Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Elle always forgot how dark it was in Chances Inlet at night. And quiet. The only nocturnal sounds were the muted chime of the grandfather clock in the inn’s music room and the crash of the waves where the Atlantic pounded the beach a quarter of a mile away. One would think it would be easier to fall asleep without the never-ending soundtrack of New York City at night.

Except it wasn’t.

She’d managed several more chapters in West’s book, but the descriptions of battle and explosives weren’t exactly conducive to a peaceful night’s rest. Hanging her head over the side of the bed, she double-checked that her shoes and emergency clothes were tucked neatly beneath the nightstand. Too bad her nightly safety net didn’t provide its usual reassurance.

“Argh!” She kicked off the covers and grabbed the pile of clothes.

A walk always did the trick. She tugged on her leggings and pulled a sweatshirt over her sleep camisole before toeing on her sneakers. Two minutes later, she slipped out of the secret staircase smugglers and bootleggers once used to sneak in and out of the inn undetected. Her brothers had discovered the hidden passageways shortly after their father began the restoration of the centuries-old home a decade earlier.

Elle loved that she could come and go from the inn without disturbing the guests. Her family hadn’t grown up there, so it felt a little awkward to share the space with strangers when she came back to visit. Her mother and Lamar lived in the carriage house behind the main house. Perhaps they were still awake, and her mom would make Elle her favorite tea. She always knew what to say and do to calm Elle’s racing mind.

The carriage house was dark, however. Elle glanced at her phone.

10:40.

Breakfast came early at the B & B. No doubt her mother was fast asleep. A walk would have to do.

She sucked in a deep breath of the night air, tasting the salt from the nearby ocean. Her feet were moving before her brain registered the route. Several of the houses in town were already decorated for the holidays. Though she suspected Mr. McDaniel kept the lights in his towering pine tree up year-round and simply plugged them in after Halloween. Still, the familiarity of the gorgeous big tree with its colorful lights dancing in the night sky was comforting.

Three doors down, the lights were on in the garage-turned-workshop. One of the windows was open to the night air. Elle peeked in. Hayden stood with his back to her, meticulously brushing stain across the top of what appeared to be a table.

The image stole her breath. She was transfixed watching the muscles in his back move beneath his T-shirt as he worked. Lord, have mercy. When had his biceps become so pronounced? Or his shoulders so broad? Hayden had always been fit. His passion for distance running saw to that. Tonight, though, he appeared to be more ripped than usual.

“Are you going to lurk out there all night like some Peeping Tom, Belle? Or are you coming in?” he said without turning around or missing a stroke.

She sighed a laugh. The man had always possessed a sixth sense. She crawled through the open window, where she was immediately greeted with an enthusiastic meow as a cat rubbed up against her legs.

“Nice to see you, too, Beula.” She reached down to give the silver British Shorthair beauty a scratch between the ears. “It looks like life has been treating you well.”

Hayden snorted. “She’s a skilled con artist, this one. She managed to convince my aunt she hadn’t been fed today and got herself a second dinner.”

Beula swished her tail smugly. Hayden dropped the brush in a bucket and wiped his hands on a towel. Elle dragged her fingers over a cabinet that would look gorgeous in one of the Tribeca lofts her brother designed. The rest of the workshop was filled with equally beautiful furniture.

“You’ve been busy,” she remarked.

“You didn’t come crawling through my window this late at night to do inventory, Elle. What gives? Are you still having trouble sleeping? I promise you’re safe here,” he reassured her gently.

This was why the man was her best friend. He got her. At first, Jeremy—the guy she once thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with—made fun of her nighttime idiosyncrasies. Then he’d belittled her about them, telling her she needed to grow up.

Easy for him to say. He hadn’t been woken up by a 6.9 earthquake in the middle of the night. He hadn’t been stranded in Croatia for days with nothing but the camisole and shorts she’d worn to bed. No shoes. No phone. That wasn’t an experience one got over quickly. Her quirk about needing to be able to grab her clothes and shoes at a moment’s notice was her way of coping.

Except that wasn’t what had kept her tossing and turning tonight. It was the need for a long overdue conversation. She sucked in a breath before she turned to face him.

“Actually, I’m here because I owe you an apology. Hayden, I’m embarrassed and so sorry for the way I behaved last New Year’s. It was?—”

“It was nothing.” He waved a hand in the air. “Don’t even think about it. I don’t.”

