Seaside Dreams (Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers, Book One)

by Melissa Foster

  “Goodness gracious. What a welcoming committee.” Vera smiled and patted her hair. “I must be a mess.”

  “You’re perfect, Gram.” Jamie walked with one hand on her lower back, the other firmly holding her arm.

  “How do you feel, Vera?” Bella asked.

  “Oh, Bella dear. I’m okay. I was just a little rattled, that’s all. I don’t think those boys expected me to be home, and I think I startled them as much as they startled me.” She shook her head as they entered her cottage. “The police thought they were after my violin, because when I came out of the bedroom, one of them had it in his hands, but he dropped it before he ran back out the door.”

  “I’m so sorry—”

  Vera interrupted her with a gentle touch on her arm. “Bella, I know you’re worried about Evan, and believe me, if I thought this was Evan’s doing, I would say so. As I told Caden—bless his heart, he is as devastated by this as poor Jamie is—I don’t think Evan orchestrated this. He was too remorseful. Call it a gut feeling.” She lowered herself onto the couch, and Jamie fluffed a pillow and slid it beside her. “Thank you, dear.”

  Bella wanted to know how the whole awful situation had come about in the first place and how Evan was holding up, but Caden could fill her in later.

  “I’m sorry, Vera. This is my fault, too. I brought Evan here and introduced him to Jamie.” She lifted her eyes to Jamie’s and ached at the disappointment in his dark eyes. “Jamie, I’m so sorry.”

  “You couldn’t have known, Bella,” Jamie said flatly. “I think we’d better let Gram rest.”

  Outside the cottage, Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God she’s okay. What a nightmare.”

  Bella had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She needed to find out the complete story, not only for her own peace of mind, but for everyone else’s, as well. She wanted to call Caden and see how he was holding up. She knew he was devastated, but she also knew that he needed time to deal with Evan.

  “We’re going to stay at the house tonight,” Kurt said as he pulled Leanna close. “Will you call if anything comes up?”

  “Of course,” Bella said.

  Leanna hugged her. “Hang in there, Bella. I know you’re worried about Caden and Evan, but you heard Vera. She doesn’t think he was involved. And he did speak up when he thought something was going on. Call me if you need me.”

  “I will, thanks.”

  Tony draped an arm over Bella’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s all go to my deck and commiserate.”

  “I’m going to get some munchies. I’m starved.” Jenna hurried back to her cottage.

  “I’ll get iced tea.” Amy ran onto her deck and disappeared into her cottage.

  Bella leaned against Tony as they walked back to his deck. “Tony, how will we get past this? No one will ever look at Evan the same again.”

  Tony tightened his grip around her shoulder. “Bell, I think I remember hearing a story about three girls who snuck out one night, broke into a certain family’s cottage, and drank all the beer in their fridge.”

  Bella had buried that memory long ago.

  “And the way I heard it, those girls lied about being involved and admitted it only after a certain skinny little blonde puked her guts up.” He stopped walking and shifted his eyes to Amy, heading down the gravel road toward them.

  “Do you have a point, or are you just into reminding me that I was once a delinquent, too?”

  “First of all, my chunky-dunking, firework-exploding, toilet-carrying friend, you are still a little bit of a delinquent. My point is, did everyone treat those teenagers any differently afterward, or were there a few days of disappointed looks and meaningful discussions to help the girls understand why they shouldn’t have done it?” He arched a brow and kissed the top of her head. “It’s gonna be okay, Bell. We all love you, and I don’t think anyone here will assume the worst about Evan unless you tell us that this was all his doing.”

  “What are we talking about?” Amy carried a pitcher of iced tea. She’d thrown a sundress on over her bathing suit and she was juggling plastic wineglasses.

  Tony took the pitcher and glasses from her arms. “I was just telling Bella to breathe.”

  “That sounds like good advice.”

  Jenna joined them on Tony’s deck a few minutes later with a bowl of pretzels and a container of hummus. “Terrible situations make me hungry.” She lowered herself into a chair, then patted Bella’s leg. “Any word from Caden?”

  “Darn it. My phone’s in the car.” Bella rose.

