by Brooke Page
She studied the card then puckered her lips in my direction. “It’s for his love interest.”
My forehead scrunched in confusion and worry. Both Colt and Marcy laughed. “It’s got your name on it, silly.” She swatted me with the card on the head and handed it to me. My cheeks flushed and warmth spread throughout my body.
Marcy laughed her way to Colt, wrapping her arms around him. “Did you really think it was from someone else? Lo, I’m pretty sure Vance is crazy about you.”
Colt kissed the top of her head and pulled her into the store. “Let’s let her open her gift in private.” They both snickered, and my nerves kicked in. What could Vance have possibly given me?
Even though I was uncertain, it made my heart happy he went to the trouble of leaving me something before his unexpected business trip to California. Slipping my finger in the crease of the wrapping paper, I ripped it open, pulling the top with both hands of the big box.
My eyes widened with the plethora of goodies and little notes. It was filled with all kinds of things, tickets to attractions and concerts, gift cards to restaurants and stores. He literally filled a box full of things for me to do besides man the surf shop and sit on the beach.
The best part of the box was the leather bracelet that had seashells on either side of a metal bead saying, Trust the sea.
Wear this and think of me was written on the piece of paper it was folded around. I instantly wrapped the leather around my wrist and attached the clasp. I couldn’t stop looking at it.
Taking my phone from my back pocket, I needed to thank Vance for the incredible thought he put into this for me.
But the phone only rang and rang, and when his voicemail picked up, I figured he was already busy at the expo. I snapped a picture of my bracelet covered wrist, putting it into a text message for him to open when he had a chance.
Thank you. For everything.
Those simple four words meant so much more.
Chapter Five
Lauren
“If I spend another day holed up in this shop, I’m going to go insane!” Marcy grumbled, tossing a hanger in a box. “I say you and I skip and go hang out on the beach.”
I laughed. We’d been here every day since Vance had left for California. “I’d feel bad leaving Colt here all by himself. It’s been pretty busy.” Colt was currently helping a new customer who had never surfed before. The guy had been firing off questions left and right when he first came in, and I was of no help. Poor Colt, Marcy and I were only good at sorting and helping with inventory, not with knowledge.
“He can handle it,” she waved. “Besides, we haven’t had any girl time. Colt is great and all, but he’s been really clingy.”
I laughed. “Since when do you complain about a guy wanting to spend time with you?”
She watched him animatedly explaining surfing strategies with the customer, a grin forming on her lips. “You must be sick of us,” she sighed. “Especially with Vance being gone. When’s he coming home, anyway?”
My smile slipped into a frown. “I’m not sure. He hasn’t been very responsive.” I’d gotten a few text messages the past six days, and although I had only called him twice, he didn’t return either call and texted he was busy and would talk to me later.
No “I miss you.”
No “I’m thinking of you.”
No sign our feelings for each other were mutual. I was leery to give him my heart, but I couldn’t choose to feel a certain way.
It sucked. Big time.
She dropped the box of hangers on the ground next to the register, reaching underneath the desk for her purse. “Well screw him, and screw Colt. We’re going to ditch out and go across the street to the beach.”
“I don’t have a bathing suit.”
Marcy rolled her eyes then stomped toward a rack filled with bikini’s, yanking a yellow one from the middle. “Here. Go change.”
“I can’t just take one,” I hushed, refusing to grab the bathing suit from her hands.
She shook her wrist with the bikini furiously. “I’ll pay for it now. Go! Use Vance’s office.”
I looked down at my watch. “Marcy, we’ve only got a few more hours.”
Her eyes bugged out. “I need the sun. Please, put on the teeny bikini, then we can sneak out the back and catch some rays. I’ll take a sexy photo of you and send it to Vance. I bet he’ll respond to that.” She winked, tossing me the fabric, then lifted her tank top up to reveal she was already prepared to escape to the beach.
Taking a deep breath, I went into Vance’s office to change. The suit was tiny, only a few scraps of fabric barely covering all of my privates. Half my ass was hanging out of the sheen material. I huffed, pulling my shorts over it along with my tank top. Maybe I’d sit in my clothes.
