Sweet Caroline

by Becky Lower

  “We launched our new product without you. As you are well aware, all staff is to be here the day of each launch, and if you’re a no-show, you’re gone the next day. Despite being my most talented employee, you’re no exception.” Doug steepled his fingers in front of him as he leaned back. placing his elbows on the chair’s arms.

  “How’d the launch go?” Caroline hoped to deflect the conversation.

  “Only a few minor glitches,” he revealed with a grin, spreading his hands wide. “Once again, we have a success on our hands. Which brings me to the next item on my agenda. I have to make an example of you for the next yo-yo who feels the urge to just take off whenever.”

  Caroline glared at Doug. “Perhaps the reason you only had ‘minor’ glitches is because I designed the program from start to finish? Haven’t you put the pieces together? That project has been my baby.”

  “And you abandoned your baby as it was being delivered! What kind of woman are you? Not the kind I need on my team, that’s for sure.” Doug jumped up and paced around the room.

  Caroline attempted to follow his movements but only ended up making herself dizzy. She lowered her gaze, but her tone of voice was like the wind during a tornado. “I’m the kind of woman who doesn’t need to take your abuse, Doug. You don’t have to fire me since I beat you to the punch. Here’s my letter of resignation.” Suppressing a nervous giggle, she tugged the letter out from the pad in her hands and presented her formal resignation to Doug with a flourish.

  Doug spun and stared “You can’t be serious!”

  “Yes, I am.” She shrugged. “Being away for a few days has given me perspective and allowed me to see what a bleak existence I’ve been living since Michael died. I need a fresh start, and my first step is to find a new calling.”

  Doug’s brow furrowed as he slumped back into his chair. “This is unexpected.”

  “How can that be? You just threatened me with a firing. I got to the point first, that’s all.” For the first time since boarding the plane back to Cleveland, Caroline smiled.

  “But that’s all I planned to do—threaten you.” Doug tugged on his hair.

  “Then I guess I called your bluff.” She stood and picked up her pad. “I’ll go clean out my desk and be gone before anyone even realizes I’ve returned.” She stepped toward the door.

  “Wait.”

  She had one hand on the doorknob, and her fingers tensed. So close. She glanced over her shoulder, sucking in her breath, unwilling to spin completely around.

  He stood, the resignation letter fluttering in his hand. “We both got heated and need to take a step back. I’m willing to tear up your letter if you’re willing to stay.”

  A wave of anger coursed through her body. The threat of leaving had to happen for Doug to register appreciation for her work. She took another breath and shook her head. “No thanks, Doug. I’ve decided to relocate to Lobster Cove. My cousins will be close by, and right now, I need family around me.” She opened the door and faced him again.

  “Isn’t Lobster Cove a small town? What kind of work can you find?” He frowned.

  “I’m branching out into retail, selling greeting cards.” She smirked.

  “You can’t be serious! You may need a break from programming, but if you take too long away, the industry will progress without you. Then you’ll be stuck. Your future in this business will disappear.” He rounded the desk and latched onto her shoulder.

  Dipping her shoulder, she shrugged free of his hand. “I’m okay with that. I’ll talk to HR about my IRA holdings and leftover vacation time, which, despite what you’ve told me, I still have. Goodbye, Doug.” Caroline returned to her office and glanced around. She’d spent six years at this place, in her little cubbyhole. Are these few items my only personal possessions? They didn’t even begin to fill the box she’d commandeered from the supply room. She removed the office key from her keychain and headed to the Human Resources department. After a quick visit with the liaison, she left the building where she’d spent so many hours, her footsteps lighter than they’d been in a year. Lobster Cove awaited.

  ****

  Grant had hoped Caroline would delay her departure long enough to take in the all-important high-school basketball game. He glanced around the packed gymnasium, seeing a lot of familiar faces but not the one he searched for. He said hello to a few people before heading toward the one person he needed to talk to. He stood in front of Abbey and Charlie and hugged the boys, Charlie Jr. and Tommy, who squirmed in excitement.

