Guarding Autumn (Crimson Point Security #3)

Chapter Seven

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Gavin couldn’t tear his eyes off Autumn when she came into view up the street with Carly. Snug, dark jeans hugged her hips and thighs, and the thin athletic jacket conformed to every curve of her breasts and waist. Her hair was pulled up into a clip, the ocean breeze blowing little tendrils around her face and neck.

He’d learned how to hide his feelings at a young age, but the longer he tried to suppress what he felt for Autumn, the harder it was to keep it under wraps.

“Mornin’, pretty ladies,” he said when they got close.

“Morning. Tris joining us?” Autumn asked. He was worried about her. Wished the hell he could figure out what was wrong.

“Yeah, he and Marley are gonna meet us in a bit.” He managed to pull his attention from her long enough to smile at Carly. “Get a good start on your project this morning?”

“Yep, but Mom said she couldn’t find anything about my dad’s side, so I guess I’m just gonna write my report on hers.” She looked as disappointed as she sounded.

“Ah.” He glanced at Autumn. Carly’s father had never been in the picture. He and Autumn hadn’t been in an actual relationship when she’d wound up pregnant, and she had never pursued child support. Gavin didn’t even know the asshole’s name, but he hated him on principle. Fuck that loser.

Autumn avoided looking at him as she steered Carly toward the café. “Let’s get in line before we end up halfway down the block like yesterday.”

He was impatient to have their private conversation as soon as possible. Had been up half the night wondering what was so major that she wouldn’t just tell him and refused to talk about it with Carly around.

Poppy greeted them at the counter with a warm smile. “Are you guys regular customers now?” she asked the girls.

“Absolutely,” Autumn said, and gestured to Carly. “We’ve both got our hearts set on trying the strawberries and cream croissant.”

“Excellent choice. They’re my husband Noah’s favorite, and we only make them when the local berries are in season.” She switched her attention to him. “What’ll it be for you today, Gav?”

“Caramel pecan sticky bun.”

“Ooh, lucky for you there are two left. Because the other one’s already held for Boyd.”

Boyd Masterson was former Delta and lived up in the hills outside of town with his wife, Ember, who did occasional freelance work for Crimson Point Security’s IT department. “Haven’t seen him around lately.”

Poppy smiled. “You know how he is. He prefers to come in right at opening and avoid having to socialize too much.”

“Ah, yeah, that tracks.” Good guy, but a hermit.

He ordered his own breakfast, paid for their order over Autumn’s protests and took everything to go. “Ever flown a kite?” he asked Carly on the way out the door.

“No.”

“Want to?”

She grinned up at him. “Yeah.”

“Okay. Right this way.” He led them down the street, pausing to greet a familiar figure coming toward them pushing a stroller. “Morning, Danae.”

“Morning.” She stopped just in front of them, and Gavin introduced them.

“Danae’s married to my boss, Ryder. She works at the local vet clinic,” he explained.

“I’m just giving Walter his walk in between patients while Sierra finishes the first surgery of the day.” Seeing Carly’s curiosity, she pulled the canopy back and a furry face appeared over the edge with a grayed, spotted muzzle and long ears that drooped along with his eyes. “Walter, say hi.”

Carly’s delighted smile was priceless. “Oh, he’s so cute!”

“He’s a rescue and extremely spoiled, as you can see,” Danae said. “He’s too old and stiff to walk much these days, so he gets paraded around in this. He’s a total celeb around town, everyone knows him. You can pet him if you want.”

Carly reached in and stroked the dog’s head. Walter’s mouth opened in a smile, his pink tongue lolling. Carly wrinkled her nose. “Ew, Walter, you have really bad breath.”

Danae laughed. “He’s an old man. But don’t let that fool you, you should see this guy when he’s out dune buggying. He’s an adrenaline junkie at heart.”

Carly’s eyes widened. “Dune buggying?”

“He loves it, has his own doggles and helmet and everything. Where are you guys off to?”

“Gonna get us a kite and take it for a test run before I have to get to the meetings,” Gavin said.

She nodded. “Ryder’s been so busy with this upcoming job he hasn’t been home in two days. Tell him I said hi?”

He chuckled. “Will do. See you later.”

“Bye. Nice to meet you both,” she said to Carly and Autumn, and carried on toward the clinic, where Walter liked to lie just inside the front door like a furry floor mat for everyone to walk around, watching the comings and goings along Front Street through the glass.

“The people here are so cool,” Carly said.

He smiled at her enthusiasm. “It’s a small-town thing. You get to know the locals pretty quick in a place this size. Here’s the kite shop.” The front of it was all decked out in a rainbow of various kites in all shapes and sizes fluttering in the breeze.

