way, he was too busy taking in those eyes of hers and the way they made him feel. And that touch, dear god! Cool fingertips caressing his skin, back and forth over the nook of his wrist.

  It’d be so easy to wrap her up in his arms and pull h
er close. She stood inches from him, her scent flooding the air between them once again. How good it would feel to hold a woman again.

  What a woman she was. That was probably the only other thing he was sure of when it came to Hailey. She was independent, driven, strong-willed. She didn’t need a man to be happy or find success, she wasn’t shy in telling him how hard she’d worked for her career. So why would she need him around? He’d probably do nothing more than bring her down, or hold her back, kind of like what happened with Caroline.

  “Listen, I don’t want to mess up your night.”

  Hailey laughed. “I think it’s too late for that.”

  “I’m serious,” he touched her hand and she stopped cleaning. “I’ll get it cleaned up, promise.”

  “Okay.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you sure—”

  “I’m fine.”

  Tom wrapped his hand with the damp paper towels and then winced.

  “I bet there’s a piece of glass still in there.”

  Shaking his head, Tom wanted to curse and kick the air. Going home was definitely out of the question.

  “Alright, let’s go,” Hailey took his good hand in hers and led him right to the doors. “Where’d you park?”

  “You’re not driving my truck.”

  “Why not? You have to have it, right?”

  “Not really. You can just take me to my boat.”

  “Boat? I’m taking you to the hospital.”

  “Why?”

  “Cause you’re hurt, Tom. Doesn’t it hurt?”

  “Of course it does.” He didn’t mean to be yelling at her, but god she wouldn’t let it go. Taking a breath, Tom hunched over. “Look, I don’t need you to take care of me.”

  “I wasn’t trying to.”

  Tom knew he was glaring at her, but he couldn’t help it.

  “Fine, Tom. You go home and take care of yourself. But when it gets infected, you better not call me.”

  Well now things were fine alright.

  “Hails, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” Hailey stood there with her bangs blowing over her face in the evening air. “You got this; I can see that now.” Hailey went back into the hardware store and Tom huffed around on the sidewalk. After a minute, he went over to his truck and kicked the tire, and the mirror fell right to the ground. And Tom kicked the thing clear across the lot.