  “Hi, Grant. Good luck tonight.” Charlie shook his hand and then grabbed him in a one-shoulder man hug.

  Abbey’s forehead furrowed as she stared at Grant. “She’s not here.”

  She spoke in a soft whisper, but the words hit him like bricks. Grant nodded.

  “But she’s due back in a week. Hang tight, Grant.”

  Grant grinned, and his heart rate soared. “You mean she hasn’t reconsidered?”

  “Nope. She’s only gone back to wrap up things Quit her job, clean out her apartment, and say goodbye to the few friends she has left in town.” Abbey held onto his arm. “She’ll be back here before you can turn around.”

  “I won’t believe you until I see her here with all her stuff.” Grant brushed a hand over his mop of hair.

  Abbey punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Well, right now you need to get your head in this game. Maybe she’ll be in the Cove in time for the quarter-finals.”

  “Here’s hoping we advance that far.” He returned to the bench where his team waited for their last-minute instructions. He had no more time to ponder Caroline. His job was to get his team ready. They had prepared hard for this game. Even Joey and Brian were in good form tonight. “So you followed my advice and didn’t party last night.” Grant chuckled as he nudged the pair.

  “We’ll party once we win the game, coach,” Joey and Brian high-fived each other.

  “Let loose with some three-pointers tonight, and we might win,” Grant encouraged Joey, returning his grin.

  He offered advice, developed plays on his pad, replaced fatigued players with fresh boys from the bench, and otherwise kept up his players’ spirits. The raucous crowd helped fuel their excitement, and the air around the bench quickly became permeated with the scent of sweat from the over-active young bodies coming in for a breather.

  When his team emerged victorious at the end, Grant suffered a sports drink bath. Fortunately, he had predicted the outcome and packed a spare set of clothes in his duffel bag. He showered and then replaced his soaked black shirt with the silver shark school mascot emblem above the pocket with an identical one. The team was receiving a pizza celebration, compliments of the school, and he still had to be in coach attire while in attendance.

  No sooner did he towel off than his thoughts diverted to Caroline. She’d be back in a week’s time! She’d told him where she planned to live and where she’d be working, at least to begin with, in an attempt to have them avoid each other. She’d mapped out her space, but instead of creating a deterrent, he intended to use her marked territory to his advantage. He could arrange to run into her several times a week. Maybe invite her to the quarter-finals as his date. His mission would be to make her happy. He’d made her miserable once and evidently for a long time. He needed to make amends—starting next week. Right now, he’d bask in the victory with his team over pizza. By the next celebration, he’d have his woman with him, or he’d die trying.

  Chapter Seven

  Caroline drove slowly past the “Welcome to Lobster Cove” sign. To calm her rapidly beating heart, she steered her car onto the shoulder and sat for a moment as the late winter day turned to dusk. Hand on her chest, she took deep breaths, calling into play her yoga training while her gaze drifted from one snowy pine tree to the other. The fingers on her other hand tapped out a text to Abbey that she’d just entered the town limits. Too late to turn back now even if she’d changed her mind. All ties to Cleveland had been severed. Her old job and he
r apartment now belonged to someone else.

  Not until she put the last box in her car had she accepted the realization of how shallow her life had become. She’d been merely marking off the days since Michael died, not living them—something she’d promised him she wouldn’t do. The time had come to get a life again and to make her existence worth something. Michael would have approved of her bold decision. She straightened behind the wheel.

  Lobster Cove could work its magic on her again, just as the town had done when she was a kid. She’d loved coming here every year, basking in the long summer days with Abbey and Penny. She’d developed her first crush of her teen years here with Grant. She’d really missed coming back after Grant broke her heart, but she hadn’t been able to face her cousins. To face the town. To face him.

  “Here I come, Lobster Cove, ready or not,” she whispered and raised a fist in a defiant gesture to counteract the whisper. After one more deep breath, she steered the car back onto the road. The movers were scheduled to arrive in the morning so she’d again spend tonight with Abbey and Charlie. One more night until she’d have her own place and begin her grown-up adventure in the Cove.

