Bayside Evenings

by Stacy Claflin

  "It's nothing." He glanced away.

  "Shale saved a toddler from a house fire." Mom's expression emanated pride.

  "Mom." Shale groaned.

  "You can't blame me for being proud of my boy."

  Next to Freya, Nico grinned. Freya's husband was the newest member of the Hunter family, and he always seemed to enjoy the friendly banter that had been part of their interactions as long as Dakota could remember. She wasn't sure if Nico's amusement was because of his stressful job as police lieutenant or because his own family had never been close.

  "I sold another house today," Sullivan said. "Aren't you proud of me, too?" He laughed.

  "You're a real hero," Logan said, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Where would Enchantment Bay be without you?"

  "Homeless." Sullivan gave his brother a playful smirk and dug into his food.

  A smile tugged at Dakota's mouth. Funny how just a few minutes with the family could make her forget about her worries.

  "How's your case coming, Logan?" Dad asked.

  "It's another tough one," Logan replied. "But some new evidence came to light today which is really going to help."

  "Another slam dunk for the town's best attorney." Mom beamed.

  Logan shook his head. "It takes a lot of people to win the case. I just get the limelight."

  "So humble." Mom's eyes shone. No one could ever convince their mom that her five kids weren't the greatest around.

  "It's the truth," Logan insisted. He nodded toward Nico. "His team arrested a guy who confessed to being involved. I had nothing to do with it."

  The lively conversation continued until everyone finished eating.

  Shale yawned and stretched. "Sorry, guys, but I'm not going to be able to stay for a game. I hardly slept at all last night with all the calls that came in." The dark circles under his eyes and the extra-scruffy beard proved his point.

  Mom frowned. "Are you sure you can't stay for just one round?"

  He yawned again. "Not unless you want me falling asleep on the way to my apartment."

  Her eyes widened. "No, we can't have that. Next week, we'll pick a better day for you."

  "Thanks. Love you guys."

  Shale gave everyone a hug and left in a hurry.

  Mom shook her head. "I don't know how he keeps that crazy schedule."

  Freya frowned. "I think he takes extra shifts to keep his mind off everything."

  "He's still in counseling, isn't he?" Dakota asked.

  "Yeah," Freya said, "but he hates having nothing to do. He starts thinking, and since he's given up his vices…"

  Everyone nodded, understanding. Shale had married young and lost his pregnant wife, sending him into a depression that spiraled out of control until he leaned on the rest of the Hunters for help.

  Logan rose and started clearing the plates. "I need to get back into my weekly basketball nights with him. It's so hard between our two schedules, but I have to make it happen."

  Everyone else got up and helped clean the mess.

  "Cards or a board game?" Mom asked.

  They agreed on a card game that had been a family favorite since Dakota was a child. Every once in a while, her mind wandered over to Charlotte and the unusual video tour. Clay had been great, not only holding the phone, but pointing out things about The Chateau that he thought the star would love—and he'd been right.

  After the game, Dakota pulled Sullivan aside. "Thanks again for telling Clay about my job opening."

  "Oh, no problem. I take it he worked out?"

  She smiled. "He started on Monday, and I couldn't have asked for a better assistant, actually. This has been The Chateau's most productive week in a long time."

  "That's what I like to hear. And if he's looking to buy a home, you know where to send him." He winked.

  "I'll keep that in mind, but who else would I send him to?" Dakota glanced at their dad. "Your boss, maybe?"

  Sullivan shrugged. "He's selling me the business soon. His clients are mine."

  She laughed. "That's one way to look at it."

  Everyone made their way to the door and said their goodbyes with hearty hugs.

  Dakota drove home with her mind busy. She was a little worried about Shale—though a grown man, he was still her baby brother. She was also concerned about work. Could she pull off Charlotte's big wedding? Remotely, no less? Sure, there was plenty she could do without the bride and groom, but they would need to taste the cakes, try on the dress, and a few other things in person.

  When she got home, she was too tired to do anything other than go straight to bed. Normally, she liked to get a little work done in the evenings, but it would have to wait.

