The Elite: The Complete Series of Boomer and Player (With Bonus) (6 page)

The woman who had greeted me laughed. “First time?”

“Yeah, but I can already tell you it won’t be my last…I don’t even know where to begin!”

“We get that a lot. Personally, I’d recommend the cinnamon chip scone, a vanilla hazelnut latte, and then come back around lunch time and try one of the turkey pesto croissant sandwiches.”

“Sounds perfect,” I replied, nodding in agreement, my eyes still roving over the assortment before me. Scones, muffins, miniature cakes, cookies, fruit tarts. Apparently the residents of Holiday Cove had a bit of a sweet tooth.

“Great! I’ll warm up that scone and get your latte to you in a jiff!” She bounced into action, swiping one of the large, frosted scones from the case. “I’m Carly, by the way.”

“Hi, Carly. I’m Holly.”

Carly crossed to the warmer and set a timer before rounding the corner to a gleaming espresso machine. She got the shots started and looked back up at me. “Nice to meet you. Where are you from?”

“Irvine.”

“Oh,” Carly nodded, recognition dawning. “I have a brother that lives out that way. Nice place. What brings you to Holiday Cove?”

“You mean, besides the amazing coffee and pastries?” I asked, laughing. “I’m a CPA and just finished my first solo tax season.”

Carly whistled. “Enough said, honey. Well, you came to the right place. We might be a small town, but everyone here is really friendly. You’ll have a great time!”

“Thanks.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked out the low windows to see what Hunter was doing. He had apparently given up on trying to wrangle free of his leash, and was sitting, looking quite contentedly out at the ocean. “Is it always so quiet here?”

“In the mornings. Yeah. It’s a bit of a sleepy town. Come this afternoon, I’ll have an empty case and a line out the door. So, my advice, come early if you want your first pick of everything.”

“Noted.”

“I’ll bring this out to you if you want to take a seat, enjoy the gorgeous day.”

“Thanks, I think I will.” I went out the side door that led directly to the patio and Hunter jumped up at my arrival, waving his chubby tail in the air. When Carly brought me my breakfast she stooped down to pet Hunter, and we exchanged puppy stories while I sipped the sweet foam from my latte. After a little while, she went back inside, but came back moments later with a handful of puppy treats. Hunter gobbled them down and tried following Carly back into the shop.

“Sorry, buddy, you’re stuck with me today.” I tugged his leash to get him away from the door and he finally came around and lay back down by my feet. I sipped my way through the layered drink slowly, savoring every drop, and scanned the beach. Carly was right, it was sleepy. There wasn’t another soul as far as I could see, in either direction. I’d never been to a completely abandoned beach, but within seconds, decided I could definitely get used to it.

I broke off a piece of my scone and moaned as it melted like butter on my tongue. I was battling off the urge to go inside and have Carly bag up half a dozen in a to go bag, when I spotted a figure running down the beach. He was still a long way off, but with each powerful pump of his legs, he got nearer and clearer. There was a large yellow lab running by his side, keeping pace without a leash or what looked like much prompting from the man. My eyes slide from the man, down to Hunter. “See, that right there should be your life goal.” I cocked my chin in the direction of the pair on the beach and Hunter perked up, as though he understood what I’d said. He stood up and padded out to the edge of the deck, going as far as he could while still attached to his leash.

The man was about a hundred feet away when it struck me that there was something familiar about him. I couldn’t quite figure it out, but there was a nagging recognition that kept me staring at him. He was tall and looked to be in very good shape—a fact confirmed by his easy clip of a pace over the rough, sandy terrain—with dark hair that was cut short, but appeared at least slightly styled. He was wearing dark sunglasses and I realized with a start, that he could be watching me and I wouldn’t even know it. I slipped my sunglasses down from the top of my head and pressed them securely against the bridge of my nose. I held my breath as he raced by. He hadn’t glanced over at me, at least not as far as I could tell, but I was left with the lingering sense that he’d noticed me.

I shook my head, dismissing the thought, and turned my attention back to my breakfast, picking off another sizable bit of my scone. Just as I popped it into my mouth, Hunter surged forward, tugging frantically in the direction the man and his dog had just gone. I pulled on his leash. “Hunter, stop it. Chill!”

