by Carrie Elks
“Space?” Her voice rose up an octave. “What kind of space? Are you breaking up with me?”
He slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath in. His immediate reaction was to tell her no, of course he wasn’t breaking up with her. She was looking at him expectantly, waiting for that exact response.
But for some reason he couldn’t give it.
Though the living room was a large expanse of open space – exactly the way he liked it – right now he felt as though all the walls were closing in on him. His mind was a whirl of Riley’s latest problems and Stephanie’s demands, not to mention everything that was going on with his business. There were complications everywhere and with each day that passed they seemed to be getting worse.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Stephanie’s mouth dropped open. Out of the two of them, he wasn’t sure who was more surprised by his response. But then a sense of relief washed over him – a feeling he hadn’t experienced in the longest of times. When he’d mentioned space he’d been thinking of a few days, a week at the most. But right now, Stephanie’s suggestion sounded like the only viable option. He’d spent months trying to please everybody and in the end nobody was happy.
Nate caught her eye; trying to ignore the hurt he could see sparkling there. This situation was doing none of them any good – and it was time they all faced it. Yes, he was a bastard, and yes she was going to hate him, but right now he had to concentrate on his daughter, not his girlfriend.
“I’m sorry, Stephanie,” he said, his voice low but full of certainty. “I think it’s time we agreed to bring our relationship to an end.”
Ally Sutton’s mouth fell open as she stared at her phone. Slowly, she brought her gaze up to where her two friends, Ember and Brooke, were staring at her with equally gaping mouths.
“He’s sold the café?” Ember asked. “Seriously?”
“I can’t believe you just hung up on him,” Brooke said, reaching for Ally’s hand and squeezing it tightly. “Good for you, honey.”
Ally blinked, though there were no tears in her eyes. Just disappointment that only got worse when she saw on the phone screen that her father was trying to call her again. She quickly rejected the call and set her phone back down on the table.
“You’re not going to answer?” Ember asked.
Ally shook her head. “If I talk to him I’m going to end up saying something I shouldn’t.” She sighed, dropping her head into her hands as the screen went dark.
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Brooke agreed. “I wouldn’t have anything nice to say to him, either. Hopefully he’ll get the message and give you some space.”
Just as Brooke finished speaking, the screen lit up for a third time.
Ember pulled Ally’s phone toward her and keyed in the code. They all knew each other’s codes by heart; they had since they were at school. Her friends had her back. They always did. She trusted them with her life and her phone.
It began to buzz again. “It’s still your dad,” Ember told her.
“Don’t answer it,” Ally said quickly. “Not yet.”
“I’m not. I’m just going to put him on block. His calls won’t register and his voicemails will go to a separate folder. That way you can listen to them when you’re ready, rather than when you’re angry.” Ember ran her fingers across the screen and looked up. “There. Give yourself a few days. That way you might still have a relationship at the end of it.” She passed Ally back the phone.
Ally took it from her, sliding it into her purse. Even without the threat of her dad constantly lighting it up, she still didn’t want to look at it.
She didn’t want to think about anything at all.
She glanced around the café that she’d known for her whole life. Her throat tightened as she took in the blue cushioned seats and the scratched metal tables. How many times had she sat at them with a coloring book and her favorite strawberry milkshake as a kid? Then, as she grew older the coloring book was replaced by her cellphone, and the milkshake by a coffee.
She’d pretty much grown up in this place. And now she was the manager, which meant not only was her childhood being sold off to the highest bidder, but her job was too.
“I guess I should polish up my résumé,” she said, giving her best friends a grim smile. Some of her blonde hair had escaped the topknot she’d tied it in, and she tucked the stray strands behind her ear.
“You’re losing your job too?” Brooke’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh honey…”
“He didn’t exactly say that,” Ally admitted. “But I’m not sure I want to work here once it’s sold.”
“What will you do?” Ember asked. She’d always been the sensible one. A kindergarten teacher at the local school, she was an expert at making plans.
“I don’t know. Who would want to employ a twenty-seven-year old woman who’s never done anything but manage her father’s café?” Ally asked. “I’m not like you, I don’t have a college degree. All I know how to do is serve breakfast.”
“That’s not true. You’re still young, you can do anything you want. Even go back to college.” Brooke gave her a soft smile.
“I know you went back to school, and you’re great at it,” Ally said. “You kick ass at juggling everything. But school’s not for me. I wouldn’t know what to study anyway.” She slumped in her seat. She could never do what Brooke did. She was way too squeamish to train to be a vet. She had no idea what she was going to do at all. Maybe cross the road and work at the Angel Sands Diner, like the failure she was?
The café door opened, letting in a warm breeze. Ally looked up to see Lorne Daniels shuffling in. He was wearing a pair of bright floral board shorts that revealed his thin, weatherworn legs. On his top half was a denim shirt with the sleeves cut off, leaving a white frayed edge. For as long as she could remember, Lorne had run the surf shop next door to the café – and for all that time he’d been her father’s best friend.
“Hey.” She smiled at him. It wasn’t his fault her dad was being a jerk. “You want a coffee?”
