Swept Away for Christmas

by M. J. Fredrick

  He walked away from the window and the memories. He hadn’t thought about those crappy years in a long time, was surprised they still had any effect. He wasn’t that awkward boy who had retreated into books, comics and science fiction TV shows anymore. Or maybe he was, deep down. He’d broken out of his shell, but maybe you never truly left behind who you were during puberty. It rode along on your shoulder, whispering doubts in your ear.

  She didn’t like you then. Why would you think she’d like you now?

  Because the look in her eyes had not been the same one she’d worn when she’d met his gaze over the top of that frog in biology class. Not the same look at all.

  Chapter Three

  After dinner, Avery retreated to her room and spent a couple of hours doing online searches for a new job. Two hours was enough. She hadn’t found a new job, but she had found a headache and a growing sense of desperation. With each moment, magazine positions were becoming harder and harder to find. If she didn’t nab something soon, she didn’t have a backup plan. Really, what else was she even good at?

  Not wanting to dwell on the negative, she did a search for new décor for the motel. In what seemed like only the span of a breath or two, another hour had gone by and she’d bookmarked more than a dozen sites that sold enough vintage-inspired items to return the entire state of Alabama to 1960. The problem was those things cost money, and she was on a limited budget. She thought of all the expansive renovation stories she’d covered for the magazine and wished she had a tenth of those budgets to play with. Because she could definitely play when it came to redecorating. She’d been thinking about redoing her bathroom in her apartment before she’d had to give it up.

  Tired of looking at the laptop screen, she set the computer on her small desk and stretched. It hit her that she’d yet to make it out to the beach for a walk. She slipped on her shoes as well as a jacket. When she walked out into the living room, her grandmother looked up from where she was knitting.

  “Going out, dear?”

  “Yeah, I could use a nice long walk.”

  “I thought you’d fallen asleep in there,” her grandpa said from where he was kicked back in his recliner watching TV.

  “Nah, just doing a little job hunting.”

  “Any luck?” Alice asked.

  “Not yet. But tomorrow’s another day.”

  Alice nodded. “Be careful on your walk.”

  “I will.” Though she knew crime could happen anywhere, she was more likely to be attacked by a gull than a knife-wielding crazy man.

  She leisurely strolled up the beach, letting the sound of the waves washing up on shore soothe her. This was the first time she could remember not having a next step in place, and she didn’t know quite how to handle it. Add in the extra pressure of hoping the remodel of the motel would turn her grandparents’ financial future around, and she suddenly needed a cupcake. She took the next wooden walkway over the dunes and made her way to the sidewalk that ran down Gulfview Avenue, the main thoroughfare running through Starfish Shores. When she made the turn onto Main Street and saw the lighted sign for Top Tier, she literally salivated and fought the urge to run toward the bakery as if it were an oasis in the desert.

  When she stepped inside, the decadent scents of baked goods welcomed her like an old friend. And she realized she was actually a little chilled. Chasing her cupcake with a cup of coffee sounded like a good idea.

  A teenage girl stepped up behind the large, glass-fronted display case. “Can I help you?”

  Avery eyed the vast array of offerings. “I’ll take a pineapple cupcake and a large, black coffee.”

  After paying for her purchases, Avery turned toward the door to leave.

  “Avery?”

  She turned toward the sound of her name and saw LeeLee Kern sitting at one of the small tables with books spread out in front of her.

  “I thought that was you.” LeeLee stood and hurried toward Avery then wrapped her in a one-sided hug since Avery’s hands were full. “You here visiting your grandparents?”

  “Yeah, home for the holidays.” She shot a glance at the books.

  LeeLee noticed. “Would you believe I’m back in school?”

  No, in a word. LeeLee was sweet, had been one of Avery’s good friends in high school, but she wasn’t the world’s most natural student.

  LeeLee smiled and gave a little wave with her hand as if she knew exactly what Avery was thinking. “Come, sit. I’d love to catch up.”

  Since she didn’t have a burning need to get back to the house quite yet, Avery followed LeeLee to her table and waited until her friend cleared the papers and books out of the way. LeeLee stacked the thick textbooks on the edge of the table then tapped the top one.

  “Trying to get gen ed classes out of the way first. The goal is to get a business degree while I try to figure out what I want to do with my life. Kind of sad to be just now getting to that, huh?”

  Avery shrugged. “Better than never.”

  “I envy you, how you always knew what you wanted and went for it.”

  As Avery remembered it, LeeLee had known what she wanted too, and his name was Brandon Kern, her husband.

  LeeLee gestured toward the bakery’s kitchen. “I got hired here and Brenda is teaching me everything she’s learned from working here about how a business is run.”

  “You want to operate a bakery?”

  “I have no idea. I’m hoping I’ll figure it out as I work my way through school. I just know I want something where I’m in control of whether I fail or succeed.”

  Avery had to admit that sounded nice. Maybe she would try to drum up some freelance writing gigs, at least until she landed a new job.

  When LeeLee reached for her soda, Avery noticed she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. After taking a drink, LeeLee flattened her hand atop the table.

