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I pull the mail barge up to the dock and look at the time on my watch, which reads 5:03 p.m. After dropping the anchor, I jump onto the dock and tie a cleat hitch securing the barge. Shit. I’m late to help Maddie with her hotel guests. Some couple from California who rented out the honeymooners’ cottage are staying with her for the summer. It’s probably a bunch of stuck-up folks from LA who will just breeze through town, drink like fish, and blow obscene amounts of money on nautical crafts for their pool houses. Those type of people irritate me immensely.
I try to keep an eye on Maddie, especially when new folks come through town, since a group who rented the cottage last summer partied too hard and vandalized her property. It took me a good week to help her fix it back up between a hole in the wall, destroyed carpets, and some other damages. You would have thought a Bacchus event occurred in the cottage with all the wine bottles, turned over furniture, and cigars laying everywhere. She’s lucky the idiots hadn’t burned the place down.
Maddie has always lived in Gold Beach. It’s where I was born and raised until I went away to college and then settled in Seattle with my own boat building business. Things were difficult for a really long time until I got my head out of my ass. When dad’s health started to fail I returned to help him run his fishing business and we managed to patch our relationship up. Since his death last spring, I’m a bit lost and come back out of habit like clockwork while my boats are being constructed and business is in a lull. Gold Beach is my home, the place I’ve always tried running from but seem to get sucked back to when life gets rough. It’s not a secret of mine, but it’s not something I’m going to advertise everywhere I go.
My summer day job is helping Old Roy, the postmaster for Gold Beach, a few days a week. Since Roy has been sick, it’s been up to me to operate the mail barge and get the letters and packages to the folks up the Rogue River. I like to save Maddie’s mail to take it to her personally, since it’s on my way. Gold Beach has one of only two surviving mail barges still in operation. I’d hate to see that change, and so I’ve committed myself to making sure the mail gets delivered while I’m staying here.
I get the boat secured to the dock and make my way to my truck when I see Bella running toward me. “Whoa! Easy, Bella, what’s up, sweetheart?” Gentle panting and licking greets me as she tries jumping up into my arms. “Where’s Darrell?” I look around, but can’t find the mayor of Gold Beach anywhere. Bella keeps wiggling and softly woofing with excitement. Her large paws rest on my chest until I push her back down. “Hey, girl, I’m off to see Maddie. Want to come?” Bella dances around my feet and follows me to my truck.
I’m pretty sure everyone in town who is able to drive has given Bella a ride somewhere. She’s more the town’s dog than she is Darrell’s. She’s the only female I don’t mind whose definitely gotten around. She jumps into my truck and rests her large head out the open window, watching the cars pass by. I drive the short distance up Highway 101 along the coast. Maddie’s house is a short distance off a side road that goes out toward the rocky shoreline. She’s actually my neighbor. My dad’s old house is right next door I couldn’t bear to sell it, so I use it as my summer home, and since I can afford it, I’ve been fixing it up each visit I make. I don’t plan to let it go anytime soon.
I look over to Maddie’s house, thinking how it’s been in her family forever. It’s a huge Victorian-style home with a large wraparound porch and swinging chairs in the back that overlook the ocean. She owns the small cottage built right on the beach, a hundred yards away from the big house. She rents it out whenever she can for extra money and provides the best bed and breakfast in the state of Oregon. She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known, so I’ve got a soft spot for her. I let Bella out of my truck, and she races out to smell the tires of a shiny new car now sitting in the driveway.
“Bella! No!” My yelling startles the dog, who I’m sure was about to squat near the car’s tire. It’s not that I would have cared, but whoever these city folks are, they’re Maddie’s new guests first and foremost. I doubt it is the best greeting Gold Beach could give them if they happen to witness the event. Calling Bella over, the dog seems clueless and takes off running in circles again, sniffing out some new find. Expecting me, Maddie steps onto the porch with her hands on her hips and smiles.
“Roman, have you been cheating on me again?” she laughs and pets Bella, who greets her just as easily as me.
“Never, Maddie. Bella just can’t help but appreciate my big truck. Typical female,” I mutter, and Maddie gives a snort.
“I doubt that, Roman.” She shakes her head.
“So who are the city slickers with the flashy car?” I ask, looking out into her manicured driveway to see the silver convertible gleaming in the late afternoon sun. It looks vaguely familiar. Recognition dawns and I recall seeing it on the bridge coming into town a little while ago. Cars like that are hard to forget.
