Chapter Seven
“W hat time will Brielle be here?” Addy asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.
Jenna sipped her tea, frustrated with herself for the butterflies jumping around in her stomach. She had awakened filled with a mix of anticipation and nervousness about seeing Wes that morning when he brought his daughter down the stairs.
She could not stop thinking about the kiss the other night.
The memory of it seemed seared into her subconscious. Every time she closed her eyes, she recalled the heat of his body next to hers, the strength of his muscles beneath her fingers.
She had wanted more than a kiss.
At some point in the early hours of the morning, she had finally admitted that to herself. For the first time since Ryan’s death, she had ached for a man’s touch.
For Wes’s touch.
Despite two tortured nights of wondering what it might be like, she knew anything more than a heated kiss between them was impossible.
She was the problem.
It was easy enough to tell herself she wasn’t ready yet. But Ryan had been gone for four years. While some part of her would always grieve for the future they had dreamed about, she had determined years ago that she couldn’t spend the rest of her life aching for something she could never recapture.
She had decided to move on three years ago, when she had first accepted a date with Aaron Barker.
That decision had turned out to be a disastrous one, upending her entire life.
She was only now beginning to put the pieces back together.
She might be fiercely drawn to Wes Calhoun and felt great sympathy for what he had endured, spending three years in prison, wrongly convicted for another man’s crimes, but Jenna couldn’t picture a future with him.
Wes was rough, hard, dangerous. He rode a motorcycle, ran for miles on the beach, was built like a professional athlete.
What did she have to offer a man like that? Her hobbies included knitting and reading the occasional cozy mystery, not riding on the back of a Harley.
She sighed, more depressed than she had any right to be.
Wes was a very nice man and someday he would find the perfect woman for him. Jenna was more sorry than she would have expected that she couldn’t be that perfect woman.
The doorbell suddenly chimed through their unit, distracting her from her thoughts.
Her pulse fluttered like the butterflies in her stomach.
“They’re here!” Addie exclaimed, rushing to the door. She flung it open before Jenna could tell her daughter to give her a moment to compose herself.
And there he was.
Everything inside her seemed to sigh as he reached down to greet Theo, who rushed to be the first one to say hello.
Yes, Wes Calhoun was big and hard and dangerous. But his eyes were warm, and the genuine smile he gave both her puppy and her daughter touched something deep inside.
“Good morning, Addison.”
“Hi, Mr. Calhoun. Hi, Brielle.”
Addie reached a hand to the other girl and tugged her into the apartment, already chattering about what might be in store for them that day.
Jenna had to say something to him, she told herself. She couldn’t stand here all day simply gazing at the man.
“Good morning,” she said, forcing a smile to hide her sudden shyness.
“Morning. Sorry we’re a little late. We misplaced a tennis shoe.”
“I think the Brambleberry House ghost hid it from us,” Brielle said from the sofa, where she and Addie were now sitting, heads together, petting Theo. “I swear, I looked in that closet four times before we finally found it, right in front of us.”
“But our ghost usually doesn’t tease,” Addie said, her voice perfectly serious. “I don’t know why she would hide your shoe.”
Brielle shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe she doesn’t want me to go to day camp.”
“Or maybe,” her father said mildly, “you didn’t look hard enough in the closet and your shoe was there all along.”
“I did look, though,” his daughter insisted.
“Well, you found it and you’re here now,” Jenna said with a smile. “Did you pack a lunch? If not, I made an extra PB&J.”
Wes handed over an insulated lunch bag. “This one is turkey and cheese, along with some carrots and grapes and a small bag of chips.”
“Sounds delicious.”
“I’m still figuring out the sack lunch thing,” he admitted.
“You seem to be doing great.”
“I guess I should find my own tennis shoes,” Addie said.
“Yes. You should,” Jenna said. She had only been reminding her daughter to finish getting ready for the past half hour.
“Maybe the ghost hid my shoes, too,” Addie said, looking thrilled at the possibility. “Maybe the ghost doesn’t want either one of us to go to science camp. Maybe she doesn’t like science.”
“Before you start spreading any unfounded conspiracy theories about our poor Abigail, go look in your closet,” Jenna said.
