Seaside Kisses: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 4) by Stacy Claflin Page B

and ran his fingers through his windblown hair.
    Amara went over to a mirror by the waiting area and looked at her hair, knowing it had to be a mess. She was right. Digging around her purse, she found a small brush and fixed it as best she could. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.
    She turned around to see Rafael talking with Marjorie, the owner of the restaurant.
    Rafael waved her over. "Marjorie is going to give us the best seat in the house."
    Amara glanced around the busy waiting area. "But all these people were here first."
    Marjorie smiled, showing deep lines around her eyes. "When one of our own returns to town, they get special treatment. Come on." She led them to a booth near a fireplace that had a roaring blaze.
    "This is perfect," Amara said. "Thank you."
    "My pleasure. I'll have one of my kids bring out the soup of the day for you two."
    Rafael waited for Amara to sit, and then he sat across from her, smiling. They discussed his grand opening until the soups arrived. Amara looked back and forth between the fire and Rafael as she ate. She both warmed and relaxed, almost forgetting the crisp air outside.
    Just as she finished the chowder, a man with a bouncing toddler walked by their table and stopped.
    "Rafael?" he asked.
    Amara studied him. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't place him. He had thinning hair and dark circles under his eyes.
    "Jackson?" Rafael asked.
    Then Amara realized where she'd known him from. He'd been in their class—one of the main kids who had picked on her. In fact, Amara was pretty certain he'd been the one who'd coined her nickname. He'd stuck a wad of gum in her hair in math class freshman year and she'd had to cut it out and get an ugly hairstyle which only made her more of a loser.
    It was hard to believe he was the same age as them. He looked a good ten years older.
    "Yeah," Jackson said, picking up the little boy who pulled on his arm. "Are you back in town, too?"
    "Just came back near the end of the summer. How long have you been back?" Rafael asked.
    "Earlier this month. My parents have been whining about never seeing the grandkids, so I finally talked the old lady into moving here."
    "Old lady?" Rafael asked.
    "My wife," Jackson said, giving Rafael a look that clearly said duh .
    "Nice," Amara muttered under her breath. Felt like junior high all over again.
    Jackson glanced her way. "Who's this?"
    "Amara Fowler," Rafael said.
    Jackson's eyes widened. "Four—"
    "Just Amara," Rafael interrupted.
    "Wow. Time has been good to you. Both of you." He gave Amara a once-over. "Contacts?"
    "Yes," she said. "You know, they have things you can take for hair replacement."
    Rafael snorted and then covered his mouth.
    The toddler squirmed out of Jackson's hold and ran for the fireplace.
    "Gotta go," Jackson said, and ran after the boy just before he reached for the fire.
    "It's too bad they don't have surgery for personality," Rafael said, shaking his head.
    Amara smiled. "Time hasn't been so kind to him."
    "Karma in action."

Thirteen
     
    Rafael watched Jackson from the corner of his eye as he ate the next bowl of soup. Had he been like that in school? No wonder Amara had never talked to him back then. His old friend had been completely rude to her. Rafael brought his attention back to his table and looked at Amara until they made eye contact.
    "If I ever acted like that to you in the past, I apologize."
    Amara's eyes widened, and she put her spoon down. "I wouldn't say you were like that… I don't think you were ever outright rude. Jackson, he—he's always been like that." She paused as if remembering something, and then shook her head. "No, you were never like him. Don't worry about it. Even though you were popular, you were always nice."
    He took her hand and ran his thumbs along her knuckles. "Are you sure?"
    "Completely. We never talked because I was shy, and also because we ran in different circles. You had more opportunities than anyone to be mean to me, but you never were. Never