Seaside Surprises: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters) Read online

  First thing in the morning, she would march down to the auto shop and demand the tattooed grease ball move her car to the front of his priority list. She would throw around some threatening phrases if needed. Thanks to Trent, she knew exactly what got under people's skin. She could get Bobby to fix her car in an hour if she really wanted to.

  She shuddered. The last thing she wanted to do was to act like Trent. Tiffany cried all the harder, shaking. Had he destroyed her so that she wasn't even the sweet girl she had once been? She scooted over to the corner and leaned against it, closing her eyes.

  It was becoming clear that she could change her identity, but it didn't make a real difference. She was still broken. More tears fell. Tiffany let them, not wiping them away. She started to feel drowsy, but didn't care. Sleeping in a bed was a luxury she didn't deserve.

  What would Trent think if he could see her now? He'd love the sight of her falling asleep on a balcony, not even drunk. He would say she finally realized her worth.

  Had she? Had Trent been right about her all along?

  While the tears fell down her face, she drifted off to sleep.

  A breeze woke her. Tiffany opened her eyes, seeing that it was light out. Her neck and spine ached. Tiffany grabbed the railing and pulled herself up. Looking out over the beach, she stretched her neck, trying to work out the soreness. The beach was crowded, and the stood sun pretty high up in the sky, indicating that it was pretty far into the morning already.

  How long had she slept on the deck, curled up against the wall? She stretched her neck the other way and then grabbed her elbow, pulling it tight. A lot of muscles needed attention.

  Yawning, she went back into the hotel room. Her eyes watered, blurring her vision. Tiffany wiped them, and then looked in the mirror over the dresser. She looked terrible—hair sticking out every which way, dark circles under her eyes, and lines where her face had been pressed against the wall.

  Tiffany grabbed a bowl and poured herself some cold cereal. The milk was running low. If her car wasn't ready soon, she would need to get more, and before she did, Tiffany would need to figure out what to say to Jake.

  There was a part of her that wanted to stick around just a little longer to spend some more time with him, greedy for more of what they'd shared the night before. But she wanted to get away so she didn't have a chance to ruin what they had. She just wanted to keep the memories they had made.

  Yet part of her wanted to stay and see if they had a chance.

  She looked into the mirror at her green eyes. "You're impossible." Staring into her reflection, she knew what she had to do. Though she'd changed a lot over the last couple years with Trent, she was still the kind of person who did the right thing. Right now, that meant not stringing Jake along.

  There was no way she could commit to anything, and if she let things progress, she was being unfair to him. He deserved someone who could give him better. She was damaged goods with too many secrets and not enough to offer. Anytime he became irritated, she would jump or cower. Jake should have someone who would be able to handle normal emotions.

  Tiffany had even jumped away from her grandpa when he got angry a couple times, and he was the safest man in the world. She knew deep within her soul that he wouldn't do a thing to hurt her, yet she couldn't help flinching.

  She got into the shower and freshened up. Her clothes needed to be washed, and she still looked like she'd had a rotten night's sleep. At least makeup could cover that.

  Tiffany grabbed some red lipstick, dabbed it on the dark circles and then rubbed it in, covering it with foundation. Perfect. She'd learned the trick in high school after pulling many all-nighters, and it worked every time.

  Just as she dabbed on the last bit of makeup, she heard her phone. Hoping it was Jake, she ran to check. She had a new text from Grandpa. I need to fix some paperwork, Tiff. Where are you staying?

  She read it over several times. Grandpa had told her numerous times he didn't want to know where she was. Why would he ask that now?

  You know I'm not supposed to tell you. Is this a test?

  Tiffany waited for another text for a minute, and then her phone sang again.

  Ha, ha. Yeah. You passed. We'll talk later, honey.

  Okay. She put the phone back in her purse, shaking her head. What was that all about?

  When she was finally ready, she walked to the auto shop. Her car was actually in the garage. It wasn't raised like the others. Could that actually mean it was ready? Her heart raced as she walked inside. Was she nervous about finding out that she would be leaving or staying? She wasn't even sure.

