“That’s Marcus Davenport,” Sue whispered, making me jump as she leaned down to my ear. “Quite the sight for sore eyes, isn’t he? Harry couldn’t have chosen to go out with him, could he? Tsk tsk.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. Had I really been staring that much? I tore my gaze from the gorgeous man outside and looked up at Sue.
“Is he allowed to dock there?”
Sue grinned at me and squeezed my shoulder. “Oh, you’ve a lot to learn about this place, girlie. Marcus Davenport can do whatever he likes. He ploughs more money into this town than the council.”
I raised my eyebrows and used every last ounce of willpower not to look out of the window again.
Dad finally sat down into the seat opposite me. He took one look at me and said, “What’s wrong, honey?”
“Nothing, why?”
“You’re all flushed. Are you feeling ok?”
With my heart still pounding, I waved a hand dismissively at my dad and lied. “I’m fine. Just hungry.”
Dad eyed me for several seconds before tending to his cup of coffee. Sue chuckled next to me as she asked us what we wanted to eat. Just as she wandered off into the kitchen with our orders, the fine form of Marcus Davenport walked past my window, close enough to touch.
If only the glass wasn’t in the way…I thought to myself, sighing wistfully.
Then to my shock, he opened the door to the café, strolling in like he owned the place. The little bell above the door rang again, covering me in chills.
I couldn’t help it.
I had to look at him.
As he strode through, he turned and looked at me, our eyes locking for several seconds. He flashed me a cheeky grin and then to my absolute horror, took a seat at the table next to ours.
“Brian,” he said, nodding to my dad.
Dad looked up from stirring his sugar into his coffee. “Marcus! Long time, no see. How have you been, old chap?”
“Good, thanks. You?”
“Oh, you know. Skipping from one day to the next.”
Marcus’ eyes scanned over my dad’s body and he pulled his lips into a thin line. He cast me a look of sympathy, for the briefest of moments, before resuming small talk with my dad.
I reached for my pot of tea, and as I picked it up, the metal lid clinking against the body grabbed my dad’s attention.
“You sure you’re ok, honey? You’re shaking.”
I smiled and nodded. “Perfectly fine, Dad. Just hungry.”
“So you keep saying.”
“Mum ploughed wine into us last night so I need some hangover food.”
His eyes widened and a look of alarm passed over his weathered face. “Are you saying you drove up here drunk, Caitlyn? I brought you up better than that!”
I sighed. “No, Dad. I’m not drunk, trust me. Out of three bottles of wine, I managed to savour two glasses.”
He laughed. “Pinot Grigio?”
“Merlot.”
“Ah, yes. How could I forget?” He shook his head. “Sue will be out soon with the food.”
I nodded, trying in vain to calm my bright red cheeks but the more I thought about how they were burning, the hotter they became. I could feel Marcus’ eyes on me, watching me, studying me, roving over me. The more I became aware of it, the more heat rushed to my face. I suddenly realised how animals in a zoo must feel, being stared at all the time by a sea of curious faces, except I had one face with enough scrutiny of a thousand.
Somehow, I managed to pour a cup of tea without spilling a drop. Feeling rather triumphant at my mini victory, I debated if I could also pour milk without spilling it. As I picked up the small white porcelain jug, Dad announced he needed the toilet.
He disappeared through the door at the back of the café that led up two flights of stairs to the gents. A further set of stairs led to the ladies.
“Hi there,” said Marcus.
I jumped, startled that he had actually addressed me directly. “Hi,” I breathed, keeping my eyes on the milk jug.
“I’m Marcus.”
Tipping the jug over my mug of steaming tea, I nodded. “Sue said.” The milk trickled out slowly, streaming down the underside of the spout and onto the starched white tablecloth. “Damn it.”
A light laugh sounded from my left-hand side, eliciting goosebumps from me instantly. What was it with this guy affecting me in such a way?
“Would you like some help?”
Irritation mixed with embarrassment did not make a good combination. “I think I can manage to pour some milk, thanks.”
