Scattered Pieces Read online

  “What?” I exclaim, “Lexie, I hardly think dancing is going to help my current state of exhaustion.”

  “No, but it will help to loosen you up a bit. A night of dancing and drinking is just what you need, Summer. We can go to The Sand Bar,” she says.

  I can tell just by looking at her that this has already been decided and there is no use in me arguing with her about it.

  “Okay,” I reluctantly concede, mentally cringing at the thought, “but let's do it next weekend. I have the contractor coming to look at my house this weekend.”

  “Yah!” Lexie shouts, waving her arms in the air, “I'm so excited!”

  I roll my eyes and shake my head at her, as I go unlock the door to the bakery, silently hoping that I didn't just agree to something I'm going to regret.

  * * *

  “Bye Lexie,” I say, walking to my car, “I'll see you in the morning.”

  “Have a good night, Summer,” she responds, waving at me.

  I watch as she gets into her car, before I get into mine, and make my way home.

  One of the many things I love about this town, is the laid back atmosphere. There is never a traffic jam and the whole town only has one stoplight. It only takes about five minutes for me to get from the bakery to my house.

  As I pull into my drive way, I see Mrs. Clara standing outside watering her flowers. She has to be close to a hundred years old and is crazy as loon, but she is also one of the sweetest ladies that I have ever met. .

  “Hey, Mrs. Clara,” I say, getting out of my car.

  She lifts her head and smiles when she sees that it's me. “Hey sweetie, were ya'll busy today?”

  “Yes ma'am. I'm thinking I might need to hire another person soon.”

  “That's because those cupcakes of yours are so damn good.”

  I laugh, as I walk towards my front door. “Thank you, Mrs. Clara. I'll see you later.”

  “Bye, Summer,” she says with a wave, before going back to watering her flowers.

  I walk into my house and I instantly breath a sigh of relief. I love my new home. It's small and needs a little bit of updating, but it is located right on the beach. Best of all, it's mine.

  I make my way towards the living room and open the glass french doors leading to the back deck, letting in the salty air. The sound of waves crashing against the shore meets my ears and I can't help the smile that comes to my face. The sun is beginning to set, so I go get a glass of wine out of the kitchen and take it outside to enjoy.

  The back deck is huge and it is the only part of this house I don't think will need any renovations. It looks like something out of dream. There are multiple seating areas scattered throughout and a fire pit in the middle. Down the first set of stairs, is a small pool and on the right side, is an enclosed outdoor shower. My favorite part is that, at the end of the deck, there is an old wooden walkway that leads to the beach. I love living only a couple of steps away from the sand.

  I sit down on one of the lounge chairs and watch the waves. I never thought this would be my life. Nine months ago if you would have told me that at the end of the day I would be sitting back, enjoying a glass of wine, while watching the ocean, I would have said you were insane. I had come to terms with the fact that I would be stuck with Ryan for the rest of my life. I don't have any living relatives, besides my mom's sister, Aunt Lila, and she is 62 years old. There was no way I was going to pull her into the mess that had become my life. I wasn't close to Ryan's family, he made sure of that. I had no real friends, unless you counted the ladies at the country club I occasionally had lunch with, which I did not. I was terrified to leave him. I knew if I tried he would just come after me. That thought still scares the shit out of me. I had no real evidence that any abuse had been happening, because I never went to the police. He didn't usually hit me in the face, so just looking at me you would have never known the life that I was living behind closed doors. The worst part was the emotional abuse. Don't get me wrong, the hits hurt, but the emotional trauma he put me through was so much worse. In my mind, I thought I would have looked crazy trying to explain that to a police officer.

  After the last incident, he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. He is suppose to serve two years in prison. My attorney tried to have him convicted of attempted homicide, but since his family owns the most prestigious country club in Tennessee and they knew the prosecutor, he was charged with the lesser crime. I don't know if he will serve the full two years and part of me is scared to death of what he will do when he gets out.

