Bayside Destinies Read online

  She took a deep breath and steadied her emotions before they got the best of her. Despite how much she wanted all of this to be real, it was nothing more than a fairy tale, so she needed to protect her heart.

  The day Bryson finally walked away from her, she would have to return the ring and then return to a hum-drum life. At least she would still have Charlie. His love and loyalty were real.

  “Looks like we’re here.” Logan’s deep voice broke through her thoughts.

  Audrey opened her eyes. They were at the stadium for the local minor league baseball team, and the parking lot was packed.

  “Do you want me to drop you off so you don’t have to walk?” he asked.

  “No, I’ll walk with you.”

  They drove around for a few minutes before Logan found a spot way in the back. “At least it’s shady.”

  He opened the passenger door for her and then took her hand in his as they headed toward the stadium. She loved the feel of his hand around hers—his practically swallowed hers.

  If only the hand-holding wasn’t just for show. But she knew better. It was for show. It would never be real. But they were at a wedding expo, so they had to play their parts.

  The entrance had been converted to look like a wedding reception venue, decorated with white flowers, bells, and balloons. After they crossed the threshold, they waited in line until Logan showed the tickets on his phone’s screen. The lady scanned them, congratulated them, and shooed them to the grounds.

  Everything was a sea of white. Festive music played from various places and the mood was undeniably upbeat.

  They wandered around, checking out each booth they came across. Everyone was friendly and offered them congratulations and samples.

  A lady in a baker’s outfit handed them tiny pieces of cake. “Feed each other.”

  Audrey’s heart thundered. She would have loved nothing more, but they weren’t really getting married. “We’ll save that for the wedding reception.”

  The woman smiled. “Nonsense. You have to practice, right?”

  Audrey glanced at Logan.

  He grinned. “She’s right, honey. Let’s have some fun.”

  Her knees wobbled as soon as he called her honey. “Okay.”

  Logan wrapped an arm around the small of her back. He was dangerously close.

  Kiss me.

  He brought the tiny piece of cake to her mouth. “Open up, beautiful.”

  It was a good thing he had his arm around her, or she’d have crumpled to the ground for sure. She opened her mouth for the cake. He pressed it in gently, not getting any on her face. His finger brushed against her lips. It was nearly enough to make her pass out.

  “Your turn!” The cake lady squealed. “You two have to be the cutest couple I’ve seen all week.”

  If only.

  Audrey mustered enough strength to feed Logan the cake in her hands. He took it, and his mouth wrapped around her finger for a moment.

  She was never going to survive this day. The expo was going to kill her. She could see the headlines already.

  “What do you think?” The cake lady’s voice brought her back to reality. “Do you want to order a cake? You two obviously love it.”

  It wasn’t the cake that had her weak in the knees.

  “We’ll take a card.” Logan held out his hand.

  “You sure you don’t want to order one now? I can offer you a real good discount. Forty percent off, but the deal disappears as soon as you walk away.”

  “It was delicious,” Audrey assured her. “But we just got here. We need to look around first.”

  “Forty percent. I guarantee you won’t find that deal anywhere else.”

  “I’m sure it’s worth full price.” She smiled and walked away. Given there wouldn’t be a wedding, it was easy to.

  “Thanks,” Logan called. He kept his arm around her as they wandered around checking out the various booths.

  After about half an hour, they stopped at a booth showcasing a gorgeous wedding venue. The beautiful redhead behind the counter looked over at them and her expression lit up. “Logan! Is this your fiancée?”

  He kissed the top of Audrey’s head and introduced her to Dakota and Clay.

  Dakota ran around to the other side of the booth and threw her arms around both Logan and Audrey. “I’m so glad to meet you. To be totally honest, I never thought I’d see the day Logan got engaged.”

  Clay came around and shook hands with both of them.

  Dakota admired the engagement ring. “Freya wasn’t kidding. That’s a boulder. I love it.” She beamed at Audrey. “You seem familiar. Have we met before?”

  “Maybe. I was in town for the summer when Logan and I were teens.”

  Dakota looked deep in thought. “Audrey… Wait, was your sister that girl with the crooked bangs?”

  Audrey laughed. That was how Logan had remembered Amy also. “Her bangs were pretty terrible, weren’t they?”

  “Not to be mean, but they were the worst. So, what brings you back to Enchantment Bay?”

  Audrey’s face warmed. “Logan.”

  Dakota smacked her forehead. “Of course! I don’t know what I was thinking.” She focused her attention on something behind Audrey. “Uh, Logan. Trouble headed our way. Two o’clock.”

  Logan turned to look behind Audrey. His face paled. “What are they doing here?”

  Dakota shook her head. “I have no idea. They didn’t say a word to me.”

  Audrey turned around, expecting to see Bryson. She didn’t see anyone she knew.

  A man and a woman old enough to be her parents—if she’d had any—walked over to them and hugged Logan, Dakota, and Clay.

  “What are you doing here?” Logan asked them.

  “I was about to ask you the same thing.” The woman gave him a funny look.

  Logan took a deep breath and put his arm around Audrey’s waist. “Mom, Dad, this is Audrey. My fiancée.”

