Just A Kiss

by Elks, Carrie

  The front door slammed, and Lucas’s greeting echoed down the hallway. Caitie turned around to see her brother walking into the kitchen, followed by Ember. Both of them looked exhausted.

  “The coffee’s just finished brewing,” Caitie told them, inclining her head at the pot.

  “Mom has coffee in the house?” Lucas asked, his eyes wide. “This must be some kind of miracle.” He pulled two mugs from the cupboard and poured coffee into them, adding milk before stirring them. Passing the first to Ember, he took a big mouthful of his own, sighing deeply.

  “I’m so tired,” Ember said, pulling out the stool next to Caitie’s. “I can’t imagine what you must be feeling like. Did you get any sleep.”

  Caitie grinned at her. “I got some.” She took another mouthful of coffee. “And this is making up for the rest.” She put her mug down and grabbed the notebook she’d been scribbling in since she woke up. “Oh, and I started writing down some ideas for your wedding. We should get started on making some plans.” She glanced over at Lucas. “And if you’ve had enough coffee.”

  “We decided Lucas should probably go surfing,” Ember said, winking. “Organizing weddings isn’t really his thing.”

  Caitie turned to her brother. He shrugged at the question in her eyes. “I’m good with that,” he said. “As long as you guys don’t mind.”

  “Whatever works for you.” Caitie shrugged. “I assume you’ve agreed on a budget?”

  “Yep.” Lucas nodded. “And if you have any questions, I’m only a phone call away.”

  “No problem. You can go.” Caitie grinned. “Let the adults get on with organizing things.”

  “Okay, little sister.” He winked at her, walking over to give her a hug. “Thanks for everything. Seriously. You’ve made two people very happy.”

  “We’ll see,” Caitie said. She still wasn’t sure she could pull this off. Organizing a wedding in a little over two months was no small feat. Doing it mostly from the other side of the country was going to take a miracle. “Enjoy the surf.” She stood to pour herself another cup of coffee. “You want a top off?” she asked Ember. “I think we’re both going to need a major caffeine injection.”

  * * *

  After Ember left later that morning, Caitie spent the day researching locations and calling to make enquiries about hosting a Christmas wedding at their venues. By the time evening came around, the exhaustion she’d woken up with was making every muscle in her body ache. And she didn’t want to think about all the business emails piling up in her inbox.

  There was only one thing she could do to manage this all. She’d have to extend her stay. It made sense to work from Angel Sands for the next week until she found Ember and Lucas a venue. After that, she could return to New York and help them organize things remotely. But until they had somewhere to hold the wedding, nothing else could happen.

  “You’re staying until next weekend?” Harper inquired when Caitie called to tell her she wouldn’t be returning to New York the next day. “Well that’s one for the books. I thought you couldn’t wait to get out of California. Are you thinking of moving back? Should I call some contacts in L.A.?”

  Harper often talked about them both moving to California. As a costume designer, it was a choice between working at theaters in New York, or costume departments in Hollywood studios.

  Caitie flicked the phone to speaker and laid it on the table, lifting her hands to rub her tired eyes. “I have a meeting in L.A. on Thursday, so I would have been flying back here, anyway. I decided it would be easier to work from Angel Sands rather than New York for the rest of the week. Don’t start packing our bags yet.”

  “Spoilsport,” Harper said cheerfully. “I guess I’ll be wearing the same old winter clothes. Back to the drab blacks and greys.”

  “You never wear black. And anyway, it’s hardly winter in New York. It’s been pretty warm for October.”

  “It’ll be cold soon enough. And then you’ll have to listen to me moan every night.”

  “Nothing new there. I’ve been listening to you complain about the weather for the past eight years.”

  “So do us both a favor and let’s move to California. I promise not to complain about the beautiful, year-round sun and alarming lack of rain.”

  Caitie laughed. “You’ll find something else to moan about.”

