by Melody Grace
“You love the city,” he said, studying her suspiciously. “And you’ve spent forever getting Uncle Arthur to take you seriously at the company. There’s no way you’d just take off for the summer. What are you going to do, just sit around all day, working on your tan?” he asked, disbelieving.
“Maybe I need a break,” Letitia lied. “You’re always telling me that the Prescott Group isn’t the center of the universe, that I need to relax, and have more fun.”
“Yes, but I never expected you to listen.” Cal said. He took another éclair. “Anyway, I’m happy to have you in town. Maybe you can run interference with your mom, and stop her harassing poor Eliza.”
“I think your fiancée can stand up for herself,” Letitia replied wryly. If anyone could take on the Prescotts and win, it was Eliza. She’d been at Cal’s throat when they’d first met, and Letitia had watched in amusement as her cousin fell head over heels in love despite it. Or maybe because of it. But either way, it had all worked out, and they couldn’t be happier together – if they could make it down the aisle without the rest of her family getting in the way. “But don’t worry,” she added. “I’ll make sure Eliza doesn’t run off with the delivery guy before you have a chance to lock it down.”
“Very funny,” Cal grinned. “And thank you.”
“You can thank me by laying off my housewarming pastries,” Letitia teased. “Or you won’t fit into your wedding tux.”
“Good point.” Cal laughed, and finally pushed the plate away, just as Eliza reappeared.
“Crisis averted!” she exclaimed. “The citizens of Sweetbriar Cove will get their special edition, after all. He’s bumping the insurance adjusters’ newsletter and giving me their slot.”
“And how do they feel about that?” Letitia asked, amused.
“They’ll adjust,” Eliza quipped. She checked her watch, and winced. “Sorry we can’t stay, but we’re babysitting for Poppy at three.”
Letitia raised her eyebrows. Her playboy cousin, shaking a pacifier of his own free will? “Babysitting?” she mouthed at Cal. He gave a shrug, and a sheepish grin.
Yup, he had it bad.
“When you’re settled in, come have a drink at the pub,” Eliza insisted, as they headed for the door. “And there’s book club next week. Ooh, and the farmers market on Sunday, and the festival—”
“She’s here for a vacation,” Cal interrupted, hustling her out the door. “Not to take over as town social secretary!”
“No, that all sounds great,” Letitia said. “I can’t wait.”
It was true. Letitia saw them off, and grabbed her trusty notebook and a pen – and a copy of the local newspaper Eliza had left behind. She wanted to get started on planning her schedule, so she could make sure she didn’t miss a single event.
And there were a lot of them.
Sweetbriar Cove was known for its endless parade of town celebrations: festivals, charity events, and a couple of actual parades, too. Letitia wondered if that was the reason the place was such a romantic hotspot, all the opportunities to get together and celebrate. Either way, she was going to attend them all. More events meant meeting more people, and more people meant more possibilities of handsome, eligible men.
And she would be sensible this time, not blinded by her hormones. Sure, she wanted to feel something for her partner, but passion wasn’t everything. Some of the most successful couples she’d met said that friendship came first; sparks later. When she found someone compatible, who had the same values, and wanted the same things… Well, true love would follow in time, she was sure of it.
Letitia settled in on the back porch with the last éclair and her calendar, soaking up the peace and quiet of the afternoon as she browsed the listings. An open-air movie screening in the town square… Gallery art-walk… Fireworks on the beach… She smiled, relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever. This plan may have been a crazy last resort, but she felt it in her bones, she was on the right track. And in the right place. The waves were crashing gently against the shore, gulls circled lazily overhead, and—
HONK!
The quiet was shattered by a horn tooting loudly. Letitia sat up, confused, in time to see a beat-up Jeep bumping down the sandy road beside the house, towing a hulking great Airstream in the back. The driver pulled over on the edge of the road, and hopped down, stretching with a yawn as he took in what was no longer her gorgeous, peaceful view.
No!
