by J. H. Croix
Jessa took another swallow, savoring the bite of the cider. She didn’t know how Delia did it, but she managed to turn apple cider into a magic nectar with a touch of alcohol, just enough to burn. “Yup. We had a busy night.”
Delia glanced up at Garrett who’d stepped away to lounge against the counter opposite them. “How’s the game go?”
“We won. Again.”
Delia pumped her fist in the air. “Woohoo!” She glanced to Jessa and Harry. “Nick’s team is awesome this year. He’s having a blast.”
Jessa leaned back on a hand and sighed. “Didn’t you say you were helping coach this year?” she asked Garrett.
Garrett nodded. “Oh yeah. It’s been fun, although I can’t believe the schedule they have. We practice five days a week and have three games every week. It wears me out, but Nick loves it.”
Delia finished off her cider and slipped off the table. “Okay. Let’s skedaddle. I’m worn out.”
A few minutes later, Jessa walked up the main stairs that curved along the front entrance wall and made her way down the hallway to her suite. When she reached her room, she left the lights off, walked straight to the windows and looked out into the dark sky. It was past midnight. She’d left a window open and cool summer air sifted through the screen. The wind rustled in the trees outside. An owl hooted softly in the distance. After several beats, another owl answered. Jessa leaned on the windowsill and looked into the sky. A half-moon hung above the mountains, its light casting a silvery mist over the trees. Stars stretched across the sky, bright against the velvet canopy.
She finally turned away and flicked a lamp on, her thoughts giving in to the temptation to think about Eli…and that kiss. She remembered suddenly that she’d hastily texted him earlier. She’d gotten so busy with work, she forgot to worry about the fact he hadn’t texted back yet. She glanced around for her phone and snagged it off the counter where she’d left it hours and hours ago. His name blinked brightly at her when she tapped the screen on. She swiped the message open. He was short and to the point. Would love to take you out on the water. Meet us at six tomorrow at the harbor.
7
Eli leaned his elbows on the kitchen island and looked over at Ryan. Ryan was gobbling up a piece of pizza. Eli had stopped by and picked up takeout from Glacier Pizza on the way home from the harbor. Ryan’s brown hair was damp from the shower he’d just taken. When he finally paused in his speed eating and sat up on the stool, Eli chuckled. “Don’t forget to breathe.”
Ryan flushed and took a gulp of water. “Thanks for the pizza. I was starving!”
Eli glanced over at the pizza box, which had one lonely piece of pizza left. He’d already eaten by the time Ryan made his way downstairs after showering and changing into another one of Eli’s t-shirts and a pair of his sweatpants, which nearly swallowed him. Eli made a mental note to plan to take Ryan shopping soon. He would have done it tomorrow, but he couldn’t resist offering to take Jessa out for a charter when she’d texted him earlier. His mind immediately flashed to the feel of her soft curves against him. He’d never thought about a woman as much as he’d been thinking about Jessa the last few days. Kissing her had been completely out of character for him, but he didn’t regret it for a minute. He shook his thoughts off of her and focused on Ryan. He was determined to sort out what brought Ryan to Diamond Creek in the middle of the night.
“So, how about you tell me why you’re here?” Eli asked, electing to tackle his questions directly.
Ryan took another gulp of water and fiddled with his napkin. He looked across at Eli, his eyes uncertain. He chewed on the inside of his cheek and finally spoke. “Dad moved back in about six months ago. Mom didn’t want him there, but you know how she is with him. She can’t stand up to him. I tried, but it got ugly. I mostly tried to stay out of way, but…” Ryan shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know what he was like when you were there, but he’s a fuckin’ asshole now. I don’t know if it’s worse when he’s drunk or sober. At least when he’s drinking, I just have to wait long enough for him to pass out.”
Anger flashed through Eli. He closed his eyes and clenched a fist, waiting for it to pass. He’d spent most of his life determined not to let anger rule him the way it did his father. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked over at Ryan. “Doesn’t sound like he’s changed much. Mom ever tell you why Dad wasn’t staying with you guys?”
