Family to the Rescue

“Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing that Rose’s niece had moved in with her.”

Kim raised her eyebrows. “Where did you hear that?”

He kicked up his mouth into a bemused half smile. “Moonlight Cove has a thriving grapevine, which I can’t get away from because of my business,” he told her. “Occupational hazard.”

“Your business?” Kim asked.

“I own The Sports Shack, on Main Street.”

“Hmm. I’ve never thought about a sports store being gossip central,” Kim said.

“The Sports Shack is the only sporting goods store in town, and everybody shops there.” He snorted under his breath. “Old guys are worse than any quilting circle. They have to have something to talk about when they aren’t trading fishing stories.” Seth avoided all the idle chatter and socializing as much as he could, preferring to spend most of his time in his office handling the business end of things while his mom handled the customer contact.

Kim gave him a lopsided smile, dimples flashing, and pushed her hair back behind her ear. “News travels fast around here, then?”

He stared for a moment, again struck by her fresh prettiness. Even though he was hurting, he couldn’t help but smile back. “You have no idea.”

Living here definitely had its downside for a guy like Seth—the downside being all kinds of small-town relationship drama. Drama that had also, unfortunately, been part and parcel of his childhood; his mom and dad had fought all the time. And still did.

And Diana? He’d been in love with her his senior year in college, and she’d told him she loved him, too. But the day after he’d gone engagement-ring shopping, she’d dumped Seth for his best friend. Now, there was a black hold of turmoil if he’d ever seen one. He never wanted to go to that painful place again.

Still, it had seemed like a no-brainer to come back to town and take over his dad’s store when Seth had suffered a career-ending knee injury three years ago and Dad had been looking toward retirement.

Seth loved all sports and had a degree in marketing from Washington State, so it made sense to return and run The Sports Shack. Besides, his dad had built the business from scratch, and Seth and his brothers, Curt and Ian, had grown up working in the store. It hadn’t seemed right to sell the place to a stranger when his dad had wanted out.

The clincher had been when his parents had announced they were divorcing. Though the split had been a long time coming, his mom had needed support when she’d finally decided to go through with the divorce, and had really needed Seth around. She still did, so he stayed. She wasn’t good at coping on her own.

Seth sat in silence for a few moments, and despite his best efforts to curb his compelling curiosity about Kim, he wondered what her story was. She was single, but had a son. What had happened to the boy’s father?

It seemed tactless to ask; they barely knew each other. But he was intrigued by Kim. Very intrigued.

Maybe too intrigued.

Drew hurried back, his face grim. “There’s a fire out on Old Mill Road, and I’m one of the only volunteers available. Unfortunately, I have to go.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Seth said. “I’ll just call my mom and she’ll come get me.”

“Didn’t you tell me that your mom went to Seattle this weekend?” Drew asked.

Seth mentally slapped his head, and even that hurt. “Yeah, I forgot. Maybe Curt can come get me.” Granted, his eldest brother was at work and he and Seth weren’t close, but hopefully he could leave early. Ian, the baby of the family, lived in California.

“We can take you home,” Kim said. She belatedly looked at Lily. “Can’t we?”

“Of course.”

Seth chewed on her offer, noting Kim’s pale skin and generally exhausted look. No. No way. “I can’t impose like that,” he told her. “Besides, you’ve got to be beat after what happened.”

She put up a hand to stop his protest. “You wouldn’t be imposing, trust me. You saved my life. It’s the least I can do.”

Seth hated asking anything of Kim. Or Lily. Or anyone, really. He was usually the one taking care of people, at least in his family. But Drew needed to get going, and Seth didn’t want to hold him up. So he looked at Drew, bit the bullet and said, “Looks like I’ve got a ride. Go take care of that fire.”

Drew nodded. “What are you going to do about the twenty-four-hour deal?”

“What twenty-four-hour deal?” Kim asked, peering intently back and forth between Drew and Seth.

Drew replied before Seth could head off any talk about the nurse’s “rules.” “Concussion patients aren’t supposed to be alone for twenty-four hours after their injury.”

Seth glared at Drew for opening his big mouth. The last thing he wanted was Kim feeling responsible for him for the next twenty-four hours. Plus, he liked his space.

Kim drew her eyebrows together. “Well, then, we’ll have to make sure you’re not alone.”

Seth opened his mouth to protest.

“Doctor’s orders,” Kim said, cutting him off before he could get a word out. She pointed at him. “Right?”

“You’re right. I’ll call my brother.” Seth went for his cell phone in his pocket, but came up empty. He’d left his cell in his sweatshirt pocket on the beach. He rose, scoping out the nearest pay phone, but Kim stopped him with a gentle touch to his arm.

“I’m taking you home to my aunt’s house, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“You mean I’m taking you guys to your aunt’s house,” Lily interjected.

Kim inclined her head. “Right. Lily’s taking us.”

Drew interrupted the discussion. “I need to go, so I trust you guys will work this out.” He put a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “I’ll check in when I can.”

Seth nodded. “Thanks, Drew. I appreciate all of your help.”

“No problem,” Drew said, then quickly headed out the door.

Seth watched him go. The will to argue was sap-ping out of him, fast. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to get prone. Anywhere. He didn’t have the energy to be picky. “You sure it won’t be an imposition?” he asked Kim.

“I’m sure, and even if it was, I’d still insist. You saved my life, and I owe you. Big time.”

Seth digested that. He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of being so connected to Kim. But doctor’s orders were doctor’s orders and connected didn’t mean involved with, right? Because that was the last thing he wanted.

“Will your aunt mind?”

She gave him a chiding look. “What do you think? She’ll love having someone to take care of.”

From what he knew of Rose, Kim was right. If anyone in Moonlight Cove ever needed anything, Rose Latham was there. Still…

“So are we all on the same page?” Kim asked, almost, it seemed, daring him to argue. Her unwavering, stunning gaze bored directly into him.

He wanted to keel headfirst into those gorgeous eyes. But suddenly another bout of wooziness overtook him and the floor tilted. Stupid concussion.

He sat. He looked like he wasn’t going to get the space he liked, or any more time to mull over his decision. He let out a heavy breath, hesitating, trying to think. If he gave in and let Kim take care of him—for now—they’d be even, and it would be easier for them to go their separate ways. Sounded like a good trade-off, given the circumstances.

“Same page,” he finally spoke, hoping he wasn’t going to regret his rushed decision.