Some Kind of Wonderful (Treasure Harbor Book 1) Page 3

  “Well, perhaps we should compare notes and help each other out. After all, my Callahan ancestors have always claimed ownership of the treasure. And generations of Callahans have heard tales of pirate exploits and riding the high seas in search of adventure. Not to mention theories about where the treasure ended up.”

  “I’ll share my family secrets if you’ll share yours,” Ryan said with a twinkle in his eye. “Maybe over dinner one night.”

  At Ryan’s light flirting, Lara felt butterflies soar in her belly. “You should probably know that I’m here on assignment. I’m a journalist for the Philadelphia Times. Once the Nor’easter uncovered those goodies, my boss arranged for me to come back home and write a series about Treasure Harbor’s pirate history and the treasure that no one has ever managed to unearth.”

  Ryan let out a low whistle. “A journalist? Back in the day I never would have called it.” He narrowed his gaze. “I would have pegged you for a future scientist or engineer. Maybe a computer wiz.”

  Lara felt her cheeks getting rosy. “Why? Because I was a nerd? Because I wore thick glasses and dorky clothes? Because I didn’t have a single date all through high school?” For some reason Ryan’s comment had struck a nerve. She instantly wished she could take the words back once she saw his floored expression. She felt like an idiot.

  Ryan scoffed. “What? No. Of course not. You were smart, Lara. The smartest kid in school if I remember correctly. That’s nothing to be prickly about.” He had a quizzical expression etched on his face, as if he couldn’t understand why she had just exploded.

  “Sorry,” she said in a low voice. She ducked her head down and began to focus on the menu. She felt embarrassed about going off like that on Ryan. Although she adored Treasure Harbor, she hated the fact that it brought up old insecurities.

  “I apologize if I said something wrong,” Ryan said. “I always admired your intelligence.”

  They locked gazes. Her first instinct was to look away from the intensity brewing in his eyes, but she held her ground. She wasn’t a kid anymore. And she refused to be dazzled by Ryan’s vast charms. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t say anything wrong. I’m just…a little prickly about the past. I was bullied a little bit in high school. And even though it was a long time ago, those wounds are still right here.” She pressed her hand against her heart.

  Ryan reached out for her free hand and clasped it in his. He squeezed it. “I’m sorry you went through that. And I’m even sorrier that I resurrected some painful memories. I really didn’t mean to bring you back to those hard times. And I’m even sorrier that we weren’t friends at that time. To be honest, I was so busy in high school trying to live up to the expectations of my parents, I barely had time to breathe.”

  She felt a pang in the region of her heart. He was being so tender with her. So endearing and sweet. Ryan had turned into an amazing man. She could sense it by his words and his desire to make things right with her. She shouldn’t be so surprised. As a kid he’d been her favorite person in the world.

  Lara shook off the warm and fuzzy feelings Ryan evoked inside her. The last thing she needed was to fall under the spell of Ryan Burton. Been there done that ages ago. And all she’d ever gotten in return was a slightly broken heart and bruised feelings.

  “No problem,” she said, taking a sip of her drink and regarding Ryan from behind the glass. “I made it through those difficult times. Life is good now. And I know your parents must be terribly proud of you.”

  She hoped that she wasn’t gushing too much. Ryan was a great guy but she needed to keep her head on straight. She had a story to write, while Ryan seemed to want to focus on finding the elusive riches. Their goals were not in alignment. But, it didn’t mean that they couldn’t pool their resources to help each other out. All Lara needed was enough information about recent events pertaining to the treasure in order to write a killer series for the Times.

  It wasn’t complicated, she reminded herself. All she had to do was keep her eyes on the prize and not fall for the many charms of Ryan Burton.

  A piece of cake!

  **

  Ryan stared out the window as Lara made her way toward her car. Lunch had been way more interesting than he’d bargained for when he sat down at his booth an hour ago.

  His head was still spinning a little bit. Lara Callahan had turned into one beautiful, spirited woman. Her return to Treasure Harbor had come out of the blue and turned an ordinary day into an extraordinary one. Memories of their childhood adventures washed over him. Back in the day Lara had been his best friend. It all seemed so long ago, although he remembered it in vivid detail.

