Trapped in Tourist Town (22 page)

“Burke.”

He placed a finger to her lips, shaking his head to keep her from arguing.

“I told you I'm behind you on this. You have dreams. You have an agenda. This way you don't have to worry about finding a place to stay. You can put all your effort behind your coffee shop. Research locations. Figure out startup costs. Then come back to me with a financial plan. I want to be an investor.”

“I ...”

“Yeah, I know. You love me.” He winked.

“I was going to say I don't deserve you.” But yes, she did love him. And as exciting as the idea of having her own coffee shop and living in a gorgeous penthouse in Central Park West was, a part of her was slowly dying.

• • •

Burke never claimed to be a saint. In fact he'd admit to buying a woman (or two, or three) an expensive piece of jewelry solely for the benefits he reaped when they expressed their—gratitude. But to give a woman an apartment? That was a first for him. And something he knew deserved more reflection, when he got up the nerve to explore that touchy-feely subject.

He'd intended to keep it a secret until Cady was all packed and ready to begin her search for a place to live. But during their morning “pillow talk” the other day, he could see her having second thoughts. She was scared and unsure, ready to take the easy way out and abandon her dreams to settle for small-town life. He'd fought the little devil on his shoulder who tempted him to play to Cady's insecurities and convince her to stay.

Pushing her to go after her dreams also meant having to admit that their days together were numbered. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he wanted to spend nearly every waking moment with her. With that in mind, Burke had suggested Cady call in sick to work and spend the day at the beach with him.

Ever since Wallace had been discharged from the hospital, Cady's routine was pretty predictable. Get up at an ungodly hour to bake fresh pastries for the bakery. Open the store at seven a.m. Close the bakery at two p.m. and then spend the rest of the afternoon at her parents' house—until her father kicked her out for being too “helpful.”

Knowing how uber-responsible she was, he figured she'd turn him down for a day of beach bumming. So he was pleasantly surprised when she handed the reins over to her assistant, Sophie. She'd laughed and told him the place would be hers soon, anyway.

The smell of salty seawater and coconut sunscreen was calming. Cady lay on her belly, a huge pair of sunglasses covering her eyes and a scrap of a red bikini not covering the rest of her. Burke tried to concentrate on the paperback he'd brought with him, but knowing that Cady was reading the opening chapters of his first novel was tying his stomach up in knots. He sat up on the coarse blanket, scooting to the edge and planting his toes in the burning sand.

Rolling waves crashed against the shore in a muted roar. Seagulls shrieked overhead and children squealed and giggled all around him. A couple of teenage boys trudged by, kicking up sand as they puffed out their chests and strutted like peacocks. Burke felt his hackles rise when they nudged each other while making eyes at Cady, lying on the blanket.
Back off
—
she's mine
! He made like he was about to stand up, putting the fear of God into them with a fierce look. One kid slapped his buddy on the back and they ran off toward the water.
Yeah, you'd better run.

Burke shaded his eyes with his hands and stared hard at the spot where the ocean met the sky. He was in unchartered territory here. If it weren't for his nanny growing up, he wouldn't have a clue what genuine love and affection even looked like.

He'd told his father he hadn't wanted to ever hear from him again. The man had backed off, apparently offering the CEO position to someone else. That was fine. But Burke was curious as to what explanation his mother was given. He'd expected to hear from her by now. Not because she missed the sound of his voice, but to give him a hard time about not taking over his familial duty.

It should bother him how little he cared whether he ever saw either of them again. Instead, it was the idea of saying goodbye to Cady that consumed his waking thoughts and rendered most nights sleepless. She'd wormed her way into a heart he hadn't realized he had. She made him feel things he didn't know he could feel.

“Oh my gosh, Burke. This is so good!”

Cady scrambled to a sitting position and gripped his bicep excitedly. Grunting, he turned to give her a skeptical look.

“I'm just glad I'm reading this in the bright light of day. Because if I were reading it before bed, I wouldn't be able to sleep for weeks.” Her eyes were dancing with excitement.

“You're just saying that.”

