by KB Winters
Back at the house, I lounged on the couch, finally cracking the cover on the dog training book I’d purchased after realizing how much of a handful it was to own a puppy, while Hunter slept on the floor beside me. I read a few chapters, making notes in the margins every few sentences. When Hunter was asleep, and not pulverizing the house, it was easy to imagine training him. The fantasy land version of our training sessions went smoothly, and I welled up with excitement, suckered into thinking I’d finally be able to leave my closet open during the day and not end up with a pile of shreds that used to be my shoe collection.
I made it through the middle of chapter three, before my hand felt heavy, unable to hold up the book anymore. I rested it against my chest and dozed in and out of sleep until my phone started to ring, jarring me wide awake.
I clutched the phone before its buzzing could carry it off the edge of the couch and hit Hunter in the head. “Hello?” I asked, my eyes closed.
“Hey, Holly!”
It was Rachel. “Hey!” I pushed myself upright, more awake at the chipper sound of her voice. We had exchanged a few text messages since my arrival, but I hadn’t been able to catch her on the phone both nights when I’d tried to call.
“Hey girl, sorry I keep missing your calls. How’s everything going? Has little Huntey chewed his way out of the cottage yet?” She asked, giggling.
I rolled my eyes. “Not yet, but I assure you, he’s made enough messes, that I’ve been ready to throw his chubby butt out!”
“Oh no.”
“Don’t worry. He’s safe for now.”
Rachel laughed. “Good. I can’t wait to get out there and see you guys!”
“Me either.” I lay back down again, staring up at the ceiling fan that was lazily spinning in slow circles. “Apparently I’m not very good at this whole vacation thing.”
“I didn’t realize that was a life skill.” Rachel laughed and I could picture her eyes sparkling.
“I didn’t either,” I replied, my own tone flat and lifeless.
“What’s going on?” Rachel asked, her voice switching from entertained to concerned. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed, trying to figure out how to explain it to her. “I just don’t feel relaxed. Every minute seems like I’m worrying about what I should, or should not be doing, and I’m all alone, and while I thought some me-time, would be refreshing, after months of endless chatter, I actually kind of hate it.”
“I’m sorry, doll. I wish I could ditch work and come out there today!”
“I know, but Rach, how messed up am I? I can’t be alone?” I paused, chewing on my lip. “You’d think I’d be used to it,” I added with a hollow laugh.
“Holly…” Rachel’s tone was low and scolding. “Don’t talk like that. You’re not alone.”
“Yes I am,” I insisted, sitting up. I got off the couch and started pacing, like a lawyer addressing the jury, ready to make my case. “It’s been three years since everything went to shit with Kenny. Three years, Rach. And in that time, other than start my business, what have I done?”
Rachel sighed. “You can’t discredit yourself like that, Holls. You have a beautiful condo, loving friends, a thriving business, and, most importantly of all, you have a life free of that d-bag!”
I couldn’t argue that point.
While there were still some fragments of my heart that hadn’t fully been put back together again, deep down, I knew that a life without my lying, cheating ex-husband was for the best.
“You have me!” Rachel said. “And, don’t forget destructo-doggy.”
I laughed. “True.”
It felt good to smile, but my laughter died quickly.
“Do you think you want to start dating again? Maybe that’s what’s got you all restless?”
I sighed and sank back onto the couch. Hunter stirred at my feet and looked up at me, his eyes sleepy. There had been a piece of me that had questioned my motive for adopting Hunter in the first place. I had a sinking suspicion that getting a dog was really a band-aid fix to cover the gaping hole of loneliness I’d felt when Rachel moved out. I liked being independent, and on my own, but there were times when knocking around in that condo was too lonely and too quiet.
Kenny and I had gotten married at a very young age. I hadn’t gone through the so-called, normal, routine for growing up. I’d attended community college classes, but had never had the real college experience, complete with dorm living, crappy cafeteria food, and life on a college campus. And then, when Kenny joined the Marines, I’d been left alone for the first time and had gone through a similar experience. I hated the quiet house and ended up finding a new group of friends that wanted to go out to parties and drink, basically going through the normal twenty-one-year-old phase, but just a few years delayed. That phase lasted a couple of months, until Kenny returned from training, and we were forced to move across the country to live on a military base.
Then it had been Kenny’s turn to party.
And party.
And party.
I’d been left alone again, in a two-bedroom apartment, surrounded by people I didn’t know, and desperately missing home. I ended up living for the day we would get orders to move back to California, thinking that would save my sanity, and possibly my marriage. In reality, it ended up being the catalyst that ended it.
Replaying the timeline, I was reminded of how much time I’d spent alone. I should be used to it.
“I don’t know, Rach,” I replied, after my long, wandering pause. I blew out a long, frustrated sigh. “I forgot to tell you that you were right about Greg, that guy that lives next door.”
“He asked you out?” Rachel asked, sounding entirely too happy at the prospect.
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“I told him I was going to be out of town.”
Rachel paused, waiting for more. “And…?”
“And, that was it.”
Rachel sighed. “Oh, Holly.”