  She headed for The Treasure Chest where Abbey told her she’d be working. She’d pick up the key to the apartment, chat a bit, and unload her car. Then she’d go to Abbey’s house and crash. After the movers took all her furniture from her Cleveland apartment yesterday, she did some last-minute cleaning and checked into a motel for the night. Whether she could blame the lumpy mattress or her excitement about her new adventure didn’t matter. The result had been she’d gotten very little sleep. Now that the long drive had almost ended, she only wished to crawl into bed. Twelve hours behind the wheel would make anyone a zombie.

  She parked alongside Abbey’s minivan and unfolded herself from the crowded car. Stretching her body to work out the kinks, she glanced up to the second floor. A sign in the window read, “Welcome Home, Sweet Caroline!” Abbey had gone to an extreme in an effort to put a smile on Caroline’s face, but it worked.

  After opening the back door to the shop, she entered the office located in the back stock area, grinning from ear to ear. “Hello?” She called out, hoping to find Abbey sitting at her desk. The office was empty. She had no choice but to wander into the shop through the closed door.

  A hail of confetti met her. “Yay! Welcome home, Caro!” Abbey yelled as the staff and customers who’d been in the store joined in the celebration, blowing New Year’s Eve horns and clapping.

  Tears formed in Caroline’s eyes, distorting the scene a bit. She took a huge gulp and glanced around, searching for Grant. Abbey wouldn’t have invited him, would she? Caroline couldn’t face him yet. Fortunately, no men were present at this celebration. She smiled again and stared at the small crowd of people as her heart rate returned to its normal pace. “Thanks, everyone. What a lovely surprise. I promise I’ll clean up the confetti mess when we’re done.” She shook her head at the small pieces of paper floating to the floor.

  “Not until you’ve had cake. Come on, put down your purse and grab a plate. We bought carrot cake with butter cream frosting, your favorite.” Abbey stepped behind Caroline and tugged off her coat, removing the purse from her shoulder and forcing a plate full of carrot cake into Caroline’s hands. Then Abbey took the coat and purse into the back office. She returned shortly with a broad grin.

  Caroline had only time to register vaguely the grin as the other people in the store gathered around, asking questions and offering advice on the best restaurants in town.

  Abbey plopped another piece of cake on her plate.

  Since Caroline had eaten nothing but protein bars all day, she gladly devoured the second slice of the moist, sweet cake.

  Within an hour, things in the shop returned to normal. The customers made their purchases and wandered off, tossing out good luck wishes on their way. The two staffers on duty returned to their work, and Abbey led Caroline to the back office, where they sat.

  “Sorry I’m so late getting here, Abbey.” Caroline hastily explained. “I thought I’d leave around four AM, but I must have been wired since I couldn’t get to sleep until about then.”

  Abbey waved a hand. “No need to explain, Caro. I’m just happy you’re here and that you gave me a heads-up when you got to the town limits so we could surprise you with our little celebration.”

  “If you’ll show me where the vacuum cleaner is, I’ll get busy cleaning the confetti.” Caroline stood.

  “No one cleans up their own confetti. That’s a house rule. I’m sure you’ve got a car full of boxes that need to be carted upstairs. Here, take the rest of the cake.” The wide grin returned to Abbey’s face. “You take care of your car. I’ll take care of the confetti.”

  Caroline put an arm into her coat sleeve and stepped toward the door. “If you’re sure…” She pawed through her large purse for the elusive key as she closed the door behind her. Her skin prickled but her body grew warm. “Heat is not exactly what I’d expect on a February night in Maine,” she mumbled as she took the short flight of stairs down to the parking lot, still rummaging through her bag.

  “Looking for these?”

