Meet Me at the Beach (Seashell Bay) (20 page)

“Jesus, a guy can’t fart on this island without everybody in town hearing about it,” Aiden sighed. No doubt every person on Seashell Bay Island knew about the bet with Lily—not that it truly mattered anymore. “So how long have you been on this godforsaken rock, Dooley?”

The bartender grabbed a wet cloth and wiped down the bar after the guy sitting next to Aiden got up and left. “Must be going on a year now.”

“Planning on sticking around for a while?” Aiden was always interested in why Come-From-Away types remained on the island. It always seemed nuts to him.

The barkeep shrugged. “Maybe. Laura’s a good lady to work for. What about you?” He reached down again and came up with a Budweiser, sliding it down the bar to the hollow leg that was Boone Cleary.

“Probably just a few more days. A week, tops.” The words came out fast and easy, like they were programmed.
Leaving soon was still Aiden’s plan, but he couldn’t help thinking about how he would feel getting back on the boat and leaving Seashell Bay—and Lily. Until a few days ago, he’d figured he’d feel nothing but blessed relief.

Not anymore.

“Well, I’m sure Lily is real grateful for the help,” said Dooley before moving away. It felt kind of like a dismissal, but Aiden decided he liked Dooley anyway. He seemed to fit into the crazy patchwork of people that made up life in Seashell Bay.

He took a quick glance at the big mirror over the bar, catching another glimpse of Lily’s table in the reflection. It was all he could do not to barge over there and try to drag her away. But only a selfish jerk would act that way. This was her night with her friends—which didn’t mean he wasn’t damned tempted to try and lure her to the dark side with him.

A heavy arm landed on Aiden’s shoulders, and a blast of garlic breath hit him in the face. “How are you, son?” Albie Emory asked jovially as he slid onto the empty stool next to Aiden.

Crap.

“I’m good, Mr. Emory. You?” Aiden answered, resigning himself to what would surely come next.

The older man ordered by making some sort of mysterious hand signal to Dooley. “Tired, and my throat’s about as dry as my wife’s corn bread,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Spinney and me are making the rounds tonight to see who we can count on for the car ferry and who we can’t.”

“Uh-huh,” Aiden said, trying for polite and noncommittal as Dooley poured the selectman a Jack and Coke.

“We’ve got lots of support,” Emory said. “But some of the diehards talk about this place like it was the frigging Galapagos Islands—stuck in time.” He glanced meaningfully at Lily’s table. “If people like them get their way, this island’s going to suffocate and die. Hell, it’s already happening.”

Emory looked gloomy for a few moments, but perked up when his drink arrived. Aiden hoped that if he just kept his mouth shut, the old guy would soon talk himself out.

“People like you and me and your dad, we’ve got to make sure that never happens, right?” Emory asked, peering hopefully at Aiden. “We need to win the vote and get the new dock built.”

“Well, you’re certainly doing your part, Mr. Emory,” Aiden said.

Emory shifted a little to his right and plunked his arm on Aiden’s shoulders again, as if they were coconspirators. “Aiden, you could make a real difference. If you were to speak out in support of the ferry, I think it would definitely pull some votes for us.”

Oh, the hell with that. “I doubt it, sir. In fact, if I did what you’re suggesting, it might do more harm than good. You know folks here don’t like outsiders coming in and telling them what to do.”

The selectman’s forehead wrinkled up like a Basset Hound’s. “True, but you’re hardly an outsider, Aiden. You’re a Flynn, and the Flynns built this island as much as any family.”

“Yeah, but I’m a CFA now.”

“Oh, don’t go talking rubbish. I can tell you most islanders are pretty darn proud of the local boy who made good in big-league baseball.”

“If so, they’re keeping it pretty well hidden,” Aiden said drily.

Emory leaned right in. “Listen to me, son. You’ve got generations of islander blood inside you. You could go away for fifty years, and you’d still be a Seashell Bay man. And maybe someday you’ll come back to stay too. Eventually, everyone does.”

Aiden could feel his eyebrows crawling up his forehead in disbelief. “Maybe they used to, but times have changed. Now people go where the jobs are.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” said the old guy, changing tack. “A car ferry could change all that and bring in the jobs. Think about what I said, Aiden. You can make a difference, and you’d surely make your dad proud.”

Emory finished the rest of his drink and clapped Aiden on the back before sauntering back to his table of cronies. Mentally sighing, Aiden finished his beer.

