Bayside Promises

by Stacy Claflin

  Sullivan laughed. “I like it.”

  Logan brought out his phone again. “What kinds of events should we have? Archery? Obstacle course?”

  “Definitely. We need jousting.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  They bounced around ideas, laughing and enjoying themselves so much that their worries were soon forgotten. The waiter came and took their orders, and the two brothers got back to planning the woodsy week.

  “Who should we invite?” Logan asked. “Between us and Cruz’s family, that’s eight—assuming everyone can make it.”

  “Don’t forget about our brothers-in-law,” Sullivan said. “Our sisters are both married, remember.”

  “Right. Nico and Clay. That’s ten. A solid number, wouldn’t you say?”

  Sullivan nodded. “Like you said, assuming everyone can make it.”

  “Yep. We’ll convince them. I just have to wait to hear back from my assistant, then I’ll send everyone an invite.”

  By the time Sullivan climbed back into his car, he was in a good mood. He and Logan had come up with a full itinerary of masculine activities. He hoped most of the guys could make it. He hadn’t spent any significant time with his cousins in a while.

  “You’re in a good mood,” Nancy said when Sullivan got back to the office.

  “I am.” He smiled at her as he went back into his office. The rest of the afternoon flew by until he had to meet a client at a new listing.

  His heart sank as he entered the address into his GPS unit. It was on Haley’s street.

  Jensyn’s car was the only one in the driveway. Sullivan sighed in relief and pulled into the driveway two houses down from Haley’s. A lady about his mom’s age came out and introduced herself.

  Sullivan flashed her his best smile and shoved all his negative feelings to the side. It was something he’d grown accustomed to in his business. The only thing that mattered was making the client feel like the most important person in the world. He walked through the house with Carol, giving her pointers on what she could do to make the home more appealing for potential buyers.

  When he went outside, he saw Jensyn mowing her front yard. She waved to him and stopped the mower.

  Sullivan waved back and headed for his car. She ran over to him. Probably to chew him out for taking the house from her sister. He braced himself for the verbal attack.

  She stopped and pulled some blue hair behind an ear. “Thanks again for helping last night. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you and Haley hadn’t shown up.”

  He gave her a double-take, surprised. “Uh, sure. No problem.”

  “Well, I know you didn’t have to, and I can’t thank you enough.”

  “I’m just glad you’re safe.” He remote-unlocked the BMW. “I’ll let you get back to mowing.”

  Jensyn opened her mouth, but then closed it quickly.

  He tilted his head. “Is there something else?”

  “You didn’t hear this from me, but Haley appreciated you helping, too.”

  Sullivan almost laughed out loud. Sure, she did. Especially after slamming the door and storming away from his car.

  “No, really,” Jensyn insisted. “I can tell something’s up between you two, and I’m not gonna pry, but she does.” She twisted a strand of hair around a couple fingers. “I know she’s frustrated with me, but she really gave up a lot to come here for the summer.”

  “Wait, what?”

  Jensyn sighed. “She bolted as soon as she graduated, and she really didn’t wanna come back. Like, at all. I had to beg and plead. She left her whole life and her job because Mom thought I needed a babysitter—”

  “She might be right.” Sullivan leaned against his car and gave the girl a knowing look.

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know. I didn’t do much to prove my case. Anyway, I’m glad she has a friend. Hales just seems so… I don’t know. Sad or something. She actually looked happy the other day at the wedding when you guys were talking. Anyway, thanks.” Jensyn shrugged and walked back to her yard.

  Sullivan felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Haley had come back to take care of her troubled kid sister… just for the summer. She hadn’t returned to give him competition. He thought of all the things she’d said to him at the beach. It all made sense.

  He’d been such a jerk. He turned around and opened his door. The whirring sounds of a motor not quite starting sounded from Jensyn’s direction.

  The girl pulled on a cord a couple more times, causing the same noise. He needed to get to his next appointment, but he couldn’t let her struggle like that, either. He threw his dress jacket in the car and headed over.