  They’d camped out in her backyard in the summer, built forts in the woods, hunted for salamanders and gone fishing out at the pier. He had told her his worst fears and she’d confided in him about the fighting at home between her parents. Their friendship hadn’t been trivial. It had been real and deep and powerful. He still remembered the way she’d made him feel. Important.

  He frowned, wondering why in the world their tight friendship had fallen apart at the seams all those years ago. Ryan felt ashamed knowing that he couldn’t remember specifically what had changed between them. Most likely it had been the enmity between their families, which was a real shame. Adults should never put their issues on children.

  “Who was that? She’s quite a looker.” Brody Chance, the manager of Pirate Pizza stood by his table, regarding him with a curious expression.

  “She’s a childhood pal. Lara Callahan.”

  Brody frowned. “Callahan? Is she any relation to Avery?”

  “They’re sisters,” Ryan acknowledged.

  Brody’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know there was another Callahan sister.”

  “She lives in Philly. She’s back in town to write a series of articles about Nor’easter Igor and the treasure.”

  Brody narrowed his gaze. “So, do the two of you have some romantic history? You looked mighty cozy.”

  “No, nothing like that,” Ryan answered, feeling a slight stab of disappointment that he’d been so blind back in the day. He really hadn’t given Lara a second glance once puberty hit. But then again, he’d had a lot to deal with being a Burton. “Just friends.” His tongue was itching to say “For now.”

  Brody grinned. “That glint in your eye says something different.”

  Leave it to Brody to notice that Lara had sparked something inside of him that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. It felt a lot like romantic interest. And he hadn’t experienced that in years.

  Ryan folded his arms across his chest. “I’d be a fool to not want to go out with her. And the last time I checked, I’m nobody’s fool.”

  “No, you’re not,” Brody said, clapping Ryan on the shoulder as he walked past the table. “Probably why we’re friends.”

  Ryan knew he should be getting back to the office, but he couldn’t seem to get his mind off of Lara Callahan. Her reappearance in Treasure Harbor fascinated him. He had thought of her many times through the years, but he’d never gotten up the nerve to ask Avery about how Lara was doing. It was ridiculous that even after all of these years, tension existed between the Callahan and Burton clans.

  On the bright side, Lara had agreed to go out to dinner with him, although he wasn’t sure if she’d said yes for research purposes or for old time’s sake. Was she single? Ryan couldn’t imagine a woman like Lara being unattached for long. There was something about her that attracted him to her like a magnet. And it wasn’t just her outward appearance. Lara was special in so many ways. And he was eager to begin the process of getting to know her all over again. For as long as Lara Callahan was back in Treasure Harbor, Ryan intended to spend as much time as possible reacquainting himself with his former best friend.

  With a groan, Ryan slapped his palm to his forehead. Despite everything, he hadn’t gotten Lara’s number. He’d been so mesmerized by her stunning beauty and their interesting conversation that he’d forgotten to ask for her number. Alth
ough Treasure Harbor was a fairly small town, Ryan didn’t relish the prospect of hunting Lara down. She might think he was creepy.

  Oh well. He was just going to have to wait until fate brought them together again.

  Chapter Two

  Lara raced down the beach road, enjoying the feel of her hair blowing in the sea breeze. She slowed her car down for a moment and turned her head toward the magnificent view of Bounty Beach. It was breathtaking! The water glistened and gleamed like sea glass.

  The condo she would be living in, paid for by The Times, was approximately half a mile down the road, right across from the beach. This, she realized, was what she’d missed about home. The tangy smell of the ocean. The wind full of salt and sea. The feel of the sand between her toes. There was something about the sea that was as eternal as the tides. When she was a kid she’d come here with Ryan and imagined how their ancestors had lived. Pirates? Ladies? Poets? Philosophers?

  No doubt their imaginations had led them down many avenues of discovery.

