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The last thing I wanted to do was make someone sick, so my kitchen had a designated gluten-free area for prep work and cooking.
My business was my life, other than Nich, that is. When I moved to Seaside from Georgia, it was a complete shell-shocking adventure. I wanted something different for myself than just staying in the small town of Glen Grove. There wasn’t much there for a girl to do. There’s no real adventures to be had in a place so small, everyone knows everyone. I wished that were an exaggeration, but it’s not.
It wasn’t until after I graduated that I knew I wanted to come to the West Coast. Oregon wasn’t my first choice; I’d actually gone to Los Angeles first. You knew the appeal. Movie stars and so many things to see and do. Hook, line, sinker: I was done for.
I made it one week in the busy, chaotic city. Talk about a culture shock. It was more than that though. It was like two jars of ants being dropped on the same piece of dirt. It seemed as if people were always there, pushing past one another to go nowhere in a hurry.
Don’t even get me started on the traffic. Sweet, sweet baby Jesus in a manger. No, thank you. After a few dozen freak-outs on my part, and probably a few from the others that I had to navigate around, I made the choice to travel up the coast.
There had to be something better, smaller, a little less overpopulated. So with the plan semi-formed in my head, I got a rental car and just drove, stopping when and where I wanted to. This next adventure would only be until I found a place that called to my soul. The place I was meant to be.
When it—finding my new forever place—happened, I was super excited. I remembered it like it was yesterday. At one of the quaint hotels just across the Oregon border, I’d found a pamphlet—like legit, a very colorful pamphlet that had probably been there since the early 90’s—that advertised the Seaside Aquarium, and well, the rest is history.
I made it to Seaside, fell in love with the small town. Guess what they said was true; you found what you were missing. I guess you could take the girl out of the small town, but not the small town out of the girl.
Seaside might be small, but it’s busy most of the time, just not in the way a big city was. I loved it here. The locals were great, the tourists were usually very happy, upbeat people. We did get the occasional Karen or Daren; more so as of late.
Sometimes I just wanted to smack them across the head with a loaf of bread to help clear the brain fog that must be happening. No sane, rational person acted like some of them did. My word. They’re like grown toddlers who needed a good swat on their backside.
“How’s the new owner of the building? She still being cool?”
“Yes, she’s great. I foresee us being great friends. She’s kind of like me in a few ways. We’ve had a few lengthy conversations about her shop. She’s a chef and has many ideas about what dishes she wants to put next door.”
“Good, good.”
“Her fiancé is one of you. You probably know him.”
“Really?” He set his empty plate to the side, wiping his face.
“Yeah, I’ve gotten to know her since Christmas. Her name is Mara. Her fiancé is Deputy Noah Lawson.”
“No shit! Damn. I met her once, if that’s the case. There was an incident last year, something to do with her ex. She was hurt. I was one of the interviewers while she was in the hospital. Nice woman. I hear Lawson raving about her cooking when we share shifts.”
I could hear a note of…something in his words. “Oh no, am I going to have to fight you away from her food?” I asked, only half kidding.
My man was many things. Sexy, loving, big-hearted, caring, hardworking…really the list could go on and on, but put all of that aside for his love of food. Was I getting jealous of the thought of him going into her shop and getting lunch or dinner? Ugh, I was. How sad was I?
His chuckle drew my attention back to him. Nich got up and walked to me, his arms going around me, hugging me against him. His duty belt poked me in the stomach.
“You can’t be jealous. There’s no need for that.”
I pouted. Yes, my grown-woman-self pouted. Not ashamed either. I knew it was an unnecessary act, yet I knew it would earn me a kiss or more. Depending on his generosity at the moment. He was used to my nonsense.
“No, I’m not—well, maybe just a tiny bit. Or not. I don’t know. How messed up is that?” I sighed, fighting back a laugh at the sheer craziness I was feeling right now. Closing my eyes, I found myself leaning forward, my forehead laying against his chest.
“You’re over-thinking things again. You don’t mind me going to the diner for lunch or dinner when I’m working. Why would eating at her place—restaurant—be any different? With it being right here, it would allow me to see you more; maybe even allow us to have a meal together. Otherwise, we go back to eating alone.”
Heart strike. I hated the nights he was on call. I missed him so much it hurt. The worry alone was enough to make me mental. And let’s face it, I needed absolutely no help in that realm of my life. “I know, it’s dumb.” Chuckling at my own stupidity, I leaned back, tipping my head up to look him in the eye.
“Your feelings are not now nor have they ever been dumb.”
“It was, and I will just leave it at that.”
He leaned down, his gaze narrowing slightly. “Do not put yourself down. We’ve had that discussion before.”
The tone of his deep, sexy baritone sent a shiver straight to my core. Sweet baby Jesus. This man. I loved him so much. In my life, I’d never had anyone make me feel the way he did. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth as his gaze lasered in on me. I was afraid if I didn’t, I might moan. Or have a spontaneous orgasm. Or just keel over from his hotness. See, your girl knew what that tone and look meant.
If we were home, I’d be punished. Swallowing hard, I tried to get my brain to stop short-circuiting. His punishment was to show me that I was worth love, kindness, and orgasms. Oh sweet heaven, those orgasms left me a limp noodle of a girl. It was so worth the punishment. He was a man far removed from the slime I was used to.
