Chapter 5
Five
Dan spotted Kara immediately when he walked into the inn’s dining room the next morning.
He’d never stayed anywhere with fewer amenities, but the breakfast buffet was excellent and the atmosphere relaxing as all hell.
From what Grant told him, his mother believed in less-is-more when it came to relaxing on Gansett Island.
He had to admit he was as relaxed as he ever got these days and was enjoying his stay very much.
Dan glanced toward the table by the window, where she sat reading a book as she sipped from a mug. He couldn’t see her face, but the distinctive red-gold shade of her hair was her calling card.
Leave her alone.
What fun would that be?
The internal debate raged on as he filled his plate with scrambled eggs, home-fried potatoes, bacon and a cheese Danish.
He’d come back for some fruit and yogurt to offset the cholesterol bomb.
Breakfast buffets were his favorite thing when he traveled, and this one was as decent as anything he’d seen in big cities.
He carried his plate and coffee through the dining room, stopping next to her table. “Is this seat taken?”
She barely spared him a glance. “Yes, my husband will be back in a minute.”
“You don’t have a husband.”
He loved the haughty look she gave him. “How do you know that?”
“I just do. Besides, you’re not wearing a ring.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“My eggs are getting cold.”
“There’re plenty of seats.” She gestured to the large room that was only half full of patrons. “Knock yourself out.”
“I don’t like eating alone.”
“It’s my favorite thing.”
Oh, he liked her. He liked her a lot. “If I promise to be quiet, can I sit with you?”
“Are you capable of being quiet?”
“Usually when I’m asleep.”
Was that the start of a smile, or was it wishful thinking? He took the opening and the empty seat at her table.
She never looked up from her book.
Did this count as having breakfast together?
To him, it did.
He tried really hard to keep his promise to be quiet, but he couldn’t help being curious about her. “How long are you here?”
As she turned the page, she tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear.
His mouth went dry.
Nothing about that innocent movement was sexy, and yet…
“Day after tomorrow.”
“Me, too. You want to share a car to the airport?”
“I drove here.”
“Oh. Right. How long of a drive was that?”
“Five hours.”
“To Maine? I wouldn’t think it would be that far.”
“How do you know I’m from Maine?”
“I asked about you.”
“Weirdo.”
“How does that make me a weirdo?”
“Because I told you I wasn’t interested.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not.”
“I’m sure this charm offensive works really well for you most of the time.”
He gave an insolent shrug. “My track record is pretty good.”
She rolled her eyes. “Leave me alone. I’m busy.”
The more she tried to blow him off, the more interested he became. He’d never been a masochist before, but she could turn him into one.
He took a bite of the delicious Danish. “What are you up to today?”
“Is this what you’re like when you’re being quiet?”
“Just making conversation.”
“After you said you wouldn’t. Typical man.”
“That’s hurtful.”
“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?”
He couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. She was different from every other woman he’d ever met, and he was captivated.
The book closed with a thump as she collected her things and stood. “Have a nice day.”
“Wait!”
She turned back, brow raised.
“You want to hang out today?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t.”
And with that, she walked away.
Dan watched her go, marveling once again at how faded denim had never been so sexy. In his wallet, he found the business card Grant had given him for his father’s friend Ned Saunders, who owned rental houses on the island, and gave him a call.
“This here’s Ned. What can I do fer ya?”
Dan liked him already. “Hey, Ned, I’m a friend of Grant McCarthy’s, and I’ll be spending some time here. I heard you’re the go-to guy for rentals.”
“Ya heard right. When will ya be on the island?”
“I’m here now. You got some time today?”
“Fer a friend of Grant’s, I got all the time in the world.”
“Where should I meet you?”
“I’ll be at McCarthy’s Marina bullshittin’ with the guys till about noon, and then I’m free.”
“I’ll meet you there. Is the bullshitting open to outsiders?”
“Sure as hell is. Everyone’s welcome.”
“Great. See you soon.”
Kara went upstairs to her room on the third floor and gave the door a satisfying slam.
The man was insufferable. With all that wavy dark hair, mischievous eyes and those damned dimples, he was probably used to women falling at his feet.
She wasn’t the kind of woman who fell at anyone’s feet, especially after what she’d been through with Matt.
After that ordeal, she was set on being single for life. Anything was better than giving your heart to someone and watching them—not to mention your own sister—stomp all over it. No, thanks. She wasn’t going down that road ever again.
She’d planned to get out and see more of the island, but now she was afraid of running into him in the hotel where they both were staying.
Reading in her room was better than chancing another encounter with a man who was so full of himself, she already knew exactly who he was after spending all of twenty minutes in his presence.
Who needed the aggravation that came with men and relationships?
Not her. Not anymore. She was done with all that nonsense.
She had a whole new life on Gansett to look forward to, even if the long winters gave her pause.
In fact, she could take off to somewhere warm for the off-season if need be and pick up a bartending job to make ends meet.
Much to her parents’ dismay, she’d tended bar for years in Bar Harbor.
The skill had served her well in the past, and she wouldn’t be afraid fall back on that again if needed.
Whatever it took to steer clear of Maine, hopefully for the rest of her life.
Kara had only had that thought when her brother Kirby texted to see how she was doing. She’d always been closest to him and appreciated him checking in. It’s great. I love it here. Can’t wait to move.
Do you have to wait until spring to move?
The question hit her like a smack in the face. Why would she wait when Mr. McCarthy—Big Mac—had said the apartment was available now? She had enough money saved to get through the winter if her dad refused to pay her when she wasn’t actually working…
I don’t have to. Thank you for the reminder.
