Honor on the Cape

by M. K. Meredith

  “Different. Yeah, that’s one way to describe it. There was fuck all about our relationship that was like anything I usually see, that’s for sure.”

  His lips quirked, and she wished she could drag her brush over his face, but Ryker’s threat kept her in her spot. Jamie always found her Irish sayings amusing. Well, fuck all, fuck all, fuck all. Glad the demise of their relationship could make him laugh.

  “Different is what made it special. Don’t act like it wasn’t.” His tone was hard, his amusement gone, and she glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. He was barely an arm’s length away, working the paint roller over the wall in time with the clenching of his jaw.

  Her shoulders blades pulled tight as her skate laces. “Are you mad? You don’t get to be angry.” Her voice thickened with emotion, and she swallowed hard past the lump in her throat. “You ran off after your family and your career and didn’t give me another thought. I was the one who was left all alone.”

  He dropped the roller in the pan and swung back nose-to-nose. “You don’t think I know that? It killed me to leave, but it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. We were too young. I realized it was better that way. I was selfish, and you deserved…”

  His crisp, masculine scent wrapped around her, inflaming her senses, and as she breathed him in, liquid heat pooled in her core.

  “Better? Better for who?” Her voice trembled. “I left my family, I left…” The memories of her ma, the safety of her da. Her brother and sisters. Shame made it hard to breathe.

  The whole town of Glengarriff had been family, and she’d left. Just like that.

  Just as Jamie had done to her once they got to the States.

  “I’m sorry.” His words were a whisper with the force of a hurricane.

  Anguish shone in his intense gaze, and his full lips, framed by a day’s scruff, were pressed into a thin line. It was sincere, but it didn’t change anything.

  Once upon a time she would have kissed his worries away, caressed his brow.

  Without warning, he grabbed her hips with thick hands and dropped his head to her chest. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. His large frame filled her vision.

  The old pain sliced her open from the inside out this time. She held her hands out at her sides, not sure what to do. Touching him was not an option. Giving into his guilt was not the answer. She could never go back. There was nothing left in her for love. Even if every part of her not based in logic cried out for him.

  “It’s fine.” She tried to swallow down her hiccup. The lie burned her tongue, but she needed him to step away before she tugged him in tighter.

  Slowly, he lifted his head. “It’s fine?”

  No. But if he didn’t give her space, if she didn’t change the subject, she’d break. And since he’d returned it was all she could do to stay in one piece.

  It wasn’t fine, but what the hell else could she do? It was time for her to go home, and she couldn’t do that until she accomplished something truly of value to make her family proud. “Look,” she said, and gestured to the wall behind him.

  The wall was fresh and clean with crisp edges and a smooth surface. She forced a lightness in her voice. “If nothing else, we work well together. I wouldn’t say you make me better. Ryker’s a crazy bloke, but you and I are clearly in sync when it comes to getting things done. We always have been.”

  His eyes shuttered. “We’ll launch the center. Then you can get back to your life, and I can get back to mine, is that it?” There was an edge to his tone, but she couldn’t tell if he was dejected or determined.

  She stepped down the ladder, needing to put some distance between them. Needing some air. Having him that close after so much time apart was torture when every bit of her yearned to give in and fall into his arms.

  “But no more shared memories, no inside jokes. Don’t finish my sentences or act like we go way back. We have a job to do. So, let’s do it.”

  Jamie jerked away with a small shake of his head. “I can’t do that.”

  “Then walk away. Those are your choices. We already know which one you’re good at.”

  Jay kicked his feet up on the railing that ran the perimeter of Ryker’s back deck, staring at the Cape Van Buren house across the North Cove and slowly swirling the Scotch in his glass.

  His plan had worked—Blayne was staying. The victory of his win wasn’t fulfilling him in its usual manner, overshadowed by how much pain he’d caused her. It tore him up to see her work so hard to be strong in front of him just as it deepened his admiration.