  Tony patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll get it.”

  Amy stared after him with a dreamy look in her eyes.

  “Hey, puppy eyes.” Jenna tossed her a pretzel.

  “Sorry. Habit.” Amy shoved the pretzel into her mouth.

  “You guys, tell me what you’re thinking right this very second.” Bella prepared for worries about Vera followed by, It sucks to be you. I can’t believe Evan lied to everyone. How can we ever trust him again?

  “I’m so relieved that Vera is okay, and I wish Jamie hadn’t looked at you the way he did,” Amy said. “Oh, and Tony’s got a nice ass.”

  “You noticed that look, huh?” Bella asked.

  “I noticed that look, too. I’m glad Vera’s okay, and I wish you didn’t look so worried.” Jenna popped a pretzel into her mouth. “Oh, and I agree about Tony’s ass.”

  “Ugh.” Bella buried her face in her hands. “That look sucked, but I don’t blame him.” She reached for a pretzel. “So, you’re telling me that neither of you is sitting here thinking about how Evan effed up? Or wondering if he was behind the whole thing, if he sent them to Vera’s?”

  Jenna and Amy exchanged a concerned look.

  Amy touched Bella’s hand. “Bell, he said he wasn’t involved, and he turned them in. Have a little faith.”

  Faith. There’s that word again. “I’ve been thinking about fate, and I do have faith in Evan. I believe him, but I’m worried that everyone else might not be as forgiving. And what if he was behind it? How will I ever face Jamie and Vera again? And Caden? I know he blames himself. I saw it in his eyes.”

  “In a case such as this, Bella dear…” Tony dropped her cell phone in her lap. “Do as my mama always said. Wait until the coffee brews to determine if it stinks.” He settled into a seat beside Amy with a loud sigh.

  “Come again?” Bella said as she scrolled through her phone.

  “Wait until you talk to Caden to worry about what’s next. Don’t stress over things that aren’t clear.” He grabbed a handful of pretzels and handed a few to Amy.

  “He hasn’t called.” Bella sighed.

  “It might be hours. He’s got a lot to deal with right now, and he’s probably grilling Evan so he can have those kids arrested. The police said they were gone when they got here.” Amy topped off her glass with iced tea. “I’m glad I’m not in that house tonight.”

  “Funny, I’d give anything to be right there by his side. No matter how hard it gets.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  CHIEF BASSET’S OFFICE was silent, save for the sounds of Evan’s rapid breathing and the blood rushing through Caden’s ears. Evan sat board straight, with his shoulders pulled back and his hair pushed out of his eyes. He was putting on a brave face, but Caden noticed the slight twitch in the left side of his mouth and his fingers fidgeting with the seam of his shorts. The whole situation sucked. He and Evan hashed and rehashed what had gone down at Vera’s, and Evan told him that two of the other boys were behind the recent rash of break-ins. Caden still couldn’t shake the feeling that if he hadn’t let himself get so involved with Bella, he would have been more attuned to what Evan was going through and more attentive to the changes in his behavior. Hell, he might have been able to avoid the situation altogether, but he knew better than anyone that there was no going backward. He knew what he had to do, and that started with teaching Evan a hard lesson about responsibility, which was why they were at the police station.
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  “It’s all there on my cell phone.” Evan pointed to his phone, which he’d placed in the center of the chief’s desk. “It was Mike and David who broke into all those places—the campground, the cars at the beach and at that auto shop—and it was them at Vera’s too. I swear I haven’t deleted messages or anything. You can even look at the records.” The strain in Evan’s voice nearly did Caden in. “You can do that, right, Dad?”

  “Evan, are there any other kids involved besides the two that you’ve told us about?” Chief Basset consulted his notes. “Mike Elkton and David Farrell?”

  “What about Bobby?” Caden asked.

  “No. I told you. Bobby didn’t do anything. It was Mike and David who broke into those other places, and I only know David did it because Bobby told me so. That’s why I stopped hanging out with them.” Evan’s eyes pleaded with Caden to believe him, even though he’d already pled his case back at the house. “I thought they were kidding when they said they’d fingered a car at Nauset, but then I started putting two and two together, and I asked Bobby about it and he told me a day later that they weren’t kidding. They’re the ones who were breaking into places.”