  She climbed into bed and closed her eyes. Just as she was drifting off, the image of Clay taking a stack of papers from her so she wouldn't have to worry about them sprang into mind.

  Her heart fluttered. On top of being gorgeous, he really was thoughtful—even offering her to take her lunch break first when he was hungry. If only she could find a guy like that to date. Except that she'd decided to take a break from the whole dating scene, anyway.

  Dakota rolled over and thought about how to convince Charlotte to come down. Even just a few hours would make all the difference.

  Her alarm blared, waking her from the middle of a deep sleep. Eyes closed, she barely found it to turn it off. It felt like she'd barely slept.

  Some weeks, she hated working on Saturdays. Not usually, but she didn't want to see The Chateau today. The good news was that it should be a short day, and she wouldn't need to worry about either of the weddings they were hosting.

  She trudged downstairs and got the coffee maker going before heading back upstairs for the shower. By the time she climbed into her car, she felt a little better about the day. The caffeine was starting to kick in, and she felt good about talking to Charlotte today.

  When she pulled into the parking lot at The Chateau, a bright red motorcycle caught her attention. She walked by it, watching how it shone in the early morning sun. There wasn't a speck of dirt on it. Whoever owned it obviously took great pride in it.

  Not that she had time to think about it. It probably belonged to one of the grooms. Sometimes couples came in before work for early consultations.

  She headed for the front door, her mind already mulling over the conversation she was going to have with Charlotte shortly.

  Aria ran to Dakota as she came in the front door. "I've got a bride who's insisting on a dog as a ring-bearer. Do we do that?"

  "As long as they pay the deposit, and the dog has to be fully trained and friendly. No bodily fluids spilled in here and no biting. We have an agreement form somewhere. I'll dig it out."

  "Thanks." Aria pulled out her phone, dialed, and walked away.

  Marina ran to her, holding a phone. "Do we still have a package for someone who wants to rent the space only? I've got a bride who wants to handle everything herself."

  Dakota nodded. "Yes, but you'll still have to go over everything with her, and there's additional paperwork."

  There was always extra paperwork, no matter what they did.

  "That's what I thought." She brought her phone to her ear and began explaining what Dakota had just said.

  Dakota headed for her office, confused. If neither Aria nor Marina had clients in person, who did the bike belong to? A new chef, perhaps?

  In her office, Clay was already at her desk, entering information from the files.

  "You're here already?" she exclaimed.

  "I want to get through this so I can help you with Charlotte. She seems to stress you out."

  "Well, I wouldn't say that exactly. I just have a certain way of doing things, and she wants to do the opposite at every turn." Dakota set her purse down. "I can't really complain because if she's happy, then it could hit our clientele into another stratosphere, you know? Really put us on the map."

  "If she found you, I'd say you're already on the map."

  "Maybe." Dakota opened up
her files for Charlotte's wedding. "I—"

  "You don't give yourself enough credit, do you?"

  She glanced up at Clay.

  "This place is amazing, and from what Sullivan said, you built it from nothing."

  The room heated a good ten degrees. Dakota pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "It's a labor of love."

  "In every sense of the word." He grinned.

  Business and pleasure, she reminded herself and turned away from him, desperately trying to think of something else. "Did you notice the motorcycle in the parking lot?"

  "The red Ducati?"

  "Yeah." She flipped through some papers, unable to pay attention to what was written on them.

  "That's mine."

  Dakota spun around, eyes wide. She knew enough about bikes from Cruz to know that they were the Lamborghini of the motorcycle world—in fact, they were actually one and the same. Her cousin had always eyed them with jealousy.

  "Is that a problem?"

  She blinked a couple times. "N-no. Not at all. I just didn't realize it was a Ducati. Or yours. It's gorgeous."

  He arched a brow, and his face lit up. "You know about Ducatis?"

  The back of her neck heated. She cleared her throat. "Italian. Owned by Lamborghini."

