by Carrie Elks
17
“I need your help,” Riley said, walking into the living room and collapsing on the sofa next to Ally.
Ally pressed pause on her game and put the controller down on the arm of the sofa. “What’s up?”
“I have nothing to wear. Nothing.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “What do you wear to the movies in California anyway?”
“Pretty much the same as you wore in Washington, but with less layers I’m guessing.” Ally smiled. Since Nate had spoken with Riley and agreed she could go out with her friends, she’d been like a different child. Her happiness had been infectious. It had almost taken Ally’s mind off that kiss, and the fact that neither she nor Nate had mentioned it in the two days since.
Almost being the operative word.
It wasn’t as though they’d had a chance to be alone. In her new happy state Riley had been much more sociable, spending time with them in the kitchen while dinner was being cooked, and slumping in the living room with them until it got late. A few times Ally would look over at Nate and see him staring at her with a question in his eyes, but he’d look away again and she’d be the one left with all the questions.
“Jeans then. I should wear jeans, right?” Riley asked.
“Jeans sound good. It can get cool in the movie theater with the air conditioning on.”
“But what should I wear on top? And should I have my hair up or down?” She lowered her voice. “Apparently, some of the guys from my math class are going to the same movie. I don’t want to look out of place.”
Ally raised an eyebrow. “Is there one particular guy you’re worried about?”
“Maybe.” Riley bit down a smile. “But you can’t tell Dad because I’d just die.”
“I won’t.”
“So?” Riley said. “What top should I wear?”
“Let’s go and look in your closet,” Ally suggested, grabbing the remote control to switch the television off. “And if you don’t have anything that works we can look in mine. We’re probably the same size.”
“Apart from your legs. Those are about ten million inches longer than mine.”
“Ah, but your legs are better. They actually work without crutches,” Ally pointed out.
An hour later, Riley was almost ready for her trip out. Nate was working in the coffee shop. So when Riley had asked if Ally could do her make-up she’d agreed.
“There you go,” she said, running a mascara wand through the younger girl’s lashes. “All done. You look gorgeous.” Gently, she turned Riley’s head until she was facing the mirror. She really did look good. Her almond-shaped eyes were to die for, especially when they were highlighted with neutral shadows that had sparkle to them.
“Oh my God! Thank you,” Riley said, hugging her. “You’re amazing.”
“Any time. It was fun. And it’s not as though I get to go out much anymore, is it?”
Riley immediately looked guilty. “No,” Ally said, “I’m not talking about my leg. I just go out less than I used to because I’m not a teenager any more. A lot of my friends have families and partners. It gets harder to find time when we’re all free.”
“But you still go out on dates, right?” Riley asked. “I mean you’re not ancient or anything. Not like Dad.”
Ally laughed. “Now there’s a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one. And yeah, I’ve been out on a few dates. But not so many recently.”
“Why not?”
“I was busy with work. Plus there’s the problem of supply and demand.”
Riley looked confused. “Supply and demand?” she repeated. “What the hell does that mean?”
“I’ve been single for a long time and Angel Sands is a small town. The number of available guys I haven’t dated before decreases every day.” Ally shrugged. “Maybe I’ll end up an old maid.”
“But you’re beautiful,” Riley said. “You could have any guy you want.”
“Well, thank you.” She gave Riley a small smile. “But it doesn’t always work that way. And anyway, we were supposed to be talking about you and this guy. What’s his name and how old is he? I want to know all about him.”
She may have been terrible at dating, but she was great at changing the subject. And as Riley began to tell her about Leo Frischmann, the blonde-haired football God from her Math class, Ally was almost certain the sixteen-year-old girl in front of her was having better success with the opposite sex than she was.
“Hey, where are you?” Ember asked, her soft voice drowned out by loud music echoing through the phone line.
“At home. Well at Nate and Riley’s home,” Ally corrected herself. “Where did you expect me to be?”
“At the beach, the same place we always go on the first weekend in October.”
“It’s October?” Ally looked around the living room, searching for a calendar or clock that could tell her the date. She’d completely lost track of time since she’d been laid up with a broken ankle. “Seriously? I swear it’s only just September.”
“That’s the first sign of getting old. Losing track of dates.” Ember’s voice was full of amusement. “Anyway, get your butt down here. The cookout’s started, there’s a band playing, and it’s only an hour or two before the fireworks start.”
For as long as Ally could remember, the town of Angel Sands had thrown a beach party on the first weekend of October, declaring it the end of the summer season for all the businesses that lined the beach. It was when many of the smaller shops closed up until the following spring, and their owners took a chance to recover from the busy summer rush.
It wasn’t as crazy as the Angel Day Fair that opened the summer season every May, but Ally, Ember, and Brooke loved it anyway. It was a chance to catch up with old friends, to say goodbye to workers who only stayed in Angel Sands for the summer, and to enjoy the fireworks that the local Business Guild put on for their appreciation.
Ally looked at her watch. Riley had left for the movies an hour earlier, and Nate was still at the coffee shop. The house was completely empty. “I can’t come,” she said, “Nobody’s here to bring me, and I’m still not able to drive.”
