A Chance at Love (A Ferry Creek Novel): (a billionaire romance novel) (19 page)

Jess opened the door a hair and
looked out.

Tyler stood at the door with a big
smile on his face.

“
Tyler,
”
Jess said. She opened the door
and touched her chest.
“
You
had me scared to death.
”

“
Why?
What
’
s wrong?
”

“
I
was worried it was Darryl,
”
Jess said.
“
Here, come in.
”

“
I
don
’
t want to bother you,
”
Tyler said.

“
You
’
re not.
”

Jess backed up and waved Tyler in.

He was in plain clothes. His usual
attire of jeans and a t-shirt, much like Sullivan wore. The difference was that
Sullivan pulled it off in a different way. Not that Tyler didn
’
t look good, there just wasn
’
t anything there. Even as Tyler
looked at her with his caring and sympathetic eyes.

“
What
happened with Darryl?
”
Jess
asked.
“
Is he okay?
”

“
He
’
ll be okay,
”
Tyler said.
“
I wanted to stop by and check on
you. I know it wasn
’
t the
most pleasant scene earlier today. I didn
’
t
mean to go after him like that, Jess.
”

“
It
was your job,
”
Jess said.

“
The
second I saw him reach for you... I just... has he ever...
”

“
No,
”
Jess said.
“
He
’
s
never hurt me. I wouldn
’
t
let that happen.
”

“
Good.
It had been bothering me all day.
”

Jess caught sight of Katey from the
corner of her eye. She turned and pointed to Katey.
“
Have you met Katey? Katey Lorenzie?
”

“
Katey,
”
Tyler whispered.
“
I
’
m
not sure.
”

Katey came to Jess
’
s side and put her hand out for
Tyler. He took it and Jess
’
s
eyes widened when she saw an instant connection. And of all things, Katey had
offered her left hand, her left hand that not too long ago held an engagement
ring and wedding band. If they were in brighter light Jess wondered if she
’
d see a tan line of the rings on
Katey
’
s finger.

“
I
’
m Tyler Abereden.
”

“
He
’
s a cop,
”
Jess said.

“
I
’
m a writer,
”
Katey said.

“
Ah,
that
’
s where I know the
name then.
”

“
Have
you read any of my books?
”

“
Can
’
t say I have,
”
Tyler said.

“
Thanks
for the support,
”
Katey
teased.

Jess looked and saw that Tyler and
Katey hadn
’
t broken their
handshake yet.

“
I
’
ll go get a book and read it,
”
Tyler said.

“
Sounds
good. I
’
ll go break a
window then.
”

“
Break
a window, why?
”

“
So
I can support you,
”
Katey
said.

“
You
want me to arrest you?
”

Jess couldn
’
t look at it any longer.
“
So what happened with Darryl?
”

Tyler blinked and took his hand
away from Katey. He was smiling a big, flirty smile.

“
I
talked to him,
”
Tyler said.
“
He
’
s going through a rough time. Happens. I wish I
could say more but it
’
s not
my story to tell. Even though he blames me for it.
”

Tyler looked at Katey.
“
Are you staying the night here?
”

“
Why?
Worried about what we
’
ll
do?
”
Katey asked.

“
I,
uh...
”
Tyler was flustered.
Jess laughed because she
’
d
never seen Tyler like that before.
“
What
I
’
m saying is that I
’
ll make sure someone patrols the
night locally here. Just in case.
”

“
Is
Darryl that messed up?
”
Katey asked.

“
No,
”
Jess said.
“
He just had a bad day.
”

“
Bad
day,
”
Tyler said.
“
Hey, while it
’
s on my mind, I got to meet
Bobby
’
s brother. Sullivan Chasen.
Nice guy. He was cooking burgers for him and Bobby.
”

“
He
was cooking?
”
Jess asked.
“
When I was with him...
”
Jess caught herself. She wasn
’
t
with him
, she had been
in the same place as him.
“
I
was leaving when he got there. I hope that all works out.
”

“
You
and me both,
”
Tyler said.
“
Bob is in a hospital bed,
suffering. Bobby is waiting for everything to happen. And now there
’
s a third person in the
situation.
”

“
Well,
Sullivan isn
’
t a bad
person,
”
Jess sad.
“
I mean, he can
’
t be, right?
”

“
I
didn
’
t say he was,
”
Tyler said.
“
It
’
s
just another person involved. Must be hard to deal with.
”

“
For
everyone,
”
Jess said.

Tyler nodded.
“
Well, I
’
m going to get going. I just wanted to check up and
make sure everyone was okay.
”

“
Just
fine,
”
Katey said.

Jess looked at Katey with her jaw
dropped.

Was she really flirting with
Tyler like that?

“
I
’
m glad,
”
Tyler said.
“
Jess,
if you need anything, you know how to reach me.
”

“
Got
it,
”
Jess said.

“
What
if I need to reach you?
”
Katey asked.

