by J. C. Hart
"I will, I promise. Thank you!" She rushed back out to the car and dragged the box out of the backseat. "Come on! Don't worry about locking the door."
"Are you sure? It goes against my nature."
Alyssa laughed. "It's not the city. Things are different here."
"Yeah, I think I'm beginning to see that. Need a hand?"
"Nope, come on, you'll love this place. Take a look around." They entered the shop and went to the counter. "Kelly, meet Samantha, shop owner and help-a-girl-outer. She's made adjusting to the Bay just that little bit easier."
Kelly stuck out her hand and Sam grasped it.
"Nice to meet you. Alyssa has told me all about you," Sam said.
Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Has she? Because she's told me nothing at all about you, or the Bay, come to think of it."
Sam covered her mouth with her hand, but didn't manage to conceal the amused smile. "It's pretty quiet here. Hopefully you'll enjoy your visit. How long are you down for?"
"A few days, maybe a week. We'll see how things go." Kelly glanced at her and a pang hit Alyssa in the gut.
She was being a terrible friend. Kelly might not have been there for her when Gran died, but she'd been there for the break up, she'd been there for every other little niggle and complaint, and in return, Alyssa had all but shut her out when she’d up and moved with zero notice. She reached out and grabbed Kelly's hand. "Hey, why don't you take a look around? Pick something to take home with you, a little piece of the Bay. From me."
"Never look a gift horse in the mouth." Kelly shrugged and moved off into the store.
"I feel awful," Alyssa whispered. "I'm a terrible friend."
"You haven't told her anything, have you?" Sam looked sad too, but then she'd always lived in the Bay, she didn't really get what it was like to have friends from outside.
"I told her that you all thought Gran was a witch, but she doesn't believe in witches. I know she knows there's more going on here. I just... I don't know what to say to her. I can't explain any of this. She's got it in her head that she needs to go and see Mrs Nolan to find out what kind of trouble I'm in—"
Sam frowned. "What's this about Mrs Nolan? Is she hassling you?"
"No, well, I guess? She's been sending me letters about taking over Gran's position. She told me that unless I did so, there would be consequences."
"She shouldn't have done that." Sam shook her head. "That is not how we do things. Look, I need to go and sort this out. She's overstepped her role." She searched the shop for Kelly and then spoke in a louder voice. "Did you find something you like?"
Kelly turned and shook her head. "Not yet, there's so much stuff here, I don't know how to pick."
"That's okay. Somethings cropped up and I need to go deal with it, but come back before you leave town to pick something." Sam grabbed her bag and keys and ushered Alyssa toward the door. "So sorry about this."
"It happens." Alyssa shrugged it off, giving Sam a half hug before grabbing Kelly's hand and heading for the car. "See you later!" She kept her voice light, and hoped that Kelly wouldn't pick up on her inner turmoil. A million thoughts swarmed through her head, chief of these that Sam knew Mrs Nolan and that somehow the woman she had thought was her friend was involved in all of this.
"What was that about? I didn't hear the phone or anything."
"Oh, she got a text. She does some volunteering and stuff. I don't know. We're not that close." And it was the truth. She knew that now. She didn't really have any friends here. Other than Kelly.
The beach was empty. There weren't enough people in this town for it ever to be crowded even in the weekend, let alone mid-week. But that was part of the appeal. The black sand was warm between her toes as she stepped down from the bank. The pohutukawa trees were still in their Christmas finery, lending some shade against the midday sun.
"Wow. Okay, maybe I get why you like this place." Kelly inhaled the sea air and looked up and down the shoreline. "This is kind of beautiful."
"It is. Something magical about this place, Kels. I tell you. It gets under your skin."
"Well, hopefully not too far under because I have work in a few days." Kelly grinned, then flung out her blanket and sat down.
"Don't want to go for a walk first?"
"Nah, we can walk later. Right now, I want to crack open a beer and enjoy the peace and tranquillity."
Alyssa plonked down beside her and opened the cooler, passing a bottle to Kelly before opening her own. "Here's to good friends, and great views."
