Two if by Sea

by Marie Carnay

  A man in a dark blue suit came in, all smiles and handshakes. His long blonde hair was pulled back off his face and the minute he saw Holly, his blue eyes lit up like a clear and sunny morning. “Hi, love.” He leaned in for a kiss before Holly tugged him over.

  “Daphne, this is Ian Knowles.”

  “Daphne Meadows.” She shook his hand and plastered on a PR smile. Every minute that went by, she slipped back into her old role. The mask came back. Tony and Damon were crazy. She could meet all the residents of the whole town and it wouldn’t cure the ache inside her chest. She couldn’t wait to get out of there.

  But she played nice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ian. Are you two business partners?”

  He chuckled. “That and more. Holly’s the chef here and I help run the front-end. I own a few restaurants and bars in town.”

  “More like all of them.” Damon’s voice carried from across the table where he was deep in conversation with another man.

  Ian nodded in their direction. “That’s our third musketeer, Trent. He handles our shipping business and runs security.”

  Daphne was getting motion sick trying to keep up with everyone. She frowned as she tried to piece it together. “So he’s involved in the restaurant as well?”

  Holly laughed. “No, silly. We’re all together, like you and Damon and Tony.” She leaned close and whispered. “It’s kind of crazy, if you ask me, but two guys want to spend the rest of their lives with boring old me.”

  “You’re anything but boring, darling.” Ian gave her a squeeze and Daphne gulped down half her champagne. She must be hearing things.

  “Trent, come over here and meet their girl.” Holly waved the other man over and he hustled around the edge of the table.

  “Trent Malone. I’m the muscle of the relationship.” He shook her hand with a serious grip.

  “Hey, I’ve got muscle, too.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t know how to use it. Who saved Holly when we were up on that mountain?”

  Ian rolled his eyes. “I seem to remember that was a two-man operation.”

  Holly butted in the middle. “Just like it always is.” She gave them both a squeeze. “It’s good to meet you, Daphne. I’ve got to get back to the kitchen. You’ll stay for brunch, right? We’re doing waffles and cracked crab.”

  Daphne didn’t know what to say. “Okay.” It was the best she could do.

  Holly smiled and breezed out of the room as quickly as she’d come in.

  Before she could say anything, Damon leaned across the table and asked Trent a question and Ian caught Tony by the arm.

  She watched the four of them talk and laugh and carry on like the best of friends. Was this what they’d brought her here to see?

  The way they all talked it seemed like Holly and her two men had it all figured out. They’d found a way to make a three-way relationship work. But that didn’t mean she could. They weren’t in public relations. They didn’t live in LA.

  A plate full of petit fours arrived and Daphne popped one into her mouth. Mmm. Moist yellow cake. Rich raspberry filling. Chocolate buttercream. She wanted to eat the whole plate.

  Damon eased into the seat next to her. “What do you think about Holly?”

  “She makes the best cake I’ve ever tasted.”

  He chuckled and chomped down on one with vanilla frosting. “Mmm. I think you’re right.” He ate another before turning in his chair to face her head-on. “What about their relationship?”

  “I’m happy for them. I’m glad they’ve found a way to make it work.”

  “And?”

  “What? You think one relationship like this is enough to sell me on it? Damon, we’re hundreds of miles up the coast in a tiny resort town. This isn’t Los Angeles.”

  “You could move here.”

  She gawked. “And do what? Sit on the sand and wiggle my toes in the ocean?”

  “If you wanted to.”

  Daphne sat back in her chair. “I’m not anyone’s charity case. I can make my own way.”

  “I never said you were.” He exhaled. “What if you could work from Midnight Cove, doing PR? Would you think about moving?”

  Her first instinct was to say no. But Damon reached out brushed a wayward curl off her face and Daphne jumped. She’d forgotten how the touch of his hand was electric.

