CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

Von Ryan stood with his twin sister, Hope, in the line of customers at Sweet Caroline’s Cafe. If not for eating a late lunch, his stomach would grumble from the tantalizing aromas of pies, cinnamon rolls, and freshly brewed coffee. Still, he wasn’t up for a long wait. “I had no idea it would be this busy.”

Hope shrugged. “Summer in Indigo Bay means crowded beaches, no vacancies, and jam-packed restaurants.”

Summer was the high season in their small town on the South Carolina coast, but Von hadn’t expected his favorite haunt

on Main Street to be so crowded on the first Sunday in June. Mid-summer, yes, when the vacationers were out in full-force. Not on a Sunday afternoon when the Charleston folks would be driving home from a day at the shore.

Von leaned closer to Hope so he could whisper in her ear. “Too many sunburned tourists in here. I don’t recognize anyone. Let’s swing by the burger place and grab milkshakes. The Adirondack chairs on the deck have our names written on them.”

Hope, who had the same sandy blond hair and green eyes as him, laughed. A smudge of blue paint stained her hairline—an occupational hazard of being an artist. A full-time one after she’d quit her job working events with Zoe Ward at the Indigo Bay Cottages Resort. “You’re sounding more and more like a salty old-timer.”

“I get spoiled by the off-season.” No lines, crowds, or traffic except during the handful of holidays sprinkled outside the summer months. That was the Indigo Bay he loved. May through August, not so much. “I’m not a fan of having to wait.”

“Impatient should be your middle name.”

“Not gorgeous?” He winked. “What about hottie?”

Hope rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease.”

“Guess I’ll have to stick with the middle name Mom and Dad gave me.”

“Grandpa would be proud, given that’s how our parents came up with Joseph.”

“Talk about salty.” Von remembered the old man with white hair, leather skin, and a spittoon always at his side. “He would hate how many people invade Indigo Bay during the summer, too.”

Hope sighed. “Do you plan on complaining for the next three months? If so, let’s pack our bags and head to Berry Lake. Josh has plenty of room at his house. And Washington is gorgeous this time of year. Warm, but no humidity.”

Von wanted to scream “yes.” Too bad the new remodeling project kicking off tomorrow meant he couldn’t. Besides, he’d been enough of a burden on his sister. “You don’t need a third wheel tagging along on your vacation.”

Hope had met former-quarterback-turned-football-announcer Josh Cooper a year ago when he’d attended the wedding of Jenny Hanford and Dare

O’Rourke

here in Indigo Bay. Hope and Josh had been exclusively dating since August, but were taking the relationship slow since they lived across the country from each other and Josh was about to hit his two-year sober mark.

“I feel bad whenever Josh visits because you drag me with you,” Von added.

“You’re the only one who feels that way. You know I hate being apart from you even for a few days.”

Von understood. He didn’t know if the reason was the so-called twin bond or the fact they had been best friends their entire lives. “Same.”

“Let’s go to Berry Lake together. Football training camps don’t start until mid-to-late July, so we have to find a time to go before then.”

He nodded.

Von wasn’t a micromanager. He’d been giving his two foremen more responsibilities since late fall. Still, he preferred being around in case of emergencies, but he would do anything for his sister, including going out of town if that was what Hope wanted them to do. She had him wrapped around her finger, but Von didn’t mind.

Once upon a time, he and Hope had lived in different states when she’d moved to New York in her early twenties to pursue her art. The result had been disastrous when her marriage disintegrated. Von drove up there, brought her home, and put Hope together again. That took years—two to be exact. Thankfully, Josh was nothing like her ex-husband, but Von would never stop looking out for her and vice versa.

Which was why Hope was here and not in Berry Lake where she should be. They had swapped places, so to speak. For nearly seven months, she’d been the one watching and caring for him even though they were twenty-nine years old, and he was the older twin by two minutes and forty-two seconds. He didn’t know how he would have survived without her.

Her fingernails discolored from paint, Hope touched his arm. “We’re taking this vacation so put together some dates that work for you, and I’ll see if Josh can fly us there, or if we need to buy airline tickets.”

Von laughed. “Dating a private pilot comes in handy.”

Her face lit up. The same way it did whenever her boyfriend’s name was mentioned. “Yes.”

“I wish you’d take more advantage of his plane.”

“I have.”

Not that much because Von had been humiliated and heartbroken by his ex-girlfriend. He hated being in this position and the sacrifices Hope had made for him these past months. “Forget about planning a trip around my schedule. You go without me. I’ve been enough of a burden.”

“That’s not true,” Hope replied a little too quickly.

As usual, she was trying to make him feel better. He’d done the same after she’d returned to Indigo Bay. “You’ve hardly spent any time in Berry Lake since Thanksgiving.”

“I’ve been painting. And…”—Hope’s gaze softened.—“You need me here.”

Admitting the truth pained Von. He’d always been the stronger twin. Yet, he needed her now. “I’m sorry to keep you away from Josh.”