Hunter ignored me completely and started barking as loud as I’d ever heard him, still tugging and pulling to get free. I scooted to the edge of my chair, to reach for his collar, and in what must have looked like a slapstick comedy routine, he jumped at the exact moment I hovered above my chair, sending the chair—and myself—toppling to the stone ground. I cursed loudly as my elbow hit the ground and was showered with the remaining few inches of my latte. I sat up, rubbing my sore elbow, and swore again as Hunter tore off down the beach.

Carly raced out the door and reached for my hand. “Oh my gosh, are you all right?”

I let her help me up and nodded. “I’m fine, thank you. I’ll be back to get all this…” I promised, gesturing at the mess on the table.

She waved me off. “I got it. Just go get your little guy!”

I took off as fast as I could, slipping out of my flip flops when I hit the sand, knowing I’d be faster without them. I ran like hell after Hunter, but he was so far ahead that he looked like a tiny brown blob, hurling over the sand. I pumped my arms faster. “Hunter! Hunter, get back here! Right! Now!”

Hunter stopped when he reached the place that the man and his dog had stopped. I slowed my pace as I zeroed in and stopped in my tracks when I got close enough to meet—the now sunglass free—eyes of the mystery runner. A lazy smile spread across his face as I panted to catch my breath. “I’m…so…sorry.”

The man stooped to pick Hunter off the ground. He patted his head and Hunter gave him a lick of approval. “No worries. I saw you guys together at the coffee shop.”

My heart rate spiked. He
had
seen me. “I think he likes your dog.”

“This is Princess,” he said, resting a hand on his dog, who was sitting obediently at his feet. “And I’m Jack.”

“Hunter.” I pointed at the wriggling pup under his arm. “And I’m Holly.”

I was thankful my sunglasses had stayed on during my sprint, as they provided perfect protection to let my eyes wander freely up and down Jack’s toned body. Somewhere between running by the coffee shop and reaching the end of his route, he’d stripped his shirt off and the display of hard, carved muscles made it impossible not to gawk a little. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a blockbuster action flick, only he was holding a puppy instead of a machine gun.

Which was essentially catnip for single women the world over.

I opened my arms and he stepped closer to hand Hunter back to me. “Thanks.”

“No problem. I remember the puppy years. It’s all cute and fun…till it’s not.”

I laughed. “Yeah, that about sums it up. I definitely let my cute-o-meter decide when it came to this little guy. There was nothing logical about it.”

Jack smiled. “It’ll be worth it. You gotta hang in there.”

I nodded, but couldn’t think of anything to add to the conversation. I looked back over my shoulder, momentarily impressed with how far I’d managed to sprint. Apparently I loved the little fur ball after all. “Well, thanks again. I have a mess to clean up at the cafe, thanks to this little monster.”

“It was nice to meet you, Holly,” Jack said, as I turned to leave.

“Yeah, you too,” I called back as I began the trek back across the beach. I was a few yards away when Hunter started wrestling in my arms, trying to get loose. I gripped his leash in my hand before setting him down. He immediately turned to run back to Princess. I scooped him up again and marched back to the coffee shop.

Carly had the space cleaned up and appeared with a fresh latte when I made it back. I dug in my pocket to retrieve my debit card, but she waved it off. “It’s on me.”

“Thank you, Carly. That’s very kind.” I took the cup and sat back down at the table I’d been at before Hunter’s episode. He walked to the edge of the patio and gazed down the way Jack and Princess had gone, but before I could tug him back, he caught sight of a fat seagull overhead and was distracted instantly.

I found it harder to forget about the encounter, my mind drifting back to Jack’s sweat coated body and the way his strong legs had propelled him effortlessly across the sand. And then, there was his charming smile and easy going manner. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason he was so stuck in my head, but even as Hunter and I went about our day, wandering around the small beach town, I’d flash back to his dark eyes and the familiar quality he had about him.

Among my musings, the loudest question was wondering why on earth I’d been in such a hurry to get away from him. Had I been single so long I was reverting back to the high school version of myself? Painfully shy, intimidated, and awkward? I cringed at the thought, but it was my best theory, and very hard to argue against, based on my encounter with Jack on the beach.