Inside, Carly quickly zeroed in on a unicorn kite. “This is the one?” he asked her.

“Yes.” Her eyes shone with excitement as she took it to the counter.

The elderly woman behind it smiled at her. “This is such a lovely kite. Your dad can have it ready to go in just a few minutes.”

Carly’s cheeks flushed. “He’s not my dad.”

The woman blinked. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She glanced anxiously between them.

“Don’t be,” Gavin said. “It’s the red hair, right?”

The woman hesitated a moment. “Um, yes.”

He glanced at Autumn to see her reaction and was surprised to see her face was pale as she stared back at him, then she almost immediately turned away. “I’ll wait outside,” she said, already heading for the door.

What the hell was wrong? He paid for the kite, then he and Carly quickly put it together inside and exited the shop. Autumn was waiting for them, sunglasses hiding her eyes but her color back to normal. “Ready to rock?”

“Yep,” Carly answered, a bounce in her step as she carried her kite. “Are Tris and Marley still coming?”

“They just texted me saying they’re already at the beach.” He hung back a bit and stopped Autumn with a hand on her waist. “You okay?”

“Fine,” she answered, pulling free to follow her daughter. “What time do your meetings start?”

“About ninety minutes from now. Not sure when we’ll finish up, and Tris and I may have to work late after that. What time are you guys checking into your hotel tomorrow?”

“Around three, but we’ll head into Portland before that to shop and get something to eat first.”

“There’ll be extra security downtown all weekend, but just keep an eye out while you’re walking around the city.”

She glanced over at him. “Why? Are they expecting trouble from the protests?”

They always had to expect trouble. That was part of the job. “They’re anticipating more protesters will arrive starting tonight, and with that comes the risk of trouble. You don’t need to worry though. The security at your hotel has been beefed up, too, and you’re a few blocks away from where the protests will be staged.”

“I’m not worried. I’ll be so busy I won’t have time to leave the hotel, and Carly will be working on her project.”

“Didn’t find out anything about her other side of the family tree, huh?” Yeah, he was fishing. He knew next to nothing about the guy who’d gotten her pregnant except that it was a short fling that had gone nowhere. And that it had happened less than a week after Gavin had left for bootcamp. That still stung.

Her shoulders tensed slightly, but she kept walking. “No.”

When she didn’t say anything more he let it drop, because he knew full well she didn’t like talking about Carly’s sperm donor.

At the far south end of the row of buildings on Front Street, they came to the Sea Hag bar and the mile of sandy beach beyond it. The breeze picked up as soon as they passed the protection of the bar, whipping off the rolling waves and across the wide stretch of sand, their steps leaving a trail of indistinct footprints in their wake.

“There they are,” he said. Tris and Marley waved and started their way from the opposite direction.

They met in the middle of the crescent-shaped beach that hugged the bay. He and Tris immediately taught Carly how to get her kite in the air, then stood by to coach her while Marley and Autumn took video and pictures. Once Carly had the hang of things, he walked over and sat down next to Autumn to eat their breakfast, tamping down his impatience to get her alone.

She seemed more relaxed as she chatted with Marley and called out encouragement to Carly, but he couldn’t help shake the feeling that she was still ignoring him a little. He didn’t like it.

After the better part of an hour, Carly and Tris reeled the kite back in and came over to join them. Marley handed out food she’d brought along as a young family passed by, two parents with a little boy who looked around two or so.

He heard the mother say no, and the toddler suddenly launched into an epic tantrum, lying face down on the sand while screaming bloody murder and flailing his fists and feet. Gavin and the others all stared while the father tried to pick the kid up, getting clocked in the nose for his efforts. He cursed and a wrestling match ensued, both parents struggling to subdue their demon child.

“And that’s just one reason why I’m never having kids,” Gavin said, feeling sorry for them and glad Carly was way past all that.

Autumn’s head snapped toward him, eyes still hidden by the sunglasses. “You don’t want kids?”

He made a face. Given his background, he didn’t think he would be good dad material for a little one. He hadn’t exactly had good parental role models, and wasn’t sure he could give a kid what it needed and deserved. “Can you see me dealing with that?” He nodded toward the continuing meltdown.

“Nope,” Tristan answered.

Exactly, so Gavin let the dig go without argument. “What about you?” he asked his twin. “You want kids?”

“Dunno. Maybe. Never really thought about it, to be honest. Been kinda busy putting up with you.” But Tris was also watching the meltdown as if it was a trainwreck in motion he couldn’t look away from.