  A voice crept out of the darkness as her keys rattled. A deep baritone that invaded her dreams during the last week. One that sent waves of emotion rolling over her. Willing her legs to work, she strode over to where Grant leaned against the fender of her car. Her empty car. “What did you do?” Her throat constricted and her voice came out thin and weak. Dressed in jeans and a snug white T-shirt, he presented a delectable picture of casual elegance. The fleece jacket he’d been wearing had been discarded and lay in a heap beside him on the car fender. Her mouth dried, and her tongue refused to work. She stared at his long, lean frame.

  “Abbey wouldn’t let me inside but promised me cake if I unloaded your car while you were involved in the celebration.” He nodded toward the cake box in her hand. “I’ll take that. Everything else is already upstairs.”

  Caroline tore her gaze from him and glanced upward. The lights were on inside the apartment, welcoming her home. Her gaze flickered over him again. “Thank you, Grant. I’m pretty wiped out from the drive, but I’m sure I can find a plate or two, if you’d care to join me for cake.”

  “Carrot cake?” At her nod, he continued. “If Abbey had bought any other kind, I’d say no thanks, but I do have a soft spot in my heart for carrot cake. Lead the way.”

  She could feel the heat from his gaze as he followed her up the stairs. The lump in her throat grew with each step and her backside warmed. She should have just offered him the remains of the cake and sent him on his way. This was so not how she envisioned her first night as a Lobster Cove resident, but she kidded herself. This situation was exactly what she’d hoped for.

  ****

  Grant hated carrot cake with a passion because he’d always thought putting carrots into cake was a sneaky way to force a kid to eat his vegetables. Abbey had tipped him off about Caroline’s favorite dessert. He followed her up the stairs, his gaze focused on her cute little round backside as she climbed. If choking down a slice of carrot cake was the price of admission to Caroline’s apartment, he would pretend to enjoy himself. If things ever got to the point where they might share another cake, say a wedding cake, he’d straighten her out on his preferences then.

  She flipped on more lights and glanced around the small apartment. Boxes were neatly stacked in the kitchen, living room, and bath. She faced Grant and took the box from his hands, placing the cake on the counter. “Wow, Grant, thank you for unloading my car, and for putting the boxes in their designated areas.”

  “You’re a much more organized packer than me. I usually just throw things into a box with the label of ‘miscellaneous.’ Your meticulous detail made things very easy to figure out.” Grant grinned an easy smile, hoping to rid her of the tension he noticed in her body.

  “So I’m assuming you found your way into my bedroom then?”

  Grant could
hear the shift in tone of her voice. “Yes, I put several of your boxes marked for the bedroom in their proper place, but I didn’t touch anything. I won’t enter that particular room again until I’m asked to do so.” He smiled to show her he was joking, but his voice carried an edge of steel.

  “Until you’re asked?” Her voice wavered. “Don’t throw down a gauntlet on my first day here, okay?”

  He shrugged and busied himself cutting open one of the kitchen boxes with the small knife he carried and searching for plates and utensils. He needed to take a few steps away before he grabbed her and kissed her senseless. After all, he’d been waiting more than fifteen years to do so. He could manage another few days.

  Caroline remained silent while he cut two slices of cake and offered her a plate. “Let’s sit.” He motioned to the boxes he’d stacked in the living room.

  She smiled slightly and sat on a box full of books.

  He took up a position across from her and lifted a fork full of cake in her direction, toasting her. “Here’s to your new home.”

  Eyes bright with excitement, she raised her fork, too. “And to my new life. I’m starting over again, at the age of thirty-one.”

  “Never too late to reboot your life.” He took a bite of cake and controlled the gag reflex. “We need champagne or something.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t plan on having company tonight.” She glanced around the bare room.

  He took another bite of cake. “Next time, after you get everything out of boxes, we’ll celebrate.”

  “Next time…” she echoed.

  At the sound of her soft, wavering voice, he leaned in, toward her.

  He should leave.

  Right now.

  Set down his half-eaten slice of cake and get out of here before he did something stupid. “I’ll let you get settled. Or get on over to Abbey’s for the night.” He uncrossed his long legs and stood. “See you around.”

  She rose, as well, and followed him to the door. “Thank you for unloading my car. You saved me a lot of time.”