  “Of course I will. But for once it won’t be about the New York winters.”

  “You know, there’s nothing stopping you from moving to L.A. without me.” Caitie’s tone was teasing, but saying those words made her stomach feel weird. As though she’d gone for days without eating.

  There was a pause, followed by a full-on Harper sigh. “I can’t believe you said that. We’re the two musketeers, dude. I’m not moving to L.A. without you. If you insist on living in this miserable, cold, wet city for the rest of your life, that’s where I’m staying. You need me to make sure you don’t work too hard and nag you to get some rest.”

  Even though her abdomen still felt tight, Caitie smiled. Was she being selfish wanting to stay in New York, far away from the sea and sand of California? They’d probably both be better off work wise if they moved here. Especially if she got the new contract in L.A.. “Well, since you’re not here, it looks like I’m going to be working all night. I’ve got meetings to move and a submission to get in. Not to mention the small problem of finding a wedding venue on short notice.”

  “Well, good luck with that, honey. I’ll be putting my feet up and binge watching some TV. And because I know you’re so sorry for making me stay in New York, I’ll also be helping myself to your secret stash of chocolate.”

  “You don’t know where I hide it.” Caitie grinned.

  “Of course I do. I know all your secrets, sweetie. But like all the others, I’ll take this one to the grave.”

  “If you eat all my chocolate, you’ll be going there sooner than you think,” Caitie warned. “Just keep your hands off the Swiss stuff.”

  “I’ll do my best. But remember, I’m drowning my sorrows because I have to live in this frozen hellhole of a city forever. So you may have to buy me chocolate for the rest of my life so I can cope with the misery.” Another dramatic sigh. “Especially the Swiss stuff.”

  “Goodbye, Harper.” Caitie’s voice was firm. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

  “You’d better. Otherwise I’ll eat the Belgian stuff, too.”

  It was an hour later when Lucas stopped back at their parents’ house, his hair wet from hours spent in the surf. He smelled of saltwater and sunscreen. His skin was warm and brown from an afternoon at the beach, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

  “Hey, Ember tells me you’re staying for a while.” He attempted to grab Caitie and pull her close. When she dodged his grasp, he shook his wet hair at her, the same annoying way he used to when they were kids.

  “Just for the week. We need to agree on a venue before next Saturday, otherwise we won’t be able to get everything organized in time.” Caitie gave him a serious look. “So you’ll need to be ready to look at places, okay? Even if it means rearranging things.”

  “Of course. We’re beyond grateful for your help, and whatever you need from us, you’ve got it. Seriously, sis, you’re a lifesaver. Ember’s over the moon you’re going to help organize things. Are you sure we can’t pay you?”

  “No.” She shook her head firmly. “It’s a pleasure to be able to help, it really is. Just remember, I’m not a wedding planner. I’ll probably need to find someone to help with things. But I do work with venues all the time, so securing one that works is exactly what I can do.”

  “You’re amazing, you know that?” He reached for her again. This time, Caitie let him envelop her in his arms. He was still wet and warm, and smelled of the damned sea. “Oh, and Breck says hi. He wanted to come over, but he got a phone call and disappeared.” He pulled back, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

  Caitie tried to keep her tone innocent, ignoring the way her heart sped at his
name. “You were surfing with Breck?”

  “All the guys were there.” Lucas shrugged. “Weekends are made for surfing.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Oh, and Griff wanted to talk with you, too. He’s scared you’re going to dress the whole wedding party in Santa suits. He wants to point out he doesn’t need a fake beard since he already has a real one.”

  “That sounds like Griff.” She grinned. “And he would look great in red.”

  “It’s his favorite color.” Lucas paused, running his tongue along his bottom lip. “You’re not going to dress us in Santa suits, are you?”

  Caitie laughed. “Of course I’m not going to dress you in Santa suits. Unless you want me to, in which case I’ll argue with you, but agree to, because it’s your wedding.”

