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

  "See? Best in the state."

  She couldn't help smiling. They ate in a comfortable silence, watching the activity outside. People ran by, chasing each other, squealing, while others strolled by, usually holding someone's hand. It was obvious that the majority of the people were on vacation.

  She thought back to her last vacation. It hadn't technically been a vacation. It was her honeymoon. Since then, Trent had spent all of his vacation days at work, earning overtime pay and bonuses. Anger burned in her chest. Why had she stayed with him so long? Given so much up for him? What a waste.

  Eager to have a family, she had married him right out of high school. It has angered Grandpa. Now she could see why. And to make matters worse, he was the one paying for her escape.

  Grandpa had raised Tiffany after her parents had died when she was young. As much as she had appreciated and loved him for his sacrifices—dealing with her in her teen years had been nothing other than a sacrifice—she had longed to be a part of a family. That's what she thought Trent would give her.

  Maybe family wasn't meant to be for her. It was for others. She'd made her mistake, and now she was going to be in her mid-twenties soon. Most of the friends she'd had growing up still hadn't even married. They were smart, and families were for them—not her. She had so much baggage now, she would be better off staying away from marriage.

  She was angry with Trent for everything he had put her through, but she was even more upset with herself for putting up with it for so long. She should have taken off the first time he called her a name, but she thought that he was legitimately angry with him. Plus, he had said sorry with flowers and candy later.

  Tiffany also had her pride to deal with, not wanting to hear I told you. Everyone told her it was dumb to marry so young. Her friends begged her to get out and live life before settling down. But she had been so desperate for a family that she ignored everyone.

  He went to college and she worked hard to pay the bills while his parents covered his schooling. She had to do all of the cooking and cleaning because his grades were more important than him doing anything around the apartment. Then after he got his job, and they got a house, he still wouldn't lift a finger. He said his job was more important than hers and that he deserved to rest at home, going as far as saying it was her job to make sure he could rest in peace.

  She had wanted to make it work, but she hadn't realized that it wasn't possible. He didn't want the marriage to work. He only wanted her to serve and praise him.

  He had continued to put her down and tell her that all their problems were her fault. He'd even gone as far as saying that because her parents were dead she didn't know how a marriage was supposed to work. For a while, she had believed his lies, but then one day she finally realized that he was full of it.

  "Is the ice cream okay?"

  Tiffany turned to Jake. She had almost forgotten he was there. She blinked, bringing herself back to reality. "It's the best I've ever tasted." She didn't sound convincing, but she meant it. She had to get Trent out of her mind. He was out of her life, and she needed to act like it. She had a gorgeous guy who actually seemed interested in her sitting next to her.

  "You look tired. Want me to walk you to your hotel?" Jake asked.

  "Sorry I'm not more talkative. I have a lot on my mind. I'm being rude."

  "No, you're not. It's not a problem. You make nice company either way."

  She smiled. Why hadn't she met Jake when she was eighteen?

  He cleared the table and threw away the garbage. "Let me take you to the hotel. Which one are you staying at?"

  She put her hands to her face. "I can't remember."

  "No worries. What does it look like?"

  "It was the tallest one. At least, I think so."

  "Was it Ocean Heights?"

  "Yeah. I think that's it. That sounds familiar, at least."

  As they walked back to her hotel, Jake talked about the various things to do. It almost seemed like he wanted her to stay longer. Why would he want that? Couldn't he see how damaged she was? He was better off staying as far away from her as possible. She would probably destroy him.

  When they got to the lobby, he asked if she was okay getting to her room on her own.

  She stared at him for a moment. Did he want her to invite him up?

  He smiled, easing her fears. "I had a great time, Elena, but I need to get back to my parents. I usually check in right after closing the shop."

  Tiffany let out a sigh of relief. So he didn't want in her room. "Thanks so much for the ice cream. It was fun."

  "My pleasure. How long are you staying in town?"

  "Like I said, just passing through."

  Jake's lips curved down. "You're not even staying even another day? I'd love to show you more sights—my treat." He was so cute the way he begged with his eyes.

  Tiffany considered staying, but if she spent more time with Jake, she wouldn't want to move on from Kittle Falls. She needed to get as far away from Trent as possible, and this wasn't nearly close to that. She frowned. "I'm sorry. I can't stay. I wish I could, though."

  He shifted his weight from one foot to another. His beautiful face looked so disappointed. "If you pass through again, you know where the shop is. Stop in and say hi."

  Tiffany forced a smile. The longer she stared into his eyes, harder it was to say goodbye. But she had to. "I will. Thanks again. Bye."

  "Have a wonderful life, Elena." He pretended to tip a hat that wasn't there.

  She nearly laughed, but covered it, and gave a little wave before turning for the elevators. He was adorable and charming—everything she didn't need right now.

  When Tiffany got to her room, she went back to the deck to watch the water. A smile slid onto her face as she thought about the date—no, outing—with Jake. But it wasn't long before her thoughts drifted back to Trent.

  It felt so good to be relaxed and out of that stressful environment. She would never get those years back, but hopefully she could at least get herself back.