“I know, I know.”
“Well, when you get home, you can go say hi, and see if you can make a plan. What’s one date going to hurt?”
I tapped my foot against the floor. “I don’t know. What if it doesn’t go well? It’d be pretty awkward to see each other in the gym and the hall all the time.”
“Or…he could turn out to be the love of your life, and you guys could knock the wall down between your condos and have a massive, beautiful home, with lots of room for babies!”
“Oh my God…Rach…” I bit back a smile.
“What?”
“Not gonna happen. But, nice try.”
Rachel giggled. “Okay, well if not with Greg, then maybe you’ll meet some hottie on your vacay!”
Jack’s face flashed into my mind and I closed my eyes, wanting to hang onto the image. I knew I was in danger of obsessing over him, but meeting him had opened up a channel of introspection that I hadn’t quite followed through all the way to the end.
“Holly?”
I shook my head. “What? Sorry. I got distracted. Hunter…” I looked down at the sleeping puppy, trying to think of an excuse, “…was eating something.”
“Oh my God! You met someone!”
“What?” Hot panic flashed over my body as my stomach churned. “No, no.”
“Tell me, tell me!” Rachel begged.
I bit my lip, considering what I should tell her. She continued pleading with me until I spilled the whole story.
“Aww! It’s so cute, it’s like 101 Dalmatians! Your doggies brought you together.”
I slapped my free hand to my forehead. “Did you even hear the part about how he was with someone at the bar last night? Or, did you stop listening after the part with the dogs?”
Rachel giggled. “I heard you, but really, Holly, you don’t know they were together, together. Maybe they had just met and were flirting a little.”
I wrinkled my nose, conjuring up the image from the night before, of the girl wi
th the skirt that barely covered her ass, pawing Jack with her perfectly manicured hands. She was probably right, but I didn’t like to think of him flirting with another woman. “Ugh. This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t even care what he was doing, or who she was. I talked to him for all of three minutes, most of which were spent trying to figure out how to get away from him as quickly as possible. I think I have some kind of disorder…”
Rachel laughed again. “You don’t! You’re just a little rusty. Listen, if you see him again, just hang out, see where it goes. He noticed you at the bar, so obviously he’s been thinking about you too!”
“You think so?” My heart hammered at the suggestion.
“Definitely!”
“I feel like I’m back in high school or something. I’m a sweaty palmed, nervous laugh, terror stricken girl, when I should be a confident, kick ass, nonchalant, no-nonsense kind of woman, like I am at work.”
“Holly, think about it though, the last time you were dating, was in high school. You haven’t really gone out with anyone since the divorce. I think you’re over thinking things. Just be yourself and if it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”
I nodded, letting her suddenly sage sounding advice soak in. “Over thinking is kinda my specialty though.”
“Which, makes you a fantastic CPA, but this is life and love, honey. You can’t figure it out by looking at facts or spreadsheets.”
“You’re right,” I replied, my pulse steadying. I was about to ask her what she’d been up to, but over the phone, I heard the sound of a doorbell ringing.
“Oh, shoot! Hey, girl, I’m sorry to do this, but I gotta run. I actually have a little date of my own this afternoon! Jeff, from the office next door to the clinic, is taking me surfing.”
I smiled. “Have the best time and call me tomorrow, okay?”
“Will do. Remember, Holls, just breathe.”
“Got it.”
It all sounded perfectly reasonable in my head, and as I pushed off from the couch, I decided that the best thing I could do would be to get out of the house for the afternoon.
“Come on, Hunter! Time to go have some fun.”
Chapter Ten
Jack
“Come on, Player, don’t be such a pussy,” I taunted, staring Aaron down from across the dining room table. I’d woken up just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, and wandered downstairs to the kitchen to fuel up before hitting the beach for a run. I’d been surprised to find Aaron awake, at the dining room table, with his laptop and cup of coffee, and had spent the last ten minutes trying to talk him into joining Princess and me for our morning run.
“Not gonna happen, brother,” Aaron replied, not even bothering to look away from his computer screen. “The days of running endless miles just for kicks are long, long gone.”
I cut my losses and polished off the last bite of my steel cut oats. “All right, but don’t expect me to listen to your bitching when you get outta shape climbing the stairs.”
At that, he glanced up, and a slow, devious smile spread over his face. “Oh, don’t you worry about me. I get my cardio. I just prefer to do it in bed, with a stacked blonde.”
I laughed and set my bowl in the sink.
“Speaking of, you wanna go out again tonight? We could hit up Harvey’s again, or there’s a sports bar across town. We could go watch a game, shoot some pool, kick it.”
“Yeah, sure,” I agreed, before whistling for Princess. “We’re off. You working all day today?”
Aaron snapped his laptop closed and stood, stretching his arms over his head. “Yeah. We can’t all be lazy fuckers like you,” he teased.
“I’ll come out this afternoon and harass you.”
“All right man.” He grinned and took off, back through the living room. Seconds later, I heard his footsteps jogging up the stairs.
