When Raif got to his Cafe, he saw the very man he needed to talk to waiting by the door. Hector was in his fifties and a retired firefighter, so physically he was still in good shape, but he liked to refer to himself as an old man even though his wrinkles were barely visible. He was the only man in town who wore cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, yet he wasn't a farmer or a cowboy for that matter. He just really liked Clint Eastwood.

"This better be good," he said in a light Spanish accent while cupping his hands to his mouth and blowing warm breath into them. "Eight is too early for me to be awake. I haven't even had my eggs and chorizo yet."

"Retirement treating you good, I take it?" Raif asked as he unlocked the cafe door and motioned for Hector to go ahead of him.

"I guess you can say that," he said as the heels of his boots clicked against the hardwood floor as he walked inside. "It would be better if my duplex wasn't vacant."

"Well," Raif began to say as he proceeded to turn on the lights. "I showed someone the place this morning. They want to move in as soon as possible."

"What do you mean, you showed someone this morning? No one's contacted me about the ad on Craigslist in weeks."

"That's cause she's new in town and looking to set down roots. The duplex would be great for her since she's single, so it's not too small, yet not too big to clean and she can still have visitors spend the night."

Hector narrowed his eyes at Raif. "What kind of visitors would be spending the night?"

"Will you get your mind out of the gutter?" Raif laughed as he walked behind the deli counter. "I was talking about friends visiting her!"

"Well, you never know. It's not that long ago that we had trouble with those hookers coming into town looking for clientele. Remember how hard of a time Charlie had trying to ban them from using his hotel?" Hector tisked. "Our town isn't big enough for that kind of riff raff."

Raif shook his head. "Lucinda isn't a hooker, trust me. She's actually really sweet, maybe even a little shy." He smiled.

"Uh oh..." Hector raised a brow as he studied the change in expression on Raif's face. He folded his arms with a huge grin. "You like her, don't you?"

Raif gave a little shrug. "She's nice..."

"Ohhhh no." Hector shook his finger at him. "Don't you give me that, 'too busy for women', garbage."

"But I didn't."

"Oh please, you didn't have to. You said it all with your vanilla reply of, 'she's nice'." Hector smirked. "You keep telling everyone how you don't have time for a girlfriend, but I call B.S! And now you're just downplaying cause this one isn't a tourist, she's here to stay, which means you my friend are going to fall hard."

"Oh come on... I hardly know her. I just met her last night!" Raif protested as he moved on to clean the espresso machine. Hector gasped.

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait!" He held up his hands. "Last night, last night? As in the very pretty blonde who walked in here around nine and sat at this very counter?"

"That's the one..." Raif nodded.

Hector stepped back and bit his knuckles, stifling a laugh. "Ohhhh boy! You're in trouble."

"I am not!"

"Oh yes you are! An attractive blonde with big doe eyes? You'll be a lovesick puppy in no time." Hector carried on, ignoring Raif as he resorted to childish behavior by covering his ears. "This is the one that's going to ruin you and I mean that in the best way. Wait till I tell my wife, the queen of ruining my life!"

"Are you going to rent to her, or not?" Raif dropped his hands.

"Changing the subject?" Hector bobbed his brow. "Ok, I get it. The rent is eight fifty a month and as far as utilities go, the wife and I cover water, trash and gas, but blondie has to pay for electric."

"Any way you can knock down the rent? She's trying to get on her feet."

Hector cracked him a knowing smile. "Already looking out for her, I see..."

"Six fifty." Raif called out.

"No way," he replied. "Seven ninety. That's as low as I'll go. Healthcare is expensive when you're retired and I'm getting old."

"Six fifty," Raif repeated. "And I'll throw in a month of free coffee."

"My, my... free coffee too... you really do like her."

Raif rolled his eyes and said again, "Six fifty."

"Seven fifty, make that two months of free coffee." Hector countered.

"Six fifty and I'll make it three."

Hector tossed his head back with a laugh. "And you say she's just, nice... you don't fool me, but ok, I'll let you have this one for the sake of you getting lucky." He winked and stuck out his hand. "Six fifty and three months of free coffee."

