by Jill Sanders
An image of them flashed in her mind and she smiled.
“I’d like to get my hands…” Carrie stopped when Iian walked into the room.
“What is this, a slumber party?” he signed to them both. He sat behind his desk, looking a little disgusted. She knew him too well to take him seriously and chuckled.
Most everyone who worked at the Golden Oar knew at least basic sign language. Carrie had worked there since her freshman year in school and knew more than most.
“Sara kissed Parker,” Carrie signed, which earned her a look from Sara.
“Tattle-tale,” she said, making sure to have her back towards her uncle.
“What?” Iian jerked his eyes towards her. “Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Uncle. Maybe because he’s hot,” she said sarcastically.
“Damn it, Sara, the guy hasn’t even started working yet. I don’t need another relationship wrecking my business plans.”
Iian glanced towards Carrie, who quickly stood up and walked out of the room without another word.
Joshua, Carrie’s ex-boyfriend, had been a chef there, a damn good one, but after a messy breakup, which no one in town knew the details of, he’d packed up and moved out of Pride. He’d been gone almost a month now, and Carrie hadn’t gotten back in the dating game since.
Then again, Sara wasn’t looking forward to joining in the game either. Pride wasn’t the smallest town in the world. In the past ten years, it had grown from a little more than a thousand to almost three thousand people. Still, the dating pool was very shallow. Most of the people her age had immediately left Pride after graduation.
People who moved to town tended to bring their significant others with them. Aiden was one of the few guys in her class to stick around.
“I just did it to get back at Aiden,” she admitted. When it was just the two of them in the room, she didn’t even bother speaking out loud. She’d grown up learning American Sign Language as a second language. Her folks had joked that she’d learned it long before she’d actually spoken her first words.
Iian seemed to take that in, his eyes scanning hers. Then a slow smile formed on his lips, one that she’d never seen on him before.
“You’re the one who’s going to be stuck dealing with him for a month.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Hey, you signed up for the job. If you’re not ready—”
“No, I’m more than ready,” she broke in. “You know that.”
“Good.” Iian leaned back and looked very relaxed behind the big desk. “Now, why don’t you head in and see if everything is ready for the dinner rush. I’ve got some paperwork to catch up on before we leave.”
Making her way through the kitchen, she was assured everything was in place by Chef Valerie, who had taken over as head chef when Iian wasn’t there. The woman was older than everyone else who worked in the place but kept the employees on their toes and was so full of energy, sometimes the other’s complained that they couldn’t keep up with her.
Sara wasn’t working the evening shift so once everything was ready and the lunch rush was officially over, she clocked out, jumped in her Jeep, and headed home.
Living at your parents’ house when you’re coming up on your twenty-fourth birthday was a little depressing. Which is why she’d taken over one of the cabins at the family’s bed and breakfast a few months back. The blue cabin was one of the farthest cabins from the main house. She’d only moved her clothes and computers in with her when she’d moved out of her childhood bedroom.
Her mother had tried to talk her out of moving out, but her father had appeased her by pointing out that Sara would be close enough to still eat her meals with them when she was home.
She’d thought about renting Patty’s place above the grocery store, but currently there were renters in it, so she’d picked one of the small cabins with an incredible beach view.
Parking her Jeep beside her parents’ sedan, she climbed out and thought about heading into the main house to see what her family was up to. But on the off chance they’d heard about the parking lot incident, she decided to head straight to her place and sulk. She had a carton of Rocky Road she could probably empty.
Shutting the door behind her, she glanced around the small cabin and groaned. Laundry and dishes needed to be done, as well as a general overall cleaning.
She leaned her head back on the door. She didn’t want to focus on real life at the moment. Grabbing up her iPad, she took the container of ice cream and a spoon, snatched a light throw blanket, and headed for the beach.
The pathway that led her through the tall grass was well worn and would be lit after dark. Her brother and father had built new stairs and benches along the pathway a few years back. The electricity stretched from the farthest of the ten cabins, several of which had been built in her lifetime. The others had been remodeled shortly before her parents had started the business.
Her mother’s brother, Matthew, had purchased the property long ago. Matthew and Sara’s father, Todd Jordan, had been best friends. When Matthew had died in a car accident, her mother, Megan, had moved to Pride.
Once, when she was a child, Sara had overheard her parents talking about her mother’s past. She knew that she’d been married to a man named Derrick who had been very abusive. When she’d been pregnant with Sara’s brother, Matthew, named after his late uncle, her ex-husband had broken out of jail and kidnapped their mother. If it wasn’t for her father, her mother may not have survived, and Sara and her brother and younger sister wouldn’t be here.
Later, when she’d been in middle school, she’d overheard her parents talking about the man who’d almost killed their family before it had gotten started. Apparently, he’d died in a prison fight. It was the first time she’d heard her father curse.
“The bastard finally picked a fight with someone bigger than him and got what he deserved,” her father had said.
