Her Hometown Redemption

by Rachel Brimble

  Well, from now on, he’d make a concerted effort to cut back on work and start focusing on his personal life. At the grand old age of thirty-two, Liam was sick and tired of being single. The next woman who caught his eye, he would ask out on a date this coming weekend.

  Cowden Beach promenade was busy with people finished with work for the day. Smiling men and women relaxed with drinks outside one of the bars, or chatted with friends at the promenade amid a fantastic view of the glittering blue ocean in the distance. Templeton was a place few residents left once they moved there, and Liam thanked his lucky stars every day that when his mother divorced his asshole of a father, she found them a new home at the Cove.

  The double doors of the Seascape were wide-open as Liam walked along the short pathway into the restaurant. His vision adjusted to the dark interior after the glare of the sun. Almost every table was occupied, and he inwardly cursed that he might have to forgo his tradition and eat somewhere else after his win in court.

  “Oh, don’t look so peeved. You know I’d never let you go without a table.”

  Smiling, he turned and met the happy, shining eyes of the female counterpart of the husband-and-wife team who owned the Seascape. “Hey, Caroline. You’re busy this evening.”

  “Aren’t we always?” She tilted her head toward the open doors of the restaurant. “Follow me. I have the perfect table for one.”

  Ignoring her unwittingly poured salt as it stung his wound, Liam followed Caroline back toward the entrance.

  She waved toward the table in front of them. “Here you go.”

  The minuscule table might have had a seat on either side, but Liam imagined two plates would have to be touching to fit on its surface. He forced a smile. “Thanks, this is great.”

  “You’re welcome. Have a look at the menu and I’ll grab you a glass of wine. Usual?”

  He nodded. “Perfect.”

  She walked away and Liam put his jacket on the back of the chair and sat. He scanned the room and lifted a hand to Marian and George Cohen sitting a few tables away, steadfastly ignoring the way Marian looked pointedly at the vacant chair opposite him. Damn if the woman didn’t have a knack for saying something about everything without uttering a single word.

  As the town’s matriarch and surrogate mother to anyone under the age of forty-five, Marian was a force to be reckoned with. The only person who had a hell’s chance of keeping her behavior marginally civilized was George, her long-suffering, yet entirely devoted, husband.

  Liam snatched up the menu and made a resigned effort to show Marian her clear observation hadn’t bothered him. Narrowing his eyes, he studied the Seascape’s array of renowned fresh-fish dishes. Today’s success called for the sea bass. Just thinking about it falling apart on his plate kicked Liam’s annoyance to the curb and he snapped the menu shut, decision made.

  “Here you go. One large glass of cabernet.” Caroline placed his drink on the table and smiled. “You have the expression of a man who knows what he wants and how he wants it.”

  “I do.” He passed her the menu. “I’m going for the sea bass.”

  “No problem.” She took the menu and hugged it to her chest. “Things must be going pretty great for you, considering how often you’re in here.”

  Liam smiled. “They are. Haven’t lost a case in over a year. Long may it continue.”

  “Absolutely.” Caroline lifted an eyebrow. “But as a concerned friend of yours...”

  “Yes?”

  “It would be nice to see a woman in here with you from time to time, you know.”

  Liam shook his head. “Hey, we might have been friends for over ten years, but that doesn’t mean you get to inch in on my love life. I’ll start calling you Marian Junior if you’re not careful.”

  Caroline laughed. “Do you want fries or steamed potatoes with your sea bass?”

  “Pota—” The word lodged in his throat upon sight of the woman who walked into the restaurant. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “What’s wrong?” Caroline turned. “Is that... It can’t be.”

  Liam’s gut dropped to the floor and his heart picked up speed. “Is that Tanya?” He shot his gaze to Caroline. “Is it?”

  Her cheeks flushed. “I think it might be.”