  Audrey’s stomach crashed to the ground. His parents? This fake engagement was really spiraling out of control.

  Both of his parents stared at Logan. After what felt like hours, his dad finally spoke. “You’re engaged?”

  “You didn’t even tell us you were dating.” His mom threw her arms around him. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

  Logan’s dad turned to Audrey and embraced her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Audrey. I’m Gary, and this is my wife, Judy.”

  They exchanged pleasantries, and then Dakota turned back to her parents. “You never told us why you’re here.”

  Judy took her husband’s hand and beamed. “We’re going to have a vow-renewal ceremony.”

  Dakota threw her arms around them. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Are you going to let me help you plan it?”

  Logan laced his fingers through Audrey’s. “It was great seeing all of you, but Audrey and I are going to wander around some more.”

  Judy turned to him. “I hope you’re going to bring her to our next family dinner. I really want to get to know my future daughter-in-law.”

  “Of course, Mom.” He smiled at her.

  She turned to Audrey. “Welcome to the family.”

  Audrey’s stomach twisted in a tight knot. She hated that Logan had to lie to his entire family just because Bryson wouldn’t leave her alone. Maybe it was time to call off the fake engagement before things got even more out of control.

  Fourteen

  Logan sipped on the champagne sample and stared at a lone fluffy cloud in the sky. Running into his parents had been the wakeup call he’d needed.

  Yes, he wanted to help Audrey. And yes, he was attracted to her, but that didn’t mean he needed to act like they were really engaged. He especially didn’t need to let his feelings go there.

  Thank goodness for his parents’ vow renewal. Who knew where he would’ve let his thoughts go if he hadn’t seen them. He may very well have allowed himself to start falling in love the way he was going before.


  That was the last thing he needed, and he certainly didn’t want to give Audrey the wrong impression. What if he ended up breaking her heart? The last thing she needed was for him to do that on top of everything else she’d been through.

  Yes, getting control of his feelings was the best thing for everyone.

  He realized everyone else was talking and turned his attention back to the champagne booth. “This is a fine one. What was the brand?”

  The woman told him, but he wasn’t paying attention. “Do you want to try another one?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  They tried several more before leaving the booth with a noncommittal answer.

  Logan turned to Audrey with a yawn. “Is there anything else you want to visit? I’m getting tired.”

  The disappointment on her face was undeniable. So was the guilt that he’d caused it, but it was far better to do this now rather than give her the wrong idea all summer only to really let her down in a couple months.

  “I’m not sure,” she said. “This whole fake engagement thing is pretty new to me.”

  “You and me both.” He paused, noticing that her arms were getting red. “Do you need sunscreen?”

  Audrey glanced down and pressed on her skin. It paled at her touch, then right back to red. “It’s a little late for that. I didn’t put anything on this morning because I pictured the expo inside.”

  “Oh, that’s my bad. I should’ve mentioned it was outdoors.”

  She shrugged. “It’s okay. This isn’t so bad. It looks like one that’ll turn into a tan pretty quickly.”

  “We should get you home before it gets worse.”

  “Probably should.”

  They weaved their way through the excited crowd, ignoring vendors trying to get their attention. They were successful until they reached the booth giving away a Hawaiian honeymoon.

  The crowd pressed around him and Audrey, not allowing them to escape. The guy behind the booth spoke about the all-inclusive giveaway that one lucky couple could win.

  “Have you ever been to Hawaii?” he asked Audrey.

  She shook her head no.

  The man turned to Logan. “You need to enter. Every woman deserves a Hawaiian vacation—and what better than a honeymoon?”

  Logan forced a grin. If he entered, he’d also be selling his information and he’d later receive unwanted phone calls and mail.

  “Why the hesitation? What could be better than going to a tropical island with a beautiful woman?”

  What could be better? Logan couldn’t deny he’d love to spend a week there with Audrey, but they weren’t really engaged. They were just putting on a show, which was why he would put up with the unwanted calls and mail. “Hand me the form.”

  Audrey’s expression lit up.

  A warmth ran through him. Something about her happiness sent a thrill through him. The only problem was that this could only end in disappointment. If they won, they’d have to tell the company that they weren’t getting married.

  Logan filled out the form and planned how he would handle the marketing calls in his future.

  Once he was done, the crowd thinned, and they were able to weave their way to the exit.

  “Should we say goodbye to Dakota?” Audrey asked.

  Logan shook his head. “We should get you out of the sun. She’ll understand. I’m sure she’s too busy to worry about us.”

  “Right.”

  They hurried across the length of the parking lot and finally climbed into his car. He didn’t open the door for her, and had to push aside stinging guilt. It was a fake engagement. There was no reason to feel bad.

  He backed up slowly. “There might be some lotions in the glove box.” His last girlfriend had left them there, but he knew better than to mention that, fake fiancée or not.

  She opened it and pulled out some travel-size bottles. “You keep aloe vera and cherry blossom hand lotion in your car?”

  “You never know when they’ll come in handy.”

  Audrey laughed, and the sweet sound made him smile. “Take whatever you need. How does your burn feel?”

