Read Online Clallam Bay (A Fresh Start #2) by L. C. Morgan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: L. C. Morgan
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little salty.” I returned his smile from behind my hand. “I’d say you’re right. Grandma’s is the best.”
“I’ll be sure and tell her you said so.”
Russell offered to peruse the market with me. I agreed on the one condition that he held open and lugged all the bags I filled. He surprisingly knew a lot about fresh produce and was an immense help. Turned out he cooked in his spare time, trying out new recipes. A commendable hobby.
“I’d invite you over sometime to try one, but you’ve already turned me down twice, so …” He shrugged. “Believe it or not, I do know how to take a hint.”
I wasn’t sure he did because either he was trying to guilt me into agreeing for once or he was actually asking me out again. For the third time.
“And I’ve never been one to step on my brother’s toes.”
“What do you mean?” Bagging a few carrots, I moved farther down the stand. Russell followed.
“You and Collin. It’s kind of an unspoken rule that we all don’t date the same women.” He shrugged.
“Oh, we’re not dating,” I said somewhat defensively, giving him a look before turning back to handle a couple tomatoes.
“Coulda fooled me, the way he was actin’ last night.” He sniffed a laugh. “Thought he was gon’ hand me my ass right then and there in the bar. ‘Course that could have had something to do with me mentioning Dad. Those two never did get along. But that’s neither here nor there.”
Instead of digging in deeper as to why Collin and his stepdad didn’t get along, I let Russell go on about the apples his grandma used to make the pies sitting up front. There was a secret ingredient no one knew as she refused to share it with anyone.
“Not even Rachel.”
“Rachel?” I asked, and he nodded, tossing a couple apples in my bag.
“My ex-wife.”
“You were married?”
“Sure was. For about a month.”
“Just a month? What on earth happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“No, it’s all right. It’s really no different from every other stupid sailor’s story. We were young and dumb. I got her pregnant. Only difference was she miscarried and we divorced a month later.”
“Oh, that’s awful. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was awful but it’s been, what, ten years now? Yeah. I was around Coll’s age. So yeah, ten years. You kinda become numb to it.”
I could see that. After all, Amber still talked about the night it had happened to her back in high school. Relieved and forever guilty about it, that was how she explained it. Sometimes she still sat and wondered who he or she would have become. “You never forget, you just get used to it,” she said.
“He’s not as stupid as I was back then.”
“Who’s not stupid?”
“Collin. He’s stupid, but not as stupid.”
“Oh, right. Okay.”
“I think he’s mainly learned from our mistakes. He told you we have four other brothers between us, eh?”
I nodded.
“Two are married and tied down to women they don’t particularly care for, let alone love.”
I crinkled my brow. “How do you know they don’t?” I asked, a little uncomfortable with discussing his brothers’ relationships.
Picking up a cherry tomato off the ground, he popped it in the pocket of his cheek to talk out of the side of his mouth. “They were stupid like me.”
As we rounded our way back to the checkout, Alyssa and Amber showed up to take advantage of Russell’s bag-carrying services. I thanked him for offering up all my produce and a pie for free, but insisted on paying.
“What would my grandma say if she found out I had my friends paying for their food?”
“I don’t know. That you’re a pretty savvy businessman for not giving all her goods away and actually making her a little bit of money today?”
Russell smiled but still refused to let me pay, promising to foot the bill himself.
“You’ve got my word. Grandma won’t miss a penny of it. Scout’s honor.” He did a two finger salute, winking as I
“I’ll be sure and tell her you said so.”
Russell offered to peruse the market with me. I agreed on the one condition that he held open and lugged all the bags I filled. He surprisingly knew a lot about fresh produce and was an immense help. Turned out he cooked in his spare time, trying out new recipes. A commendable hobby.
“I’d invite you over sometime to try one, but you’ve already turned me down twice, so …” He shrugged. “Believe it or not, I do know how to take a hint.”
I wasn’t sure he did because either he was trying to guilt me into agreeing for once or he was actually asking me out again. For the third time.
“And I’ve never been one to step on my brother’s toes.”
“What do you mean?” Bagging a few carrots, I moved farther down the stand. Russell followed.
“You and Collin. It’s kind of an unspoken rule that we all don’t date the same women.” He shrugged.
“Oh, we’re not dating,” I said somewhat defensively, giving him a look before turning back to handle a couple tomatoes.
“Coulda fooled me, the way he was actin’ last night.” He sniffed a laugh. “Thought he was gon’ hand me my ass right then and there in the bar. ‘Course that could have had something to do with me mentioning Dad. Those two never did get along. But that’s neither here nor there.”
Instead of digging in deeper as to why Collin and his stepdad didn’t get along, I let Russell go on about the apples his grandma used to make the pies sitting up front. There was a secret ingredient no one knew as she refused to share it with anyone.
“Not even Rachel.”
“Rachel?” I asked, and he nodded, tossing a couple apples in my bag.
“My ex-wife.”
“You were married?”
“Sure was. For about a month.”
“Just a month? What on earth happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“No, it’s all right. It’s really no different from every other stupid sailor’s story. We were young and dumb. I got her pregnant. Only difference was she miscarried and we divorced a month later.”
“Oh, that’s awful. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was awful but it’s been, what, ten years now? Yeah. I was around Coll’s age. So yeah, ten years. You kinda become numb to it.”
I could see that. After all, Amber still talked about the night it had happened to her back in high school. Relieved and forever guilty about it, that was how she explained it. Sometimes she still sat and wondered who he or she would have become. “You never forget, you just get used to it,” she said.
“He’s not as stupid as I was back then.”
“Who’s not stupid?”
“Collin. He’s stupid, but not as stupid.”
“Oh, right. Okay.”
“I think he’s mainly learned from our mistakes. He told you we have four other brothers between us, eh?”
I nodded.
“Two are married and tied down to women they don’t particularly care for, let alone love.”
I crinkled my brow. “How do you know they don’t?” I asked, a little uncomfortable with discussing his brothers’ relationships.
Picking up a cherry tomato off the ground, he popped it in the pocket of his cheek to talk out of the side of his mouth. “They were stupid like me.”
As we rounded our way back to the checkout, Alyssa and Amber showed up to take advantage of Russell’s bag-carrying services. I thanked him for offering up all my produce and a pie for free, but insisted on paying.
“What would my grandma say if she found out I had my friends paying for their food?”
“I don’t know. That you’re a pretty savvy businessman for not giving all her goods away and actually making her a little bit of money today?”
Russell smiled but still refused to let me pay, promising to foot the bill himself.
“You’ve got my word. Grandma won’t miss a penny of it. Scout’s honor.” He did a two finger salute, winking as I
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