by Jean Oram
He’d given his notice, and now he was a free man. If “free” meant living with his mom at twenty-five while all his old buddies were either married with kids or out of state.
Canyon tapped the steering wheel. Where would he find a job in Indigo Bay?
Chapter 3
Maggie spread out the beach towel, lounged on top of it, and closed her eyes. The warmth of the sun’s rays relaxed her. She needed it after Aunt Lucille had just about set up a date for her and Emilio for Saturday afternoon.
Maggie had made up an excuse about having a hair appointment at that time. Now she had to schedule an appointment she didn’t need. Maybe she could get some highlights or a trim.
But that was only a Band-Aid for a much bigger problem. Auntie would just keep trying to set Maggie up, thinking that would solve all her problems. There was no convincing her that she was just making it worse for Maggie. The woman was certain marriage would fix everything.
It wouldn’t. Maggie’s failed engagement was proof of that. In fact, it was those painful memories that kept her fighting to stay single. That was what would bring the least amount of pain. She had nothing to offer a husband anyway. Once a man found out her secret, they would run screaming like Dan had.
If only she could find a job she liked. She’d gotten a business degree because she was going to help run Dan’s business.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Getting a degree for a man.
Maggie didn’t want to be in business. She’d only wanted to spend more time with Dan. It would’ve been perfect, if she wasn’t flawed.
Now she needed to figure out what she loved. All she’d done so far was find more things she didn’t want to do. She’d worked as a lifeguard at the beach, taught at the preschool, volunteered at the Manor, and worked at Happy Paws pet shop.
That didn’t leave many options. Indigo Bay was always busy in the spring and summer, and seasonal jobs tended to fill early. It was no longer early, and there wasn’t a single ‘now hiring’ sign in any business. She’d looked.
Maggie shoved all thoughts from her mind and focused on the waves crashing against the shore. Kids giggled and shrieked in the distance at the musical sounds of an ice cream truck. Thumps and grunts sounded from a nearby volleyball match. The sun’s rays grew warmer, almost massaging her.
It was like a slice of Heaven. A small escape from everything.
Laughter sounded, and conversation grew closer.
“Maggie?”
So much for her escape from reality. Maggie sat up and opened her eyes. As they adjusted, she recognized three of her friends.
“Mind if we sit with you?” Courtney asked. Her bulging belly made it hard to say no.
“Of course not.” Maggie flashed her friends a welcoming grin.
The three women all dropped their bags and spread out towels. Courtney dug an umbrella into the sand and sat halfway in its shade. Isabella made a show of doing everything with her left hand to show off the boulder that was her new engagement ring. Laura did everything one-handed as she kept the other hand on the baby strapped to her. She too stuck a large umbrella into the ground.
Maggie made small talk with them as they settled in. She was grateful for the distraction of small-town gossip, even if it would only take her mind off everything momentarily.
Isabella rolled onto her back and held up her left hand, staring at the ring. “Did you guys hear that Canyon Leblanc is in town?”
“Really?” Courtney gasped. “He’s actually visiting his poor mom?”
“I heard he’s here to stay,” Laura said.
Everyone looked at Maggie.
“Do you know?” Isabella asked.
“He’s looking for work.”
“I knew you’d know.” Isabella smiled. “Temporary or full-time?”
“I’m not sure.”
Courtney rolled onto her side and rested her hand on her belly. “I heard he turned into a womanizer while he was away. Wasn’t he working on a cruise boat?”
Maggie shrugged and shifted her weight uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t know. I lost track of him. Haven’t spoken since high school.”
“But you know he’s looking for work.” Laura arched a brow and unwrapped the now-fussing baby from her sling.
“I ran into him at Figaro’s for a moment. That’s all. Aside from that, we haven’t seen each other in years.”
“Did Miss Lucille try setting you up with him?” Courtney asked.
The three giggled.
Maggie didn’t. She shook her head.
Isabella closed her eyes. “It’s only a matter of time.”
Laura held Maggie’s gaze. “Do you think you’d want to go out with him? You two were so close.”
Maggie drew patterns in the sand. “That was high school. Besides, I’m not looking for a relationship.” Ever.
Laura tilted her head. “You’re only making your auntie more determined to find you a guy. Mama said Miss Lucille was asking her about both my brothers.”
Maggie groaned. “I don’t know why she thinks I need a man so badly. I can only imagine what everyone thinks of me.”
Courtney squeezed Maggie’s knee. “Everyone loves you. You’re the sweetest thing and totally adorable.”
“Thanks.” Maggie lay down and closed her eyes. Images of Dan breaking up with her played through her mind.
Being sweet and adorable wasn’t enough. What she needed was to figure out what to do with her life, and soon. If she could show her aunt that she was happy with a career, maybe she’d let up and find a new hobby other than trying to set up Maggie with a guy.
But what did she want to do? That was the one question she just didn’t have an answer to.
Chapter 4
Maggie set her fork down and turned to Aunt Lucille. “I’m going to turn in early tonight.”
