Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Her phone chirped on her nightstand at 5:30 the next morning, like it did every work day. Jess seized it and switched off the alarm, then silently began to slither her way out of Kevin's grasp.

He tightened his hold around her waist, pressing her back to him. "You really thought you could get away that easily?"

She huffed out a laugh. "As Zach says, I have to keep making that bread."

"Do you mean that literally or financially?"

"Um…both?"

He laughed, his breath warm against her neck. He kissed her shoulder. "Five more minutes?"

She groaned. "Then five minutes turns into ten and then I'm late and rushing to walk Honey before heading to the shop—"

"I'll walk Honey with you."

She pried his hand from her stomach and shot out of bed before he could grab her again. She slipped on a sweatshirt. "It's okay, you sleep, I'm used to the early mornings—"

Kevin flipped the sheet over and moved to sit at the end of the bed, wrapping his hands around the backs of Jess's knees and pulling her body flush with his. "Jess, you're doing it again."

Her shoulders melted at how quickly he realized her tendency to push him away, even before she realized she was doing it herself. She ran a hand through his tousled hair, his morning bed head making her heart twist in her chest. "Walk with me then."

He smiled up at her, teeth and all, and it made her want to crawl back beneath the sheets and stay there with him the rest of the day. She watched as he stood up, slipping on his sweatshirt and shorts he'd laid out on her armchair in hopes of drying them out, then grasped her hand and followed her out of the house. Honey tugged on the leash, pulling them closer and closer to the beach.

"Seems she didn't get enough yesterday," Jess teased, following the puppy onto the sand. "Usually we walk a lap around the block."

"Maybe she's feeling brave to try new things, too," he rumbled.

She peered up at him, watching his eyes roam her face. His skin glowed from the early morning sunlight that broke across the horizon, the rising sun waking up the bay around them.

Honey pulled on the leash again, aiming for the water, causing Jess to practically topple over into the sand. Kevin laughed as he caught and steadied her, then took hold of the leash. "I think she'll be okay if we let her run free for a few minutes."

Her eyes widened. "I don't want to lose her again."

"I won't let that happen, I promise" he reassured her. He unclipped Honey's leash and let the pup run for the edge of the shore. The two of them chuckled as she pressed tentative little paws into the water then yelped from the cold and jumped back.

Fingers brushed her chin as Kevin guided her to look him in the eye. "Do you want to tell me why Charlie was here last night?"

She frowned. "Do I have to?"

"I think at this point I deserve to know what's going on, yeah?"

She loosed a breath. "Okay, yeah."

Honey growled at a hermit crab close by, then laid her belly down in the sand, her eyes intent on the crab as it scampered across the broken shells.

Jess kept her eyes on the pup and took one of her deep breaths, avoiding his gaze. He taught her what it meant to be brave, to go for the things you wanted even if it seemed scary, even if there was a good chance everything would fail. The past twelve hours she let herself do the same, let herself open up and be vulnerable. So she held on tightly to that new kernel of bravery in her soul and swung the door open wide.

"When my dad took on Mr. Sullivan as a business partner at Cap's, everything about my life changed. Cap's was no longer going under, and for the first time that I could recall, we had money to spend. We moved into a bigger house and we got a second car and I no longer had to wear Dakota's hand-me-downs. And we hung out with the Sullivans—a lot. They came over every week for family dinner, and I always sat next to Charlie. We became best friends, and then, we became something more."

The smell of freshly baked shortcakes and bright strawberries came to mind as Jess thought about her first kiss with Charlie, tucked away next to the kitchen. Even in the beginning, they were hiding.

"At the time things felt off between my dad and his. They bickered constantly and at some point, the Sullivans stopped coming for family dinners. I was afraid that if we told them about us we would make it worse, so we didn't say anything to our families. We kept it a secret for a little while, sneaking away when we thought no one noticed.

"We finally decided to tell them when junior prom came around, but had no idea about what was going on behind the scenes. Apparently Mr. Sullivan was slowly writing my father out of the business. He'd started taking business meetings without him, brought on vendors and employees without his consent, made deals with high-paying clientele, and had all these plans for expansion. My father was technically still the owner, yet he only found out about these things through word of mouth in town, so he fought Charlie's father on it constantly. Then…they had the meeting."

