by Laura Scott
The embrace changed from one of comfort to one of keen awareness. She told herself to step away, to put distance between them, but her feet refused to move.
“Carla.” His low voice sent tingles down her spine. He placed a finger beneath her chin, then lowered his mouth to hers.
His kiss was everything she remembered, and more. So much more.
This was why she hadn’t found a man. Why the very idea of going out on a date with Dean Thomas had filled her with abhorrence.
Jesse McNally was the only man who’d ever made her feel like this.
And he was the one man she could never have.
7
He hadn’t planned on kissing her, but the moment their lips joined, he felt the familiar desire return full force.
Holding Carla close to his chest, their hearts beating in a simultaneous rhythm felt right. He wondered how he’d forgotten the special bond they’d shared. How he’d allowed himself to get sucked into the party scene at school when he should have been keeping his promise to Carla.
When she abruptly broke away from his embrace, he reluctantly let her go. “I’m sorry, I, uh, didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“I know.” Carla wouldn’t meet his gaze, and he wished he could see her more clearly in the dim light. The sun was still low on the horizon, but they were behind the house, her face cast in a shadow.
There was so much more he wanted, needed to stay, but for the life of him, he couldn’t seem to think clearly. Carla’s scent still had the ability to mess with his brain.
“I have to go.” She’d crossed her arms over her chest in the familiar defensive posture he’d noticed each time they saw each other. “I need to open the store by eight.”
A flicker of annoyance caught him off guard. “It’s a good excuse, but you can’t hide behind your responsibilities at the store forever.”
That had her jerking her head up to stare at him. “I’m not hiding behind anything. The store is my livelihood. I can’t afford to be distracted by your desire to have a little fun.”
It wasn’t easy to hold back his temper, but he managed. “I’m going to send monthly child support payments, which should help.”
“No! That’s not what I meant.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “Summer is the busiest time of the year for us. During the winter, I open later on the weekends and close earlier.”
That answered one of his questions. He’d assumed the long winter months would be the most challenging. “Carla, Cassie is my responsibility, too. It’s not fair for you to carry the financial burden of raising a child on your own. I would have been there for you if I’d known.”
“So you said.” Her tone didn’t exude confidence. “Fine, go ahead and send child support payments. I’ll put the money into her college fund.”
Now she was pissing him off. “I can pay for her college, too. Just use the money, okay? For yourself or for Cassie, I don’t care.”
She hesitated, then finally nodded, and thankfully didn’t pursue the argument further. He wondered if every discussion they’d have about Cassie would be like this. A battle of wills, before one of them caved in.
There was a long silence before she finally spoke. “What time are you and Cassie heading out tomorrow?”
“Probably around ten in the morning. I planned to pack food for lunch.” He hesitated, then added, “I’d love for you to join us.”
“I have to work.” Her immediate response annoyed him.
“Yeah, I know. But you managed to leave for a few hours yesterday without the world coming to an end.” He tried to cut back the sarcasm, but it wasn’t easy. “What if I changed the time to eleven and we went out for a few hours together over lunch? I know you usually eat at the diner, but I’m sure Daisy won’t mind packing a meal for us to go.”
Her mouth thinned, but he could tell by the wistful expression in her eyes that she was giving serious consideration to his offer. Jesse found himself holding his breath while waiting for a response.
“I can do that,” she finally said in a voice so soft he wondered if he’d imagined it. “Take a few hours off during lunchtime. But I need to be back by three thirty because we normally receive truck shipments of groceries around four in the afternoon.”
It wasn’t much, just over four hours, but he’d take it. “That would be great. I’m sure Cassie will be thrilled to have you along for the boat ride.”
She nodded but didn’t smile. He wondered if she was thinking about the argument she’d had with her mother. He felt bad about being the cause of friction between them, but not enough to give up the chance to be a part of his daughter’s life.
Or Carla’s.
“I’ll pick up Cassie first, then swing by the grocery store after we get the food. The boat launch isn’t far; we can probably walk from there.”
“That works. Thanks for including me.”
“Carla.” He reached out to lightly touch her arm. “I didn’t intend to leave you out of our plans. You’ve made it clear the store keeps you busy, and I didn’t want to upset you.”
“It does keep me busy.” She stared down at his hand on her arm for a long moment before stepping away, out of his reach. “But you’re right about the fact that I can probably take a few hours off here and there. The store won’t fall apart in the space of a few hours.”
For a moment, he wished they could go back to that fateful summer, when they’d both been young and in love. Feeling carefree and full of anticipation for the future ahead. They’d shared their deepest hopes and dreams. He’d loved her so much.
He’d reached his dream of owning his own security software company, which had an excellent reputation for getting the job done. Avery and Arch aside, he was good at what he did. Maybe his personal life hadn’t gone nearly as well, but he couldn’t complain about his professional life.
But what about Carla’s dreams? Obviously, she hadn’t graduated from Iowa with her teaching degree. Running a grocery store in a small tourist town couldn’t be that exciting. It wasn’t what she’d wanted when they were young.