Sara settled in her favorite spot on the beach, a heavy piece of driftwood that had been smoothed out by years of rain and water hitting it and was perfectly shaped to her back. Tucking the blanket around her, she opened the ice cream and dug in as her eyes scanned to find her place in the book she was engrossed in.
A pint of ice cream and two chapters of her book later, she heard a dog barking in the distance and glanced around.
Seeing the person in the distance slightly annoyed her. It wasn’t a private beach, but still, most of the time when she came here, she was alone.
Of course, during tourist season, the place was full of families, but they were still a few weeks away from spring break at this point.
Shifting, she tried to see who was walking towards her before they got too close. The dog came into full view long before its owner did. Her book was all but forgotten as the dog came running up to her.
Its paws were bigger than its head and the puppy kept falling over them and anything else that got in its way.
She laughed and played with the dog and waited for his owner to approach her. When he finally came into view, she knew she wouldn’t get any more reading in that evening.
4
“Are you following me?” Parker asked as he sat down next to her. He tried to hide that he was a little breathless, since he’d had to chase Toby for the past two miles. If he hadn’t already spent an hour working out before their walk, he would have simply taken the dog for a run. But now he was hoping the dog would stroll home slowly so he could enjoy the beach a little.
As he’d approached Sara, he’d watched her tossing a stick to Toby. The puppy’s favorite game was fetch, but now he’d grown tired of playing and was lying at her feet, chewing the wood to pieces.
“I’ve been here for over an hour,” she replied, tucking her iPad to her chest, “which would mean you’re the one stalking me.”
“If I can’t keep up with Toby now, how am I ever going to when he grows into those paws?”
He pulled out a bottle of water from his backpack and gave To
by a drink, cupping his hands and letting the dog lick them dry before swallowing some himself.
“That’s what leashes are for,” she suggested.
Parker laughed and glanced over her shoulder towards the cabins in the distance. His knee brushed up against hers lightly, making him remember the kiss all over again.
He’d spent the last hour and a half trying to get her out of his head, but here she was again.
“You live near here?” he asked casually.
Her eyebrows shot up slightly. “Do you?”
He nodded back in the direction they had come. “I’m in the Fitch’s old place.” The gray wood-shingled house sat less than two miles from them.
She narrowed her eyes. “How’d you convince them to rent it to you?” she asked.
“I didn’t.” He smiled. “They sold it to me.”
Her eyebrows went up more. “But they swore they’d retire there.”
“Yup, that was until the water heater went out, the fireplace backed up, and half of the front porch caved in.”
“So, you’re fixing it?”
He nodded. “Most of the big stuff still needs to be done.”
“Where did the Fitches go?”
“Where else?”
“Florida?”
“No.” He chuckled. “They bought a new house just outside of Portland.”
“Oh.” She leaned back. “I really liked Jerry and Marg.”
“They seemed like a nice couple,” he agreed. “But, since it benefited me, I’m okay with them moving to a new place.”
She glanced at him sideways. “Toby?”
He nodded. “I got him on my way into town. There was a farmer who had a truck bed full of the little guys.” He scratched his dogs’ head and smiled. Toby may be a little exhausting but was well worth it. “I figured it was about time I got a dog.”
He relaxed back against the driftwood and looked out over the water. He could tell there would be rain tonight and hoped he and Toby could make it home before it started to fall.
“Why are you here?” she asked after a moment of silence.
He glanced over at her. “Toby needed to stretch his legs.”
She chuckled as she shook her head. “In Pride. You never got to finish telling me earlier,” she corrected.
He shrugged. “It’s a great town. Lots of potential for work.” He glanced up at the cabins behind them. He could just make out a few roofs. He knew about the bed and breakfast the Jordans ran. Patty had talked to him about almost everything in town. All he’d had to do was pay attention and have a good memory to know a little bit about everyone who came and went in town.
“Where were you before?”
“Eugene,” he answered as Toby rushed towards the water’s edge. “Now he’ll need a bath.” He groaned as the dog jumped into the surf playfully.
“He’s only a puppy once.” She chuckled.
“Your folks own the bed and breakfast?” He nodded behind them again.
She glanced back. “Yup. What about your folks? Are they in Eugene?”
“I never knew my father.” He watched Toby closely. He wasn’t sure if the dog knew how to swim well or not.
“You’re mother?” she asked.
He shrugged. Wanting to change the subject, he stood up. “How about a walk?” He held out his hand towards her.
She set her iPad down and tucked the blanket around it, then stood.
“Are you going to leave that here?” He glanced around. Even though they were the only ones on the beach, he’d grown up in the city and knew better than to leave valuables laying around.
“Who do you suppose is going to take it?” She motioned around them. “You’re the first person I’ve seen in an hour.”
He shrugged and followed her down the beach.
“So,” she said after a moment, “you don’t like talking about your mother?”
“What makes you say that?” he asked, his eyes focusing on the horizon as Toby fell in step with them.
