Finding Love in Forgotten Cove (Island County Series Book 1) (18 page)

“It’s Colin. We went to junior high together.”

I racked my brain as my mind rewound all those years, and I didn’t remember a Colin.

“I used to have long hair…”

Oh yeah! Of course! It was halfway down his back. Total surfer.

“Oh my gosh. I didn’t even recognize you.”

“Amazing what ten or fifteen years will do… actually, it’s more than that now, isn’t it? Where does the time go?” His mouth spread into a half-smile, and he eyed Mason before bringing his gaze back to mine.

That’s right—show him I was a catch.

“Didn’t you move away after eighth grade?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, but there’s something about this place. If a person’s listening, it calls you back.”

I nodded, starting to understand that call.

“It’s nice seeing you tonight, and maybe I’ll see you around. I work Tuesday through Saturday, and of course, I’ll be here for your entertainment the rest of the night.” He flashed a cute smile, and I noticed Mason glance at us both, completely bemused.

“Awesome. Appreciate it.”

And off went Colin to put in our orders.

“Miss Popularity, huh. Once you start going out on the town…”

“The town consisting of all two-thousand citizens,” I piped up.

“The island’s bigger than that,” he laughed.

“But the town isn’t.”

“So how does it feel?”

“What part?”

“You know, running into old acquaintances. You’ve been pretty much hiding at your dad’s place.”

“I have not.”

“Bet me?” His brow arched.

“Well, no. But it feels kind of nice to be out. Kind of.”

“So in other news, are you ready for the Rhodes barbeque?”

“I don’t know if I am. Something tells me it will be a lot to handle.”

“Anytime you get a bunch of Rhodes together, it can be dicey, but I promise to protect and serve.”

“Serve, huh?”

Colin brought over my clam chowder and Mason’s cioppino.

They both smelled delicious.

Mason placed his napkin on his lap and nodded. “Absolutely. Your wish will be my command. That’s how grateful I am you’re coming.”

I took a bite of the chowder and savored the flavor, nothing like chowder from this place. It was nice to be back, but it would be nice to go back home to Skaneateles. Autumn was always beautiful in New England and my students needed me or at least that was what I told myself.

“So when the girls were over, they mentioned your brother and his unquenchable desire to get the crap beat out of him in some underground fighting ring. Is that for real?”

Mason’s blue eyes darkened and his jaw tensed as he swallowed his bite of soup.

“He’s actually on the giving end, not the receiving end, but yeah, he’s involved pretty heavily in underground fighting.” He didn’t continue on, and I knew there was more that he debated about telling me. Unfortunately, he chose wrong and didn’t say anything else.

“How did he get into it?” I asked.

Mason shrugged. “Some college antics.” His demeanor changed and he completely walled me off. I was at a loss. I didn’t think the subject was that big of a deal, but I obviously misjudged.

“Only it stuck?” I asked. We’d all been out of college for quite a while.

“You could say that.”

Colin returned to take away our empty bowls. “Would you like a refill on the bread?”

“I’d love that. Thank you.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Mason agreed, and Colin walked away.

“You know what else sounds good?” I asked Mason.

“I can think of a couple things.” His eyes glinted with mischief.

“Me too and one of them starts with you telling me what’s up with your brother. The moment I brought it up, things got weird.”

“No, they didn’t.”

“Yeah, they did.”

“No, they didn’t.”

“Yeah, they did,” I laughed. “What I say goes if you want me to show up at the Rhodes barbeque not under duress.”

Mason chuckled and wiped his mouth to buy time. It was a practice I recognized and had waiting in my arsenal for moments such as these.

“I’ve told you things that I haven’t told anyone else,” I said quietly, our eyes connecting. “I kind of hoped it was a two-way thing.”

Mason chewed his lip as our bread was delivered.

“The reason I don’t like talking about my brother and his fighting is that, frankly, it puts me in a bad light. “

“How so?”

“I’m the one that got him into it.”

“That doesn’t sound so horrible. You can’t help that he’s passionate about something that’s dangerous. Who knew what you introduced to him would become a passion. I could think of worse things.”

His eyes narrowed and he watched me carefully before speaking.