Ryan nodded. “A few years back, she told me you made Dad leave. She didn’t say much about it, but I could guess why. Even though I didn’t see him much, I knew he was a jerk. He was always showing up and demanding money from her. I don’t think I knew how bad he was until he moved in.”
Eli was furious with his father, but he was also angry with his mother. If she’d told him his father had moved back in, he would’ve gone down there to do something about it. He knew she was cowed by his father, but it didn’t change his frustration with her inability to walk away from him. They didn’t talk often, but when they did, she’d definitely omitted the significant detail about his father moving back in. He hooked his foot on the rung of a stool nearby and tugged it over, plunking down on it and running a hand through his hair. He felt suddenly weary. Ryan watched him, his eyes guarded and wary.
Eli mentally shook himself. Ryan didn’t need to know how much Eli had wished he could have protected him from ever seeing this side of their father. “I’m sorry to hear that. Dammit. I should’ve known he’d eventually find a way back in.”
Still twisting the napkin in his hands, Ryan shrugged again. “Once he finds out I took off and came to see you, he’s gonna flip. I wasn’t thinking about that when I came here. I just wanted to get the hell away from him.”
Eli rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. He wished Ryan was wrong, but he knew their father wouldn’t take kindly to Ryan running away to stay with Eli. “Right. Yeah, to say he and I weren’t on good terms when I left is an understatement. We have to call Mom though. When did you leave with your friend?”
“Four days before I got here. His parents took us on the ferry to Whittier. It took me another day to get here.”
Eli glanced at the clock over the stove. “If she doesn’t hear from you soon, she’s going to start worrying. You wanna call tonight? Get it over with?”
Ryan’s eyes widened. He started to shake his head and then stopped, his shoulders sagging. “I don’t want to call at all, but I guess I can only blow it off so long.” He paused and took a deep breath. “What do we do if Mom says I have to go back?”
The same question had been tumbling through his mind since Ryan had shown up here. Eli couldn’t stomach sending Ryan back to Juneau with their father living in the same house now. Yet, it wasn’t like he had a leg to stand on legally. He knew his father well. In all the years of being abusive to his mother, once in a while, she’d actually pressed charges. Each time, their father threw his energy into refuting it. Any challenge to his rights as a husband and father was like waving a red flag in front of him. He ran at it with all his might. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t be bothered to actually care about how he functioned in those roles. All that mattered was someone was daring to question his right to do so. Eli mentally sighed. He’d hoped he’d left tangling with his father in his past when he left Juneau. Much as he didn’t want to, he couldn’t stand by and let Ryan return. Not as long as his father was back in his mother’s home.
Eli met Ryan’s gaze, his gut churning when he saw the worry held there. “What do you wanna do?”
Ryan’s eyes flicked to his hands twisting the napkin and back to Eli. “Do you think maybe I could stay with you? I won’t be a problem. I’ll stay out of your way and work whenever you need some help.”
Eli’s heart clenched. He knew just how Ryan felt. When he used to work on the docks in Juneau, he tried to work the hardest, so he could earn the option to work late—anything to keep him out of the house longer. Here Ryan sat in front of him promising to stay out of the way and more. It hurt
to see him like this.
“You can stay. If Dad’s there, I don’t want you there. But we’ll have to have a few ground rules.”
Ryan’s mouth went slack. “Really? You’re not gonna make me go back?”
Eli shook his head. “I need to talk to Mom first. If she won’t agree, I’ll take it to court. First though, those ground rules.” At Ryan’s nod, he continued. “You know, the basics: a reasonable curfew, letting me know where you are, asking if you want someone to come over, stuff like that. Think you can handle that?”
Ryan nodded emphatically, his hair falling over his eyes as he did. “But what if Dad flips out?”
Eli laughed bitterly. “There’s no ‘what if’ on that. He will definitely flip out, but I’ll deal with him. Don’t worry about it.”
Ryan breathed a noisy sigh and kept twisting that napkin. “Did Dad hit you?” he asked, his question soft.