He shoved a ten at Dooley and told him to keep the change. Emory’s little pitch had pretty much sucked the energy out of him. It was time to get some sleep, especially because his plans for Lily over the next few days didn’t include much shut-eye. Besides, if he stayed much longer, someone else would probably start to lobby him and he’d already heard enough. Everything was going to come to a head next week with the big vote, but at least he had the weekend with Lily to look forward to before all hell broke loose.

A commotion stopped Aiden in his tracks before he reached the door, the entire bar clapping and cheering. Turning, he saw Laura pushing backward through swinging doors from the kitchen, following by two grinning cooks and a busboy. She was holding a big chocolate
birthday cake topped with sparklers. People started singing the birthday song.

For Lily.

Smiling sheepishly and looking sweeter than any cake, Lily swept her gaze around the crowd, as if thanking all of them. Laura set the cake down in front of her and kissed her on the forehead. Lily’s girlfriends all gathered around her in a fiercely loyal and loving group.

Aiden sang too. He sang, and he thought about all the love that surrounded Lily, and the invisible bonds that stretched like webbing through the Pot, connecting everyone in it to each other and to the island.

Including him.

L
ily hadn’t known what to expect when she and Aiden arrived at the Portland Harbor heliport. As excited as she was for her birthday trip, she’d never flown in a helicopter, and visions of being trapped in one of those tiny tourist bubbles that often hovered over Casco Bay brought out the claustrophobic in her.

But Cole Rogers’s four-passenger helicopter was no miniature chopper. It was a freaking sky limousine.

She and Aiden sat in a pair of sinfully luxurious leather seats separated by a wide console with polished teak cup holders, spaces for books and magazines, and a built-in minibar. A small door connected the cockpit to the cabin, but Cole had closed it before liftoff, giving Aiden and Lily some privacy.

For a lobster fisherman who’d never flown on anything but a packed, cheap charter jet to the Caribbean, it seemed surreal to be flying over Portland Harbor in a helicopter obviously built for corporate big shots. When Aiden said that he wanted to do something special for her, he sure hadn’t been kidding. It was only a short trip up the coast,
but she was getting a glimpse into the life of the rich and famous, squired in ultrafast luxury to her destination by a private pilot. And she fully intended to enjoy it.

“Want some coffee?” Aiden said, as they banked over Peaks Island. “Cole said there’s a carafe and mugs in the cabinet opposite us.”

Lily tore her gaze away from the big island below. Aiden had insisted she take the left-hand seat so she would have the best views as they flew up the coast, and she had to admit that it was incredible to see everything from the air. Her whole life, she’d seen Peaks and the other surrounding islands only from the ground or on the sea. From a few hundred feet up, Casco Bay seemed like an entirely different and almost magical world.

“Not right now, thanks,” she said, smiling at him. “I don’t want to take my eyes off this. It’s so beautiful from up here, Aiden.”

Aiden’s gaze drifted over her, heating with a clear appreciation he didn’t even try to hide. “Not as beautiful as you are, Lily. You look totally amazing in that dress.”

Lily felt herself blushing. She’d picked a short, yellow wraparound sundress, casual and cute but definitely dressier than what she usually wore. Of course she’d done a quick Internet check on Coastal Harmony, and from what she could tell, it was decidedly upscale—no jeans or ratty T-shirts, at least in the publicity photos on their website. The fact that Aiden looked so amazing in a navy sport coat, cream polo shirt, and tan chinos was another reason she was happy she’d chosen a nice outfit.

“You’re not too shabby yourself,” she teased. “But then again, you’re used to this sort of thing. I’m assuming you’ve flown in a helicopter before?”

“Lots of times. Mostly for corporate product shoots, but a friend of mine in Philly—an old-money guy—would sometimes fly players to his McMansion on the Jersey Shore in one like this.”

“Pretty sweet,” Lily said, snuggling her shoulders back into the plush seat. “But why are we flying straight east over the bay? I thought Cole would just hug the coastline.”

Aiden leaned over, his arm brushing against her bare shoulder as he glanced out her window. It made her shiver in a good way. A very good way.

“I asked him to go right over Seashell Bay before turning onto his straight line route,” he said. “I thought you’d like to see the island from the air.”

She’d been hoping for that but hadn’t asked, not wanting to come off as pushy. Clearly, Aiden had read her thoughts. It was another example of how thoughtful and how tuned to her state of mind he was.

The southern tip of Seashell Bay lay just ahead. On their present course, they would pass right over the center of town and the ferry dock. “Thank you, Aiden. This is really special. I still can’t believe it.”

Aiden reached out and squeezed her hand. “Like I said, babe, you deserve something special on your birthday. You work so damn hard—harder than anyone I know.”