  She looked up and caught Tony staring. The way his black eyes saw right through her…The way one kiss of his lips sent her flying…Could she move? Daphne shook her head. “I don’t see how it would work. All of my clients would be in Los Angeles. Not up here.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that.”

  “What are you saying?”

  A waiter deposited a plate piled high with Belgian waffles, fresh fruit, and a pair of crab legs in front of Daphne. Damon pointed at it. “Eat. We’ll talk more later.”

  * * *

  DAMON

  “She’s still not sold on the idea?”

  Damon shook his head. He’d taken Daphne to every place in the Cove he could think of. They’d had brunch with Ian and Holly and Trent. Gone to coffee at the little shop up the street. Walked Boulevard and Main.

  Hell, he’d even pointed out the flowers. Damon wasn’t a flower guy.

  “I don’t know what else to do.” She’d seen everything Midnight Cove had to offer, but still Daphne hesitated.

  Blake shrugged. “She could meet Summer. I think she’s wrapping up a painting down by the lighthouse. Do you want me to call her?”

  Damon ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t know Summer very well. Every time he’d been in town since she’d come back, there had been a gallery showing or she’d been off painting. But she was Blake and Devin’s girl. That had to count for something. “Do you think it’ll help?”

  Blake walked out from behind the register. “She ran away from this place twice before she took a chance on us, Damon. If anyone knows what cold feet are, it’s Summer.”

  “But she chose you in the end.”

  “She did. We’re getting married in two months.”

  Damon nodded. If she decided to marry them, maybe she could convince Daphne to stay, at least for a while.

  “I’ll call her.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “It’s what friends are for.” Blake stepped away to make the phone call and Damon looked around the surf shop.

  They’d really hit their stride this year. Summer’s paintings lit up the space with bright blues and crisp whites. Top quality boards from all over the world were stocked and ready. Blake and Devin had transformed the town into a surf mecca.

  One that didn’t mind if the owners of the surf shop were engaged to the same woman.

  He didn’t know what it was about the place. Maybe the ocean air did something to people. Made them more accepting and open. But it was the only place where the three of them could live out in the open. He closed his eyes and thought of it.

  Daphne in the middle of him and Tony, walking down the street. Happy and in love.

  Nights in his bedroom, steps from the water. He could open the windows and bring her to orgasm to the sound of the waves. God. Summer better be a miracle worker.

  Blake caught his attention from across the room. “She’s on the beach, this side of the lighthouse. Daphne’s welcome anytime.”

  He had a chance. He just needed to get her to the beach with her ears open enough to listen.

  Chapter 17

  DAPHNE

  “I’m sorry, Damon.” Daphne pulled her sweater around herself. The sun shone down on both of them, but she still had a chill.

  “Please, Daphne. Just meet her.”

  “I don’t see the point.”

  Tony nudged her elbow. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were scared.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not scared.” Not really. But the thought of meeting another woman involved in one of these relationships? It boggled the mind.

  How could that even be possible? Maybe she was sca
red. Just a little.

  “You have nothing to lose by meeting her. The chopper won’t be available for another two hours. Go spend some time on the beach, chat. Hell, I don’t care if you stand there mute and watch her paint. But do this. For us.”

  She turned to Damon. “Summer’s a painter?”

  He nodded. “She used to live in New York. Now she runs a gallery here.”

  Daphne furrowed her brows. “She’s found a way to make a career here? Not just some hobby?”

  “You’ll have to ask her.” Damon pointed toward the water. “Half an hour. That’s all we’re asking.”

  “For us, Daphne.” Tony’s tone startled her. Gone was the firm command. In its place, a slight quaver.

  “Okay. Half an hour. That’s all.”

  “Deal.”

  Daphne made her way down the stone steps to the sand. She slipped off her sandals and her toes sunk into the warm grit. Wow. She lived less than an hour from the ocean in Los Angeles and hadn’t been in years. She hadn’t had the time.