It wasn’t right that he’d graduated with honors while she’d been stuck returning to the small town she couldn’t wait to leave to have his baby.
“I really have to go,” she said again. “I’ll see you tomorrow around eleven.”
“I’ll be there.” He tried to think of something more to say, some way of convincing her to stay with him for a while longer, but when she turned to walk back inside, he didn’t try to stop her.
He waited until she’d gone inside before walking back toward Main Street, limping a bit from the brush with the motorcyclist. He’d reported the attack to Deputy Waldorf who had promised to investigate the incident.
Returning to the spot where he’d left Jemma’s van, he kept a keen eye on his surroundings, hoping to catch another glimpse of the motorcycle. As a guy who knew and loved cars, he’d been able to tell Deputy Waldorf that the motorcycle had been a black Yamaha, the timbre of the engine was a distinct high-pitched humming sound, and the style was the kind where the rider hugged the bike as he or she drove. Distinct in some ways, but without a license plate number, impossible to pinpoint for certain.
But if he saw it again, he wouldn’t hesitate to follow it in order to get a glimpse of the driver. The punch to his shoulder had been more annoying than painful, but his knee had hit the concrete hard, causing it to swell.
It was all so crazy. These personal attacks had to stop. He’d tried to find a motel to move to for the rest of his stay in McNally Bay, but with the Fourth of July holiday landing on Thursday, he’d discovered that everything close by was booked through the weekend.
He was glad the attacks were aimed at him personally, but he still didn’t like the idea of bringing danger to the B&B.
Or worse, to Carla and Cassie. He needed to figure out what was going on, and soon. Before anyone close to him was hurt in the cross fire.
Carla went to the store earlier than usual, partially
to avoid another confrontation with her mother and partially to make sure she had everything taken care of inventory-wise so she could leave for a few hours.
Deep down, she was looking forward to spending some time with Jesse and Cass out on Lake Michigan. Living here in town, being near the water was great, but she didn’t often have time to enjoy it.
Especially not since she’d taken over full responsibility of managing the store. Her mother had done her share for years, and it was now Carla’s turn.
She hoped her mother would come around, at least to the point of being civil to Jesse. Holding on to a grudge and being angry wasn’t healthy, physically or emotionally.
Her father was proof of how quickly extreme stress could bring on a heart attack. Although, she could see now that running the store could be stressful, too.
Shying away from the painful and guilt-ridden memories, she focused on the various tasks requiring her attention. Her small cramped office was located in the back of the store, not far from the general employee break room. And the supply storage area. She kept the door open, although she generally preferred peace and quiet while pouring over spreadsheets.
Thankfully, her young cashier showed up, not looking the least bit ill, which was one less thing to worry about. But as Carla worked, the idea of trying once again to find and hire an assistant manager wouldn’t leave her alone.
It wouldn’t hurt to advertise for one, maybe on one of those job seeker websites. She made a mental note to do that later in the afternoon, after the boat ride with Jesse.
His insistence on paying child support shouldn’t bother her, but for some reason it did. Logically she knew that he should support Cassie; it was the right thing to do. But emotionally she didn’t want to give him another reason to be included in decision-making surrounding her daughter.
Their daughter.
She sighed knowing that things would never be the same. She didn’t begrudge Cassie the chance to know and love her father. Especially if Jesse was a better role model than her own dad. They both deserved to spend time together. But remembering their heated kiss was troubling. She thought she’d gotten over him.
But she hadn’t. Not deep down, where it counted.
Her problem, not his. There was no reason he needed to know that her feelings for him hadn’t ever gone away. Especially since she knew from firsthand experience the same couldn’t be said for him.
Witnessing the way he’d kissed the blonde that night in Madison so many years ago had shaken the foundation of her being. It had proved that he’d never really loved her, the way he’d claimed.
And not the way she’d loved him.
Her parents had been right about Jesse being a player, and seeing him with the blonde had only confirmed their thoughts.
Whatever. Her feelings and his weren’t the issue here. The important thing was to think about what was best for Cassie.
She vowed to do everything possible for her daughter.
“Ms. Templeton?”
She straightened in her seat, lifting her gaze to meet Sheryl’s. “What is it?”
“A questionable return at the customer service desk. The sales slip has the Polish sausage being purchased two days ago, but it’s well past expired.”
“I’ll take care of it, thanks.” Carla rose to her feet and followed her senior cashier over to the counter. She wanted to groan when she noticed the person standing at the counter was Mary Tate.
Carla was fanatical about making sure she didn’t sell expired food and knew very well that Leon and Mary Tate were always trying to get something for nothing. But they were friends of her mother, so she pasted a smile on her face and rang up the return.
“Here you go.” She handed over the seven dollars and change.
“Thank you.” Mary Tate sniffed. “You should watch your expiration dates closer. We could have died eating that sausage.”
“I will.” She kept the pasted smile on her face until Mary left, then quickly used the computer to pull up the Tate account. Offering a discount card where patrons earned points and extra coupons also provided a way to track their purchases.