Letitia stared in horror. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Because it was a very familiar Airstream ruining her perfect vista.
And a very familiar man.
2
Letitia sat there, frozen in disbelief for a moment. Was this really happening? The scruffy surfer from that day at the diner; the man she’d inexplicably kissed – and then given thanks she’d never have to lay eyes on him again – was currently within shouting distance, unpacking a lawn chair and boom box on the sand like he planned to settle in for the rest of the day.
Oh my God.
She leapt up and hurried inside, slamming the back door before he could see her. Her heart was pounding just about as fast as it had done when he’d pulled her into his arms and kissed her—
No, she told herself, blushing. Focus. She couldn’t replay her delicious mistake a hundred times over, she needed to figure out what the hell she was going to do right now.
Letitia tiptoed over to the side window, and peeked out from behind the drapes. With his music and cooler all set up, the guy stripped his T-shirt off, and settled back in his chair, drinking a beer. He looked perfectly relaxed – and like he didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
She groaned. Unless she wanted to stay trapped indoors all day, she was going to have to face him. It turned out, her life of debutante training and etiquette books hadn’t prepared her for this. What was she supposed to say? “Sorry about the time I mauled you in a parking lot. It was temporary insanity, down to how good you looked in those jeans.” Her cheeks were burning up just at the thought.
What was he doing there? And how long did he plan to stay?
Letitia paced back and forth in the small living room, restless. She’d left her notebook out on the porch, but she couldn’t risk going back out to fetch it. She could already hear his music blasting, ruining the quiet of her peaceful afternoon. It was probably a noise violation, she thought with a scowl. It was definitely a breach of good manners, just rolling up like he owned the place, to hell with everyone else’s plans.
Who did he think he was?
Her humiliation turned into annoyance. What did she have to feel embarrassed about? He was the one who had kissed her, and sure, she’d just about ravished him the moment their lips met, but still: it took two to tango.
Or make out in a public parking lot off Route Six.
The music changed to an old Springsteen song, and Surfer Guy must have been a fan, because the volume went up a notch. Letitia narrowed her eyes. Now he was just plain being rude.
Before she could think twice, she steamed back out onto the porch – and kept right on going, down the steps and over to the guy. He was rummaging in the cab, his back turned, when she planted herself a safe distance away with her hands on her hips.
“Excuse me?”
The man turned, and Letitia was briefly distracted by the sight of his tanned, bare chest. A body like that should be illegal. It was just so… toned. And right there in front of her. He hadn’t shaved his face in a couple of days, and his dirty-blonde hair was almost long enough to reach his shoulders, but somehow, it worked on him.
Boy, did it work.
“Well, hey there,” the man said, his lips curling in a smile of recognition – and amusement. “It’s you. Letitia.”
She blinked, thrown. “How do you know my name?” she asked, with growing panic. “Wait, did you follow me here somehow?” Her mind raced. Maybe it wasn’t a cruel twist of fate that he’d shown up on her doorstep. Maybe he’d tracked her down, and was planning… Someth
ing. She didn’t know what, but it probably wasn’t good.
Serial killers could be handsome, too.
“Relax,” the guy replied in an easy drawl. “Just a lucky coincidence. Although, now that I think about it… How do I know you didn’t come looking for me?” he asked, an amused sparkle in his blue eyes. “You’re the one who’s hunting for a husband, aren’t you? And we both know, I’m a hard man to forget.”
Letitia’s jaw dropped. Was he serious?
“Don’t flatter yourself!” she spluttered. “I didn’t— I mean, I would never—”
“Choose a guy like me?” The man finished for her. He took a sip of beer, and gave her a long look from head to toe, his gaze slipping over her like molasses. “Huh. It sure didn’t feel that way the other week when you were moaning for more.”
“That was a mistake,” Letitia blurted, blushing furiously. “And you started it!”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized how immature she sounded. And from the smirk on Surfer Guy’s face, so did he.
“So, if you’re not here for an action replay, what can I do for you?” he asked, settling back into his chair. “I’m Chase, by the way.”
