Person after person, family after family came out, actually happy to be with one another. Jess came out with her parents, he could only assume. And tagging behind them were Randi and Jordan. All five were in a lively discussion. Jess’s eyes met his, and she sobered, then nodded her head in his direction. Randi waved.
Krispin gave a weak wave in return.
The man he assumed to be Jess Kearns’s father came up to his car. Krispin braced himself for the oncoming wrath. The prospect of a lawsuit and losing his boat and income probably had him in an uproar. Not that Krispin was going to sue. He’d pretty much decided not to after listening to Randi and Jordan talk about the community. He’d learned the red Mercedes belonged to Jess’s stepmother.
“Hello, Mr. Black.” Mr. Kearns extended his hand. “I’m Wayne Kearns. Jess is my daughter.”
Krispin gave a firm handshake but didn’t say a word.
“Randi and Jordan just told us they invited you to dinner with them. You’re welcome to come with us, as well.”
Krispin’s mouth went dry. “Ah, thanks, but no.” Why are these people being so nice?
“No problem—thought I’d ask.”
Wayne Kearns’s strides were long and confident as he stepped back to the small group of people. The man was large enough to squash someone if he wanted to, Krispin mused, as Randi and Jordan parted from their friends and headed toward him. Jordan opened the passenger door and sat down. “I’ll show you the way. Randi’s going to drive our car.”
“I could follow.”
“Nah, she told me Jess wanted some private time with her. They grew up together. They’re pretty close.
“I don’t think you told me… .” Jordan chattered on. “What do you do for a living?”
They enjoyed some light conversation on the way to the restaurant, Krispin’s hands nearly sliding off his steering wheel. Why am I so nervous?
“We’re here.” Jordan pointed to a gray, weathered, shingled building that sat on the edge of the rocky cliff overlooking the harbor.
The same harbor where he’d almost drowned. His hands remained firmly gripped on the steering wheel as if holding on to life…his life. It could end so suddenly. Krispin shook off his musings. No need to dwell on such thoughts.
“So—what do you recommend?” Krispin closed the door of the car and hoped he sounded calmer than he felt. He watched Randi drive up with Jess. His stomach flipped. He felt trapped. Did he see her as the grim reaper?
“Lobster bisque is one of my favorites.” Jordan chuckled.
There had to be some inside joke going on that he didn’t understand. Randi joined them, but Jess, he noticed, walked away from the restaurant.
“I’m not partial to lobster.”
Jordan sobered. “No problem. They have several different dishes to choose from.”
Randi came up beside them; Jordan looped his arm around his wife’s shoulders. It would be nice to find someone who made his life complete. An image of Jess Kearns floated through his mind. He turned his gaze back to the harbor. Nope, that woman was dangerous, in more ways than one.
“Shall we?” Randi motioned for them to go into the restaurant.
Krispin found the Dockside Grill charming, fitting for the area. He noticed Jess’s parents eating quietly in a back corner, their gazes locked on one another. Aren’t they curious about me? Doesn’t it bother them that I’m going to sue? Or threatened to sue, he amended.
“Krispin,” Randi spoke, “did Jordan tell you this is where he and I met?”
“No, he left out that tidbit. Why don’t you tell me?”
Randi elaborated on how the two of them met over a spilled bowl of lobster bisque. Now Krispin knew the inside joke and chuckled along with his hosts.
After lunch they went to the studio where Randi showed off Jordan’s work. He was a good photographer, Krispin had to admit. They could use someone like him in his office.
“Have you ever thought of working closer to civilization?” Krispin asked.
“Started in the city… it’s been more profitable here. The money was fair, but the other benefits far outweigh life in the city. At least for me.” Jordan winked at his wife. “Of course I was straight out of college and full of myself back then, but I like it here. Plus, Randi and I want to raise our children in Squabbin Bay.”
Krispin had learned yesterday that Randi was expecting their first child which, from her expanding waistline, now seemed obvious. “Would you be interested in some freelance?”
“Possibly. You’d have to talk with Dena. She arranges my schedule.”
“Is she an agent?”
Jordan nodded. “Of sorts. She’s actually a far better photographer than myself. But she’s semi-retired and concentrating on her marriage and family over career these days. Perhaps you’ve seen some of her work. Her name is Dena Russell.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.” But apart from Ansel Adams, Krispin knew no other photographer’s name.
“Too bad. Here, let me show you.” And for the next thirty minutes Krispin was treated to some of Dena’s photographs.
Krispin slipped his hands into his pockets and placated his host—until he spotted a picture so terrifying he gasped out loud.
❧
Jess picked up another pebble and tossed it onto the water. It skipped four times before it sank. In her younger years, she and her father had played for hours, skipping stones and talking. She rocked gently back on her heels, remembering. Yesterday after their Sunday lunch, Jess, Randi, and her stepmother had talked about Jess’s frustration with wanting to be a good witness to Krispin. After her experience with Trevor, her college boyfriend, she was leery about getting involved with any man, and certainly didn’t want a relationship with one who didn’t believe in God.
She replayed the accident over and over in her mind, trying to figure out where he’d come from and why she hadn’t seen him cross her path.