“You can come help me find them,” Addie said to Brielle. “Four eyes are better than two. That’s what my mom always says, anyway.”
“Okay,” the other girl said cheerfully. The two of them hurried, Theo close on their heels, toward Addie’s bedroom door, decorated with drawings of unicorns and flower gardens, along with the occasional bloodthirsty, jagged-toothed dinosaur.
Their departure left her alone with Wes, she suddenly realized.
There was no reason for things to be awkward between them, she told herself. Yes, they had shared a kiss, but they had dealt with it after it happened. Surely they could go back to being friends now, right?
“She’s a great kid,” Jenna said.
“Yeah. I really lucked out in the kid department. Even with the divorce and all the mess of the past three years, Brielle is great. I thank heaven for it every day.”
“Children can be fairly resilient. After my husband died, I was so worried about how it would impact Addie, but she seems to be doing okay, so far.”
She couldn’t resist knocking on the intricate woodwork of the door frame, which earned her a smile from him.
She did not tell him that while she certainly had worried about Addie losing her father at a young age, she had also stressed about how her daughter internalized their summer two years earlier when they had fled to Cannon Beach. They had been forced to use assumed names, to change their hair color, to be cautious about everyone who came into their tight circle.
She didn’t want to share that with Wes, though. That was in the past and she refused to let Aaron Barker take up any more space in her present or her future.
“It’s a nice day so we’ll probably walk the three blocks to the community center where the camp is based. Is that okay with you? I’m multitasking and walking Theo in hopes of wearing him out so I can get some things done around here today.”
“Sounds like a plan. Thanks again.”
“The forecast calls for more rain this afternoon, so I’ll probably drive to the center to pick them up after day camp.”
“I’ll be here soon as I can after work.”
“No rush. The girls are getting along great and I don’t mind having Brielle here at all.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it. I’m definitely going to owe you dinner.”
She shook her head. “You don’t. This is what friends do for each other, Wes.”
His gaze met hers in a searching look that left her slightly breathless.
“I was worried you might not want anything to do with me and Brielle after that kiss the other night.”
She studied him, surprised by the note of uncertainty in his voice. Was it possible that he had been left as disconcerted as she was by their kiss?
“Don’t be silly. It was only a kiss.” She knew that was a vast understatement. It had been much more than that for her. The words stunning and earthshaking seemed more appropriate. “It shouldn’t have happened and we both agree it won’t happen again. But it’s no big deal.”
He didn’t answer immediately. “I’ll try to keep my hands to myself but I’m very attracted to you and...it’s been a long time for me.”
His hands had shaken when he touched her, she suddenly remembered. The memory made her toes curl.
“Same here,” she admitted. “I guess it’s a good thing neither of us is in the market for a quick fling.”
“I don’t know. I could probably be persuaded.”
Her gaze flew to his. Though his tone was sober, there was a sparkle in his gaze, a little devilish glint that made her give a startled laugh.
“So could I, truth be told,” she admitted. “But it’s not a good idea, right? We’re neighbors. Our daughters are friends. I would hate for things to become messy and awkward between us.”
After a long moment, he sighed. “I know you’re right. But I don’t have to like it. It was a really amazing kiss.”
She could not disagree.
The girls came out of the room before she could answer.
“Guess what?” Brielle exclaimed. “We found Addie’s shoes right away. I guess it was only my shoe that Abigail hid.”
“Whew. Good thing.” He smiled again at his daughter with so much warmth and affection, Jenna’s toes curled again.
“I’ve got to go. I’ll see you all later.”
Brielle gave her father a brilliant smile. “Bye, Dad. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Have fun at camp. Learn all you can about science so you can teach me stuff.”
“Okay. But you already know lots of stuff.”
“I’m always willing to learn more.”
Before he left the apartment, Wes sent Jenna a look that had her wondering exactly what kind of things he knew...and regretting that she would never have the chance to find out.
After she walked the girls to the community center and checked them both into their day camp, Jenna decided that morning was too beautiful to go straight home.
On impulse, she decided to head down to the beach with Theo and walk home along the seashore.