"Deal!" Raif replied and shook the man's hand. "She'll be a good tenant, you'll see."

"Right." Hector chuckled as he began making his way to the door. "Just remember that if you end up practically living there then I'll have to start charging you rent."

Raif tossed a cleaning towel at him. "Oh be quiet! I won't be there that often!" When he realized what he said, he backtracked. "I mean I won't be there at all!"

"That's what I thought." Hector smiled and dipped his hat toward Raif. "Tell her to meet me at the duplex at ten so she can sign some papers. See ya around..."

As soon as the door closed behind Hector, Raif buried his head in his hands and groaned. He needed to work on his poker face because that man saw right through his wannabe cavalier attitude. Before Lucinda walked into his life, he was perfectly content going home to his dog after a long day of working in the cafe. Now, however, he felt stupidly intoxicated by the blonde stranger creating a desire in him for her companionship. When she release her hair from the ponytail and shook it out, it was all he could do to not lean in and inhale the soft sent of shampoo mixed with the light musk of sweat on her skin. Something about that combination drove him wild and he couldn't hold back from touching her, even if it was just a tendril of her hair.

Hector was right. She was going to ruin him and in the best way possible, just like he said. Pulling out his phone, he texted her that the apartment was hers and to meet Hector at ten.

"OMG!" she replied. "You are my hero! I owe you, big time. Thank you so much."

His thumb hovered over the keyboard on his phone as he pondered whether or not to text back something cheeky... but last thing he wanted was to come on too strong. He shook his head, laughing at how ridiculous he was being. Texting a reply didn't have to be complicated, so why was he nervous like some love struck teenager? Looking up at the ceiling with a groan, he cursed Hector and his stupid ability to call him on his bull! Staring back down to the screen, he typed out a, you're welcome with a winky-face emoji. Then he shook his head again and decided to delete the emoji face, but when his thumb hit the backspace button, it hit send instead. He panicked with sweat collecting on his forehead as he noticed the little dots on his screen, indicated that Lucinda was typing out a reply.

"Crap! Crap! Crap!" He muttered to himself.

When her text finally arrived after seventeen excruciating seconds, all he could do was stare at the blushing emoji face. That was all it was, an emoji face... but a blushing emoji face. He rubbed the light scruff on his chin and cracked a smile. Maybe she kind of liked him too?

As he continued to set up the cafe for the morning, Raif couldn't help but whistle a happy tune to himself. It was going to be a good day.

🌊🌊🌊

By that afternoon Lucinda was able to move her bags and car from the Oyster Pearl Motel and into her new apartment. As promised, Raif got her a great deal on rent by knocking down the price a couple hundred bucks. Little did she know that part of the deal was that her new landlord would now get free coffee at the Barrel Wave for three months. She walked through the empty apartment which wasn't as big or nice as her home in Redwood Village, yet she couldn't help but already feel right at home.

She knew she made the right choice to start from scratch in Breeze Bay. How could it not be? In such a short time the pieces were falling into place nicely for her. Part of it was thanks to Raif. She doubted she could find such a nice place and for such a great rental price within hours of being in Breeze Bay. She had to thank him! And maybe if it wasn't too much to ask he could help her find some furniture too and maybe he knew where she could find a job? Despite having enough of a cushion in her savings account, if she didn't find work quickly then her savings could easily disappear. Deciding to march back down to the cafe, she would ask Raif for help.

The cafe was buzzing with locals when she entered. Some were eating lunch at the counter and several raised their heads in her direction as they took in her unfamiliar face. Self consciously, she smoothed down the front of her shirt as if removing the slight wrinkles could make her fit in more. Raif was behind the counter multitasking the same way he had done the night before. Despite the smile on his face and the cheerful banter he made with customers, Lucinda could recognize when someone was downplaying how overwhelmed they were. She knew it best after all, she was the queen of downplaying her feelings. It was always best to keep her emotions bottled... but of course, that was what the old Lucinda did. The new one would try to be more expressive.

"Well, well, well..." Raif sang as she approached the counter. "Look who's back."

"I am," she said as she tucked some hair behind her ear. "I've come to ask for a favor."