  “You did right going after your career before you got tied down.”

  “You’re not with Brandon anymore?”

  “You hadn’t heard? Lord, I thought everyone knew.” She leaned back in her chair. “Brandon went on a business trip to Vegas, got so schnockered in the hotel bar that he ended up sleeping with someone.”

  Wow. While Avery had never thought of LeeLee and Brandon as a grand love story, she hadn’t expected this. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Oh, that’s not even the wildest part. He ended up at one of those little all-night wedding chapels, and he dang near got married to her. He finally sobered up enough to remember he was already married right before the ceremony started.” LeeLee laughed a little. “The absolute best part is that the woman he slept with socked him one when she found out he was married. So he came home with a black eye and had to admit it was a woman who’d given it to him. They say karma’s a bitch, but I kind of think she rocks.”

  Avery couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her before she managed to cover her mouth. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Once I finally stopped crying, I had a good laugh about it. Served the bastard right. I just wish she’d damaged his boy parts while she was at it.”

  Avery snickered again, which caused LeeLee to laugh, too.

  “I must say you’ve got a good attitude about the whole thing. I might have tossed him off the bridge into the waterway.”

  “Don’t think it didn’t cross my mind, but he wasn’t worth it. Plus, I will give credit where credit is due. He’s a good dad to Katie.”

  “He’s still here?”

  “No, he lives in Pensacola now. He has Katie one weekend a month. And I still get a perverse sense of pleasure out of the guilt he feels every time he sees me.” LeeLee made a flicking motion with her fingers. “But enough about me. What’s up with you? Seeing anyone?”

  Avery laughed. “You just told me about your philandering ex and now you get a sparkle in your eyes when you ask if I’m seeing anyone?”

  “What? Not every man out there is a putz.”

  Avery shook her head. “No, not seeing anyone. And if I had been, it
would likely be over now just like my job.”

  LeeLee wrinkled her forehead.

  “The magazine I worked at folded, and I’m currently unemployed.”

  “Oh, no. What are you going to do?”

  “Look for another job. But for now, I’m going to stay with Grandma and Grandpa through the holidays, help them fix up the motel a little.”

  “That’s good. I worry about them sometimes.”

  A twinge of guilt hit Avery, even though she knew LeeLee wasn’t being accusatory. “They seem to be doing well.”

  “For their age, they do get on well. It’s just, I don’t know, they seem to be slowing down. When we were young, it was sometimes hard to believe they were your grandparents. They were so full of energy and life. I think I realized just how old they were getting when your grandma dropped out of the garden club.”

  “She did?” Her grandmother had always been really proud of the landscaping she did around her house and the motel.

  LeeLee winced. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “No, it’s okay.” Avery had deliberately ignored the fact that her grandparents were aging because that meant facing the fact that she would eventually lose them. She couldn’t imagine her life without them. Maybe she should concentrate her job search on cities close enough to Starfish Shores that she could come home more often.

  “So, you said you’re working on the motel. What are you doing?”

  “Playing up the nostalgic feel of the ‘50s and ‘60s. New paint, a few vintage items of décor, and Luke’s putting in a soda fountain where the breakfast room is now.”

  “Luke Taylor?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I swear, I think that boy found a genie in a bottle because he grew up fine.”

  Avery ignored the mention of just how hot Luke was now. Maybe if she didn’t think about it, her infatuation would go away. “I was surprised to find him still here and working in construction.”

  “I know, right? I feel like I seriously missed something.”

  “I guess maybe we all end up different places than we think we will when we’re sixteen.”

  “Yeah, maybe you’ll decide Starfish Shores isn’t so bad after all.”

  “I never thought it was bad, just...limited.”

  “Well, you’ll at least have some nice eye candy while you’re here. Maybe I should come keep you company.”

  “It’s no big deal. I’m sure Luke doesn’t need me standing over him making sure he does a good job.”

  “Maybe not, but it could be fun.”

  “LeeLee,” Avery said with a shake of her head.

  “What? I’m not the only one who was thinking it. I saw how your cheeks reddened when I mentioned him.”

  “I think all this studying has turned your brain to mush.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  During her walk back home, Avery realized that LeeLee was right. Ever since she’d set eyes on the new and improved Luke Taylor, she hadn’t been able to go more than a few minutes without thinking about him. Okay, thinking was too mild a term. Fantasizing was more appropriate, not that she was going to admit that to anyone. Because no matter how smoking hot Luke might be now, she wasn’t staying. And she wasn’t the casual hookup type.

  At least that’s what she told herself. Her body was doing its best to change her mind.

  * * *

  The next morning, Avery could barely eat her breakfast because of the butterflies in her stomach. Geez, this was ridiculous. She’d known Luke for years. Granted, they hadn’t talked in a long time, and he hadn’t made her want to lick him like an ice cream cone last time.

  Before she could telegraph her feelings to her grandmother, Avery nabbed a piece of toast slathered in apple butter and headed over to the motel. Even though it wasn’t quite eight o’clock, Luke was already inside prepping the main lobby area for its new paint job.

