Authors: Ava Armstrong
As he grabbed his bag and stood to leave, Ella touched his arm. The mere touch of her hand ignited a series of wild images that flashed through his mind in a split-second. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, but knew that would be way out of line.
“Ray,” Ella whispered. He loved the way she said his name as she touched him. “I can’t let you sit at The Harbor House tonight alone. You’ve
got
to let me buy you dinner, at least. Please…” Her eyes met his and he felt his pulse race.
“Look, I don’t want to impose…” he began half-heartedly, hoping she’d insist.
“Ray, I won’t take
No
for an answer. Do you like seafood?” Ella was insistent.
How did she know he loved seafood?
“Yes, I love seafood. I’ve always wanted to see the coast of Maine. How about a beach place where we could take Boomer with us?” Ray suggested.
“Yes,” Ella said with enthusiasm. “There’s a little tourist trap down on Rough Point that’s still open and we can bring Boomer.” Ella was beaming. She grabbed a sweater, a small bowl, and the puppy’s leash. He watched as she filled a little paper bag with dog food and put the harness on Boomer. Ray was in the driver’s seat again listening to Ella coo sweet things to her new canine friend.
Within twenty minutes they were sitting at a picnic table outside Don’s Clam Shack. The parking lot was filled with license plates representing a variety of states. Delicious aromas floated out of a small ancient wooden building with a large deck on the front filled with picnic tables. Ray found himself standing in line ordering fresh Haddock and clam cakes. He took a number and moved back to his seat next to Ella on the picnic table. The deck was filled with a mixture of tourists and locals all smiling and paying attention to cute little Boomer who was loving the attention.
~ Ella ~
They had walked barefoot on the beach with the dog before coming to the restaurant to order dinner. The sunset was beautiful and Ella could never imagine having a day like this with Bob. For one thing, Bob would never walk on the beach with her. Nor would she have a puppy. And, Bob wouldn’t be caught dead standing in line at a casual seafood restaurant like this. But surprisingly, Ray seemed at home. He was laid back and made her laugh as he stood in line to place their order. He was gesturing to her, being silly. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed like this.
When he brought the food to the table, Ray proceeded as if he was at a banquet fit for a king. He devoured the fresh Haddock and nibbled on one of her clam cakes. They stopped at a small ice cream shop on the way home and ordered chocolate milk shakes. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a chocolate milk shake.
The puppy slept on her lap in the car on the way home. Ray was telling her funny stories about the guys in his law office. For a moment, Ella felt like she had been transported to another planet ~ one where she could relax, laugh and enjoy something as simple as hugging a puppy. The strangest feeling came over her as she listened to Ray’s deep masculine voice while he spoke. It was as if she had met him before. But she knew she hadn’t. It was impossible. Then, it hit her.
Ray reminded her of her father.
Full of humor and wit, open, kind, and loving. But it was his self-deprecating humor that really got her. Just like her dad.
It was only 8 PM but Ella was exhausted in a good way. Thanks to Ray, much had been accomplished today. She felt tired but peaceful as she glanced at his profile while he drove. There was something about him that made him seem to be a boy trapped inside a man’s body. His nose was crooked and appeared to have been broken at some point. He had heavy five o’clock shadow and thick dark hair. She noticed what looked like a scar on the back of his neck, but then imagined he’d suffered many injuries if he played hockey in college. Gosh, he probably had tattoos. Her eyes secretly absorbed every detail about him.
Surprising her, Ray began talking about the pending long drive and overnight trip planned for the next day.
“Ella, I know this is an overnight tomorrow at the fishing camp. I want you to know I’m perfectly fine sleeping at a different location and meeting up with you early in the morning.” He said with a sincere tone. “I realize you don’t even know me. It has to be uncomfortable for you to bring me along…you may be concerned about sleeping in the same cabin…I don’t want you to feel the smallest bit of anxiety or awkwardness. I can sleep in a tent outside, if you’d like.”
Ella hadn’t really thought about it. She had spent many a night showing properties as a real estate broker and had never been attacked. But, she always had Maverick with her everywhere she went. She suddenly realized he was her lucky charm. What guy would even think of making a move on her with a snarling dog at her side?
But there was something that told her she could trust Ray Adriano. She couldn’t name the feeling. It was as if he was suffering from a wound of some sort and was reluctant to reveal it to her. She sensed tenderness in this man, even though he was a tough guy on the outside. Besides, she kept a loaded shotgun at the camp just in case a bear tried to get in. She even fired it once to frighten one away.
She feared bears, not Ray Adriano
.
“I don’t think I will feel uncomfortable, Ray. I don’t think you are some depraved sort of guy. I can handle myself. I shot at a bear once at camp. If I get fearful about anything, my father taught me well.” Ella said plainly.
She saw the smile overtake his face while driving. Good, she had put that matter to rest. There were two bedrooms at the camp. They were adults. This would be no different than taking Cassie to camp with her fishing, which she had done many times. The girls had managed to wash up separately and share the outhouse. There was plenty of privacy. This shouldn’t be any different.
When Ray pulled up to the bed and breakfast he held Boomer for a moment and Ella noticed he kissed the puppy. Bob never would have done that. She slid into the driver’s seat and Boomer curled up on the passenger seat with her sweater.
“He’s out like a light.” Ray said as his eyes rested on the dog. “He’s adorable, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is.” Ella whispered. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at 8 AM to make the long drive to the cottage. We can stop for a meal along the way. It’s about a four hour drive if we only make one stop. You might want to bring a warm sweater if you have one. It gets cold up there at night.”
His eyes locked with hers as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Ella couldn’t help but wonder what he thought of her. He turned away and walked up the stairs and paused on the porch of the bed and breakfast.
“Goodnight, Ella. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He turned, smiled and waved.