She and Addie had already discovered the dog loved the water. After his initial hesitation, Theo had become a big fan, dancing through the little waves and sniffing every sand mound and seaweed tendril along the beach.
The morning was cool and lovely as they walked along the hard-packed sand close to the water’s edge. They certainly weren’t alone on Cannon Beach, but it was far from crowded, like it could be on a July afternoon.
A couple of teenagers flew colorful trick kites on the sand and a few hardy souls played in the water, though she considered it still too cold for comfort.
Sometimes Jenna still had to pinch herself to make sure she really was lucky enough to live here, beside the Pacific.
She loved the ocean and found it both invigorating and, conversely, calming.
She wasn’t sure if she could ever return to her home state of Utah. While she loved the mountains there, Oregon had mountains, too, whenever she might need a fix.
Utah held plenty of sad memories. She had lost her husband there, had worked to rebuild her life, then had fled, abandoning everything because of one selfish man who didn’t know the meaning of the word no .
Here in Cannon Beach, she had found peace. Had it been perfect? No. But she had found friends and a community here. Everyone here had been kind to her from the moment she moved into Brambleberry House.
They had nearly reached the beach below Brambleberry House when she spotted a familiar figure moving toward them from the opposite direction with a beautiful Irish setter pacing protectively beside her.
“Rosa!” she called as they approached. “Hello! How are you, darling? And how are you, Fiona?”
“Jenna, my friend. Hello.”
Rosa’s serene features lit up with happiness. Her friend was round and lovely, her pregnancy giving her a graceful beauty that Jenna loved to see.
“Who is this little sweetheart?” Rosa asked with a smile.
“This is Theo. He’s a rescue dog we picked up last week at the shelter. I’ve been promising Addie we would get a dog forever. I finally ran out of excuses.”
“He is beautiful. I am so happy for you and Addie. She must be thrilled.”
“They adore each other,” Jenna said. “It’s been really sweet to see. How are you feeling? Do you need to sit down? There’s a bench over there. Let’s stop for a minute and visit. We haven’t had the chance to talk in forever.”
After a moment’s consideration, Rosa nodded and made her way to the bench, where she lowered herself down, still graceful despite her advanced stage of pregnancy.
“I am trying to stay active like my doctor says I must do, but it is not easy at this stage. Every day, moving becomes a little harder.”
“I remember too well. I was in my first year of teaching when I was pregnant with Addie. Before she was born, I was so miserable. I wasn’t sure I would be able to survive it.”
“I am the same. I am ready to turn over the store to Carol.”
Their mutual friend Carol Hardesty worked full-time at Rosa’s gift shop as the assistant manager. She was competent and efficient but didn’t have Rosa’s business sense or her creative approach to retail management.
“I’m happy to take a few extra hours during the summer if you need me to,” Jenna said. “I can go to three days a week during the busy summer season, if that would help.”
Rosa made a face. “It is not necessary. We talked about this. You need to slow down, now that you are done with your school classes. You should take time to enjoy your summer a little bit instead of always working, working, working.”
This was the first year of her life that she had decided to take an actual summer break. She still worked twelve to sixteen hours a week at the gift shop, but compared to previous summers, when she had worked full-time and taken extra classes so she could accelerate her advanced degree, that seemed like a breeze.
She knew she would love having time to catch up on projects as well as plan ahead for the next school year.
“I don’t mind working, working, working if it will help you out,” she said to her friend, to whom she owed so much.
“We will be fine. Do not worry. I have other workers who need the extra hours. You enjoy being with your daughter.”
She looked around. “Where is our Addie?”
“Science camp. I am just heading home after walking her and Brielle Calhoun there.”
“Brielle. This is Wes’s daughter.”
“That’s right.”
“How are you getting along with my new tenant?” Rosa asked.
Jenna remembered the heat of his mouth on hers, the scent of flowers and pine surrounding them as they kissed. She did not meet Rosa’s gaze. They had been friends since being paired together as college roommates and Rosa knew her too well. Would she be able to tell the situation had become...complicated?
“He was nice enough to change my car battery a few weeks ago when I had trouble. His daughter is staying with him full-time for the next few weeks while her mother is out of town, so I’m helping out with some gap babysitting.”
