Seaside Surprises_A Sweet Romance_The Seaside Hunters

by Stacy Claflin

  Jake's eyelids were growing heavier by the minute. "No. I can't do that to you."

  "Why not? I've got everything under control here. You were up all night, and will probably be again tonight."

  She made sense, but his parents would kill him for leaving the store…if they found out. What was Elena going to do? Rob them? She had nowhere to go, and her car was in Bobby's shop. Also, if he was manning the place himself, he would probably fall asleep, and then someone actually would rob them.

  He stretched and then stood up. "You drive a tough bargain."

  A smile spread wide across her face. She was so dang beautiful. He would almost rather spend the time watching her work than going back home to sleep. If he could stay awake. Not even the iced mint mocha helped.

  "Go on," she said. "I'll have this place organized and full of happy customers when you get back."

  "I'm sure you will. I'll be back before closing. This time I'll set my alarm."

  "You'd better." She smiled again. "Can I get your number just in case?" She pulled out her cell phone.

  He told her his number and she put it in her phone.

  She stood. "Now get some sleep. I've got this."

  "Thanks, Elena. I really appreciate it."

  "This is actually kind of fun. Go."

  "I'm leaving. Sheesh. Can't believe I'm getting kicked out of my own shop."

  She gave him another playful shove and their eyes met, holding the gaze. Jake held his breath. He couldn't stop looking at those gorgeous green eyes. Never before had he seen a color like that.

  The front door bell rang, announcing the next rush of customers.

  "Go on," she whispered.

  He nodded, unable to find his voice. Jake made his way outside, unable to think of anything other than Elena and her bright green eyes.

  "Leaving so soon?"

  Jake turned to see Dimitri near his stand. Jake cleared his throat, finally able to speak. "Yeah. I'm going to get some more rest. Elena's taking care of the store. Can you keep an eye on her, just in case she needs help? She's doing really well, but I don't want her getting overwhelmed."

  "Then why leave?"

  "I'm beat, and she insisted."

  "Sure, I'll check in on her."

  "Thanks. I appreciate it." He yawned again.

  "Get out of here, Jake." Dimitri laughed. "You obviously need sleep."

  Fourteen

  The last customer left, and Tiffany finally sat down. Her feet ached, but it felt good to have been distracted for a while. She looked at the area behind the register and smiled. She'd at least made a difference. It had been so disorganized, but now everything had its place, and it looked good, too.

  She had even moved around some of the displays in front of the counter, and she had already seen results. People had bought more of those items afterward. Not only that, it was nice to be needed for a change.

  The door dinged, and she jumped to her feet, ready to greet the next customer. But it wasn't a patron.

  Jake walked in. He had his hair slicked back, unwrinkled clothes, and a freshly shaved face. Tiffany's breath caught. He looked like he could have been in one of the magazines on the rack he just passed. Actually, he looked better than those stuffy models. She had the overwhelming desire to run her fingers over his smooth face.

  "Did you do all this? It looks wonderful." He looked at the front of the counter.

  Tiffany struggled to find her voice. She could stare at him all day. "I just moved some things around." It was nothing compared to the way he looked.

  "No, really. It looks so professional. Much better than before. I can't believe it."

  "Oh, stop." Tiffany looked away, embarrassed.

  Jake moved to where she looked, and stared into her eyes. "I love it. Will you let me take you out to dinner?"

  Tiffany's heart raced. "Don't you have to get to the hospital? What about your dad?"

  Jake shook his head. "Two of my brothers are there with my parents, and they say he's doing a lot better. I can go later since I just slept. Will you join me for a meal?"

  She nodded, suddenly feeling shy. He was the only person who made her feel that way. "Can I go back to my hotel room and freshen up? I've been working all day." The corners of her mouth curved upward.

  "No problem. I'll close up here, and then pick you up at the hotel in an hour?" His eyes held an eagerness that made her heart jump into her throat.

