Chapter Three
Connor returned to his apartment, showered, and had started the Keurig when the front door opened, and Jason entered, carrying a white pastry box.
With the morning’s chaos, Connor had forgotten to get donuts. During his walk home, he couldn’t get his mind off Abby with her sad brown eyes, standing amidst a renovation disaster.
“Mornin’, bro,” Jason called out.
“Hey. You were reading my mind,” Connor said, and popped in a second coffee pod.
“Can’t have a meeting without sugar to go with our caffeine.”
“You know it.”
They’d closed on the Pelican Bay location of Maguire Brothers Renovations a week ago. Since then, he and Jace had worked tirelessly on the renovations. The advantage of buying older buildings was you could get them for dirt cheap. The downside was many of them had the original of everything, and required a full overhaul.
Jace and he had a system that started with a morning meeting over breakfast, where they touched base on projects and discussed each of their plans for the day. After, they’d spend a couple hours working on their place, before moving to other work.
Going into business with his brother had been the best thing he’d done. Connor’s life had been in a serious tailspin when his mom moved him and Jace to Tampa after Hurricane Samantha nearly destroyed Pelican Bay almost ten years ago. The two-bedroom bungalow his family had rented at the south end of the town was only a block from the beach and had sustained too much water damage to be livable. With no savings, his father MIA, and nowhere to live, his mom reached out to her brother, Tom, who offered to put them up while they figured out their next step.
The first year in the Sunshine State had resulted in Connor spending two stints in rehab for a substance abuse disorder that had started in high school. The forced rehab had given him nothing but time to evaluate his life and figure out what he wanted. After he got through the worst part, he’d realized there was more to life than partying and his next fix. He’d been clean ever since.
Once released after the second round of rehab, he focused on working with Jason at a construction company. Sure, sometimes the temptation for a quick fix crept in, but Connor learned to recognize the signs and would fit in a meeting or call his sponsor. He also communicated to his brother when he was feeling edgy. Jace was a tremendous support and would listen if Connor wanted to unload his worries or join him in a yoga class.
When they’d saved enough, they’d started their own business flipping houses. A few years later, they’d gotten noticed by a TV network and received an offer to host a home improvement show called Beach House Flippers.
Their reputation at flipping houses, along with a desire to help their hometown, was what brought them back to Pelican Bay a few months ago. Thanks to the resources from Beach House Flippers, they’d filmed a season of the show around renovating Erickson Fun Pier, which had sustained serious damage in the storm.
Damage including loss of the Sun Jet roller coaster, which had fallen into the Atlantic when the boardwalk gave way to the storm. Connor remembered the intensity of the storm and the shock when he learned about the coaster’s demise, including that his brother and friends had been on the pier when it happened. Tyler Erickson and Maddy Kinkaid had been on the coaster when it fell and would likely have died if it hadn’t been for Mr. Erickson, who saved them, even though it cost him his life.
The amusement pier renovation was a key step in rebuilding in order to entice tourists to the barrier island. Once a prime vacation spot for families, the thirty-block town of Pelican Bay had suffered major damage and not recovered. The hype from having Beach House Flippers film on the island had brought awareness to the town and awakened a new interest in not only Pelican Bay but also other small towns along the Jersey coast.
With the pier complete, the brothers turned their attention to other much-needed renovations. Now, Connor and Jason were full-fledged Pelican Bay business owners, having set down roots in their hometown. They’d bought this house to set up as HQ for their business, plus a couple of other properties, including the development where their old house was, and the mini-golf place that had once been the hot spot for kids and families.
“Jenna can’t make our morning meeting. Her boxes are arriving from Florida, and she needs to let the movers into her apartment,” Jason said, reading a text from his phone.
Jenna was one of Uncle Tom’s kids and several years younger than Connor and Jace. Both she and her brother, Kyle, worked at the Maguire Brothers’ Tampa office. Jenna had offered to move to Pelican Bay to get their new location up and running. She was a godsend, handling everything, including speaking with prospective customers, helping manage their schedules and project timelines, getting permits, and assessing potential properties. Whatever they needed, Jenna handled, which allowed Connor and Jason to focus on the actual renovation work.