He didn’t?

She’d kissed him as though she had the right to and practically begged him for more. And that was just the part of the night she remembered. Yet he didn’t even think about it? She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or insulted.

He must have sensed her conflict because his expression softened. “Elle, you were heartbroken after discovering Jeremy was cheating on you. You’d had a few too many drinks. It happens. I’m just glad it was with me who took you home to sleep it off and not some stranger in the bar.”

Well.

When he put it that way, it made more sense.

Sort of.

“We’ve been friends for practically all our lives. I would never think less of you for what went down that night,” he added.

Relief washed over her at his words. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I’ve missed you.”

The grin he gave her nearly melted her heart. “I’m still here. And still very much your friend.”

Elle launched herself into the familiar embrace of his arms. “I’m so glad you don’t hate me,” she murmured against his chest.

“You know you could have said something sooner.” He braced his hands on her shoulders and stepped back, shooting her a stern look. “You’re important to me, too. Now tell me why you were so weird tonight. Maybe I can help you figure things out.”

She pressed her hands to her eyes. “I was so rude. But this whole thing with West is crazy stressful.”

“Come on,” he said. “It’s late. I’ll walk you back to the inn. You can fill me in along the way.”

He shrugged into a sweatshirt and motioned for her to lead the way out the door.

“He hasn’t finished his book,” she explained once they were on their way. “The publisher thought it would be a good idea for him to get out of New York and find someplace quiet to write. Jeremy suggested my mother’s inn.”

“Jeremy?” Hayden didn’t bother to keep the distaste from his voice. “I didn’t realize you two were back together.”

“Oh, we are not back together. And we never will be. But his grandmother is the publisher, remember? For some reason, the subject came up, and Jeremy mentioned the Tide Me Over Inn.” She shrugged. “Beats me why he’d want to throw business my mom’s way.”

Hayden scoffed. “West might turn out to be the guest from hell.”

Elle laughed. “He can be quite contrary. And I was sensing some strong undertones from Lamar.”

“His book has rankled some veterans.”

“Ah. I’m just working my way through it now. Honestly, my only concern is that the man finish it. He doesn’t have time to be distracted by all the Christmas activities in town.”

Hayden steered them past a tree root sticking up in the path. “I thought you were a reporter. Since when is it part of your job to watch over authors who are late on their deadlines?”

“Apparently, my skill set involves helping others. Who knew?” she joked. “The truth is, if I can help West finish his book on time, there’s a huge opportunity waiting for me back in New York. I’ve been offered the position as a lifestyles columnist at Vantage .”

He whistled. “Wow, Elle. That’s fantastic. And it’s about time.”

She felt herself puff up at the enthusiastic way he responded. “Mm-hmm. I’ll finally be doing something tangible with my life.”

Hayden let out a groan. “Not this again. You’ve got to stop measuring yourself up against the Fab Four. Any job you choose is tangible, as long as it fills you up and you enjoy doing it.”

“Oh, this job will check all those boxes.” At least she hoped so. “I’ve already got some fun ideas.”

They were silent for a long moment as they came to the part of the path that stretched parallel to the beach. It was low tide, and the ocean was peaceful. Moonbeams bounced off the waves as they crawled toward the sand.

“And best of all, it’s in New York,” Hayden eventually said.

“Of course. That’s where all the action is.”

“I don’t remember it being on your radar growing up. I wondered if you might relocate someplace else after things fell apart between you and Jeremy.”

He was right. Elle had never imagined herself living somewhere as big as New York City. She’d tested the waters one summer while in college when she interned for Cosmo , but the city’s allure eluded her back then. Elle only followed Jeremy to New York after the Peace Corps because she assumed what they had would last forever.

It hadn’t.

The hustle and bustle of the city had grown on her, though, so she stayed. Given that she still hadn’t decided what to do with her life and her career options were limited to her job at Vantage , she saw no reason to live anywhere else right now.

“It’s not like I’d ever come back to Chances Inlet. Besides, it’s hard to envision the future when you’re a kid,” she replied. “Neither of our lives turned out how we expected.”

She realized how insensitive her words were as soon as they left her mouth. Between the two of them, Hayden’s life was the furthest from anything either of them imagined. A stupid, thoughtless act changed the trajectory of his future in high school, sending him into the military and combat, where he’d lost not only his leg, but also a promising future as an athlete.