  Tiffany cleared her throat. "That's perfect. See you then." She hurried to the door before she gave into the increasing desire to jump into his arms. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and take in his freshly-showered smell. She gave a little wave as she went through the door, hoping he didn't notice what he did to her.

  Tiffany made sure to walk past the auto shop on her way to the hotel. Her car was still in the parking lot. Did that mean it hadn't moved? Or had it been fixed? She had gotten those super-important air fresheners for Bobby.

  She went inside, finding Bobby sweeping. "Did you get to my car?" Please say no.

  Bobby looked up. "Sorry, Sweets. All the cars ahead of you today had serious problems. I'm not even sure I'll get to yours tomorrow."

  Tiffany bit her lower lip, pretending to think about it. Then she shrugged. "Well, don't forget to call my grandpa before you do anything." She spun around and went back to her hotel.

  When she got to her room, she looked around. What was she going to wear? She only had the one suitcase, and she hadn't packed for a date. It didn't matter. She would make it work. With a spring in her step, she made her way to the bed, dumping her entire 'wardrobe' onto it. Tiffany finally settled on a cute lacy top that she could wear over a camisole and skinny jeans. The lace top was a little wrinkled, but if she hung it in the bathroom while she showered, it should lose the wrinkles.

  When she was done getting ready, she noticed a light blinking on her phone. Had she missed a call? She ran to her bed and picked it up. She had a new text from Grandpa.

  Some stuff came up with a friend. Sorry I haven't returned your calls. Have fun, and let me know what's going on.

  Relief washed over her. He was okay, just busy. She looked at the time, and decided to call him back later. Jake was supposed to meet her any minute.

  Tiffany went down to the lobby and saw him standing by the doors. He was looking at the elevators, but she had come down the staircase. He looked her way just as she went down the final few steps.

  Jake broke into a wide smile, and then walked toward her. He wore slacks and a dress shirt, and he looked even better than before. Tiffany's heart raced, and she gave him a nervous smile. Her body temperature rose, and the smell of her citrus perfume surrounded her from the heat.

  "You look stunning." He pulled a bright bouquet of flowers from behind his back.

  She let out a small gasp. "Are those for me?"

  Jake smiled wider. "Who else?"

  Her face heated even more. Tiffany didn't know how to take a compliment, but she would find a way. "Thank you. They're beautiful."

  "They're nothing compared to you." He pushed them closer to her.

  She reached for the flowers, and her fingers brushed against his. Chills ran down her back, and not from the hotel's air conditioning.

  "Can I get a picture?" he asked.

  "Of me?" Her stomach dropped to the floor. Did she dare leave photographic evidence of being in Kittle Falls?

  Jake looked at her with curiosity. "Why does it surprise you?"

  She looked down and shrugged. How could she explain? Would she make it through the date, or would he figure out that she was broken and run for the hills? As much as she wanted to be Elena, she was still Tiffany. There was no erasing her past, and that was the last thing she wanted to explain to him.

  "Can I get a picture of us?" he asked. "Please. You look so pretty holding the flowers."

  Tiffany looked back up and held his gaze. His beautiful, kind brown eyes pleaded with her. Jake was so sweet that she didn't want to let him down. He wa
s trustworthy—her heart told her that much. She was going to change her appearance when she got to her new home anyway, so it probably wouldn't do any harm to have a picture with him.

  It would be nice to have a picture of the memory, also. She didn't want to forget him, and she could imagine herself looking at the image of them with fondness years later when she was old and gray.

  She nodded an okay, and then his face lit up. Her heart fluttered, and she knew she had made the right decision. He grabbed the attention of someone walking by, and then asked her to take a picture.

  Before Tiffany knew what was going on, she stood next to Jake in front of a potted palm tree. He put his arm around her, seeming nervous. She felt safe, and nestled a little closer.

  The lady took a few pictures with Jake's cell phone, and then handed it back to him, smiling. "You two are so cute."

  "Thanks." Jake took his phone and scrolled through the images, showing the picture to Tiffany. It was strange seeing a picture of her with someone other than Trent, but she liked it. Unable to keep from smiling, she realized the lady was right. She and Jake did look good together.

