Chapter 2

2

"Vivi?" Stacey opened the door to Vivian's new room. Two towers of boxes were still stacked in the corners amongst her furniture. No pictures or curtains had been hung yet, giving it a stark look. Stacey would have to address that soon, but not right now. Vivian was sound asleep in the middle of her bed, wrapped in a pink blanket like a burrito.

Smiling, Stacey moved next door to Elijah's room, which was in a similar situation. The walls had already been a medium blue when Stacey had bought the beach house, and Elijah had been so excited that he'd immediately claimed the room as his own. He'd started that process quickly, a scattering of Legos already on the floor in front of the dresser. Much like his sister, he was fast asleep on his bed, his feet hanging off the edge of the mattress and a teddy bear tucked under his arm. Stacey gently scootched him over so his feet wouldn't be asleep when he woke up.

"They're out like little lights," she said as she stepped into the kitchen. "I can't say I'd mind a nap myself."

"That's one option." Stacey's mother, Carol, had just finished putting away a load of groceries. "I think we should allow ourselves a little more fun, considering the kids are taken care of. We've been working our asses off to get moved into this new place."

Stacey leaned on the counter. The kitchen was much smaller than the one she'd left behind in Newton, but that was the point of this move. Everything was a bit smaller, simpler, and easier to take care of. "I don't think I have the energy for anything fun."

"We've literally got a beach in our backyard. If we don't take advantage of that on a regular basis, then why are we here?"

Biting her tongue against a sarcastic retort, Stacey could see her mom's point. "All right. Let me get my bathing suit on."

A short while later, they stepped out the back door and off the deck. A short fence surrounded the yard, but a gate allowed them onto the sandy beach. Stacey took a deep breath of the fresh, salty air as they made their way out to the chairs they'd set out earlier, taking in the gorgeous view. She'd always thought Cape Cod was gorgeous, but she'd never imagined she'd actually be living on this little curl of land.

"I know there were some downsides to my job at Martin Marketing?—"

"More than I can count on my fingers," Carol interrupted.

Stacey ignored her. "But sometimes, things really do work out. I met Jeanette there, and I never would've gotten the tip on this house if it hadn't been for her. We snapped it up before it even went on the market, and it couldn't be more perfect." Most beach homes in her budget had been far too small for herself, her children, and her mother. The bigger ones were ridiculously expensive, and Stacey felt they'd found the sweet spot with this adorable home on a quiet beach.

"I'm glad you're happy, dear." Carol reached over and patted Stacey's arm. "And I'm happy that you brought me along. It's nice to spend time with the kids, and it's refreshing to see you actually relaxing for a change."

"It's not like I never relaxed," Stacey replied, settling into her chair and tipping her head back to enjoy the afternoon sun.

"Wearing sweatpants during a remote meeting doesn't count," Carol reminded her. "You've always been a workaholic. It got you far in your company and gave you savings to live off of for now, but it's not good for anyone to work all the time. You've got to let go and feel the breeze on your skin. Speaking of." Carol sat up and peered each way down the beach before she flicked the clasp on her swimsuit top.

"Mom! What are you doing?"

Smiling, Carol settled back. "I haven't gone topless since the seventies, and I think it's about time I let these girls see the light of day again."

"You can't just sit here topless !" Stacey hissed. She put one hand over her face, remembering all those moments back in school when her mother had embarrassed the hell out of her by being so easygoing. Some kids wanted a mom who didn't have a care in the world, but only because they didn't know what it was like.

"Says who? No one's watching, anyway," Carol replied. "Even if they were, who cares? We're all human. We all have bodies, and they're nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, you should give it a try."

"What?" Stacey squeaked, appalled at the idea. "I could never."

"Really, honey," her mother encouraged. "It feels fabulous. Loosen up a little."

Stacey sighed. She felt the tug of her wide swimsuit straps as they dug into her shoulders. Her left boob had always been a bit bigger than the right and didn't sit very well in the cup. Yes, it probably did feel fabulous, but that didn't mean she was going to do it. "I'll pass, thank you very much. What if someone sees? We're brand new here."

Carol winked. "Then I'll try to make a good impression."

Just as she was about to continue arguing, Stacey heard the whine of an electric engine. She turned to see a side-by-side ATV driving up the beach right toward them. "Mom!"

"Oh, you're such a fuddy-duddy. Maybe he's here to enjoy the show." Carol lifted a hand and waved.

The ATV pulled to a halt. "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to cover up."

"How am I supposed to get my tan even?" Carol asked with a wink. "There's plenty of sunshine for my whole body, you know."

He looked away and down toward the sand, his face reddening by the second.

It was bad enough that anyone had seen her mom sitting topless on the beach, but Stacey quickly took in the man's khaki uniform and the National Park Service logo on the door of the ATV. "Will you just do as he says? He's a park ranger!" Stacy whispered harshly.

