Tom was sulking. He wasn’t going to admit it to himself, but it was the truth. He didn’t want to shower, didn’t want to go outside and enjoy the warm sun and the cool breeze. He just wanted to sit there in the boathouse and crack open a beer.
“Tom, I know you’re in there,” Caroline knocked on the door. Tom jumped in his seat and fumbled the remote around. Before dropping his freshly opened bottle of beer, Tom let out a few curse words to the laughter of his ex. “Tom, I know you’re planning on avoiding me. Just open the door.”
“What?” he stood there taking in the cool breeze. “Now mother nature decides it’s fall.”
“You smell like beer,” she made a face.
“So?”
“It’s ten in the morning, Tom. What are you doing?”
“It’s the weekend.”
“You look like… like,” she studied him with judging eyes.
“Like when you left me?”
“That’d be it.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good look for me.”
“Alright, what’s your deal?” she pushed him out of the way and went inside.
“Well, I suppose you’re at the top of that list.”
“Come on, you got over me pretty fast. We both know that.”
Tom made a sour face. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a towel, then got over to his chair to clean up the beer.
“We weren’t good together. We fought all the time; you never hardly came home toward the end.”
“I was never out with another woman,” he pointed his finger at her.
“Yeah, I know.”
Tom let out a sigh. “What do you want, Caroline? What are you really in town for? And don’t tell me it’s the orchard.”
“Did she sell it?”
“I don’t know.”
Caroline crossed her arms in thought. “Well, I’m glad she turned Matt down.”
“Really?” Tom went and threw the towel in the laundry basket past the kitchen.
“My dad offered to hire him back in Pine Valley. It’ll be good for us. For him and me, and for the baby.”
Tom came back to the living room as his eyes traveled over her belly.
“I just found out. It’ll be a while before you can tell.”
Tom nodded.
“What I came here for was to say sorry. I’m sorry I fell in love with your brother, and I’m sorry you and I can’t be friends.”
Friends? They were a long way from friends.
“You expect me to just pick up where we left off before dating? It’s not like you called—not even once—this whole past year.”
“Won’t you at least come around and see the baby?”
“What for?”
Caroline’s face went from polite to pissed in seconds. “Shit, Tom, can’t you just grow up already?”
“What is it with all you women telling me I need to change?”
“Cause you do. You’re sad, but I can’t take back what happened. And even if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Why not?”
“Because I loved you, Tom. I really did. But it taught me something about myself.”
“What?”
“That I deserved good love in return.”
“You think I didn’t try?”
“Tom.”
“No, Caroline, I asked you to marry me. I wanted to come home to you every night, for the rest of my life.”
“I know you did.”
“That wasn’t enough?”
Caroline took a deep breath. “Listen, I don’t doubt that you loved me, but I don’t believe you were in love with me.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Tom,” she laughed at him. “That’s your problem. You think it’s all the same and it’s not.”
Tom leaned back on the partial wall that divided the kitchen and living room. “Could you tell? When we were together, could you see it before it happened?”
“Couldn’t you?”
He didn’t want to, but he knew he needed to apologize too. If she was right about it all, which, who was he kidding, of course she was right, then he owed her that much.
“Car, I’m sorry. I should’ve loved you the right way.”
“Tom, you’ll know it when it hits you. Then you can love that person right.”
Tom’s brow lifted.
“So, are you really trying to drown me out of your memory?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, what’s with having a beer at ten in the morning? You said it yourself, you’re acting like when I left you.”
Tom stood there taking Caroline in. She had those curious eyes pinning him down, the same ones he used to find hard to resist. Just one glare and he was chasing her around like there was no tomorrow. He cocked his head trying to remember how she felt in his hands, how her skin would feel against his, but he got nothing.
“You know, you’re not that attractive,” he mumbled.
“Well, if you don’t just have a way with words.”
“No, Caroline, I’m sorry, I meant to me.”
“Yeah, like that’s better.”
“No,” waved his hands around like he was trying to make sense of it all. “I don’t think you coming into town is the reason I’m upset.”
“Oh, Tom, you fell for her, didn’t you?” Caroline shook her head.
“What, you have a problem with her now too?”
“Of course not.”
“Are you jealous?” he lifted his chin.
“I don’t get jealous,” she planted her feet.
“Alright then, why do you care if I like her?”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all.”
“Well, it might be too late for that,” Tom crossed his arms again. “Listen, Car, I think I’d just like to be alone right now.”
“Alright, Tom.” Caroline went toward the door, then turned around. “Will you tell me one thing before I leave town?”
Tom looked her over again. “What?”
“Do you really hate me?”
Tom laughed her off.
“I’m serious. Tell me why you can’t stand to be around me anymore.”
“You leaving me was a pretty big deal.” Why did she have to keep poking the wound?
“Tom, we were already separated by the time I left. And yes, I was seeing him, but I never slept with him until we broke up.”