“You changed the subject and have this… look. My mother gets the same look whenever someone mentions her first husband.”
He glanced down at her. “Oh?”
“He was an ass and beat her. Broke her arm once, went to jail, broke out, and almost killed her and my brother Matthew when she was pregnant.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“My father happened.” She smiled. “Kicked his ass.”
“I haven’t met your parents yet. I met your aunt Lacey when I applied for my business license. I didn’t know she was your aunt, since her last name is Stevens. And of course I’ve met Iian.”
“Did she abuse you?” Sara asked, oddly still on track.
“No, she never laid a finger on me,” he said, his tone low.
Sara’s hand reached up and took his, making him stop and look at her.
“But she’s hurt you.” It wasn’t a question. Her green eyes scanned his.
“Yes,” he agreed softly. “My grandmother raised me.”
Dropping her arm, she glanced around and nodded to where Toby was trying to carry a large log.
He chuckled at the sight and felt all the heaviness disappear between them. “I think I picked the dumbest one in the litter.”
She laughed. “He’ll get smarter as he gets older,” she assured him. “We have three dogs. Raco started out dumb, but now that he’s an old man, he’s wise.”
They turned back to the pathway that led towards the cabins. He was dying to see what kind of shape they were in, but knew he’d have his hands full with the restaurant restoration in the coming months.
If all went well, this job would open more doors in town for him.
“Where is your grandmother now?” she asked as she picked up her iPad and blanket.
“In a home.” Hearing his tone of despair, he turned and whistled for Toby to come. “I’d better get this guy back and feed him. He gets hangry,” he joked. When he turned to go, something stopped him. Glancing over his shoulder, he met her eyes. “How about dinner?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Tonight?”
“No.” He turned back around. Why was he fumbling this? “This weekend?”
“As in… a date?” She bit her bottom lip.
“Now that I know you’re available.” He smiled when she gave him a look. “Don’t hate me for seeing an opportunity.”
“I don’t.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m just not sure it’s a good idea, since we’ll be working with each other over the next few months.”
He walked back towards her, stopping less than a foot from her. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he tucked his hands in his shorts. “Make no mistake, I’m working for your uncle, not you.”
Heat flooded her eyes and before he gave her a chance to reply or back away, he took her shoulders. This time, he wanted to leave little doubt as to who was in control.
It was the single biggest mistake of his life. Kissing Sara. The moment his lips touched hers, he knew nothing would be the same ever again. He would never want it to be, after the life-altering way her body melted against his.
When her lips opened slightly on a sigh, he dipped in and took everything she offered. Everything he’d ever wanted.
His fingers tightened on her skin, holding her closer as his mouth explored and demanded more. He felt her shiver with want and his body reacted fast and hard, like being slammed over the head.
Jerking back, he dropped his hands. He didn’t think he could control the desire if he continued to touch her.
Her unfocused eyes had turned a sea green. He wanted to pull her close again, but instead, took a step back. “Friday night?” he asked, not sure if his voice would hold. When she nodded, he smiled. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
Again, she nodded. The fact that she hadn’t spoken, hadn’t moved, was a good sign. Turning, he whistled for Toby and walked back down the beach.
So many times, he wanted to turn around to see if she was watching him, but he ke
pt his eyes focused straight ahead as his mind played over the single most powerful moment of his life.
Sara must have stood frozen to the spot for more than five minutes. The pair were just dots on the horizon when she finally woke from her stupor. That kiss had not only knocked her socks off but had had her on the verge of coming.
How did a man do that with just one kiss? She made her way back to her cabin and, before opening the door, remembered she had nothing to eat.
Setting the blanket down on the bench outside her door, she headed towards her parents’ house, knowing full well that her mother would have a three-course meal waiting.
The classic Georgian Colonial home had a fresh coat of white paint on it, thanks to her father and uncles. She’d spent so many hours on the large wraparound porch, she had always thought of it as a second bedroom. The green shutters had been replaced with new ones a few years back when all of the windows had been replaced with double-paned glass.
When she opened the front door, the smell of her mother’s pot roast hit her, and she groaned with happiness.
“Mom? Dad?” she called out as she made her way through the house. Two of their three dogs greeted her at the doorway. She knew Raco was probably laying at her mother’s feet wherever she was.
The house hardly ever changed. A fresh coat of paint every now and then or new furniture whenever her mother got it in her mind to redecorate. Sara thought she could find anything in the house blindfolded.
“Back here,” both of her parents called out at the same time.
Megan and Todd Jordan pulled apart from one another as Sara walked into the kitchen. Their public displays of affection had caused her and her brother and sister some discomfort over the years, but now she held in a sigh as she thought about feeling that way towards a man after twenty-some years of marriage.
“I heard a rumor,” her father started before she could walk two feet into the massive kitchen.
“Don’t start.” She groaned, causing her father to chuckle.
“Rumor?” Her mother turned from the stove and frowned at her. “What rumor?”