Auntie frowned. “There’s a concert at the beach tonight. Why don’t you go there? You’ll have fun, and maybe you’ll meet a nice young man.”
Knots formed in Maggie’s stomach. She pressed her palms against the table. “I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t want to find a man, nice or otherwise.”
Aunt Lucille’s brows knit together. “You aren’t getting any younger.”
“I don’t care!” Maggie flung her napkin on the table. “I’m not looking for a man. I don’t want another relationship. All I want is some space to figure out what to do with my life. That’s why I came here to Indigo Bay. Not to get stuck with another guy.”
“Well, I—”
“Excuse me.” Tears blurred Maggie’s vision as she pushed her chair back. “I just need to be left alone.”
Maggie fled upstairs, barely able to keep the tears at bay until she reached her bedroom. She buried her face in her pillow to muffle the sobs. Her whole body shook as the unwanted tears refused to stop.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t moved on from the breakup of her engagement. She had. It’d been a couple years. With all honesty, she could say she didn’t want Dan back. She would never take him back, even if he begged. Not that he would. Rumor had it that he was already engaged again.
What really hurt, if she was being honest with herself, was the fact that she would never again have a relationship. Dropping her dream of having a family of her own had been the hardest thing she’d ever done.
Like any other girl, she’d planned out her wedding—everything from the dress to flowers and songs and decor. She’d filled a Pinterest board full of things she liked, but it was all for naught.
Magnolia Kendrick would never get married. Never have the three kids she’d already named.
None of that was for her, no matter how much she wanted it. Correction, no matter how much she had wanted it.
What she needed was a job that would consume her. Take up all her attention from morning until night. It could be anything since she already knew business. That was her degree, after all.
She even knew the ins and outs of starting a new business since she’d done so much to
get Dan’s restaurant up and running. More than he had, in fact.
Maggie rolled over and wiped her face, smearing mascara along her hand. She took a deep breath, then plodded over to the window and stared at the water past the beach. Off in the distance, she could see the crowd gathering for the concert.
Maybe Aunt Lucille was right. It might do Maggie some good to head over there. Not to find a guy, but to get her mind off everything and have some fun. She might even find some inspiration for a new career.
She went to the bathroom, washed her face, and reapplied her makeup, this time using thicker eyeliner and brighter eye shadow. If she was going to have some real fun, she may as well look the part.
After pulling her hair back, she went back to her room, slid into a floral one-piece, and wrapped a knee-length turquoise beach skirt around her waist. All she needed was to find her glittery flip-flops and she would be set. It took her a minute to find them shoved in the back of the closet, then she set out, leaving a quick note for her aunt.
The band was already warming up once Maggie reached the growing crowd. Her mood lifted just being there around so many happy beachgoers. She scanned the throng of people for anyone she knew. Her gaze landed on Canyon.
Maggie’s heart skipped a beat.
She didn’t know why seeing him startled her. If he’d spent years traveling the world on a cruise ship, he probably loved parties and concerts.
Especially if he was the womanizer her friends said he was. Her stomach twisted in knots at the thought of it.
Why did she care? He could do what he wanted with his life. They’d been friends years ago. Now they were just strangers with nothing in common.
She shoved him from her mind and weaved her way through the crowd, finding a place with some single friends. People she needed to spend more time with.
Maggie greeted them with big hugs and before long, they were dancing and singing until the sun set, the sky offering a show of its own until the stars glittered.
Once the show was over, Maggie was exhausted from all the dancing, and it felt great. She waved to her friends, promising to hang out soon, then headed back home.
“Imagine running into you twice in one day,” came a familiar voice from behind.
Maggie spun around to see Canyon. He wore long swim shorts and no shirt, showing off a perfectly tanned and sculpted torso. Her breath caught and she quickly focused on his eyes. “Well, it is a small town. How did it go at Figaro’s?”
A funny expression shadowed his face, then he quickly smiled. “I decided not to apply. I’m going to find something here in town.”
“Guess that makes two of us.”
Canyon arched a brow. “Really?”
She held her breath for a moment. “I’m looking for work, too. Can’t seem to find anything I really like.”
“I always pictured you going to college and finding your dream career easily, then staying with it.”
Maggie shrugged. “Well, I did go to college. But I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.”
He laughed. “Guess that makes two of us. I mean, I had fun on the cruise line, but it’s not something I want to do for life, you know?”
“I can imagine.”
“Hey, you wanna head over to Sweet Caroline’s and catch up over some coffee?”
Maggie’s throat was parched. “I wouldn’t mind tea.”
He nodded in the direction of the cafe. “Come on. My treat.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I wanna hear what you’ve been up to.”
Maggie forced a smile. “I’d rather hear about you. It sounds like you have a lot of interesting stories.”
“You have no idea.” They headed for the cafe, and Canyon spoke of long work hours and seven-day work weeks.
“That’s exhausting just to think about.”
Canyon held the door open for Maggie and she walked through.
Caroline Harper, the long-time owner of Sweet Caroline’s, called out a greeting from the other end of the cafe. “I’ll be right there!”
“You wanna pick a place to sit? I’ll order the drinks.”