That didn’t exactly make things better, but it was a start.
“I’ll always care for you, and I really, truly am sorry that I hurt you. But you’re not nursing a broken heart.”
Oh, he was starting to realize that now.
“If anything, I bruised your pride.”
“My pride?”
“You just want to be the best, look the best, have the best things. You’re mad cause it all fell apart.”
Tom ran his fingers through his hair quick and rough. “Shit, Caroline, you just don’t know when to stop. I think Matt’s been rubbing off on you.”
“There it is,” she got on her toes as she pointed her finger in his face. “You’re just mad because it’s Matt.”
“I’m not mad, I’m down right pissed!”
“This was a waste of my time,” Caroline popped open the door and stepped out.
“No hang on,” Tom went right out and took hold of her arm. “We’re finishing this right now.”
“Fine, what?”
Tom let her go as he gathered his thoughts. It was time to move on, just like everyone had told him. Caroline, standing there in the wind with her face all twisted in anger, was not the reason he was sad today.
“I’m not going to be your best friend, but I suppose we’re family now.”
“And?” she wrapped her arms around herself.
“And, I guess I’ll always care for you too. But, Caroline, you’re right. I’m not brokenhearted because of you, and it’s time I admit that to myself. You’re not the reason I’m sad today. Hell,
I wasn’t even sad when you left.”
“Are you kidding me? All this time I was afraid to call because I bumped into Ash and she said you were a mess.”
Tom laughed.
“It isn’t funny.”
“Well, I’ll tell you it’s nice being on this side of things.”
“Alright, Tom, I’m glad we’re at least talking now.”
“Have a safe drive, Caroline. Tell Matt I said hi.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hailey had all of her things packed away and ready to go. With the harvest finally over, she was able to leave town and not worry about the orchard. Well, honestly, with Jacob handling things, she never had to worry.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” she went out to meet Jacob before he started up the tractor.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Do you think you can hold things down for a couple of weeks? I have to go back to Lansing for a meeting.”
“Sure. I thought you were going back to stay,” he rubbed his neck. “Josie wasn’t too happy.”
“Oh, no, I’m coming back.”
“You are? Does this mean you plan to keep the orchard?”
“Well, I still don’t really know what I want to do. So, I can’t just make that decision right now.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re thinking it over.”
“Yeah. But I have somethings I have to take care of back home. I’ll be gone at least two weeks, maybe more. Can you watch over the house?”
“Of course. I’ve got a little clean up to do anyway. Me and the boys are usually done around here by the end of October.”
“Great. I’ll let you know if my plans change.”
“Alright. You need help with those?” Jacob eyed the bags just inside the door.
“Not yet. I’m going to go see Tom before I leave. He went home so sudden last night.”
“Oh, that’s our fault,” Jacob made a sour face, like he didn’t want to tell Hailey what was on his mind. “Me and Josie thought you were leaving for sure. He was just going to let you go, without saying anything. Josie more or less told him he couldn’t do that to you.”
“He thought I wasn’t coming back?”
“Yep,” Jacob nodded. “Let me know about the bags when you get back. I’ll be here all day,” he got up on the tractor.
“Okay.”
Hailey checked her phone. Not a single call or text from Tom. He was hurt, she just knew it. The other morning, he was blowing up her phone wanting to see her again, but now there was nothing.
Hailey went inside quick to grab her shoulder bag, and Honey came trotting out along with her.
“What am I going to do with you? Alright, come along,” she opened the car for the puppy and in she went. Jacob turned and waved to Hailey as he went toward the trees in that noisy tractor. Hailey drove down the driveway and got out to the road, then headed straight for The Port.
He mentioned his boathouse was nearby the bar. It couldn’t be too hard to find, right? How many people in Blushing Bay owned boathouses anyway? Turning on the road to The Port, Hailey slowed down and counted eight boathouses. The fourth one had Tom’s blue truck parked right outside.
“We found him, Honey,” she petted the puppy, who then wagged her tail happily. “Let’s go talk some sense into him.”
Hailey drove nearer to his boat, but the door opened and out came a woman. Hailey stopped right there. She waited for the woman to step out into the sunlight, and when she did, Hailey’s heart hit the floor. It was Caroline, standing outside of Tom’s boat with a smile on her face. She looked like a peach, but he was a mess. His hair in all directions, his clothes wrinkled. Hailey didn’t have to guess at what had happened.
Before Caroline started down the dock, Hailey drove off and headed back to the orchard. There was no use in talking to him now, he’d made up with her. Hailey couldn’t compete with a woman like that anyway. She was pretty, that was for sure, but more than that, she and Tom had history. Nothing could come between two people when they shared a history.
Wiping a couple of tears, Hailey drove down along the coast and watched the waves hit the shore. It’d been so long since she saw the beach, it was almost a crime not to stop.