"Oh? What's on your mind?"

"I was wondering if you knew where I could purchase reasonably priced furniture?"

"Well, you've come to the right place at the right time, Lucinda. My pal Chuck right here," he said as he patted the man's arm. "Is the owner of the Riptide a few doors down, he's got some furniture in his garage that he doesn't use anymore."

As Raif excused himself to help a customer, Chuck turned on his stool to face her. At first glance his bushy beard with scattered grey hairs and striking blue eyes made him look a bit intimidating, but his friendly smile dissolved that first impression. "Hey, I'm Charles, but everyone calls me Chuck since we've already got a Charlie that owns the Oyster Pearl Motel."

"I'm Lucinda." She shook his hand.

"So, Raif says you're moving into Hector's duplex? That's a good location, it's perfect walking distance from the ocean and everything you need on Main street."

"I know, it's such a charming apartment and I'm just so grateful to Raif for helping me find it. I don't think I would've ever found something so quickly without him."

"Well, that's our Raif, always helping out. He really is a great guy..." Chuck said as he glance over at him. "Been through a lot and for most people it might make them angry with the world, but not Raif."

"Sounds like you think highly of him," Lucinda replied as she wondered what exactly Raif had been through that would make Chuck say that about him?

"He's one of my good friends, and good friends like him are hard to come by these days, especially when you're an old fart like me," Chuck replied, but as Lucinda examined his face more closely, the man didn't seem much older than sixty. "But anyway, you're welcome to any piece of furniture in my garage. My wife, Isabel, wanted a bunch of new furniture for our anniversary so I've got all sorts of good stuff in there. You'll meet her. She's a real pain."

"Be careful Chuck, I just might tell Isabel you said that." Raif teased as he returned to them.

"Oh you know I don't mean it," Chuck said and turned to Lucinda. "She's really not a pain. We've just been married so long that we've developed quirks that get on each others nerves."

"Hey, it's ok, I get it." She smiled. "It actually sounds kind of sweet."

"Well, Lucinda, if you're not doing anything at the moment I can walk you down to my house. It's not far and whatever you decide to take I'll help you haul it with my truck."

"You'd do that?" She asked, feeling surprised by such a kind offer.

"Of course!" Chuck replied as if there was nothing to it.

"Wow, I don't know what to say... that's so nice. Thank you."

"You got it, hun," he responded and began fishing inside his wallet. "I'm closing out my tab, Raif. Got a young lady who needs help moving some furniture." He winked at her.

Raif nodded in their direction as he busied himself with another customer. "Alright, I'll see you two around."

As they made their way for the door, a few customers waved goodbye to Chuck and nodded at Lucinda. She enjoyed how friendly and comfortable people seemed to be with her so far. Her new life was turning out to be pretty good, but she would need to earn some money if she was ever going to open a flower shop. She needed to figure that one out soon too, or else the new roof over her head might not last long either.

🌊🌊🌊

Aftering picking out what she wanted from Chuck's garage, Lucinda arranged her new furniture in the living room and kitchen. The barnwood pub table she decided to take actually worked perfectly since she didn't plan on having big dinners anytime soon and the small grey sectional couch fit just right in the living room. Chuck even gave her a basket full of knick knacks that she used to decorate the mantle and the tops of the cabinets in the kitchen. As she looked about her new living space, she was pleased with how homey it had already begun looking. She just needed everything else, like toiletries for the bathroom, a bed set and groceries. Putting on a sweater, she went in search of a super market.

Later that afternoon once her shopping was finished, she took a tour of the main strip in town to see if any shopkeepers needed help. However, due to it being off season, it seemed as if no one was hiring and they recommended that Lucinda ask again in four months. Starting to feel some defeat she thought that maybe she arrived to Breeze Bay at the wrong time? Then she remembered how the coffee shop was pretty busy when she arrived and Raif was doing everything by himself. Surely with some begging he ought to agree to give her a job? Taking a deep breath, she headed for the Barrel Wave again.

"Back so soon?" Raif asked while restocking some merchandise.

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood job hunting and thought I'd come say hello..."