Eli considered what to say and then mentally shrugged. If he tried to hide things from Ryan, he’d figure it out eventually. He nodded. “Yup. It got worse the older I got. When I was little, like you were when I moved away, he just yelled and avoided me mostly. Once I got old enough to talk back, that was it. We had a huge blow out one day, and I decided I had to go. All my life, I promised myself I wouldn’t become like him—a violent asshole. Not once, even in that big argument, did I ever lay a hand on him. But it was coming if I didn’t get out of his orbit. I took some of the money I saved up from working my tail off on the docks and charter boats in Juneau and gave him a choice. Either he moved out on my dime and stayed away, or I started going to the police no matter whether Mom wanted me to or not. He already had enough of a petty record, he knew he’d be cycling in and out of jail if I did that, so he moved into the apartment I rented for him. Mom couldn’t stand up to him, so I did. Just so you know, I don’t hold that against her. He beat her down for so long, it’s a damn miracle she wakes up everyday. I think she was relieved when I forced him out. To be honest, I’m surprised it took as long as it did for him to show up again. I’ve been paying his rent all along, so I’m curious to know where that went these last six months.”
“He got evicted because he trashed the place one too many times. I didn’t hear that from him, but I heard Mom talking to him about it one night.”
Eli closed his eyes and shook his head before pushing off his stool and stepping to the refrigerator to grab a beer. He took a swallow as he returned to his seat at the counter and eyed Ryan. “So, what was your plan when you left?”
“I didn’t really have one. My friend invited me to go fishing with them, which I do all the time anyway. When we got to Whittier, they were planning to stay for two weeks, so I told them I wanted to come see you. They have no idea I hitchhiked down here. I figured if things didn’t work out with you, I’d find my way back to Whittier before they left.”
“So how come you didn’t just tell Mom you’d be gone for a few weeks?”
“Because I didn’t have a plan,” Ryan said with a roll of his eyes, his uneasiness fading. “I came home from school and Dad lit into me over something about the TV. I told him to fuck off and left. I called Mom on the way over to meet my friend.”
Eli twirled his beer bottle on the counter before taking another swig. “Okay then. Whaddya say we call Mom?”
8
Eli drove away from the harbor after dropping Ryan off with Cliff to get the boat ready for today’s charter. Jessa would be joining them with a couple and their young son. Eli wanted to grab a few coffees and some bakery items from Misty Mountain Café for the morning. Red Truck Coffee was great for a quick stop, but if one wanted more than a snack, Misty Mountain was the place to go. As he drove over, he considered the call last night between Ryan and their mother. It hadn’t been terrible, but it hadn’t been great either. Needless to say, their mother’s response wasn’t a surprise. She wanted Ryan to return home right away. When Eli confronted her about their father moving back in, she’d gone quiet. He felt like he’d entered a time warp. He couldn’t count how many times he’d begged his mother to leave his father. Yet again, he found himself doing the same thing—this time on behalf of his little brother. The call ended in a stalemate.
He turned into the parking lot for the cluster of stores where Misty Mountain was. It happened to be the same parking lot where Jessa had backed into him. He couldn’t help but smile at her concern over the potential harm she’d done to his truck. As Eli thought about last night and looking forward to seeing Jessa again, he was a muddle inside. In the decade since he’d removed himself from the toxic world of his father, he’d found it easy to steer clear of any hint of relationships. Oh, he hadn’t been celibate, but he kept things light and casual. Yet, he’d never met anyone like Jessa. One kiss with her and any time he thought of her, lust jolted through him. He parked in front of Misty Mountain and jogged inside. Moments later, he headed out with a carrier filled with coffees and a bag of fresh pastries. Against all expectations, the anticipation of seeing Jessa overrode his instinct to avoid entanglements. His mood was light as he drove back to the harbor.
When he reached Otter Cove Harbor again, he parked where he usually did in the back of the lot by a cluster of spruce trees. He kicked his door shut, juggling the coffees and pastries. As he began to walk across the lot, Jessa’s distinctive little blue truck came into sight at the entrance. His smile was reflexive. She waved when she saw him and pulled into the spot beside his truck.