She sighed, curling a hand into a fist. Kevin brushed his knuckles against hers, his touch reassuring. She linked her pointer finger with his, her eyes drawn to their hands.

"Mr. Sullivan decided to go through the books, dating all the way back to when dad opened the place in 1997. He hired some lawyers to make a case for ousting my dad, and it was a strong one. My dad was more of a people person, not a business person, and Charlie's dad used all this legal jargon to essentially deem him irresponsible and unfit to run a business. They offered my dad a hefty sum to buy him out and leave Cap's for good."

Kevin exhaled audibly, shaking his head. He squeezed her finger with his.

"When I told my family I was dating Charlie, my father…he sort of lost it," she breathed. "He said the Sullivans were manipulative and he didn't trust Charlie to take care of my heart, so he refused to let me go to junior prom with him. Banned me from seeing him again."

She shook her head, looking out at the horizon. "We had to get more creative about sneaking around, sliding out of windows and down trees late at night, faking being in after-school clubs so we could have a few hours to drive off and be free. The more we did this, the more angry I got with my father. The only side of the story I was getting was from Charlie's perspective, who told me what his father said: that my dad was running the business into the ground, that it was for the best that they went their separate ways. I believed him. I believed them. I truly thought it was all my father's fault."

Honey bounded over to her and nuzzled her wet, sandy nose at Jess's ankle. She dipped down to wipe off the sand, then dug her face into Honey's golden fur, letting the salty smell of her pup ground her for the next excruciating part of her story. The night that changed everything.

She stood back up and faced her golden boy, shining in the soft morning sunlight. "Toward the end of my senior year, my mom caught me sneaking out. Dakota was home from college at that point and…it was the night from hell. The three of them were screaming at me, so disappointed that I would go behind their backs, that I had been lying to them for over a year. I said nasty things to my father about how this was all his fault, that none of this would have happened if he'd just been better at his job. He said nasty things back…he—he said I was no daughter of his, that he never wanted to see me again. So I left. I lived with the Sullivans for a week, and then Mr. Sullivan said I could move into one of the apartments he managed in town after graduation."

Anger heated her cheeks. "Charlie was so stoked, he made it sound like it would be our place, that we finally had our freedom. But it wasn't really. I was his plaything when he was home, when he was not required to be with his parents. It was always them first, me last. By the time he really moved in after college, I felt neglected. But I dealt with it, thinking that's what it meant to be in a relationship with someone you love. Yet now…"

Kevin reached up and cupped her face, drawing her close. She quivered from the softness of his touch, the way his thumbs brushed against her cheekbones.

"Now I realize that I don't think it was love, I think it was dependency," she whispered, her body shaking as she shared a truth that was finally dawning on her, like the midnight moon breaking through a cloudless sky. "I had no one else, and nowhere to go. I was too proud and stubborn to go back to my family, because deep down, I wanted them to come to me. I still want my father to apologize for the things he said, to make things right. But I know I hurt him, too. And that's what scares me the most. That I lost five whole years with them all for a man who didn't take care of my heart, just like Dad warned."

She wrapped her hands around his wrists, leaning into one of his palms. "Last night, Charlie came to me begging again to get back together with him—"

" Again ?!"

She winced. "Yeah, he tried contacting me while we were in New York."

Jess watched as Kevin worked to school his features, trying to act calm when he clearly wasn't. "And what did you say to him?"

"I turned off my phone because I had other, more important things to do."

He snorted, then pulled her close and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "And last night?"

She smiled, her lips brushing against his. "I called the one person who has always been there for me, and he came to my rescue."

He sealed his lips to hers, running his hands through her hair. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stood up on her tiptoes as his hands slid down and gripped her waist, holding her up so he could kiss her thoroughly.

The jingling of Honey's tags as she pattered up to them pulled Jess from the spell. "I have muffins to bake."

"Fuck the muffins."

Kevin pressed in again, slipping a hand inside her sweatshirt and up her spine, sliding it around to her chest.