  “Not too bad. I appreciate the lotion.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  The ride home was silent other than the music. Logan walked her to the door of the building, but not to her apartment. He also didn’t make any plans for future dates—fake dates.

  Her face fell in obvious disappointment. Once again, he ignored the guilt, and instead gave a friendly wave.

  I’m such a jerk. Especially after that kiss on the balcony. His heart sped up at the thought of his mouth on hers, of her in his arms.

  It was almost enough for him to run after her and apologize for his sudden change in behavior. Almost.

  He didn’t budge. It was better to put a stop to things now before things progressed and they both wound up hurt in September.

  Surely, she’d understand. After all, it wasn’t a real engagement. And the last thing she needed was another guy hurting her. Logan wasn’t going to be that guy.

  Fifteen

  Audrey leaned against her railing and drew in a deep breath. She’d never felt more alone than in the past couple days.

  It was her own fault for clinging to Logan and their fake relationship. She’d been stupid to think it was anything more. They didn’t know anything about each other beyond what they’d known as teenagers.

  She was just someone fleeing a bad relationship. Someone with no family. Logan had a huge family, and he was a big-shot lawyer. In the three days since she’d last seen him, she’d had plenty of time to look into him online.

  If she’d have known what a big deal he was in Enchantment Bay, she never would’ve had the nerve to walk up to his house on Monday. There was no way he would have anything to do with her. He was the physical embodiment of success, and she was the complete opposite.

  She was lucky he had been willing to pretend to be her fiancé.

  Her phone beeped, letting her know it was time to take Charlie to his obedience class.

  Audrey pulled out her phone from her shorts pocket. Before turning off the alarm, she noticed another slew of missed calls.

  It was time for a new number—again. She had blocked Bryson’s number after he sent over thirty texts the day of the expo. Then the next day he started up from a new number. Audrey had blocked that one, but now Bryson was onto yet another one.

  She checked the first voicemail just to make sure it was him—it was—before blocking that number too. Then she deleted the voice messages.

  What made him think that any of this would win her over? Sure, she wasn’t the type of person who had men lining up to date her, but neither was she so badly off that she thought she needed someone as unstable as Bryson.

  Sighing, she went into the apartment and woke Charlie. She went out through a side door to let him relieve himself. Ever since they’d started using that door, she’d managed to avoid running into Bryson.

  In the car, she lowered the windows for some air. Charlie needed a bath and made her sedan reek. He stuck his head out the window and his tongue flapped in the wind.

  Audrey laughed. The pooch had provided her with more much-needed comic relief in the six days she’d had him than she’d had in the entire year she’d dated Bryson.

  When she arrived at the doggie hotel, Charlie ran to Cassidy, covering her in kisses. Audrey barely kept hold of the leash, struggling to keep up as he pulled her across the waiting room.

  Cassidy laughed and rubbed the top of his head. “It’s great to see you too, Charlie.” She rose and shook Audrey’s hand. “And you, as well. How’s everything going with our Charlie?”

  Audrey grinned. “It’s a match made in heaven.”

  “Good.” Cassidy reached for a clipboard. “And it’ll be even better once we give this guy some manners.”

  Charlie yanked on the leash again, pulling Audrey toward a little brown dog chasing its tail.

  “Sit!” Audrey said.

  Just befo
re pouncing on the unsuspecting pup, Charlie obeyed and sat.

  His owner, a balding guy in his forties, smiled at Audrey. “Your dog already seems obedient.”

  She wiped her brow. “Just the one command.”

  The man reached over to pet Charlie, who jumped up, sniffed his hands, and licked him repeatedly.

  Cassidy clapped her hands. “Everyone here for the obedience class, follow me.”

  Audrey struggled to get Charlie’s attention. He’d discovered a fluffy white cat in a kennel and was trying to lick it through the bars.

  “Come on, Charlie.” She tugged on the leash until her fingers turned white.

  Someone whistled behind her. Charlie spun around and ran toward Cassidy.

  It was going to be a long afternoon.

  Somehow, she and Charlie made it through the first day of class. Audrey had her work cut out for her. There were other excited dogs in the class, but Charlie was by far the wildest. Luckily, he already respected Cassidy. She could get him to calm down when Audrey couldn’t.

  “Is there hope for us?” Audrey asked at the end of class.

  Cassidy smiled and patted Charlie. “Of course. He clearly adores you. Now he just needs to see you as the boss. I’m confident that by the end of the course, he’ll be one of the most well-behaved dogs you’ve ever seen.”

  Audrey glanced down at Charlie, who was chewing on his tail and growling at it.

  “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

  “You will. Our boy is just spirited.”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  Cassidy headed behind the counter. “See you tomorrow?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it.” Audrey tugged on the leash. “Come on, Charlie.”

  He continued growling at his tail.

  It might take two or three obedience training sessions to get through to him.

  “Come on, Charlie.” Audrey remembered what Cassidy had done before the class to get his attention and did the same. She whistled.

  Charlie jumped up and turned to her.

  As they headed for the door, a Now Hiring sign caught her attention. Cassidy was looking for an office assistant.