Seaside Surprises: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters)

by Claflin, Stacy

  Twelve

  Tiffany pushed the door open, surprised to find it moving after earlier. She had lost track of time watching the dumb monkey, and now she was thirsty after standing in the sun for so long. The door closed behind her.

  She looked at the counter to find Jake already looking at her. His hair was pointing in several directions, and his nine o'clock shadow was turning into a full beard. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed, which according to Bobby was what had happened.

  He looked adorable.

  The last thing she wanted was to think that, but she couldn't help it. He was so cute, and looked snuggly. Part of her wanted to go behind the counter and wrap her arms around him.

  They stared at each other, but it wasn't awkward.

  "So, uh, you overslept?" Tiffany asked, the corners of her mouth curving upward. She walked toward the counter, forcing her legs to move slower than they wanted. She didn't want to appear too eager…or admit how excited she was to see him. All of her senses felt more alive than they had in a long time.

  Jake ran his fingers over his beard, and then through his messy hair. "You could say that." He looked a little insecure, and Tiffany had the sudden urge to hold him and melt in his embrace. It was too bad they weren't in the hotel lobby where they could sneak off to a fireplace and sit in front of it.

  Tiffany examined his features. There were dark circles under his eyes, and the creases on his forehead were more prominent than before. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked, concerned.

  His face softened. "Not much. My dad went to the hospital last night, and I was there with my mom until early this morning."

  Her eyes widened. "Oh, no. Is he okay?"

  Jake frowned. "We don't really know anything yet. Even so, the shop must go on." He sighed, looking exhausted.

  "You must be so worried." She cringed. What a stupid thing to say. Of course he would be worried.

  "I am. It's nice to see you, though. What a wonderful surprise." Jake looked like he meant it. "How much longer are you staying in town?"

  Tiffany shrugged. "Until my car is ready, although at the current speed, I could be here all year."

  Jake's eyes lit up, but then his face returned to sleepy. Or was that disappointment? "Yeah, Bobby stays busy. You probably can't wait to get out of here."

  That reminded Tiffany of why she came to the store. She pulled out Bobby's list and handed it to Jake. "Speaking of Bobby, he said he needs whatever's on the list." Suddenly she wasn't so eager to leave, but she knew she couldn't let herself fall for anyone right now. No matter how wonderful and sweet Jake was. Tiffany didn't want to rebound, and Jake certainly didn't deserve that.

  He took the list, but didn't unfold the paper. His gaze remained on her. "How far back is he backlogged?"

  Tiffany shrugged again. "He said he'd move me up in the line if I get him what's on that list. With any luck, I could leave tonight." But the thought didn't make her feel so lucky.

  Jake's face fell. Or was that her imagination? "Well, if you're stuck here for a while, maybe we can hang out again." He definitely looked hopeful. Could he feel the same way that she did? His brown eyes were full of intensity as he stared into hers. "I had a really good time with you the other night, Elena."

  Elena. Would she ever get used to being called that? Shivers ran through her as she realized she could get used to anything he called her. She fought to find her voice. "I had fun, too. Tell you what. If you find whatever's on the list, I'll come back and help you with the shop until my car's ready."

  "Really? You'd do that?"

  "Yeah. You look like you could use the help. I could even grab some coffee on my way back. I get the feeling you could use that, also."

  "I could." He unfolded the paper, and then raised an eyebrow. "You said this is what Bobby needed?" He looked befuddled, and it was adorable.

  Tiffany pulled some hair behind her ear. "Whatever's on that list is my golden ticket to get out of here."

  "If you say so. I'll grab them for you." He went to the back of the store, and came back carrying three tree-shaped air fresheners.

  Tiffany looked back and forth between Jake and the scented trees. "What are those for?"

  "It's what Bobby wants."

  "That was what he needed so badly?" Tiffany asked, scratching her head. Was Bobby messing with her?

  "Wanna see the list?" Jake held it up.

  "Show me." It didn't make any sense. Why would a mechanic send her on a goose chase after air fresheners? He had to have sold them himself.