  He clenched his jaw as a mix of shock, euphoria, anger and disbelief battled inside him. “For the love of God. Just when I decide it’s time to get my ass into gear for some serious dating, Tanya strolls back into town as though it’s the most natural thing in the world.”

  Caroline raised her eyebrows. “This was her home for over twenty years.”

  “What am I supposed to say to her? The last time I saw her she was my girlfriend, for crying out loud.”

  Caroline glanced over her shoulder toward the bar where Tanya had slid onto a stool. “You need to be cool, calm and collected.” She faced him. “Don’t you go over there making a fool of yourself. You’re better than that. For all she knows, you could be married, have kids...”

  He dragged his gaze from Tanya’s long brown hair and rounded butt. “Yeah, and so could she.”

  Caroline grimaced. “True, but still, you need—”

  “I can’t just sit here.” He stood. “I have to know why she’s back.”

  Caroline reached up and dug her nails into his shoulder, her wide green eyes bright with determination. “Sit. I’ll go talk to her.”

  Liam looked from her to Tanya and back again, adrenaline pumping through him. He clenched his jaw and sat. “Fine.”

  Caroline gave a curt nod. “I’ve got this, okay?”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’ll go serve her and get the lay of the land. You stay here.”

  Caroline walked away and Liam stared at Tanya once more. She’d finally come home.

  He picked up his glass and drank a third of his wine in a single gulp.

  CHAPTER TWO

  TANYA FACED THE bar and fought to keep her feet still as nerves tumbled inside her despite her resolve that she had as much right to be in the Seascape as the next person. The dulcet tones of Enrique Iglesias thumped a sexy salsa beat from the speakers dotted around the restaurant, the air heavy with heat and the prospect of a good weekend. She’d chosen Friday to arrive at the Cove so she would have the entire weekend to settle in at her sister’s vacant apartment and be free to start on her brand-new office, come Monday.

  Now the decision seemed foolish. Maybe arriving on Monday would’ve been more sensible so people wouldn’t have such a buoyant mood about them.

  Tanya exhaled. Who was she kidding? The people in Templeton were buoyant Monday through Sunday. Wasn’t that part of what had annoyed her about the place? Wasn’t that what her mother always said, that the people here were fake? Well, whatever was true, the one thing Tanya could be sure of was, sooner or later, she would have no choice but to face questions.

  “Well, this is a surprise.”

  Tanya turned and smiled. Here goes nothing. “Hi, Caroline.”

  Caroline’s gaze was wary, her strained smile not quite reaching her eyes. “You’re back.”

  Foreboding knotted Tanya’s stomach, but she lifted her chin. “I am. How are you?”

  “Better than you, by the look of it.” Caroline frowned. “You’ve lost a lot of weight since we last saw you.”

  Tanya glanced down at her shirt. “I’ve...been working out.”

  “Well, don’t let Marian see you. She’ll be stuffing you with pastries from now until Christmas.”

  Tanya smiled. “Ah, the famous Marian.”

  Caroline grinned. “That’s right. She wasn’t in the Cove when you were, was she?” She leaned forward. “Well, she’s sitting right over there and curious as hell who you are.”

  Tanya turned and met the narrowed ga
ze of a woman she guessed to be in her midsixties. Unease lifted the hairs at her nape and Tanya swallowed. Sasha had warned her...but still the determination in Marian’s gaze couldn’t be denied.

  Tanya swiveled around. “Uh-oh.”

  Caroline glanced toward the restaurant doors. “Are you visiting? You do know your sister’s moved away, don’t you?”

  “Of course. I’m here for me, not Sasha.”

  Caroline raised an eyebrow. Said nothing.

  Tanya cleared her throat and battled the urge to walk out of the restaurant. Caroline’s expression was clear. She still considered Tanya the same selfish, egotistical person she was before. No doubt everyone else would too...including this Marian Cohen character.

  Tanya straightened her spine. “So, how have you been? You look great.”

  Caroline shot a glance over Tanya’s shoulder a second time. “Thanks.”