“You haven’t. He does assignments with the network and comes here when he can. Besides, I’m only doing what you did for me after my divorce. You even built me an art studio at the house. It’s my turn to do a little something for you.”

Watching his every mood, feeding him, making him go to bed, listening to him, wasn’t “a little something.” Not by a long shot. “Your divorce was a hundred times worse than my breakup.”

He hadn’t been married or had his career destroyed by a sociopathic, lying, cheat of a spouse—make that ex-husband. The famous art manager damaged Hope’s self-esteem and destroyed her burgeoning career. Their divorce played out in the art world and beyond. Hope fell apart.

Okay, so had Von when Marley Patterson turned down his proposal and then broke up with him two weeks later. But his sister went through more when her marriage imploded in the worst way.

“This isn’t a competition.” Hope playfully nudged him with her shoulder. “We both fell in love with the wrong people. And we both helped each other get through that. If not for you, I would have never met the love of my life.”

Von’s chest tightened. He’d thought Marley was the love of his life, except she hadn’t felt the same about him. Not even close. They’d been apart longer than they’d dated.

Don’t think about her.

“That’s what twins do for each other.” He focused on Hope. She was quick to laugh these days. A smile usually graced her face. So different from before she met Josh. “And it’s why I’m suffering through a long wait in line to get you a frozen hot chocolate.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “You want one, too.”

“I’d be happy with a milkshake.”

“That’s so not true.”

Hope was right. Von preferred the frozen hot chocolate at the cafe, but patience had never been a strong point. That had been an issue with Marley. He’d wanted things to move faster—never realizing she’d wanted them to slow down.

The line moved.

As Hope took two steps forward, he did the same. At this rate, they’d be sipping their drinks during dinner.

But he got it.

Well, Hope.

She was trying to make him feel better. That was why she’d suggested they go out each Sunday afternoon. Today was a stroll along the boardwalk with a stop at the cafe for his favorite drink. Last week had been a visit with Miss Eulalie and Eva Andrews at the Chocolate Emporium. Hope had purchased more candy than they could eat—though they’d put a good dent in the stash during a Netflix binge at home.

Hope brightened. “I spy Rachel working behind the counter with Caroline.”

Uh-oh.

He recognized his sister’s sing-song voice. Hope wanted him to date. He was willing, but... “No playing matchmaker or embarrassing me.”

Both were distinct possibilities. Though only because Hope wanted what was best for him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always what he imagined for himself.

She raised her hands, palms facing him. “Hey, I’m only giving you a heads up that your new

friend

is here. Nothing else.”

Her emphasis on

friend

was all he needed to hear. He gave her a you-can’t-fool-me look. “Subtlety isn’t your superpower.”

“Never claimed it was,” she admitted. “But you having lunch with Rachel last week shows you’re serious about moving on.”

“I am.” He sounded more confident than he felt because his attempts to

move on

had been more like starts and stops with an emphasis on the latter. Which was why enjoying his time with Rachel surprised him. “She’s fun to hang out with.”

The twenty-two-year-old barista was a bubbly blonde with an effervescent personality. Rachel was open and honest and looking for a friend, not a boyfriend, since she was only in town for the summer. That suited him perfectly.

“When are you seeing her again?” Hope asked, her curiosity unmistakable.

“Tomorrow night.”

Her shoulders shimmied. Something she’d only done again after Josh entered her life. The guy was good for her. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Don’t hand out the gold stars yet.” Their mom used to give them one after they’d finished their chores. “Rachel and me, we’re not...romantic.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s progress, and that makes me happy.” Hope sounded optimistic. The dark cloud that had followed her home from New York was nowhere in sight. “You’re more like your old self. Joking around. Sleeping through the night. Going out. Having fun.”

Fun

used to be Von’s preferred middle name. He lifted his chin. “I feel more like myself.”

He’d never imagined saying that, but Hope was correct. He was making progress. He only wished it hadn’t taken almost seven months.

Falling for Marley had happened lightning fast, but getting over her rejection, watching the video of his failed proposal go viral, and

then

having her break things off, made time move tortoise-paced.

People in Indigo Bay also had memories like elephants. Not a day passed that someone didn’t joke or kid him about what had happened. No one realized having his heart stomped on hadn’t been funny to him.

Still wasn’t. “Things worked out for the best.”

Hope’s eyes widened. “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”

“It’s true.” He could see things clearer—something that had been impossible to do only a few weeks ago. “The future I imagined with Marley was nothing more than a fantasy. She may have been the first and only woman I loved, but she never felt the same way about me. If she had, things would have played out differently, even if she hadn’t been ready to get married.”

“You have come so far.” Hope’s grin spread across her face. “I love you, bro.”

“I know, sis.”

With a laugh, she looked to see if the line had moved.

It hadn’t.

He stepped out of the way of customers leaving. “I also know what I want now.”

Facing him, Hope’s nose scrunched. “What’s that?”