“Jess?” Krispin Black’s smooth baritone voice played down her spine.
She turned toward the voice as her back stiffened, forcing herself to remain neutral to any emotions she might have. “Mr. Black.”
“You didn’t come to lunch yesterday.”
How’d he know I was out here? “Are you tracking me down?”
“No. Well, yes, I suppose I am. I’m going to be staying an additional week and was wondering if you’d be interested in going out to dinner with me?”
Jess snickered. “You’re suing me and you want me to go out to dinner? Is this for a tactical advantage at the trial?”
“There won’t be a trial. Most lawsuits are handled out of court.”
“I don’t get it.” Jess placed her hands on her hips. “We’re more than willing to compensate for your losses, so why sue?”
Krispin shrugged and looked down at his feet. Slowly he lifted his head and locked his gaze with hers. A smile rose on his lips. “Tell ya what. If you go out with me, I won’t sue your dad for his entire company.”
“Blackmail?”
“Now, did I say anything about blackmail? I’m merely suggesting that if you’ll give me the pleasure of your company, I’ll reduce the scope of the lawsuit.”
“Mr. Black, I’m sorry to say I don’t like you. Why would you even care to go out with me?”
He reached out for her, then held back. Or she stepped back. Jess wasn’t exactly sure.
“You nearly killed me, Ms. Kearns. The very least you could do—”
“I also saved your life,” she interrupted. “I am not duty bound to go out with you. There’s no attraction,” she mumbled.
He squinted.
“What I mean to say is that while you might be a handsome enough man, your personality is limited. And there is the issue of my Christian faith, which you don’t share. I will not date a man who does not believe as I do. Once was enough,” she confessed. Why’d I say that? she chided herself.
“I’m really a decent person, once you get to know me.”
“I suppose t
hat’s in the eye of the beholder.” Jess stepped away from the water’s edge. She didn’t like being rude to anyone, but Mr. Krispin Black grated her nerves, in positive and negative ways.
“Touché.” He bowed and turned back toward the parking lot. Halfway to his car, he turned around again. “I won’t sue your father.”
“Thank you.” Tears threatened to fall. For the past three days, she could think of little else except how she had not only ruined her father’s business but nearly killed a man, as well.
“I really didn’t see you,” she choked. “I’m so sorry. I am glad I was able to save you.”
He nodded. “Thanks. I shouldn’t have been so hard on you. Life’s been a…” A word Jess would have preferred not to hear escaped his lips.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “I’ve done well in business. The language goes with the territory.”
And made you hard as nails. “I’ll pray you find more joy in your life, Mr. Black,” she said softly.
He plopped down on the beach right where he’d been standing. “I don’t get it. Why? I’ve been miserable to you, to your family. Why do you care?”
Admittedly she had found it hard to care a few moments ago. But now, seeing a more humbled image of the man, her heart was drawn to him. She took a tentative step forward, then stopped. “Because if not for God’s grace, I’d be the same as you.”
“You?” He snickered. “You have no idea what the corporate world is like.”
Jess shook her head. He had her compassion for only a moment. “Mr. Black, do you realize how big your ego is? You make judgments about people without knowing them. You’re automatically assuming I’ve never been in the corporate world, which is a wrong assumption. I was once as driven as you are. Thankfully, it didn’t last long. Don’t get me wrong, Christians and Christian CEOs have a place in business, but it is a hard line to walk. I was drawn to success first, the Lord second, and possibly even lower, before…well, never mind.”
“Jessica, I’m sorry.”
She nodded rather than say something she would regret. “Have your lawyer contact me when you’re ready to file.” Jess marched to her car, leaving the man full of himself and his shoes and britches full of sand.
“God, only You can do something with that man. I can’t.”
❧
Krispin felt as useless as the piece of driftwood lying on the beach in front of him. He’d once had a life. But recently he’d been drifting on the sea, tossed and turned and aged by the world. Had he really turned into a man with such an inflated ego that he prejudged people, and poorly at that?
He grabbed a fistful of sand and let it stream through his fingers, repeating the mindless process several times. Was there really a God who held people? Who held the world, the universe, in the palm of His hand? Randi and Jordan thought so. So did Jess. It was obvious that her family did not respond to his threat the same way a normal person would. At least not a normal person in my world, he amended. They’d be looked at as wimps. But Wayne Kearns was no wimp.
Brushing off the sand from his hands, he scanned the horizon. The sea was a royal blue spotted with outcroppings of small green and rock islands. He couldn’t sue Jess. As much as Gary, his senior partner, and everyone else would expect him to, he just couldn’t. He owed her his life, even if she was the one who had nearly killed him. If she hadn’t saved him, he’d be dead now. Krispin paused on that thought. And what would death be like for me, if there is a God?
A shiver of fear slid down his spine. He looked toward heaven and cried out, “Are You really up there?”
Not hearing an answer, he paused and listened for a moment longer. Still nothing, except the gentle roll of the surf hitting the shore. He left the beach unsure of life in a way he’d never experienced before. He’d come to Squabbin Bay to find answers. Instead he found more confusion, more pain, more honesty. Was he really a self-centered egomaniac? Not that Jess had said it in quite those terms, but he certainly understood what she’d implied.
