by Amie Denman
Brady piled up everything he thought Kate might like, and the server wrapped it tightly in foil. He picked up a bottle of water and an orange soda and headed for his truck. He knew the trolley route by heart, and if Kate couldn’t come to the party, he would take the party to her.
He caught up with the trolley on the north side of town, one of the farthest stops where tourists could hop on and off. The stop was a newer five-story hotel that advertised great rates and a pool. If no one was waiting to board, it would be a fast stop, so he would have to act quickly.
Brady pulled off the road, grabbed the package of food and the two drinks and ran to the door of the trolley just as it was closing. He thunked on the door with his elbow and it opened.
“Ticket?” Kate asked.
Brady smiled and held out the plate of food. “Will this work?”
Kate glanced at the food and the two bottles in his hand. He didn’t know what he’d expected—would she thank him with a kiss or tell him he was the best no-strings brief romance she’d ever had?
“You didn’t have to bring me anything,” she said. “I’m fine.”
Brady let out a long, slow breath. “I know you’re fine. I’m just dropping this off in case you have a long night and no breaks.”
Kate got out of the driver’s seat and took the wrapped plate. Brady tucked both bottles in the cup holders built into the dashboard of the trolley. He noticed there were two couples on the trolley, both of them sitting in the middle rows. If they wanted to, the passengers would overhear anything he said to Kate.
“Thanks,” she said. “But I have to go. Schedule to keep, you know.”
“I could ride along with you and keep you company,” he offered.
Kate shook her head and her expression was back to the focused, fearless one he was accustomed to seeing on her. Where was the playful Kate from a few nights ago, the one who had kissed him on the beach? Had something changed?
“You go back to the party,” she said.
“I’m not going back.”
“You should.”
Did she want to get rid of him?
“I mean, I know you work hard, and you deserve a fun evening,” she said.
“Everyone does.”
Kate shrugged. “It’s fun driving the trolley, and I’m getting paid overtime. Every mile gets me just a little closer to flight attendant school. Can’t complain about that.”
Brady swallowed and nodded. His goal had been to make sure Kate got something to eat, and he’d accomplished that. She had a schedule to keep, and he had a promise to keep—a light summer romance with no promises beyond September 1. He owed himself and Kate the courtesy of saying good night.
“I think we’re on the schedule together tomorrow,” he said. “See you then.”
On his way home, Noah called his cell phone and Brady picked it up on the second ring. He hated talking on the phone while he drove, but he didn’t think his brother would call him if it wasn’t important.
“Are you near a store?” Noah asked.
“I could be.” Brady had just passed a local grocery he usually shopped at, but he was willing to turn around. “What do you need?”
“Chocolate milk. I’d run out and get it myself, but Bella is already in her pajamas and I hate to drag her out.”
“No problem. I’ll get it and be home in ten minutes.”
Brady put on his turn signal, turned around in a hotel parking lot and went back to the grocery. Maybe Kate wasn’t impressed that he’d chased down the trolley to deliver her dinner, but he was important in the eyes of his brother and his niece. He had to keep his feelings for Kate in perspective and remember the people who wanted to share his dream of a secure home and family. In a few months, Kate could be anywhere in the world, but he hoped his brother and niece would be tucked safely under the same roof with him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE NIGHT HAD been far too short. Kate had gotten back to her apartment at nearly midnight, listened to Holly talk about the beach party for half an hour and then lain awake for another hour wishing she hadn’t dismissed Brady so abruptly. He hadn’t been needy, hadn’t asked her to put his feelings ahead of her work and had, in fact, been darn considerate and thoughtful.
But the scary realization earlier in the day that she cared about his feelings and worried about his reaction to her decision to skip their date in favor of work had bothered her. Remaining free of emotional ties was her way of staying in control of her life. Granted, Brady didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would want to control her. He wanted something else from her—her attention and...affection? If she gave those things, it would be temporary only.
As she pulled her Cape Pursuit Trolley visor a little lower to battle the sunrise coming off the Atlantic, Kate wasn’t surprised at all to see Brady cheerfully bounding down the three trolley steps. He carried a clipboard and smiled at her.
“I got here early and hogged the precheck all for myself,” he announced. “You don’t get to check the tires or sweep under the seats. Sorry.”
Kate laughed. “I’m so disappointed.”
“Me, too. I was looking forward to at least wiping smudgy fingerprints off the windows, but whoever drove this buggy last night must have cleaned up before it got parked in the trolley garage.”
“It was a slow night,” Kate said.
“I offered you company,” he replied with a smile. “But you were all business and completely resistant to my charms.”
“Fine,” Kate said. “You’re allowed to be charming for the next eight hours since I’m stuck working with you, Mr. Sunshine-in-the-Morning.”
“Just for that, I’m letting you drive.”
Brady swept out a hand toward the door of the trolley to indicate she should board first. Kate took the driver’s seat, Brady rang the bell and they rolled toward the beach pickup, the first stop on the day’s trolley line. It was just eight in the morning, but there were already people dotting the beach with colorful sand buckets, beach towels and totes.