  Jake held the list up for her to see. Sure enough, the three different scented trees were written out. "Did he give you any money for these?"

  Tiffany frowned. "No. Looks like I'll have to pay for them." She opened her purse.

  "Don't worry about it."

  "I'm the one who wants my car fixed faster. It's my payment."

  "You're getting me coffee, right?" Jake asked. "We'll call it even."

  "Are you sure? I can buy them."

  Jake yawned. "It's on the house. Or if you'd feel better, consider an exchange for the coffee. I'm in the mood for an iced mocha." He grinned.

  Tiffany again wanted to snuggle up to him. She cleared her throat instead. "Okay. I'll be back." She grabbed the trees from Jake, and hurried outside before she found herself actually cuddling up against him. Tiffany had only met him the other day. How could she be so attracted to him already?

  It could be a rebound—she'd done that before in her teen years. But in those days, she had been running from a broken heart, not wanting to give herself time to heal.

  This, she had to admit was different. Yes, she was broken, but not because of her heart. She had left Trent emotionally long before she took off physically. Tiffany hadn't been in love since she was a newlywed.

  Jake made her feel emotions she'd locked and buried long ago. Tiffany never thought she would be able to trust or love again, and though she wasn't ready to make the jump, Jake gave her hope that someday she could. No matter how kind and gentle he appeared, she had to be careful because looks could be deceptive.

  Dimitri called to her, pulling her out of her thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to talk to anyone. Tiffany needed to make sense of everything.

  "Can't talk. Sorry." She moved away from the building, picked up her speed, going in the opposite direction of Dimitri. Looking at the air fresheners made heat rise through her body. Why had Bobby sent her to get those? Was he toying with her?

  Tiffany knew the irritation was from thinking about Trent. He put her in a bad mood whether he was present or not. Angry tears welled in her eyes. Why hadn't she left him sooner? Before things had gotten to the point where she needed a new identity and new location which forced her to leave her grandpa?

  When she got to the auto shop, she had to wait behind a lady who asked about five hundred questions. Tiffany's irritation only grew. When the annoying woman in front of her was finally satisfied, Tiffany threw the trees on Bobby's desk. "Here you go." She wanted to throw them at him, but smiled sweetly instead. More tears threatened, but she wouldn't give in. "Happy? You must have really needed them."

  Bobby laughed, only angering her further. "Sure did. My back room is getting smelly, and these are my favorite scents. I'm out of stock."

  "Right. So, when are you going to finally look at my car?"

  He picked up a stack of papers and flipped through them. "All the spots are full now, but as soon as one opens up, I'll bring in yours. Pinky promise." Bobby held up a pinky.

  Tiffany ignored it. "How long?"

  "Depends. Could be five minutes or two hours. It just depends on how fast we can fix the ones ahead of you."

  Tiffany leaned against the counter, pressing her hands down. "That's not helpful."

  "Sorry." He didn't look sorry.

  "Don't forget to call my grandpa. He wants to talk to you before you touch it. He's the one paying the bill."

  "No problem. We'll figure out what's wrong and then give
him a shout. Anything else?"

  "It would be nice if you could let me know what's going on, too. Not just him."

  "Will do. Oh, hey, I have a question for Jake. Would you mind asking him if—?"

  Anger flared in her chest. "What is this? The dark ages? Call him yourself. He's exhausted from being at the hospital all night, and I need to bring him coffee. Tell me, is that stand across the street the only one around here?"

  "There's a couple others, but that's the closest. Why was Jake at the hospital? Is he okay?"

  "He's fine. Not sure about his dad, though."

  "Oh crap. What happened?"

  "I don't know anything. You're calling him anyway, remember?"

  "Okay, okay. One more thing."

  Tiffany's shoulders dropped. "What?"

  "He likes mint mochas."

  Her anger melted away. "How do you know?" And why was he telling her?

  Bobby leaned back in the chair. "Went to school with his older brother, Cruz. Jake helped me out with some stuff back in the day, and I couldn't pay him back. So he had me make him mint mochas when I worked at the coffee stand. He could never get enough of those."