  “Are you going to show me the initial outline of the donor program or sit there scowling at my home all goddamn day?” Ryker shoved Jay’s legs off the railing as he walked past to get to another chair.

  “Women are the most confusing creatures on the planet.”

  Larkin placed a platter overflowing with meats and cheeses and bruschetta on the table between them. “Oh, really? And here I thought it was the lot of you.”

  He had the grace to shrink a bit in his chair as he took the offered pour of another drink. “I wasn’t talking about you, Larkin.”

  “No?” She raised a brow. “Just my best friend, then? Oh yeah, the one you insulted at the Van Buren house? Or perhaps the one you abandoned? Oh, wait…same woman. You’re two for two.”

  He sighed. “I was making sure she’d keep working with me. You know Blayne, the surest way to get her to do something is by telling her she can’t. Regardless, what I said was true. I have the corporate experience.”

  “Yeah…you didn’t keep up with her once you left, did you?”

  It was more of a statement than a question. One that gave him the feeling he’d made a grave error in judgment.

  Again.

  Fuck.

  Carefully, he set his drink down and chose his next words. “It would have been too hard. I thought about her every day as it was.”

  “Well, poor you.” She popped a piece of cheese in her mouth.

  “Larkin,” Ryker said her name softly.

  “No, he doesn’t get to judge. I was the one who was here to witness the destruction he left in his wake. She’d been lost. Devastated. And I had no idea how to help. She couldn’t go home. She had no degree.”

  Jay shoved his fingers through his hair. The Scotch soured in his gut, leaving him unable to take another sip. “But she went to school.”

  Larkin nodded. “She did. On her blood, sweat, and tears. Thank God she’d been born here before her family moved back to Ireland. Her dual citizenship saved her. Two jobs, financial aid, an internship at Deloitte, which turned into her first job… She was—is a powerhouse. Which is why I want her running this launch.”

  Jay had no idea.

  He was no stranger to hard work, but he’d had his parents to fall back on anytime he needed them. He couldn’t imagine doing it all by himself, let alone in a country he hadn’t grown up in.

  His need to prove himself had turned out to be one of his greatest weaknesses. He’d always worried about people thinking he’d been handed everything because he was an Astor. Which was why he’d left her for Europe.

  It had been sickeningly ironic.

  The guilt of leaving had eaten at him with such intensity he’d dived into every new opportunity determined to win and prove his decision had been worth it, to prove he was worthy so he could return to her with his head held high.

  Afraid to ask, but too intrigued not to, he leaned toward Larkin. “And Eclectic Finds?”

  “As Blayne is wont to do, she got bored once her job became too familiar. She took her savings and her unique view of the world and opened her store. It’s been a success ever since.”

  Jay blew out a breath on a wave of regret. “Hot damn.”

  “Exactly.” Larkin pushed his drink into his hand. “So, you can see why she’d been a little more than pissed when you implied she had no relevant business experience.”

  “Fuck me.”

  Ryker clinked his tumbler to Jay’s “Her
e’s to the launch. Like I said, the two of you’ll make each other better.”

  Jay grimaced. “The only thing I seem to do is piss her off.”

  “Well, you’ve always been an overachiever,” Larkin suggested with a wink.

  At least she didn’t seem quite so pissed. It wouldn’t be good to be on Larkin’s bad side, not where Ryker was concerned.

  “You know I’m here to get her back, right?”

  She studied him. “Until your next big opportunity?”

  “She is my only big opportunity.”

  “Well, then don’t screw it up.”

  With a nod, Jay withdrew a sheaf of papers from his bag. “Here’s my proposal for the donor program. It’s solid and will set the center up to sustain every year we go forward.”

  Larkin scooted closer. “I can’t believe this is really happening.” Her voice swelled with emotion. “Archer loved this place so much. We want to share it with the children of Cape Van Buren.”

  Ryker placed a hand on her leg.

