Seaside Heartbeats: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 2)

by Stacy Claflin

  Just as she took her last sip, she heard footsteps on the stairs.

  "Can't sleep, either?" asked her dad.

  Lana shook her head. "Hoping this warm milk would help."

  "Has it?"

  She shrugged. "We'll see."

  He went into the kitchen and warmed some milk, too, and then sat across from her. "What's on your mind?"

  "What do you think?" she asked, more irritated than she meant. "Sorry. I'm tired."

  "We all are, hon. Your mom keeps waking up from nightmares. I suppose it'll be a little while before we're all back to normal."

  Lana nodded and then brought the cup to her mouth, tipping it high to get the last drops of milk. "Would we sleep better going somewhere else?"

  "Everything is booked all summer. Even so, this is the safest house in town. Most don't have any security systems from what I've been told."

  "It's a safe town." Lana set her empty cup down. Her eyes finally grew sleepy, but she didn't move from the chair. It was nice to have company.

  "If you can't sleep, want to go over some of these plans?"

  "Dad."

  "Don't give me that tone. I haven't touched them all day."

  "What an accomplishment—on vacation."

  "Okay. Let's discuss your office. I'd like to put a new oak—"

  "Office?"

  "You won't be an intern anymore. No more cubicles for you. It won't be a corner office yet, and probably will have a view of the parking lot, but give it a few years."

  Lana's heart sunk. The thought of leaving Kittle Falls…Brayden…made her heart ache.

  "Or if Smith retires early like he keeps talking about, I could probably get you his office. One of the best views in the whole place."

  "Let's just focus on our vacation for now."

  "I can't believe you don't want to talk about your office."

  "Maybe I don't want to work in the firm, Dad."

  His eyes widened and he stared at her for what felt like an eternity. The mug dropped from his hands—and luckily, it was empty.

  "What did you say?"

  "I've had a lot of time to think about things—and about what's really important. First my trip to the ER and then last night." Her voice shook.

  "You don't want to be an architect now? All those years of schooling and finishing the exams earlier than anyone else in your class. How could you—?"

  "I didn't say I don't want to be an architect. I love it. I'm not sure about the firm."

  "The best firm in the whole damn state, Lana. You couldn't ask for anything more. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets in straight after an internship. If I hadn't risen to my position, you'd have to go to some other firm—or worse, a tiny office with just a few architects designing garages or something pitiful like that."

  She bit her tongue. "I just need to think about things, that's all."

  "That's all? That's all?"

  A lump formed in her throat. "Yes. There's a lot to consider."

  "Like what? You've been given the opportunity of a lifetime, and now you want to throw it away."

  "I don't want to throw it away. I'm just not sure that your dream for me is the same thing I want."

  He hit the table. "It's not my dream, Lana. You've been talking about this since you were little. Being a dad and daughter team in the best firm on the planet. I've never pushed either of you to do this. Don't you think if I had, your sister would be working there now instead of what's she doing?"

  Lana shrugged. "Cora's never had any interest in buildings."

  "How can you do this to me? Do you know what I went through to get you the position?"

  Tears filled her eyes. "I just said I need to think about things. I didn't say I was going to walk away. With all my studies and interning, I've had no time to stop and think about whether or not I still want the same thing I did nine years ago."

  "This certainly would've been useful information earlier."

  "I was so focused on getting my license that I couldn't think about anything else. Now that I have it, I have to figure out if twenty-seven year old Lana still wants the same exact thing that eighteen year old Lana did. Can't you give me that?"

  "I gave you best education available followed by the job opportunity of a lifetime. Anything you needed—it was yours. Maybe that's the problem."

  "What?" she asked.

  "You don't appreciate what you have because you didn't have to work hard enough for it."

  Lana stared at him in disbelief. "How can you say that? I've done nothing except work hard my whole life. Graduated with honors, nearly at the top of my class. I studied and worked while my classmates partied so I could get my license early—and save you money."

  "How much you want to bet you were the only one who didn't have to get a non-architectural job to pay for schooling? How many of your friends had to flip burgers to get through school?"

  She clenched her fists. "That wouldn't pay for architectural school. Several had earned full-ride scholarships. Plenty had their parents' money, and do you know how many of them are taking the longest, slowest path to the license? Those are the ones who don't appreciate what they have. They're taking advantage of their parents' generosity. Not me."

  "You didn't have to push yourself so hard. I didn't put pressure on you to plow through. We could have afforded for you to take more time. You know that, don't you?"

  "Yes, but like I said, I didn't want to take advantage of that. I wanted to get my license as soon as humanly possible, and I did. Now I'm tired."

  "That's why we're taking an entire summer to vacation. You've accomplished what very few ever have."

  "Then you could try showing me some respect while I think things over. Maybe I'll decide to stay, but you need to be okay if I don't. It was never my intention for you to put your job on the line to get me a position there. I'd have been happy to work my way in just like everyone else."

  "Like I said, that would've been useful to know earlier."

  "I need to get some sleep, Dad. We're just going in circles, and we're both exhausted."

  He scowled at her. "Let me know as soon as possible if you're not going to take the position. I'd also be interested in hearing what position you're taking instead."

