Page 48 of Beginnings By the Sea

Everleigh clutched my arm. “That’s the couple who wanted to meet you earlier. I’m so glad they won. They seem so sweet.”

The woman waved at me, her smile so bright and genuine. Her husband handed Stan the ticket and he congratulated them. The crowd cheered and clapped, and when I looked over at Miles, he was clapping along with everyone and had a smile on his face. I knew he was happy that Cohen didn’t win. However, when I glanced over in Cohen’s direction, he was clearly angry by the tenseness in his jaw.

I joined Stan and the couple in front of the table.

“Dr. Clark,” Stan said, beaming at the couple, “I’d like you to meet Dean and Joanne Rourke. Their daughter is Emily, the woman you helped save last night.”

Joanne pulled me into an embrace, overcome with emotion. “Thank you so much for all you did,” she cried. “I don’t know if Emily would’ve survived if you and Miles weren’t able to save Brian.”

She let me go and wiped away her tears, only for more to fall. My eyes burned and I couldn’t stop crying myself.

“I thought you looked familiar when you walked up. You and Emily have the same honey-colored eyes.”

Joanne nodded and smiled. “I’m just glad she’s still around for me to look at them.”

Dean held out his hand and I shook it firmly. “Thank you for helping our baby girl and her husband. I told Emily that next time she needs to just hit the damn deer, instead of swerving off the road.”

“That’s what my dad said when I moved down here,” I confessed. “There weren’t any deer in downtown Boston when I lived there.”

Joanne sighed. “If Brian’s parents were alive, I know they’d be hearing pouring out their thanks as well.” She frowned. “They passed away five years ago in a car accident.”

A sharp pain thrummed in my chest. “That’s horrible.”

Joanne nodded. “We’re all he has. I love that boy so much. He’s so good to Emily.” She took my hands in hers. “Will you please send our thanks to Miles? We owe him so much.”

I smiled through my tears. “Why don’t you tell him yourself.”

I peered out at the crowd, and when my eyes locked on Miles, I waved for him to join us. However, I could feel Cohen’s burning gaze on us in return.

When Miles closed the distance, I introduced him to Dean and Joanne and told him who they were. Joanne embraced him and started crying again, saying thank you repeatedly. Dean cleared his throat and wrapped his arm around Joanne’s shoulders once she was done hugging Miles.

“I know this is an ice cream date with you,” Dean said to me, but then he turned to Miles. “But is there any way for you to join us, too? Brian wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you.”

Miles looked over at me for approval and I nodded. “I don’t mind.”

Miles grinned and Joanne linked her arm with his. “Great! We can walk to the ice cream shop together. I want to hear all about you.”

Dean shook his head and laughed before turning to follow them. But before I could join them, I knew there was something else I had to do first. Miles looked back at me, and they all stopped and turned toward me.

“Give me one minute and we’ll all go together,” I said to them. “There’s someone I need to speak to first.”

Miles’s smile faded slightly, especially when his gaze landed on something over my shoulder. I could feel Cohen’s presence behind me.

Joanne beamed and pointed over at the sidewalk. “Go. We’ll be right over there waiting on you.”

I slowly turned around to face Cohen, my heart pounding when I noticed his rigid posture and the searing anger in his gaze as he glared at Miles. But when his eyes met mine, his expression softened.

“Why is Miles going with you?”

I stopped in front of him. “I doubt you saw the local news, but we saved two people in a car accident last night. The couple who won the auction are the parents of the girl I helped. Miles performed CPR on her husband and brought him back.”

Cohen huffed, his voice taking on an icy sharpness. “Of course he did. He was always the golden boy of the family.”

There was so much bitterness to his tone that it took me aback. Whatever was going on between them was deeply rooted.

Cohen hung his head and sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be like that. I’m glad Miles was able to save someone’s life.” His eyes met mine again and they were now filled with a multitude of unspoken questions. “We need to talk, Nyla. My mind is reeling right now. I’m sure there’s a lot you want to know.”

I snorted. “That’s an understatement. But yes, we do need to talk.”

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