Three
Jess gasped, tightened her grip on the shopping cart, and pulled it around the corner. Meeting Krispin Black at the beach yesterday had been bad enough, but to see him in the aisle of the grocery store forced her to retreat. Originally she had planned on doing her shopping on Friday, but running over Krispin Black’s kayak had unraveled her. With the lawsuit against her looming, she had spent a sleepless night. While it was true she didn’t have much, she had managed to purchase a home nearly a year ago. It took four months to work out the paperwork, so technically she’d only owned the house for eight months. There wasn’t much equity, but she’d be starting from scratch if Mr. Black did sue her.
“Hello, Ms. Kearns,” Krispin said with a smug smile.
“Hello.” Jess pushed her cart farther down the aisle. She didn’t need anything in this one, having already been down it. She reached for another can of black olives anyway.
“I read over your financial information. You said you didn’t have much. You own your own home, Ms. Kearns.”
“I have a mortgage, which has only had eight payments made against it out of 360. So if you call that owning, yes, I have a house.” She paused and put the can back on the shelf. She also had her deposit and closing costs. “Will you be suing for possession of my house?”
“I can’t see the advantage of owning your mortgage.”
Jess relaxed. She’d given up trying to understand her attraction to him. Instead she felt it best to simply avoid him as much as possible. But in a town as small as Squabbin Bay, she wasn’t sure how easy that would be. “How long are you here for?”
“Originally just the weekend. But because of the accident, I’ve taken the entire week off.”
Jess nodded. Being Tuesday, that meant he’d be in town for four to five more days. And if he was kayaking… “Mr. Black, I’d be happy to loan you my kayak while you’re visiting our area.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” He raised his eyebrows. His neatly trimmed, dark brown hair didn’t seem to match the stubble showing on his face.
“Because it’s the right thing to do. And you should get back on the water as soon as possible. I don’t know what kind of fears you might have after what you’ve been through, but I can’t imagine it will be too easy for you to go back into the water.”
He squared his shoulders. “I can handle it.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be telling you your business. I just thought you might like to go kayaking while the weather is agreeable. A front’s due to come in tomorrow, and well, you won’t be able to kayak on the ocean.”
“I hadn’t heard the weather forecast. Thank you. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take you up on that offer.”
“No problem. I’ll deliver the kayak to your cottage after I’m done shopping.” She turned, placed both hands on the cart, and continued down the aisle. If she worked quickly, she could get to his place before he returned. She hoped.
“What about dinner?”
She stopped short. If nothing else, Krispin Black was a determined individual. Jess could easily see how he’d made his mark in the corporate business world. “I believe we had this conversation yesterday.”
“Nothing has changed?”
“Nothing has changed.”
“Farewell, Ms. Kearns.”
Jess simply nodded. Finally. Her shoulders slumped. She was done with Krispin Black. Well, done for the moment. The pending lawsuit still loomed on the horizon.
She scurried to the checkout, went home, and loaded her kayak on the roof of her car. It was a beat-up, old Volkswagen Bug from the sixties that her father managed to keep running from spare parts found in the junkyard. Because it was a classic car, she hoped to refurbish it someday. But other things had been more important, like saving for the house, furniture to put in the house, and supporting the lobstermen’s co-op. For the past two years, she’d been working hard at establishing the co-op. The profits from last year were
marginal. This year, with the continuation of good weather and healthy catches, they expected to make a good profit.
The phone rang as she opened the screen door to the back porch of her house. She wrestled the bags of groceries into one arm and picked up the cordless phone. “Hello.”
“Hey, Jess, it’s Myron Buefford.”
“Hi, Myron, what can I do for you?” Myron had moved up to Maine from Louisiana thirty years ago after a hurricane had wiped out his shrimping business. He figured while Maine was colder, it seldom had hurricanes. Nor’easters were another matter. But he and his family had settled in. His kids had developed a linguistic blend of Southern and Down-Eastern twang. Myron, on the other hand, still spoke as Southern as if he’d just moved up.
“We heard about the accident and pending lawsuit. We’re wondering if ya’ll would come to a meeting of the co-op tonight with your attorney. We want to make sure Mr. Black can’t own the co-op.”
Jess stood rigid for a moment. Could Krispin Black end up as a member of the co-op? Dear Lord, please say it isn’t so. Then the thought hit her. Incorporation was one of the points her stepmother had made when they were establishing it. “Myron, I think the co-op is covered with the way we set up the Articles of Incorporation, but I’ll willingly meet with all of you. And if my lawyer can’t be there, I’ll ask his take on all of this.”
“Thanks, Jess. We all know it was an accident, and the man has to be out of his mind to want to sue. I’m sorry for your troubles, and no one wants y’all out of the co-op.” He paused. Jess could see Myron, in her mind’s eye, brushing the few strands on top of his head to the back—a gesture he’d been making since she was a little girl and he had a full head of hair. “But we’ve all worked real hard to establish it.”
Suited For Love Page 2