Lorne nodded at Ember and Brooke. “Mornin’, ladies.” Then he turned to Ally. “Your dad called. He wants you to call him back.”
From the corner of her eye she could see Ember bite down a smile. This was one of the problems of living in such a small town – everybody knew your business. In five minutes time Frank Megassey from the hardware store would probably come in with the same message, along with Deenie Russell from the bookshop.
Luckily, Ally only had to raise her head to see the upside of living in Angel Sands. The amazing beach and the beautiful ocean, sparkling like it was full of a thousand diamonds. You won some, you lost some, but overall there was nowhere else she’d rather live.
“I’ll call him back soon,” Ally said, smiling at Lorne. He was one of her favorite people. She always took him a coffee as soon as she opened up in the morning and the two of them would sit on the sidewalk and watch the sun come up, sipping at their drinks until their first customers arrived.
Another thing she’d miss if she left this place.
“Don’t leave it too long, he’s worried about you.”
“Well he should be,” Brooke said. “We’re all worried about her.”
Lorne clicked his tongue and nodded, his leathery face giving nothing away. “I know you’re hurtin’, sweetheart, but he’s your dad. He’s made mistakes and he knows that. But at the end of the day blood is blood.”
Ally felt the lump in her throat grow to the size of a rock. There was a part of her that knew Lorne was right. “Yeah, well he hasn’t acted like that recently. I’ve been trying to keep this place going while he’s been living it up halfway across the world. And after all I’ve done he’s selling it right from beneath me.”
“He’s got his reasons I’m sure.” Lorne shifted awkwardly on his feet. “He loves you, that much I know. I’ll let him know you’ll call him when you’re ready, but don’t leave it too long.”
; Ally nodded. Her chest felt too full of emotion to say anything. Anger, sadness, fear of the future, they were all mixing together and making her heart ache. She wanted to get out of here. To pull on her running shoes and head up the coast to where the mountains began, stretching her muscles and pushing her lungs until she could think of nothing else. Running was her happy place, the one thing that helped her manage her thoughts and get through the day. And right now she needed it more than ever.
Everything was changing, and she didn’t like it one little bit.
2
“You okay?” Nate asked Riley, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. They were parked outside of her new school, the car surrounded by students rushing by as they headed for their first class. The sky above them was a sparkling blue, the air outside warmer than it ever was in Seattle, yet his daughter’s face had the look of a storm.
“I could have driven,” Riley told him. “I bet I’m the only junior who has to rely on her dad to get her to school.”
“After what you did to your last car, I think you’re safer with me or the bus.”
“It was an accident.” She didn’t need to add ‘duh’ but he heard it anyway.
“I know.” Nate could feel the frustration rise in him. This was supposed to be a new start for both of them, yet they were already arguing. He closed his eyes, his lids turning red beneath the bright sun, and took a deep breath.
“Do you know where you’re going?” he asked.
“To the office to pick up my schedule.” Riley had her hand on the door handle. “And then I’ll head to the bathroom and kill myself before you do it for me.”
“You’re being over dramatic.”
Riley’s brow furrowed. “Seriously? You think I’m dramatic? You’ve just dragged me thousands of miles away from everything I know. I’m sixteen years old and I don’t have a single friend here. I can’t believe you’re punishing me like this.” She huffed out a lungful of air. “It’s not fair.”
“Hey, I’m new here, too. And I don’t know anybody either. I’ve got to go to this coffee shop and introduce myself to all the staff and they’re bound to hate me before I’ve even opened my mouth. Maybe we can compare our terrible days later over some pizza?”
That was empathy, right? The family psychologist had told him he needed to show it, even if it was harder than anything else he’d ever done.
“The difference is, you had the choice whether to move to this crappy town. I didn’t. You made the decision for me, the same way everybody does, and I just have to go with it. Do you know what it’s like to move schools in your junior year? Everybody already has their friends. Nobody’s interested in a new girl. They’re just going to look at me as if I’m some weirdo. Thanks, Dad.”
Nate felt his heart rate begin to rise. “Ri…”
“I’m going to be late. I’ll see you this afternoon.” This time when she grabbed the handle, she opened the door.
“Are you okay catching the bus home?”
Riley gave a grunt as she climbed out of the car.
“Okay, well have a good day…” But she’d already slammed the door and was stomping up the sidewalk, her backpack slung over one shoulder, and her long hair falling over her face.
“See you later, Dad. Good luck at the new shop,” Nate muttered, then pressed the button of his Lexus to start up the engine.
Yep, he was really killing it at this dad thing.
There was something special about running early in the morning. The sun was barely up, and most of the small beach town of Angel Sands was still asleep as Ally pounded her way down the boardwalk, her breath steady and her muscles strong in spite of the ten miles she’d completed. She still had a couple more miles in her – she could feel it – maybe a run up and down the beach would finish things off nicely.
Stopping by the café, she pulled her running shoes and socks off, and stuffed them by the front entrance. Like the rest of the shops on the boardwalk, it was shut up and silent. In an hour they’d all be opening up and the customers would begin to trickle in, but right now the boardwalk and beach belonged to the surfers and runners.