  “Trouble?”

  She wiped some grease from under her eye. “What gave you that idea?”

  He laughed. “Let me have a look.” He studied the old mower. “I haven’t seen one of these since I was a kid.”

  “Yeah, well, Dad was too cheap to buy anything else.”

  Sullivan loosened his tie, took the pull cord, and yanked as hard as he could. It roared to life for a second, but then stopped. He tried again, with the same result.

  “Is it dead?” Jensyn asked.

  “No, it seems to want to start.” Sullivan bent down and circled the mower. He pulled on the cord again. “Something’s keeping it from catching. Maybe the flywheel brake is stuck.”

  “Right, of course.” Jensyn nodded. “That was the first thought I had, too.”

  Sullivan cracked a smile at her sarcasm. He grabbed the brake bar on the handle and jiggled it until it disengaged and went as far down as it went. Then he grabbed the cord again and gave it a strong pull. The engine roared to life.

  “Thank you!” Jensyn clasped her hands together.

  “Glad to help. Now I’ve got to run before I’m late for my next meeting.”

  Jensyn waved as he headed back to his car. At least someone from that family liked him. He needed to figure out if there was a way of salvaging his friendship with Haley. It was at least worth a shot.

  Eleven

  Haley pulled three grocery bags into her arms and headed for the front door. The yard smelled like fresh-cut grass and the lawn was considerably shorter. Had Jensyn mowed it on top of everything else she’d done around the house that day? Haley fumbled with the screen door while balancing the bags.

  Her sister appeared on the other side and opened the door. “Oh, food.” She propped the screen door open with a potted plant and ran for Haley’s trunk. Together, the two sisters unloaded all of the food. Haley hoped she’d gotten enough—or maybe not too much. She wasn't used to shopping for two.

  “Need help with dinner?” Jensyn asked.

  Haley filled a glass with cold water and sat at the table. “I haven’t even thought that far ahead, but you’ve done plenty already. Take a break. Isn't it your day off?”

  “Yeah.” Jensyn opened a root beer and sat across from Haley.

  “Don’t you want to hang with friends?”

  Jensyn bit her lip and twisted her face. “Well, yeah, but it’s not every day my sister’s home. I mean, this summer, it’s every day. But the last ten years…”

  Haley’s stomach twisted. “I’m really sorry about that, Jensyn. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to see you. Or Mom, even.”

  She scowled. “I know. It was him. I wouldn’t want to ever see that jerk, either. Guess we don’t, now.” She sipped her pop.

  “I told Mom you guys could visit anytime.”

  Jensyn snorted. “Right. Like Dad would let us go without him. He wouldn’t even let Mom go to the grocery store without him. Portland, to see you? Over his dead body. Guess now we get to if we want.”

  Part of Haley felt bad that they were speaking about the dead like that, but then again, it was their dad they were discussing. If he’d wanted his family to remember him fondly, he shouldn’t have treated them so horribly.

  As they sat in silence sipping their drinks, Haley scanned the room. So many things brought back m
emories—most of which she’d rather have left buried. A small gash in the back door reminded her of the night Dad had thrown a kitchen chair at Mom, and had only missed because she jumped out of the way and bruised her side on the counter.

  A gash on the floor sticking out from under a rug reminded her of one of his fits, when he’d thrown things around the kitchen, swearing to break everything anyone held dear. He’d smashed the chairs—including the one that had almost cracked Mom’s skull—to pieces. That same night, he’d broken Haley’s favorite mug. Jackson had given it to her on their first date—not that Dad had known about that. Mom had told him that Haley had been at the library—but Dad had known how special the purple, sparkly mug was to her. She still remembered begging him not to break it, even as he smashed it in the sink.

  Haley’s insides twisted in knots. This was why she hadn’t wanted to return, but maybe she and Jensyn could make some new memories over the summer. It wasn’t like Dad could hurt anyone anymore—only through memories—and Haley for one, was done letting him win.