“No problem, I’ll send Lucas over. Come on, it’s a tradition. We always watch the fireworks together.” There was a shout followed by a cheer. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“Okay,” Ally agreed, glancing down at the old t-shirt and shorts she was wearing. “Give me twenty minutes to get ready?”
“Of course. I’ll tell Lucas to come over for you in a minute. And while we’re waiting for you, I’ll get the drinks ready.”
“What’s going on out there?” Nate asked Brad as he emerged from the kitchen in the coffee shop. The sound of music was carried up on the breeze from further down the beach, near Paxton’s Pier, if Nate had to guess. “It sounds like somebody’s having a party.”
“It’s the beach party,” Brad said, frowning. “I told you this morning, remember? That’s why we have extra staff on today, to cope with the influx of customers.”
“You said it was the end of the season,” Nate agreed. “But I didn’t know there was music.”
“And fireworks,” Brad said. “They start right after sundown. You should go and see them. This town knows how to throw a party.”
Jeff came through the double doors, mopping his red brow with a cloth. “You should be here for Angel Day,” he said, sighing as he leaned on the counter. “Now that’s something to see.”
“Angel Day?” Nate repeated. His mind immediately went to what Lorne Michaels had told him when they’d first met. Something about an Angel leading a captain home.
“Yeah,” Brad said, nodding in agreement. “It’s when we commemorate the town’s creation every May. It’s a lot of fun.”
“Can I close the kitchen up?” Jeff asked him, his face still as red as beetroot. “I promised to meet my wife and kids down there.”
“Sure,” Nate agreed. “You can head out, too,” he told Brad. “I’ll close up here.”
&
nbsp; “You coming down after?” Jeff asked. Nate blinked – it was the first time Jeff had ever asked about anything other than whether he could go home.
“Um, yeah. Maybe.” Nate glanced at his watch. He could call Ally and see if she wanted to go down and watch the fireworks. Then he grimaced. No, that was a really bad idea. The memory of what happened the last time they were together on a beach rushed into his mind. He swallowed hard as he tried to push it out again. “What time did you say the fireworks were?”
“Just after eight, when the sun goes down.”
A few minutes down at the pier wouldn’t hurt. In fact, they could only be a good thing. Riley was out tonight, and being alone with Ally in the house really wasn’t a good idea.
Because there was willpower and there was willpower. Nate might have had the first, but the second seemed elusive, especially whenever he was close to Ally Sutton.
“You made it!” Ember ran forward to embrace Ally, who was balancing on her crutches on the boardwalk. “And you look gorgeous. You’re the only woman I know who can rock a dress like that when you’ve got a foot in plaster.”
Ally looked down. She was wearing a white strappy sundress, the bodice cut close to her body, the skirt flowing from her waist to halfway down her thighs. Her long hair was down and wavy – thanks to the braid she’d worn it in ever since she’d washed her hair that morning – and she’d put a little make up on for once. It was a party, after all.
“Thanks. Though I’m not sure about the shoes.” She grimaced as she looked down. On her good foot she was wearing a white tennis shoe. She didn’t trust herself in anything else – walking with one good leg was hard enough, trying to do it in sandals was asking to fall over.
“They go with the dress perfectly,” Ember said, grinning.
“I got you both a drink.” Lucas came up to join them, carrying two bright pink cocktails, balancing them in his hands as he gingerly walked from the bar further along the boardwalk. “I saw Brooke over there, too. She’s getting a hotdog for Nicholas, but said she’d be over to join you in a minute.”
“How are the fireworks looking? Is it safe?” Ally asked Lucas, smiling at him as he passed her the drink. As a firefighter he always saw the danger in everything. The fireworks were probably going to kill him.
“I took a look at the set up. It’s as good as it gets,” Lucas said, his voice serious. “They’re setting them off from boats out in the ocean, so hopefully that will lessen the risk.”
Ember glanced at Ally, widening her eyes. Ally stifled down a grin. Lucas was a great guy – funny, kind, and strong as hell, which came in handy when you were a woman living on your own. He was always doing favors for Ember’s friends – helping them out with home improvements, lifting things that were just too heavy for them. When he wasn’t at work, that was.
His seriousness about safety was kind of endearing, even if she and Ember did giggle about it occasionally.
“And how are you doing?” he asked her, glancing down at her cast. “Any news on when it’s coming off?”
“It’s a couple more weeks until my next appointment. Then they’ll x-ray it and decide what to do.”
“How about the elevator? You got news on that?”
“It’ll be another five days before the right part is in the country,” Ally told him. “After that, it’s a matter of how long it takes the engineer to fix it.”
“So you’ll be staying with the hot coffee guy for at least another week,” Ember said, not bothering to hide her grin. “Sucks for you.”
“Hey,” Brooke called out to them, running up from the shoreline. “You made it.” She threw her arms around Ally, giving her the tightest of squeezes. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Brooke looked back over her shoulder to the ocean. “I can only stay a minute. My mom’s keeping an eye on Nick and you know what that means.” She wrinkled her nose.
Brooke’s mom was more at home in high society than at the beach. With her beautiful clothes and perfectly coiffed hair she rarely went near the ocean, claiming the salty air was so bad for her complexion.
