by Elks, Carrie
His heart began to pound against his chest. “I think… I mean I thought…” Oh God, this was harder than he thought. What was it that Grant Sutton had said about connecting with his daughter? It was all about communication. Okay, then. He took a deep breath. “I thought you might resent her. That she was taking my attention away from you. And maybe that’s why you left for Boston.”
“Dad, hold up a minute. I’m going outside.” He waited until she spoke again, her voice less muted now. “Okay, listen to me. I went to Boston because I’m stupid. I’m a teenager and I make mistakes. And yeah, I was pretty grossed out when I saw you and Ally, but what kid wouldn’t be? I’d have been like that if I’d seen Mom with somebody, too. But none of this is Ally’s fault. In fact, me feeling better is thanks to her and you. You guys made me feel like I was part of something again. Like a kind of family or something.” She cleared her throat. “So, no, I didn’t leave for Boston because of you and Ally. I left because I was stupid and sometimes I make the worst decisions.”
Yeah, well that made two of them.
“I think that’s the most you’ve said to me in a while,” Nate said. His eyes were stinging and he blinked to try and soothe them.
“Yeah, well don’t get used to it. I’m a teenager, remember?”
“How could I forget?”
“Was that all you wanted to ask me?”
“Ah, no. There’s one more thing,” Nate told her.
“What?”
“Have you got your keys? Because I might not be here when you get home.”
31
Nate pulled his car into a gap between an old truck and a fancy black sedan and shifted it into park. The sun had almost slipped beneath the horizon, leaving only a ghost of orange blazing and dancing on the ocean waves, a contrast to the indigo expanse of sky above.
With the ignition off he could hear music coming up from the beach. Something with a heavy beat. Beneath it was a low level of chatter interspersed by the occasional tinkle of laughter that cut through the air.
She was here. Knowing she was so close made him feel relieved and anxious at the same time. But more than anything it made him determined – the same kind of determination that had made him search for her in the first place. He’d spent half the evening driving around town until he bumped into Lorne and Ally’s dad at the bar, and discovered Ally was at Delmonico’s on Paxton’s pier, celebrating Ember’s birthday.
He climbed out of his car, pressing the key to lock it, then walked over to the wooden pier that jutted into the ocean.
Delmonico’s was full, diners spilling out onto the veranda that circled the building. Nate glanced at them, but he couldn’t see her anywhere – she must be inside. He pushed at the glass door, stepping inside, and looked around the tables.
He spotted her almost immediately, sitting between her two closest friends. There had to be at least twenty people at the table, drinking champagne and laughing together.
Ally was sitting in a dining chair, her leg stretched out in front of her, the cast resting on the wooden floor. In the gloom of the interior she seemed to shine like a star. Her blonde hair glistening, her skin glowing. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her.
She was so beautiful.
She blinked as though somebody had called her name, even though everybody was busy chatting. Slowly she turned her head, the smallest of frowns pulling at her brow. Her lips opened as she looked over at him.
He could hear his pulse as it rushed through his ears. Ally’s bottom lip opened a little more, the lines between her eyes deepened. But her eyes – those beautiful, expressive eyes – didn’t move from his face.
Nate walked forward, moistening his lip with his tongue, his eyes never leaving Ally’s face. “Hi,” he said when he reached her.
“Hi.” She blinked, her eyes full of questions.
“I was wondering if we could talk.”
She glanced around the table, her eyes guarded. “I think our food will be out soon.”
Ember reached out and curled her hands around Ally’s wrist. “It’s fine. I’ll tell them to keep it warm.”
Ally turned back to Nate, her face still impassive. “Okay,” she said, grabbing her crutches and pulling herself up to standing. “You want to speak outside?”
“That would be good.”
He had to clench his hands not to reach out and help her. He knew how soft and warm her skin would be. How good she’d smell as he gathered her in his arms. How amazing her lips felt when they pressed against his.
The temperature was cooler outside, enough for Ally to shiver as the two of them walked over to the far end of the pier.
Nate shrugged his jacket off and tried to put it on her shoulders.
She shook her head. “I’m okay.”
Folding the jacket in his hands, he took a deep breath and let it out. “Thank you for agreeing to talk,” he said.
She shifted, waiting for him to say more.
“I, ah, I wanted to say I’m sorry for the way I treated you the day Riley left. The way I spoke to you on the phone was wrong. I should never have done that.”
Those big blue eyes that seemed to haunt his dreams were full of pain. “You hurt me,” she told him. “When I was trying to show you some support.”
“I know. I’m an asshole.”
A shot of laughter came from the beach, followed by a splash. Teenagers no doubt. But hopefully not his this time.
“You were an asshole. Not always, but that day you were.”
“Do you think you can forgive me?” He knew it was too much to ask, yet here he was saying it anyway. “I hate that you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. I’m mad at you.” Little tendrils of hair were dancing around her face, lifted by the sea breeze. “And I’ll probably get a little less mad every day. So yes, I’ll forgive you. Eventually.” She bit at her bottom lip. “It’s getting cold out here. I should go back in. It’s Ember’s birthday.”