  Resisting the urge to look behind her, Tanya waited. She had to do this. Caroline and Jay were only the first of many who would surely ask why she was back and for how long. Her mother had warned her how hard it would be to convince people she wanted so much more now than just a high-flying banking career. Her previous hunger for money and power had bruised a few egos and broken some dreams. She had a lot of making up to do.

  Somehow, she would find a way to prove to the people who remembered her that she no longer bulldozed through everything and everyone who got in the way of her ambition. She’d changed. Her mistakes and their consequences had altered her beyond anything anyone might assume they saw on the surface.

  Tanya cleared her throat. “Look, I’m back for good if my plans for my new business work out, so—”

  “New business?” Caroline raised her eyebrows as she met Tanya’s gaze. “In Templeton?”

  Tanya frowned. “Yes. What’s going on, Caroline? Do you really have that much of a problem with me being here? I know I upset a few people in town, but I thought you and I—”

  “We’re fine.”

  “Then why—”

  “Is it just a drink you want? Or shall I grab you a table when one becomes free?” Caroline shot yet another anxious look toward the door. “Unless you want to try somewhere else? I think it’ll be a while before I can seat you.”

  Something wasn’t right. Tanya remembered Caroline greeting friends and strangers with the exact same warmth. The Caroline Tanya knew broke her back seating anyone and everyone who came into the restaurant.

  “I’ll wait.” Tanya turned to see what was constantly snagging Caroline’s attention and making her jumpier than a cat being stared down by a hungry canine.

  Her heart stopped.

  Liam Browne’s unwavering gaze locked on hers and Tanya’s heart turned over. Slowly, he stood but made no move toward her. Her stomach knotted, even as instantaneous attraction stole into her blood. If possible, he looked stronger, more handsome and even more quietly capable than he had eight years ago. Age had enhanced, rather than diminished, his dark, serious looks. The addition of his dark-rimmed glasses, longer hair and clean-shaven jaw made her fingers itch to touch him.

  This was bad. Really bad.

  She snapped her gaze from his and slid from the stool. “I think I’ll try another restaurant, after all.”

  Caroline nodded, her gaze soft. “Might be for the best.”

  The hint of sympathy in Caroline’s voice brought the smallest hope of a lifeline that forgiveness might not be the impossibility Tanya feared. She forced a smile. “Well, I hope to see you again soon.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  Hitching her bag onto her shoulder, Tanya approached Liam, trepidation ricocheting through her. What choice did she have but to talk to him? If she walked out without a word, things would only be harder the next time they met—and there would most definitely be a next time in a place as small as Templeton.

  His shoulders straightened beneath his crisp white shirt as she neared. The music seemed to grow in volume, the beat matching her footsteps and the banging of her heart. When she was a safe distance away from him, Tanya stopped. “Hi.”

  His crystal-blue gaze bored into hers, his jaw tight and his mouth a thin line. The burning stares of the other patrons pricked at her skin, making her want to turn and face each of them down.

  When it was clear Liam had nothing to say to her, Tanya inhaled. “Right, well, I guess I’ll see you around, then.”

  “Wait.”

  She halted with her back to him. Let me go, Liam. Please. She briefly closed her eyes, before opening them and facing him. “What?”

  “Why don’t you join me?” He waved toward the empty seat at his table. “It’s...good to see you.”

  Tanya glanced at the seat, at him and then around the restaurant. Familiar faces swam in front of her. Faces she remembered from a different life, a different time. Kevin and Nick. Bianca and Ella. All people she should’ve known would still be here. People who thought they knew her and her mother but never really did.

  She snatched her gaze back to Liam. “Maybe another time. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  “Sasha’s. Look, I’m sorry.” She raised her hands, warding him off. “I can’t do this now.”

  She moved to walk away and he gripped her wrist. Tanya’s pulse quickened beneath his fingers. He stared deep into her eyes, and her mind went blank as her body turned from hard to soft.