She laughed into his mouth and stepped away, shaking her head as she began walking back toward the cottage. "As hot as it is to listen to you swear when you want to get it on with me, I do not want to fuck the muffins."

"Okay fine…then want to fuck me?"

" Kevin! "

He laughed, clicking Honey's leash back on her collar and bounding up the sand, sliding an arm around her waist and tucking her close to him. He kissed her temple. "Thank you for telling me all of that, sweetheart."

She beamed at him. "You're the only person I trust right now."

He hesitated before he gave her that golden smile and squeezed her hip.

Jess swung the door open with her hip, balancing a large tray of peach streusel muffins in her hands.

Zach handed a customer a light green matcha latte, a new menu offering he'd insisted on. Jess had been skeptical when he suggested it a few weeks back, but it seemed everyone loved matcha—hot, iced, even in their baked goods. She attempted a batch of matcha latte cookies last week and they sold out in a matter of minutes.

He waved as the customer left, then held out a piece of paper to Jess. "You got a call about a cake order."

She cocked her head as she placed the tray of muffins down on the counter, then reached for the note. "We don't make cakes."

"This customer said they used to get them from you at Post Road. I think they're hoping you'll make an exception."

"They could go to Scoops?"

"If they want an ice cream cake, yes…but they were insistent on a regular cake. From you."

She looked down at the slip in her hand, not recognizing the name. But the order was simple enough—red velvet, cream cheese frosting, red frosted trim, happy birthday written on the top. "I haven't baked a cake in a while. I kind of miss it, to be honest."

Zach gave her a genuine smile. "Then it looks like you made your decision."

The bell at the front door jingled as Blake stepped in, nose pink from the blazing August sun. He walked up to the counter and leaned against it. Zach curled a hand around his neck and gave him a kiss. Blake's freckled cheeks flushed at the gesture.

Jess smiled as she placed the baked muffins into the display case.

Zach pinched Blake's chin, pulling his face up to meet his gaze. "Hey, want to see a magic trick?

"Mmmm."

Zach chuckled, then cocked his head to the side. "Hey, Kevin, come here for a second?" he called.

Jess stood up, then glared at Zach. Blake's brows pinched together in confusion as Kevin jumped up from where he was crouched in front of a bike. Kevin wiped his hands clean with the rag hanging from his back pocket as he approached, toeing his way around the counter.

Immediately his hands were on Jess, one tugging the belt loop of her jeans, the other at the nape of her neck, drawing circles on her skin.

Blake's eyes widened.

"Did our shipment of cups come in yet?" Zach asked casually, his eyes dancing with mischief.

Jess continued to glare at Zach, who looked mighty proud of himself.

"Not that I know of, but I think Jess can track it down? She places all the orders."

Zach gave her a devilish grin, a dimple tucked into his left cheek. "Right, my bad. I forgot."

Kevin chuckled, then tightened his grip on her neck and twisted her head up to face him. The tension in her shoulders melted away as she scanned the smile across his lips.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi back. Want a muffin?"

"Me and the muffins are currently not on speaking terms."

She chuckled as he leaned in and kissed her, smiled, then kissed her again before letting go and returning to the bike he was fixing.

Blake sputtered, unable to form a full sentence.

The bell at the door jingled again. Rory chased Honey into the shop as Calvin held the door open for Melanie.

Blake jumped, pointing a finger at them with a stupid grin on his face. "I know something you don't know!" he singsonged.

Rory froze. "Hot gossip?"

" Steaming hot."

"Blake…" Jess warned.

She watched Calvin as he turned to Kevin. A knowing look passed between them, then Calvin smirked and fist-bumped his friend.

"Mmkay I'm not doing this," Jess snipped. She slid the glass display case closed and beelined for the kitchen door.

" Jessica , come here!" Kevin pleaded, jogging in her direction.

"Nope."

She was halfway through the door when he caught her wrist. He pulled her back and right into his arms, then rubbed his nose against hers. "They were going to find out eventually."

She growled, which only made him laugh. He cupped her face and kissed her, and everything melted away again.

Squeals came from the other side of the shop. Jess opened her eyes and saw Melanie and Rory clinging to one another as they jumped up and down, ecstatic.