“I'm saying it because I mean it.” She slapped lightly at his shoulder. “Stop being your own worst critic.”

“Thank you. For reading what I've got down so far, and for giving me your honest opinion.”

“You should have my dad read this. He loves the macabre. And he could use something to keep him busy so he doesn't try to overdo it.”

“Whoa, no way! It was hard enough working up the nerve to let you read it. I don't think I'm ready for anyone else to see it just yet.” He kissed her cheek to soften his words.

“You're going to have to let your baby out into the world someday. And I'm here to tell you that you are going to make some editor a very lucky person to have discovered you. When you're ready, show it to Bree … or Wynter. Oh! I bet Quinn might have contacts at her publishing house. Couldn't hurt to try.” She bounced on the sand-covered blanket.

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her he loved her. His chest tightened and he had to look away so Cady wouldn't catch the raw emotion he knew he wouldn't be able to hide right now. God, even his eyes stung. Unchartered territory indeed!

He'd already sent in his last article to Meredith. They'd parted on good terms and he was free to move on with his own writing. But the more he thought about it, the more he figured he owed to his old editor. An email wasn't enough. The assignment she'd begged him to take had changed his life. He made a note to send the woman roses and champagne. It was the least he could do.

They spent the entire day at the beach, sharing a slightly gritty turkey sub and salty potato chips, and washing it down with lukewarm lemonade. Playing in the surf like children, they also took a leisurely stroll from one end of the beach to the other, holding hands. They'd even napped on their blanket, Cady wrapped in his arms. Burke couldn't think of a day in recent memory where he'd had more fun. Well, there was the sightseeing in New York. Again, with Cady.

The weather had cooled significantly and they were now among the last to be packing up their belongings to leave. Burke shook the sand out of their blanket and they folded it together. Stuffing it into a giant L.L. Bean tote, Cady gasped and whirled around.

“Ooh, I keep forgetting to tell you.”

Cady held up a finger and scanned their immediate surroundings, pouncing on a sturdy stick a few feet away and running after it. She motioned him over to the hard-packed wet sand. A working canvas.

“Okay, so I've been playing with floor plans. Here, let me show you.”

When he had told her to research what she'd need, Burke hadn't expected her to be quite so thorough. She'd done her due diligence and her enthusiasm for this endeavor was contagious. He was happy that he'd encouraged her to expand her thinking because this bigger dream, owning her own business, was fleshing out as though it had been sitting in her mind, percolating for years. The fact that he got a special thrill out of seeing her so happy sure didn't hurt.

Yeah, it would kill him to see her go. But Burke knew he'd do anything to see her dreams come true. He slipped his hand into his little entrepreneur's and slung the huge tote bag onto his shoulder. Cady grabbed the cooler and they headed off for her truck.

The day wasn't over yet. He'd promised her a concert at the park. They swung by the rental cottage that wouldn't be his much longer, and picked up Bandit. Then they stopped at the bakery to switch out the beach cooler for a picnic basket. This one was packed more to his taste, containing a bottle of wine, assorted cheeses, fresh fruit, and some delicious rolls that Cady had made from scratch. She had let him choose whatever he liked from the bakery case for dessert, so tonight's delicacy were the cream cheese frosted brownies she told him she'd gotten up early to bake.

Clusters of families dotted the grass around the large gazebo overlooking the ocean. Cady and Burke found a spot near the middle, spreading their blanket for the second time that day. He smiled as she greeted folks around them, asking after relatives, their health, and general well being. There didn't seem to be a citizen in Scallop Shores that didn't know Cady. And she was well liked.

“Hey there, baby sis! Burke. Fancy running into you guys here.” Chase loomed over them as he gently guided Amanda through the maze of blankets and lawn chairs assembled in front of the stage.

“Here, sit down.” Cady got up on her knees and helped to ease Amanda down to the blanket.

“Good grief, it's going to take a crane to get me back on my feet once this is over.” The pregnant woman groaned.

Burke watched Chase eyeing the picnic basket on the corner of the blanket.

“I'm not sharing my brownies with you.”