No one was waiting to get on the trolley at the beach stop, but Kate knew the boarding areas in front of hotels and along the tourist strip would be filled with beach-goers waiting for a ride. Brady sat right behind her, the only passenger on the first short leg of the day’s route.
“I wish we served doughnuts on the route or had built-in time to stop and get some,” he said. “I’m already having a great day, but can you imagine how much better a jelly-filled doughnut would make it? Or maybe cream-filled.”
Kate laughed. “You’re making me hungry.”
“Did you eat the dinner I brought you last night?”
She nodded. “I had a little bit at each stop until I suddenly realized it was all gone. I drank the orange soda, but I put the bottle of water in my fridge for another time. Thanks. It was really sweet of you.”
She heard his fingers drumming cheerfully on the seat behind her. “I’m a public servant,” he said, “warding off emergencies of all kinds, including food.”
“What about the current doughnut emergency?”
“I haven’t given up hope,” he said.
Kate stopped the trolley in front of a block of tall hotels and she opened the door. Brady got out and greeted the customers, checking their tickets.
“Good morning,” Kate heard Brady say. “You picked a perfect day to go to the beach.”
Three guests boarded and found seats, wedging their beach bags at their feet.
Kate hopped off the trolley and stood next to Brady. His enthusiasm was contagious. Brady pointed to a man’s hat that identified him as an army veteran. “Thank you for your service,” Brady said.
“Were you in the military, too?” the man asked. Kate could see the logic in the question. Brady was tall, broad-shouldered and confident.
“Firefighter,” he said. “This is my part-
time job.”
“Be careful out there,” the military veteran said. “Dangerous job.”
Kate glanced over at Brady, who was offering a hand to a little boy following his mom up the trolley steps. The mom had a baby on one hip and a huge bag on the other shoulder. “There you go, little man. Help your mom pick a good seat.”
Kate considered herself an outgoing and friendly person, even though she always felt she had gotten a slow start on being social because of her mother’s reluctance to leave the house. Her first day of school—albeit at a small, private one—had been an eye-opener. Still, she had traveled and worked with people so much that she felt at ease talking. However, she couldn’t hold a candle to Brady, who seemed to radiate friendliness. He had a giving personality. Kate watched him hold an older man’s beach bag while he dug through his wallet for his trolley pass.
Brady deserved the love of someone truly wonderful, and it was a sharp stab to Kate’s heart when she remembered there was no way that someone could be her. She wasn’t willing to give her heart to anyone, and no way would someone like Brady take love in half measures.
“Ready to roll,” Brady said, smiling at Kate when their line dwindled to no one.
Kate followed him onto the trolley and took her driver’s seat. She secured the door, put on her seat belt, checked her mirrors and rolled into traffic.
“Welcome aboard, friends,” Brady said over the speaker system. “We have five stops between here and the first beach drop-off, but I promise you I’ll give you plenty to think about on the way.”
Kate knew every inch of the route, but she still had plenty to think about. A tiny sliver of her wanted to attempt a real relationship with Brady, and the rest of her wanted to cut him loose and stop making him think there could be anything lasting between them. Not that he’d asked for that, she reminded herself.
“First of all, a little bit about the city of Cape Pursuit. You may have read the brochures or tuned into the tourist channel on the hotel television.”
Several people laughed and Brady chuckled. “I see some of you know what I mean. It’s a bit on the cheesy side, but the scenery looks great no matter what. In case you’re wondering how the city got its name, it goes back several hundred years to a pirate legend. Do I have any pirates on board?”
Kate knew the script by heart, and Brady was mostly sticking to it, but he was improvising and making it a lot more fun.
“Raise your hands a little higher,” he said. Kate glanced in the mirror and saw Brady was pointing at a few kids with their hands up. “Look out for those pirates, folks. Like I said, a pirate gave the city its name when he tried to come ashore to hide his treasure and see his true love. When he was chased away, it’s said that he hid his pirate loot along the shore somewhere, but no one has ever found it.”
Kate heard some murmuring among the passengers at the tale. People loved hearing it, and the lure of buried treasure was a perennial favorite.
“You may have seen the mermaid statue on the beach,” Brady continued. “She looks a bit sad, and that’s because she’s waiting for her true love, the pirate, to return.”
“Maybe she’s just sorry she missed out on the treasure,” a man in the front row suggested.
Brady laughed. “That’s not the romantic version of the story, but I can see your logic.”
Kate stopped the trolley at the next group of hotels and restaurants, and she and Brady repeated the ticket checking and welcoming at the door of the trolley. Brady picked up the microphone as soon as the trolley left the stop.
“Welcome, new riders. I’m happy to present you with two choices for your entertainment for the next six to eight minutes. I could recite the entire history of the great state of Virginia from memory, or you could help me with a little game I’m playing. So, show of hands for history.” He paused and Kate heard silence behind her. “How about the game?” She heard sounds of assent and saw hands raised when she glanced in the mirror above her head.