  "Can you send those to me?" she asked.

  "I could…but you'd have to give me your number." Jake had a curious look.

  Butterflies danced in her stomach. She hadn't given it to anyone, but she realized she wanted Jake to have it. She pulled out her phone, nearly dropping it, and then called him.

  A Rod Stewart song came from his phone. He turned it off fast, his face turning pink. "That was my sister's favorite song. It's in memory of her. I swear."

  Tiffany held back a smile. "You don't have to explain anything to me."

  "I didn't want you thinking that's what I listen to in my free time."

  "Do you even have any free time?" she asked.

  He shook his head. "I wouldn't recognize a single song released in the last two years."

  "Me, neither." Unless it was country. That was all Trent would allow when he was around. He had even stocked songs in her car to listen to when she drove. "So, where are we going?"

  "Somewhere I love, but never go enough. It's about twenty minutes away. Is that okay?"

  "I don't have any other plans." Tiffany slid her phone back into her purse.

  "Good." He held out his hand.

  Tiffany's pulse pounded in her ears. Holding his hand didn't seem like much, but it felt enormous.

  Jake looked at her expectantly. "Are you ready?"

  She took his hand and smiled, ignoring her nerves. Nothing better than pushing aside everything Trent had told her over the years to help her move away from him. "I can't wait." She meant it.

  Jake led her to the parking lot. They went to a brown car that looked about twenty years old. "Sorry about the car," he said. "It belongs to my parents. I really need one of my own."

  "It's fine. How's your dad?"

  "He's sleeping a lot, but everyone keeps saying how fast he's improving." He let go of her hand and unlocked the passenger side door with the key.

  "Do they know what happened?"

  "They thought a stroke at first, but now that he's doing so well, they're looking into other options. They'll have to take another MRI tomorrow."

  "That sounds like good news. I hope I get to meet him when he gets out." Tiffany's eyes widened. She hadn't meant to say that, but it came out so naturally.

  Jake looked as surprised as she felt. "I'd like that." He held the door open for her.

  She sat, and he closed the door for her.

  Tiffany felt like a princess.

  Fifteen

  Jake walked around the back of the car, shaking his head. How could Elena have made herself even prettier than before? He couldn't believe that she actually wanted to spend time with him. It was time to get a haircut or something. He just didn't measure up.

  She was the gorgeous, mysterious out-of-towner, and he was just the local boy running a tiny, outdated shop. He had barely left Kittle Falls his whole life. Elena would surely leave as soon as Bobby fixed her car. What did he or the town have to offer that someone like her? Elena was probably on her way somewhere exciting. That had to be why she didn't want to talk about it—she didn't want to make him feel bad.

  He sat in the driver's seat and took a deep breath. The car smelled of the flowers and Elena's perfume. It was perfect, and he wanted to hold onto the scent for as long as he could.

  She smiled at him, still holding the flowers.

  Jake wanted to take another picture. He would need as many as possible so he wouldn't forget a thing about her. None of his brothers would believe he had managed to catch the attention of someone so beautiful.

  He started the car and looked forward. He needed to focus on driving, or they would never get to the restaurant. "Want some music?"

  "As long as it's Rod Stewart." She grinned.

  Jake laughed. She had a sense of humor, too. Was she perfect? It was starting to look that way. He turned on the radio, and Barry Manilow blasted from the speakers. He turned the volume down. "I swear, that's my mom's station. And she's deaf. Really, really deaf." How had the station gotten turned, anyway? Had one of his brothers driven his mom while Jake worked?

  Elena laughed. "So, you're not only a closet Rod Stewart fan, but Barry Manilow too?"

  Jake faked a guilty expression. "Now you know. Sure you wanna go out with me? There's still time to back out." Though he joked, part of him feared that she would take him up on the offer.

  She put her hand up to her chin and pretended to think about it. "I'll take my chances."