Ally hugged her back, so happy to see her friends again. Though they caught up most nights either on Facetime or by messaging, she’d missed being able to spend time with them.
“Ally.” A thick, weathered voice came from her left. Lorne was standing there with his wife, Marcie. “I didn’t think you were coming.”
She smiled at the old man, her heart warming even more at the sight of him. She wasn’t kidding when she said she thought of him as a second father. Leaning forward she hugged him just as tight as she’d hugged Brooke, then gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. “I decided to get out of the house. It’s getting claustrophobic there.”
And lonely, she thought to herself.
“How are you feeling? That ankle giving you any problems?”
Ally took a sip of her cocktail, letting the fruity liquid wash over her tongue. “Nothing that a couple of drinks won’t fix.”
Lorne laughed. “That’s my girl.” He lowered his voice. “Have you heard from your dad recently?”
Ally blinked. Her dad? No, she hadn’t heard from him. She hadn’t even thought of him for days. Not since that afternoon with Nate and the kiss they’d shared on the beach. Her mind had been too full of her current problems to think about her old ones.
“Oh.” She covered her mouth with her free hand. “He’s still blocked in my phone.” Her eyes widened with shock. In all the craziness she’d forgotten to unblock him. Yes, she was still angry at him, but she was also an adult. She’d never intended to ignore him for too long.
“That explains why he keeps calling me to ask how you are. I couldn’t understand why you hadn’t told him about your ankle.”
“He knows about my accident?”
“I didn’t realize it was a secret. He’s worried about you, Ally. I know you’re angry with him, but you should at least listen to what he has to say.”
Lorne was right. As angry as she was at her dad, she could hear him out. He’d given up a lot for her over the years, she owed him that. “I’ll unblock him when I get home.”
“You’ve always been a good girl.”
“It doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven him,” she told him, her voice thick. “It’ll take more than a few phone calls for that.”
Lorne nodded slowly. “I know, sweetheart.”
The music started up again, a local band taking the stage as the loud bass vibrated through the PA. Lorne gave her another squeeze and put his arm around his wife’s waist, saying hello to Ember, Brooke, and Lucas before the two of them walked away.
Ally took another mouthful of cocktail, and tried to push down the anxiety talking about her dad had brought up. On the positive side it gave her something to worry about other than Nathan Crawford. That had to be a good thing, didn’t it?
Nate glanced at his phone as he walked through the throngs of people lining the boardwalk beside Paxton’s Pier, the sound of music and excited conversation filling his ears. A message from Riley flashed across the screen.
Just finished up dinner. Going into the movie now. Laura’s mom promises to have me home by 11:30. Love you, xxx
He quickly tapped out a reply. Have fun. Love you too xx. He was still on high alert, worried about something going wrong, but he’d spoken to Laura’s mom who seemed like she had everything under control. He rolled his shoulders, his muscles stiff beneath his white cotton shirt, and tried to let his jaw loosen up.
“Nate, you came. I wasn’t sure if you would.”
He looked up to see Lorne Michaels standing there, along with Frank Megassey, and two women who were almost certainly their wives. He gave them a smile that all four of them returned.
There. Being friendly wasn’t so hard after all.
“I heard there were fireworks. I thought I’d check them out before I headed home.”
“Riley not here?” Lorne asked. He’d met Nate’s daughter a few times, when Nate had sent her to the shop next door wit
h a drink for the old man. He was becoming very fond of his lattes.
“She’s at the movies with friends.”
“And of course Ally’s already here. She’s looking well. You’re obviously taking care of her.” Frank gave him a slow nod, his eyes full of approval. “You did a good thing taking her in.”
“Especially when her dad left her all on her own,” the woman standing next to Frank – his wife? – added
“He didn’t leave her,” Lorne pointed out, looking irritated at the woman’s suggestion. “He went away for a while. That’s all. And she’s a grown woman. She doesn’t need her daddy around her constantly.”
“Daughters can be tough,” Frank agreed. Then he looked at Nate. “I expect you know all about that.”
Nate let out a little laugh. “Yeah, I do.”
“Oh look, there’s Ally.” Nate followed the direction of Frank’s arm, frowning as he tried to pick her out. There were so many people here.
But then he saw her standing next to her friends about fifteen feet away. She was holding a glass with pink liquid in it, her beautiful blonde hair tumbling over her bare shoulders.
His stomach tightened. So much for avoiding her. And there was a part of him that didn’t want to because, damn, she did things to him. Made him feel things he hadn’t in a long time. She breached boundaries he didn’t know he had, and it scared him.
“Such a nice girl,” Lorne’s wife was saying. “She’s always taken care of you, hasn’t she, Lorne? And she always has a smile for me whenever I see her. Such a shame what happened to her when she was younger.”
With his eyes still on Ally, Nate inclined his head to listen to the conversation going on around him. He held his breath so he could hear a little better.
“Losing her mom?” Frank’s wife asked. “Yes, that was so sad.”
“She had such a bright future ahead of her,” Frank agreed.
Somebody had moved in front of Ally, blocking his view. Nate frowned, willing them to move. He wanted to look at her again, to drink her in.