Maybe Rachel was right, I needed to get out more.

Chapter Seven

Jack

“Where you been?” Aaron asked, when I entered the corner of the hanger where he had built his office. He’d been sleeping when I’d taken Princess out for a run, and was now sitting at his desk, coffee in hand, and from the look on his face, still not quite caffeinated enough.

“Went out for a run. Damn, I’d forgotten how hard it is to run on sand. My legs are gonna hate me tomorrow.”

Aaron laughed. “Don’t go getting soft on me, Boomer. First you turn me down to go out last night, now you can’t run the beach without bitchin’…” He shook his head with mock disappointment.

“Newsflash Rosen, we’re not twenty-one anymore.”

“Ain’t that a shame.”

I chuckled. “Yes and no. You and I both know we did some stupid
shit
when we were twenty-one.”

A knowing grin tugged at Aaron’s mouth. “Yeah, but damn if it wasn’t fun.”

I couldn’t argue. “Hey, listen, you know any girl’s named Holly from around here?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral as I crossed the hangar to where Aaron had a coffee bar stocked. I poured my cup and took extra time fussing with it, not wanting to see the look on Aaron’s face.

“Holly?” He repeated. “Tell me more. What’s she look like? You know, sometimes I don’t get their names.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know what, never mind. Forget I asked.”

“Come on, man, don’t be like that. Just tell me.”

I sighed and turned around, coffee mug in hand, and leaned back against the counter. “She was tall, like 5’8, 5’9. Blonde hair, brown eyes, nice legs…”

Aaron scoffed. “You do realize that describes ninety percent of the women around here?”

I stared at my coffee. “Right.”

“Oh come on, Boomer. Don’t get all butt hurt on me. We’ll go out tonight to this bar I know, next town over, always stocked with hotties.”

Aaron had tried to convince me to go out with him to chase tail the night before, and I’d turned him down. Insisting that I hadn’t come to visit to score half a dozen chicks. I just wanted some peace and quiet before I’d embark on my third WestPac thousands of miles from home. All of which was still true, but there was something about seeing Holly, running down that beach towards me, her golden hair flying out behind her and the relieved look when she finally caught up to her renegade pup. Something more than just her long, shapely legs or the way her t-shirt clung to her nice titties as she panted to catch her breath.

Well, maybe that was
part
of it.

I looked up and found myself in Aaron’s calculating crosshairs. “All right, fine. I’ll go.”

He pumped his fist in victory and let out a low whoop. “Let me finish up here and then I’m gonna make you my bitch for the day. I gotta couple errands to run and need someone to come with me.”

“Or, I could stay here, drink coffee, relax. You know, I’m on leave man, have some respect.”

Aaron only grinned wider. “Don’t be a pussy, Boomer. Where we’re going will be way more fun than all that.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him, silently demanding a further explanation.

“I just got a call about a World War Two fighter and I gotta get down to the auction and put in a bid before someone else gets it.”

I nodded approvingly. “Sounds like it could be cool.”

“You bet your ass it’ll be cool. If it looks anything even close to the pics I saw online, it’s gonna be the best find of the year and it’s only April!” He pumped his fist once again and turned back to his computer screen. I smiled at him as he went back to work, a deep sense of relief spreading through me, knowing that my friend had not only found his way back to a civilian life, but he was thriving in it.

I could only hope that when it was my turn, I’d find something to retire to that made me just as excited.

* * * *

After a very successful day at the auction, Aaron walked away the proud new papa to two new planes, and was in the mood to celebrate. He was practically giddy when we made our way into Harvey’s Bar and Grill that night for dinner and drinks. The entire ride over, he’d alternated between gushing about his new planes to talking about some of his past encounters with women he’d met at Harvey’s. From his point of view, it was
the
place to go if you wanted to kick back and have some fun. Holiday Cove was a small town, but the neighboring city provided a more active nightlife.

“What did I tell ya, Boomer?” He nudged me and jerked his chin over at a trio of stunners at the end of the bar. They were dressed to kill, and were well aware of the attention on them as they stood, waiting for their drinks to be handed over. “I swear, it doesn’t matter what night of the week, it’s always like this.”