Bayside Opposites

by Stacy Claflin

“But they have actual proof. Individually, what they have is worthless. Together, however, it could be devastating to the company.” She leaned even closer to him. “Especially to you.”

  His face paled but his expression remained stoic. “What do you think you have on me?”

  “Think?” She laughed. “That’s classic. I have solid proof of blackmail—and I’m not talking about you blackmailing me. Does the name Frank Witherspoon mean anything to you?”

  “I, I…” His face reddened and his brows came together. “There’s no way you can prove I had anything to do with that!” He pressed his palms on the table.

  “Actually, I can. You also helped to set up Nate’s dad so he would get fired. There’s video proof of that. And should I mention the Ellerby financing fiasco?”

  Reese stared at her, his mouth forming a tight straight line.

  “And I don’t suppose you want to talk about the Griffin—”

  “Enough!” He slammed the table, knocking his fork against his glass.

  Other patrons turned and stared.

  Reese took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “What do you want?”

  “Leave me and Nate alone. Don’t bother either one of us again. I want nothing to do with you, and I don’t want him worrying about when you might turn him in. If you do, I’ll give the police what I have on you.”

  “Now you’re blackmailing me?”

  Madisyn leaned back in her chair and shook her head. “No, not really. The former employees all know about each other, and they might turn you in anyway. Some of them are willing to forgive and forget, but they want restitution. You’ll probably want to apologize and find a way to restore their reputations.”

  His mouth gaped.

  “You might want to get started on that. But first, what do you say? Will you leave Nate and me alone?”

  Reese ran his hands through his hair. “You’re no better than Nate. You two deserve each other.” He pulled out his wallet, dropped a fifty on the table, and stormed out of the restaurant.

  Madisyn grinned and sent Logan a quick text thanking him for all the help. It paid to have an honest attorney in the family.

  Twenty

  Nate climbed onto the rickety boat and dropped his bags onto the floor. Dust flew in all directions. He walked to the bow of the boat and leaned against the railing, staring out over the lake. So much for leaving Enchantment Bay. At least he could avoid everyone here.

  He’d been a fool to think he could win over someone like Madisyn—stunningly beautiful and used to extravagant living. Guys like him—poor, pathetic, uneducated fools—never ended up being more than a pool boy or deckhand for the Madisyn Steeles of the world.

  Nate picked up a rock next to his foot and threw it out into the water as hard as he could.

  Why had he let himself fall in love? He’d been so careful up until that point. But then he’d let himself get so enamored by Madisyn’s pretty face and sweet disposition.

  He was so stupid! She was destined for greatness, and he was destined for… what? A life working at the Snake Pit? Delivering packages of who-knew-what to people who worked for infamous criminals? Maybe that was as good as it was going to get for him. At least the money was good, if he would quit wasting it.

  Nate kicked the wall and spun around. Then he picked up his bags and headed down to the living quarters. He threw himself onto the bed and closed his eyes.

  Images of Madisyn and Reese on their date flooded his mind. Nate grabbed the musty pillow and forced it over his face. That didn’t erase the scenes. Instead, they only grew worse. His mind conjured up pictures of Reese kissing Madisyn, and of her returning the favor.

  He threw the pillow onto the floor, jumped up, and paced the tiny room.

  Then a new realization struck him—he would be an even bigger fool to just give up. Rolling over and letting that arrogant jerk win only made Nate a bigger idiot than he already was.

  Madisyn and he had a connection. A real one. The way she’d opened up at the dance proved as much. Reese only cared about owning her. Nate wanted to treasure her, and he knew that was ultimately what Madisyn would want, even if she couldn’t see that at the moment. She was just blinded by Reese’s charm. That was the only thing that made sense. Why else would she have gone on a date with him?

  Nate looked around the cramped living area with a fierce determination. He would fight for her. It didn’t matter what it would take, he would find a way to show her that he loved her and would do anything for her.

  He froze. Love? Yes, he did love her. That was why he had to fight. He couldn’t claim to care about her if he didn’t at least try to show her how wrong Reese was for her. Nate wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he cared, and that counted for something.

  The only question was, what could he do to be able to provide her with all the good things she deserved? He could go to college, but it would take him years to earn enough just to go. Or he could head back home and keep working at the Snake Pit, taking as many additional shifts as possible, or even taking on a second job. That would still take a lot of time to save money, even living rent-free at his parents’ house.

  Nate’s gaze landed on an empty box in the corner. Another, much faster, option was that he could go back to working for Vinny. He could demand the recent triple-salary for each job. Then it wouldn’t be long at all before he could shower Madisyn with the expensive things she was used to.

  He grabbed his phone, slid his finger around the screen until he found Vinny’s number, and hovered over the unblock button for a moment before pressing it. Then he called the number he’d sworn he never would again.

  Twenty-One

  Madisyn wrapped the towel around her soaking hair, slid on the dark floral sundress, then headed into her room to check her phone. Nate still hadn’t called her back, which was surprising given how many times he’d called her when she’d had her ringer off. She sighed and finished getting ready.