  “But not Bobby Falls?” Chief asked again.

  “No. I swear it. You can ask him. He stopped hanging out with them when I did.” Evan wrung his hands together and looked from Caden to the chief. “I would never do something like that. Bobby told me that they thought that since my dad was a cop they’d be safe. Like, if my dad found out, there was no way he’d turn them in if I was involved. That was the night I got pissed. Remember, Dad? When Bella was there for dinner? Me and Bobby were chatting online when he said they told him that. I confronted them last night, and I guess that breaking into Vera’s place was payback or something.”

  “Evan, we’re going to bring these kids in, and we’ll ask them for their side of the story.” The chief leaned across the desk. “You realize that we have to listen to all sides.”

  “Yes, sir. And I know they might try to say that I was involved. But that’s why I’m giving you my phone, and Dad said you could get the records from our online chats. That will also prove that I wasn’t involved.” He shot a worried look to Caden, and his voice escalated. “They can’t fake that, can they? You can search IP addresses to see what messages came from our house, can’t you?”

  Caden placed a hand on Evan’s forearm. He held on tight and hoped that Evan would take comfort in his touch.

  “Evan, they can do all those things,” Caden assured him. “What Chief Basset wants to know is if there is anything you want to admit to so that he hears it from you first. Remember my rule. Please, of all times, this is the time to honor it.”

  Evan nodded. “I know.” He drew in a breath, and Caden felt him shaking beneath his touch. “We went to Payton’s Campground one afternoon, and I didn’t do anything, but Mike and David left me and Bobby for about twenty minutes, and when they came back, they told us to get the heck out of there.” His tone was apologetic, and his hooded eyes were dreadfully sorry. “That was the time Bella said she saw me and I said she didn’t. I’m sorry, Dad.”

  The day just got even shittier.

  Evan brought his attention to the chief once again. “Bobby told me later that night that they told him they’d broken into a trailer and stolen some stuff, but he didn’t know what. I should have said something, but I was afraid to. I’m sorry, Dad. I’m sorry, Chief Basset. If I had said something, maybe they wouldn’t have had the chance to break in to Vera’s cottage. And I take responsibility for that.” Evan sat back and covered his face with his hands. “I’m so sorry.” He drew in another deep breath. “Dad, when we’re done here, I want you to take me to Vera’s. I need to talk to her and Jamie.”

  “I don’t know, Evan. This isn’t a little thing. Vera could have had a heart attack. They could have hurt her in some other way. She’s stressed. She feels violated and unsafe in her own cottage. Jamie’s livid. His grandmother, the woman who raised him, was put in danger. Do you understand that?” He didn’t give him a chance to answer. “I’m not sure they’ll be receptive to talking to you just yet. They might need a few days to get past this.” Or a few weeks, or years. He had no frigging idea if Jamie and Vera would ever get past it. Hell, he needed time to digest it.

  “Please? I know all that, Dad. That’s why I need to talk to them,” Evan begged.

  “I think that’s a good idea, Caden.” Chief Basset held a steady gaze on Caden. “You’ll be there to buffer the situation. Unless you worry they’ll retaliate in some way, I think it’s important to give Evan a chance to make amends.”

  “Yes, sir.” Caden realized that he hadn’t said no just because of his concerns of how Jamie and Vera might react, but also because he wasn’t ready to face Bella just yet.

  “What will happen to David and Mike?” Evan asked.

  Caden found it interesting that Evan wasn’t asking about what would happen to him. He must have truly come clean, which was honorable, even if he should have come to him sooner.

  “Well, son, that’ll depend on how the investigation goes, and if Mrs. Reed presses charges. And, of course, if those other thefts are confirmed. If you don’t mind, I’d like a word with your father alone. You can wait right outside the door by Ms. Palken’s desk.” Chief Basset nodded a dismissal to Evan.

  “Yes, sir.” Evan left the office, and Caden’s eyes tracked him through the glass until he disappeared in the direction of Kristie’s desk.