She coughed and stepped around Kevin. He caught her waist before she could get too far and stepped right behind her, wrapping an arm around her stomach.

"So you guys boned, right?" Rory asked.

Jess shook her head. "I'm not answering that, you're a child."

"Hello I am eighteen and dating a hot football player, do you really think I—"

She cut her off. "Please, for the love of god, do not finish that sentence."

Rory smirked. "But in all honesty…your one-night stand? Was it…"

Kevin tucked a flyaway behind her ear, his eyes burning into her. "She couldn't help but come back for more."

" Oh my god ," Jess groaned, slapping his hand.

The rest of them howled with laughter. Jess felt her face go hot as she attempted to squirm out of his reach, but with no luck. He steered her right back in and gave her another mind-melting kiss that practically had her forgetting her own name.

"Wow, okay, yeah, you definitely boned," Rory teased.

"I am such a big fan of this," Melanie swooned.

"And I knew before you did!" Blake cheered.

Jess gave them a shy smile and gave in to the moment. She leaned the back of her head against Kevin's chest. "Why are you all here? I didn't know it took four of you to walk a dog."

"Tyler's coming home this weekend," Rory said. "I forced Mel into planning a bonfire with me so we could all hang tomorrow."

Melanie handed Jess the leash. "Do you guys want to come? We'll be at Sandy Cover after Scoops closes."

She flicked her eyes to the small cork board hanging on the back wall and surveyed the sage green invitation tacked to the center.

Kevin must have noticed where she was looking, his hands rubbing up and down her arms.

"I think—I think I need to go to this family thing tomorrow," she answered timidly. "Not sure how long it will go, so…maybe."

Zach asked Melanie if he should bring anything and the group launched into bonfire details, but Jess's chest was too tight to pay any attention, her gaze still hyperfocused on that piece of paper.

Kevin dipped his head down to her level, placing his chin on her shoulder. "You okay?"

She took a deep inhale, then let out a slow breath. "Will you go with me tomorrow?"

"To the shower?"

She nodded.

His voice wavered at her request, but she was patient. She knew asking him to hop into her family drama with her was a lot , to say the least. She tried telling herself she would be fine without him, that she could face it alone. But she was sick of being fine . She didn't want to be afraid of asking for what she wanted, and right now, she wanted him. And she really didn't want to be alone.

"Are you sure?" he finally whispered in her ear.

"I'm sure."

He sighed, then kissed her cheek. "Okay, my dear Jessica. I'm in. Let's finish this list of yours together."

She grinned, not caring if the Scoopers were watching as she turned to face her golden boy and folded her arms around him in a fierce hug.

Jess sat in the passenger seat of her car the following afternoon, her legs bouncing as Kevin drove them closer to the house she hadn't seen in five years. She wrung her hands and tried to do her breathing technique, but nothing calmed her. Her nerves had her sweating through her sundress, the fabric sticking to her skin and the bottoms of her chunky sandals sliding against her feet.

A warm hand glided against her thigh, then squeezed.

Kevin was awfully quiet after they left Port Wheels earlier, wearing his collared short-sleeve and khakis. She expected him to make jokes or say something to make her feel better. But he remained silent as he drove to her childhood home.

He turned onto her street and inched forward. Cars were parked along the road leading up to the house. Jess peered through the windshield and saw an arch of green and yellow balloons fastened to the porch, a glittery Oh Baby! sign above it.

Kevin parked the car at the end of the line and killed the ignition. He leaned back and sighed, closing his eyes.

Jess crossed her arms. "What's going on, Kevin? I'm shocked you saw that sign and didn't immediately scream oh baby !"

He sighed. She watched as he rubbed his neck, which was a dark shade of red.

Is he embarrassed? Nervous? she thought. Was it wrong of her to ask him to come?

"If this is too much, I understand," she whispered. "I can go in there by myself…I can do this alone."

"I know you can, sweetheart," he muttered back. "But I want to be here for you."

"So then what is it?"

He rubbed his face, then finally looked at her, his hazel eyes dim. "Jess…there's something I need to tell you."