Mia Ross - Seaside Romance

The bells along the top of the entry door jingled, and she called out, “Be with you in a minute!”

“Take your time. I’m not in a hurry.”

The words weren’t the least bit threatening, but the unfamiliar male voice froze her midstep. Although her brain knew perfectly well she was protected behind the tall shelves, her heart thudded to a stop, and icy fear slithered up her spine. Pulling in a ragged breath, she reminded herself that no one but her parents knew she was in Northern Maine with Julia.

You’re safe now, a tiny voice in her mind whispered. Closing her eyes, she took another, calmer breath and braced herself to face her very first customer. She plastered a smile on her face and walked out from behind the shelves. “May I help you?”

He flashed her a bright grin that made her feel as if he’d been waiting all morning to meet her. “You must be Julia’s friend Lauren, from New York City. Last time I was in, she told me you were coming to help out with the shop.” Offering his hand, he added, “I’m Ben Thomas. Welcome to Holiday Harbor.”

The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Dressed in washed-out jeans and work boots, he stood a full head taller than her, and Lauren had to tilt her head up to get a full view of him. With windblown blond hair and a ruddy complexion, he looked like he’d just stepped off one of the fishing boats docked down at the wharf. Then it occurred to her where she knew that name from, and she looked down at the top of the antique glass-front case Julia used as a checkout stand. Like the rest of the wood in the shop, from display racks to molding, it was a rich, dark walnut, obviously hand-carved with care a long time ago.

A shiny brass nameplate mounted near the front of the cabinet read “Restored with pride by Ben Thomas,” and she tapped it with her fingertip. “Is this you?”

“Yeah. When Julia was gutting this place, we found it upstairs in a corner, in a dozen pieces and covered with—well, you get the picture.”

He smiled again, and she couldn’t help noticing that the faded blue T-shirt he wore paled in comparison to his eyes. The color of a flawless summer sky, they made her think of sunshine. There hadn’t been much of that for her recently, and even though she’d just met him, she sensed herself being drawn to the warmth he projected. As the pause continued, she realized he was expecting some kind of response from her.

Nodding, she said, “I think so.”

“Anyway, she had a vision for this place, wanted to restore it to the way it used to be. It was built as a general store, and I dug up old blueprints and photos to make sure we got it right. I thought using the original counter would be a nice way to keep the old character in her new shop. It took a while, and when I was done, she insisted I get credit for it. Thanks to her, I’ve gotten some jobs restoring antiques for other folks in town.”

A man who saw value in old, broken-down things and enjoyed resurrecting them, she thought with a little smile. It was quite a departure from the bulldoze-the-past mentality so many people had these days. “So you’re not just a contractor. You’re a craftsman.”

“I’d like to be. There’s tons of old places along the East Coast that need to be saved. Bringing them back to life would be the best job ever.”

“Why don’t you do it?”

Annoyance clouded his expression, but blew away as quickly as it had surfaced. “Thomas and Sons is just me and my dad these days. Kitchens and roofs aren’t my idea of exciting, but they pay the bills. Without me—”

He shrugged, but she got the drift. He was staying here, forgoing his own dreams to help his father. It was a sweet, considerate thing to do, and she smiled in spite of herself. “That’s really great of you, staying to make sure his business keeps running well.”

“That’s what family’s all about, but thanks.”

His gaze warmed with the kind of male admiration she used to crave, but now it sent her skittering back from the counter. Lauren had learned the hard way that people weren’t always what they seem. Sometimes their true natures were buried beneath layers of deception, and by the time you dug deep enough to discover the truth, it was almost impossible to claw your way back out.

Determined not to repeat her mistakes, Lauren resolved to be pleasant to Ben but keep a respectable distance. “So, what can I help you with?”

Either he didn’t notice her sudden backpedaling routine, or he didn’t care. Whatever the reason, he sailed along without skipping a beat. “Julia called to say the puzzles I ordered for my niece’s birthday are here. I came to add a card so she can ship them to Detroit for me.”

“Ben!” Hurrying out front, Julia set the phone on the counter near the register and embraced him with enthusiasm. “I haven’t seen you in ages. How are things?”

“Fine. How ’bout you?”

“Crazy, with Easter next week and the wedding a month away.” Laughing as if chaos was her normal mode, she added, “Your gift is in the back, wrapped and ready to go. You two chat while I get it.”

“I can—” Lauren’s protest was lost in a graceful pirouette that sent her friend toward the storeroom. Stranded with Ben, she did her best to shrug it off. “She’s the boss.”

“Yeah, that’s what her fiancé says, too.” He chuckled. “Never figured he’d let someone take over his life that way, but he seems really happy.”

“So does Julia,” Lauren said. Not long ago, she’d been adept at mingling and making small talk with people she’d just met. Now, though, it terrified her to even try. Just one more thing she had to overcome, she groused silently.

Apparently, her discomfort was pretty obvious, because Ben leaned across the counter with a sympathetic expression. “This map-dot town’s not exactly what you’re used to, huh?”

Thankful that he hadn’t guessed the true source of her shyness, she shook her head. “It’s nice, though. It was so pretty driving in past the lighthouse and seeing the village spread out over the coast that way. With all these old buildings and houses, it feels like it’s been here forever.”

“Founded on Christmas Day, 1820,” he confirmed. “That’s where the name came from, and some of the original families are still here. I imagine they’ll still be around a hundred years from now.”

She caught a hint of disapproval in his tone, and the light in his eyes dimmed slightly. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”

“When you stay in one place too long, you stagnate, like a pond. Life needs to move from one place to another like the tide, to keep things interesting.”

Just then, Julia returned with Ben’s package, wrapped in festive birthday paper and topped with a poufy pink bow.

“Looks great. Thanks.”

Taking it from her, he handed over his credit card and easily shifted to a conversation about her upcoming wedding. He politely included Lauren, but she was only half listening. Instead, her mind was churning around his very down-to-earth philosophy on how to avoid a stagnant life. Maybe that was what she needed, Lauren mused while she rang up his purchase. A fresh start, with a few waves for variety.

The problem was, while it sounded appealing, she knew she wasn’t ready for anything quite that ambitious yet. Right now, she needed a safe harbor. Eventually, once she regained all the parts of her she’d lost over the past year, she could think about venturing a little farther from shore.

A voice came from the phone, and Julia cradled it against her shoulder. “T-o-y-l-a-n-d,” she spelled in the perfect diction Lauren had always admired. “The label says, T-o-y-l-a-n-e. Yes, I’ll hold.”

Rolling her eyes, she smiled at him. “I hope your niece likes them.”