  As she left the parking lot behind, the ocean opened up in front of her. Waves of blue and purple, dark green and indigo. The sky melted into the horizon and she couldn’t tell where the water ended and the afternoon sun began. It was breathtaking.

  A woman stood alone, out on the sand, an easel set up in front of her. The canvas matched the water. Swirls of green and blue dripped and merged, sandy brown dusted the bottom. She had managed to capture not only the look of the place, but the feeling it evoked.

  Majesty and beauty. Effortless grace.

  “Summer?” Daphne hated to interrupt.

  The woman turned around with a smile. Her blue eyes lit up when she spotted her. “You must be Daphne. Blake told me you’d be stopping by.”

  “If I’m interrupting—”

  Summer waved her off. “Not at all. I’m pretty much done.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “Thanks. I’ve been painting a lot of bright canvases lately. Probably because I’m so wrapped up in the wedding plans. When I saw the sky today, I had to come out. My repeat buyers have been clamoring for something like this.”

  “Are you a wedding planner, too?”

  Summer laughed. “Good God, no. After this, I don’t want to plan another wedding for a decade.” She flashed a sparkly ring on her left hand. “I’m marrying Blake and Devin in a few weeks.”

  If there had been a chair, Daphne would have sunk into it. “You’re marrying two men?”

  “Well, not legally. We haven’t quite figured out specifics of who gets the legal honor. But yes, I’m marrying two men. I love them both. They love me.”

  “How long did it take you to figure that out?”

  Summer smiled and glanced out at the water. “Too long. We met one summer in college. We clicked right away, but I freaked out. Couldn’t handle it. I mean, who dates two men, you know?”

  Daphne nodded. Did she ever. “But you came back?”

  “Mm-hmm. Ian’s sister got married. I came back for the wedding and they were here…It kind of snowballed.”

  “So that was it? You just knew?”

  “Nothing’s ever that easy.” Summer shut up her paints and cleaned off her hands on a towel. “If you can believe it, I ran away again. Something from the past surfaced—a secret I didn’t know—and it shook me. I couldn’t handle it.”

  Daphne wanted to ask a million questions. How did she meet them? When did it all start? How did she make it work? But Summer’s story wouldn’t help her solve her own problems. She cut to the chase instead. “They won you back?”

  Summer nodded. “In a huge way. When I saw how much they loved me…how much they were willing to sacrifice for me…I couldn’t say no. Why punish myself? I love them. I’m meant to be with them. It might not be traditional, but for us, it works.”

  Daphne licked her lips. “How well do you know Tony and Damon?”

  “Not well, I’m afraid.” Summer reached out and touched her arm. “But I do know how hard they’ve worked today to show you what’s possible in Midnight Cove. Men don’t do things like that unless they’re in love.”

  But they’d never said it. Daphne shrugged. “I don’t know if love is enough.”

  “All I can say is, don’t run away from the path you’ve found yourself on just because it’s not what other people expect. Be true to you.”

  “How do I know if this is it, though?”

  Summer shrugged. “I can’t tell you that.” She motioned behind Daphne. “They can.”

  Daphne turned to see Damon and Tony walking down the steps. The two men who’d turned her world upside down. They had opened her eyes to all she could experience. All her heart could feel.

  Tony’s black hair ruffled in the wind and his T-shirt clung to his impressive frame. With his eyes focused on her, he never wavered. Never missed a single step.

  Damon followed, his jeans low on his hips, his trim waist and broad shoulders hiding the tension inside him. He’d run his hands through his hair so many times, the blond strands stuck up all over. Even the wind couldn’t bat them down.

  Summer squeezed her shoulder. “Follow your heart. It can’t steer you wrong.” With her easel folded up under one arm and the still-wet painting perched on her hand, Summer walked past Tony and Damon and made her way toward the stairs.

  As she disappeared out of sight, Damon stopped in front of her.

  “You two talked?”

  Daphne nodded.

  “And?”

  She exhaled. “It’s a lot to take in.”

  “That’s not a no.”