  The sign for the Wayfarer Condos snuck up on her and she gently pressed on her brake, then put her blinker on as she made the turn into the driveway. Before she even spotted Bungalow number five, Lara saw her sister resting against the trunk of her car with her arms folded across her chest. Leave it to Avery to beat her here!

  In her excitement, Lara parked a bit haphazardly, then practically vaulted out of her seat so she could get to her sister. Avery met her half-way and they threw their arms around each other, saying each other’s names as if they hadn’t seen one another in years. It was always like this between them, Lara realized. Emotional and uplifting.

  As they pulled apart, Lara saw the sheen of tears in her sister’s eyes that mirrored her own. Pretty and brunette, her sister was a sight for sore eyes.

  “It’s good to have you back.” Avery choked out the words.

  Lara blinked back tears. “It’s good to be home.”

  “Need some help with your bags?” Avery jutted her chin toward Lara’s car.

  “There’s time for that later. Let’s check out my new digs.” Lara looped her arm through her sister’s and began walking lock step with her toward her bungalow. She dug out her keys from her pocket and, after the locating the right key, placed it in the lock. She turned the knob and pushed the door open, letting out a contented sigh at the cozy atmosphere. Splashes of color were everywhere! Pinks. Baby blue. Florals.

  “Wow,” Lara gushed. “I love it.”

  Avery had moved over toward the large, living room window. “The view of the beach is amazing. How did you find this place again?”

  “Through The Times. The paper is paying for my digs while I’m here.” Lara scrunched up her nose. “Just goes to show how much they really want this series on the treasure. They think it will build up a big readership with the younger demographic.”

  Avery let out a low whistle of approval. “Wow. You’ve really come up in the world. I remember the days when they barely wanted to pay you. Now they’re putting you up in grand style.”

  Lara chuckled. The early years as a journalist had been tough. She’d lived on ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “I think it’s helped that I have a few journalism awards under my belt. They’ve learned to respect my contributions and treat me accordingly.”

  “We’re proud of you, sis. I’ve missed having you here in Treasure Harbor, but seeing you reach for your dreams has been inspiring.” Tears blurred Lara’s vision. She’d missed her family terribly.

  “Right back ‘atcha. Your bookstore is really the culmination of a dream, isn’t it?”

  Avery nodded and smiled. “It truly is.”

  “I guess we’re both blessed.”

  “So you’re okay about writing a series about the treasure?” Avery narrowed her gaze as she looked at Lara. “It’s not going to bother you?”

  Lara shrugged. “It’ll be fine. It made sense for my editor to give me this assignment because of my ties to Treasure Harbor. When you get offered a juicy series, it’s not wise to turn it down.”

  “That doesn’t mean it’s going to be a piece of cake for you.”

  Lara huffed out a deeply held breath. “I know.” She raked a hand through her shoulder-length hair. “It’s going to bring back a host of memories. Speaking of which, you’ll never guess who I ran into at the pizza joint.”

  Avery frowned. “I have no idea. Your favorite teacher from high school?”

  “Nope. Ryan Burton.”

  Avery smiled at the mention of Ryan. “That must have been interesting. I see him every now and again, but…the two of you haven’t seen each other in years, right?”

  “Six years to be exact.” She shrugged. “Not that I was counting.” Although she tried to keep her voice light and easy, she saw the glimmer of interest in her sister’s eyes. Avery knew her better than anyone else in the world. She hadn’t fooled her sister for a moment.

  “Did your heart beat extra fast when you saw him?” Avery teased. She poked Lara in the side with her elbow.

  Lara giggled and swatted at her sister, who managed to dodge out of the way. “I no longer have a crush on Ryan. He’s gorgeous. I’ll give him that. But he’s not my type. I mean, maybe he is my type. He’s probably every woman’s type. Tall, dark and smoldering.” She shook her head vehemently. “I mean I don’t even live here anymore, so why would I even go out to dinner with him?”

  Avery’s jaw dropped. “He asked you out on a date?”

