Beyond the Waves (Pacific Shores Book 1) (19 page)

“There now.” The stroke of his hand along the length of her hair and the kiss he pressed to her forehead were more comfort than any words of consolation he could ever offer. And he simply held her.

For how long, she didn’t know. But when she stepped back, there were wet tear streaks marring the front of his shirt, and she brushed at them with her fingers. “Sorry.”

Tucking a length of her hair behind her ear, Daddy cupped her cheek against his palm and looked deep into her eyes. “Tell me what happened, honey.”

She stared at the wet tracks. “I saw him”—her lips trembled—”k-kissing Sophia.”

“Clinesmith!?”

She nodded.

Sighing, Daddy leaned back into the counter and folded his arms. “Tell me everything. Start at the beginning.”

So Taysia laid it all out for him. How they’d been supposed to meet at Fisherman’s Wharf to discuss the lawsuit. How Kylen thought he’d talked Sophia into settling. How she’d found them when she walked in the door. And how she’d lit out of there and Kylen had followed her to the beach.

“Wait a minute! One minute he’s in the restaurant kissing Sophia, and then he followed you to the beach? What did he say?”

“He said he knew that what I’d seen looked bad but he wanted to explain. I told him I was done giving him any more chances and left him standing there.”

Daddy’s eyebrows disappeared under his thatch of silver hair. “You didn’t give him the chance to tell his side of the story?”

Taysia gripped her head and then raised her hands in the air. “What is there for him to explain? I saw what he was doing with my own two eyes!”

Daddy shrugged. “The man just didn’t seem like the type to be a two-timer, that’s all. I think you should at least give him a chance to tell his side of the story.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re taking his side?”

“I’m not taking his side, just pointing out that you should probably at least hear him out.”

“I’m going to bed. Call me if you need anything in the night.” Taysia stalked out of the kitchen and plopped down on the couch where earlier she’d laid out bedding. Fluffing the pillow and curling her arm under it, she closed her eyes with every intention of dropping right off to sleep.

But the memory of Kylen’s eyes when he’d found her on the beach haunted her. Why would he follow her, if he’d moved on and was with Sophia now? And why would he have had tears in his eyes? Her own eyes flooded again, her broken heart spilling over and flowing down into her hair.

She’d forgotten the aching torment that came along with shattered expectations. Lord help her, she didn’t know if she could go on breathing. Pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, as though pressure could stop the flood, she heaved in a shuddering breath. Then another. And another. She could do this. She had to do this. There were no other choices.

Sleep was fitful, but she awoke with the determination to put this behind her and get on with her life.

Today she had to teach two classes, then she would go talk things over with Blaine.

Chapter 11

Later in the afternoon, Taysia pulled into the parking lot at Blaine’s apartment complex and eased into one of the tiny spots made available for visitors. The old green pickup that Blaine had driven ever since she could remember sat in his assigned space. She sighed and fiddled with her car keys, glancing out the glass toward his door. If she did this, there would be no going back. She sniffed. Who was she kidding? She had nothing to go
back
to.

Slowly she climbed out and took the steps up to his door.

He answered it in his stocking feet, but still wearing his slacks and dress shirt from his day of teaching at the high school. His tie hung loose, the knot resting halfway down his chest. Eyes widening, his brows arched. “Hi.” He stepped back and gestured her inside.

Clink, clink, clink
. Her car keys, twirling around one finger, smacked against the palm of her hand, and she seemed to be frozen to the spot, unable to move. “You sure?” Tears pricked the backs of her eyes.

“Come on in, Taysia.” He sighed. “I knew you would come; I just didn’t expect you this soon.”

In the living room, he quickly moved a spread of books from the couch. He’d obviously been studying.

“I’m interrupting. I should go.”

“No. You’re fine. Please sit. We need to talk.” He set the stack of books on the coffee table and waited for her to take a seat. “Can I get you a soda? Coffee? Tea?”

“No. Thanks, I’m fine.” The irony of that phrase struck her then. How easily the lie slipped off her tongue. She stuffed her keys into her purse and set it on the floor.

Easing his hands into his pockets, Blaine stayed on his feet. He kicked at a mark on his tan carpet and kept his silence.

“Blaine, I…I don’t know what to say. You were right. I never should have trusted him. But”—she paused, trying to come up with the easiest way to say this—”I needed to come by and tell you that it won’t work between you and me. I’d love to be friends, but…”

His face paled, and then he flinched as the words hit him full force. “So I’m second best, and even then not good enough, huh?” He looked away, not meeting her gaze.

She felt awful. “Blaine, you are good enough. Just, you and I, we could never…I could never…not now. And it wouldn’t be fair to you for me to pretend otherwise.”

He huffed a quick bark of laughter. “I know. I knew the minute I heard he was back in town that it was the end for you and me. But I hoped I was wrong. You two always had that certain spark when you were together.”

“I’m not going to be with Kylen, Blaine. He ensured that. But I realized over these past couple weeks that what I feel for you is simply friendship and nothing stronger.”

Lips pinched together, he studied his toe as it made patterns in the carpet. “I think you’re probably right.”

Standing, Taysia dug for her keys. “I’m glad you understand, Blaine. I just…well…you said when he broke my heart you would be waiting. But I just can’t do a relationship right now.”

He opened his mouth and started to say something, then snapped it shut again.

“What?”