  The last time I saw him was in court, when he threatened me and called me a lying bitch, in front of the judge. That really wasn't a smart move on his part. It will be almost impossible for him to find me in Cape Isle, but I know if he wants to, he will.

  I finish off my glass of wine and shake my head, trying to clear the ugly thoughts of my past. It is a daily struggle to not succumb to the panic that comes just thinking about him and my life before now.

  I am safe. I am safe. I am safe. I repeat my mantra in my head, as I reluctantly get up from my chair and go inside to warm up my dinner.

  Chapter Two

  Summer

  THE NEXT DAY I'M FROSTINg a double chocolate cupcake, when I ask Lexie what she thinks about hiring another person.

  “I think it's a great idea, Summer. We're always busy and could probably use the extra help,” she responds.

  “That's what I thought too. I'm thinking it will only be part-time right now,” I say, as I pass her the cupcake that I just finished frosting.

  “You are so damn evil, woman!” she exclaims, licking the giant swirls of frosting off of the top. “Oh my God, Summer, what in the hell do you put in this frosting?” she asks, with a look of wonder on her face.

  “It's a secret,” I reply with a wink, smiling at her, “Is it good?”

  “Hell yes, it's good! When you put a sign out asking for applications, be sure to add that part of the job requires taste testing. You will have people lining up around the corner to be hired.”

  I can't help the blush that rushes to my face. I'm not use to receiving compliments. I actually can't remember the last time someone complimented me on something, other than what I was wearing. Ryan never said anything nice to me, for at least the last five years.

  “Thanks girlie. I'm glad you like them,” I acknowledge quietly, still smiling, as I begin to frost the rest of the cupcakes.

  * * *

  The rest of the morning flies by in a haze. It's almost closing time, when I hear the bells on the door, ding. Usually Lexie greets the customers, but she just walked to the back, to grab the cleaning supplies.

  “Hello, welcome to 'Sprinkles',” I call out distracted, still looking over the recipe I just wrote down.

  “Hello,” a deep male voice responds.

  I startle at the sound of his voice. We don't have many men come into the shop, and it makes me extremely nervous to be alone with one, while Lexie is in the back room.

  I quickly look up and come face to face with the most ruggedly, gorgeous man I have ever seen. His dark brown hair is almost black and it is sticking up in every direction, like he has been running his hands through it all day. He is almost a head taller than me, and since I am tall for a woman, at 5'10”, he has to be close to 6'4”. His shoulders and biceps are so big it looks like he could break me in half, with just a flick of his wrist. On closer inspection of his

  face, I can see that he has light eyes, a unique mix between green and blue. He has a dark tan that makes his eyes stand out brightly against his face. His jaw is scruffy, with a five o'clock shadow. When I get to his full lips, I see that they are quirked into a small smirk. My eyes widen and I quickly look down at the counter top, ashamed and embarrassed that I was caught openly ogling him. I am usually so terrified of men that I don't even give them a second glance. I don't know what it is about this man, but he makes me nervous for an entirely different reason.

  I try my best to get control
of myself and I clear my throat before speaking. “What can I get for you?” I ask quietly.

  He doesn't say anything for a long moment, until finally the silence is so awkward that I risk a quick glance up at him. I can barely meet his eyes, but I notice he is no longer smirking. He is just staring at me intently like I'm a puzzle he can't quite figure out. I fidget under his penetrating gaze and for the first time in years, I begin to ramble to a complete stranger.

  “We don't have much left for the day. We were actually just about to close. I don't know what you like, but we have double chocolate cupcakes as the special today. I haven't tried one, but Lexie, my employee, liked it and the customers who tried one seemed to like them too. If you don't like chocolate, which I don't know very many people who would pass up good chocolate, but whatever, I also have grapefruit cupcakes that are really good. Those are

  actually my favorite. If you don't like cupcakes, I also have cookies, scones, brownies and a few other treats left for today. If you don't like any of those, I'm afraid you're out of luck. That's really all I serve, since I am a bakery, but there are a few restaurants down the street that--,”

  I am suddenly cut off from my embarrassing ramble by his booming laughter. I jerk my eyes up from where they were studying the display case, like it held the cure for cancer, and I see he is smiling from ear to ear and he has his head tipped back, still laughing. I feel my face heat up and I immediately advert my eyes to the counter, again. I should have kept my damn mouth shut! I can practically hear Ryan in my head, berating me acting so stupid. What in the hell is wrong with me?

