Angel Beach (Summer Romance Collection) (2 page)

Chapter 3

Echo

I knew the Freely sons would be easy to hate since their father was a ruthless jerk, but I had no idea how easily I could despise them. Angel Beach was a small, quiet town. It would not hold their interests for long. They looked like the type of guys who would cause problems for a few weeks, tire of the place, and then look for a new location to invade. I shot another angry glare at the wave stealer before he went inside. Massively built as the guy was, I was never easily intimidated.

Zach met me on the boardwalk. “Hey, Coco, did you see the size of those guys? They looked like friggin’ giants.”

Zachary was my age but he still had two years of school left. He’d flunked a year, and I had jumped ahead a year so we hadn’t been in the same class since the fourth grade. But we’d remained best friends. Zachary had stopped growing at the age of ten and his parents dragged the poor kid around to all kinds of specialists. They even flew to Sweden for a week. Unfortunately, aside from some growth hormone therapy, there was not much medical science could do. Mimi insisted he wasn’t eating enough, so Zach would hang out at my house after school and she would fill him with special banana shakes and egg salad sandwiches. It might have been coincidence but during that year Zach grew four inches.

And the entire time poor Zach was trying to pass the five foot mark, I was hoping I would stop growing. Mimi always assured me that being tall was good and that I would not grow taller than I needed to be. The morning I measured my pencil mark on the wall and it read five-foot- eight was the morning Mimi put a hand on my head and told me I wouldn’t grow anymore. I don’t know how she knew, but there were a lot of things about Mimi that were unexplainable. Like how her tomato plants grew plump ripe tomatoes all year, or how she knew exactly what kind of tea I need to take away a headache or sore throat or how she knew when something bad was going to happen. It was just her way, and even though some people thought Mimi was a witch, I always knew it was just her magical spirit coming through.

I glanced back at the ugly yellow house. “I can tell they are going to be total jerks. The dark haired one tried to steal my wave. Let’s go.”

Riley ran on ahead to terrorize the pigeons scouring the walkway for crumbs.

Zach pedaled his BMX bike next to me on the walk. “Hmm, interesting.”

“What’s interesting? Or do I want to know?”

“It’s just the one guy with the dark hair and earrings looked like your type. I mean I’m just a dude and all, so what the hell do I know?”

“Nope, you’re wrong. Not at all interested.”

I could sense Zach was staring at the side of my face. “Not at all? Interesting.”

“Oh, shut up. Let’s change the subject. Mimi said she’d pay you ten bucks an hour to work in the shop this summer.”

“Ten bucks an hour.” Zach pondered the offer but I knew he was doing the happy dance inside his head. Zach’s parents had divorced last year, and he and his mother were always struggling to make ends meet. Zach smiled up at me from his bike. “Will I get to lick the brown sugar-cinnamon spoon?”

“I guess.”

“Then I’ll do it.”

Mimi bounded down the back steps when she heard Zach and me approaching. She was waving an envelope. “Echo, you got a letter from the scholarship committee. It feels like good news.”

I dropped my fins and towel, took the letter from her hand, and opened it. “I got it, Mimi! I got the scholarship.”

She grabbed me into a hug and pulled Zach into her arms too. “I knew it was good news.”

It was a huge deal but the whole thing was bittersweet. The money meant that I could go away to college, but deep down I didn’t know if I was ready to go. “Mimi, I’ve been thinking maybe I should stay here for a few years and go to a city college first.”

Mimi’s smile faded. “Nonsense, Coco. You can’t turn down this opportunity.”

“I’m not even seventeen yet. I don’t know if I’m ready to leave home, to leave you. Who will help you run the shop?”

Mimi put her arm around my shoulder and walked me inside. Zach and Riley followed. “Don’t give me or the shop another thought. I will find someone to help.”

I nodded unenthusiastically.

Mimi handed Zach a white apron. “Zach, you can help me with the yeast dough while Echo chops the pecans.”

Since I was given the task where losing a finger was a distinct possibility, I had to remain focused. But truthfully, it was hard to concentrate on the nuts. Mimi had sensed trouble coming this morning, and while I’d tried to make light of it at the time, I was now feeling uneasy too. Between the new inhabitants of the Saunders’s house, the threat of Mr. Freely buying up the whole town, and the prospect of me traveling hundreds of miles from Mimi to go to college, my peaceful summer had suddenly become filled with turmoil.