He took a breath, not afraid to tell her, but this was the first time saying the words aloud when they’d only been swirling through his mind. But he knew. Wholeheartedly. “I want what you’ve found with Josh. Love. Commitment. Forever.”

Hope’s face lit up. “You deserve nothing less, but

there's only one way you can have that.”

“Share the secret, please.”

“Be open, because love happens when you least expect it.”

That didn’t sound too difficult. Von had only dated casually before Marley, but he enjoyed being in a committed relationship. The next time, however, he would find a woman who wanted to be in his life as much as he wanted her in his. Unrequited love sucked big time. He wouldn’t fall into that trap again. “I will be.”

Hope’s expression turned serious. “I believe you.”

A large group finished ordering. The line moved faster after that. Soon, they reached the counter.

Caroline Harper, the cafe’s owner and namesake, stood at the register, ringing up orders and telling a family of three what they should do after a day at the beach. In her early fifties with a short, stylish haircut and welcoming smile, she was the self-proclaimed Indigo Bay Expert. The Chamber of Commerce couldn’t compete and didn’t even try.

Von didn’t glance at the menu, because he knew every item by heart.

As Rachel readied her pen to take his order, her eyes filled with amusement. “Let me guess. Two frozen hot chocolates to go.”

“Are we that predictable?” Von asked.

“Yes,” Rachel teased.

“In my defense, I order iced tea if I’m having pie,” Hope said with a grin.

“You do.” Rachel tilted her head toward him. “Not

this

guy unless it’s before nine. Then nothing else will do except black coffee. He’d prefer if I left the grounds in there so it was more like sludge. I can’t even tempt him with a muffin.”

Hope laughed before winking at him. “Rachel has your number.”

“Of course she does. That’s how she texts me.” With a nod, he moved down the counter and took out a twenty from his wallet. He and Hope switched off paying each Sunday. Today was his turn.

Caroline took his money. “I hear you’ve been getting to know my new barista.”

His gaze shot to Rachel for a second. “Always happy to make a new friend.”

“You should be, especially when that friend is as cute as Rachel is.”

Typical Caroline. Dallas, her son who owned the Indigo Bay Cottages Resort, had to put up with his mother’s meddling and nosiness more than anybody. Von only had to deal with it occasionally.

“A friend,” he repeated, more amused than exasperated. “Or did you miss that part?”

“I miss nothing.” Caroline handed Von his change. “I’m just happy to see your smile. Don’t let it go missing again, okay?”

“That’s what I’ve been telling him,” Hope said from behind him.

Talk about embarrassing. Between the two women, Von didn’t stand a chance. He put a tip in the jar before sticking the remaining bills in his wallet. “I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all you can do.” Caroline beamed. “Enjoy your afternoon.”

As he stood where the other customers waited for their drinks, Rachel wiped her hands on the front of her apron before focusing on the coffee machine.

“She’s cute.” Hope’s gaze went from the barista to him. “A cute friend.”

“Stop.”

She feigned innocence. “What?”

“I gave you grief about not painting so I’ll let this slide, but next time...”

“Frozen hot chocolates for Von and Hope,” Rachel announced.

Hope grinned. “Saved by your barista.”

“She’s not...” Giving up, Von grabbed their drinks.

Rachel handed him two straws. “Enjoy, and I’ll see you tomorrow night, unless you need another drink fix before then.”

“I might with my meeting tomorrow morning.”

“Is that for the new project you mentioned?” Rachel asked.

His lips parted. “You remembered?”

“That’s what friends do.”

“It is.” Except, Von had been a lousy friend over the past year. Not to Rachel, who was new to Indigo Bay, but to the guys he knew, some for years. He’d done what he vowed never to do—drop out of sight once he got serious with Marley and then hide away,

i

gnoring calls and texts after the breakup that received media coverage.

He shifted his weight between his flip-flop-clad feet. “I need to work on being a better friend.”

She shrugged. “You’re not alone in that.”

Except Von had never acted this way before. Not even when he’d brought Hope home from New York. He’d helped his sister and seen his friends at the same time. Maybe he could repair the damage he’d done. It was worth a shot.

After handing Hope her drink, he followed her outside. The air was hot and humid. Typical for this time of year. They lived within walking distance of Main Street, so they made their way to their beach house.

Hope kept glancing his way in between sips from her straw.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re so much better.” Hope practically bounced up and down. “I see what you mean about you and Rachel not being romantic. There’s no spark, but you haven’t been this open and friendly with anyone in months.”

“Thanks.” He stood taller. “You’ve been a big help.”

“As you were to me.”

He raised his cup. “We’ve each put the other back together. That calls for a toast.”

“Definitely. I’ll make it.” She tapped her cup against his. No chime sounded since the cups were made from recycled paper. “To your future. May you find exactly the love you want.”

Contentment, something he hadn’t felt in months, flowed through him. “I’ll drink to that.”

He took a sip.

Things were finally looking up. Von had no idea what—or who—was out there waiting for him, but he couldn’t wait to find out.