Marcy yanked on my arm the moment I stepped out of his office. I yelped, but she shushed me, tugging me along to the back door, the towels over her shoulder whipping from our speed.
“We had to leave without Colt noticing. He’s been so weird lately.” She huffed as we practically leapt down the steps. “I swear, it’s like he can’t let either one of us pee without being two feet away.”
Looking both ways, we ran across the road, tossing our flip-flops off once we hit the sand.
“He does seem a bit paranoid. I hope everything is okay.”
She shot her eyes to the sky. “I’m independent. He needs to realize I don’t like to be coddled.”
“Honeymoon phase over?”
She sighed throwing a towel down, closing her eyes and lying on top of it over the sand. “No, he never wants to sneak off with me. We haven’t done anything physical since the night Vance left.”
I frowned, spreading out the other towel and taking a seat next to her. “That’s probably my fault. I’m always the third wheel. Why don’t you and him go out just the two of you tonight?”
She turned to me. “You’re not the third wheel! I don’t want you to sit at YaYa’s all by yourself.”
My hand was buried in the sand, the coolness feeling amazing on my skin. “I don’t mind being by myself. I’ll play cards with YaYa, watch a movie, or go to sleep. We’ve been staying out pretty late the past few nights.”
She shook her head. “No, once Vance comes home, we’ll do separate date nights, but for now, it’s either you and me, or all three of us. To be honest, I could use a night away from Colt. Especially if he isn’t going to make a move.”
I smiled at my friend. She had an odd way of showing I came first. “Tell you what, we can stay in tonight, and I’ll conveniently go to bed early, leaving you and Colt the living room couch all to yourselves, or you can sneak off to the beach if you’re worried about YaYa waking up and walking in on the two of you.”
Her eyes widened and a broad grin formed on her mouth. “Only if you really don’t mind.” Her phone buzzed, her brightening mood being washed away. She groaned and moved her thumbs at a lightning speed, then tossed her phone in the sand.
“Colt?” I assumed.
She shimmied out of her shorts and got comfortable. “Yep. I told him we’d be back in a little while. He’s a big boy and can handle the shop on his own.”
I laughed, resituating to enjoy the sun.
Marcy put her hand to her forehead to cover the sun when she turned to look at me. “Aren’t you going take off your clothes? Your bathing suit looks super cute.”
“Nah, I’m good. It’s hardly a bathing suit. My ass hangs out of it.”
She smirked. “It’s designed so your ass can get some color. Come on, no one is around.”
I gave in, wiggling out of my shorts and tossing my tank top, lying on my stomach and letting it all hang out. Marcy was right, the beach was ghostly, and surfers didn’t normally come out this way at this time of the day. Didn’t stop me from constantly tugging on the fabric to pull it out of my ass crack.
Marcy laughed at me, and soon we both fell quiet, dozing off in the delicious southern beach sun.
*
**
A large shadow cast over both Marcy and I, a firm voice startling me awake.
“What the fuck are you doing, Marcy?” Colt sneered, glaring down at the two of us.
I flipped to my back to hide my exposed skin, well aware my ass was on full display.
Marcy groaned in irritation. “Oh please, it’s been, what, an hour? You didn’t need us at the store.”
Colt yanked his sunglasses off, his blue eyes daggering into Marcy. “And you decided to leave without telling me?”
She didn’t budge from her spot on her towel, only keeping her eyes closed. Colt was seething, and I couldn’t look at him anymore. “We were going to come back in a few hours. I bet you didn’t even notice right away.”
“Of course I did! I went to send a guy to check out and the two of you were nowhere to be found.”
Guilt washed over me. “I’m sorry, you’re right, we never should have left.”
Marcy jolted upright. “No, don’t you let him give you the guilt trip. He’s used to being in the shop by himself.”
Colt narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t drag down your responsible friend.”