Nate nodded. Somehow her eventual forgiveness wasn’t enough to make him feel better. He wanted more, so much more. But right now wasn’t the time. “Of course you should go.” Even if he didn’t want her to. Even if he’d be happy doing nothing more than talking with her tonight.
“Okay then.” She gave him the smallest of smiles. “Have a good evening.”
“You too. And wish Ember a happy birthday for me.”
“I will.”
He watched as she made her way back into the restaurant, staying in the same spot where they’d talked as he looked through the window to make sure she’d made it safely back to the table. As if she could sense his stare, she turned and looked over her shoulder, a frown pulling at her face.
First contact had been made. Now it was time to think about the second.
* * *
Ally was bleary eyed when she walked into Lorne’s shop the next morning, thanks to the combination of too much champagne, and staying awake all night to try and work out what Nate was trying to say. Was he just feeling bad for being an ass or was he trying to reconnect with her? She wasn’t completely sure.
“Morning.” Lorne was in the stock cupboard, pulling bottles of sunscreen down from the shelves. “There’s coffee on the counter for you.”
She picked it up and took a big mouthful. “Thanks,” she told him as she swallowed it down.
“I didn’t make it.”
She put the mug down on the counter. “Who did?”
“I think you can guess.” He winked at her.
She smiled a little smile to herself, looking to her left as if she could see through the wall to the coffee shop beyond. There was only one person she knew who’d think to bring her coffee, and he happened to be the guy who ran the place.
“That was nice of him,” she murmured.
“That’s what I said. He left an envelope for you, too.” He nodded at a brown letter sized envelope propped up next to the register. Ally took it, feeling the thickness. Intrigued, she opened the flap an
d pulled the pack of stapled paper out, biting her lip as she read the small black print.
“It’s a contract,” she said, frowning. Surely he wasn’t trying to recruit her again? But as she skimmed the wording Ally realized it wasn’t an employment contract at all. It was asking her to sell her intellectual property. Nate wanted to buy her idea for Coastal Coffee by Déjà Brew, and he was offering $10,000 plus a percentage of revenue.
“This isn’t right.”
“What isn’t?” Lorne asked her.
She shook her head. “Nothing.” Sliding the contract back into the envelope she took another mouthful of coffee. Right then she needed all the caffeine she could get. “Is it okay if I go next door for a minute?” she asked him. “I won’t be long.”
“Be as long as you like. We’re not exactly swamped with customers.”
It wasn’t that busy in the coffee shop either. Brad was wiping the counter down with a cloth, and she could hear Jeff singing to himself in the kitchen. Then she turned her head and saw Nate sitting at one of the tables, his laptop open as he hunched over it.
“Hi,” she said, walking over to him.
He looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of her. “Hey.”
“Thank you for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome. You can expect one every day.”
She bit her lip, not wanting to show how much she liked the sound of that. “I read this, too,” she said, holding out the contract. “I want to talk to you about it.”
“Take a seat.” He nodded at the chair opposite him. Ally lowered herself into it. “Is there a problem with the contract?” he asked her when she was comfortable. “You can take it to a lawyer to make sure you’re happy with it.”
“You’re paying me ten thousand dollars for an idea I came up with in a moment.”
“Yes.” His face was serious. “Is it not enough? Do you think I should pay more?”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t want your money. It was just me thinking out loud.”
“My lawyer insists I buy the idea off you.” Nate shrugged. “He’s worried that you’ll sue me if I don’t. Think of it as me mitigating my risk. That’s all. This way everybody’s happy.”
“But it’s not worth what you’re trying to pay me.”
“I disagree. And so does my lawyer.”
Ally sighed. “I can’t take this from you,” she told him. “I just can’t.”
His expression was wary. “Can I ask you why not?”
“Because it feels wrong. Like I’m taking money I haven’t earned.” She breathed in a mouthful of air. “And to be honest, it makes me feel cheap.”
“There’s nothing cheap about you. Nothing,” he said, firmly. “You have more class than anybody I know. This,” he said, tapping the envelope, “is just business. Nothing more.”
“I just can’t. I’m sorry.” She hated the way he was looking at her.
He blew out a mouthful of air. “Let’s have dinner so we can talk about this.”
“You want to take me out?”
“Yeah.”
“But I ate out last night.”
He shrugged. “Push the boat out, be a devil.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Is it a business dinner or a date?” she asked him. The way he was looking at her took her breath away.
“Does it matter?”
“It does to me.”
He pulled the laptop screen down so she could see his whole face, his eyes sparkling. “I’m hoping it’s both,” he told her. “That we can get the business done really quickly. After that, as far as I’m concerned it’s all date.”
It took a lot of effort not to smile. She was a strong woman, she shouldn’t let him back into her life too easily. And yet the pull toward him felt as strong as ever.
Stronger maybe.
“Okay,” she said, nodding slowly. “You can pick me up at seven.”
