Invincible, p.31
Returning Home (The Seaside Chronicles Book 1), page 31
Returning Home
Book 1 Seaside Chronicles Copyright © 2022 by Kelly Elliott
Cover Design by: Hang Le
Interior Design & Formatting by: Elaine York, Allusion Publishing
Developmental Editor: Kelli Collins
Content Editor: Rachel Carter, Yellow Bird Editing
Proofing Editor: Erin Quinn-Kong, Yellow Bird Editing
Proofing Editor: Elaine York, Allusion Publishing
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For more information on Kelly and her books, please visit her website www.kellyelliottauthor.com.
Prologue – Adelaide
Chapter One – Gannon
Chapter Two – Adelaide
Chapter Three – Gannon
Chapter Four – Adelaide
Chapter Five - Gannon
Chapter Six – Adelaide
Chapter Seven – Gannon
Chapter Eight – Adelaide
Chapter Nine – Gannon
Chapter Ten – Adelaide
Chapter Eleven – Gannon
Chapter Twelve – Adelaide
Chapter Thirteen – Gannon
Chapter Fourteen – Adelaide
Chapter Fifteen – Gannon
Chapter Sixteen – Adelaide
Chapter Seventeen – Gannon
Chapter Eighteen – Adelaide
Chapter Nineteen – Gannon
Chapter Twenty – Gannon
Chapter Twenty-One – Adelaide
Chapter Twenty-Two – Gannon
Chapter Twenty-Three – Adelaide
Chapter Twenty-Four – Gannon
Chapter Twenty-Five – Adelaide
Epilogue – Sutton
Other Books by Kelly Elliott
Dear Reader,
A note to you before you begin the book. The Seaside Chronicles is NOT a stand-alone series. They are interconnected novels with the siblings’ stories being carried throughout the series. The books are best read in order, or you may find yourself confused and this writer does not want that to happen!
You can find out more about the books at the link below.
https://kellyelliottauthor.com/library/#seaside
Now…let’s begin with Gannon and Adelaide’s story, shall we?
Adelaide
End of Senior Year of High School
Gannon Wilson had to be the most handsome man in all of Seaside. His ash-brown hair and those deep brown eyes reminded me of my grandma’s famous hot chocolate. Nothing ever made me feel more warm and happy than her hot chocolate. Okay, that was a lie, because Gannon’s eyes made me feel the same way. When he looked at me, I could almost see into his soul. And when he smiled—oh Lord, it did crazy things to my stomach.
I was standing back by the edge of the parking lot, watching as Gannon said his goodbyes to his friends. Gannon knew everyone. He was that kind of guy. Never mind that he was the quarterback for our high school’s football team, or that he played baseball—he was simply kind to everyone he met. Popular, not popular, bookworm, or jock, he was friends with all of them. It was one of the things I loved most about him: his kind heart.
My younger sister, Sutton, and my best friend, Harlee, walked up and put their arms around me. With a sigh, Sutton said, “I still can’t believe he’s leaving today.”
I forced a smile, but no words would come. I had been dreading this day for the last couple of months, counting down until Gannon left to go to the Naval Academy.
“Have you guys made a decision on what you’re going to do?” Harlee asked.
A part of me didn’t want to share our plans. I wanted to be left alone with Gannon so we could enjoy every single moment until he had to leave. And I knew the moment I spoke it out loud, it would make it true.
“As much as we want to stay together, I don’t see how we can do it. I mean, I’m going to school in Orono, and Gannon is heading to the Naval Academy in Maryland. And after that, he’s going into the Navy. It’s not fair for either of us to have to do a long-distance relationship like that with no end in sight.”
“But, it’s you guys. Gannon and Adelaide. You were meant to be together,” Sutton said as she turned to look at me. Her eyes were so sad, and I was positive mine reflected the same emotion back. I forced myself not to cry.
“Trust me, Sutton, I don’t like it any more than you do. But we both have dreams of our own. I want to become a labor and delivery nurse and live in Boston. Gannon wants to go to school for marine engineering. He wants to be on ships in the Navy and then come back to Seaside and work as a boat pilot. That’s his ultimate goal, and he can’t make it happen unless he follows this path. Plus, his daddy was in the Navy, and he wants to follow in his footsteps along with Brody. It’s not fair for either of us to give up our own dream.”
Harlee and Sutton both let out the saddest sighs. I wanted to do the same.
“Tell me about it,” I said softly. I watched Gannon shake hands with one of the guys from the football team, then start to make his way toward us.
“We have to leave it up to fate.” I smiled at Gannon as he approached.
Harlee took my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Well, if it’s meant to be, then maybe someday you’ll both end up back here in Seaside together.”
Sutton huffed. “Always the optimist, aren’t you, Harlee?”
She smiled. “I am, because I don’t believe that a love like the one Addie and Gannon share can be extinguished so easily.”
I gave her hand a light squeeze back. “I love you, Harlee.”
“Love you back.” Turning to Sutton, Harlee said, “How about we head on over to the Seaside Grill for a chocolate shake?”