"And hot men," added Kelly. "And beer, and wine, and mysteries. And forgiveness."
Alyssa's stomach tightened. She knew Kelly well enough to know that this meant she hadn't dropped the conversation from that morning, and that she didn't buy Alyssa or Sam's story about what happened at the shop. At least she thought that was what was going on. "Forgiveness?"
"Yeah, you know, because that's a vital part of friendship right?" Kelly pushed her sunglasses onto her head, revealing thoughtful eyes.
"It is." Alyssa sipped her beer, the bitterness hitting the back of her throat didn't comfort her though. Not right now. "I'm sorry for not being a better friend. I kind of abandoned you and I didn't realize it until you came down here. I just left."
"You did just leave. But I forgive you. I know things were pretty shitty, with you and Grant and the whole infertility thing, and then your Gran dying. I get why you wanted to escape. I'm not mad, just a little sad, you know?"
"I do know. I'm a little sad too. Life is so different now. I guess I needed to run away for a bit."
"But it's not for a bit, is it. You're staying, right? You're not coming back to the city. Ever."
Alyssa tugged on her earlobe, her fingers cold from holding the chilled bottle. This felt a little like breaking up, and maybe she'd been hoping to avoid that, but it was time to let it go. "No, I don't think I am." She drank deeply then put her bottle down in the sand. "I'm sorry."
Kelly finally turned toward her, a sad smile on her face. "You don't have to be. Really, it's okay. You're finally doing what you need to do. You're growing up. I'm so proud, my little chicken has left the nest." Kelly chucked Alyssa on the chin, but Alyssa pushed her hand away.
"You're little chicken huh?"
"Something like that. Come on, enough serious talk, let's finish this beer and then have a swim before we get so drunk we drown."
"Good thinking, Mum."
Kelly laughed, snorting beer out her nose. She shook her head, and downed the rest of her bottle before stripping down to her bathers and heading for the water. "Last one to the sea cooks dinner."
"Cheat! You had a head start." Alyssa began to take her clothes off but her cell rang. "I'll catch up," she called out, and Kelly waved her acknowledgment. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Samantha"
"Oh, hi. I wasn't expecting a call. Everything okay?"
"No, not really. I don't think we should talk about this over the phone though. Can you come back to the shop?"
Alyssa cast her gaze down to the waves where Kelly had just dived into the water. "I can't right now. I promised Kelly we'd spend the afternoon at the beach." She wanted to go, she did, but she couldn't apologise to Kelly and then bail on her. It would ruin the repair job on their friendship and she wasn't ready to test out the patching so soon.
"Are you sure? It's important," Sam insisted. She wasn't normally the insistent type, but Alyssa pushed that thought aside and stood firm.
"I'll call you when we're home, okay? I'm sorry, Sam. I just can't right now."
"Okay, call me as soon as you get back." Sam ended the call and Alyssa dropped her phone onto the sand, ditching the remains of her clothes and downing the last of her beer.
She'd thought that life was boring, but maybe that hadn't been so bad. It was better than sneaking around and having to hide things from people. She shook her head, rolled her shoulders to release the tension and focused on the sand and the sun, and the friend yelling at her from the sea
. Pasting a grin on her face, Alyssa jogged down to the water and threw herself into the waves.
Chapter Six
Alyssa and Kelly stumbled along the footpath, singing classic hits off key as they made their way back to the house. Thank god they'd locked their belongings in the car because carrying it all back would have been a real bitch. Alyssa had managed to push away all the negative thoughts and feelings, and had even gone so far as to leave her cell phone in the car so that Sam wouldn't be able to call or text her. She didn't want to think about whatever was so important tonight, maybe not even until Kelly left town. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy the company.
It was late afternoon and the sun was still high, a few people were mowing their lawns, the buzz of machinery filled the street, so loud that it wasn't until she turned into her driveway that she realized one of those machines was working at her lawn. With the tanned, and once again shirtless Brandon at the helm.