  She brought her gaze over to Jensyn. “Why don’t you invite a couple of your friends over for a sleepover? I don’t know anyone you hang out with.”

  Jensyn played with her nose ring. “My friends aren’t really the paint-your-nails or play-truth-and-dare type.”

  “They gotta sleep, right? Surely, they watch movies and like popcorn and ice cream.”

  “I guess.”

  “Or we could have a little barbecue. They do eat, don’t they?”

  Jensyn cracked a smile. “Yeah.”

  “Well, think of something you’d like to invite them over for, and we’ll make it happen.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever had a friend over.”

  Haley sat taller. “Those days are over. Time to break old habits. What’s keeping them from coming over now?”

  The corners of Jensyn’s mouth twitched. “Nothing! I’m so used to not being able to have anyone over, the thought never even crossed my mind. Hey, you should invite your friends over, too.”

  Haley frowned.

  “What?”

  “I can’t really call someone up and say, ‘Hey, I haven’t seen you in over a decade, but come on over for pizza.’”

  Jensyn shrugged. “I’m sure they’d be happy to hear from you, though.”

  “I’d feel awkward. I didn’t even make it back for the class reunion.”

  “So?”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “What about Sullivan?”

  Haley’s heart raced. “What?”

  “He’s nice.”

  “That’s subjective.”

  “And he’s hot. Like, a lot.”

  Haley’s cheeks warmed. “He’s a bit old for you.”

  “Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the scenery.”

  “I’ll call one or two of my old friends, okay? We’ll have a barbecue like this house has never seen.”

  Jensyn’s face lit up. “It’ll be fun. You sure about Sullivan?”

  Haley nodded.

  “He stopped by today.”

  “What?” Haley exclaimed.

  She finished the root beer and set the bottle down. “The mower wouldn’t start. He threw off his coat and saved the day.”

  Haley stared at her.

  “Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but it’s basically what happened. I never would’ve figured out the fly handle break, or whatever he called it.”

  “He just stopped by to help you with the lawn mower?”

  Jensyn shrugged. “He was a couple houses down the road and saw I was having problems.”

  “And he just came over and fixed it?”

  “Yep. He seems like a pretty boy, but there’s obviously more to him than that.”

  “Hmm.” Haley finished her water and tried to figure out why Sullivan would bother helping Jensyn. He clearly didn’t like Haley, so why help her sister?

  “What should we do for dinner?” Jensyn asked. “I’m starving.”

  “Still like spaghetti?”

  “With meatballs and garlic bread?” Jensyn’s eyes lit up, once again reminding Haley of the little girl she’d abandoned.

  She nodded. “I bought everything.”

  Jensyn jumped up. “I’ll boil the water.”

  As they made the meal, Haley found her mind wandering back to Sullivan more than she wanted. But every time she pushed him out of her mind, peeled paint or a chipped plate would remind her of Dad. Clearly, Sullivan was nothing like him—not that it mattered. He’d made it clear what he thought of Haley.

  She was glad that he was being nice, but it was time for the two sisters to stand on their own two feet. Haley, for one, needed to focus on rebuilding some of her old friendships. The upcoming barbecue would be perfect for that.

  Twelve

  Sullivan took a final look around the front entrance of the large rambler. “Looks like everything is set for the open house. Thanks for baking the cookies. It’ll make potential buyers feel more at home.”

  Karen McNealy smiled. “I have three dozen more in the fridge if we need them.”

  Sullivan grinned. Nothing made his job easier than when a client actually took his advice. “Perfect. We may just need more. It’s a rainy Saturday, so people are more likely to visit an open house since they won’t be at the beach.”

  “Should I stick around or head out?”

  “People tend to feel more comfortable when the homeowner isn’t here. It’s up to you, though.” Legally, he couldn’t tell her to leave, but it would definitely be in their best interest if she did.

  “Whatever it takes to sell this place. After Lawrence left…” Her voice trailed off and the slender forty-something looked deep in thought for a moment. “Never mind. Let’s just find the next homeowner. If you need more cookies, preheat the oven to three-fifty and put them in for twenty minutes.”