  Daphne looked out at the water. “I get that we could work here, okay? But that doesn’t change the facts. My life is in LA. I need to find a new job. Start over. I can’t do that here.”

  “Why not?”

  Daphne threw her hands in the air. “Who is going to hire me in this tiny coastal town?”

  “You haven’t met enough of the locals.”

  Daphne frowned at Tony. “What does that mean?”

  The corner of his lip twitched. “There are more billionaires and celebrities here than you think. You just haven’t been looking.”

  Damon chimed in. “And we’ve secured you a client already.”

  “Who?”

  “Ian Knowles.”

  Daphne raised an eyebrow. “I don’t send out press releases for new restaurants.”

  “No, but I bet you manage billion-dollar business accounts. He runs a shipping business with Trent that deals with clients in a hundred different countries. They need a coordinated public relations front.”

  Daphne paled. “He’s a billionaire?”

  “One of many.” That smirk again from Tony.

  Daphne frowned. “One client isn’t enough.”

  Tony rolled forward on his toes. “We were hoping you could represent us as well.”

  Her eyes went wide. “You?”

  “We do have a bit of an image problem.”

  Oh, God. How could she explain it without hurting their feelings? “Um…well…it’s just…”

  “You do know the Stardust is only one of our ships, right.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “We own twenty cruise ships, Daphne. We take people on everything from singles cruises to geriatric benders around Alaskan glaciers. It’s a very large enterprise.”

  She suddenly felt like the last one in on the joke. “How big?”

  “Big enough to need dedicated PR. Between us and Ian you might need to hire help.”

  “What are you offering?”

  Damon stepped forward and took her hand. “We’re offering you our hearts, our business, and our home here in Midnight Cove.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “We’re offering you everything we have, Daphne. We love you.”

  She blinked away a rush of tears. “You do?”

  Tony nodded. “More than I ever though possible.”

  It was all too much. They had whisked her away to a magical town, offered her a
job, proclaimed their love. She opened her mouth to tell them she needed some time, when her phone buzzed inside her pocket.

  She fished it out and looked at the number. The firm. She swiped it on. “Daphne Meadows.”

  “Daphne, it’s Rick from Hopkins PR, how are you?”

  She took a step back. Rick ran human relations for the firm and handled all the hiring and firing. Could they possibly have reconsidered? “Hello, Rick. What can I do for you?”

  “First of all, I wanted you to know how sorry I was to have to let you go. I tried to reason with Mr. Hopkins, but he refused to listen.”

  Daphne expected sadness and disappointment to hit her in the gut, but instead she felt…relieved. “Okay. Do you need something from me?”

  “I wanted to let you know that Rachel’s been arrested. It seems she paid someone to steal liquor off the cruise ship you were on.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. The police had video surveillance and taped phone calls.”

  “So she won’t be promoted?”

  Rick stifled a laugh. “No. She’s been terminated.”

  He paused and she could tell he wanted to say more. “What is it?”

  “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but leaving Hopkins is the best thing for you. You’re brilliant at PR, Daphne. Mr. Hopkins will never value you the way you should be. He would never make you partner no matter how deserving.”

  “He wouldn’t? Why not?”

  “Haven’t you noticed? He’s a bit of a chauvinistic asshole. You’d do so much better at any other shop in town. I can give you a referral if you’d like.”

  Daphne smiled. “No, that’s okay. I’ve already got an offer.” She glanced up at Damon and Tony.

  “Oh, how fantastic. I knew you’d be in demand. You’re too talented to stay on the market for long.”

  Daphne finished the call and turned back to Damon and Tony. “Rachel’s been arrested. Fired, too.”

  “We know.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Did you…”

  “Maybe.” Damon stepped closer. “But I don’t want to talk about Rachel. I want to talk about us.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but he took her by the arms. “Please, Daphne, just listen. I know that this isn’t what you’d expected to find when you walked onto our ship. You’re certainly not what we were looking for.”