Yep, it was definitely her favorite time of day.
The sun had begun to rise behind the cliffs that bordered Angel Sands to the east, the bright orange rays stretching across the sleeping town. Ally launched her body forward, her long legs stretching as she pounded her way across the beach, the unforgiving sand making her thighs ache and her breath come faster.
God, she needed this. To forget about everything for a while. Her head was too full of thoughts about the café closing and trying to decide her next steps – the nothingness that running brought was welcome.
When she reached Paxton’s Pier, she took a deep breath, leaning on a wooden post as she looked out at the sparkling blue ocean beyond. A small crew of fishermen were loading up their boats to sail out for that day’s catch, calling to each other and laughing. A familiar bearded figure was walking up the boarded slats, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his cut-off jeans, a captain’s hat jauntily angled on the top of his overgrown hair. She lifted her hand to wave, and Griffin waved back. She’d gotten to know him ever since her best friend, Ember, had started dating his own best friend, Lucas. They’d got on like a house on fire, enough for Ember to ask her if there was anything going on.
“No there isn’t,” Ally had said, wrinkling her nose up. “We’re friends, that’s all.”
“Well you can’t blame me for asking,” Ember had said, grinning. “You’re usually the first to see the romantic possibilities in everything. I’m only doing you a favor by pointing it out.”
Ember had been right in one respect. Though Ally was only interested in Griff as a buddy, she usually was the first to spot the chemistry when her friends met a guy. It was so much easier with other people than it was with herself. She believed in love, she really did.
But maybe not for herself. If there was a Mr. Right out there for her, he was hiding so hard he deserved a medal. She’d almost given up hope of meeting him.
She made it back to the boardwalk half an hour before opening time. Lorne Daniels was already opening up the Forever Summer Surf Shop, next to the Beach Café. She smiled as she watched him clip the front doors open. He glanced at her as if he could feel the warmth of it, and squeezed his eyes together to block out the brightness of the morning sunrise.
“Mornin’.” He nodded at her. “Looks like it’s going to be another warm one.”
He always said that, as though the weather in Angel Sands was anything else.
“Should be good for business,” she replied, nodding at him. “Did you make it out for a surf this morning?”
“With these old bones?” he asked her. “No, ma’am. I decided to have an extra half hour in bed. You’ve got enough energy for the both of us.” His tone was teasing.
“Speaking of which, I should go and grab my shoes.” Ally glanced over at the café she’d been working in for the past ten years. “I need a shower before I open up. The time ran away with me this morning.”
Lorne cleared his throat, still staring at her. “Have you spoken with your dad?”
“Since he told me about the sale? No.” Ally looked down at her feet; they were covered in sand. She wiggled her toes to try and brush it off. “I haven’t called him back yet.” Or listened to the voicemails he’d left in the special folder. She was still too hurt, too angry to hear them. Ember had been right, she should wait for a week or two until she felt better.
He was her dad. She wanted to get over this, not burn any bridges between them.
“You should talk to him.” Lorne’s voice was kind but firm. “At least so you know what’s going on with the sale. Frank Megassey said he saw some out of town contractors eyeing the place up yesterday. Do you know if the sale’s completed yet?”
Ally felt a shiver work it’s way down her spine, in spite of the warm weather. “I’ve no idea.” Maybe she should listen to those voicemails when she went hom
e to shower. “I’m guessing it will take a while, though.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“There’s not much I can do about it. But I’ll keep you updated if I hear anything.” That’s how it worked here in Angel Sands. Either you told people what was going on or they made assumptions. “I’d better go,” she said, glancing at her watch. “I’ll bring you a coffee as soon as I’ve opened up. You still taking three sugars?”
“Of course.”
Ally smiled. Lorne’s wife was in a constant battle to try and reduce his sugar intake. She’d asked Ally to only put two sugars into his coffee, but he’d realized right away. “I’ll bring you a cake too, if you promise not to tell Marcie.”
Lorne touched the side of his nose with the tip of his crooked finger. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”
A minute later, Ally walked around the side of the Beach Café, stooping down to wipe the sand off her feet as she reached for the shoes and socks she’d stashed behind the trashcan.
But there was no sign of them.
Ally frowned. She quickly scanned the rest of the deck, wondering if she’d put them somewhere else. But as soon as she turned the corner, all thoughts of her shoes disappeared. The main door to the café was wide open.
She licked her lips, the taste of saltwater lingering on her tongue as she peered inside the open door.
“Jeff is that you?” she called out, wondering if the chef had made it in early for once. She walked inside the café, the tiles cold against her bare feet, and called out again, her voice stronger this time. “Did you steal my shoes?”
A loud bang came from the kitchen, before the door swung open revealing a dark-haired man wearing a pair of tailored grey pants and a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his tanned forearms. He reached up to run a hand through his thick brown hair, slowly lowering his gaze from her face, down past her spandex-clad body, his brows rising up as he spotted her bare feet.