  If she couldn’t get a hold of him, she’d find him. After dealing with Reese all afternoon, she wanted nothing other than to lose herself in Nate's eyes and nestle into his embrace.

  After putting on the final touches of makeup, she eyed the phone, willing it to ring.

  It didn’t.

  She picked it up and called Nate again. It went straight to voicemail. She’d already left a couple messages, so she hung up and wandered around her room, tidying things that didn’t need it, thanks to Sally always keeping everything so nice.

  Fifteen slow minutes passed, and finally Madisyn couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed her favorite handbag and headed into the hall. If she couldn’t reach Nate by phone, she’d search all of Enchantment Bay until she found him.

  Footsteps sounded down the hallway, followed by her father clearing his throat. Madisyn’s stomach dropped. He probably knew she’d convinced Reese to leave her alone. She might have to pack her bags if he’d told either of the senior partners in the law firm just how far she had gone to get through to the junior jerk.

  “Reese isn’t going to make dinner tonight.” Dad glared at her with folded arms and a furrowed brow.

  “Oh? That works, because neither can I.”

  “In fact, he says he’s going to stop pursuing a relationship with you. Do you know anything about that?”

  Her heart thundered in her chest. It was so loud, Madisyn was sure he could hear it. “I told him I wasn’t interested.”

  “Why would you do that?” he demanded.

  Madisyn stood taller and looked him in the eyes. “Because I’m not interested in him. I’m in love with Nate.”

  “Love?” he bellowed. “You’re too young to know what love is! All you understand at this age is puppy love. Real love involves sacrifice and commitment. You need someone who can take care of you. Do you really think someone from such a pitiful family can meet your needs? I fired his father, for Pete’s sake! He’s a thief.”

  “It was a set-up!”

  “Excuse me?” A
vein pulsed in his forehead.

  “Never mind! I don’t care about his family’s standing. In fact…” Madisyn panned her hands around the hallway decorated with expensive artwork and other decorations. “I don’t need any of these fancy things. I’ve found someone who cares about me. The rest is just details.”

  Dad laughed and put his hands on his stomach, then finally wiped his eyes. “That’s just precious. What you don’t realize is, those fanciful ideas are nothing more than girly ideologies—right up there with unicorns and pots of gold at the end of rainbows.”

  Madisyn’s cheeks burned. “You’re wrong.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not. I’ve lived a lot longer than you have, and I understand how the world works. Being poor is a miserable experience. I’ve been there, so I speak with authority when I say that riches bring security and happiness.”

  “Well, what will make me happy is having someone who loves me for who I am. I’m not a trophy.”

  “I can’t believe you turned out like this after being raised by me.”

  “It’s because I was raised by you that I choose love over money.”

  His face turned bright red. “You ingrate!”

  “Call me what you want, but I’m not changing my mind.”

  They stared each other down until he spoke. “You need to think long and hard about this, Madisyn Lynda Steele. If you don’t go to Reese and beg for his forgiveness, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “I’ll regret it, or you will? I’m nothing more than a pawn to you, Dad. You only care about becoming in-laws with the Rutherfords. If you cared about me, you’d want me to be happy for me.”

  “Oh, you are so naive! What you need to do is stay home and think about this. The sooner you come to your senses and grovel to Reese, the better. I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”

  Madisyn shook her head. Nothing she said would convince him that he was wrong. Besides, she was wasting time when what she really needed was to find Nate. “Enjoy your dinner.”

  “It’s not too late for me to tell them that you’ve changed your mind.” His eyes lit up. “You can beg for Reese’s forgiveness at dinner in front of everyone. It’ll show just how serious you are.”

  She shook her head. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

  His nostrils flared. “The more you dig your heels in, the more you’re going to have to eat crow. And at this rate, it’s going to be a truck full of it.”

  “Never in a million years. Love is more important.” She thought back to her conversation with Mom. The last thing she wanted was to live with that kind of regret, and marrying Reese Rutherford would be the biggest mistake of her life.

  “Women.” He shook his head and stormed down the hallway, slamming a door behind him.

  “That could’ve gone worse,” she mumbled. At least he hadn’t kicked her out of the house, but that was probably coming once he realized how serious she was about following love.

  She leaned against the wall to catch her breath and regain her bearings. Her pulse still pounded, but it had felt so good to stand up to him. It was a bit of a high. Too bad she hadn’t done that before.

  Although she would have rather told Nate she was in love with him before she told her dad. But as soon as she found him, she had every intention of professing her love to him.

  Mom crept into the hallway with a big grin on her face. She wrapped Madisyn in a big hug and whispered in her ear. “I heard everything, and I’m so proud of you, honey.”

  Madisyn returned the embrace. “Thank you.”

  “If Dad ever cuts you off financially, I’ll help you. I’ve been stashing away part of my spending money since before you girls were born.”

  “You have?” Madisyn stepped back and looked at her curiously. “Why?”

  Mom took a deep breath. “When we first married, Dad was even more controlling than he is now. He’s actually lightened up a lot.”

  “Are you kidding me?” She stared at her in disbelief. How could her dad have been worse?