Kelly leaned against Alyssa's shoulder. "If I wasn't seeing someone... I'd tap that. You better get in fast girl before some other lonely lady in town gets her claws into him."
"Kels!" Alyssa pushed her off and scowled.
"I need to use the ladies," Kelly said in a mock whisper. "I'll leave you two alone." She waved a hand behind her and headed for the front door.
Brandon killed the motor and pulled off the catcher. He seemed to be trying to figure out what to do with the clippings so she called out.
"Hi. Over here." Alyssa gave a little wave and tried to stand up straight. "Thought it safer not to approach. Who knows what might have happened."
"Oh hey, I wondered where you were."
"Midday drinks on the beach. What better way to spend a Tuesday?"
"And you didn't think to invite me?" He raised his eyebrows. "Where do you want these?" He hefted the catcher, a few clumps of matted grass fell free, but all Alyssa could focus on was the way his biceps bulged.
She exhaled slowly. "Ah, there's a compost heap around back. I'll show you."
He trailed her around the house and emptied the clippings into the pile. She'd done the lawns the week she arrived, and she'd never touched the garden, so it was looking a little sorry for itself.
"Looks like you could do with some help around the place. Gardening not your thing?"
"I'm not sure." She wrinkled her nose. "Never really tried, so I don't know yet. It might be okay."
He laughed. "Your grandmother never taught you?"
Alyssa paused, giving her earlobe a tug. "You knew my grandmother?"
He took a moment before responding. "I just figured that all grandmothers were alike. Most of them get in when you're young, make you do the heavy lifting while telling you it's fun."
The words seemed genuine enough, but there was something off about the timing. Alyssa wasn't sure how to respond, but she couldn't throw the feeling that actually Brandon had known Gran. "What brought you to the Bay?"
"Work, of a sort."
"And yet you have time to mow a strangers lawn?" she quipped.
"A rather pretty stranger, who happens to make excellent pikelets and has a noble concern for neighbourhood safety." His blue eyes bored into her, sending a flush to her cheeks.
"Well, I mean, it's not anything out of the ordinary." She stumbled over the words, still not sure how to approach the situation. Normally, she'd not be so flustered by a guy, but Brandon had her on the back-foot and she wasn't sure how to regain her balance. Unless... "We're barbequing tonight, do you want to come over? It's the least I can do to thank you for helping out with this." She waved her hand, indicating the overgrown lawn, and then laid it on his forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Gran would roll over in her grave if she knew how out of hand I'd let it get."
He glanced down at her hand and then back to her face, a smile spreading across his. "Sounds great. What should I bring?"
"Something to drink. I'm not going to give you any tips, but you will be judged on your choice." She leaned in and gave him a little peck on the cheek, inhaling his sweaty, grassy scent. "Thank you." With that she turned and left him to it. Ignoring the fact that he was going to be mowing her lawns for the next half hour or so.
She had work to do. Like scrounging up enough food for a hungry man.
Alyssa pushed through the back door and called, "Kelly! I need help!"
Footsteps pounded down the hallway and into the kitchen. "What? What's wrong?"
"So, I kind of just invited Brandon to a barbeque we're having tonight."
"We're having a barbeque?" Kelly raised an eyebrow.
"We are now." Alyssa scanned the kitchen before swinging open both the fridge and freezer doors. There was enough meat there, they just had to quickly thaw it. "Here, chuck these in the sink with some hot water." She passed Kelly some mince, steak and chicken breasts. Maybe they could make some kebabs, and failing that, steak and meat patties would go down well.
"I wish we were sober enough to drive my car to the store." Kelly groaned. "How badly do you want to impress him?"
"I don't want to impress him! I just had to take control, you know? He—"
"Does things to your girly bits."
"Shut up! It's not like that, okay it is like that, but… Shut up." Alyssa shook her head and patted her pocket, trying to find her phone. Which she'd left in the car. Fuck it. "Hook me up with some music, Kels. I need to get sorted."
"On it!" Kelly left the room and then came back, snagging the keys off the table and plugging her phone into the speaker on it. Something deep and bassy throbbed through the room and Alyssa nodded along to it.