“Like what?”

“For one, jumping out of a plane, which is on my bucket list, in case you’re wondering.”

“Isn’t it on everyone’s? And I’m glad to hear you took my advice on a bucket list.”

“Seems like it, but back to business. Besides the obvious danger factor, why does it bother you so much that your brother fights?” I didn’t feel like stopping the conversation to let him know I already had a bucket list before he suggested it. I was getting too close to finding out about Mason and his brother.

Mason took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“It’s not so much the fighting. It’s the reason he stepped in the ring in the first place.”

I didn’t say anything this time.

“I take total responsibility. I’m not blaming anyone but myself.”

“For what?” Unsure that I wanted to hear his answer.

“I started gambling. It started with blackjack and then I moved onto poker.”

“Underground, I assume?”

“They’re the only ones that’ll keep a running tab, so yeah. It’s one of the lowest points in my life, and if it weren’t for my brother bailing me out, I don’t know if I’d be here.”

My mouth fell open but no words came out so I shut it.

“I made the wrong people angry and I owed them lots of money. My brother offered to step into the underground fighting circuit. He’d been a fan for a long time and had always trained. He’d just never actually stepped in a ring for money. The next thing we knew, we were arranging our own fights and it took on a life of its own. We paid the debt, but the money that comes in is pretty hard to resist. Not to mention, my father made me a partner at the construction firm so things have really turned around. I’ve been trying to give back in any way I can to the community. I was so lucky to have things turn around for me. Not everyone lucks out. But that’s what I was talking about as far as karma that one day.”

I nodded, trying to swallow inconspicuously. “And guilt, I’d assume. So you don’t gamble any longer?”

“No. I stay far away from all gambling.”

“Isn’t that kind of what this is, though?” I asked.

He twisted his lips into a thoughtful expression and nodded. “Yeah, it is. But I guess the difference is we’re generally collecting other people’s money. And no, I don’t think that’s any better. I’ve tried to get my brother to stop, but I think he’s addicted to the rush of winning. He certainly doesn’t do it for the money. His energy drink company is doing quite well.”

“He’s never lost a fight?” I asked.

“Never. Not even close, but I know that will change someday. There’s always someone faster, stronger, luckier, and I want him out before he meets him.”

“I understand that one.”

“I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to think less of me,” his voice was low and his eyes piercing.

“It would take a lot more than that,” I whispered, reaching out across the table. “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of in life. It’s how we pick ourselves up after we fall that matters.”

I held his hand and warmth totally filled me.

He nodded slowly, his gaze still on mine. I felt the familiar electricity flood my mind and body the longer he looked at me, and I wasn’t sure how I’d make it through dinner. He was too damn hot to resist. I broke my gaze from his and watched Colin balance my salad and Mason’s salmon entrée as he walked over.

He set the salad in front of me and placed the salmon in front of Mason. Offering us cracked pepper or grated cheese for my salad, I could barely pay him attention so I nodded for both. All I could concentrate on was Mason’s gaze on me. I didn’t have to look up to know he was watching me, and for some reason, that was sexier than if I’d caught him in the act. It was like one non-stop dose of dopamine running through my brain when Mason was around. It made me question my decision-making abilities, especially when they had to do with coming or going.

“This is delicious,” I said, in between bites of my seafood salad.

“Salmon is too.”

I took another bite and watched Mason carefully. I appreciated his honesty and didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable after admitting something so personal.

“You know, I’m glad you’re not still down and dirty with the bad guys, but it’s kind of hot that the guy I’m into was a rebel.”

Mason smiled and said, “So you admit that you’re into me.”

My head swung back in a fit of giggles. “In a completely casual way.”

“Uh-huh. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“You’re seeing it,” I assured him.

“So you took my advice about the bucket list?” he asked, bringing the conversation back to my earlier admission about my bucket list.

“Believe it or not, I already had one.”

“You did?”

I nodded. “And all my friends think I’ve somehow managed to fast forward right into old age with it.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Mason countered. “Everyone has a bucket list. Even dogs have bucket lists and
those
break my heart.”

“I know. I saw one online where the owner was doing a cross-country trip with his pooch. It killed me.”