Her heart did a little flip, especially at his use of the casual endearment. “You must be forgetting that I get to goof off all winter,” she managed in a wry tone.

Most people she knew worked very hard, especially her fellow fishermen, but she didn’t doubt the sincerity of Aiden’s compliment for a moment. His respect for her had become more apparent with every day they fished together on
Miss Annie
.

The sound of the rotor seemed to deepen as Cole slowed and lowered the craft to skim over the lobster boats in the bay. When they crossed over Foley Point, Lily gave an excited cry. “Look, Aiden—there’s my boat!”

At her mooring,
Miss Annie
rocked gently in the swell of a passing ferry on its way to Cliff Island. Her lobster boat looked tiny from the air, insignificant to anyone who didn’t know what it meant to her.

But Aiden knew.

“Yep, there’s the old gal,” he said, craning to look. “She sure looks different from up here, doesn’t she?”

“So small. Almost like a toy.” A toy that had given Lily independence and the means to do exactly what she wanted with her life.

“Yeah, but she’s the sweetest little boat in these islands as far as I’m concerned.”

Astonished, Lily gazed into Aiden’s dark, serious gaze. “I never thought I’d hear you call a lobster boat sweet.”

Aiden gave her a shrug and a wry smile as the helicopter climbed away from the island.

Lily went back to staring out the window as she tried to sort out her jumbled emotions about the incredible, generous man sitting beside her. He’d done all this for her, trying to come up with something that would be truly memorable. And he’d nailed it. As much as she loved fishing, she spent six days a week on a smelly boat, working what most considered a man’s job, until she was so tired she could barely get herself home. A luxury vacation to a high-class resort—complete with a swanky helicopter ride—was the stuff of dreams or fairy tales. For once in her life, Lily felt like an honest-to-God princess, pampered and cherished and without a care in the world.

And it was all because of Aiden Flynn, a man who seemed to know her better than she knew herself.

Lily craned her head to look up at Coastal Harmony Resort, perched a hundred feet above the dock where two tour boats were moored. Initially, she’d thought the name was kind of weird and off-putting, since luxury resorts rarely existed in harmony with the natural setting. Most times, they chewed it up. Still, she had to admit that Coastal Harmony did a pretty good job of minimizing damage to the local coastline.

After their spectacular flight up the Maine coast today, she’d spent almost an hour drinking chai tea and talking with one of the co-owners while Aiden worked out in the fitness center. The resort had been built to the highest ecofriendly standards, and the owners were committed to offering only programs that respected and supported the local community. It was a formula that seemed to be paying off by making a name for the resort as a go-to destination for the environmentally conscious crowd—a crowd that seemed to have a fair amount of bucks.

Aiden had been right. Lily liked the place a lot, and it had been a very relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

Until they’d sat down for dinner in the sheltered patio overlooking the bluffs. Big candles in hurricane lanterns on the tables, huge pots of roses scattered over the flagstones, and the sound of the water lapping on the rocks below had made for an ultraromantic setting in the deepening dusk. Aiden was smoking hot too, in a beige linen jacket over a black silk shirt and black pants. He looked casual and sophisticated and like he totally belonged at an expensive resort like Coastal Harmony.
One look at him and Lily’s nerves had started dancing the freaking tango.

She’d dressed up as well, wearing a fifties-style white poplin dress she’d gotten on sale last year, cut narrow through the bodice and waist but with a flared, pleated skirt. She wore her only pair of dressy sandals along with the diamond-stud earrings her parents had given her for her thirtieth birthday. The dress was her favorite, since she thought it made the most of her assets and showcased her trim waist.

But next to the gorgeous hunk of expensively dressed masculinity walking beside her, she felt awfully… plain. She’d noticed several people glancing at them during dinner and figured they might be wondering what a guy like Aiden was doing there with
her
.

Oh, get over yourself, girl.

That was just the nerves talking, nerves she’d tried to calm with perhaps one too many glasses of wine. Aiden had ordered a second bottle as the fish entrée was being plated, making her think he was determined to loosen her up—and maybe himself too. Still, despite the lubrication the alcohol provided, there had been some long and rather awkward silences. Maybe Aiden was as wired as she was over what might happen later tonight.

She knew one thing for sure though—if there was going to be a move in that direction, it would be up to Aiden to make it.

“Thank you again for this incredible birthday present,” Lily said to Aiden, as they meandered along the waterside path below the bluff. She’d already thanked him three times, including at dinner, but she felt compelled to keep blurting out her gratitude. “It’s the biggest surprise and
best present I’ve had since Gramps bought me a nine-millimeter when I moved out of my father’s house,” she said.