“Oh, just one person. A sweet young woman here on her own,” Maddie supplies, busying herself as she walks me over to the tan and brown suitcase bearing fashionable initials, which screams she’s loaded with money. Great, it’s another rich brat next door for the summer.
“And she rented out the honeymooners’ cottage instead of staying here at the house? By herself?” I’m sure what surprises me about this is she didn’t bring an entourage of annoying girls with her to ‘hang out.’
“Yes, for the entire summer. Seems her fiancé isn’t joining her, poor girl. I bet they broke up too.”
“You think so?” Absently, I move to pick up the damn trunk-size suitcase, cursing this mystery woman, whoever she is. Maddie clears her throat, stopping me.
“Now be good, Roman. Take her suitcase down there and come right back. Bella can stay with me and I’ll wait.” Maddie gives me a stern look, which means ‘no flirting with the hotel guest.’ Now I don’t know where Maddie would get such ideas from, and I’m forced to give her one of my suggestive smiles.
“Seriously, Maddie?” I roll my eyes and take another stab at picking up her bag. It’s not that I can’t pick it up, but the damn thing is awkward and I know it won’t roll properly over the boards down to the cottage. Something else I need to fix while I’m here.
“I mean it, Roman. She’s not in a good place for your shenanigans. I can tell these things,” Maddie states, and I clutch my heart, shaking my head and pretending to be insulted.
“Who, me?” She gives me a look that squashes any adult thoughts I might have about her pretty little guest. Maddie is like a second mother to me and I wouldn’t dare disrespect her wishes regarding a hotel guest. I pick up the woman’s suitcase, which feels like it holds a ton of gold bricks, and lug it down to the cottage. “Geez, this suitcase alone has warned me off, Maddie, I swear. Any woman who packs a shit-ton of hair products is not welcome.” Maddie points to the cottage and tells me to hurry up, before taking Bella inside the house with her. I bet the dog is getting my slice of Maddie’s delicious apple pie.
Damn women. I mutter to myself the entire hundred-yard walk to the cottage while carting this bag before dumping it on the porch to knock on the door. “Hello? I’ve got your suitcase.” I pound on the door again. “More like a trunk of bricks,” I mumble. I broke a damn sweat lugging the bag down here. Finally, I hear someone inside moving around.
“Hello?” a sweet voice answers as the door cracks open, leaving the chain in place. I can see only a part of her face in the shadow. Pale skin, loose, long blonde hair over a shoulder, and one pretty blue eye peeks out between the door and the jamb.
“Hi, I’m here to dro
p off your suitcase like Maddie asked me to.”
“Oh, um, all right. Thank you. Just leave it there, please.” She closes the door and I wait for her to open it again sans chain, so I can see more of the prettiness the partially open door gave me, but no bueno with this chick. She seems a bit gun-shy, and I find myself curiously knocking again. It takes a moment before she cracks the door open a second time. She eyes me up and down with raised brows and I wonder if she likes what she sees; fiancé or not, she did come here alone for the summer. That, my friend, tells me something—as in, all is not well in paradise.
“I could bring it in like I’m supposed to,” I drawl, waiting for her response.
“No, really, just leave it there. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Thank you.” She closes the door again. I was hoping she’d give me something, like a peek at the whole package. Clothed, of course. I’m not a total moron or pervert, but hey, cut me some slack; I just lugged a hundred-pound bag the length of a football field.
“Seriously, this thing is heavy. I should really bring it inside,” I yell from outside the door, knocking again.
“What is your problem?” This time she opens the door, chest heaving, hands on her hips and fire in her blue eyes. I notice she’s been crying. Her red, puffy eyes give her away. Her face is one of those heart shapes, dainty with pretty, full lips, which are currently frowning at me. It’s perfectly symmetrical, right to her upturned nose. Maddie’s warning comes back to me and I push thoughts of wanting to tweak her nose out of spite away. I like what I see, but obviously she doesn’t reciprocate the interest. Not. At. All.
“Are you… are you okay, miss?” I probe thoughtfully, running a hand through my hair, which is probably a mess after being on the boat earlier. Why the hell does she make me feel twelve and awkward? I hate to see a girl cry; it stirs up shit in my gut I’d rather not deal with. I take a step toward her, but she steps away, one hand still clutching the door frame.