Tyler had his hand on the door. He
looked at Jess, then Katey.
“
Ask
Jess. Have a good night.
”

Before the door could shut, Jess
swatted at Katey
’
s arm.

“
What
was that for?
”
Katey asked.

“
Flirting
with the town cop?
”
Jess
asked.

“
What?
I was just playing. I mean, he
’
s
really hot. Why aren
’
t you
with him?
”

“
We
’
re too close,
”
Jess said.
“
Plus...
”

“
Oh,
that
’
s right,
”
Katey said.
“
You
’
re gaa-gaa over the rich hunk in town.
”

Jess laughed and blushed, but she
didn
’
t deny it. It was sort
of the truth.

Sullivan woke before Bobby did. He
had the coffee made as Bobby came from the bedroom. The two nodded and the day
began as it always did. Bobby led the way through the normal daily routine.
Sullivan said hello to Richie and Peggie. It had been a week already since
Sullivan
’
s arrival and he
was getting settled. The door to The Pot Diner was then unlocked and in came
the flood of locals looking for their daily dose of caffeine, food, and
conversation.

The conversation revolved around
Sullivan quite a bit since he came to Ferry Creek. Sullivan took it in stride,
appreciating the whole small town feeling more than ever. The entire morning he
was peppered with questions about himself, his life, and stories of his brother
and father. More than once he looked back to find Bobby annoyed or laughing
with the rest of the crowd.

He endured a fishing story from
Murphy Winters on how they went out to the bay to go crabbing once and Bobby
had stuck his finger into the claw of a crab on a five dollar dare and almost
lost his finger. Murphy spoke with waving hands and red cheeks as he spun in
whichever direction he chose. Sullivan knew the story was crap the second
Murphy started talking, but there was a twinkle in the man
’
s eyes that made it impossible
to walk away.

When he finished, Bobby came to the
counter and planted his hands flat.

“
Now,
for the truth,
”
Bobby said.

The counter erupted in laughter.

Bobby put a hand up for silence.

“
We
went crabbing,
”
Bobby said.
“
First off, Murphy got sick
just looking at the water. He got his stomach to calm and when we were going
through our haul there was a big crab in there. Probably the biggest crab I
’
d ever seen in my life. So
Murphy comes up to me and dares me to let the crab pinch me for five bucks. I
was thirteen so what the hell did I care? Now, I let it pinch me but I didn
’
t come close to losing my
finger. I got the crab off right away. Then Murphy here wants to try it. He
puts his damn finger in the bigger claw of the crab and gets it stuck. He
starts waving his hand around and
he
almost lost his finger.
”

“
Eh,
”
Murphy said and waved his
hands.
“
You don
’
t know what you
’
re talking about. I have to use
the bathroom.
”

Bobby looked at Sullivan.
“
He always has to piss when he
’
s caught in a lie.
”

“
I
’
m not paying for that coffee,
”
Murphy said.

“
I
’
ll call Tyler,
”
Bobby warned.

“
Eh,
”
Murphy said again and walked to
the bathroom.

The entire morning and into the
afternoon was amazing. It was the only word that could run through Sullivan
’
s mind.

Amazing.

The people. The town. But most of
all...
Jess
.

The second he saw her walk through
the back, he was captivated by her. No matter what was happening or what he was
doing he caught himself trying to find her. His eyes always on the move,
wondering where she was. He kept the name Darryl on his mind, wanting to know
what exactly that situation was. He didn
’
t
want to bother Bobby with questions about it. The last thing Sullivan wanted
was to look like he didn
’
t
care about the fact that his father was going to die.

Sullivan still didn
’
t know what favor Bobby needed
from him. Bobby seemed to avoid the topic and kept telling Sullivan that once
their father recovered from his latest surgery, everything would come together.
Sullivan hadn
’
t come to
Ferry Creek to waste time and days, but at the same time he hadn
’
t come to drop in and leave.

The afternoon came and while it
wasn
’
t as busy as the morning
crowd, the place never seemed to slow. Sullivan needed to go up to the
apartment to get his laptop and check on a few things. He had been shocked to
find that Bobby had installed a wireless router and had internet access.
Actually, he almost hugged Bobby when he told Sullivan he had internet in the
diner. Not that anyone in the town really needed it or used it, but it would
come in handy for Sullivan. Whether he was in Ferry Creek or facing the truth
of his life, he still had a company to run.

And nothing could distract him from
that.

Sullivan took two steps outside and
saw Jess leaning against the wooden pillar. He froze in his tracks, all
thoughts of his company slipping away. He had his cell phone in his hand and he
put it in his pocket.

What was another five minutes?

He had to admire Jess for a few
seconds. Her head gently rested against the pillar. Her right leg in front and
over her left, on her tip-toe. The bottom of her shoe was filthy but her black
pants hugged her legs and backside so perfectly. Her apron tied in the back,
pulled at her white shirt just enough that it left the smallest sliver of flesh
showing. Just that sight alone had Sullivan
’
s
hands balled into fists.