Seriously don’t blame you for getting the hell out of here. I would if I could.
Nothing says you have to work for the family business for the rest of your life.
Been thinking about that a lot lately. I keep wishing our family was different, but they’ll never change. Kelly proved that.
Indeed she did, and I know how you feel. It makes me sad, too. I see my friends posting about their close bond with their siblings and wonder why we don’t have that. I met a family here that hangs out together as adults—willingly.
Whoa. LOL
I know!
We’ve got the families we’ve created for ourselves here, but you’re right, nothing says we have to stay put forever.
I hope you’ll come visit me on Gansett.
I will. Glad for you, sis.
Thank you! I’m glad for me, too.
Kara stood, stretched and walked over to the window. Was that him strolling down the hill toward the marina? Of course it was. Even his stride was cocky. Knowing he was out of the hotel had her grabbing her coat and keys to get out of there while the coast was clear.
Dan loved the third house Ned showed him so much, he offered to buy it from him.
“How do ya know yer gonna like it here?”
“I just do.”
“Isn’t yer whole life out there in La-La Land?”
“Are you trying to talk me out of buying this house from you?”
“I’m just makin’ sure ya haven’t lost yer damned mind. Not much goes on around here most of the year. Ya know that, right? No movie premiers or fancy-ass events or any of that other stuff you people do out there.”
Dan knew Ned was being serious, but he couldn’t help laughing. “You don’t have a very high opinion of us SoCal people, do you?”
“What the heck is a So…”
“It’s short for Southern California.”
“I gotcha, and I ain’t got nothin’ against ya or anyone else who likes it there. I’m just sayin’ it’s a lot different here.”
“That’s what I like about it. I’ve been working straight out for years. It’d be nice to kick back in a place like this any chance I get.”
“Heard what ya did for Stephanie’s dad. Read up on yer career. Pretty impressive stuff.”
“Thank you. It’s been rewarding.”
“Rewardin’. Ha! That’s one way a puttin’ it. Yer gettin’ people outta jail. That’s somethin’ else.”
“It feels good to right a terrible wrong. So what do you say? Are you going to let me buy this place from you?” He could smell the salt air and hear the ocean in the distance, similar to Malibu, but without the hype and pretense.
“Not only will I sell it to ya, I’ll give ya a heck of a deal. But I need a little favor…”
“What’s that?”
“My daughter Tiffany…”
“Tiffany Sturgil, right?”
“That’s her. That sumuvabitch she’s married to needs a swift kick in the arse. I know divorce ain’t yer thing, but if there’s anythin’ you can do to get him outta her life, me and my missus would owe you forever.”
“I’m working on that for her and will do anything I can to make that happen as quickly as possible.”
The older man released a deep sigh. “Thank you, Dan. The guy’s a lawyer, too, ya know? Thinks he’s the smartest guy in any room he walks inta. She helped put him through law school, workin’ two jobs, and as soon as he starts makin’ money, he ain’t got no time fer her. Ya know the type?”
“Sad to say I do, and I promise you, he may think he’s the smartest guy in the room, but he ain’t got nothin’ on me.”
Ned’s lined face and bushy white mustache lifted into a big smile. “I like that. Let’s go find a beer and talk some turkey.”
When Dan returned to Los Angeles for the winter, the place didn’t look the same to him after his time on Gansett Island.
And he thought about Kara far more often than was probably healthy since she hadn’t given him the time of day or anything else when he saw her on the ferry back to the mainland.
She’d kept her nose stuffed in her book and hadn’t looked up once.
He knew that because he’d stared at her the whole time, hoping she might spare him a glance.
She hadn’t, which had only made him more interested in getting to know her.
He laughed as he jogged on the beach in Malibu, thinking about how she’d turned him into a masochist who only wanted more of her particular kind of abuse.
Last night, Grant had mentioned in an offhand comment that Kara had come back to the island shortly after they both left and was now living there full time.
Ever since he’d heard that, all he could think about was how soon he could return to his new place on the island where she now lived, too.
She hadn’t shown the first bit of interest in him, so why was he still thinking about her?
Why was he not responding to texts from any of the women he saw regularly in LA?
Why did he say “no, thanks” the night before last when a woman had come on to him when he was dining alone at the bar of a restaurant near his home?
Kara Ballard had cast some sort of wicked spell over him.
That was the only possible explanation for why he felt like he’d been struck by lightning when Grant casually mentioned that she’d moved to the island to stay.
Now he couldn’t un-know it. He couldn’t think about anything other than how long it would be until he might see her again.
He’d almost confided in Grant about his unhealthy obsession with Kara, but he’d feared Grant wouldn’t take him seriously. And why would he when Dan had gone through women one right after the other since his engagement blew up in his face in spectacular fashion?
Before Grant had moved home to Gansett and fallen in love with Stephanie, he’d jokingly called Dan a manwhore, which wasn’t entirely accurate, but it wasn’t entirely wrong either.
His goal had been to stay unattached and untouched by love or romance or any of the bullshit that went with it. For the last couple of years, he’d done a fine job of that, until one night in Luke Harris’s kitchen, when a gorgeous woman wearing Levi’s jeans had turned his world upside down.
Now he was obsessed with knowing more about her, while she probably wished he’d drop dead and leave her alone.
The only thing keeping him in LA was a court calendar that could choke a horse. He had commitments through February.
After that, he’d take a sabbatical and head back to the island to write his book and see what he could do about that gorgeous woman with the prickly personality who’d turned him into a fool over the course of thirty minutes in her presence.