“Come along, Honey,” she waved the puppy over to the sand after parking. Hidden behind the clouds, the sun couldn’t warm Hailey like it had all week. Rain lingered on the horizon again, and the waves thrashed so loudly they muffled all sounds around Hailey. Including Josie’s voice. It wasn’t until Josie was close enough to tap Hailey’s arm that Hailey could hear her call.
“Hailey? Are you okay?”
Hailey jumped, wiping the tears from her face again.
“What’s wrong?”
“He was with Caroline this morning. He thought I was leaving for good and now he’s back with her.”
“Oh, Hailey, it’s all my fault. I told them you were going back to Lansing.”
“No,” Hailey turned so her hair would blow away from her face. “I should have just told him how I felt last night. Everything was so perfect, but I was afraid.”
“Why?”
“Like you said, I don’t want to be alone.”
“Well, don’t let him get you down. There’s other guys. Maybe not a lot around here,” she grinned.
“I think I should just go. I already told Jacob I’d be gone for a couple of weeks. Maybe I’ll spend the winter in the city.” Honey came by and jumped on Hailey as she talked. “Oh, but what am I going to do about you?”
“I can take her. If you want.”
“Yeah, Josie. Thanks. I know she’ll be happy with you. You can keep her now, unless you’re busy,” Hailey looked around at the near-empty beach.
“I was just picking up seashells to kill the time. Jacob’s meeting me for lunch later. I try to only come out when it’s cloudy, otherwise I burn right away.”
“You like seashells?”
“I love them. My whole bathroom is mermaid themed. You’ll have to come over sometime.”
“I will. I never got her a leash or collar. Can you handle her?”
“I think so.” Josie petted the puppy for a second, then she gave Hailey a big hug. “You call me whenever you want. And if I don’t hear from you soon, I’ll come to Lansing and find you.”
“Okay. Bye Josie.”
“Bye, Hailey.”
“Want to help me with the bags now?” Hailey asked Jacob when she got back to the orchard.
“Sure thing. Where’s Honey?”
“Oh, I hope you don’t mind. Josie agreed to take her while I’m gone. Though, I might have a hard time getting her back.”
“I’m willing to bet you’re right.”
Jacob went up to the orchard and grabbed Hailey’s bags and threw them in her car.
“I might be gone through the winter,” Hailey said.
“Why’s that?”
“I think it’d be good that way. I’ll have time to think things over, you know.”
“Alright. I’ll come and check the pipes and stuff while you’re gone.”
“Thanks, Jacob.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m just glad you’re keeping hold of it for now. Gives me time to think about my future too.”
Hailey nodded. “I’ll see you around.”
“Call me if you plan to come into town and I’ll turn the heat up.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Bye Hailey, drive safe.”
Hailey got into the car and closed the door. She waited until she got to the end of the driveway before letting the tears fall again. It was ridiculous really. She’d been there a little more than a week, and yet she was crying over having to leave. Wiping the tears, she sat tall in her seat and checked the mirror.
“No more,” she shook her head. This was the plan all along, no use in getting sad now. She had all winter to think things over, and the orchard couldn’t have been in better hands. With a breath out, Hailey turned onto the road and headed out of Blushing Bay.
Lansing was two hours to the east, two solid hours of time she’d have to herself. She could play some music, maybe brainstorm ideas for a new display at the museum. Nope. She didn’t care about the museum enough to let it keep her company. The only thing she could think about now was Tom.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Putting the clean glasses away, Tom laughed at something his customers were saying to each other. Two men, old friends who had golfed earlier, were sitting at the end of the bar joking about their wives. Three of the booths were full as well. There had been a nice sound to the place, with all the conversations going through the air. That is, until Ash walked in.
“You dumb fool,” Ash’s critical tone was not what he needed that evening. Letting the door slam shut, Ash went right up and plopped onto a stool.
“What now?” he faced her.
“She’s gone.”
“You don’t think I know that.” Everyone knew Hailey had left town, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
“Did you know it was because of you?”
Tom leaned over the bar and took a steep breath. Maybe it was a big deal. The men at the bar had stopped talking, their eyes eager to hear more of what Ash had to say.
“What do you mean?”
“She saw you with Caroline this morning,” Ash leaned over and whispered.
“So?”
“Tom, it looked like she’d stayed the night.”
“How do you know that’s how it looked?”
“Cause Josie told me it had Hailey in tears.”
Tom could almost hear the gasp from the three ladies at the corner booth.
“Tears?”
“She was going to come back in a couple of weeks. She wanted to stay.”
“Stay?”
“Tom, snap out of it,” Ash snapped her fingers in his face. “She’s keeping the orchard, but now she isn’t coming back until spring.”
“What about her promotion? She said her job was pretty important to her.”
“Yeah, well, I guess she liked it around here more. Until you went and ruined it. What was Caroline doing over at your place anyway?”
Tom hung his head. “She came to tell me to move on.”
“Huh?”
“She’s pregnant, Ash. She and Matt are having a baby.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Out of the Blue Page 14