  “I really want the children to have a voice.” She rubbed her belly.

  “A voice?” Jay questioned.

  She nodded. “They’re so easily dismissed by adults. You know what I mean. I want to make sure that while we make the center a success at enriching the lives of the town and making enough money to stay in operation that we don’t forget to listen to what the children need and want.”

  Jay dipped his chin. He glanced from Ryker to Larkin, his gut twisting with a bit of jealousy. His buddy had found the one for him. There was something very special about Larkin Van Buren. “I love it. We’ll be sure to keep the kids in mind.”

  Larkin smiled. “Thank you.” She rubbed his arm. “You’re not so bad, Jay Astor.”

  His laugh echoed off the trees and joined in the melody of the chimes placed around the deck.

  “Does that mean you guys’ll help me win her back?” His voice carried a note of hope.

  Ryker grabbed Larkin’s hand with a grin. “Not on your life. We won’t do anything to hurt your chances, but that’s all on you, my friend.”

  Chapter 4

  Monday morning came with the feeling of a new beginning and a surge of purpose. Kind of like the Cape lighthouse. It went from a money pit to a lucrative investment. The month had opened up, allowing Jay to rent it until he figured out what part of town he wanted to call home.

  He shoved his wallet into the pocket of his jeans, rehearsing the points about the donor program he’d prepared for Mayor Sebastian Marth. He needed to confirm a few city requirements before he finalized his plan.

  Marth was the youngest mayor the town had seen, and in Jay’s favor, one of his buddies from school. That was the nice thing about growing up in a small town. Chances held that you were friends with the mayor.

  He navigated down the old steps of the lighthouse one by one, just as he did the unfortunate events of the day before at the Cape house with Blayne. And on top of it all, his dad decided he wanted to expedite Jay’s takeover of the company—something about the second honeymoon his parents had been meaning to have. Jay shuddered. He wanted no part of that conversation. He was glad his folks were happily married, but he didn’t need to know anything about how they achieved that level of happy.

  Only that reaching a level of success that enabled him to take over the family business finally allowed him to consider that he was finally worthy of fighting for Blayne.

  Pushing through the side door to the cape grounds, he sucked in a deep breath of the crisp, salty air blowing in off the choppy waves. He loved the rhythmic crashing against the rocks and the scent of sea spray. He’d missed a lot being away. There was nothing quite so spectacular as the coast of Maine in spring.

  He looked about with a satisfied nod.

  It was time to step into his father’s position in the Astor company and let the man retire so his parents could go on as many honeymoons as they wanted. And it was about time his mom didn’t have to live so much of her life alone. There was no telling how many anniversaries and birthdays were missed due to business. Duty was the root word of every Astor name.

  But more than anything, it was time for Blayne. He had to man up and fix the shit of a mess he’d made years ago. He didn’t deserve her, he knew it then and he knew it now, but she did deserve to be happy. If she ever gave him the chance, he’d work every day for the rest of his life to make sure it happened.

  For a woman who at one point jumped blindly into love, he’d been shocked and relieved to find out she was still single and doing nothing to change that fact—especially when they used to dream of a house full of kids together.

  He wasn’t quite as surprised to find out she’d managed her career with the kind of badass success he’d come to know and love from that woman.

  He rubbed his chest. She was an enigma.

  Seeing the memories reflected as heartache on her face filled him with a need to protect her, to fix his wrongs, and make her see what a future together could look like.

  However, she’d made it all too clear what his chances were.

  Fuck. He’d just have to show her.

  As he stepped through the gate toward town, he glanced down the length of the cape. The lighthouse was off, but later in the evening the lamp would boldly cast a glow as far as the eye could see.

  Ryker had brought it back to life when he and Larkin had met. Pretty telling for a guy bent on selling the place.

  Jay laughed out loud, watching his cold breath float away from his face in a puff as he walked toward town. Apparently, he’d missed quite the show when Ryker and Larkin had met. From the tell of it, Larkin seemed quiet and unassuming until someone got in her way. Then nothing would stop her.