"Well that was nice of you." He raised a brow of suspicion. "Want something to drink? Hungry?" Raif then moved onto dusting the shelves.

"I was actually here to offer you help. Not like volunteer work or anything. Of course I'd like to get paid... not that there's anything wrong with volunteer work. It's actually quite admirable, but given my situation, working for free wouldn't be ideal." She paused and scrunched her face, realizing she was sounding like the village idiot again. Not to mention how Raif was staring at her as if she had three heads. Taking a breath, she tried again. "What I mean is, I was hoping you could give me a job."

"First furniture, now a job?"

Stuttering, Lucinda added, "y-yes, but only until I have enough money saved to start my own business."

"Your own business huh? Well it was awfully sweet of you to offer help but I'm not hiring anyone right now." Raif turned and began making his way back to the counter.

"I know but the other night you were really busy and I bet you could use the help. I would really be grateful. Plus no one else is hiring," Lucinda pleaded, while rushing after him as he went behind the counter.

"So I was your last resort, I see..." Rolling his eyes over her, he pointed to the swing door that separated him from customers. The same door Lucinda ignored as she followed him and was now standing next to him. "I need you to step back onto the customers side, please. See this swing door right here? You're not suppose to cross it," Raif teased and then turned to his customer. "Would you like extra foam on your latte this time Mrs. Rita?"

A petite elderly woman on the other side of the counter blushed and nodded yes. "I keep telling my granddaughter that she needs to come visit me soon. I tell her all the time that I've got a good man for her."

"Oh you know I only have eyes for you my lovely Rita." Raif winked and the elderly woman cooed for him to hush.

"You're such a menace!" She waved her hand at him, but you could tell she thoroughly enjoyed the flirtation. With a light laugh she added, "If only I was forty years younger..."

"Oh you know I don't care about age, Rita." Raif replied to her with a grin.

"Please Raif," Lucinda chimed back in, not wanting to lose her nerve. "I promise you won't regret hiring me. Plus this will allow you to do other things like take inventory and do your bookkeeping. I bet you do it all by yourself after closing hours. I bet you're incredibly tired too and just want to go home, but can't until you've done all of your paperwork."

It was true. Off season was always hard on Raif because he could only depend on himself. There was no such thing as a sick day for him since all of his usual staff were either back to college or away for the winter.

"I wouldn't have time to train you," Raif said while moving on to pouring Lobster Bisque soup into a bowl for a man at the counter. "And theres a LOT to learn."

Lucinda could feel it in her bones that he was starting to crumble. She just needed to push a little more.

"I'm a fast learner! Also, I have a background in accounting. I did it for six years at Goldstein and Cranfield. I could do your bookkeeping for you too!"

"Six years huh and at Goldstein and Cranfield? Fancy. So what does that make you, eighteen years old?" Raif teased.

"I'm twenty eight. Don't change the subject Raif. So will you hire me or not?" Lucinda started to feel anxious as she rubbed her knuckles nervously.

"Come on Raif, just give her a job already!" The man at the counter barked.

"She's already a pain in my behind, Rob, could you imagine if I hired her?"

"Just do it. It'll be good for ya. You need the help so you're not running around here like one of those headless chickens... just watching you makes me dizzy," the man mumbled.

Raif smirked. "Try to resist watching me then, Rob."

Clearing her throat Lucinda tried to focus back on getting hired. "Please Raif. I need a job and I promise I won't get in the way. In fact, you'll even start to wonder how you ever got along without me."

"You seem pretty confident about that." He rubbed his scruffy chin.

"I am." She nodded with her chin held high. "I try my best with everything I set my mind to, I'm reliable, punctual and I never disappoint with goals that are set for me. I know I won't let you down, Raif."

"Well, Lucinda. It looks like I'm backed against the wall here. Consider yourself hired."

"Really!" she squealed. "You're hiring me?"

He replied by slapping a damp towel into her hand. "Now go wipe down the tables," he said with a big grin.

It wasn't as glamorous as her job as an accountant at Goldstein and Cranfield Legal Group, one of the top law firms in the state, but for the first time Lucinda felt free. She knew she was on the verge of attaining her dream life.

Nothing could stop her now...