  “Three-fifty. Twenty minutes. Got it. Don’t worry about anything.”

  “Good luck.” She winked at him, grabbed her purse, and headed out, closing the door behind her.

  Sullivan opened the door and walked through the home again. Everything looked perfect. But if that was true, why did he have a gnawing feeling in his gut?

  Probably because he had originally planned to have a long date with Haley that afternoon, but to get his mind off how he’d blown that, he’d agreed to the open house.

  No time to worry about that now. He had a house to sell, and several of his clients looking to buy had expressed interest in swinging by at some point.

  A car door slammed shut outside. He hurried to the table he’d set up by the front door, moved his business cards closer to the plate of cookies, and adjusted his tie.

  Mary and Lewis Mackay came in. Sullivan smiled at his parents’ friends. “It’s great to see you two. I didn’t know you were in the market. Looking to downsize?”

  Lewis shook Sullivan’s hand. “Mary’s had her eye on this place for years.”

  Sullivan returned the shake and handed him a card. “Would you like me to show you around, or would you prefer to look on your own?”

  Lewis took a cookie and turned to his wife. “It’s up to you, dear.”

  She smiled and turned to Sullivan. “We’ll just take a peek ourselves and let you know if we have any questions. How are your parents, by the way? I haven’t seen them in a while.”

  “They’re busy with the coffee stand.”

  Lewis let out a hearty laugh. “Gary finally retired, did he? Wasn’t sure I’d ever see the day.”

  Sullivan chuckled. “Yeah, me neither.”

  The two wandered into the kitchen. “Oh, look at this island!” Mary exclaimed. “It’s just like I’ve always wanted.”

  Sullivan smiled. Maybe this house would be an even quicker sell than he’d thought.

  The screen door opened and a couple about his age walked in. The lady had a baby strapped to her front over what looked like a silk dress, and the man carried a toddler who tugged on h
is tie.

  “Welcome.” Sullivan flashed them his best smile and extended his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Sullivan Hunter.”

  The woman shook first. “Latasha and Jamaal Rivers. We’re looking for a summer home.”

  Sullivan handed her a card. “You couldn’t have picked a better town than Enchantment Bay. Although I’m probably biased.”

  Jamaal cleared his throat and pulled his tie from the toddler’s grip. “What can you tell us about the neighborhood?”

  “It’s one of the finest in town, though you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bad neighborhood. There’s a community park not far from here—just a short stroll, really. Perfect for a wagon ride.”

  The little girl let go of her dad’s jacket and widened her eyes.

  “But when you see the play structure out back, you might not have any interest in a park.”

  The girl squealed, and all three adults laughed.

  “Mind if we have a look?” Latasha asked.

  “Make yourself at home. I’ll be here if you have any questions.”

  People continued streaming in, and before long, Sullivan was sliding more cookies into the oven. Time flew until lunch, when people trickled out, thanking him as they left.

  His stomach rumbled. He went to the fridge, where he’d stored his sack lunch. He put in the second batch of cookies and ate his turkey sandwich, keeping an eye on the front door. Just as he finished the first half, the screen door opened.

  Sullivan wiped his mouth and checked for crumbs before stuffing his paper bag back into the fridge. He went out to find a family with a teen girl and a preteen boy. The boy seemed familiar, but Sullivan couldn’t figure out why. He was sure he didn’t know the family.

  “That’s the guy.” The kid pointed at Sullivan.

  He stepped back, aghast.

  The boy pulled on his mom’s sleeve. “He’s the one who scared me and Dylan and Zeke at the beach.”

  That was why the kid seemed familiar. He was one of the bullies who’d taken the other boy’s money.

  The mother stared at Sullivan like he was some kind of monster. “Is that true?”

  Sullivan took a deep breath and considered his wording carefully. “I asked him and his friends not to steal ice cream money from other kids.”