She bounced out of her truck wearing a red parka over black leggings and red rubber boots. He definitely would not lose sight of her on the water. While her outfit was entirely practical, her vivid colors stood out among the typical boots worn in Alaska. The common brown and black boots were nothing against her bright red pair.
“Good morning! I’m not late, am I?” Jessa said as she walked to his side. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled into a ponytail high on her head. A blonde streak ran down the center of her swinging hair. Her eyes were silvery in the morning light. Her radiant smile sent a score of heat through him.
You’re going fishing, dude. That’s it. Just because she makes you half crazy doesn’t mean you can’t get a grip. You’ve got other things to focus on right now, like maybe your little brother who ran away from home. He mentally shook himself. “Nope. You’re early. How’s it going?” He forced his tone to be light and casual and was relieved his hands were full because he itched to pull her into his arms find out if kissing her was as phenomenal as he remembered.
“Great! I can’t wait to get out on the water. How close will we get to the other side of the bay?”
They started walking, the gravel crunching under their feet. “If you want, we can plan to stop for lunch over there,” he replied.
Jessa glanced sideways to him, a gust of wind blowing a loose lock of hair across her face. She tucked it behind her ear. “Really?”
“Over in Halibut Cove and Seldovia, there’re a few restaurants. Depending on where we find the fish, we can stop for lunch. Customers usually love it.”
Jessa’s sensual, full lips stretched in a wide smile, sending another jolt of heat through him. “Oh! This is so awesome!” She clapped her hands together and skipped a few steps.
A wash of joy rolled through Eli, a feeling somewhat foreign to him. His childhood hadn’t offered him much time for simple pleasures. While he loved the outdoors on a pure, visceral level, he sought them out as an escape, almost a meditation of sorts. He savored the affinity with nature and the calm he found there. Jessa’s excitement was contagious. He grinned at her.
“Well, sounds like today will be fun for you. Have you ever been fishing?”
She nodded quickly. “Yup. I mostly grew up in Bellingham, Washington. It might not be Alaska, but there’s plenty of fishing there. My dad took us out fishing when we were kids. I won’t pretend I’ve had tons of experience, but I had a little. I knew enough to know I’d better wear rubber boots.” Her grin flashed again when she held a booted foot aloft.
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br /> He chuckled as they reached the top of the docks. Jessa paused at his side and took a deep breath. Her hand held to her chest, she stared out over Kachemak Bay. Eli followed her gaze. At just before six in the morning, the sun had started its rise roughly an hour before. It had yet to crest the mountains, although its rays stretched skyward—pink and gold streaking above the backdrop of the jagged peaks.
Light glimmered on the water as it rolled softly in the dawn. The tide was coming into shore in rhythmic waves. A gust came off the water, carrying the briny scent of the ocean with it. The peace Eli sought whenever he was near the ocean came with the breeze. He settled inside, even with Jessa’s effervescent presence beside him. He glanced over to see a look of wonder on her face. Her silvery-gray eyes were wide. She took another audible breath and turned to him, her eyes catching his.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she said softly. “Morning is the best time for a place like this.”
He nodded wordlessly, unable to look away from her. Her eyes held his for several beats before her hand fell from her chest. “I suppose we should go, huh?”
Eli could have stood there all day with her, but her question snapped him back to reality. He scanned over the docks and saw their customers were already on the boat. He could see Ryan and Cliff helping load gear into the boat. The moment with Jessa had felt so peaceful, he hadn’t even heard the usual summer commotion on the docks. Otter Cover Harbor was a bustle of activity all summer long with boats following the tide in and out. At the moment, many charter companies were readying for their daily run, while a few larger commercial fishing vessels were also busy with activity. Voices carried over the water, mingling with the calls of seagulls. He glanced back to Jessa and nodded. “Yup. If we don’t get to the boat soon, Ryan and Cliff might take off without us.”