  That made sense. He had picked out chocolate chip mint ice cream the other night. "Why tell me?" Tiffany asked.

  "I feel like I still owe him. Also, he's a good guy." Bobby stared into her eyes. He seemed to be trying to tell her that she needed to take care of him. Were her feelings for Jake that obvious?

  Tiffany backed up. "Okay. Thanks for the tip." She went outside and headed for the coffee stand, her emotions swirling. She ordered an iced mint mocha for Jake and a latte with a double shot for her. She needed the extra caffeine.

  Tiffany sipped her drink and looked across the street. Her car still sat in the parking lot. She found herself relieved for the excuse to stick around Kittle Falls longer.

  Thirteen

  Jake grabbed change from the till and handed it to the frazzled-looking customer. She shoved it in her purse as her three kids dragged her to the door. Jake called out a thanks and turned to the next customer.

  The shop phone rang. He picked it up. "Hunter Family Store. Jake speaking."

  "Jake, man. Is your dad okay?" It was Bobby.

  "I don't know. Brayden's over there using his doctor-speak. Nobody thinks I need to be kept informed." He scanned the customer's items. "Hold on, Bobby." He set the phone down and finished the transaction, and then picked the phone back up. "What was the deal with the air fresheners?"

  "Hey dude, I needed them. It was an emergency. When you need them, it can't wait." Jake could almost hear Bobby smiling.

  "Thanks for sending her my way."

  "Are you two going to spend some time together?" Bobby sounded almost as eager for it as Jake.

  "Yeah. Elena offered to bring me coffee." Jake tried to keep his voice steady, but there was no hiding his true feelings from a friend as good as Bobby.

  "Want me to stall on her car? You know I will."

  Jake's heart skipped a beat. He sure did want Bobby to wait on the car, but then he remembered to look on Elena's face when she talked about leaving town. "That's not right. She wants—"

  "I didn't ask that, Jake. You know I still owe you. What do you want?"

  Jake imagined Elena's long, beautiful hair and bright green eyes. "I want to get to know her more."

  "There's my answer. I'll send Randy here to the desk and I'll take care of her car personally."

  "Be nice." Jake hoped Bobby wouldn't cause more damage to Elena's car.

  "You know I will, bro. I'll take my sweet time, too. Look over the whole car. Check everything out in slow, pain-staking detail. We have to be sure not to miss anything that could be wrong with it."

  "Thanks, Bobby." Despite the guild stabbing at him, excitement rose from his core. He would get to spend more time with Elena. Maybe, just maybe, he could even convince her to stay a little longer. Maybe even a lot longer.

  "Tell me how it goes."

  "I will. Thanks again."

  "Not necessary." The call ended, and Jake put the phone on the receiver. He was so out of practice with the dating thing that he would probably screw it up, but at least he had a chance. There was something different about Elena. She wasn't like all the other girls who came through town.

  His eyelids grew heavy, so he walked around to the front of the counter and adjusted the candy in some of the displays. He moved to the other side of the counter and rearranged some plastic kiddie sunglasses that were all out of order. If he kept moving around, he would stay awake until the next customer needed help…or until Elena arrived.

  Jake glanced over at the door and saw Elena standing outside. She was watching him.

  Heat crept into his cheeks. His pulse raced, causing his entire body to heat up for reasons other than the heat outside.

  Elena held up one white cup with a brown sleeve and one clear cup with ice and brown liquid. He rushed to the door and held it open for her, hoping she wouldn't notice his flushed skin.

  "Thank you. Here's a mocha for you." She held one of the cups for him. If she noticed anything was amiss, she didn't let on.

  Before taking it, he asked, "Do you want me to pay you back? I—"

  "No. Just enjoy the drink." Elena smiled, looking eager for him to take it. She pushed it closer to him.

  "Okay. Thanks." He took the cup and sipped his mocha. Sweet mint flavoring filled his taste buds along with the chocolate. "Mint?"