Sutton faced me. “You’ll be okay if we leave?”
Hugging my sister, I replied, “Yes, I’ll be fine. Tell Mom and Dad I’ll be home later.”
“I will.”
My parents owned the Seaside Grill, one of the more popular restaurants in Seaside, right at the end of Seaside Drive. One whole side of the restaurant was made of windows that faced out toward Penobscot Bay. There was also a back deck with tables for those who wanted to enjoy the ocean breeze that came in off the water during the warmer months.
Gannon stopped in front of us and leaned down, kissing me on the cheek.
Sutton quickly wiped a tear away. “We’ll miss you. Have fun, Gannon. And please be careful.”
Gannon flashed Sutton a smile. “I will, Sutton. Have fun your junior and senior year. And whatever you do, if you get Mr. Hathaway, don’t ever fall asleep in his classroom.”
With a giggle, Sutton threw herself at Gannon and hugged him. He wrapped her up and looked at me with a soft smile.
After he put Sutton down, Harlee hugged him. “I’m going to miss you, Gannon. Don’t get killed.”
“Harlee!” Sutton and I both exclaimed.
Gannon let her go and laughed as we all watched her turn and rush off toward her car, clearly not wanting us to see her get emotional.
“Don’t let what she said get to you, Gannon,” Sutton called as she followed Harlee. “You’ll be fine. We’re all so proud of you and Brody.”
“Thanks, Sutton. You’ll take care of my girl, right?” Gannon said, taking my hand in his.
With a smile, Sutton answered, “You bet I will. See you later, Gannon!”
Gannon waved goodbye and then turned to face me. “We didn’t talk at all last night, Addie.”
My cheeks turned hot. “That’s because we were busy saying goodbye.”
He grinned, and I swooned ever so slightly at the dimple in his right cheek and those boyish good looks. It didn’t matter that Gannon and I had dated since ninth grade, that dimple still got to me every single time it made an appearance.
“We were busy, weren’t we?”
Laughing, I nodded. “Yes.”
Gannon glanced out over the open field that led down to the beach and the bay. Just beyond the scattered islands in the bay was the Atlantic Ocean. Seaside, Maine, was a port town, but we had beautiful stretches of beaches. Some were pebbled while some had the softest sand I’d ever felt between my toes. Small pockets of islands littered our coastline, some private islands and others parks. The largest was Lighthouse Island. It had been there for more than one-hundred years and was still guiding boats into the harbor. Okay, they might not really use it, but it was still maintained by the same family all these generations later. The only way to get to the island was by ferry.
I drew in a breath. “We’ve got time to talk now.”
He nodded and then started to walk toward my car.
“Man, the memories we made in this car,” Gannon said with wink in my direction.
I unlocked the doors to my Honda Accord and chuckled. “Lots of fond memories.”
We both slipped in and I started the car, then simply sat there.
“Addie, what’s wrong?”
I drew in a slow breath and let it out, focusing on keeping my voice s
He reached for my hand. “I’m going to miss you, too, but it’s not like we won’t ever see each other again. Remember what you said about fate?”
Nodding, I looked at him. “I know. It doesn’t make it any easier.”
The corners of his mouth tipped up. “Come on, let’s go grab something to eat.”
Ten minutes later, we sat in my parents’ restaurant. Ruby, one of the waitresses who had been working for my parents for as long as I could remember, took our orders and then brought us two waters. I had looked for Harlee and Sutton when we’d walked in but didn’t see them.
After Ruby set the glasses down, she looked at Gannon. “We’re all so proud of you, Gannon.”
He smiled. “Thanks, Ruby.”
“Following in your daddy’s footsteps along with your brothers. He must be over the moon and so proud of you boys.”
Gannon nodded. “Yes, ma’am, he is.”
Gannon’s father, Ken, was a lawyer, but he’d been in the Navy. He was indeed proud of his son. Gannon wasn’t following in his father’s footsteps per se, but the fact that both of his sons would be in the Navy made him proud. Brody, Gannon’s older brother by a year, was already in the Academy.
Ruby squeezed my shoulder. “You two enjoy each other’s company while you wait for your dinner.”
After she walked away, I glanced toward the kitchen. Usually one of my parents was here, but I hadn’t caught a glimpse of either of them.
“So, how long are we going to put this off?” Gannon asked.
I snapped me head back and caught his gaze. “I hate this.”
“Me too. I love you, Adelaide, and I’ll always love you.”
A warm rush of happiness swept over me and pooled in my lower stomach. “I’ll always love you, too, Gannon. We’re doing the right thing, right?”
He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We’re both going in two totally different directions. We each have dreams and goals. It wouldn’t be fair for either of us to expect the other to alter that. I’m sorry I asked you to marry me when I did, Addie. It wasn’t fair to you. I just…”
Tears stung the backs of my eyes. “I know why you did it, just like you know why I had to say no.”
“It was the right thing to do, Addie. You’re right. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us to get married and then spend the next four-plus years apart with only visits here and there.”