Connor carried two cups of coffee into the partially complete conference room, which served as their war room. Their first order of business after they bought the space had been to replace the flooring. Now the wide, dark gray planks gave the place a modern look. Framing of the offices and conference rooms was complete, and installation of the drywall was in progress. Thankfully, they were used to working despite the construction zone. Another few days to finish the drywall and they could start painting.
Which reminded Connor of Abby and the painting mess at her place.
Jason removed an apple cider donut from the box. “You surf this morning?”
“Yeah. Conditions were decent.” Connor followed suit and bit into the warm, sweet deliciousness of the most perfect donut ever. Over the years, he’d replaced drugs with sweets, which meant he had to work his ass off to stay fit. Thankfully, his job helped in that area.
“Let me know next time you’re going.”
Connor raised an eyebrow. “You’ll leave your love nest with Emma to surf?”
Jason pulled the pastry box toward him and away from his brother. “Emma doesn’t have a problem when I surf or jog with your sorry ass in the morning.”
Connor chewed the last bite of donut and swallowed. “She was probably on her second cup of coffee and already working on her laptop.”
“She’s more relaxed with the pier opening behind us. Besides, I have excellent distraction techniques to keep her mind off work.” Jason waggled his eyebrows.
He had reunited with his high school sweetheart when they returned to Pelican Bay. Now, the couple were planning a wedding and preparing to renovate Emma’s grandparents’ seventy-five-year-old Victorian home, which she inherited when her grandmother passed away earlier in the year.
After their crappy childhood, no one deserved to be happy more than Jace. Still, a part of Connor envied his brother’s relationship and the future with the woman he loved.
What would have happened if Connor had never left Pelican Bay? Would he and Abby have made things work?
He shook his head to clear the useless thoughts. Abby had made it clear on more than one occasion she wanted nothing to do with him.
“You okay, bro?” Jason asked.
By now, his brother knew how to tell when things were weighing on his mind. And who better to ask for advice than from someone who overcame his own obstacles to find love?
“I ran into Abby today at the beach.”
Jace raised an eyebrow. “She surfing?”
“Running. She tripped and fell. Twisted her ankle.”
“She okay?”
“She couldn’t walk on it. I helped her to her shop and got ice for her. It’s no big deal.”
Connor could feel his brother watching him.
“I know how close you were, so I think it is a big deal. What aren’t you telling me?”
“Her ankle is banged up pretty good. Her shop is opening in a week, and inside is a disaster. Dried paint trays, crap everywhere.”
Jace leaned back in his chair and smiled. “You want to help her.”
Connor hated admitting it, but his brother was spot-on, as usual. “I offered. She won’t let me.”
“Since when has a stubborn female gotten the better of you?”
“Hello. It’s Abby. Have you forgotten how stubborn she is?”
“You can be pretty damn stubborn yourself.”
“It’s different now.”
“Why?”
Connor pushed a hand through his hair. “I guess because I’m different. I’m not the kid she dated, who was constantly stoned and looking for a good time.”
“And?”
“What if she doesn’t like me this way?”
“You’re selling yourself and Abby short, man. Let her get to know a different side of you.”
Could he take his brother’s advice, or was he better off staying clear of Abby the way she wanted? Or maybe she didn’t want him to stay away and was too afraid—or proud—to admit it?
Too many possibilities to think about this early in the day. Connor grabbed a second donut, one of the few things in his life that was welcoming and never let him down.
Abby showered and dressed without putting too much pressure on her injured ankle. Opting to let her hair air dry rather than blowing out the waves, she grabbed coffee and a Greek yogurt, and ate her breakfast while icing her ankle.
She texted Natalie to see when she would arrive. They had a lot to do, and despite what she’d told Connor, Abby wasn’t sure how much physical work she’d be able to accomplish with her injury. Natalie worked full time at the Pelican Bay General Store and picked up a few shifts at Tonino’s Pizza and Pasta on weekends. She’d given her notice at the General Store, but with another couple of days of work remaining, the brunt of the preparation for the grand opening had fallen on Abby’s shoulders.