“Okay,” Brady said. “Those of us lucky enough to run the trolley also have a chance to play for a big prize at the end of the summer by completing tasks. We find out the challenges by looking at the app on our phones. Here’s this week’s challenge—I have to do something that will make another employee’s day.”
Kate wanted to turn around so she could see Brady’s face, but she had to keep her eyes on the road. Was he joking around? She hadn’t looked at the new challenge that was scheduled to post that morning. Make someone’s day?
“You see the excellent driver behind the wheel keeping us all safe on the way to the beach?” Brady said. Kate could feel all the eyes in the bus on her. What was he doing?
“That’s Kate, and she’s my favorite person to work with. What could I do to make her day? I’m taking suggestions.”
Kate breathed in and out slowly, not letting Brady grab her interest or distract her from her job.
“You could send her flowers,” a woman’s voice suggested.
“Hmm,” Brady said. “I wonder if she’d like that?”
Kate knew Brady knew she hated flowers, but it was nice of him not to reject the woman’s idea.
“Candy,” a child’s voice suggested.
“Always a great idea, but you have to know if someone is a chocolate lover or hates nuts or likes the colorful sugary stuff.”
“That’s risky,” a man said. “You should just tell her she has a nice smile and she makes your day.”
Two women sighed, and Kate decided that man knew a thing or two about relationships.
“Kate,” Brady said, his voice deepening to a comic announcer voice. “You have a beautiful smile, and you totally make my day.”
Kate shook her head as she heard laughter behind her. She put on her turn signal, pulled over and opened the door. As they disembarked, at least one woman and two men smiled and winked at her, and Kate couldn’t decide if she wanted to ask her boss to fire Brady or promote him to PR staff for the trolley line.
“Where does all the cheerfulness come from?” Kate asked Brady as they stepped off and welcomed a new group of tourists.
Brady shrugged. “I’m a big guy, plenty of room.”
Kate smiled and told guests to watch their step.
“And I have a secret,” Brady said quietly.
Kate froze. He wasn’t going to reveal his deep feelings for her, was he? That would be a disaster.
“I never lose faith in my fellow man, no matter what.”
“Even when people disappoint you?” Kate asked.
“Especially then,” Brady said.
Kate couldn’t decide if that was good or bad, because she already knew she was going to disappoint him by leaving at the end of the summer and probably never looking back. She wanted to ask him what would make his day, but she already knew. A permanent home and, she guessed, someone to share it with him.
* * *
THE NEXT DAY, Brady had the morning off from the fire station and he agreed to take care of Bella while his brother went to a job interview. He loaned Noah one of his two neckties as well as his pickup truck. It was raining, and the defrost didn’t work on Noah’s aging car. Brady didn’t want his brother getting in an accident because of fogged-up windows on the way to an interview.
Bella, perhaps sensing her dad’s nervousness, was more restless than usual. It was a warm summer rain, so Brady put up a big umbrella, got Bella into a pair of boots and took her for a walk, hand in hand. They strolled downtown, Bella pausing to splash in the puddles along the way. Brady didn’t try to stop her. Splashing in puddles was one of the perks of childhood.
They stopped at a bakery and bought two large chocolate chip cookies, eating them at an indoor table while the raindrops ran down the front window. As they left the shop, the trolley pulled up on its regular route.
“Ride,” Bella said, pointing excitedly at the trolley
.
“Okay,” Brady agreed. He didn’t have any other plan for entertaining her on a rainy day, and he didn’t know how long his brother would be at his interview. If it took Noah a long time, it was probably a good sign. He checked for text messages from Noah before they boarded the trolley, but there was nothing.
They dashed through the rain and got to the trolley just before the driver closed the door.
Kate.
He wasn’t surprised. Kate worked a lot, as many hours as she could get.
“Nice day for ducks out there,” she said, pointing at Bella’s yellow boots with ducks painted on them.
“Quack,” Bella said.
Kate smiled and looked up at Brady. “Did you lose your truck?”
“Loaned it to my brother, and we’re out for a fun day while Noah goes to a job interview at the bank.”
Kate nodded in acknowledgment, and Brady sat with Bella in the front seat across the aisle from the driver. A young couple was already sitting in the seat right behind Kate, and they looked as if they were so in love they didn’t even know they were on public transportation. Brady noticed the man brushing raindrops off the woman’s cheeks with a gentle hand, and he looked away.
Brady saw that Holly was sitting in the back of the trolley with the microphone in her hand, but there were only a few passengers on the rainy day, and Holly gave them a half-hearted welcome and told them the next stop was in five minutes.
Bella swung her legs from the seat and hummed a song as she watched out the window. Brady sat back and rested an arm across the seat back so Bella wouldn’t bump her head on the wood. Over the quiet trolley engine, Brady heard sirens behind them, getting closer. Kate pulled to the right and stopped the trolley, allowing the emergency vehicles passing room.
Brady got up and peered out the front windshield. The ladder truck, two pumpers, one rescue truck and an ambulance passed them. Kate glanced up. “Must be bad,” she said.
Holly had also come to the front of the trolley to see what was going on. “Those trucks are flying,” she commented.