The comforting smell of yeast floated around the shop, and I poured another scoop of pecans onto the cutting board. In the distance, I heard tires screeching and a radio blaring. I walked to the front window and peered out. A blue convertible filled with people came screeching around the corner. They were yelling and laughing over the music, which was so loud it actually rattled the shop windows. The music stopped down the road.

Zach ran out with flour covered hands. “Who was that?” he asked.

His face was also a patchwork of flour. I lifted the end of my apron and wiped his forehead. “Apparently it’s party time at the Freely house.”

Zach’s blue eyes sparkled. “Really? Were there any hot girls?”

I rolled my eyes and went back to my cutting board.

Zach sighed. “You’re right. Like I could compete with that troop of titans anyhow.” His face dropped and I went over to him.

“You far out shine any of those guys and their steroid pumped biceps.”

“You have to say that because we’re friends.”

“Zach, come on. Those guys are shallow, spoiled, rich boys.”

If it was possible, Zach’s thin shoulders drooped farther. “Crap, I forgot about the fact that they are rich too.”

I was obviously not helping the situation. “Hey, I’m about to melt the butter and brown sugar, and I could use a taste tester.”

“Fine,” Zach said with a frown, “if I have to.”

Zach shuffled back to the mixing room where Mimi’s giant dough mixer was churning out tomorrow’s yeast rolls. I unwrapped the blocks of butter and measured the brown sugar and cinnamon into the big pot. The sugary steam felt soothing as I stood over the stove stirring the mixture.

Mimi came out and peeked into my pot. “Looks about done. Zach is really down today. Why don’t you two scoop some vanilla ice cream into bowls and pour some of this syrup on top? It’s a beautiful day. You can sit out front on the bench.”

I glanced back to make sure Zach was still in the noisy mixing room. “Is it his Dad?” Zach and I were best friends but when he truly needed someone to talk to he went to Mimi. She had a way of making people talk about their problems, no matter how big or small.

Mimi nodded. “He was supposed to come see him last weekend but he made up some flimsy excuse.”

“Poor guy. And having the new guys in town isn’t helping.”

Mimi’s hazel eyes widened. “What new guys?”

“Mr. Freely has sent his sons to stay out here. And I’m certain they are here to cause trouble.”

Mimi took in a deep breath. “That would explain the double egg yolk.” She looked into the pot of sugar syrup for a moment then grinned up at me. “Still, not all hope is lost. A few weeks in Angel Beach might just give those boys something they need.”

“What’s that? Humility?”

Mimi thought about it for a minute. “Definitely some of that. But we’ll see.” There was a twinkle in Mimi’s eyes, which was always a good indication that something unexplainable was about to happen.

The ice cream idea seemed to brighten Zach’s spirits. We poured a large scoop of the hot brown sugar syrup over the ice cream and watched it melt into pools of vanilla and butterscotch. We carried our bowls out to the bench and sat down. The morning fog had burned off hours ago but effervescent, salty moisture clung to the breeze. The traffic on the road was still light, but in a few weeks it would get heavier and there would be a lot more foot traffic on the sidewalk as tourists streamed through the village.

Mimi’s cat, Willow, jumped on the bench between us. I stuck my finger in the ice cream and held it up for her to lick off with her rough tongue. Willow was enjoying the treat until screeching tires scared her off the bench.

“Those guys must spend half their money replacing tires,” I said.

The lifted truck I’d seen earlier came barreling down the street carrying a load of passengers. The jeep drove behind it. Without warning, the truck crossed to the wrong side of the street and came to a rubber burning stop in front of the shop. Zach nearly dropped his bowl of ice cream, and Willow scurried to the alley between our bakery and the neighboring dress shop.

The blond brother I’d seen on the beach was the guy behind the wheel. His thick arm hung over the side of the truck as he stuck his big head out the window. His hand slapped the side of the door as if he hadn’t already gotten our attention. A pointy faced girl with short black hair and red lipstick leaned over his lap to look out the same window.

The jeep stopped across the street on the legal side of the road. The wave stealer was driving it. His metal earrings sparkled in the sunlight, and his pale green gaze seemed directed at me. Another guy, smaller but with the same black hair, sat in the passenger seat with a girl in his lap.