Elle slipped her hand into his and attempted a subject change. “Tell me about what you’ve been up to this past year. More importantly, how was your date with Livi tonight?”

He squeezed her hand. “It wasn’t a date. She bought the captain’s desk from Knotical today and wanted to see what else I have in stock.”

“Seriously? I love that piece. I’m not surprised Livi liked it. She has excellent taste. I am surprised your mom agreed to part with it, though. It’s the centerpiece of her store.”

They meandered up the long drive, still hand in hand.

“I’ve long since given up trying to figure out how my mother’s mind works.”

“Same. But I can tell you from a woman’s perspective, Livi seems very into you.”

He made a rumbling sound.

It was her turn to squeeze his hand. “I’m serious. You two look very cute together. You should definitely seek out some mistletoe while she’s in town.”

“That’s enough out of you, Belle.”

“Can I help it if I want to see you settled with someone who is not only nice, but has impeccable taste in shoes?”

When they reached the inn, he tugged his hand away. “I’m perfectly happy with my life just the way it is.”

It was difficult to make out his expression in the dark, but his tone seemed to hold a smidge of bitterness.

“Got it,” she said, not wanting to upset the truce she’d just negotiated. “No matchmaking my best friend with anyone while I’m here for Christmas.” She smiled broadly. “I’ll just be happy you’re still willing to have me in your life.”

Hayden mumbled something as he looked at the sky. “You were the one who misread the situation,” he said when he looked back at her again. “You were never out of my life. And you never will be. What happened last year didn’t mean anything. Let’s go on as we always have and forget about it.”

“Mmm,” she said, because really? Did he have to keep trivializing it by saying it didn’t mean anything? Was her kiss that bad? She decided to ignore her ego and embrace the happiness she felt at repairing their relationship.

“Will you be able to sleep?” he asked.

Elle nodded. Like he said earlier, she was safe here. And she and Hayden were going to be okay.

“Good.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m glad you’re home. I’ll see you at the starting line of the Turkey Trot.”

She opened her mouth to object. She wasn’t in shape for a 5k. He put a finger to her lips.

“No excuses. It’s a holiday tradition.”

Everett trailed his finger along the delicately carved wreath adorning the wooden Santa’s head.

“You would love this one, Keeley. He looks a lot like the Santa we picked up in Belarus that Christmas. He’s carrying the same ornate staff and has similar pearls embedded in his coat.”

He set the Santa back down on the desk in the dark office with a sigh. The bundle of Keeley’s journals resting in his messenger bag continued to taunt him. Two years later and he still couldn’t get up the nerve to read them. He reminded himself he needed to get over being chickenshit if he wanted to fulfill his contract.

Opening those journals would be like opening Pandora’s box, though. As it was, he was hanging on by a thread emotionally. A sound outside pulled him from the inner debate that plagued him day and night.

Everett moved to the window. He watched from behind the drapes as a man leaned down and kissed a woman on the forehead. It was the deputy but not the woman he’d left the inn with earlier.

“Well, well, Keeley. It seems there may be more to Gidget’s story than meets the eye.” He chuckled to himself. “Of course, you’d adore her. Another spunky redhead who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s fierce, like you.” He wrapped his fingers around the back of his neck. “Perhaps her resemblance to you is what has me so off-kilter. Helen had to know how the young woman would rankle me, damn her.” He slumped down into one of the desk chairs. “I miss you, my love.”

Everett sipped his drink and watched the deputy walk away from the inn. He couldn’t help but notice the other man looked as lonely as he felt.

Hayden enjoyed his coffee to the tune of more holiday music the following morning. This time it was Amy Grant singing “Tennessee Christmas.” Next to him, Simone was practically making love to a cranberry scone.

“Mmm,” the woman moaned. “Tatum, these are so good, girl. But you know I’m jonesing for your eggnog loaf. You’re killing me, making me wait a whole year for a slice.”

“Not until after Thanksgiving,” Tatum Fisk, the owner and chef of the Queen of Hearts Bakery said. “They wouldn’t be special if you could buy one every day.”

“As a fan of Thanksgiving, I thank you for not rushing the season,” Hayden said.

“I swear this guy is worried everyone will forget the Turkey Trot or something.” Simone mocked him with a bow. “No one will take away your champion’s crown, Lovell. Don’t worry. It will be safe for yet another year.”