  "We'll talk about this later." She stood up, nearly knocking over the chair. "Goodnight."

  "Indeed."

  Lana slammed the chair back to place and stormed up the stairs. So much for trying to make herself more tired. The milk had helped her to get sleepy, but she wasn't anymore.

  She paced her room. Why couldn't he respect her enough to let her decide if she still wanted to work at the firm? What did it matter if she chose to work somewhere else and had to start at the bottom like everyone else? It wouldn't take long for her to move up. Not with her skills and work ethic. That's why she had a stack of letters from firms begging her to consider them.

  Lana went to the window again and peeked out. Everything was as uneventful as earlier. She yawned, the exhaustion winning out over the anger. Maybe both her and her dad would be able to think clearer in the morning.

  She just wanted some sleep.

  Nineteen

  Brayden stuffed the last bag into his trunk and slammed it shut. They'd just finished a picnic lunch, having already driven about an hour and getting a late start.

  "Is that everything?" Lana asked. She looked just as good in hiking gear as she did in beachwear.

  "It appears to be." He turned to Cruz. "Sure you don't want to ride with us? Last chance."

  Cruz patted the handlebars on his motorcycle. "It's the perfect day for a ride. I'll follow you, but if we get separated, or if you drive like an old lady, I have the map you gave me."

  "Funny." Brayden gave him a shove. He turned to Lana. "I don't drive like an old lady."

  "He does," Cruz said. "You'll see."

  Lana grabbed Brayden's arm and squeezed. "I've seen him drive."

  "So you know what I mean?" Cruz asked, hardly holding in laughter.
<
br />   "Not at all. Don't let his dust get your bike dirty."

  "You can hold your own." Cruz nodded with approval and then turned to Brayden. "She'll fit right in. You should bring her for one of our family dinners."

  "Oh, I'd like that." Lana pressed closer to Brayden.

  His heart raced. He was eager to have everyone meet her. "Only if she wants to."

  "Meet the rest of your family?" she asked. "I'd love to."

  Brayden's heart swelled. Could she be any more wonderful?

  Cruz slid on his helmet and strapped it into place. "Let's hit the road." He climbed onto his motorcycle and started it up.

  Lana jumped at the noise. Brayden wrapped his arm around her. "I think he bought the loudest bike on purpose."

  "Wouldn't surprise me."

  Brayden went over to the passenger side, opened the door for her, and closed it when she was inside. His pulse raced from both the thought of the adventure and knowing he would spend the day with Lana.

  He started the car. "Smooth as a kitten."

  She laughed, the beautiful sound filling the car.

  "What do you like better? Smooth and silent or loud and overbearing?"

  "You."

  "I'll take that. You choose the station." Brayden pulled onto the road, making sure Cruz followed. He was sure that as soon as they hit the highway, Cruz would speed out of sight. Good thing for cell phones and maps.

  Brayden had spent some time studying the ancient, faded, hand-drawn map. He'd printed out his picture and blown it up. Though the roads had changed—a lot—over the one hundred-sixty years, using online maps, he'd figured out where they were headed. As best he could tell, the woods still remained largely untouched. He had used satellite images on his laptop to compare with the old map.

  "This good?" Lana asked, referring to the music. It was an older song, from his college days. "I can change it if you don't like it."

  He tapped the beat with his fingers on the steering wheel. "It's a great choice."

  Lana sang along with the music. She had the voice of an angel.

  "If you hadn't gone into architecture, you could have made a killing with that voice."

  He looked over at her, and her cheeks had turned rosy. "I just like to sing. Learning notes has never appealed to me."

  "Doesn't sound like you have much to learn."

  "Hey, do you remember the video to this song? It's hideous, but my friends and I watched it over and over." She laughed.

  Brayden smiled, tempted to look at her again, but he really needed to focus on the road. "Which video was that?" He was pretty sure he'd been neck-deep in his studies when that song had been popular. He'd heard it playing from the hallway in the dorms, but never took the time to watch music videos.

  Lana told him all about the video, interjecting her beautiful laughter a lot. She went on to talk more about her interests in high school, and Brayden tried to commit every story to memory.

  He pulled onto the highway, and as expected, Cruz passed him and was soon out of sight.

  "You don't mind me rambling on, do you?" she asked.

  "Not at all. I love hearing about your life."

  She talked about her times growing for a while longer until they settled into a comfortable silence. The music was nice, reminding him of his days trying to study when nobody else in the entire dorm seemed to have the same interest. It had frustrated him at the time, but somehow it had turned into a pleasant memory.

  "So, no more break-ins?" Lana asked after a while.

  "Nope, just our two. All year." He didn't want to say anything, but he worried about what might happen that night. If they were being watched by someone who wanted Billy Kittle's secret kept hidden, they were bound to be upset over today's outing.

  "I'll take the last week of silence as a good sign. No one has tried to get into our house again, so I think that means today is going be a success."

  Funny how they could see the same events but come to such different conclusions. Maybe the day would be a success, but Brayden would likely sleep with one eye open.

  "Has your family finally relaxed?" Brayden asked. "They've seemed more like themselves the last few times I've seen them."