  Bobby sat at the desk, flipping through paperwork. As usual, all the seats in the waiting room were full. Tiffany walked over to the desk, putting on her best irritated voice. "Is my car ready yet?"

  He looked up. A smile spread across his face. "Ah, Elena. We've got it lined up. Did you see it's finally in the garage? As soon as we finish one, we'll get to yours."

  Not only was it not ready, but given their speed, it could be another week before she could drive it away. She made sure to keep her voice steady. "Do you know when it'll be ready?"

  "That all depends on when we get started, and what's wrong with it. If it's something simple, you could have it back after lunch. I wouldn't hold my breath, though."

  "Don't worry, I won't." She spun around and left the shop. The sun felt even hotter than it had only minutes before.

  Tiffany fanned herself as she made her way to Jake's shop. If she was going to be in town anyway, she wanted to spend her time with Jake. She pulled on the door, and when it wouldn't budge, her hand slipped from the handle, breaking a nail. She looked at it, seeing that it was broke below the line, and she stuck the nail in her mouth to stop the pain before it started.

  "You okay?"

  She turned around to see Dimitri. "Broke a nail. I'll be fine. Jake hasn't opened the shop yet?"

  "He hasn't been in all day."

  "I'm not surprised. He went to see his dad at the hospital last night. He probably didn't get much sleep."

  Dimitri nodded, looking serious for a change. "I've seen most of his brothers back in town—it must be pretty bad. They don't usually come it back home, except for the holidays."

  Tiffany frowned. "Well, if he does come in, can you tell him I stopped by? I can help with the shop again if he needs me." Though if he hadn't opened the shop, they obviously weren't too worried about getting help. Even though she hadn't met his dad, she couldn't help worrying something was wrong.

  "Will do. You could always stop by his house and—"

  "No. I don't want to disturb him. He probably needs his sleep. See you around."

  Twenty

  Bright sunlight streamed down on Jake's face from the newly opened curtains, waking him. He covered his eyes, blocking the sun, and glared at his mom. "What gives?"

  "You were supposed to wake me three hours ago." His mom narrowed her eyes. "What will your father think?"

  Jake sat up, rubbing his eyes. "That we're taking care of ourselves, and the house. He'll be happy, and we know he hasn't been alone for even a minute. Cruz, Rafael, Zachary, and Brayden all promised to stay with him, remember? They all want you to get much needed sleep, too. And I'm sure everyone else will be there, as well. Why don't we get some breakfast, and then I'll take you back before I open the shop?"

  Her face softened. "I'll make the food this time. You get cleaned up."

  Jake showered and got dressed. When he came out, he smelled bacon and eggs—his favorite breakfast food.

  "Sit down and eat." She handed him a piece of bacon.

  They ate in silence, and then Jake dropped her off at the hospital entrance.

  When he got to the shop, Jake turned the key in the doorknob. He didn't want to be there, but at least it wouldn't be all day for a change. Cruz was going to take over after going home and sleeping. He'd been up all night at the hospital as promised. Jake and he had left the hospital at the same time. Jake to the shop
, and Cruz on his motorcycle ready to sleep in his old bed.

  "There you are," Dimitri said from behind.

  Jake turned around. "Hey there."

  "I've never seen your shop open so late."

  "I don't want to talk about it," Jake said. "Sorry, friend."

  "Does it have anything to do with the pretty girl?" Dimitri asked, the corners of his mouth twitching.

  Jake leaned his head against the window on the door. If he'd gotten up earlier, he would have seen her. He'd dreamed of holding her by the shore all night. "Elena came by?"

  "She looked quite disappointed. I think she wanted to see you." Dimitri grinned. "She likes you."

  "Did she say anything?"

  Dimitri put a finger to his chin and looked up. "Yeah. She said she could help you out with the shop."