“Sure.” Maggie gave him a grateful smile and headed for the sofa, which an older couple was just vacating.
Maggie made herself comfortable and looked around, memories from many summers filling her mind. She’d been visiting Aunt Lucille for as long as she could remember. Auntie would bring her in when Maggie was little, then later Maggie would come in with friends. They would laugh, have fun, and often flirt with cute vacationers.
Canyon arrived with the drinks. Maggie asked about the places he’d traveled, and he told her about islands in the Caribbean, places in the Mediterranean, the majestic scenery in Alaska. If the rumors were true of him being a womanizer, he didn’t mention anything about that.
It sounded like he really had seen the whole world, and it made Maggie’s heart ache. She’d barely left the South her whole life. Maybe since she couldn’t figure out a career, traveling could inspire her—or at least she could have some fun seeing what else the world offered.
But she would need to save some money to make that happen. Gone were the days of going on fancy vacations with her family. Not that they’d ever traveled far, having always stayed in the South.
She sighed.
“Are you okay?” Canyon’s gorgeous eyes widened with concern.
Maggie’s face flamed. He’d been talking, but she’d let her mind wander, and once again she was feeling sorry for herself. It was becoming a bad habit. “It just sounds so amazing to travel the world.”
“You should try it sometime. Have you been on a cruise before?”
She shook her head.
“You’d love it. So, what have you been up to? I’m sure you have some stories to tell, too.”
Maggie glanced behind him. “Oh, it looks like Caroline is closing up. We’d better get going.”
Chapter 5
A bright light woke Canyon. He pulled the covers over his face.
“Rise and shine!” His mom yanked the blankets away. “If you’re going to stay here, you aren’t going to live like a spoiled teen. Time to find a job.”
“I’ve been looking.” He glanced over at the time. “I only got five hours sleep. I’ll search again in a few hours.”
“Nope. Up and at ’em. I have to get to work, and I’m not leaving until you’re dressed.”
Canyon started to protest, but stopped. It was useless. He’d worked tirelessly all those years, but even after quitting, he still wasn’t getting a break.
“I’m getting up.” His body fought him as he rose, but he was used to early mornings after much later nights.
“Good. Get dressed.” She left, leaving the door wide open.
“Don’t trust me, do you?” He fished some clothes from his closet and headed for the shower. The bathroom was just as small as the one on the boat.
Once he stepped into the kitchen, his mom grabbed her purse. “Tonight I want to hear all about your new job.”
“Sure thing.” He poured himself a cup of coffee. “Have a nice day.”
“Right.” She hated her job as a maid for a run-down motel outside of town. “Find yourself a job today.” She left, slamming the door. The rickety walls shook in response.
Canyon sighed and sipped his coffee. If only he’d saved some of his meager earnings instead of spending them on stupid things like partying.
His stomach rumbled and he checked the cupboards. The breakfast options were a box of Corn Flakes he was sure had been there before he left to work at the cruise line, grits, or toast.
“Toast it is.” He made himself some peanut butter toast and glanced around the kitchen he’d grown up in. It was hard to say if things had improved much since Dad left.
Sure, the yelling had been cut down to almost nothing and from the looks of it, nothing new had been broken. But honestly, his mom didn’t seem any happier. Canyon had fled as soon as he graduated high school and his b
rother had done the same thing two years later, but the two had barely spoken since that day.
Maybe if Canyon could bring in some money, Mom would relax and possibly even smile. But where was he going to find work? If he couldn’t find anything that day, he might have to swallow his pride and consider working for Maggie’s relatives.
He finished the toast and coffee, then headed outside. It was tempting to head for the beach and take a lazy day. He could sure use one, but he really did need to pull his weight financially. Mom could barely support herself, much less him.
Canyon stepped away from his car and opted to walk around town. If he spoke with the locals, he was sure to hear about any job openings if he mentioned he was looking.
Discouragement settled in after speaking with half a dozen people, who all said they didn’t know of anyone hiring. He wandered into Sweet Caroline’s, hoping she might know of something. She heard all the town gossip. If she didn’t know of anything, she could at least keep an ear out for him.
Caroline smiled. “Back so soon?”
Canyon nodded, unable to return the grin.
“You okay, darlin’?”
He leaned against the counter. “Just a little discouraged, Miss Caroline. Seems I came back to town at the wrong time. Nobody’s hiring.”
She pulled some hair behind her ear, looking deep in thought. “Yeah, everything’s usually filled this deep into the season. I can give you a holler if I hear anything.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Canyon managed a small smile.
“It was nice seeing you with Maggie last night. I always thought you two would make a cute couple.”
“Us?” Canyon gave her a double-take. “No, ma’am. We’re just friends.” Not only that, but they were worlds apart.
“Oh, come on. I’ve seen the way you two have looked at each other since you were young’uns.”
“Just friends, Miss Caroline.” Canyon couldn’t deny his attraction to Maggie—she had always been beautiful. Now she was so gorgeous, she set his pulse on fire. The night before, he’d had to look the other way to keep from staring.