Ella pulled away with the beginning of a smile on her face. She replayed the events of the day in her mind. Ray was sweet and kind. Everything about this day had been spontaneous, unexpected. She had never met anyone like him. He was genuinely concerned about her welfare. But he made her feel his concern ran deeper than an attorney caring for a client. He was a man with incredible insight, especially when it came to her.
Ray seemed to know she wanted stability and sketched the financial scenario for her at the kitchen table. He helped her make a swift decision. He knew she wanted a puppy more than she knew it herself, and now she had one. He arranged every experience they had with Boomer in mind, making sure the puppy could accompany them. The word to describe Ray Adriano was
accommodating
. The stark contrast between her boyfriend and Ray was painfully evident to her as she drove home in silence.
She would put the dog bed in her room tonight in case Boomer needed to go outside. She wanted to train him as soon as possible in anticipation of all of the objections she would be hearing from Bob. Boomer followed her around the kitchen and just before bed she took him outside. The moon was full and she glanced at it with sweet anticipation for morning to come. She hadn’t felt that way for a while. She said a silent prayer for her father.
As soon as Boomer was settled in the bedroom, her phone rang.
“Hello Honey,” It was Bob and he sounded like he’d been drinking.
“How was your day?” Ella managed to say.
“Golf and dinner with clients. Got another big contract, honey.” Bob sounded full of himself. “How did the thing with the attorney go today? Did you make any decisions?”
“Yes,” Ella replied flatly. “I’ll leave everything as it is for now. The attorney also has his appraisal license, so he’s preparing all of the paperwork for me. It will be wrapped up in a week or so.” She really didn’t have an end date, but figured that would pacify him for now.
“Did your father leave
everything
to you?” Bob inquired.
“No, actually he left some money for my mother and a little something for his mistress.” Ella stated. “But, that was to be expected.”
“Not much, I assume…” Bob was curious now.
“No. Nothing out of the ordinary. I’m sorting through his personal items.” Ella mentioned.
“Well, when I come home, honey, I’ll make this up to you ~ I promise.” Bob slurred his words. She imagined he was well into the after dinner party with his friends celebrating the new account.
“Have a good time. I miss you.” Ella murmured. She waited for his response.
“Yes, you have a good night, too, honey.” And Bob hung up. She thought she heard female laughter in the background, but that seemed to be common on these trips. Bob once told her some of the guys brought their wives along. She knew she would never be a trophy wife. Ella had her own life and career. She loved her chosen profession and she couldn’t take long blocks of time off to travel to golf courses and expensive dinners on the other side of the country, or the other side of the world, for that matter.
While Ella slipped into her nightdress and washed her face, she was imagining what Ray was doing right now at the bed and breakfast. He was probably exhausted. She looked forward to the drive to father’s camp tomorrow. It was a beautiful place, off the grid, and she knew Ray, the city boy, would probably get a kick out of the wildlife roaming about. They might even have time to fish off the dock for a couple of hours.
As she slipped underneath the covers and closed her eyes she imagined the sound of the loons calling to one another on the pond at night. As a little girl, she always liked to fall asleep to that sound. The camp was where she spent a lot of time with her father growing up, thus it was a sacred place to her. She would ask Ray to help her winterize the water lines and button the place up for the end of the season. She knew he would. He was a nice guy.
~ Ray ~
Brushing his teeth, Ray stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. Vanessa told him he was handsome, but he knew she said that to every guy she slept with at Tony’s. He wondered if Ella found him even remotely attractive. Then he remembered Ella was already taken; she was living with a guy. He wondered what Bob was like. Already, he already sounded like a jerk to him. Any guy who would deny Ella the pleasure of a puppy had to have the personality of The Grinch. Ray knew he was dreaming if he thought Ella would ever fall for him. Bob was that Ivy League handsome football player type of guy, blonde and tanned and rippling with muscles. Bob was all of the things he wasn’t.
Ray scrutinized his face in the mirror. He had a bit of a crooked bend to his nose, and it was thick and swollen in one spot. He’d broken it twice during his hockey days, or was it three times? But he still had all of his teeth; there was something to be said for that. His eyes were deep blue, the color of blueberries. Some of his friends teased him saying he looked like Guido from the old country, right out of the Godfather. He couldn’t deny his heritage. He looked Italian all right. His hair was thick and dark. He kept it fairly short just because it was low maintenance. His Adam’s apple protruded slightly; his five o’clock shadow was heavy. His small ears jutted from his head unevenly he noticed for the first time. His eyebrows were too thick. He had a brooding solemn look, he thought, not handsome.
He decided looking into the mirror wasn’t filling him with confidence. He rinsed with spearmint mouthwash and dropped his lean muscled body into the featherbed mattress. The gas fireplace warmed the room and acted as a nightlight. As he pulled the heavy flannel quilt over him, he closed his eyes and imagined the sensation of Ella’s soft plump lips on his. He was looking forward to spending the day and night with her tomorrow at the fishing camp. The whole idea for him was akin to going to heaven, or the closest thing to it on earth. And, Boomer would go with them. It wasn’t only Ella’s physical beauty that attracted him. She inspired him, made him feel confident like he did before the hockey injury.
He hadn’t felt that way for a very long time.
He fell asleep with the vision of Ella’s beautiful face in his mind.
~ Ella ~
The morning was sunny and unusually mild for October. Ella packed her bag and the puppy’s items into the Honda and drove to The Harbor House to pick up Ray. She felt a sense of freedom with the knowledge that she’d have the entire day and night at the camp. Ray was waiting on the porch and had a bounce in his step as he descended the staircase. He tossed his bag into the back of the Honda and slid into the front seat. He lovingly cradled Boomer in his lap, Ella noticed.