She found the recent purchase of Polish sausage, then went back two weeks to find a previous purchase of the same item. They’d either forgotten about it or simply decided they didn’t want to eat two packages of Polish sausage and found a way to get one returned so they could eat one for free.
Logging off the computer, she shook her head at the lengths some people would go for seven dollars. Deciding the Tates must need the money more than she did, Carla let it go.
Jesse arrived right on time, with Cassie, Bucky, and a large cooler full of food. It didn’t take long for the three of them to walk down to the boat rental facility.
“You really know how to drive this thing?” She took a seat next to Cassie, who was holding on to Bucky, while he stuffed the cooler in the bow.
“It’s got an engine, right?” He flashed a grin over his shoulder as he started the engine. “I can drive just about anything.”
She didn’t doubt it but hung on tight as Jesse navigated out of the bay and into the deeper water of Lake Michigan. The breeze off the water felt wonderfully cool against skin warmed by the sun. There were dozens of watercrafts out on the lake, of various shapes and sizes, but Lake Michigan was big enough that it didn’t feel overly crowded.
“Faster! Go faster!” Cassie urged, a broad smile on her face. Her daughter was dressed in jean shorts and a tank top with a life jacket pulled over the clothes, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. In that moment, Cassie was reminded of herself at the same age. Her father worked long hours at the store, and those rare days he wasn’t working, he’d made degrading comments about her shorts and tank tops. It seemed that she could never please him, but as it turned out, maybe he had a right to be worried since she had ended up pregnant. She’d been hurt by her father’s attitude and secretly glad her mother had always stuck up for her.
Carla wanted to maintain a good relationship with her daughter, too, unwilling to let her responsibilities at the store impinge on their relationship.
Even Bucky looked around with interest, his tongue lolling out as he lifted his curly face to the wind.
“A girl after my own heart,” Jesse yelled as he pushed the boat to go faster. The water was relatively calm for Lake Michigan, but the boat still went up and slapped down on the water with a regular motion that threatened to make her dizzy.
Cass reveled in the speed, proving she was indeed her father’s daughter. Jesse headed pretty far away from shore but then eventually turned back around.
“That was awesome!” Cassie beamed with excitement. “Will you teach me to drive a boat?”
“When you’re older,” Jesse promised. Then he shot a guilty look at her over his shoulder and added, “If your mom says it’s okay.”
“When she’s older,” Carla agreed, grateful he’d remembered.
“Aw, Mom. That’s what you always say. You won’t even let me have my own phone.”
“That’s right. Not until you’re thirteen.” She pinned Jesse with a look that told him he better not argue with her on this.
He didn’t, smart man. “Thirteen is reasonable.”
Cassie let out a huff but then turned her attention back to the controls of the boat. Bucky was curled up beside her as if the ride had worn him out. “Show me how it works.”
Jesse went over the basics while Cass listened with rapt attention. Carla was amazed at his level of patience and his ability to explain something complicated in a way their daughter could understand.
For lunch, Jesse headed over to a spot near the shoreline where he dropped anchor. Daisy outdid herself with the picnic. They had thick roast beef sandwiches, fresh fruit and coleslaw, and peach cobbler for dessert. She’d even packed a couple of cookie bones for Bucky, who scarfed them down in record time.
“I have to stop eating like this.” With a groan, Carla put her empty dish of cobbler back inside the cooler. If
she didn’t watch out, she’d gain five pounds just by spending time with Jesse throughout the remainder of the week.
“It was so yummy,” Cassie said with a grin. She rubbed Bucky’s fur, then asked, “Can I go swimming?”
“Did you bring your bathing suit?” Jesse asked.
“No, but I can swim in my shorts.”
Jesse grimaced and looked at her as if needing confirmation that it was a bad idea.
“Maybe next time, Cass. We don’t have towels either, and lake water will be colder than you realize. When the wind hits you, you’ll be freezing. Especially since he drives so fast.”
“He does.” Cassie’s disappointment over not being allowed to swim didn’t last long. “It would be fun to swim, and I want to go fishing next time, too.”
They lounged in the sun for a little while longer before Jesse turned the boat back toward McNally Bay. As promised, he had her back at shore by three thirty in the afternoon.
She was disappointed their time together was over, but she knew she needed to get back to the store. Especially since their afternoon truck was due to come in. She needed to make sure they received everything she’d ordered.
“Thanks, Jesse, this was wonderful.”
His smile lit up his entire face. “I thought so, too.” He moored the boat, then held out his hand to her so she could step out of the boat and onto the pier.
His hand was warm and strong as he helped her off the craft. He did the same with Cassie who carried Bucky out, before grabbing the cooler.
“I’ll walk you back to the store, before returning the cooler and Bucky back to Miss Daisy,” Jesse said.
“There’s no need to walk me back. I go this way every day on my own.”
“We’ll walk together, right, Cassie?”
“Right,” her daughter agreed. She held Bucky’s leash, keeping him close, and they all went together, looking very much like the happy little family Betty had called them, back to the grocery store.
As they approached the parking lot, her steps slowed when she caught a glimpse of Dean Thomas standing near the front door of the store, looking down at his watch as if waiting for something.