  "I'm impressed. I didn't take you as a biker girl."

  She relaxed and the temperature seemed to be dropping. "I've ridden motorcycles. Plenty of them."

  Clay studied her and pulled some hair behind his ears. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

  Dakota shrugged. "My favorite cousin is really into them. He was practically my best friend growing up. It was hard not to pick up on the hobby."

  His eyes shone with excitement. "Ever ridden a Ducati?"

  "No."

  "Want to?" He stared at her expectantly.

  Her heart raced and her mouth went dry at the thought of wrapping her arms around him on his fast, sleek bike. "Of course."

  "How about at lunch?"

  She couldn't hold back her smile any longer. "Sounds perfect."

  Six

  Clay glanced up toward Dakota. She sat in front of all the files and papers, muttering to herself.

  "Need any help?" he asked.

  She slammed a three-ring binder shut. "Charlotte called me personally about the wedding, but I can't even get hold of her. Her assistant, Sarah, keeps answering her phone and putting me off."

  "Well, Charlotte does have a bit of a reputation, you know."

  "And she's surely living up to it," Dakota grumbled and opened a file. "I'm just going to fax these over. Charlotte and Hugh can sign them and fax them back whenever they get around to it. Theirs isn't the only wedding around here."

  "Do you want to take that ride now?" Clay asked. "Some fresh air might do you some good."

  She looked like she was trying to smile. "Thanks. Maybe after I fax these over."

  "Want me to do it? I'm almost done with this, and you could really use a break."

  "You'd do that?"

  "Sure. It's no problem." He rose and cracked his knuckles.

  Dakota walked over with a file. "They need these—all of them. The number is right here." She pointed to a handwritten fax number on the inside of the manila file.

  He took it from her. "Gotcha covered."

  She threw him a grateful expression and headed out of the office.

  Clay turned on the fax machine and was glad that his work as a cubicle rat came in handy for something. At least he could help Dakota. He felt bad for all the stress Charlotte was putting on her.

  Just as he was turning off the machine, Dakota came back in with a steaming mug. "Do you want some coffee? It's a bit stale, but…" She shrugged and sipped the drink.

  "Nah. I'm good. You ready for that ride?" He found himself looking forward to it more than usual. Maybe it was because of being stuck behind the desk all morning.

  "Yeah, let me just finish this." She took a long sip. "You have an extra helmet, right?"

  "Of course." Though sometimes he wondered why, since Lauryn would never even get on his bike.

  "Perfect." She set her mug down. "I'm all—"

  Her phone rang. She pulled it out, and her eyes lit up. "It's Charlotte."

  "Answer it!"

  "Figures she'd call now." Dakota pushed a button. "Hi, Charlotte. How are you?" She paused, nodding every so often. "You can fax or mail those back—or even hand deliver them. We'll need to get you and Hugh fitted soon—not to mention the others in the wedding party, but not everyone needs to be here at the same time."

  Dakota paused again and then her eyes widened.

  "What?" Clay asked.

  She turned around and walked over to the window. "We really need more than measurements. There's nothing that's going to replace having you right there. Plus, you need to see the dress in person." She nodded her head while tugging on her ponytail. "And then there's the cake tasting and—" Dakota paused again. "Yeah, he's here… Okay, I'll put you on video. Hold on."

  "What's going on?" Clay asked.

  "She wants to talk to you." Dakota slid her finger around the screen and held it out. "Are you there?"

  "Yeah. Where's Clayton?" came Charlotte's voice.

  Dakota walked over holding the phone out toward Clay. "Right here."

  Clay looked at the screen. Charlotte appeared to be laying down on top of rows of bright lights. She had small, round sunglasses on. Was she tanning?

  "Clayton, darling. You're new, right? I think Dakota mentioned that before."

  "Yeah, I am."

  The image moved out, showing Charlotte in a tanning bed wearing a teeny bikini.

  "Hey, Sarah," Charlotte snapped. "Hold the phone closer."