“Clearly not.”
I spun my head around and fixed him a steely glare. Affecting me in unknown ways or not, I wouldn’t stand for cheeky remarks like that from a stranger.
“Whoa, easy,” he said, lifting his hands in a surrender sign. “I was only joking.”
I kept my glare pinned on him for a few seconds before turning my attention back to the milk.
“So what should I call you?” he asked.
My mind whirred with some sort of witty remark, some sarcastic comment to keep him at arm’s length. The stir of emotions inside me unsettled me and I needed to figure out what the hell was going on.
Eventually, I gave in. “Caitlyn.”
“Caitlyn Summers. Nice.”
The way he said my name sent a shudder down my spine. He had a silky smooth, deep, masculine voice. Combined with everything else about him, it felt like all of my book boyfriends were suddenly rolled into one real life human being right in front of me.
The door at the back of the café banged shut, signalling Dad’s return to the room. I finally mixed some milk into my tea and then tipped in three heaped teaspoons of sugar.
Dad sat back down and lifted an eyebrow. “Still adding tea to your sugar, huh?”
I grinned. “You’re to blame for my sweet tooth, remember.”
He opened his mouth and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, dropping his removable dentures down. “That’s the price I paid.”
“Ewww, Dad, come on. That’s gross. I’ve got to eat yet, and you’ve done that in front of someone too?” I frowned and shook my head. “Totally disgusting.”
Dad and Marcus both laughed.
“How’s the fishing been?” Dad asked Marcus.
“Good. Really good. How’s business at the hotel?”
“Booming. Never been better.”
“Taking a day off today?”
Dad nodded. “We’re doing the tourist rounds today, aren’t we, Cat?”
I nodded, lifting my tea to my mouth.
“Old tradition for us,” Dad continued. “Every time Cat visits, we spend the first day going around the town.”
“Are you here for long?”
I froze when I realised he’d directed his question at me. My hair had fallen forwards, obscuring him from my view, thankfully. “Indefinitely,” I replied.
“That sounds a bit more permanent than a visit.”
Dad cleared his throat. “Caitlyn has moved up from her mother’s house to…help me with the hotel. I’m not too well these days.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Brian. I hope it’s nothing too serious?”
Tears sprung to my eyes as soon as I allowed the slightest thought of Dad’s cancer to creep into my thoughts. I took a sip of my tea, well aware it would be scalding hot, but I needed a distraction. The boiling liquid blistered the roof of my mouth, scorching my tongue and springing the tears free from my eyes.
I gasped and swore under my breath.
“You ok, pumpkin?” Dad asked, leaning across the table.
I nodded, wiping at the few stray tears with the back of my hand. “It’s still a bit hot.”
He passed me a spare cup and tipped some milk into it. “Here, drink that quick. It’s nice and cold.”
I chucked the milk down my throat like a shot of sambuca. The instant relief it brought was more than welcomed. “Thanks,” I said, setting the cup back down on the table.
“Where’s the first stop then?” Marcus asked.
“The Abbey of course,” Dad replied, grinning. “Cat always spends hours wandering around there so we make that the first stop so we don’t run out of daylight. Not a place to be at night, hey, Cat?”
I cringed. Whenever he had the opportunity, Dad couldn’t resist referring to my little ‘incident’ that happened during my rebellious fifteenth year. I’d decided I wanted to see the abbey at night, to experience the whole ‘Dracula’ thing in its full effect. Even now, when I thought about what happened that night, the hairs on my body stood up, chills ran down my spine, and my heart leapt to inhuman speeds.
“No,” I said, ignoring my body’s reaction to that petrifying memory.
“Oh?” said Marcus. “This sounds like a good story.”
“I think that’s one best told from Cat’s point of view. Mine is rather…limited. I just had to clear up the mess afterwards.”
I glared at my dad. “Dad…” I cocked my head to one side and widened my eyes “…enough already.”
“You’ll laugh about it when you’re my age, pumpkin.”