I sighed. “It doesn’t make it any easier.”
“How about this—when I’m back in Seaside, if you’re here and we’re both single, we catch up with each other. No strings attached.”
“And if we’re not both single?” I asked. The idea of even going on a date with someone else seemed impossible right now.
Gannon looked down at his water and then back up at me. “Right now, I can’t honestly think of having anyone else in my life, Addie. I also don’t expect the two of us to remain saints, either. You’re going off to college, and I’m heading into the military.”
I sighed and dropped back in my seat. “Should we make some kind of pact that if we’re still single by forty, we marry each other?”
Laughing, Gannon flashed me a bright smile. “I’m down for that, but can we make it a little younger, please?”
A tear slipped free, and I wiped it away.
He leaned forward and whispered, “You will always own a piece of my heart, Adelaide Bradley. No matter what happens with our lives, you will always be a part of me.”
I lost the battle, my tears flowing freely down my face now.
He reached across the table and wiped the tears away. “Please don’t cry, Addie. I hate it when you cry.”
“I promised myself I wasn’t going to do this,” I said as I took the napkin Gannon handed me and blew my nose. “I said I wouldn’t cry.”
He winked. “You have no idea how much I want to cry as well.”
I laughed. “I’m going to miss you so, so much, Gannon.”
“We’ll write old-fashioned letters, text, and call each other.”
With a nod, I asked, “Do you promise?”
The expression on his face turned serious. “I promise you, Addie. Here, give me your pinky.”
With a childish giggle, I put my pinky out. “A pinky promise, like when we were little?”
“They’re the only kind of promise you can trust,” Gannon mused.
We hooked pinkies and locked gazes.
Clearing his throat, Gannon said, “I love you. And I promise no matter what happens in my life, I won’t stop keeping in touch with you.”
That’s the thing about promises, though…life gets in the way and you can’t always keep them.
Gannon
Present day – Seaside, Maine
One of my most favorite things was when the pilot boat lifted and dropped. I loved it. And the thrill of embarking a ship into not-so-smooth seas was more than an adrenaline rush. I fucking lived for it.
Ever since I could remember, I’ve wanted to be a port pilot. My father was in the Navy, and I loved hearing about his tales from being on the Naval ships. He met my mother when he came to Seaside with a Navy buddy of his. He’d said it was love at first sight, and he’d made her a promise that if she married him and left Seaside to be with him in the Navy, he’d eventually bring her back to Seaside to raise their family. That’s when he decided he needed a career change and chose the law. My mother had gone to school to be a doctor and decided that wasn’t for her, so she got her degree in education, instead. She’d taught fourth grade for as long as I could remember until she finally retired.
My father had kept that promise and was now one of the best lawyers in the state of Maine. He still had a love for ships just like me and my older brother, Brody. I’d spent much of my childhood running around the docks and piers. Then came the moment when I’d been old enough to ride out in the pilot boats to meet an incoming cargo ship. My father had gotten us onboard because his best friend Doug was the pilot.
There had been something so thrilling about watching Doug go from the smaller pilot boat to a rope-and-wood ladder so he could climb up the massive ship. That first moment I saw him do it, I knew I was going to do it someday too. My father, of course, wanted me to go into law or something safer. I wouldn’t listen though. From the time I was eight years old, it was my dream to be a boat pilot someday.
And that someday had come. After attending the Naval Academy for marine engineering, I had entered the Navy as an ensign, where I’d spent six years on active duty on ships. As soon as my time was up, I was back in Seaside pursuing my dream. I was on my third year as a deputy pilot, and about to become a full bar pilot. Right in time for my father to retire from his law office—though I knew he would keep doing legal work for the Penbay Pilots Association.
“Less than a minute, Gannon!” Chip called out. Chip was Doug’s son. He’d taken over for his father when he’d retired a few years ago and was now the launch master who drove the pilot ship out to the vessels I would either be embarking or disembarking on.
We’d been childhood friends who had grown up together with a love of everything water. From sailing to fishing to just floating out in the bay, trying to get the fuck away from life. Chip would always have my back, like I’d always have his. I knew at times it was hard for him, being a black man who worked and lived in an overwhelmingly white state. No matter how many times you hoped and prayed things would change for people of color, there was always someone looking to knock him down. Still, Chip was a fighter, and one of the best men I’d ever had the privilege of knowing.
Chip came up alongside the cargo ship and got as close as he could to the ladder I would be climbing. With my backpack on and my adrenaline in overdrive, I made my way to the side of the boat.
I watched the swells and the roll of the cargo ship so that I could time my move. Josh, the deckhand on the pilot boat, was tethered to the boat and ready to help if I should need him. Like if I reached for the rope and missed it, falling between the two vessels.
“Fair seas,” Josh called out.
I gave him a thumbs up and stepped forward.
“This is why I can’t keep a girlfriend,” I mumbled as I grabbed the rope and made my way up the side of the vessel. There was an officer on watch at the top, and he greeted me in a heavy accent before motioning for me to follow him to the bridge.