"There's nothing wrong with having a good time, is there?" Carol asked.

"There's a local ordinance against nudity," the ranger explained, sounding much calmer than Stacey felt. "You're welcome to head down to Longnook Beach. The entrance to the nude sunbathing area is about a ten-minute walk south of the entrance."

"It seems a shame to go that far when—" Carol started.

"Besides," the ranger continued before she could finish her argument, "this is private property."

"Yes, it's actually my property," Stacey started to explain. She didn't want to take responsibility for her mother's actions, nor did she want to get on the ranger's bad side. This probably wouldn't be their last run-in with a ranger since they were on the Cape Cod National Seashore.

The ranger's head swiveled, and he locked eyes with her. Those dark orbs seemed to stare straight into her soul. "It is?"

She gaped for a moment, trying to pull herself together enough to answer. He was handsome, of course. That much she could tell as soon as he'd pulled up. His broad shoulders strained at his uniform shirt, and the muscles of his arms showed beneath his sleeves. His hat hid most of his dark hair, but not the cropped salt and pepper beard over his nicely squared jaw. That wasn't it, though. Stacey had seen plenty of handsome men in her life, and she'd never gotten all soft in the middle over one of them. "Um, yeah," she finally managed to eke out. "I just bought the place right behind us."

"Hm." The ranger glanced to his right at the house and then back at her. "I didn't realize the house had sold. I hadn't seen any for sale signs."

"Well, there weren't any." That brief moment of him looking away had been enough for Stacey to catch her breath. She picked up Carol's top and flicked it at her as she stood from her lounger. "I had some good connections, and I was able to negotiate a sale before it ever went on the market."

That firm jaw she'd been admiring tensed, making the cords in his neck stand out for a moment. "I'm surprised. I suppose that means I should welcome you to the neighborhood."

"Oh, do you live around here?" Stacey was horrified that her first encounter with any of the locals was not only with a ranger but with someone who had come along at such an embarrassing moment. She'd give her mom a piece of her mind later, but right now, she might as well make as good of an impression as she could. There might not be any saving the moment, but she'd try. Stacey put on her customer service smile. "Maybe you could tell me a little about the area. We're still getting unpacked, and I haven't even introduced myself to the neighbors yet." She nodded at the big house next door with the gambrel roof.

He looked at it as well and seemed to be hesitating when he looked back. "You have, actually. I live there. My name is Dylan Brigham."

The late afternoon sun was catching his eyes now, making it impossible to ignore the shades of brown and dark gold. Stacey felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. Whether that was because she'd just been humiliated in front of her new neighbor or because he was so good-looking, she didn't know. "Stacey. Stacey Williams. And this is my mother, Carol."

Carol waggled her fingers in the air once again.

"Nice to meet you, ladies," he said with a nod, although his tone suggested it wasn't nice at all. "I've got to get going, but I'm sure I'll see you around."

"A little less of us than I'd prefer," Carol grumbled as she adjusted her swim top. "How about that? A park ranger right next door. I figured it was some rich couple's summer home."

Stacey flopped back down onto her lounge chair. Any chance of relaxing she might've had before was completely gone now. "I can't believe it!"

"Me, neither. He's just as much of a stick-in-the-mud as you are." Carol laughed heartily when she saw her daughter's face. "Relax, Stacey! It's not a big deal. He didn't write me a ticket or anything."

"But he's our next-door neighbor," Stacey reminded her. "We'll see him all the time, and the only thing he'll think about is you swinging those things around like you're at Woodstock or something."

"Oh, if only I were old enough to have gone. What a good time that would've been! Anyway, I'd think you'd be happy to see such a sexy guy living next door. You came to the beach to get away from your busy job, but maybe you could find yourself a new man, too."

The sun was sinking ever so slowly toward the horizon on Cape Cod Bay, and the calm seas splashed like bathwater on the sand. Stacey wasn't enjoying any of it. "I don't need a man, and even if I did, it definitely wouldn't be the neighbor."

"Come on. It's been—what?—three years now since you found out Todd cheated on you? It served him right to lose you, but I'd sure like to see the look on his face if you showed up to drop off the kids and you had that hunk of man meat on your arm." Carol laughed again as she entertained the thought.

"Just stop, Mom." Stacey slumped down against the canvas of her chair. "I came here because I wanted to spend time with the kids while they're still young, not to run off with the first hot guy I see."

"So you admit he's handsome," Carol challenged.

"I have eyes," Stacey retorted. "Look, it doesn't matter. I bought this house to change my life and figure out what I really want for myself. It was for the good of both the kids and myself, and I don't need to drag anyone else into it. "

Carol tented her fingers over her now-covered chest. "Other than me?"

Stacey smiled. "You were dragged into it forty-two years ago when you gave birth to me. Too bad for you!"

"Trust me. I can handle it."

They sat back in their beach chairs and enjoyed the warm rays of the sun until it was time for dinner.