He pierced her with a look, then turned back to his carpet art. “I think Sophia set up that little scene at the restaurant.”

Taysia took a step back as all the blood in her body swirled down toward her toes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, for fifteen minutes before you got there, she and Kylen talked sporadically, but Kylen looked pretty uncomfortable to be there alone with her. He kept turning around and looking at the entry like he was waiting for someone. Obviously you. Then the next thing I knew, you walked in the door, and as I nodded you in the direction of their table, Sophia’s ankle twisted and she landed in Kylen’s lap and laid that kiss on him. You took off so fast you didn’t see it, but Kylen practically shoved her over in his hurry to push her away. She actually fell onto the floor, and for a second I thought he would leave her lying there. But he helped her up, said something to her, and then took off out the door.” He grimaced. “I tried to call you last night to tell you, but you weren’t answering at home or on your cell.”

“I stayed at Daddy’s. And I turned my phone off.” Taysia heard her voice as though it were coming from a million miles away.

Blaine stepped toward her, took her elbow, and eased her back down onto his couch. “Listen, you and Kylen, much as I hate to admit it, well, you two have something special. I wanted that for us, but I knew that first day at church. You never looked at me the way you looked at him. Just don’t throw away a good thing because of a jealous biddy like Sophia.”

The words she’d snapped at Kylen on the beach the day before traipsed across her memory, and Taysia placed her palm to her forehead. “Oh, Blaine, it may already be too late.”

The drive across town to Kylen’s house was the longest drive she’d ever taken. Each block stretched on interminably, and every car in town seemed to pull out in front of her. All of them puttered along, simply out to enjoy the spring tulips that were beginning to pop up in all the window boxes. It was all Taysia could do to keep from laying on the horn as Mr. Sinclair sat at the stop sign trying to decide if he wanted to turn right and no doubt head to Pete’s Bar, or left and probably visit his old friend Charlie. After he had looked both ways at least a dozen times, his old gray Ford LTD began the left-hand turn. But he stopped suddenly. Taysia squawked and slammed on the brakes. Waving apologetically in the rearview mirror, Mr. Sinclair swung a wide turn to the right. Taysia rolled her eyes. Apparently Pete’s booze held more appeal than Charlie’s company.

Finally she pulled into Kylen’s drive and sat staring at his door. She couldn’t see his car, but mostly he parked it in the third bay of the garage unless he was just dropping by home for a moment.

Her legs had all the strength of cooked spaghetti as she stepped onto the drive. Leaning on her door for a moment, she took a big breath, then started up the steps as she prayed he’d be able to find it in himself to forgive her. She hesitated only a moment before knocking. Holding her breath, she studied the porch rail to her left as she waited. After a long lull, she released the breath in a puff, pulled in another long draw of air, and knocked again. Still no reply.

Taysia descended the steps of his porch and headed around the corner, where she stood on tiptoe and peered into the garage door windows, hands cupped by her eyes. Both Kylen’s squad car and his convertible were inside.

She sighed and glanced at her watch. So he was inside ignoring her, or he had gone for a jog. Either way she was going to miss him. She’d promised Daddy she’d have dinner ready at five thirty, and he’d already invited Loraine over.

Hurrying to her car, she snatched up a clean napkin from the floor between her seats. Snagging a pen from her purse, she wrote, “Kylen, I’m sorry I doubted you. Please call me. I’ll be at Daddy’s.” Even though she knew he had her number, she scrawled it at the bottom. She signed it simply “Layne,” then hurried up the steps and tucked the note into Kylen’s mailbox, where she could still see today’s mail. When he got home and picked up the mail, he’d find it.

She’d wanted to talk to him in person, but they would just have to talk on the phone later.

Right now, she needed to get to the grocery store for some last-minute purchases before dinner.

Taysia sliced onions and green peppers and sautéed them in butter, then set them aside and eyed her silent phone. With a sigh she scooped the long slices of steak into the pan and seared them, then seasoned them with a dash of garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Still the phone pulsed silence.

Scooping a can of refried beans into a saucepan, Taysia turned the heat on low and set to grating cheese and chopping lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados.

Fajitas were one of Daddy’s favorite meals.

The doorbell rang, and she heard the rustle of Daddy’s paper as he called, “I’ll get it!” A moment later he greeted Loraine.

Taysia released a breath she hadn’t even noticed she’d been holding.

This is all your own fault. If you had just trusted him and stayed around to see what was going on, you would have seen the truth.

Admitting her culpability didn’t make her feel any better.

Sprinkling the fajita seasoning on the meat, she added a little water and gave it a stir.

“Mmmmmm! Smells great in here!” Loraine scooted up behind her and gave her a squeeze.

Taysia smiled. “Hi, Loraine.” She turned and gave the woman a full embrace.

After a moment Loraine put her out at arm’s length and studied her intently. “So what’s the matter?”

With a dismissive smile and wave of her hand, she faced the stove. “Oh, I’m fine. How was your day?”

“Now none of that, missy! I can tell that something is amiss. And Dale told me about your conversation last night. So, come on, I want to hear the whole story from you, yourself.”

Realizing the woman was as tenacious as a dog on a scent, Taysia gave in. She confessed the whole sorry mess as she turned off the heat, added the peppers and onions to the pot, and then scooped the whole concoction into a serving bowl. Between trips to the table, she told about her conversation with Blaine and how she’d gone to Kylen’s house and ended up leaving him a note.