Poor planning.
Downstairs, Abby limped to the thrift-store desk she’d bought dirt cheap and booted up her laptop. They’d placed advertisements in the local papers for a June seventh opening—a little off the mark from the Memorial Day opening she’d hoped for.
Paper tote bags, business cards, and other promotional materials with the Soap Sisters logo had arrived two days ago and were sitting in boxes. Now, if only they could make headway on the painting, Abby would feel less stressed. Boxes of pretty gray laminate wood flooring sat stacked along a wall. Given their slow progress with painting, Abby was rethinking tackling the flooring until after prime tourist season was over at the end of the summer. At the rate they were progressing, they’d be lucky to finish the painting before opening.
She needed help with the handiwork.
Call Connor.
Abby picked up the business card he’d left, turning it over to finger the number he’d written.
My number. Let me know if you need any help.
His words were tempting. Regardless of their past, Connor would help if she asked. And hadn’t he already offered?
No.
She set the card on the desk. She needed to do this on her own.
Abby had dreamed of opening a shop for years. She’d learned about production, packaging, and distribution while working for a cosmetics company, and planned to leverage her knowledge along with the product line she’d been perfecting.
After a visit home to Pelican Bay a few months ago, and learning the town was preparing to put serious money into renovating the boardwalk, including restoring Erickson Fun Pier, Abby had decided it was time to take a chance on her new business.
An enticing offer had been made to new business owners, including a reduced rent the first year and a lesser discount the second year. After discussing the idea with her mom and Natalie, the sisters signed a two-year lease, with the option to renew.
Erickson Fun Pier had reopened a week ago. Every day since had brought a noticeable increase in visitors to the beach town, especially along the boardwalk. Abby needed to capitalize on the bump in tourists.
But first, they needed to finish the renovations.
The bell on the front door of the store jingled, which meant Nat had arrived. Abby limped to the doorway leading to the main area of the store.
“Hey, sis. What happened?” Nat asked, taking in the ice pack Abby had taped to her ankle.
“Stepped in a hole while jogging on the beach.”
“Wow. How bad is it?”
“It’s swollen, but I don’t think it’s broken. Hurts like a bitch, though.”
“Maybe we should have Mom check it out or get it x-rayed.”
Abby shook her head. “There’s no time. Besides, someone saw me fall and confirmed it’s a sprain.”
Natalie raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
“Connor.” Abby hobbled over to grab the dried-up paint pan and tossed it into a trash bag. She so did not want to have this conversation.
“Connor Maguire?”
“He was surfing and got a firsthand view of my fall.”
“Huh.” Natalie studied her sister. “And?”
“And nothing.”
“Abs, this is the first time you’ve been close to Connor in forever. It wasn’t weird?”
Weirdwas an understatement.
Abby avoided her sister’s gaze. “He helped me back here and got me an ice pack. No big deal.”
“I call bullshit,” Natalie said. “Connor was the one who got away, right? And now you’re telling me being up close and personal with him is no big deal?”
“Drop it, Nat.”
Natalie laughed. “I’ve seen his home improvement show. He’s even hotter than he was when you were together. You had to feel something.”
“I’m over Connor.” Abby picked up a plastic drop cloth. “Let’s get to work. This place isn’t going to paint itself.”
“Fine, ignore me. I forgot I’m talking to the Queen of Denial.” Natalie helped Abby spread out the cloth and move the ladder. “How are you going to paint with your ankle?”
“You paint the top, and I’ll paint the bottom.”
“Can you at least have Mom look at your ankle?”
Abby huffed out a breath. “Fine. I’ll text her later. Pinkie promise.” She held out her pinkie to link like they used to do as kids.
Natalie turned on music, and they worked in tandem throughout the morning, stopping early afternoon for lunch. In front of the large picture window in Abby’s apartment, they ate salads while taking in the scenery that overlooked the boardwalk and offered a prime view of the ocean.