Tatum chuckled. “Speaking of championships, he’s gunning for the gingerbread house-making medal, as well. Rumor has it, you and Elle McAlister used to dominate that one, too.”

Simone’s eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead. “You are making gingerbread houses this year? With Elle?”

“No.” Tatum answered before he could. “With the decorator, Livi Turner. She talked him into it last night when they stopped in here for dessert.”

Hayden groaned at Simone’s over-the-top reaction of feigning choking. He smacked her on the back.

“Whoa, ho.” She coughed out the words. “Dessert with the decorator. And gingerbread house making. Does Elle know about this?”

A customer at the counter flagged Tatum down. “Don’t answer that until I get back. I want to hear the answer.”

No way was that happening. This town was already up in his business way too much. He grabbed his travel coffee mug and headed through the door linking the bakery to the Java Jolt. A quick refill, and he’d be on his way back to the office. Unfortunately, Simone was right on his heels.

“I told you Livi was interested in your pieces,” she teased. “Did she get a peek at all your good stuff last night?”

Hayden handed his mug to Lois, the geriatric proprietress of the coffee shop, who filled it without question. “Seriously, Simone, can you fixate on someone else’s life for once?”

The woman blinked. “Just when yours is starting to get interesting?” She shook her head. “Nah.” She winked at Lois. “Our boy here is about to get tangled up in a love triangle.”

“For crying out loud, Simone. I told you, there’s nothing going on with me and Livi.”

“Does she know that?”

Now both women were arching their damn eyebrows at him.

“And I notice you didn’t rule out something going on with Elle,” Simone continued.

I want to see you settled with someone nice.

The “just not me” was implied. He was good enough to make out with when her heart was broken, and that was all.

“I don’t have to rule anything out. Everyone knows Elle and I are just friends.”

Best friends without benefits.

Elle’s future was in New York City, “where the action is.” Hayden’s life was here, in Chances Inlet. End of story.

Lois snorted at his terse response as Simone’s walkie began to squawk.

She groaned. “It’s the day before a holiday, and people are playing bumper cars in the Walmart parking lot.” She pointed a finger at Hayden as she headed for the door. “This convo isn’t over, big guy.”

Hayden went to take his travel mug back from Lois, but the woman held it tight in her gnarled fingers. “For such a smart man, you can be so dumb.” With her words of wisdom imparted, she released his mug and went to wait on another customer.

When he turned to follow Simone out of the shop, he was surprised to find Everett West seated at one of the bistro tables, staring him down over a steaming cup of coffee.

Hayden gave the guy a nod. “Good morning, Mr. West.”

“Deputy.”

The correspondent’s snarky tone immediately had Hayden’s hackles up. Why the hell was the guy lingering over a cup of coffee at the Java Jolt when he should be finishing his damn book? From what Elle told him, her promotion depended on it.

“Don’t tell me they ran out of coffee at the inn?”

West’s smirk seemed to grow. “No. I enjoyed my first two cups of Lois’ coffee very early this morning. I thought I’d pop into town and meet the sorceress who whips up this delicious brew.”

He winked at someone beyond Hayden’s shoulder, presumably Lois. Hayden’s annoyance grew.

“Well then, you should be well-caffeinated and ready to work.”

West tapped his fingers on the laptop case on the table. “I do some of my best writing in quaint places like this one.”

Hayden suppressed a growl. No wonder Elle had lost her temper with the guy yesterday. West wasn’t going to goad him into something, though. That wouldn’t help Elle. He adjusted the campaign hat on his head and gave the man a half-hearted salute.

“I’ll let you get to it.”

“Oh, I plan to, deputy. But first, I’m going to mosey next door and sign up for that gingerbread house-making contest.”

“You’ll need a partner, Mr. West.” Lois eyed the man hopefully.

“I’ve already paired up with someone, my dear. But being new in town, I could use some folks in my cheering section. Can I count on you?”

The normally stoic barista nearly swooned when West launched a smile at her. The muffin Hayden had just devoured threatened to work its way back up. He needed to get away from the guy.

“Have a nice day, Mr. West,” he said as he pushed open the door.

“I’ll see you at the Turkey Trot tomorrow, I presume,” West said. “It’s a good thing I brought my running shoes.”

It’s on.

He didn’t trust his words right now, so he simply nodded and hurried out of the coffee shop.