  “Morning,” he said when he glanced up.

  “Good morning.” Damn, even his voice was sexy now. It, like the rest of him, had grown up, deepened. “Can I help with anything?”

  “You know that estimate I gave you yesterday?”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re upping it.”

  “No, but I might be able to shave some off of it.”

  She took a step toward him and propped her hand on the back of one of the chairs facing the TV. “How so?”

  “Well, it depends on how you feel about being my assistant.”

  Avery’s heart kicked extra hard against her chest. Work next to Luke every day? That was a recipe for disaster because she didn’t trust herself to not get caught ogling him. Seriously, it should be a sin, at least a crime, for a man to look that good without even trying.

  But if it saved her grandparents some money and got the job done quicker, how could she say no?

  “What do you need me to do?”

  Luke smiled. He really needed to stop doing that.

  After he removed all the molding from around the walls, he showed her how to put down painter’s tape while he moved all the furniture into the storage room behind the office.

  “What color do you want the walls?”

  Avery jumped at the nearness of Luke’s voice.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “It’s okay. Guess I was somewhere else.” Like wondering what Luke was hiding underneath that dark green T-shirt.

  “Working with me is that exciting, huh?”

  He had no idea.

  “Are you kidding? This is exactly how I imagined spending my Christmas vacation.”

  Not even close.

  “I know it’s probably not as exciting as writing about the homes of the wealthy, but I hear picking out paint colors has its perks.”

  He knew what she did? Well, that shouldn’t be a surprise. This was Starfish Shores after all, where you knew your neighbors and what they were doing. While that could have a downside, it had advantages, too. When she wasn’t here, at least there were people around who could help her grandparents if necessary.

  But it should be her.

  She shook off that thought. They understood why she couldn’t stay here, not and make it in her chosen field. They’d encouraged her to follow her dreams.

  But then she remembered the look of pure joy on her grandmother’s face when she’d come outside to welcome her home.

  “Avery?”

  This time when she met Luke’s eyes, those pretty blue-green eyes, they held concern. Instead of answering his unasked question, she handed him the remainder of the roll of tape.

  “I’ll go pick out some paint. How many gallons do you need?”

  “You can ride with me. I need to get some lumber for the soda counter anyway.”

  She couldn’t think of a non-obvious way to refuse, so she allowed him to open the door for her and accompanied him to his truck.

  “So how’s life in Atlanta?”

  “It was going pretty well right up until I lost my job last week.”

  He glanced across the truck’s cab as he drove them out of the lot and pointed them toward Gulf Shores and the home improvement store. “What happened?”

  “They closed down the magazine.”

  “Ouch. That sucks. So you’re in the market for a new job.”

  “Yep. Merry Christmas to me.”

  “If you do a good job, maybe I’ll hire you as my assistant.”

  “Ha ha.” She glanced over at him just as he grinned at her. That grin probably got him any girl he wanted. And, wow, didn’t that thought put her in a good mood. Not.

  “Atlanta’s a big city. You’ll find something else.”

  “I don’t think I’ll be back in Atlanta. As soon as I found out about the magazine closing, I put out a lot of feelers and there are no job openings in my field. Who knows? I could end up in Hong Kong.”

  “You wouldn’t really go that far, would you?”

  “It’s a shrinking market, so I have no idea.”

  He looked like
he wanted to say something else but didn’t. And she didn’t ask him because she was afraid it might have something to do with her grandparents, and nothing to do with him desperately wanting her to stay for him.

  Geez, she’d swear she’d been smelling too many paint fumes except they hadn’t even bought the paint yet.

  “What about you? I would have pegged you as finding the cure for cancer before I would have running a construction business.”

  “That’s a bit too much pressure, don’t you think?”

  “Okay, so maybe cataloging new species in some far-flung land. Or working on the International Space Station.”

  “Just because I did well in school didn’t mean I was destined for a brainiac field. The simple truth is that I had a lot of upper-level credits by the time I got to the last semester of our senior year and I coasted with easy classes. I took shop and was surprised by how much I liked it.”

  “Mr. Carmichael is responsible for your change in life path? I’m not sure whether I should laugh or cry.”

  Luke laughed a little under his breath. “He’s a good guy. And smarter than anyone gave him credit for. You should see the retirement house he built over on the waterway. It’s a work of art.”

  “What did your parents think of your choice?” After all, his dad was a doctor and his mom was an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.

  “They didn’t understand at first, but they eventually saw how much I liked what I was doing. I even built them a cabin up in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. They go up a couple of times a year along with my aunts and uncles. It’s centrally located for all of them.”

  “That sounds nice. I’ve seen some gorgeous places up there.”

  The conversation lulled a couple of miles before they reached the store, so Avery was glad when he went off to the lumber section and left her to look at paint colors. She ran over all the design ideas in her mind as she considered and discarded color combinations. Finally, she settled on a pale blue with white trim for the lobby and a classic red combined with white for the soda fountain room. It wasn’t until she was standing at the paint counter waiting for the paint mixer to finish its job that she realized why the blue appealed to her so much.