“Too bad, bro. I was going to offer up Amanda's amazing lobster salad. It's so good.”

Ugh. Okay, he had him there. Cady wasn't the only thing he'd developed an addiction to since moving to Maine. He had also discovered a great love of lobster. Steamed, in pasta, on a hot dog roll; just keep it coming.

“Fine. But you get the corner piece.”

Chase slapped him on the back as he laughed.

“Come on. I need to go back to the SUV for our own basket. If you help me carry it I'll give you one of my beers.”

“We brought wine.”

“You can take the guy out of the city ...” Chase shook his head, still mumbling something under his breath as he headed off for the parking lot.

“Ladies.” Burke tossed them a crooked grin before jogging to catch up with Cady's brother.

Chase raised the tailgate, hauling out a wicker basket the size of a television set and shoving it into Burke's arms.

“So I see some major congratulations are in order, bud. What did you say to her to get her to stay? I mean, whatever works, but we've been trying for years.”

“Wait, no. You've got it all wrong. Cady isn't staying. Dude, she's already given her notice at the bakery. Labor Day weekend. Better get used to it.”

“But you guys were all snuggly back there. Why would she leave that?”

Burke closed his eyes, releasing a sigh through his nostrils. His biceps burned with the weight of the basket in his arms. He shifted it into a more comfortable position and finally looked up at Chase.

“She deserves to be happy, Chase. Why can't you give her that? Let her go after her dreams. Let her find out who she wants to be.”

They stared hard at one another for a brief moment before heading back to the activity.

“Have you talked to her about her ideas? Because I've got to tell you, they are pretty amazing. Your sister is so smart. She has a real head for business and she owes it to herself to give this a try.”

“I thought you liked her. So why are you pushing her away?”

“I thought I liked her too. And I'm not pushing her away. I'm letting her go. Because I love her too much to trap her in a place she doesn't want to stay.”

Cady tried to follow the conversation going on around her, but it was hard to concentrate. The wind had really picked up in the last half hour and the sky was much too dark for mid-morning. The clouds were thick, pressing in against the bakery windows in an angry purple hue. A sense of foreboding had the tiny hairs on her skin standing up. It felt like a parade of ants marching across her body.

“Not long now and we get our town back.” Earl Duffy lifted his coffee mug and nodded at the rest of the group seated at the counter.

“I was having fun calling the tow truck on any idiot who thought they could park in my driveway instead of plugging the parking meters at the beach like they're supposed to,” snorted Old Man Feeney.

Cady grinned. She had to agree with him on that. Those folks got what they deserved. She rubbed her arms briskly and turned away from the windows.

“Mr. Feeney, what does your knee tell you today? This storm supposed to amount to anything?”

“Probably get a good downpour. We can use it, too. Could lose power for a bit. Too early for a hurricane.” He rubbed his chin between his thumb and forefinger.

The next gust of wind tore at the awnings outside and had the lights in the bakery flickering, causing everyone inside to look around uneasily. Cady slapped a hand on the counter, making her customers jump.

“All right, I'm calling it. We're closing early today.”

“Aw, it's just a boomer. It will blow over soon.”

“Sorry, gentlemen. This one worries me. I want everyone to go home and wait it out in safety.” She turned and gave them all a hard look.

“On second thought, most of you live alone. I think we should all head somewhere together. I'm going to make an urn of coffee and take it to Kittredge Manor. We can wait out the storm over there. You go on ahead. Tell them I sent you and to make you comfortable.”

“I am not going to hide out from a silly storm with a bunch of old farts.” Old Man Feeney puffed out his chest.

“You are an old fart, Feeney!” One of his cohorts chortled.

“I'm bringing the whoopie pies over there. And I happen to know a lot of folks who enjoy a hand or two of poker. Don't ask me where they get it, but the cash I've seen piled up on the table ...” Cady threw her hands up as she shrugged.

“Well, it's not like anyone would ever mistake me for someone who actually lived there. I could just be visiting, is all. Cash, you say?” Feeney was already putting his ball cap on his head as he made his way toward the door.