  The stranger must notice my discomfort because he abruptly stops laughing, but since I refuse to meet his eyes, I'm not sure if he is still smiling or not.

  “All of that sounds delicious. May I have one of everything, please?” he asks, in a soft voice.

  I am shocked by his question. He wants one of everything? Before I can answer him or move my ass and get what he ordered, I hear a high pitched squeal from behind me. I turn to see Lexie, with a huge smile on her face, running towards the man at the front of the shop.

  “Oh my God! Grant Hamilton, what in the heck are you doing here?” she shouts, giving him a hug.

  I try to remember if she has told me anything about a man by the name of Grant Hamilton, but I come up empty. Maybe this is a new boyfriend and she just hasn't gotten around to telling me about him yet? Although, that doesn't seem like Lexie. She talks non-stop so surely she would have mentioned a new boyfriend if she had one.

  “Hey Lexie,” he says, while setting her back down on the ground, “I was actually coming to see you. I just got back into town yesterday and my mom said you were working here. Your friendly co-worker just so happened to persuade me into buying a few sweets, while I was here.”

  I look up at his face and see that his beautiful smile is aimed at me. Lexie gives me an odd look and then glances questioningly back at Grant.

  “Summer talked you into buying something?” she asks, pointing at me, as if she needs clarification that there is, in fact, no one else in the room who he could have possibly been talking to.

  I have to suppress an eye roll. I'm not that bad around people and this is my bakery. I can sell a few items, even if I did make a huge ass out of myself in the process.

  “Well, I didn't get her name until now, but yes she did,” Grant replies.

  Lexie continues to give me a perplexed look that quickly turns into a mischievous grin. “Oh, I'm sorry to be so rude. Let me make introductions. Grant Hamilton, this is my friend and the owner of 'Sprinkles', Summer Foster. Summer, this is my brother's best friend, Grant Hamilton.”

  Grant removes his arm, that was slung over Lexie's shoulder and extends his hand towards me, “It's nice to meet you, Summer. Your bakery is beautiful.”

  I feel a blush creeping up my neck and face again. How does such a intimidating looking man have such a gentle voice?

  I extend my hand to meet his and, as soon as it makes contact, the skin where we are touching starts to tingle. What in the actual hell is that? I wonder if he feels it too?

  I peek up at him from beneath my lashes to see him staring down at me intently. I suddenly realize that I have been holding his hand, but not saying a word. Oh my God! How many times can I embarrass myself in front of this man?

  “Thank you. It's nice to meet you, as well, Grant.”

  Chapter Three

  Grant

  AS SOON AS MY NAME leaves that beautiful mouth, I feel a jolt of pleasure. I would love nothing more than to hear her say my name in that sweet voice over and over again. There is something different about this woman. It's easy to tell that she is shy and embarrasses easily, but there is something else that I can't quite figure out. Yes, she is absolutely beautiful. There is no doubt in my mind, she is one of the most stunning women I have ever met. Her long brown hair looks like silk and it falls in careless waves, around her shoulders and down her back. She is tall for a woman, coming up to right under my chin, and her legs seem to go on for miles. She has beautiful green eyes and I can see a few small freckles on her face, which gives me the indication she isn't wearing much make-up, if any. She has the kind of beauty that just seems natural.

  I hear a throat clearing from beside me and I realize I'm still holding her hand. I allow my thumb to graze the back of her's and I notice her pretty blush deepen again. I reluctantly let go of her and look at Lexie.

  “I know ya'll are closing soon, so I'll get out of your hair. Do you want to catch up over dinner one night this week?” I ask.