  “Ember would kill me. And you.”

  “I think we should both kill Griffin for thinking of the idea.”

  Lucas nodded. “Yeah, we definitely should. Except he’s my best man. I kind of need him alive for now.”

  “Okay, okay, I won’t kill him. But if he mentions Santa suits again, I may maim him. Or at least kick him in the groin, okay?”

  Lucas smiled. “You could do it tonight. Everybody’s coming over this evening. I was hoping you’d join us since you aren’t leaving.”

  “At your beach cottage?” she asked. Lucas and Ember lived in the old cottage that used to belong to their grandparents. Caitie and Lucas had jointly owned it, but she’d happily sold her interest to him a while back. She had no desire to live anywhere near the ocean.

  “Yeah. I can’t wait for you to see what we’ve done with the place. You won’t recognize it.”

  She took a deep breath. This was where she should finally confess her fear of the water. Explain how much she hated the sea, the beach, and everything it represented. But the thought alone made her chest tighten.

  At first, maybe it had been self-preservation which caused her to keep her mouth shut. Back in those days, admitting to fear was like inviting Lucas and his friends to taunt her. But she was embarrassed, too. What California girl would admit to having a phobia about the beach? She wouldn’t have been able to survive the ridicule.

  And now it didn’t matter. She lived in New York. No point in having a heart to heart about something that wasn’t even an issue for most of the year.

  “I have to work tonight,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I’ve got so much to catch up on before tomorrow.”

  “No way. Come on, Caitie. Everybody wants to see you. Breck and Jack, jeez even Griff. It won’t be the same without you.”

  She swallowed hard. “I have too much to do. I need to rearrange a dozen meetings, plus I have to research venues for the wedding. I want to be all ready tomorrow when they open up for business.”

  “You sure?” Lucas looked genuinely disappointed.

  If she was a stronger woman she’d head back with him. Hang out on the beach with Ember and her friends, splash in the surf with Griff and Jack.

  See Brecken, the way her body wanted her to.

  But she wasn’t strong. It had been enough of a struggle last night at the beach club, but at least there’d been a distance between herself and the water. But she knew how close Lucas’s cottage was to the shoreline. And the thought of being anywhere near there made her hands shake.

  “I’m certain,” she said, her voice full of apologies. “But tell them I’ll catch up with them before I bail for New York, okay?”

  Lucas shrugged and ruffled her hair. “Okay, little sis. It’s your call.”

  She’d made the only one she could right now. She was only here for a week, and was determined to make it as painless as possible. Even if that meant missing out on seeing Brecken Miller again.

  5

  “Hey, Breck. Over here!”

  Breck turned to see Lucas and their friends gathered down the beach from Lucas and Ember’s cottage. They were sitting in a circle around an old fire pit, drinks in hand. The sun was slowly falling below the horizon, casting an orange hue across the surface. The light caught the faces of everybody looking toward the ocean, making them glow like there was a fire already lit in the pit.

  “Hey.” Breck put the six-pack of soda he’d brought into the cooler, keeping one for himself. “No fire tonight?”

  Ember looked up at him. “Nope. We don’t light fires if we don’t need to.”

  “Not when the captain’s around,” Griff added, inclining his head at Lucas.

  It was strange to think that Lucas was a fire captain now. He ran the Angel Sands station, having worked at the bigger White City station for the previous ten years. Breck admired him for it, knowing how hard his friend worked and all the terrible things he had to deal with.

  “Makes sense,” Breck said, shrugging. “And better for the environment, too.”

  “Right?” Ember’s friend, Ally agreed. “I hate the way the beach looks all scorched after somebody’s lit a fire. It can’t be good for the ocean.”

  “It’s not good for my heart rate either.” Lucas grinned. “I have to deal with fires all day at my job. I’d rather not have them raging near my house.”