  Blayne was like that.

  He didn’t try to resist her image floating along the perimeters of his brain. It was always more than simply memories. He could hear her voice and lose himself in her intoxicating scent as if she stood in front of him, and his body immediately tightened with awareness. It had been a constant phenomenon since he’d caught a glimpse of her at the pub the night they’d met.

  Having her close now was like shoving a man out of a sensory deprivation tank right into the middle of a Metallica concert.

  Jay stopped at the thought and let his head fall back. The Celtic inspired iron sign of Eclectic Finds mirrored her tattoo and swayed gently on its hinge with a gust of wind. The sign croaked as it moved back and forth, and he couldn’t tell if it was a warning to run or challenging him to go inside.

  He’d heard about her store, but he hadn’t seen it yet. Possibly because he’d been busy but mostly because he wanted to keep his nuts. Lately, she seemed bent on destroying them—literally and by wearing her damn cheek-framing derby skirt, teasing him with glimpses of the tattoo she knew drove him wild.

  His hands itched to slide underneath, stripping her panties off and tormenting her as she’d been tormenting him. Her sharp tongue was as much an aphrodisiac to him as the cape’s bee balm plants were to honeybees.

  How the hell was he going to be able to win her back if every time they were together he couldn’t stop wanting to either rip her clothes off or shake her senseless?

  He had to find a way for them to work together. Step one might need to be keeping his hands to himself. Once she remembered how well they worked as a team, maybe she’d be open to at least talking about them as a couple.

  With a death wish, he pushed through the door. The first thing that hit him was her scent. It was light and fresh and reminded him of the ocean. He breathed in deeply once more, letting memories of her wash over him.

  Everything from housewares to culinary specialties lined the shelves with the promise of one of a kind and never boring behind every item. As he walked along, one particular set of salt and pepper shakers caught his attention, and he laughed, loving her spunk. Only Blayne would promise that table accessories wouldn’t be boring. He turned a generous pair of breasts over in his hand, then set them carefully on the sh
elf.

  He rounded the end of the aisle just as the woman in question stepped through a door labeled Eclectic Staff Only. Her head was down, and she worried her berry-colored lower lip with her teeth. He’d never get used to it—the sight of her was a swift punch to the gut. He remembered how those lips felt, how they tasted…

  “I’m sorry, we’re closed.” She stopped dead in her tracks, her crystal green eyes going wide. “Jamie.” Her tone was breathless with surprise.

  He’d never tire of hearing the Irish lilt in her voice when she called him by the nickname. He looked around with a nod. “I found myself outside and had to come take a look. You have something special here.”

  “Yeah, I do.” She hesitated, studying him closely. “I worked hard for it, too.”

  “Larkin told me you put yourself through school. That couldn’t have been easy.”

  Pressing her lips together, she pulled in a breath, her nose flaring in that adorable way he’d always loved. She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder and said, “Look, I have to get back to work. My stock doesn’t unload itself.” She nodded toward the front of the store. “You can let yourself out.”

  He had two choices. The smart choice would be to do as she said and leave, but when it came to Blayne, his intelligence was in serious question and usually found just above his balls. Following her through the small hallway flanked by a small office on one side and a break room on the other, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the way her ass swayed beneath her fitted skirt.

  Her style drove him wild, and her current attire was no exception. He perused the line of her long, shapely legs down to her impossibly sexy high heels. “How the hell are you unloading boxes with six-inch heels holding you up?”

  She spun around with a startled look on her face. “I said let yourself out, not in. What are you doing?”

  “I’m helping.” He looked around at the stacked boxes and table full of merchandise. “I’ll unload and unpack, you inventory.”

  “I don’t need your help, Jamie.”

  “No, you don’t. But you’re going to get it.” He stepped beside her, noting how she stiffened with his nearness.