  She swallowed. “Please, Liam. Not now. We’ll talk soon, I promise.”

  His jaw tightened for a second before he nodded and released her. “Okay.”

  Tension simmered as she tried and failed to drag her gaze from his. “You look good. Happy.”

  He nodded.

  His continued silence inched its warning over her skin. She knew him well enough to know he had a lot to say. Whatever that might be, it wouldn’t be said here with everyone watching them. “Okay, well, I’ll see you soon.”

  Tanya left the restaurant, each assessing gaze of the diners branding her skin like tattoos. Weakness threatened and she pushed it away. She had to be strong if she stood any chance of turning her life around. She had to keep smiling, no matter how hard that might be; she had to focus on taking each new step toward a different life. She had to be willing to do whatever it took to get back into the warm fold of Templeton, no matter how difficult that might be.

  She’d returned with the hope of creating a quieter life once she’d done everything in her power to find her sister’s molester. Until Matt Davidson was behind bars, she had no choice but to throw herself into the fray. She was done with the backstabbing and stress of her city job—she longed for a softer, happier life and would ensure she got it, no matter how long that might take.

  Pulling out her phone, Tanya headed for the beach. She dialed her sister’s number and Sasha picked up on the third ring. “Hey, how’s it going?”

  Tanya sighed. “Not great.”

  “You’ve got this. You can get through a bit of gossiping.”

  “It’s not even the talk.”

  “Then what?”

  “They’re cold, Sasha. Ice bloody cold.”

  “You knew this wouldn’t be easy. You’re going to have to expect some curiosity and detachment for a while. Templeton doesn’t have great memories of you, that’s all. It’s going to take time to make new ones.”

  Tanya leaned down and took off her high-heeled sandals. “I saw Liam.”

  “Oh.”

  “Exactly.” She descended the stone steps onto the beach. “I thought I might have at least twenty-four hours before that dreaded meeting, but no, less than one.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  Tanya walked along the warm sand, her gaze drawn to the ev
ening sky that was purely Templeton. Shades of pink and peach hovered above the ocean, and the sun glowed brightly even as it slowly lowered toward the waves. She breathed deep. “He just stared and then asked me to join him for something to eat.”

  “And you didn’t?”

  “No. I’m not ready for his questions. At least, I’m not ready yet. Things weren’t right between us when I left, and most of that was my fault, but still I shouldn’t have just walked out on him. I realize that now.” She swallowed as Liam’s face filled her mind’s eye. “He looks fabulous. Why didn’t you tell me how good he looks?”

  Sasha laughed. “Why would I? You were the one who said you wanted more than Templeton...more than Liam. I told you then, and I’m telling you now, he’s one of the best guys out there.”

  Tanya swallowed. She couldn’t deny the spark was still there between them; the tension of unspoken words punctuating the air like unexploded bombs. “Maybe.”

  “There’s no maybe about it. Who knows, in time, the two of you—”

  “The chances of him ever thinking of me that way again are zero. I just hope the disgust in his eyes disappears sooner rather than later, that’s all.”

  “Disgust? Are you sure? That doesn’t sound like Liam.”

  “What else could that dark, intense, unblinking study mean? He wants me? I don’t think so.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure. Liam looks at me like I’m his baby sister. The look he gave you sounds a lot more interesting.”

  Tanya joined the line outside Bart’s food hut and eyed the fast-food menu with a mixture of nostalgia and nausea. “Yeah, well, I’ve had as much as I can take for my first evening back. I’m going to grab a burger and Coke and take it back to the apartment. A night of unpacking feels a lot more appealing than anything else right now.”

  “And what about the weekend?”

  Tanya sighed. “I’ll have plenty to keep me busy until I start sorting out the office on Monday.”

  “Good.”

  Tanya cleared her throat. “I also might take a walk to Funland and see what they’ve done to the place since you’ve been gone.”