“That is very neighborly of you. I am sure Wes appreciates your help.”
“He seems grateful.”
“He is very handsome, do you not think?”
Jenna gave a casual shrug she suspected did not fool Rosa for a moment. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really noticed. He’s just the neighbor who lives upstairs.”
Rosa made a disbelieving sound. “I do not believe you. How can any woman not notice a man like that? I am very happily married to my Wyatt and so huge I cannot see my toes right now. And still I would notice someone like Wes Calhoun.”
Jenna could feel herself flush. For a moment, she was tempted to confide in her old friend about that kiss two nights earlier and the heated dreams that had left her aching and alone in her bed.
In the old days, they used to wake each other up in their dorm room after dates to talk long into the night. She had told Rosa everything, though she suspected her friend had not ever been entirely truthful with her.
But they were not college students now. She was a grown woman, a respected educator, with an eight-year-old daughter. It seemed undignified, somehow, to dish with her landlady about the gorgeous guy who lived upstairs—even if that landlady was her dearest friend.
On the other hand, she could really use some advice.
She gazed at the dogs, now digging in the sand, probably on the hunt for a crab or some other poor creature.
“Okay,” she admitted. “I noticed.”
“Ha. I knew it!” Rosa looked inordinately pleased with herself. “I told Wyatt I thought maybe it would be good for you to have such a handsome man living upstairs from you. You spend too much time alone.”
Jenna frowned. “Seriously? You were trying to matchmake when you rented the apartment to Wes?”
Her friend tried, and failed, to look innocent. “I would not say matchmake. Maybe just give you a little, what is the word, nudge .”
Jenna gave Rosa an exasperated look. “I don’t need a nudge. And I certainly don’t need someone to matchmake for me, especially not with a man like Wes Calhoun.”
Now it was Rosa’s turn to frown. “How do you mean, a man like Wes Calhoun? What is wrong with him?”
She sighed. “Nothing is wrong with him. As I said, he seems very nice. He’s a good father and clearly loves his child. He has been very kind. He has even given me a few training tips for Theo, who adores him.”
Rosa laughed. “See? There you go. Dogs are very wise. They see into the heart of a person. If you find Theo does not like a man, that is when you should be nervous about him.”
She wasn’t sure she was ready to let a dog vet the men in her life. On the other hand, she also wasn’t sure she could trust her own instincts about men, considering what happened with Aaron Barker.
“I don’t believe that’s scientifically proven, Rosa.”
Her friend made a dismissive gesture. “Maybe not science. But I have seen it myself. I would never have considered dating anyone if Fiona did not approve. The men she did not like always proved to be someone I did not like, either.”
“But do I really have to base my dating decisions on the opinion of a puppy whose favorite thing in the world seems to be sniffing the behind of any other dog who comes along?”
Rosa laughed. “Fine. You may have a point. What does our Abigail think of him?”
Jenna rolled her eyes at Rosa’s mention of the woman believed to haunt Brambleberry House. “I don’t know. I’ll have to ask her. So far, she hasn’t seemed inclined to discuss the matter with me.”
“She will let you know if she approves.” Rosa smiled, then suddenly winced and rubbed at her protruding abdomen.
Jenna didn’t miss the gesture. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Fine. I am having a few twinges, that is all. For the most part, this has been an easy pregnancy, though Wyatt is nervous enough for both of us.”
Jenna adored Rosa’s husband, Wyatt, who had temporarily lived downstairs from them when Rosa lived on the third floor. Wyatt was a police detective and she considered him one of the good guys, especially after he had worked so hard to make sure Aaron Barker received a lengthy prison sentence.
They sat for a moment on the beach overlooking the sea. Finally Rosa sighed. “This is so lovely but I should probably go. I have an appointment in a short time.”
Jenna hugged her friend. “Take it easy on yourself. And remember that I’m more than willing to help out if you need me to take additional hours at the store.”
“I will remember. Thank you, my dear.”
Rosa whistled to Fiona, who returned to her side, then the two continued on their walk while Jenna did the same with Theo, heading up the beach toward home.