Chase.
It figured. This man probably had women chasing after him wherever he went. But despite what he thought, Letitia definitely wasn’t one of them. She collected herself, and gave him her best icy smile, the one that struck fear into the hearts of saleswomen and scowling businessmen alike. “I’m afraid you need to move somewhere else,” she said. “This is private property.”
Chase raised an eyebrow. “Is it now? Because I thought your property line ended… over there.” He pointed to the fence ten feet away.
She scowled. “But… you can’t park that… thing here. You’re blocking the view!”
“It is pretty spectacular,” Chase agreed with a lazy grin. “You know, I was only making a brief stop for an afternoon swim, but now that I think about it… I reckon I’ll set up camp here for a while. I was planning on parking at my grandpa’s place, but he doesn’t have this view. Or the fine hospitality,” he added, giving Letitia a teasing look.
She bit back a noise of frustration. “Fine,” she said, forcing a smile. The only thing worse than the way he was getting under her skin would be him knowing about it. “But can you at least turn the music down? Some of us are trying to relax.”
“Well, that’s your first problem,” he chuckled. “If you have to try, you’re doing it wrong.”
Letitia let the smile drop. Politeness was clearly wasted on him. “Look, just stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. Deal?”
“I don’t know, it’s a pretty small town,” Chase replied, with another infuriating smile. “You never know who you’re going to run into. Or wind up kissing…” he added, and Letitia wanted to scream. Or grab him. Either way, it wasn’t good. So, she did the only thing she could think of that wouldn’t lead to eventual shame and humiliation:
She turned on her heel and stalked away.
Chase watched Letitia storm away, and tried not to feel guilty for teasing her like that. After all, he wasn’t the one marching over there with a stick up his ass, and a laundry list of demands. He’d forgotten she was wound so tightly; somehow, his memories of their kiss had made everything else fade away.
Because damn, could that woman kiss.
It had been impulsive, sure, but weren’t the best things in life about instinct? One minute, they were arguing there in the parking lot, and the next… His mouth was hot on hers, and her body was soft and yielding in his arms. He would never have guessed an ice queen like that could kiss like she was made of pure, reckless fire, but now that he’d had a taste, he wouldn’t forget any time soon.
Even if she clearly wished he would.
Chase finished his beer and stretched, taking in the perfect beach weather, and waves that were just crying out for his surfboard. He’d arrived in town a couple of weeks ago, but already, it was like he’d never been away. After roaming from coast to coast on an extended road-trip, he was looking forward to relaxing in one spot for the summer – and spending time with the rest of the Kinsella family. They’d been scattered all over the country for years, but somehow, most of his siblings had wound up right here in Sweetbriar Cove. And although his Grandpa Earl liked to grumble about them eating all his good snacks, and interrupting his Sunday afternoon nap-time, Chase knew he liked having family around.
Chase got up to rummage in his duffel for a baseball cap. He’d been telling the truth to Letitia – he’d been parking in the yard at Earl’s all week and making good use of the guest bedroom there. And the guest bedroom shower. But if spending another night roughing it meant he got to annoy the ice queen? It may have been immature, but he couldn’t resist. Especially when she looked so good getting mad: her blue eyes flashing, and her cheeks turning pink with rage.
He saw the curtains twitching over at the beach house, and grinned. He was tempted to crank up his music, and go for a skinny-dip, just to see the look on her face. Then his phone buzzed with a message from his sister.
Ice cream floats at Lou’s?
He smiled. It had always been their summer tradition, and on a hot day, there was nothing better.
Lucky for Letitia, his naked swim would just have to wait.
Chase pulled on a T-shirt and flip-flops, locked up the Airstream, and set out on the half-mile stroll into town. The summer season was well underway, and cars passed him by on the winding shore road, packed to the brim with beach toys and hyper kids. It seemed like only yesterday he was crammed into the backseat of his parents’ van, fighting with Jackson and Luke over a Nintendo game, while Cassie hijacked the stereo, and Aidan begged to drive the final miles.