  It's not odd for me to have dinner with Lexie. Her brother and I have been friends since we were about 10 years old and she has always been like a little sister to me. I would love to spend some time catching up with her, but I really just want to know more about this beautiful woman standing in front of me. My interest must show on my face because Lexie gives me a knowing look, but thankfully doesn't call me out on it.

  “Sounds great, but you're buying. Where are you staying while you're in town?”

  I watch out of the corner of my eye as Summer walks back to the other side of the counter. I feel a little crazy, when I have the urge to pull her back over by me.

  A low chuckle from beside me has me looking back at Lexie. She gives me a wink and I smile, as I shake my head at her.

  “I'm actually back for good this time. When my contract with the Marines came up for renewal this year, I decided to come home. Dad has been wanting to retire for years, so this seemed like a good time as any,” I say with a shrug.

  I see the hopeful look on her face and I hate that I'm going to have to be the one to crush it. “As far as I know, Lexie, your brother is renewing his contract,” I say gently.

  I watch as her face drops and I feel the need to change the subject.

  “When I came back on leave a few months ago, I started to look for a house. I actually just closed on one last week. Do you remember the old Montgomery house, over on Sandstone Way?” I ask.

  Her expression immediately brightens, “Yeah. I have always loved that house. That's awesome, Grant!” she exclaims, smiling at me.

  “Thanks Lexie.”

  I turn my attention back to Summer, when I see her moving towards us holding a yellow box, that has a pink bow tied on the top.

  “Here you go,” she says softly, extending the box to me. She has her eyes pinned to the box she's handing me, but I want those mesmerizing eyes be back on me.

  “How much do I owe you, Summer?”

  She quickly waves me off. “Don't worry about it. I was just going to throw them away when we closed up anyway.”

  I look around the shop and I see a tip jar on the counter. I walk over to it and pull some cash out of my wallet.

  “You really don't have to do that,” she mumbles, so softly I almost don't hear her.

  I walk back over to where her and Lexie are still standing. “No problem,” I respond, smiling down at her.

  She gives me a small smil
e in return, but still doesn't meet my eyes. “I'm going to go ahead and get started cleaning up in the kitchen,” she says to Lexie. She goes around the counter and walks through the double doors, that I am assuming leads back to the kitchen area.

  I'm still staring at the door she disappeared behind, when I hear Lexie ask, “She's gorgeous isn't she?”

  I turn around and look at her like she is nuts. ”She's more than gorgeous,” I reply.

  Lexie looks up at me with a sad smile and shakes her head. “She doesn't even know it. I sometimes just want to shake some sense into that girl.”

  Now I'm intrigued. How can a woman that beautiful not know how spectacular she is? It's not just the way she looks either. It's also how she gracefully holds herself and her shy personality, that I find cute as hell.

  “How is that even possible?” I ask.

  Lexie gives a little shoulder shrug that says, even if she knows the answer, she isn't telling me anything.

  “Come on, Grant. I'll walk you out,” she says, looping her arm through mine.

  We walk out of the bakery and over to where my truck is parked. I give Lexie another hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I'll text you tomorrow with plans to meet for dinner.”

  “Sounds good. I'm glad your home, Grant,” she says, giving my waist a squeeze before letting me go.

  With a final wave to her, I hop into my truck and head home.

  * * *

  The next night I walk into the crowded restaurant and I immediately feel at home. It's been a long time since I've been here and I forgot how much I missed it.

  “A table for two please,” I say, to the hostess. He grabs two menus and leads the way to our booth.

  “I love this place,” Lexie says, while looking around the small seafood restaurant.

  “Me too. They don't serve seafood overseas. It's one of the things I missed the most,” I reply, with a smile.

  “So true. So, how is it going with your dad's company?” she asks, as we sit down at our booth.

  “Going good. You know I worked with him practically every day during the summers, when I was growing up. I pretty much already knew the the ends and outs of the company. He has a really good team that works for him. I mostly just do paperwork and over see all of the projects, to make sure everything is done correctly and on time. How did you end up working for Summer?”