"Can you clear out all the wine bottles? Stash them in the laundry and hopefully he won't think we're total alcoholics."
"Yes Ma'am." Kelly saluted her, leaving Alyssa to get to work in the kitchen.
Chapter Seven
Three hours later the meat was on the grill, the garlic naan was keeping warm in the oven and the potato salad was chilling in the fridge. And Brandon still hadn't shown up.
"Pour me another, wench," Kelly declared, holding out her glass.
"When did I become your drink-bitch?" Alyssa asked in mock offence, though she did top it up, and then added a little to her own before turning back to the grill.
"Oh hon, since I got here. Didn't you realize?" Kelly took a sip and leaned back further in her chair. "Do you think he's actually going to show?"
"Who else are you expecting?" The warmth in his voice surprised Alyssa, and she turned with a grin.
"Only you. We're keeping it low key. Kotahi Bay couldn't withstand the full force of our party prowess." Alyssa looked him up and down, a little disappointed that he was fully clothed, but not surprised. "So, what did you bring?"
He pulled a bottle from the satchel slung over his shoulder and held it out for her inspection.
"Kahlua, huh? Yeah, I guess I approve. I certainly hope that you provided something to drink it with though because I do not have a lot of milk."
"Oh, I always provide." He put the bag down on the outside table and opened it up to reveal a bottle of vodka, milk, and a tub of ice cream.
"Okay, you totally pass the test." Alyssa pulled the ice cream from the bag and went to go inside. "I'll grab some clean glasses. Kelly, check the steak." She left them to it, hoping that things hadn't progressed to the point where Kelly would need to give Brandon the third degree.
She hummed to herself as she got glasses out of the cupboard, actually kind of pleased that he hadn't got here until she'd downed a decent sized glass of Dutch-courage. It had been so long since she'd dallied with a new guy and while he seemed to be into her, and she was certainly into him, she wasn't sure whether she could maintain her air of confidence for the duration of this courtship.
When she got back outside with the ice and glasses, Brandon was manning the grill. Alyssa leaned against the door frame and admired the view. His jeans were tight enough to show off a firm butt, and while the grey t-shirt hid his hot body, she knew what lay beneath.
"White Russian, anyone? Who am I kidding, you're all getting one." Her hands shook a little as she lifted the tray of ice cubes and popped some into the glasses. She could feel Brandon's eyes on her and wanted to make sure she got this right. She gave each glass a splash of vodka, and then Kahlua before topping them up with milk.
Kelly took hers with a wink. Leaning in she whispered, "He's even hot when I'm sober. Maybe more so."
"Real subtle, Kels." Alyssa rolled her eyes, then composed her features before turning to Brandon. Their fingers touched as she passed the glass over.
He took a sip and winced. "I see you like them strong."
Alyssa shrugged. "Yes, but also it's been a few years. You can make the next round."
He chuckled, but took another sip. "No, this is fine. At least I don't have to drive home. How long does it take to stumble to my place?"
Alyssa's mouth dropped open. "I wasn't that drunk last night."
"No, but you weren't that sober." He grinned. "How do you like your steak?"
She peered at the grill and shook her head. "By now I think it's all well done, so that'll have to do. Let's eat, I'm ravenous."
Kelly popped inside to grab the rest of the food, and soon they were seated, plates laden and glasses full.
"I think we can call this your official welcome to the Bay," Alyssa said, raising her drink. "Here's to new friends, and new towns. Cheers."
"Cheers," echoed Kelly and Brandon.
"Thanks for this, Alyssa. You really didn't have to invite me over." Brandon’s gaze lingered on her, and she kind of wished it was just the two of them.
"I wanted to."
"Yes she really did," Kelly said, a little grin on her face.
"Shut up," Alyssa hissed.
"No, no, please, enlighten me." Brandon leaned forward.
"Alyssa's been a little lonely since she came to the Bay. So I think it's great that she's making new friends." Kelly waggled her eyebrows, and Brandon laughed so hard he started coughing.
