Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Caitlin stepped inside Tidal Wave Coffee, her face lit up in a grin. She was there to surprise Michael with one of his favorite meals from The Crab so they could eat lunch together. They’d both been so busy the past few days that she hadn’t gotten to see as much of him as usual, and she was looking forward to spending a little time alone with him.
Michael was standing behind the counter when she walked in, his brow furrowed in concentration as he looked down at a note he was writing. She hurried over to him, and when he looked up and saw her, his face lit up.
“Hey!” He was grinning from ear to ear. “What are you doing here?”
He hurried out from behind the counter and wrapped her in a hug. “I’m so happy to see you.”
He dipped her back in a big kiss, and she laughed breathlessly.
“I wanted to surprise you with some lunch,” she said, lifting up the to-go bag she was holding. “Are you on your break soon?”
“I will be in just a little while. We had an accident with one of the oat milk cartons this morning, and we’re running low now. I just want to run down to the grocery store and grab a couple of liters to tide us over until the next shipment comes in. I’ll meet you back here in ten minutes?”
“Perfect.” She gave him another quick kiss. “I’ll set up our lunch on one of these tables.”
“You’re amazing,” he said, and grinned at her as he hurried out the door.
Humming quietly to herself, Caitlin began to arrange their lunch on the table. She had almost finished when the door of the coffee shop opened again, and a woman stepped inside.
Caitlin glanced at her curiously. The woman was clearly a surfer—she was very fit, and wearing a black wetsuit that had a hot-pink floral pattern on the arms and legs. Her long blond hair was tossing around her shoulders in perfect beach waves, and her skin was flawlessly tanned. Caitlin guessed that this woman likely turned every male head when she walked in a room.
Caitlin smiled at the woman for a moment and then turned back to her work. To her surprise, the woman approached her, smiling eagerly.
“Hi!” she said. “I’m looking for Michael O’Neil. Do you know where I can find him?”
Caitlin’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Why was this woman looking for Michael specifically?
“He’s not here right now, but he’ll be back soon. Can I help you?”
“Oh, I’m not here for coffee, thanks.” The woman laughed confidently. “I have a great deal of catching up to do with Michael.”
“Oh?” Caitlin was taken aback. She felt uncomfortable with the overly-familiar way this woman said her boyfriend’s name. “May I ask your name?”
“Janelle Pierce.” She offered her hand for a handshake, and Caitlin took it.
“I’m Caitlin Lewis. What brings you into Blueberry Bay?”
“Oh, various things.” Janelle smiled. “I’m officially here to visit my parents, but I also wanted to check some other things out. Like the beach here.”
Caitlin nodded. “Sure. Do you surf?”
“Yes.” Janelle laughed lightly. “I’m a pro surfer.”
Oh, she must be one of Michael’s surfing friends , Caitlin thought, trying to smooth out her emotions and the way she felt uncomfortable. That’s nice. She seems nice.
At that moment, Michael returned to the coffee shop. He stopped dead in his tracks the moment he saw the other surfer standing there.
“Janelle! What are you doing here?” He glanced from Janelle to Caitlin, looking uncomfortable.
“Well, right now I’m here to see you.” Janelle tilted her head coyly and flashed a gorgeous smile at him. “How have you been?” She stepped forward and gave him a hug.
Caitlin stiffened a little, but although Michael didn’t reject the hug, he didn’t return it fully. He stepped back from it quickly, clearing his throat.
“What brings you into town?” he asked.
“I’ve come back to compete with you on the waves, just like old times.” She winked at him. “Why else?”
Michael, still looking uncomfortable, turned to Caitlin. “This is my friend Janelle. We knew each other years ago.”
“Friend, huh?” Janelle pretended to be offended. “We didn’t just know each other. We dated.”
She placed a hand on Michael’s shoulder, and he promptly stepped away from her.
“Come on, let’s go talk somewhere,” Janelle said. “I’m sure your employee can handle this place by herself.”
It took Caitlin a second to realize that Janelle was referring to her. “I’m not his employee,” she stammered.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Michael said, and gave her an adoring smile.
“Oh!” Janelle looked from Michael to Caitlin. “Oh, wow. Nice to meet you.” She grinned at Caitlin, and the way she didn’t seem at all bothered by the news that Michael was dating Caitlin was a little worrying.
Caitlin knew it wasn’t reasonable to be jealous. She’d always known that many women were attracted to her muscular, handsome boyfriend, and that he was known around town as being a huge catch. Also, she knew that he’d had a life before he met her that involved past partnerships, just like she’d had other relationships in the past as well. But in spite of all that, her skin prickled a little bit. She didn’t like the way Janelle was still flirting with Michael even though she knew that Caitlin was his girlfriend.
And the truth was, she felt a little insecure next to the other woman. Janelle was athletic and charming, and beautiful in a flashy, supermodel kind of way. Caitlin didn’t know what to say.
“I guess I’d better be going,” Janelle said, eyeing the table of food that Caitlin had set up, seeming to realize what it was for the first time. “I’m going to my parents’ house for a late lunch. But I’ll be in town for a while. You should expect to see a lot of me in the next few weeks, Michael.” She flashed him another smile and left the coffee shop.
Michael turned immediately to Caitlin. “Don’t worry about her,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “She likes to, uh… sweep in and make a statement.”
“She certainly succeeds,” said Caitlin dryly.
He chuckled. “But she exaggerates everything. I mean, we didn’t even date for very long. Like I said, don’t worry about it.” He gave her a warm kiss on the cheek. “You want to sit down and eat?”
“Sure.” She smiled at him, and they sat down. They chatted comfortably together while they ate. She had a good time, for the most part. The food was delicious, and Michael was as sweet and fun to talk to as he always was.
In the back of her mind, though, she couldn’t stop thinking about Janelle.