“Is this where we get the magical cinnamon rolls?” the blond guy yelled from the truck. The girl giggled.

I scowled back at him. “We open at six in the morning.”

“Six in the morning? Hell, nothing is that good. Unless, of course, you’re serving them wearing that white bikini you had on this morning.” The girl stopped giggling and glared at me.

I glanced back in through the shop at Mimi’s imported cuckoo clock. The bird was just about to pop its head out to announce twelve o’clock. I put the ice cream bowl down on the bench and Zach instinctively grabbed my arm.

“Just forget him, Coco. He’s not worth it.”

I ignored my friend’s plea and walked to the truck. I needed to keep the jerk here a few minutes longer. A nasty smirk seemed a permanent fixture on the guy’s face.

I leaned closer and licked my lips a bit. His face pressed closer to mine. He was handsome but in a decadent, ugly way.

I glanced fleetingly up the road. My plan was working. “So you liked that bikini, did you?” I asked softly.

He hung out of the window even farther and rudely looked me up and down. “Yeah, I did.” The girl who’d been leaning over him sat back hard against the passenger seat and crossed her arms angrily.

I could hear a car pull up behind the truck. The driver of the jeep honked once to get the truck driver’s attention but it didn’t work.

I smiled sweetly. “Well, I’ll make note of that and be sure never to wear it again.”

His grin sank to a scowl.

I leaned in closer. The idiot seemed confused by my action.

“By the way,” I said in a breathy whisper.

His grin returned but with more caution behind it this time. “Yeah?”

“There’s a cop behind you, and he’s writing you a ticket.” I blew him a kiss. “Have a nice day.”

He looked up into his rear view mirror. “Son of a--” He slammed his fist against his steering wheel.

I turned and waved. “Good afternoon, Officer Blakely. I’ll go heat up your cinnamon roll.”

Officer Blakely waved back. He pointed to the truck. “Do you know these kids?”

“Not at all.” I glanced across the street to the jeep. The driver looked amused. He looked at me again then shook his head and drove off.

Zach followed me inside. The cuckoo bird was just finishing its last chirp. “That was friggin’ brilliant. I forgot all about Officer Blakely’s twelve o’clock cinnamon roll.”

“It was rather brilliant.” I pulled out the roll that we always saved for him and popped it into the microwave.

Mimi came out from the mixing room. “Did I hear Officer Blakely come in?” She looked out the window. “Oh, I see.” Mimi went to the refrigerator and pulled out the container of glaze. “Let’s give him an extra drizzle of glaze today,” she said with a wink.

Chapter 4

Jamison

I drove the jeep into the parking lot of the burger place. It would be awhile until my boneheaded brother joined us, since he was tied up with the law, so I hopped out to order some food. Matt took another breather from Courtney’s lips to yell out his order to me then he yanked her into the back seat. By the time I got back to the jeep with the food, Reeve blasted into the lot nearly knocking out the street sign as he flew in.

He jumped out and made a show of tearing up the ticket he’d just received then he tossed it into the air. Kiley proudly wrapped her hands around his arm and they headed to the order window. Julie, Brandon, and Mike crawled out of the backseat of the truck. Brandon and Mike walked toward the order window but Julie made a b-line for me. Julie and I had dated on and off for two years. After our last break-up, I came to the conclusion that we were done for good. Unfortunately, Julie had not shared that same conclusion.

“Hey, Jamison, how’ve you been?” She stuck her hands in the pocket of her skirt.

“Good Jules, how about you?” I tapped on the jeep window. It was covered in condensation. “Christ, Matt, not in my jeep. Get out. Your food’s here.”

Julie peeked inside. “Is that Courtney?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t know she was going with your brother.”

“She’s not.”

Julie nodded. “Oh, I see. Well, that boy does have a way with the girls.”

“And he better stop having his way,” I yelled through the window, “or I’m going to break this window and drag his skinny ass out of my backseat.”

The door flew open and I had to duck out of the way. Matt nearly fell out of the jeep. Courtney tumbled out after him laughing wildly. Something she always did even if there was nothing amusing. Matt combed his fingers through his hair then grabbed for one of my fries.

I lifted them out of his reach. “Your food’s on the hood.”