Aiden let out a choked laugh. “He gave you a gun? For what, fending off pirates?”

Lily grinned. “Gramps maintains that women should always be ready to defend themselves. He hounded me until I took some shooting lessons too.”

“I’d better keep that in mind the next time I think about crossing you.”

Lily stopped to face him. “Seriously, though, what I really need to thank you for is helping me bring in the best catch I’ve ever had in a single week. It’s meant a lot to me.”

Aiden grimaced a bit, as if embarrassed by the depth of her gratitude. “It hasn’t been much more than a start, right? I hate to think of you having to go back to fishing without a sternman. And not just because you’ll make less money either.”

She forced a smile. “I’ll be careful. Don’t worry about me.”

“But I do worry about you.” He reached for her hand. “Look, Lily, I have to give Dad an answer about the land sale next week. If I don’t, I might have to borrow that gun of yours to defend myself.”

“I know. It’s all right. Really, it is.”

Of course, it was far from all right. She still desperately needed help to have a few more good weeks of fishing. But most of all, it wasn’t all right because she could hardly bear the thought of watching Aiden ship off on the ferry again, leaving her just like he did fourteen years ago. She’d let down her defenses and opened herself up to a
hurt she knew was going to be so much worse this time around.

“No, it’s not,” he said. “There’s no reason why I need to leave right away. Not anymore, since my agent’s come up empty. I’m still thinking I should be able to land something short-term when teams expand their rosters in September, but I figure I can handle some more time on
Miss Annie
until then.”

“Seriously?” Lily had to blink back a sudden rush of hot tears, shocked by the depth of her relief.

Aiden reached out to gently stroke her cheek. “I wanted to make that the
real
surprise of this trip.”

Struggling to rein in the surge of emotion, Lily went up on tiptoe and brushed her lips quickly across the angled slash of his jaw. “Okay, this definitely tops Gramps’s gun as my best gift ever.”

Aiden laughed, then took her hand again and led her down the last twenty yards of the paved path until they reached the dock. “It’s so peaceful here,” he said, after they sat on one of the wooden benches facing the water. “It reminds me of Seashell Bay at night. That’s one thing I’d forgotten about the island after being away for so long. It’s so quiet it’s almost eerie.”

Lily absorbed the peace of the evening and the presence of the man beside her. Though the hotel was just a short distance away, they seemed cocooned in a bubble with only the birds and the gentle lapping of water against concrete pilings to keep them company. “And here I thought you’d become a confirmed city boy after all these years.”

Aiden gazed thoughtfully out at the water. “I thought so too. But since I’ve been back here, Philly seems kind of
intense to me now. The traffic, the crowds, the noise—it’s been nice to get away from all that for a little while.”

For a little while.
The phrase had her mentally cringing. “But I guess you must miss your social life, right? For a celebrity athlete, it must be pretty cool.”

When his eyebrows arched in surprise, she gave him a weak smile. It was nervy of her to probe for personal details, but she needed to know how he felt about his old life. Why she needed to know was another question—one she intended to ignore for the moment.

He lifted his broad shoulders again in a casual shrug. “I like hitting the bars and restaurants around Rittenhouse Square as much as the next guy, I guess. And it’s not hard to get used to being treated like you’re special.” Then he laughed. “But hey, I have to admit that the Pot has its charms too.”

Lily gave him a cautious smile. “And exactly what charms would those be?”

When Aiden slid an arm around her shoulders, she knew the spike in her body heat had nothing to do with the warm evening breeze.

“Oh, charms like Darts Night, where sexy but devious locals can sucker newcomers into reckless bets they’re sure to lose,” he said with a grin.

“Ouch. That shot didn’t exactly tickle, big guy. Anything else?”

“Well, it’s got a couple of real nice bartenders,” he said after a moment.

Since he was clearly playing with her, she pretended to pout. “And? I’m sure you must be forgetting something.”

“Let me think.” He thoughtfully rubbed his chin with the hand not stroking her bare shoulder. “Okay, I could
say that the Pot was where I got reintroduced to the nicest, most decent, and hardest-working woman I’ve ever known.” He paused for a couple of beats. “Not to mention the hottest babe in the entire state of Maine.”

Lily had expected him to say something flirtatious, but she hadn’t expected him to use words like
nice
and
decent
. That certainly wasn’t the average guy’s approach to getting into a girl’s pants. But Aiden’s response sounded completely genuine. And that meant the world, because it confirmed for her what she’d always hoped to be true—that at his core, he believed in the same things she did.