  Relief swept through him. "Glad to hear it." He pulled out of the parking spot before she could change her mind.

  They made small talk on the way to the restaurant. As it turned out, Elena had graduated high school the year after him, so they mostly talked about high school days, comparing favorite bands and movies. At least they had similar tastes. Jake hoped that would help her forget about Barry Manilow.

  When he pulled into the restaurant parking lot, he was glad to find it was relatively empty. You never knew during tourist season. If it had been a Friday or Saturday night, they would have been lucky to find a spot without a doubt.

  Elena started to open her door.

  "Hold it. Let me get that." Jake hurried around the car and opened the door for her.

  "Thank you." She got out, and he closed it, locking it manually.

  Jake took her hand, and they walked to the front doors. Teenagers ran by, yelling and teasing each other. When they got inside, he gave them his name. Elena went into the bathroom, and he took a seat. A couple across from them were all over each other. Jake looked away, wanting to tell them to get a room. He was going to have a hard enough time impressing Elena without those guys making conversation awkward. Kids ran around, bumping into people. Hopefully they would all be seated before Elena came out.

  He looked over at the couple seated next to them. The man spoke about his day at work, oblivious that the lady next to him clearly had no interest. In fact, she looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.

  Jake shook his head. What an atmosphere. Had he chosen the wrong restaurant, or the wrong night? With any luck, everything at the table would be better. He had wanted a nice night to hopefully convince Elena to stay longer.

  Obviously, they weren't at the point where they could start a relationship. The day they'd met, Jake hadn't thought he was ready for one, period. But somehow she'd already changed his mind. He wanted to get to know her and find out if it was at least a possibility for her, despite the fact she was so eager to get out of town.

  The two annoying couples were taken to tables, and Elena was still in the restroom. Jake eyed the bathroom door. If she took much longer, he would ask someone to check on her. What if she got scared and took off? No, she wouldn't do that. It was too far to walk back to the hotel. Unless she had decided to take a cab. What if she asked someone leaving to give her a ride back?

  "I've got to pull myself together," he muttered.
He leaned back, took a deep breath, and watched the others around him. They didn't help to ease his frayed nerves.

  At long last, Elena came out of the bathroom. Her hair was pulled back away from her face, but it still fell over her back behind her shoulders. She looked like an angel.

  She sat next to him. "Sorry it took me so long in there. My hair didn't look right, so I fixed it. Well, I tried but all I did was make it worse, so I had to fix that. It probably doesn't look any better than it did before…." She grabbed a strand and twirled it. "Sorry."

  "You look fantastic. But you didn't need to change anything."

  Elena looked away, and then turned back to him. "This place is busy for a weekday."

  Why the change of subject? She seemed so uncomfortable whenever he gave her compliments. When he gave her the flowers and asked to take her picture, she squirmed like he had asked her to do something crazy. Jake gave her a smile he hoped would reassure her that he was normal. "Yeah, but you should see it here on the weekends. You have to wait outside before coming in here to wait."

  "Hunter," called a server.

  "That's us." Jake stood and took her hand. He loved the way her soft skin felt against his. She hadn't yet protested holding his hand, so he was going to as much as she'd let him. There was something different about her that made every little thing exciting, even just hand-holding.

  When they got to the table, Elena's eyes widened and her hands covered her mouth. They were by a window that looked out over the Pacific Ocean. "It's beautiful."

  "I'm glad you like it," Jake said. "I asked specifically for a view."

  "I love it." When they settled in, she looked up from the menu. "What should I get?"

  "Everything's delicious. You can't go wrong." He opened up his, although he already knew what he wanted.

  Elena squirmed in her seat before turning back to the menu.

  "Is everything okay?" Jake asked. She looked really uncomfortable. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

  "No, no. I can't decide. I just thought you might have a suggestion." Elena looked like she would break into a sweat.

  Jake sat taller and spoke in a soft tone, hoping to help her feel at ease. "I'm going to have the salmon pasta on page seven. I was stuck between that and the lobster one."