“Me too,” Mason agreed. “But everyone’s doing it.”

“Mine had a little caveat,” I added.

“What was that?”

“I couldn’t date anyone serious unless I completed most of the things on my list.”

Mason’s brow furrowed. “I don’t think that’s how it’s supposed to work.”

“Says who?”

“The bucket list rule-makers. Everyone knows bucket lists can be more fun with company.”

“The operative phrase can be. It’s not a given.”

“It’s a given if you’d let me help. Come on, spill it. Give me a couple.”

“There’s some easy ones on it, simple ones.”

“Like?”

“Swing on a rope over a lake.”

“I can make that happen.”

“How?”

“We have a lake cabin and there just so happens to be trees and one of those trees does, indeed, have a rope attached.”

“Suspicious.”

“Only if you’re paranoid.” He grinned.

“I’d like to see a solar eclipse.”

“Takes some planning, but doable.”

“Slow dance in the rain.”

“Won’t be hard in Washington.”

“You know how to slow dance?”

“Of course. Now give me some of the biggies.”

 “I’d like to try a fried Twinkie.”

“Seriously? That’s your biggie? A fried Twinkie?”

“No way, I only wanted to see if you’d fall for it and you did.”

“That’s because you’re supposed to be a trustworthy individual.”

“Okay, some of the biggies are to climb Mount Rainier.”

“You’d have to be in Washington to do that.” His eyes sparkled.

“And get lost in Scotland, spend a week in the Louvre, spend a week at the Smithsonian, hang glide.”

“Those are some good ones, for sure.”

“You?”

“Mount Rainier happens to be on my list. But I don’t want to get lost in Scotland. I’d like to get lost in Ireland.”

“Both are very green places.”

“Good observation. Hawaii would be fun to go to with you.”

“We’d have a blast.”

“In the hotel and out.” His eyes held that mesmerizing quality, and it was nearly impossible to stay anchored in my seat. If this was what the madness of love could bring out in a person, I’d certainly been missing out for far too long.

“You’ve done a fabulous job of keeping my mind not on business…”

He nodded. “Indeed I have and I don’t even know why. I’ve got good news for you.”

“And you made me wait?”

“It wasn’t only you who couldn’t find any trace of the funds your aunt is claiming she’s owed. My mom did some digging into your aunt and she certainly isn’t known for being the most upstanding citizen. She’s actually been arrested for fraudulent activity in more than one state. My mom didn’t have much time today to get into it, but it looks like your aunt doesn’t mind writing checks she shouldn’t cash nor does it bother her to borrow people’s identities now and then.”

I shivered. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“I’m not. We still have some digging left to do, but so far it doesn’t look like she’s owed a dime.” He paused. “That’s not to mean she won’t try to make your life miserable in the meantime.”

“I don’t doubt it. That was kind of the warning I got from my uncle. He suggested I come to the UK to avoid her.”

“Well, I guess, we could cross off a couple of our bucket list items,” he laughed.

“True.”

Longing swept through me as I watched Mason lean back in the chair. His broad shoulders filled out his shirt and my mind wandered to stripping him bare.

“Something made you turn red.”

“Not even.”

Colin brought our bill and Mason slapped his card down.

“Shall we go for a little walk before we both go our separate ways for the evening?” His eyes searched mine, taunting me along the way. “Since this was a casual business dinner with no strings and no—”

“There is such a thing as mixing business and pleasure, you know.”

“I’m not sure if it always works out well, though. I don’t think we should chance it.”

Colin placed the receipt on the table, and Mason quickly filled it out while I watched him carefully. Was he serious?

Mason stood up. “Shall we?”

I nodded, standing up and placing my napkin on the table.

He took my hand and walked me along one of the marinas that dotted the rocky shoreline. We were in the south end of town where the marinas were closer together and boutiques lined the road.

He stopped in front of the ice-cream shop and opened the door for me. I entered and was immediately hit with the delicious sugary smell of waffle cones. We both ordered a double scoop. He got double fudge and I got salted caramel. We sat in the shop for a few minutes trying to make our cones more manageable before we headed outside. My mind was less concerned with the ice cream and more concerned with the direction he was taking me.