  Tiffany scooted over to the corner of the deck where some sunlight was shining and closed her eyes, letting the rays warm her. This was the life. Even though she was so high up, she could still hear the sounds of the beach. Listening to the waves was going to lull her to sleep soon.

  She opened her eyes and went back into the room, ready for a good night's sleep. Her muscles had never felt so relaxed, at least not since she had said her vows.

  As Tiffany sank into the ultra-soft bed, she invited sweet sleep to take over.

  Five

  "Where have you been, Son?"

  Jake took a deep breath. He hadn't even closed the front door, and already the questions began. "Aren't I allowed to have a life?" He closed the door and sat on the couch across from his parents, each in their own recliner.

  "Did you run into a friend?" asked his mom.

  "You could say that." He rubbed his side.

  "Was it Benny? I heard he was coming back to town."

  "No, Dad. Don't worry about it. I got the shop closed down and went out. That's all. Speaking of the shop, we're making enough to hire help."

  "Not this again," said his mom. "We don't want anyone outside of our family."

  "Then you two need to help me out. I can't keep going like this. You're going to work me into an early grave."

  "How dare you use that expression in our house?" His dad narrowed his eyes.

  "It's the truth. I can't keep it up. Not during the tourist season, anyway. I understand you're in mourning—who understands more than me? I was the one at her side, caring for her. My heart will never again be whole. But if you can't step it up at the shop, you leave me no other choice except to hire someone."

  His mom stood up. "You wouldn't do that to us. We said only family."

  "So, you'll start working again?" Jake asked.

  She shook her head. "I can't. Not now."

  "You know, if you get busy with the shop, you'll find it easier to deal with life. Yo
u won't be holed up here, thinking of nothing other than our loss."

  "Don't tell me how to live my life, Jake. Just be a good son and keep working our business. It's what sustains us."

  Jake ran his hands through his hair, tempted to pull some out. "You need to understand something. I'm not doing this anymore. I agreed to work from open until close to give you some time to mourn. It was never meant to be permanent."

  "What do you expect us to do?" asked his dad.

  "Something. Honestly, I'm at the point where I don't care. I can either open the shop later or close it early. I'll give you eight hours. Which eight do you want?"

  "That'll ruin us," his mom said. "You could do that in the off season, but now? You've lost your mind."

  "Then you either need to hire out, work some hours yourselves, or call in some other family members. I'll give you guys until tomorrow to figure this out. One more long day of work, and then I'm done."

  His dad shook his head. "Kids these days are so rude."

  "Kid? I'm twenty-three, Dad. At least I've stayed around. You act like I do nothing for you, yet I've done more than any of the others. You know it." Jake got up and stormed out of the house. He could hear them inside arguing.

  Jake probably should have felt bad, but he couldn't. He was tired of letting his parents call the shots. It was one thing to take care of his sister—that was something he had wanted to do. They all knew she had little time left and he had wanted to be there for her. This though, working the shop alone, that was too much, and they had to face the fact that they were taking advantage of him because he was the only son left in town.

  If he was smart, he would figure out where he wanted to go and leave. He walked down the street, careful to avoid people. He didn't want to talk with anyone. After he calmed down, his mind went back to Elena.

  Even though he was disappointed she was leaving town, he was glad to have run into her. She had shown him that there's more to life than just busting his butt being a good son when he wasn't even appreciated.

  That was a lot for one pretty girl and just an afternoon, but it was the kick in the pants he needed.

  Before long, he found himself at a secluded part of the beach. He sat on the sand and watched the waves crash onto the shore. In the distance, surfers took advantage of them.

  Jake thought of his time with Elena. Why hadn't he at least gotten her number? Or even a last name? Then he could at least find her online. The more he thought about her, the more he wanted to get to know her. There was a lot more to her than met the eye. That much he could tell.

  No stranger to heartache, he could tell she had some herself. What it was, he would probably never know, especially since he had been so stupid. He pulled out his phone and opened the app to his profile. He searched for "Elena." The chances of finding her were low. There were probably thousands upon thousands of Elenas out there and he didn't know where she came from or where she was going.

  "Hey there, Jake. What are you doing here?" Dimitri sat next to Jake.

  Jake looked over. "I could ask you the same thing."

  "I can't bear the tourists any longer. Hey, that reminds me." He dug into his pockets. "My brother and I chased down those jerks who stole your candy. We heard you yelling at them, and went after them. Got the candy back." Dimitri pulled the candy out.

  Jake took it. He could feel it half-melted underneath the wrapper. "Thanks, I think."

  "Sorry you can't resell it, but we told them to spread that word that your stuff isn't free. So, where's the pretty girl?"

  "Probably on the road by now."

  "Bummer. You would've made a nice couple."

  "You know how it goes with tourists." Jake shrugged as if it didn't matter.

  "Did you at least get her number?" Dimitri asked.

  "I'm not ready for anything serious."

  "You're nothing but serious. A pretty girl like that would do you good."

  "Tell that to my parents. They want me to work a thousand hours a week."