Fluffy clouds dotted the clear blue sky, making it a perfect beach day. The Atlantic sat before their eyes in its full glory. The sun sparkled and reflected off the water, which moved with a synchronous grace as waves rose, crashed, and came into shore. Multicolored striped umbrellas adorned the beach, where families relaxed in equally colorful beach chairs. In the distance, Abby could see a pair of kids tossing a Frisbee and a father helping his son fly a kite.
From Abby’s viewpoint, everyone was laughing and relaxing. Enjoying a day of fun in the sun.
She chugged the last of her iced tea. “You almost done?”
“What’s your hurry?”
“Seven days to opening, Nat. That’s all we have to be ready.”
“I’m well aware, since you downloaded a countdown app on my phone, which reminds me each morning.”
Abby rose and pointed out the window. “Look at all the people on the boardwalk and the beach. Those are all potential customers we’re not engaging with, since we’re not open.”
“Then let’s find a way to engage with them sooner.”
“Any ideas how?”
“What if we hand out flyers and soap samples?” Natalie said.
Abby had been thinking along the same lines. “How, when we’re working in here?”
“Maybe Liam can help.”
“Aren’t you always complaining about how he sleeps until lunch now that school’s out and shows up late or blows off his job at Harrison’s? Besides, it’s soaps. What boy is going to want to hand out soaps?”
“It would only be until we open. Let me ask him.”
“Okay, fine. See what he says.”
Natalie’s phone rang. While she answered it, Abby carried her bowl to the kitchenette and washed it. In the background, she could hear Natalie’s voice rising, a clear sign something was wrong.
“For the love of God.” Natalie stormed over with her own dish and started scrubbing. “I’m losing my mind with that child.”
Abby frowned. “What’s he done now?”
At the beginning of the school year, Liam had started hanging out with a new group of friends. To say it was a bumpy year was an understatement. There had been multiple incidents where Natalie was called by the school. It started with cutting classes and bullying others. Lately it had progressed to minor vandalism and drinking on the property late at night.
Abby braced herself for whatever new drama her sister faced.
“That was Ethan. He caught Liam and his friends smoking pot at the old mini-golf place,” Natalie said.
Ethan Hunter graduated the year before Abby, and had done his own share of hell-raising in his teenage years. He’d gotten his act together, and now was part of Pelican Bay’s law enforcement. He was a friend to the sisters and did his best to toe the line when it came to Liam and his shenanigans.
“Hell. Did he take him to the station?” Abby asked.
“He wasn’t on duty. And since the new owner of the property didn’t cause a problem, Ethan called me to pick up Liam.”
“Someone bought old Mr. Riley’s place?”
“The Maguire brothers bought it.”
Right…of course they did. The town had been buzzing about the Maguire brothers since they returned to town for the pier renovation. Abby couldn’t walk into the market without catching dribs of the local gossip, including speculations on which real estate the brothers would snatch up next.
Probably to spotlight on their TV show.
Natalie dried her hands and grabbed her bag off the counter. “I need to pick him up and deal with this. I’m sorry to bail on you.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll call you later and try to come back before my shift at the store,” Natalie said, and dashed out the front door.
Abby did understand, but whether it was a conference with a teacher, an injury during sports, or a fight at school, there was always drama Natalie had to deal with. It was one concern Abby had about starting a business with her sister.
Being a single mom was tough. Their mom had been a single parent for most of their life, and Abby was a witness to how hard it was to juggle a job and family demands. At fourteen, Liam needed to be accountable for his actions. But even the part-time job he’d gotten at Harrison’s Market didn’t seem to keep her nephew out of trouble.
In the main room of the store, Abby reviewed their progress and considered what she could accomplish on her own. With the left and back walls drying, she picked up where she left off on the right wall. Since she was doing her best not to use the ladder, she painted what she could reach with the roller brush.
Choosing her favorite ABBA playlist, she sang along with the music as she painted. She made her way to the wall facing the boardwalk and was moving the ladder off the plastic drop cloth when she stepped into a puddle of paint. Of course, she stepped in it with her injured foot. When she started sliding, she lunged for the ladder to stop herself from falling, but her reflexes weren’t quick enough. Her feet slipped out from underneath her, and she crashed to the ground, the ladder falling on top of her.