  The screen went blurry for a moment, and then focused on Charlotte's face. "Okay, here's the deal, Clayton. Hugh and I can't make it down there to—what's it called? Ember Bay?"

  "Enchantment Bay."

  "Right. Okay, we can't make it in time to taste the cake. Can you be a doll and test them for me? I want to watch your reactions."

  Clay glanced behind the screen at Dakota.

  She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

  "Um, okay," Clay said, turning back to Charlotte. "You sure you don't want to taste them yourself?"

  "My cousin said it was all perfect when she got married, so I'm not really worried about it."

  "Sure. When do you want to—"

  "Now. My personal trainer is going to be here in twenty minutes. Let's get this done."

  He glanced back at Dakota. She turned the screen to herself. "We're going to walk over to the kitchen now. Sound good?"

  "Wonderful," Charlotte replied. "Let's just hurry."

  "We're heading over now," Dakota assured her. She rushed into the hall.

  Clay followed her down through the building and into the kitchen. Dakota shared with Charlotte about the various types of cake. It made Clay's head spin—even more so, knowing he would need to learn all of the details. It was a good thing he was just the taster today.

  Dakota pulled a tray of tiny cake squares from one of the massive fridges and led them into a small dining room. Clay assumed it was for testing only, and not for receptions.

  She held the phone toward the little pieces of cake. "Clay will test these for you. We'll start with a chocolate raspberry. It's one of our most popular—"

  "Is it made with real sugar?" Charlotte asked.

  "Our chefs can make it any way you want. Gluten free, vegan, sugar free, and even with—"

  "No sugar alternatives," Charlotte insisted. "Ever."

  "Okay," Dakota said. "That's not a problem. I'll make a note of that in your chart. Only real sugar for your wedding."

  "Organic, pure-cane."

  "Got it." Dakota scribbled something on a notepad.

  "Start tasting," Charlotte told Clay. "Begin with the chocolate raspberry one. Oh, wait. It's not real raspberry, is it? Hugh's allergic."

  "Be sure to note that in the paperwork," Dakota sa
id. "We can substitute it with strawberry, rhubarb, or anything, really."

  "We'll figure that out later," Charlotte said. "Start tasting."

  Clay held back a smile. The whole thing was amusing—him being bossed around by a famous reality star to eat sweets. He should have quit his old job long before he did.

  He reached for a toothpick and picked up a dark brown square cake with red filling and put it in his mouth. The entire thing practically melted as soon as he closed his mouth.

  "Oh, this is good."

  Charlotte smiled. "And that's the chocolate raspberry?"

  "Actually," Dakota said, "that one is cherry."

  "I said to try the raspberry one," Charlotte snapped.

  Clay swallowed the cake. "You're the one who wanted me because I've never done this."

  "Fine. So, you liked it?"

  "It's the best I've ever tasted."

  Charlotte pushed herself up onto her elbows and narrowed her eyes into the camera. "Are you just saying that?"

  "If it was anything less, I'd tell you. You can trust me."

  She scrunched her face and lay back down. "I hope you're as trustworthy as you are hot. Next cake."

  Clay held in a snicker. He couldn't wait to tell Lauryn about that. She always complained about his hair being too long. What would she think of Charlotte Pemberley saying he was hot?

  "I said next."

  "Just trying to decide which one you might like best," Clay said, studying the platter. "How about white cake?"

  "Chocolate. I want chocolate."

  "We do have a white chocolate option," Dakota said.

  "Oh, really?" Charlotte's voice went up two octaves. "Try that."

  The next fifteen minutes went by in a blur of sugary sweetness. This was without a doubt the best job ever.

  Charlotte climbed off the tanning bed. "Okay, my trainer's here. Which one do you recommend, Clayton?"

  "The white one with rhubarb filling."

  "And that can be done with organic, pure-cane sugar?"

  "Easily," Dakota said.

  "Okay. We'll go with that one. Talk soon."

  "Wait!" Dakota exclaimed. "We still need to talk about the fittings. Your wedding is coming up soon, and we don't have time to spare."