  Chief Basset leaned back in his chair. “That’s a pisser, huh?”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  “You okay?” Chief Basset asked.

  “Yeah. Fine. Just, you know…When it’s your kid, all sorts of shit goes through your head.” Like if we never moved, this wouldn’t have happened.

  “Yes, I do know. Like, what if he had been involved? What if he’d been the one to break in?”

  Caden rose to his feet. “Yeah.”

  “Don’t be too hard on him, Caden. He did the right thing.”

  “I know. Thanks, Chief.”

  On the way out of the station, Evan apologized again.

  “I know you’re sorry, Ev. You did the right thing by telling us. I just wish you would have come to me sooner, but in the end, you did the right thing, and I’m proud of you for that.”

  Evan had been strong throughout the last few grueling hours. He hadn’t shed a tear since they left the boat, and he hadn’t lost his cool. Now, at his father’s words, his eyes dampened again.

  “I didn’t mean to mess up so badly, Dad, but I swear to you that I didn’t have anything to do with any of the break-ins. I just wanted friends to hang out with, and then, when I realized what they were into, I didn’t really believe it at first—then I did…”

  Caden pulled Evan into his arms. His thin frame shook within Caden’s stable embrace.

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I’m so sorry.”

  Caden cupped the back of his son’s head and held him close. He’d held him through scraped knees, broken fingers, and hurt feelings. He’d held him through tears shed over an absentee mother, and George’s death, which had sent them both crumpling to their knees. But this, holding Evan after watching him do what most adults wouldn’t have the courage to do—snitch on kids he’d have to face on a daily basis in the fall—this was powerful. Petrifying. This was why he needed to be there for Evan every damn minute he could.

  On the way out of the parking lot, Evan asked to see Vera again.

  “Evan, she’s had a terribly hard day. It’s seven o’clock. I think it might be better to wait until tomorrow.”

  Evan pressed his palms to his thighs. “Please, Dad? I want to talk to them.”

  “As I said, they may not be very receptive.”

  “I know. That’s okay. You’ve always taught me to say I’m sorry, and I don’t want to wait to say it.” Evan’s eyes were hooded, tired, but his voice was determined.

  Caden knew that Evan would stay up half the night t
hinking about it if he didn’t take him to see Vera now. He also knew that the longer he waited to talk to Bella, the more difficult it would be.

  “Okay.”

  The sun was beginning to set when they pulled into Seaside. Evan’s eyes jumped over each cottage on the way around the gravel drive.

  “No one’s outside,” he said.

  “It’s been a tough day.” Caden looked at Bella’s cottage and caught sight of a shadow through the window. His chest ached with the memory of being with her last night.

  He parked by Vera’s cottage and told Evan to wait in the car so he could ask Jamie if it was okay for Evan to come in. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy for any of them, but Jamie had looked like Caden had felt earlier in the day when they were at the urgent care center—ready to tear someone’s head off. He couldn’t protect Evan from what he went through with those kids, but he could, and would, protect him from whatever else he was able to. Jamie had a right to be angry, but Caden hoped he’d be able to control his anger where Evan was concerned, at least until he heard him out.

  Jamie answered the door with surprise in his eyes. “Caden.”

  “Hi, Jamie. How’s Vera?”

  “She’s okay. Would you like to see her?” He stepped to the side, and Caden saw Vera sitting on the couch, reading.

  “Actually, Evan’s in the car, and he’d like to talk to both of you.”

  Jamie furrowed his brow.

  “Jamie, I tried to dissuade him, but he really wants to make amends. We’re just coming back from the police station. He didn’t have anything to do with any of this, and he feels horrible.”

  “Jamie Joseph, you let that boy come in and say his piece,” Vera said from behind Jamie. “Hello, Caden. How are you, dear?” Vera peered around her grandson.

  “We’ve seen better days. I’m truly sorry, Vera.”

  “Yes, dear. You told me that at least a dozen times today, and I do appreciate it. You know I think I scared those boys as much as they scared me. They left as quickly as they came when they realized I was here. I think they expected the place to be empty. Please bring Evan inside. I’d like to speak to him.”