I scowled at him, sat back in my chair, and folded my arms over my chest. My hair moved, allowing me to see Marcus leaning forwards eagerly, awaiting some juicy story.
“It’s really nothing,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
Dad laughed and slapped his hand against the table. “Nothing? Cat, you swore blind you saw a black dog up there. You were hysterical.”
“A wolf,” I said, hissing it under my breath. “It wasn’t some stray Labrador, Dad.”
I shuddered as its glowing yellow eyes flooded my mind. If only he knew how that thing still haunted my dreams.
“Cat had a rebellious streak a few years back. She decided she needed to see the abbey in all its nightly glory and snuck out of her bedroom at midnight one night. I don’t know what exactly happened up there but the next thing I know, my front door is being busted open and my daughter is falling through it, screaming hysterically and trashing the house, yelling about getting some demon away from her. Then she collapsed in a pool of tears and slept for two days straight.”
I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Trust Dad.
“This is definitely something I want to hear in all its glory,” Marcus said, his blue eyes twinkling in delight. “Maybe you can indulge me some time?”
I stole a glance at my dad who raised his eyebrows and grinned at me. Great. Not quite the reaction I’d been expecting. What happened to the whole protective dad routine telling the older man to leave his daughter alone?
“Yeah, maybe.” I dropped my eye contact to the floor and prayed for Sue to hurry up.
“I could, with your dad’s permission of course, give you an evening tour of the abbey. One that won’t involve canine-like demons.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“That sounds like an offer you can’t refuse, hey, Cat?” Dad said, lifting his eyebrow up and shifting his eyes towards Marcus.
I really wanted that hole to open up right now and swallow me. “I…I err…I don’t know. I mean I’m going to be pretty busy.”
“Well if we skip out on the abbey tour this morning, you could go with Marcus tonight. If that’s convenient for you, that is, Marcus?” Dad said, looking at him.
“Of course.”
“Cat?” Dad asked.
Talk about putting me on the spot. “Sure.”
“Excellent,” Marcus said, clapping his hands together. “I’ll pick you up at eight?”
I nodded, my heart somersaulting against my ribs. What the hell was this? “Ok. See you then.”
Marcus stood up, patted Dad on the shoulder, and said, “I’d best be going. Got lots to do today.”
“Are you not staying for breakfast?” Dad asked.
Marcus shook his head. “I only came in because I saw you and wanted to say hello.” He flickered his eyes over to me for a second. In that instant, I knew he didn’t mean my dad.
“Good to see you,” Dad said, beaming with happiness at Marcus’ words. “Glad you stopped by to say hello. Thank you.”
“Any time.” Marcus turned his full attention on me. “I’ll see you at eight.”
I nodded.
Marcus strode out of the shop, disappearing back down the street in a handful of ground swallowing strides. When the door closed, I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding.
“What the hell was that?” I said, rounding on my dad. “Why did that feel like some medieval trade off?”
Dad laughed. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“You practically handed me over to him!”
He reached across the table and took hold of one of my hands. “I’m not going to be here, forever, Caitlyn. There are worse fates in this world than having Marcus Davenport show an interest in my daughter.”
I closed my eyes, fighting back a wall of tears. “Dad…”
“He’s a rare breed, Caitlyn. A true gentleman. Granted, he’s probably a little old but that’s nothing bad. Chances are he’s sowed his wild seeds and is looking for something more than fun. He’s very well off, got several stable businesses, and if I do say so myself, he’s not too shabby looking either.”
My mouth dropped wide open. “Wow. Really? Are we actually having this conversation?”
“Sweetheart, I’m not ignorant to the fact that you’ve moved your entire life back up here. Once I’m gone, you’re going to be on your own. Having a friend isn’t going to be a bad thing.”
“Dad, please stop talking like that.”
“I can’t, Caitlyn. It’s a very real thing that we can’t ignore. I don’t want you to bury your head in the sand like you did when your mother and I split up. This is happening. I am dying.”
