“Come on, then.” He started walking. “I promise when you see her next and thank her, she’ll be just as happy then as now.”
“And how do you know that, oh wise one?” She fell in step beside him, her playful voice hitting the perfect pitch to make him grin.
“It’s something my mom taught me. She always says, ‘A thank you is never wasted, it’s always appreciated, and it’s never too late.’”
She turned her head ever so slightly in his direction, then dropped her gaze to the ground. “Your mom’s really great. She stopped by my booth earlier and bought two bracelets.”
“Anyone else stop by?” He squeezed the box in his hands. He’d been waiting for her to mention Brett. She’d told Brett last night on the phone that she’d be here today.
As if the guy could feel Shane’s animosity, he appeared out of nowhere. “Hey, I’m glad I caught you,” he said, speaking to Kagan. “Let’s grab some lunch.”
Shane shifted the box to one arm and dropped the other so he could lace his fingers with Kagan’s. “Sorry, dude, but we’ve got plans already.”
“Make a new one.”
“You bought something,” Kagan said, worry in her tone.
Brett lifted the white bag with Crem’s logo on the side. “Some pastries. Meredith Crem tells me your favorite is her chocolate banana muffin. I thought it was blueberry.”
Kagan’s hand tensed under his fingertips. “You kept your promise, right?”
“Telling everyone who you are isn’t going to help me at the moment. But pretending I’m just a friend of the family’s who doesn’t have feelings for you might prove difficult.”
She let out a breath. “Thank you.”
Shane’s jaw tightened. He’d suspected the guy still liked Kagan and wondered if maybe he was doing the wrong thing, lying to hurry Brett back to New York. Maybe the two of them needed to talk. Maybe the guy deserved a second chance.
“Can’t promise I won’t let something slip, though.”
“Don’t be a jerk,” Kagan said.
And just like that Shane hated him again. “We’ll catch you later.” He tugged Kagan away.
“Hold up.” Brett put a hand on Kagan’s arm and Shane had the urge to punch the guy. “You avoided me all day yesterday; we need to do lunch.”
“We don’t need to do anything,” Shane said. “I’m taking Kagan out to celebrate, and you’re not invited.”
“I’m working tonight,” Kagan offered. “Stop by for dinner.”
“At the Crown & Anchor,” Brett said.
The guy had obviously done some homework. Shane wondered if Brett had dug into his life, too, and his jaw clenched again. No doubt Fred Donaldson would find out everything he could now that he knew where his daughter was and whom she was supposedly dating.
Kagan nodded.
“Hey, you two,” Candace Brewer said, bouncing into their conversation. She eyed Brett. “Hi, I’m Candy.” And one of the town’s biggest gossips.
“Brett.”
“How’d sales go, Kagan?” She scrunched up her nose and took note of the box in Shane’s hand. “Not so good, huh?”
“Actually, I sold out.”
“Really?” she said in blatant disbelief. The woman had no filter. No good graces.
“And she got orders for more,” Shane piped in. “She’ll be running a jewelry empire in no time.”
Kagan gave him an appreciative look, darted a quick glance at Brett, and then leaned in to touch her nose to his. “Thank you, sweetie.” Then she kissed him. Right on the mouth. She touched her lips to his with soft, slow pressure and his heart rate kicked up a notch.
Too soon, she backed off.
Candy’s eyes bugged out of her head. Christ, now the entire town would know he and Kagan were together—probably in the next hour.
“That’s, uh, great,” Candace managed to choke out. “See you.” She spun around and practically ran off.
“Bye, Brett,” Shane said, pulling Kagan with him with no plans to stop again until they got to his convertible BMW. When the car came into view he said, “I’ll drive and bring you back.”
He put her box in his trunk, and they took off. The beaches were crowded and the coast highway busy. They moved at a snail’s pace, but Shane didn’t mind. With the warm sunshine, the calming sea air, and Kagan, he had it all at the moment.
She closed her eyes and relaxed against the seat, so Shane stayed quiet, figuring she needed to decompress. He kept one eye on the road and one eye on her. He knew the kiss was just to placate Brett and keep up with the charade, but had she realized the consequences of such a public display in front of Candace?