  Elena smiled, looking shy. "I heard you like it."

  "I do. Thank you." He took another sip, allowing the caffeine to make its way into his bloodstream while the mint lingered in his mouth. "It's my favorite. I haven't had one in a long time."

  "No?"

  "I've been too busy to worry about treating myself to things like that."

  She took a sip of hers, and then smiled sweetly at him. Jake's stomach twisted in a knot. She was gorgeous, but not in a way where she seemed to know it like so many other women.

  "Want me to show you around the shop while it's quiet? It's sure to fill up any minute."

  "Nah. I explored the other day. Remember?"

  He sure did. It was the first time he'd laid eyes on her. She had been so sad, but in the short time since then, she had grown happier. "Want to have a seat instead?" he asked. "We have a couple chairs behind the register. I usually stand, but you look like you could use a break—not that you look bad." Ugh. Why did he always have to get his foot stuck in his mouth? That was part of the reason girls who liked him always wanted one of his brothers instead.

  Elena didn't seem to notice Jake's poor choice of words. "Sure." She took a sip, and walked toward the counter.

  He stood back, watching her. Every move she made melted his insides. He hadn't thought he wanted a relationship, but she changed everything. His family may be a wreck, and he was a mess, but she made him want to pull himself together and become the best version of himself.

  His sister's face showed up in his mind's eye. "Go on, Jake. Win the girl," Sophia seemed to say to him.

  Jake stopped in his tracks.

  "Move on, sweet brother. Don't let me hold you back. I know how much you miss me, but I want you to find happiness. Live your life, and enjoy it." Her image dissolved.

  "Wait," he whispered to Sophia.

  Elena turned around. "What?"

  Jake shook his head. "Nothing. Just enjoying my mocha." He took another sip, and then caught up with her.

  She put her cup on the counter and looked at the disorganization he called his work station. "You know what this place needs?"

  "A bull dozer?" Jake joked.

  Her eyes sparkled. "It's not that bad. You'd feel a lot better if all this had some order. Mind if I help?"

  "I won't stop you. I'd offer to help, but I'd probably get in your way."

  "Don't even think about it. I'm here to help. You can sit and doze if you want."

  "That would be rude."

  "Get some sleep. I got this." Elena m
oved some things around on the counter.

  Jake sat in one of the chairs and watched as she pulled things from the shelves and spread everything around the floor behind the counter. Just when the ground was covered, the door dinged announcing a new wave of customers.

  Elena turned to him. "I have this too." She turned to the customers and welcomed them. Then she picked up a stack of papers from the floor and moved them on top of another stack.

  More people came in, and she called out hellos to each one. When a young couple came to the counter, Jake stood.

  Elena shook her head. "I said I got this. Relax."

  "You can do the till?" he asked.

  "I worked retail in high school." She turned to the customers and rang them up twice as fast as Jake ever had, even on his best day.

  What a woman. He ran his hand along his jawline as he watched as Elena. She got through the line in record time, each person leaving with a smile on their face.

  After the store the store emptied, she sat down next to him. "Is it always busy like that?"

  "This time of year it is. You were unbelievable." In more ways than one. He couldn't believe how amazing she was: kind, generous, thoughtful, a hard worker, and more beautiful than anyone he had ever dreamed of giving him any attention.

  Pink covered her face from his compliment. "I was rusty at first, but then everything came back to me. It was nothing, really."

  "Don't say that. You're amazing."

  Her face grew darker. They stared at each other, the intensity building. Before either could say anything, more customers came in.

  By the time the shop emptied again, Jake could barely keep his eyes open, even with as much as he enjoyed watching Elena.

  She sat next to him. "I can't believe you do this every day."

  Jake tried to stifle a yawn. "I should pay you. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

  "Nonsense." Elena shook her head. "Seriously, I'm just glad to have something to do."

  He yawned, unable to keep that one in.

  She pushed his shoulder playfully. "Besides, you obviously need some rest. I'm glad to help you out. Do you want to go back home and get some more sleep?"