I pushed my chair back, screeching its wooden legs across the shiny tiled floor. Panic and upset swarmed me in an instant, forcing tears to my eyes. I ran to the back of the café, heading for the toilet.
“Cat,” Dad said, calling after me. “Caitlyn.”
Ignoring him, I stumbled up the three flights of stairs to the ladies room. I pushed the white door open, rushing into the small two-stall room. Sea green tiles lined every inch of the room. The stalls were white and bland, but at that moment, had never been more inviting.
I pulled the lid down on one of the toilets, locked the door, and then sat down and bawled my eyes out.
Chapter 3
I don’t know how long I spent crying but I didn’t stop until I’d let it all out. I couldn’t. After filling the toilet with snotty tissue, I finally felt like I’d cried all I could cry. Sucking in a deep breath, I unlocked the door and went to the sink. I splashed some cold water on face and dabbed at my eyes which took away some of the redness.
Happy I looked presentable enough to be seen in public again, I put all my emotions behind me and headed back downstairs. As I descended the flight of stairs that led to the men’s, the door opened, making my heart leap into my throat.
When Marcus emerged, I froze, and for some reason held my breath.
“Hello again,” he said, smiling up at me.
I thought he’d left already. Confused and curious, I let out my breath and said, “Hi. I thought you’d literally just left?”
He gestured towards the door and smiled. “Nature called.”
I smiled and tried to ignore the fact we were alone together. My heart started pounding as I kept looking at him, soaking in his natural beauty. I’d never been so struck by someone. I literally couldn’t take my eyes from him.
“Are you ok?” he asked. “You look like you’ve been crying.”
My stomach cramped into a tiny little ball. I bet he’d soon be retracting his offer of tonight now he’d seen the state of me. I always felt pathetic when I cried, and I hated admitting it. It made me feel like a little girl and that would no doubt be how he would now see me.
I nodded. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking. Just a little…blip with D
ad.”
His eyes softened and he gave me a sympathetic smile. “He’s more than unwell, isn’t he?”
Water started dancing over my vision again. “Yes. It’s terminal cancer. He’s got a year at the most.”
Marcus sucked in a deep breath. “I’m so sorry, Caitlyn.”
“It’s ok, it’s not your fault.” I sighed. “It’s just the way he talks about it. It’s so frank and matter of fact, it’s like he doesn’t even care that he’s dying.”
“Maybe that’s a front. Maybe he’s putting on a brave face to help ease everyone around him.”
I shook my head. “No. He’s too matter of fact about everything. The reason he likes the idea of us getting to know each other is so I’ll have a friend when he’s dead. That’s literally what he’s just said.”
“If I do say so myself, I am a good friend to have.”
I managed to half laugh. “Good to know.”
“In all seriousness though,” Marcus said. “Maybe you need to remind him that this isn’t just about him, it’s about the people around him too. Perhaps that’ll make him realise he needs to ease off on being so blasé about it. Just because he’s accepted his fate, it doesn’t mean you have.”
I thought about that for a moment. He’d hit the nail on the head. I hadn’t accepted any of this most likely because I didn’t want to. Would it have been easier if he’d just died suddenly so I didn’t have the agony of watching him die? I didn’t know. Both situations were horribly unpleasant.
“That’s not a bad idea. Thank you.”
“Happy to help.” He fished his phone out of his pocket and held it out. “You can put your number in my phone if you like. Then you can call me or text me whenever you like.”
I walked down the last three steps and smirked. “That would only work if you put your number in my phone.”
He laughed. “Ok, you win. Not the best line to get your number. Guilty as charged.”
Smiling like an idiot, I took his phone from him and typed my number in. “You could have waited until tonight to get my number you know.”
He took his phone back and tapped around on the screen for a couple of seconds. Then he looked up at me with a delicious smile and said, “Why wait for tonight for what I could have now?”
Love, Lies and Immortal Ties: A young adult paranormal romance (Love, Lies and Ties Book 1) Page 2