“Come on, girl,” I said, looking down at Princess. She knew what time it was, and although the excitement was gleaming in her eyes, she sat patiently by the door, waiting for me. “Maybe we’ll stop by that coffee shop after we’re done…”
I was used to my early morning workout, and didn’t usually find it hard to get out of bed and dive headfirst into a run, but since I’d seen Holly at the coffee shop, there was an extra level to my motivation. Since Aaron didn’t know her, I knew the odds were good that she was visiting, and not a resident of Holiday Cove, but I had no idea how long she’d be in town.
All I knew was that I wanted to see her again.
Within minutes, I’d made my way down the steep trail that led to the beach, from the heights of the Rosen property. I jogged in place, my sneakers kicking up sand, to get warmed up, and then set off at a brisk pace down the beach, sticking close to where the tide was rolling out, to get more traction on the sand. Music piped in through my headphones, and despite my protesting muscles, I quickly settled into a steady pace.
When I figured I’d gone about a mile and half from Rosen’s, I started scanning to the left, studying the silhouettes of the different businesses and houses that were wedged up against the shore. Although I had visited Holiday Cove on multiple occasions, I wasn’t as familiar with it as to remember exactly where the coffee shop had been. I was beginning to wonder if I’d passed it, when all of a sudden, the patio came into view.
I slowed my pace to glance through the small crowd of people seated at the bistro tables. The first time I’d seen Holly, she’d been sitting alone, and it was impossible to miss her. But, with the crowd of people sitting outside, it was almost impossible to see if she was there.
Princess hadn’t slowed down, and was racing farther and farther ahead of me. I tore my eyes from the patio and kicked into the next gear, easily catching up to her with a hundred-yard sprint that left my leg muscles screaming and my lungs heaving. I trotted to a stop and caught my breath, walking to the edge of the water.
What was I expecting? Even if Holly had been sitting outside, what difference would it have made? It was fairly obvious from her body language and actions that she wasn’t interested in me. Hell, for all I knew, she could have been married.
Why did it matter?
I sucked in the brisk, salty air as my pulse and breathing returned to normal, before starting back towards the bluff. I took it easy on the run home, and shifted my attention away from the mysterious woman that had captivated my interest, and forced myself to focus on my plan for the day instead.
After grabbing a shower and a change of clothes, I checked in with Aaron to see if he needed anything from the local market. He was busy with a group of tourists who had a slippery grasp on the English language, and waved me off. I loaded Princess into the car and drove down the road, dipping back into the small town, and parked on the street half a block from the market.
“Stay here, girl.” The top was still down on the car, leaving Princess free to jump out if she wanted, but I trusted her not to.
I grabbed a few things from the market, and after checking out, peeled back the wrapper of a protein bar on my way back to the car and started snacking. When I got to the car, it was empty.
“What the…” I spun in a circle, frantically scanning the street for any sign of Princess. I lowered the bag of groceries onto the passenger seat before starting back down the sidewalk, towards the front of the store, when I heard a familiar bark that flooded me with relief.
Princess was sitting on a wooden bench in front of the shop next door.
“Oh boy…” I muttered, noticing her companion.
A six month old, chubby, chocolate lab puppy that belonged to a certain mystery woman.
“Hunter!”
I turned at the frantic cry, and smiled widely at Holly’s approach. Her eyes were trained on Hunter, but when they slid from her rascal of a pup and met mine, they went wide with alarm, before darting back to Hunter and Princess, as though she’d only just realizing her dog had found mine.
“Hey there,” I greeted her. She was panting and windblown again, just like the first time we�
�d met. My eyes wandered down her body, admiring the way her pink tank top was sticking to her skin that glistened with a thin layer of perspiration after her run.
“Hi,” she replied, her voice clipped. She pushed back her thick, blonde hair and twirled the strands together into a side ponytail, keeping it grasped between her fingertips. “Jack? Right?”
“That’s right, Holly.” Her eyes drifted back to the dogs, who were sitting side by side, like old friends. “I don’t get it. You have some kind of magical spell on him or something. He’s never this calm.”
I laughed and walked over to the dogs. Princess didn’t make a move to come over to me, she was perfectly content to sit with Hunter. “It’s not me. It’s all Princess.”
“Whew,” Holly blew out a puff of air, still catching her breath. She looked up and down the street. It wasn’t busy, but there were cars coming and going every few minutes. “God, he could have gotten hurt…You probably think I’m like the worst dog owner ever.”
I tore my eyes away from admiring her toned arms and perky tits and shook my head. “No, not at all.”
She gave me a skeptical look.
I held up my hands, palms facing her and laughed. “I swear. Trust me, Princess wasn’t always this well behaved. In fact, she was supposed to be waiting for me in the car. Not over here. So, believe me, I get it. I’m just glad they’re both all right.”
Holly nodded. “I stopped to look at the window for the jewelry store back there,” she explained, pointing over her shoulder. “He spotted something and tore off like a bat outta hell.”
I laughed. “Probably saw her. He seems to have a little crush.”
Holly smiled at Princess and the way Hunter kept glancing up at her, as though he were posed, waiting for her approval. “I guess so. I kinda hate to break them up.”