  Lara felt her mouth open. “No. I mean…I don’t think so. But maybe. I guess it was sort of an invitation, although he may have just asked me out to talk about the treasure. We agreed to share resources. Over dinner. But now that I think about it, we didn’t exchange cell phone numbers. So I’ll have to track him down or vice versa.”

  Avery folded her arms across her chest. “Sharing resources? Is that what you’re calling it?”

  “Hey, I’m not going to stress about it. I’m only in town for eight weeks or so. It’s not like we’re going to fall in love or head down the aisle. So what if I agreed to go out to dinner with him? I can pump him for information that will help with my series. Score!”

  Avery eyed her with skepticism.

  Lara threw her hands in the air. “What?”

  “Just remember two things. First of all, Ryan is a bit of a player. He’s dated half the women in Treasure Harbor. Secondly, he broke your heart once before.” Avery shook her finger at her sister. “Don’t let him do it again.”

  Lara smiled at her sister trying to be a tough guy.

  “I wouldn’t say he broke it,” she hedged.

  Avery shot her a skeptical look.

  “Okay,” Lara acknowledged. “Maybe he dented it a little bit. But it wasn’t his fault or anything. He didn’t owe me a thing. Ryan probably had no idea I was pining away for him.”

  “See. You’re already defending him. Just make sure you don’t fall straight over the edge into those sky blue eyes of his. Because if you do, you’re a goner.”

  “I won’t, Avery. I promise.” She smoothed her hair down. “Who knows? Maybe this time around, it will be Ryan who’s nursing a broken heart.”

  “Don’t forget we’re having dinner with mom and dad tonight,” Avery said.

  “Whereupon I will be grilled about my life in Philadelphia and asked a hundred times when I’m moving back to Treasure Harbor permanently.” Lara let out a groan and slumped down onto a love seat. She loved her parents to no end, but they sounded like a broken record about her “belonging in Treasure Harbor.”

  “I know a way to ease your mind about things.” Her sister’s eyes glinted with mischief as she grabbed a pillow and screamed out, “Pillow fight!” The two sisters began to pound each other with pillows as they laughed uproariously. There was no one in this world who knew her better than Avery. Being back home wasn’t going to be a cakewalk, but at this moment in time Lara felt lighter and more carefree than she had in years.

  She prayed
things would stay this way.

  **

  Ryan inhaled the fresh, North Carolina air. It was a gorgeous spring day in Treasure Harbor. The sun was shining. Skies were as blue as a robin’s egg. There was a slight breeze. It was the exact type of day meant for staying outdoors in the fresh air. But, rather than enjoying nature in all its glory, he was going to Bounty Books on a mission.

  Bounty Books was having a spring celebration, and although these type of events weren’t exactly his style, he had a good idea that Lara would be there supporting her sister. That had been his inducement to attend the festivities. Lara! He’d been thinking about her ever since they’d shared a booth and caught up on each other’s lives at Pirate Pizza. A few times he’d almost picked up the phone to ask her about going to dinner with him, but he’d stopped himself, not wanting to bombard her since she’d only just arrived in town.

  The moment he walked inside the bookstore, Ryan immediately spotted Lara in the crowded store. In his opinion she would stand out in any venue with her animated features and grass colored eyes. He casually strolled over to where she was standing next to Avery. Lara’s mouth twisted upward into a smile while Avery cocked her head to the side and studied him as if he were a zoo animal.

  Avery folded her arms across her chest. “Ryan. What are you doing here?”

  “Lovely way to greet a loyal customer,” Ryan drawled.

  Avery snorted. “Loyal?”

  Lara couldn’t seem to wipe the smirk off her face. She seemed to be enjoying the fact that Avery was giving him a hard time.

  “What do you mean? I love Bounty Books.” He reached for a serving of the caramel corn displayed on the table and popped a few kernels into his mouth.

  “Hmm. I can’t think of the last time you were in here. I hope you’re buying something.”

  Ryan reached over to the shelf beside him and blindly pulled four books down. He handed them over to Avery. “Here. Ring these up for me, please.”

  Avery shook her head at him as she walked toward the cash register with his books. Lara burst out laughing.