  “You should’ve seen him before. It was just awful. I cried myself to sleep every night. He was constantly threatening to leave me over every little thing. He didn’t like the way I cleaned the house, he always found something wrong with my cooking, and he always thought I was speaking to him disrespectfully. There honestly wasn’t one thing I did to his liking. Not one thing.”

  “Oh, Mom, that’s horrible.”

  “Like I said before, don’t feel sorry for me. Just learn from what I’ve been through.” She kissed Madisyn’s cheek. “Now, go spend some time with that boy who loves you. I saw the way he treated you at the dance. Hang onto that one, honey.”

  Madisyn’s heart expanded and a warmth ran through her. “Thank you, Mom.”

  “I mean it. Now I’d better get going before Dad loses his temper.”

  Madisyn frowned. “I wish you could find happiness and love.”

  “I have—in you girls, and also in my future grand-baby. You all bring me more joy than you’ll know until you have kids of your own.”

  “Lynda! We’re leaving!” Dad’s voice boomed from down the hall.

  Mom squeezed Madisyn’s hands before scurrying down the hallway.

  Madisyn watched her as a sadness stung her, and then she went back into her room. She called Nate again. Next she called the Snake Pit, but they said he had called in sick that day.

  Her stomach dropped. What if something was really wrong? She did a quick online search for his home phone number and called the house.

  “Hello?” asked a gruff voice.

  “Mr. Roberts, this is Madisyn. Have you seen Nate?”

  “Oh, hi Madisyn.” His tone was filled with kindness. “I can’t thank you enough for listening to me about the… uh, misunderstanding at your dad’s firm.”

  “It wasn’t a misunderstanding, and we both know it. But you’re welcome. I’m glad I could help. Is Nate there?”

  “I haven’t seen him. Is everything okay?”

  “I hope so. Thanks.” She ended the call and sat on her bed. What could’ve happened? She raked her mind, then it hit her.

  Reese.

  What had he done? He had to have done something. That was the only explanation. In fact, that probably explained his absence at dinner. Fear tore through her.

  Madisyn scrambled off the bed. Had Reese turned Nate in to the police? That was the only thing that made sense for Nate to not answer his phone. She should have known Reese wouldn’t let go so easily. Not even with what she had presented him with. Why hadn’t she expected that?

  Madisyn grabbed her purse again and ran outside to her car. Fat raindrops splashed onto her.

  She froze before opening the door.

  A club was locked onto the steering wheel.

  Her father was trying to keep her housebound.

  She would show him.

  A cab could take her to the one place Nate would go to hide.

  She climbed inside her car to get out of the rain and then called a taxi service.

  Twenty-Two

  Nate read Vinny’s text again. He needed to pick up a package twenty minutes away and then drive it to Oregon City. He’d get five times the wage he made in a full week at the Snake Pit for the one quick job.

  It wouldn’t be long before he could afford the nice things Madisyn deserved at this rate.

  He replied to the text, letting Vinny know he’d gotten the text. Then he went to grab a coat since it was raining outside. Being inside the boat, it sounded especially loud.

  Clunk, step, step.

  Nate froze. That wasn’t rain.

  Someone was on the boat walking around.

  Step, step, scrape.

  Was someone crazy enough to think there was actually something worth stealing on this junk heap? Nate glanced around for something that could be used as a weapon. He grabbed a baseball bat leaning against the wall by the bed and headed up to the deck, his pulse on fir
e. He tightened his grip around the bat and held it in position.

  Step, step, step.

  It only sounded like one person. Good, it would be a fair fight. He’d fought off several people at once before, but he far preferred not to if he could help it.

  Nate stepped onto the deck and glanced around. He didn’t see anyone, nor did anything look out of place. He crept to the left, making his way to the front. Then he saw the intruder—a blue umbrella, actually.

  “Stop!” Nate yelled.

  The umbrella turned around. It took a couple beats for him to register that it was Madisyn, and she had fear in her eyes. She was afraid of him.

  He dropped the bat and it landed with a clunk and rolled away. “What are you doing here?”

  “You weren’t answering my calls.”

  “So you came over here in this downpour, not even knowing I would be here?”

  “Since you weren’t home or at work, it seemed the most likely option. Looks like I was right.”

  His phone buzzed with a text. Without looking, he knew it was Vinny giving extra instructions about his delivery. He chewed his lip. “You shouldn’t have come.”

  “Why not?”

  Nate cleared his throat. “I have some business to take care of, and I have to leave. Now.”

  “Right now?”

  He gave a quick nod.

  She stepped closer. “What kind of business?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Are you delivering an illegal package?” Hurt covered her beautiful face.

  “I said, don’t worry about it.”

  “Don’t do this, Nate. Don’t push me away.”

  “Well, I need to do this.” He stepped over the bat and toward the edge of the boat to make his escape.

  “Why are you acting this way?” Madisyn’s voice wavered.

  How could he explain it to her in a way that didn’t make him look like a loser? He couldn’t. There was no way to tell her he needed to earn her respect. It was something he needed to just do.

  “Nate.” She stepped closer to him.