I sat down on the jeep’s back fender, and Julie sat next to me. “Do you want me to buy you something to eat?” I asked out of politeness, but Julie was one of those girls who obsessed about everything she put into her mouth.

“No thanks, but I will have one fry.” She reached over and took a fry from my bag. Reeve stomped over with a giant coke and two burgers. He had a brown paper bag under his arm from which he pulled a bottle of rum. He opened his coke, poured out half, and filled the rest with rum. Then he went to do the same for Matt.

I grabbed his arm and he nearly swung around to punch me. “Damn, Jay, don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“What the hell are you doing?”

Reeve lifted the bottle in the air and poured rum into Matt’s cup. “What does it look like I’m doing? It’s summer vacation.” Kiley pulled off the lid of her cup and held it up too.

“I know you’re a big enough jackass to be pouring it right here in a public parking lot, but pouring rum for a minor is pretty damn stupid even for you.”

Matt pressed his lid down fast and moved his cup out of my reach. He took a sip.

I glared at Reeve. “He’s trying to keep up with you.”

“So,” Reeve took a long draw on his straw.

“So, you outweigh him by fifty pounds. He’s going to be shitfaced before he even finishes the last sip.”

Reeve laughed and unwrapped his hamburger. He finished it in three bites.

“That girl sure pulled one on you back at the bakery shop.” Now I was pissed as hell at him, so I decided to bring up his little slice of humiliation.

“That witch is going down. I don’t care how hot she looks in a bikini.” He unwrapped his second burger and shoved it in his face.

“So your plan to trample her heart has fallen by the wayside?” I asked.

“What plan?” Kiley asked.

Reeve didn’t answer her. He dragged the back of his hand across his mouth, took the lid off his cup, and chugged the rest of his drink. “I’ll be trampling her all right. Don’t you worry about it, Bro.”

“I think you should leave her alone.”

Reeve looked at me. “Why?” A thin grin crossed his face. “You think you have a chance with her, don’t you?”

Now Julie had taken an interest in the conversation. “Are you talking about that freaky girl at the bake shop?”

I walked away from the both of them and got into the jeep. “Matt, get in.”

“Why? I’m staying with Reeve.”

“Fine.” I shut the door. Julie ran to the passenger side and slid in. “I’m coming with you.”

I blasted the radio the whole way home. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to Julie. Far as I was concerned, we had already said everything there was to say to each other.

I glanced at the Rainbow’s End bakery as we drove past. I could see the girl working behind the counter. I wondered if she’d lived in Angel Beach all her life. She definitely had the tan and body surfing skills of a girl who’d grown up on the beach. She’d definitely put Reeve in his place today and that thought twisted my gut into a knot. Reeve was not someone to mess with. He had no conscience when it came to being ruthless.

Julie and I walked into the house. I’d barely tossed my keys on the table when she pounced on me. For a minute I was drawn into it. I grabbed her against me and kissed her. She took my hand to lead me to the couch, but I pulled from her grasp. Profound disappointment shaded her pretty face.

“Jules, what are we doing? We broke up, remember? You deserve someone better.”

She walked over and I knew a slap was coming because they were Julie’s trademark, so I stood and took it. “You need to make up your mind, Jamison.”

I rubbed the side of my face. She’d gotten in a good one with her skinny, little hand. “We both made up our minds to end this. We spend most of our time together fighting. I’m done. I thought you were too.”

She stomped to the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

Reeve’s truck roared into the driveway, and a crew of drunken people climbed out. They were all having a good laugh about something. The door flew open and Matt stumbled in and flopped onto the couch.

Reeve and the others were still laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Reeve threw the empty rum bottle at the bake shop door, and it broke into a million pieces right on the doorstep,” Kiley said through bouts of laughter.

“Shit, Reeve, you’re an idiot.” I walked over to see if Matt was still breathing.

His eyes fluttered open. “Hey, Jamison, old buddy.” Matt lifted his head and then dropped it back down. “I don’t feel so good.”

Courtney was leaning flirtatiously over the back of the couch. “Do you need some nursing, Matty?”

Matt moaned. “Definitely.” Then he lifted his head and puked all over the couch and floor.

I looked at Courtney, who seemed to be turning her own shade of green. “Oh, Nurse, your patient needs you,” I said.