  Breck looked at them all. Everything about his friends felt familiar. There was something comforting about it. For the longest time after he’d left Angel Sands, he’d tried to imagine life going on here without him. It had hurt, knowing they’d still be happy even with him gone. But then again, everything had hurt in those days.

  Now though, the pain was only a memory. Sometimes he’d poke at it, like a kid playing with a scab, trying to see if it still hurt. He’d picture his mom helping him build a sandcastle, or teaching Daniel to swim. Now they were echoes, instead of knives to his heart.

  “Who’s coming tonight?” he asked Lucas, looking around. There was Griff and Jack, of course, plus Ember and her friends, along with a few faces he recognized from the fire station where Lucas worked.

  But there was one person who was missing. And it made his stomach feel tight.

  “Pretty much everyone’s here,” Lucas told him.

  “And one of them is very happy to see you,” Griff said, taking a seat next to him, as he tried to get music to stream through the Bluetooth speakers.

  “What?” Breck frowned, tipping his head to look at his friend. “Who?”

  Griff gestured across the pit to where Ember and her friends were sitting. “Rachel Foss. She’s been asking when you’re going to get here for the last half hour. Man, that girl can talk.”

  Breck’s mouth turned dry. He hadn’t been expecting that at all. “Oh, yeah. She seems … um… nice.” It was the second time he’d seen her in as many days, and her interest was making him uncomfortable. In Boston, he would have told her he wasn’t interested and never saw her again. But in a small town like this it wasn’t so easy. Wherever he went, she’d be there. Plus she’s Ember’s friend. Better to let things fade out.

  “She likes you, my friend,” Griff said. “She told me at least ten times.”

  Breck grimaced. He had no idea what to say. So he took another mouthful of soda, swallowing it down.

  “Is Caitie coming tonight?” he asked Lucas. The need to change the subject imperative.

  Lucas shook his head. “Nah. I invited her, but she’s too busy working. Said she had a lot to catch up on.”

  “Is that what she said?” Breck asked.

  “Yeah.” Lucas gave him a funny look. “Why?”

  “I thought maybe it was because of the ocean. I’d hoped she might’ve been over that by now.”

  “Over what?” Lucas frowned, putting his can in the sand in front of him.

  “Her fear…” Breck trailed off, his words swallowed up by the music that Griff finally managed to stream. The deep bass pumped through the evening air, keeping time with the pulse in his ear.

  “What fear?” Lucas had to come closer to be heard. His face wrinkled in confusion.

  So she’d never told him. And now Breck was revealing secrets that wer
en’t his to tell. His stomach fell. Why the hell couldn’t he keep his mouth shut? “Oh nothing.”

  “Come on. What are you talking about? Is my sister afraid of something?”

  His lips felt as dry as the sand surrounding them. He took another mouthful of soda to moisten them. “Not that I know of. I haven’t seen her for years.”

  Lucas wasn’t letting go of it. He was like a dog with a bone. “But you said she was. Come on, man, what are you talking about?”

  “I was kidding. You know, the way we used to call her Vampira? I was making a joke, a stupid one. Pretending she was afraid of the daylight.”

  “But it’s not even light. The sun’s going down.” Lucas looked more confused than ever.

  “That’s why it was a stupid joke.” Breck was a moment away from slapping himself. Why the hell did he start this? Only the worst kind of asshole spilled secrets about their friends. He could only hope his lame-ass explanation kept Lucas happy. Otherwise he was going to have some explaining to do.

  * * *

  “Honey, we’re going out for an evening walk,” Deenie called to Caitie. “We’ll lock the door behind us. Try not to work too hard.”

  “I won’t. Have a good walk,” Caitie called out, turning back to her laptop. She was sitting on her bed, her MacBook balanced on her bare thighs. She’d changed into her pajamas after her shower; plaid shorts and a tank that revealed her pale skin in all its glory. Her wet hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her reading glasses were balanced on her nose. Harper always called this her ‘Clark Kent’ look. She wasn’t sure it was a compliment.