  "Yeah, mostly." Lana's tone made it sound like she was holding back.

  "What do you mean?" Brayden slid his right hand down from the steering wheel and took her hand. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

  She took a deep breath. "My dad and I haven't been getting along so well."

  "Really?" Brayden asked, surprised. Dwight seemed like one of the most easy-going guys he'd ever met. Aside from never letting go of work, but Brayden couldn't blame him for that, being a bit of a workaholic himself.

  "We're not seeing eye to eye on some stuff right now."

  "I'm sorry. What about?"

  Her hand tightened in his. "I've been thinking about not leaving Kittle Falls at the end of the summer."

  Brayden's heart skipped a beat. "You…? Why not?"

  Her grip tightened even more. "Well, I really enjoy the time I've spent with you. I know it probably sounds crazy. We've known each only about a month, and now I'm thinking of changing my whole life."

  He opened his mouth, but words escaped him. She liked him enough to consider staying in Kittle Falls?

  "Please say something," she said, her voice small.

  "You're not crazy. In fact, you've completely flipped my world upside down, too. I've never felt like this before."

  Lana squeezed his hand harder. She was surprisingly strong, and his hand was going to be sore soon if she kept it up. "You haven't?"

  "No. You're the first person I've ever dated seriously."

  "Really? Me, too. I've been too focused on my studies." Her grip loosened.

  "Maybe that's why we seem to work together so well," he said.

  "That and our sense of adventure. Part of me can't believe we're actually chasing a one hundred-sixty year old lead."

  "I never would've thought about it before meeting you."

  "You haven't wondered about what happened to your town's founder?" she asked.

  "Plenty of times. I just never thought there was anything I could do about it…until you came along." Brayden took a deep breath. He had the urge to pull over to the side of the road and kiss her. He'd been wanting to run his hands through her hair again since that day in the museum.

  Brayden's phone buzzed. He took it from the console and handed it to Lana. "Can you check the text?"

  She took it. "Cruz says he stopped at a rest stop." She looked out at some signs. "Looks like he's about ten miles ahead."

  "See why he thinks I drive slow?" Brayden asked, shaking his head. "I'm going ten over and he's still that far in front of us."

  "Well, I don't think you drive like a granny."

  "That's all that matters. Can you text him back with our location?"

  "Sure."

  From the corner of his eye, Brayden watched her. She sent it and then put the phone back where it had been. They rode in silence for a while. Brayden tried to figure out what to think of what she'd told him. He couldn't believe she was even considering staying. It didn't feel real—almost like it was too good to be true, so he couldn't accept it.

  After a while, Brayden asked if they were approaching their exit. Lana looked at the papers. "Too bad Kittle didn't have an address we could plug into the GPS." She laughed. "Yeah, it looks like we're less than two miles from it."

  Soon, Brayden pulled off the highway and onto a bumpy country road. Even with his expensive vehicle, they weren't protected from the potholes. Lana nearly spilled her coffee, which had a lid.

  Finally, they turned onto a gravel road and stayed on that for a while before they came to the parking lot. Cruz stood at his bike with a cigarette in his mouth. He dropped it and squished it under his boot when he saw them.

  Brayden and Lana got out of the car and stretched their stiff muscles. Brayden looked at Cruz's boot. "Thought you quit."

  "Mostly." />
  "How do you mostly quit?"

  He shrugged.

  "Don't you know what that stuff does to your—"

  "Let's get our gear out of the trunk," Cruz interrupted. He turned to Lana. "How was the ride?"

  "Couldn't have been better."

  "You certainly had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery."

  Lana looked Brayden up and down. "All I needed to see was inside the car."

  Cruz raised an eyebrow and then turned to Brayden. They all pulled everything from the trunk and then Cruz threw his helmet and riding leathers into the trunk. "Won't need those for hiking, yo."

  Brayden brought out the printout of the two maps. "We're here." He pointed to a little square on the contemporary map. "We want to go here." He followed a small line of a trail until he hit his penciled in line. "This is where it might get tricky."

  Cruz took the printout of the old map and compared the two. "That looks about right. You really think we'll find a clue about Bi—"

  "Don't say his name out loud," Brayden said. "We have to be careful. You're staying at mom and dad's house, and I don't want them to be the next victim, okay?"

  "Understood, man. But I'll have you know I'm looking for my own place. After the summer crowds die down, I want to find something. Maybe even start my own tat parlor."

  Brayden looked at him. "Really?"

  "Yeah, dude. You've inspired me with your plans to build that emergency room."

  "Urgent care facility."

  "Whatever. Just take the compliment."

  Lana giggled. "I can tell you're brothers. You sound like me and Cora."

  "Really?" Brayden asked. He turned back to Cruz. "If you wait until I'm done with the facility, I can help you with your parlor. Or better yet, you can help me and then I'll help you."

  "I can even help both of you with designing the buildings," Lana said. "I do have a little practice."

  "You've got to keep her," Cruz said.

  Brayden planned to.

  Twenty

  "Is this the place?" Lana asked. She stared at the overgrown trail—or what appeared to have once been a trail. Thick plant life made it look like no one had ever been there.

  Brayden and Cruz stared at the maps.