  "Call your brothers and tell them to get their butts down here. Remember when you all used to take turns with the shifts?"

  "That was years ago. Everyone else has their careers. I'm the only one left."

  "Then you go somewhere."

  "Where?" Jake asked.

  "Follow the girl."

  Jake laughed. "Right. I just met her. She's just another tourist."

  "Really? I saw the way you looked at her."

  "Was it that obvious?"

  "Dimitri knows love."

  "It's not love when you just meet someone."

  "Ah, but it can be. You had the look. I still see it."

  "Then you see wrong." He slid the phone into his pocket. "What am I going to do about my parents?"

  "Good question. What do you think?"

  Jake groaned. "You know what I think."

  "Then make a decision and stick to it."

  "I told them they have to figure it out tomorrow. But they don't get it."

  "No, they don't. It's not fair that they expect you to work all those hours with no help."

  "It works out to more than fourteen hours when you count clean up and getting ready before opening."

  "Dimitri knows. I see you come and go."

  "How many hours do you work?"

  "I have my brothers who help me."

  "Of course you do." Jake pulled out his phone again and scrolled to his own brothers, tempted to give one a call. What would they do? Jump up and leave their various jobs to come back home?

  "You going to call one of yours?"

  He put the phone back into his pocket. "No. I'm going to give my parents a day like I said. If they haven't figured something out, I'm going to tell them which eight hours I'll work and let them deal with the rest."

  Dimitri patted Jake's shoulder. "Good for you. Now about that girl. What's her name?"

  Jake stood, dusting sand off his shorts. "See you in the morning, Dimitri."

  Six

  Tiffany threw her last bag into the trunk, slammed it shut, and got into the driver's seat. She dug through her handbag until she found her key chain—at the bottom, of course. She stuck the key in and turned. A clicking sound came from the front of the car.

  "Oh, come on. Not now." She turned it harder. More clicking.

  She hit the steering wheel. Her grandpa had checked into the car before giving it to her. One of his buddies who was supposed to know about cars had looked it over.

  Maybe it was something simple. Something any guy would know. What would Grandpa look for if he was here?

  Tiffany got out and looked under the car for a leak. There were no puddles or drips. She opened the door and popped the hood. Nothing was smoking or steaming, and as far as she could tell, nothing was broken or out of place.

  She closed the hood and started the ignition again. Click, click, click.

  It had to work. The car had been running just fine when she drove it the day before. She turned the key several more times with the same result.

  What now? She leaned her head against the seat, sighing. After a minute, she called her grandpa.

  He had her check various things, and to add to her frustration, she didn't know what most of them were.

  "Well, honey. It sounds like you're going to have to find a mechanic. Tell me you're at least in a decent neighborhood."

  "Yeah, it's a cute, little tourist trap. It could have broken down in worse places."

  "Okay. Here's what you're going to. Find a mechanic and then get me on the phone. I'm not going to let them take advantage of you. Then once it's fixed, call me again. I'm going to pay for it out of different funds. No using the money I gave you. That's for your starting over. Understand?"

  "Yes, Grandpa."

  "When can I expect to hear from you?"

  Tiffany's stomach rumbled. She had been going to hit the first drive through she came across. "Maybe an hour. I need some breakfast first."

  "Okay. Take care."

  "Bye,
Grandpa."

  Where would she eat? Tiffany had slept through the hotel's continental breakfast, so that was out. She went back inside and asked about mechanics at the front desk. There was one in town. One.

  "He might be booked for today. Do you want to check back in?" asked the middle-aged lady behind the desk.

  "Not really. I'll take my chances."

  "I can't guarantee you'll get your room back. You got one of the best views in the place."

  Tiffany set her keys on the desk. "You really think he's going to be full?"

  "Usually is this time of year. You'd be surprised how many people don't check their cars out before going on vacation."

  "My grandfather had it checked out," she snapped.

  "I didn't mean anything against you."

  "Sure you didn't. Why aren't there more auto shops around here?"

  "Guess nobody wants to give Bobby competition."

  Tiffany dug through her purse and pulled out her wallet. "Fine. Book me for another night." She counted some cash, and then handed it to the lady. "I could use a day off from driving anyway."

  "Thank you. Have a wonderful day." She gave her the key card and then turned around.

  "Wonderful. Yeah, right."

  Tiffany made her way to where the auto shop was. Sure enough, it was full of cars.

  She went in and explained everything to the tattooed guy behind the counter.

  "We can tow it this afternoon, but I can't say if we'll actually get to it today. Depends on how all the other cars go. If they're all easy, no problem. We'll fix yours. Otherwise, it could be tomorrow afternoon. Maybe later. It's hard to say."

  Another day? "Fine. Whatever you have to do. Oh, and my grandpa wants you to talk to him before you do anything."

  "Where's he?"

  "You'll have to call him."

  "Add his info to the paperwork." He shoved a clipboard at her and moved to the next customer.

  Tiffany filled everything out and then gave it back to him. Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it. She needed to get back to her car and take out everything of value.