Marcy’s jaw hung open and she flew to her feet, shoving a finger against Colts pec. His eyes widened in shock. “Don’t be an asshole. Lauren doesn’t have to work at that stupid shop. She’s only doing it for Vance. Not YOU.”
Taking a few steps back, he held his hands to the side. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Can we please go back to the store?”
She crossed her arms and tilted her chin. “No. I don’t want to go anywhere with you right now.”
Colt’s shoulders sagged. “Marcy come on, I was only worried about the two of you. You both disappeared. I only had a head’s up because Lauren sent Vance a photo.”
My brows furrowed. “I what?”
Marcy grinned. “I may have borrowed your phone and snapped a few pictures.”
My eyes bugged out of my head, scrambling to find my phone. I opened up the text trail, mortified with what she sent him.
“Marcy! That’s my ass!”
She snickered. “He responded right away.”
My eyes were glued to my phone.
Wish you were here :-)
Vance: Where’s here?
The beach. Don’t you like my photo?
Vance: Yes, but where are you?
Colt’s eyes were softer, yet still stormy. “Vance doesn’t like it when you’re vague, either.”
I glared at Marcy. “Neither do I.”
I quickly typed on my phone while Marcy and Colt bickered.
Hey- sorry. That was Marcy. We’re at the beach across from the Surf Shop. I didn’t know she took the photo. Not a fan of this swimsuit.
Vance: Ok.
I waited for more of a response, but nothing came through. Not even the three dots acknowledging he was in the midst of typing. My heart fell. Not only had he been barely talking to me, but now he seemed upset.
Was he mad I left the shop? Annoyed I was wearing a bathing suit that revealed a good portion of my butt out in the open for other guys to see? Part of me hoped it bothered him. I’ve never had anyone be protective of me, and why would he call Colt instead of responding to me?
I wanted to call him, but at the same time, I didn’t want to come across as needy and desperate.
“Come on, let me buy you both dinner and we can forget about this,” Colt pleaded with Marcy, chasing her down to the water. He looked over his shoulder as if to ask for help. I only held up my hands in defeat. Marcy wasn’t one to barter with when she was upset. His best bet would be to leave her be.
I sat down on the towel, still debating if I should text Vance back. Then my heart began to pump faster when the three dots appeared, followed by a text from him.
Vance: Is Colt with you?
I frowned.
Yes. He just got here.
Vance: Good.
It was sweet of him to have Colt take us to do all of these fun things at his expense, but I wanted to make the memories with Vance, not with Colt. Plus, Marcy was hell on wheels right now. I’d doubt she’d be willing to go anywhere with Colt. He was going to have to kiss some serious ass in order for her to want to touch him with a ten foot pole.
I wish it were you.
No response.
I stared at my phone, willing it to chirp, vibrate, do something to acknowledge he saw my sappy text, but nothing came through. Yanking on my clothes and grabbing both towels, I headed back to the surf shop, leaving Colt and Marcy to hash out their issues on their own.
It was a touch after five, and typically the shop stayed open until six. I’d re-open it for a bit, since Marcy and I took up Colt’s time. Not to mention a car was in the parking lot with people waiting inside.
I ran across the street and took the steps two by two to the back, eager to flip the sign and open the doors back up for the customers waiting outside.
I weaved through the shop and opened up, waving to the car, letting them know we were open. I busied myself with stocking inventory, wanting to keep the shelves filled so we would have less to do tomorrow.
The front door chimed open and I lifted my head from the pile of t-shirts.
“Hi!” I greeted. My grin faltered some when I recognized who it was.
A shark like smile formed on his lips. He was dressed in a sharply pressed gray suit, his salt and peppered hair styled to the side. Taking four long strides, he was standing directly in front of me, slowly removing his sunglasses to reveal a pair of sea-green eyes, eyes matching the ones who had hypnotized me the past few weeks. Eyes identical to the man I would do anything for.
“Hi,” he smiled, putting his sunglasses in his jacket pocket. “Nice to see you again, Lauren.”
I licked my dry lips and tucked my hair behind my ear. “You too.”