How long had it been now? A decade, at least, since he’d last been back. Chase had travelled all over, but something had always stopped him returning here. Maybe because a part of him was afraid that the sandy small town of his memories would be gone, replaced with chain stores and luxury condos. But it didn’t take long to realize that the place hadn’t changed at all. Sure, there was a cluster of new local boutiques lining the square, selling pottery, and handmade chocolates, and bouquets of fresh lilies, but the feeling was still just as laid-back and welcoming. People gossiping outside the café; decorations hanging for the Fourth of July; a group of tanned coeds sunning themselves on the green… They smiled at Chase as he passed, and he sent them a wink.
Yup. It was good to be back.
“Archie! Archie, heel!”
Chase heard his twin sister’s voice calling, a moment before he was set upon by thirty pounds of barking, slobbering Labrador puppy. “Oof!” He reeled back, almost knocked off his feet by the dog’s enthusiastic licking.
“Archie!” Cassie arrived out of breath, her choppy hair jammed under a sunhat, and the laces on her sneakers half-undone. “What have I told you about assaulting strangers?”
The dog gave a bark to indicate, he thought it was an excellent idea.
“That’s OK,” Chase grinned, reaching down to scratch Archie’s ears. “We both know, he likes me best.”
Cassie rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “You think you can just waltz into town, and steal him away?” she asked. “See how you like it when he’s waking you up at four a.m. because he’s scared of a spider.”
Chase laughed. “Maybe not. He’s all yours.”
He passed the leash back, and they strolled over to the old-fashioned soda shoppe that was just the way he’d seen it last. “I can’t believe this place is still in business,” Chase marveled, looking at the ancient chalkboard menu that he swore was the exact same one he’d drooled over as a kid.
“Are you kidding? It’s the hottest spot in town, especially when the weather gets sticky like this.” Cassie flashed a smile at the gangly kid in the window. “Two chocolate-chocolate shakes, with extra whipped cream and cherries on top. Thank you!”
“I won’t ask if you got into eating healthy
in LA, then,” Chase teased, as the kid set about assembling their enormous shakes.
Cassie snorted with laughter. “Umm, nope. This is a quinoa-free zone, thank you very much. Besides, summer on the Cape is the best for food. Lobster rolls, clam-bakes, ice cream… And have you stopped by Coco yet?” she asked, naming the little chocolate shop Chase had passed on the way in. “I swear, I’ve put on ten pounds of truffle weight alone from testing Natalie’s new recipes. Couldn’t Luke have fallen in love with a health nut, or a yoga instructor or something?” she asked with a wistful sigh.
“Ah yes, the new girlfriend,” Chase said, pulling some crumpled bills from his pocket to pay. “What do we think of her?”
“Too good for him,” Cassie replied, with a mischievous smile. “But they always are.”
Chase gave a chuckle. Luke had surprised them all by splitting from his long-term girlfriend, and then immediately falling head-over-heels for another woman. But from the way his brother was walking around with a dopey, love-struck expression on his face, Luke had zero regrets. “Jackson’s putting down roots here, too,” he observed, “And now you’re looking awfully smitten with Wes. What happened to you all?”
“I guess we got lucky,” Cassie replied, taking a slurp of milkshake.
“Oh, really?” Chase laughed, and she almost choked on her drink.
“I meant, by finding our soulmates!” she protested.
“Sure you did.”
They found a shady spot across the square, and settled in at one of the picnic tables. Archie chased squirrels, while Chase settled back, enjoying the sunshine and gentle breeze. But clearly, his sister didn’t have the same laid-back attitude to summer vacation, because he’d barely taken a sip of his shake before she fixed him with a meaningful stare.
“So, what are you doing next?”
“You mean, for the afternoon?” Chase gave a casual shrug. “I figured I’d hang with you for a while, then hit the beach, go surfing…”
“No, I meant, in life.”