He had no compunction about smiling. In fact, he was grinning ear-to-ear. “It’s a date,” he said, nodding at her
“Almost,” she reminded him, unable to keep her face straight any longer. “It’s partially a date.”
32
“We’re eating at the coffee shop?” Ally blinked, bemused, as she looked at the darkened café, turning to Nate to give him a questioning stare.
He shrugged and grabbed the keys from his pocket. “I figured we’d have more privacy here.”
“It’s the perfect place for a business meeting,” Ally agreed, her voice teasing. Nate grinned and shook his head, opening the door and flicking on the lights. He gestured for her to walk in first.
He’d cleared all the tables and chairs away, leaving only one in the middle of the room. It was covered with a crisp white tablecloth and all laid up for dinner.
That wasn’t the only thing that had changed either. There was new artwork – huge black and white canvases fixed to the dark blue walls.
It took her a moment to realize they weren’t just random photographs. They were her photos, or her dad’s anyway. Each canvas depicted a different time of her life. There was the one with her parents holding her as a baby, both of them proud as punch as they stood outside the café, the sun shining down on them all. Then there was an elementary school Ally – maybe seven or eight years old, deep in concentration as her dad taught her how to pour the coffee.
She felt her throat thicken as she took them all in. Her eyes fell onto the final one – of Ally standing behind the counter of Déjà Brew, laughing at somebody to the left of her. She had no idea that photograph even existed.
“Do you like them?” Nate’s voice was soft.
Ally turned to him and nodded, her chest too full of emotion to be able to put how she felt into words. “There’s a blank space,” she said, her voice thick. “What’s going there?”
“I don’t know.” He was eyeing her carefully, as though he was trying to gauge her emotions. “I guess that’s up to you.”
“Me?”
He nodded. “I want to take a photo of the café as it is now. But I want you in it.”
“But I resigned.”
“I know. And I want you back.” He gave her the ghost of a smile. “I want a photograph of you, me and, Riley, all standing behind the counter. I want us to be as happy as you were in the last photograph.”
She took a ragged breath in. “Nate…”
“You don’t have to say anything now. Let’s eat before the food gets cold.” He walked over to the counter and opened the lid of a white insulated box. Inside were two containers. He carefully decanted their contents onto two white plates. Grabbing a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, he filled two glasses up, carrying the food and drink over to the table.
“Please sit down.” He gestured to her. Ally slowly lowered herself into the seat and allowed him to take her crutches, resting them against the door.
She picked up the glass Nate had placed in front of her, taking a sip of the crisp white wine. She couldn’t help but look at the photographs again, couldn’t help but feel the connection to this place.
And to him.
Though the steak must have been resting for a while it still tasted delicious. “Did you cook this yourself?” she asked him as she swallowed a bite.
“Medium rare, the way you like it.”
She smiled to herself. “Thank you for the photographs,” she said, spearing another morsel. “They mean a lot. It’s nice to know the old beach café is never going to be forgotten.”
“I’m thinking we can do something similar with all the Coastal Cafés. Have old photographs of the local town, make people feel that the café is part of the history.”
“That’s a good idea.” All she heard was ‘we’. What did it mean? She took another sip of wine, trying to think things through. “I’ve signed the contract,” she told him, trying not to smile at his look of surprise.
“You have?”
She fished the envelope out of her purse and pushed it toward him. Once again he slid the
contract out, skimming the black type until he reached the part she’d written on.
“You crossed the zeros out.”
“I’ll take one dollar for the idea,” she told him. “Nothing more, nothing less.” She bit her bottom lip, waiting for his reaction. “I called a lawyer and he advised that would make this agreement binding. You just have to pay me something.”
“A dollar?”
She nodded.
“I’ll accept it on one condition.” He raised an eyebrow, that crazily attractive smile curling his lips.
“Oh yes?” She leaned forward. “What is it?”
“I want you to come and work for me.”
She put her silverware down on the plate and tried to work out what he was trying to do. “You want me back as manager?”
“No. Not as manager.”
“Then what?” She couldn’t help but ask. She was so curious to know where this was going. It didn’t help that the conversation between them was so easy, so light, it made her heart yearn for more.
“I want you to head up the Coastal Coffee brand. To oversee the redevelopment of the cafés and make sure they fit with your vision. You know the California beach trade so much better than I do. I know you have an eye for what works and what doesn’t.” His eyes twinkled. “I need you, Ally.”
The way he said it, all deep and graveled, shot straight through her. A delicious pulse that made her want to shiver. “And if I say no?”
“You can say no any time you want and I’ll respect it.”
She inhaled a mouthful of air, thinking through the offer. It was everything she’d dreamed of. Something different and yet still connected to this café she’d grown up in. It would be crazy to turn it down – jobs like this came along once in a lifetime. “If I say yes, will it be weird the two of us working together after everything that happened?”
“I promise not to make it weird.”
“Okay then. Yes.”
Nate grinned, his body visibly relaxing. “Thank God. I’ll put it in writing with all the details.”