  "Thanks, pal." Jake went inside and locked the door behind him, getting the register ready for the day. As soon as he flipped the sign from Closed to Open and unlocked the door, people poured in. He was so busy he didn't have time to even think about calling Elena, though he wanted nothing more.

  After the lunch rush, things finally fell into a lull. Jake counted the till, surprised to see they had earned more money when opening late than when he went in early. It had to be from Elena redecorating. He should hire her to fix up the rest of the shop. He slammed the register shut, and then heard the bell.

  "This place hasn't changed a bit." Cruz walked around the perimeter of the shop. "I feel like I've entered a time warp, dude. Between this and the house. It's like everything is frozen in my high school days." He wandered a bit, until he stopped in front of the counter. He did a double-take. "Never mind. This is different. Everything else is frozen in time, though."

  "Try living it," Jake muttered.

  Cruz leaned against the counter. "You ought to get out of this town. There's a whole big world out there."

  Jake shrugged. "You know how it goes. They need me."

  "Are you afraid to leave?" Cruz stared into Jake's eyes.

  "Watch it, or you'll find yourself with a black eye."

  Cruz laughed. "And you'll end up with your head pinned between my side and my arm."

  "I'm not scared to leave Kittle Falls, Cruz. Someone has to stick around with Mom and Dad, not to mention this pitiful shop."

  "Pitiful? It has character."

  "You mean the time warp?" Jake arched an eyebrow.

  "Something like that. Well, dude, get outta here and do whatever you need to. And I don't mean going to the hospital, either. I just talked with Brayden, and he says the number of relatives has doubled since I left this morning. You need a break from everything—this shop and taking care of everyone. It's not your job to keep the family running."

  Was that how everyone saw him?

  The bell rang above the door. Jake stepped out from behind the counter, patting it. "She's all yours, Brother."

  Cruz took his place and looked around. He took his hoodie off and slung it over a chair. "This is the same register they bought when I was six."

  Jake shrugged. "You know them. If it's not broke…."

  Cruz looked past Jake and grinned, standing taller. "Hello, there," he said, obviously talking to a pretty girl. "Can I help you?"

  "I'm here to see Jake."

  Jake spun around. "Elena."

  She smiled. "I came by to see if you'd opened the shop yet. Do you need any help? Or do you have some already?" Elena looked over at Cruz.

  "That's my brother, Cruz. He's giving me the afternoon off."

  "Yeah, but you'd better come back and close for me. I can't remember how to do that." He turned to Elena. "It's nice to meet you. And you are?" Cruz shot Jake a look, obviously wanting to know their relationship status.

  Jake stepped closer to Elena.

  "I'm Elena." She shook Cruz's hand. "Nice to meet you, too. How's your dad?"

  "He's a fighter. If he has his way, he'll be back home tomorrow, painting the walls or something crazy like that."

  Elena laughed. "Must be where Jake gets his ability to work here by himself day after day."

  "No doubt. Well, you two crazy kids get outta here." Cruz gave Jake an approving look, obviously liking Elena.

  "Thanks again," Jake said.

  "Maybe I'll even hire a few people while you're away. Not sayin' I'll train them or anything, but hey, help is help."

  "You do that." Jake took Elena's hand. He loved how smooth her skin felt against his. He rubbed his thumb along her palm, his mood drastically improving.

  She smiled, a little color filling her cheeks. Her sweetness was refreshing.

  They walked toward the door, and just as Jake opened it, Elena turned around and waved to Cruz. "Bye."

  "Have fun with my brother."

  Elena giggled, and then they walked out into the warm sunshine.

  Dimitri gave Jake a thumbs-up from behind his newspaper stand.

  "Want to walk along the shore?" Jake asked, inching closer to her as they walked in the warm sun. "We can go the opposite direction of the crowds."

  She squeezed his hand. "I'd love that."

  They walked to the beach in a comfortable silence. It seemed like she appreciated the quiet as much as he did. When they reached the water, he turned to the left, going toward the non-touristy part of town. About a mile away sat a quaint beach enjoyed by the locals, most of whom were busy working right then.