Courtney backed away like the couch was on fire.

I walked over to Reeve. We were nearly the same size now and that bothered him plenty. I glared at him. “You got him drunk, you clean it up.”

Reeve looked just as coldly at me. “You seem to have appointed yourself as his nanny, you do it.” His jaw barely moved as he spoke. Reeve and I had been close as kids, but that was before our dad started making a boatload of money. When his investments began paying off in a big way, the family started falling apart in a big way. Dad’s head grew with his sudden wealth and power. He started having affairs and Mom left. Reeve got sucked into the money-power vacuum, and he’d decided to follow in Dad’s footsteps of being a hardcore jerk. Our relationship grew more strained each day.

“Something tells me, big brother, that you and I are going to come to blows during this summer vacation and it’s not going to be pretty.”

Reeve’s jaw twitched. “Looking forward.”

Silence had overtaken the room. I looked around at the tense expressions, unfurled my clenched fists, and walked to the back door. Courtney covered her mouth and raced into the bathroom to throw up. I smiled back at Reeve. “Great fun so far.” I slid open the glass door and walked outside.

A steady wind was blowing on shore, and the waves were completely blown out. Two people were windsurfing, and a couple was walking along the water’s edge hand in hand, but otherwise the beach was deserted.

I dumped my shoes on to the back patio and headed down to the water for a walk. Earlier this afternoon, I was seriously considering leaving this place. Dad would be pissed at me but then he was always pissed at me. One day and Matt was already totally out of control. I couldn’t leave unless he came with me, and I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

Farther down the beach a couple guys were skimboarding. A green Frisbee arced up high from somewhere near the houses and landed next to them. A dog came bounding after it. It was the same shepherd from earlier. That was when I saw the girl. She stopped to talk to the two guys. I sat up on dry sand. As much as I wanted to walk up to her, I knew that I was the last person she wanted to see. She laughed about something one of the guys said and her smile lit up the beach.

She reached back and tied her shiny hair in a loose knot exposing the kind of long, smooth neck that could drive any guy crazy. One of the guys handed her his skimboard. She studied the water, tossed it onto the surface, and jumped on with her incredibly long legs. She rode the thing like a pro.

Her dog got bored of waiting for someone to throw the Frisbee. He spotted me, loped over with the disc in his mouth, and dropped it in front of me. I stood up and threw it. The girl saw the toy fly up over the sand and turned around to see where it had come from. Her smile faded when she saw it was me, and it felt like someone had just punched me in the chest.

She handed the board back to the guy and walked over to me. Her long, smooth stride had me mesmerized. By the time she’d reached me, her hair had come loose from its knot. It floated around her tanned shoulders. If I’d been mesmerized by her walk, I was in a full trance once her face was near enough for me to see clearly. She was nothing short of beautiful. And from the look in her eyes, it was obvious she hated my guts.

“Is that blond ape your brother?” Her bottom lip jutted out angrily.

“Unfortunately.”

“You guys think you’re going to break us and drive us from this town, but it’s never going to happen.” Her harsh tone was edged with anguish and it hurt to hear.

We’d been here less than a day, and she’d already figured out Dad’s plan. “Just for the record, I’m not anything like my brother.” Before she could speak I stepped forward and put out my hand. “I’m Jamison.”

My overture seemed to render her speechless for a moment. She eyed my hand suspiciously then reached out and took hold of it. “I’m Echo.” She released her hand, but it was not as easy for me. I held it for a second longer before reluctantly letting go.

“How long are you guys staying?” she asked.

I smiled. “Well, we just got here so I think it might be awhile.”

“Stay off my waves and tell your brother to go to hell for me.” She spun around and walked away.

“You should keep clear of him,” I called to her.

She stopped and turned back to face me. Even angry, her face was stunning. “I’m not afraid of him.”

“I know,” I said. “That’s what worries me.”

She turned on her heels. Long, sunbleached strands of hair danced in the breeze as she marched away.

“You know,” I called to her, “you don’t know anything about me.”

“And I plan to keep it that way,” she said with a wave of her hand.

I watched her walk away then turned to head back. Being stuck here with my brothers was bad enough but being stuck here so near that girl and knowing that I would never be able to get close to her made everything that much worse.