His gaze wondered around the shop then found me again. “You all by yourself?”
“Yep.” I skated around the counter, grabbing a box of unpriced keychains.
His grin flattened. “Vance knows better than to leave someone alone in the shop, especially a beautiful girl like yourself.”
I blushed, focusing my attention on the keychains. His compliment rubbed me the wrong way. “Colt’s out at the beach. He’ll be back soon.” I didn’t want Vance to get in trouble with his dad. Deciding to come back to the shop on my own was my idea.
He paced around the shop, his hands on his hips as he took in his surroundings. “Still isn’t acceptable. Vance knows this town isn’t safe.” He made his way to the other side of the counter, staring at me until my head tipped upward to meet his gaze. “I’m sure he’s warned you.”
I fidgeted in place. “He doesn’t like when I go out on the beach by myself.”
“You shouldn’t go anywhere by yourself. You’re a beautiful girl.”
I couldn’t meet his gaze. I didn’t like the gleam in his eye. It’s amazing how some things can look so similar but give an opposite intuition.
He chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
My smile found the ground. “It’s easy to do.”
“Let me start over. Have you enjoyed working here for Vance?”
My head lifted and I smiled. “Yeah, it’s been great. Keeps me busy, and the extra money is nice.”
Marcus grinned. “I’m glad it’s working out for you. Maybe you’d like an advancement? I’ve thought about expanding, opening up another shop a few towns down.”
My eyes widened. “Oh, I’m not sure I’d be good at that.”
Marcus’s brows furrowed. “Why? Vance raves about how well you work.”
My heart raced at the mention of his name. “He does?”
Marcus’s lip twitched upward. “He does. He’s talks about you a lot.”
Goose bumps ran along my arms, and I rubbed them, hugging myself to contain how wonderful it made me feel.
He rested his elbows on the counter, a broad smile on his face. He
seemed genuine, not the asshole Vance claimed for him to be, but I still had a funny feeling about him. His cheeks went taut with his grin, and the gleam in his eye mimicked Vance’s. He really did look like his father. Pin pointing their similarities made me miss him more. “Why don’t we go grab something to eat and talk about your future with my company?”
My hands squeezed my biceps. I was caught off guard by his invitation. Even though Marcus was pleasant, I was hesitant. Vance couldn’t stand his father, and deep down, a voice was whispering, telling me to stay put and not go with him.
Marcus stood tall, putting his hands back on his hips. He was still smiling sweetly, waiting for me to respond. Nothing about him was intimidating, and what did I really have to lose? Marcy and Colt needed some alone time to figure out their issues, and it couldn’t take more than an hour or so.
I had no clue what I was doing with my life. Maybe working more permanently for Vance’s father would be something to explore. Maybe he’d make an offer where I could support myself and my mother in a brand new environment. A place where she wouldn’t know drug dealers or need to sleep with men for money. I could finally take care of her and give her the help she needed. This might be my only chance to save her, and my only way to do it in a completely different state.
I looked toward the back door through the storage room. “I’m sure Colt and Marcy will be here any minute. I’ll ask them if they don’t mind me taking off.”
The white of Marcus’s pearly teeth flashed across his face. “You can close up shop early. It’s the middle of the week.” He threw his hand to the side. “No one’s here, and I doubt anyone will come within the next forty minutes.”
I bit my lip. “Okay, if you really don’t mind.”
He winked. “Not at all. I’ll even pay you.”
“You don’t have to pay me. Let me grab my stuff and take care of the drawer.”
“Colt can handle it when he gets back. We’ll lock up and all will be good. Do you like seafood?”
“Sure. I’m good with whatever.”
I made my way into Vance’s office to get my purse, pulling my phone from my back pocket to see if Vance had responded to my text. I frowned, pushing away any negative thoughts about why he wasn’t answering me. Should I tell him I’m going to get something to eat with his dad? Surely, he’d be upset, but he wasn’t exactly communicating with me, so why should I feel the need to let him know what I’m doing?