  "I had a lot of fun last night," she said.

  "Me, too." He let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders. "Spending time with you is such a breath of fresh air."

  "I couldn't agree more." She looked troubled.

  "Is everything okay?" Maybe she would open up and tell him what she was running from, if that was indeed what was going on.

  Elena shrugged, paused, and then nodded. They went back to walking in silence. Jake relaxed the farther they walked. The sounds of waves crashing against the sand had a calming effect—it always had since he was a boy.

  He wished he could think of a way to get her to open up, but feared he would push her away instead.

  "We're almost there," he said. "The area should be nearly empty. If we're lucky, we'll have it to ourselves."

  She looked ahead. "If it's anything like the beach last night, I'm sure it'll be perfect."

  They rounded a corner, and the big, empty beach welcomed them.

  Elena stopped. "It's beautiful. I can't believe no one's here."

  "Not many want to make the hike. Most of the tourists expect the crowded, festive beach. They're happy with it."

  She continued to look around, and then turned to Jake. "Do you mind if I take my shoes off and walk in the water?"

  "Mind? I'll join you." He couldn't help smiling. With any luck, he would get to see more of her playful side. He had seen little sparks of it, but being barefoot on the sand, she might burst out of her shell.

  Elena slid off her sandals while Jake took off his sneakers and socks. He rolled up his pants, regretting the clothing choice. He thought he'd be in the air-conditioned hospital later, and hadn't wanted to be cold then. They set their shoes on a bench, and then Elena burst into a run for the water.

  "Hey!" Jake laughed, running after her.

  She turned and looked at him, not slowing until she reached the water.

  He caught up easily since she nearly stopped at the shore. "Are we done playing chase?"

  "I just wanted to feel the ocean." She looked away from him, and down at her feet and wiggled her toes around the water, bringing sand over them.

  "There's nothing like it." Jake wiggled his toes, too. He hadn't done that in years. The warm waves splashed over their feet, onto their ankles.

  Elena broke out into another run, surprising Jake. He could hear her beautiful laugh over the waves. He chased her, splashing saltwater onto his pants. She was actually pretty fast, and unfortunately, he was rather out of shape. Working out hadn't been on his priority list in a long time.

  Not since the days he c
ame here with his friends before Sophia got sick.

  He finally caught up to Elena, and tapped her shoulder. She whipped around and poked his arm. "You're it—again."

  "Hey, not fair." Not fair? When was the last time he'd said that? He couldn't help laughing. Somehow, she managed to bring out his carefree side—he hadn't thought it still existed.

  Jake watched Elena's hair fly back behind her as she ran. His heart swelled, warming. Whatever that girl was doing to him, he wanted more of it—and her. He had to find a way to talk her into staying in town.

  He kicked his feet into gear, and went after her as fast as he could. She grew closer until he could almost reach her. Without warning, she turned around, and they crashed into each other.

  They both burst into laughter. She surprised him by wrapping her arms around him. "Looks like you got me."

  "Or did you get me?" Jake put his arms around her, pressing his face against her hair. He breathed in her sweet scent. She was perfect.

  Elena turned, keeping herself pressed against him. She leaned her head against his shoulder and they looked out over the water, watching the waves and the birds flying.

  "This is the best," she said.

  "It sure is." Jake loved having her there in his arms with the water lapping at their feet. It was wonderful to pretend he had no worries, and that everything in his sight and arms was all the world contained. He longed for a reality this wonderful, and he would take what he could get of it.

  Twenty One

  Tiffany pressed her cheek against Jake's, taking in his scent. He smelled of soap and aftershave, and mixed with the ocean air, it was heavenly. She sniffed again, unable to get enough.

  He tightened his grip around her, and she loved being in his arms. It felt so good to be with someone so kind and sweet…so safe. In school, she had thought safe boys were boring, but now she wanted nothing more. She felt like he would protect her and suddenly couldn't understand why that morning she had been planning on leaving town.