“Whatever. You’d both be great dads,” Marley said with complete confidence. “A lot of guys don’t have any experience with babies or kids before they become parents. You’d figure it out fast.”

He grunted, wishing they’d change the subject. He didn’t see himself parenting a little one. Ever. Didn’t want to risk screwing up a kid for the rest of its life.

“Why not?” Autumn kept staring at him, unwilling to let it go.

Her insistence surprised him. She was well aware of his bleak childhood. “You know why.”

“It doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be a good parent. You’re fantastic with Carly.”

He appreciated the praise, but Carly was half grown up already, and his relationship with her was good because he was like an honorary uncle. Autumn had already put in all the hard work to this point by herself, and Carly had thrived because of it. “Yeah, because I’m the funcle. Besides, she’s practically already an adult. Aren’t you, squirt?”

She’d been a few weeks old the first time he’d met her while home on leave. He’d been terrified of dropping or hurting her somehow, and for the handful of hours he’d spent with her in total as an infant, he’d handed her back the instant she fussed or needed a diaper change. Babies freaked him out.

Carly nodded. “Pretty much.”

The agitated parents were now struggling to get the toddler strapped into the stroller. The kid was having none of it, arched taut like a bow, fighting like hell against confinement and screaming like a banshee. He suppressed a shudder. “You never had meltdowns like that, did you, squirt?”

“Never,” Carly answered. “I’ve always been mature for my age.”

“You certainly did have meltdowns like that,” Autumn told her dryly.

“I don’t believe it,” Gavin said. “Carly would never.”

“Well, she did,” Autumn insisted, and there was a definite edge to her tone that made him pause and drop the teasing.

Whatever was bugging her today, he knew it was connected with whatever she wanted to talk to him about later. But he was done with her attitude, and later was too fucking far away, so he reached over, grabbed her, and put her over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” she cried as he pushed to his feet, trying to scramble off him. “Put me down!”

“Nope.” Enough was enough. He turned and started jogging down the beach, arms locked across the backs of her thighs to hold her in place while she braced her hands on his lower back to keep from bouncing against him.

Her protests died within moments, and her grudging laughter was music to his ears. “Gavin, you idiot, I just lost my sunglasses. Where the hell are you taking me?”

“We’ll get ’em later. And not far.” He ducked into a little alcove up ahead formed by a low cliff that blocked them from view of the others and set her on her feet. Slowly, so that she slid down the front of him inch by inch until the soles of her shoes finally touched the sand.

She steadied herself on his shoulders a moment, her cheeks flushed pink as she pushed her wind-blown hair away from her face. When she went to step back, he stopped her by catching her hips in his hands. Those pretty, pale green eyes flew up to stare at him, startled.

He released her hips and framed her face between his hands instead, desperate to fix whatever was happening between them. “We’re alone. Now talk to me, Autie.”

She stared back at him a second, the look in her eyes softening slightly at the childhood nickname. “Not here.”

“Why the hell not? No one can see or hear us.” They were hidden from view and the pounding of the waves would drown out anything they said.

She shook her head, gaze darting past him as though she expected someone to appear behind them at any moment. “Not now.”

Irritation swept through him. “Then when? I’m tied up the rest of today, have no idea what time I’ll be done, then I head out first thing tomorrow and won’t be back until late Monday night.” Why wouldn’t she just tell him?

“I don’t know.” She pulled his hands away from her face and stepped back. “Look, just...it’s nothing, okay? Just forget I said anything. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“What the hell does that mean?” he demanded, setting his hands on his hips and blocking her from moving with his body. “Just tell me what’s wrong. I hate this.” He’d missed her so damned much and wanted to be with her. This wall she’d put between them made him insane.

“What’s going on is you’re confusing me,” she fired back, eyes blazing. “What’s with the weird vibe you’ve been giving off since I got here?”

He hadn’t expected her to call him on it, but at least she’d noticed. “What vibe is that?”

“The...” She gestured between them with one hand. “You know. Last night.”

He was going to make her spell it out. “Say it.”

“Like you want to kiss me,” she snapped in annoyance.

Oh, he wanted to do a hell of a lot more than that. And he liked that she’d called him out so boldly. Liked that she was willing to go toe to toe with him finally. “And if I did?”

Her eyes widened in shock, and she shook her head before blurting, “I’m seeing someone.”

That was the last thing he’d expected her to say. Something dark and territorial lit up inside him. An uncontrollable, primitive response to this potential rival for her. “Who?”

“A guy,” she said, trying to step around him.

He blocked her path. He wasn’t letting her run from him. A fucking guy ? “Who?” he demanded.

She made a frustrated sound and faced him, mirroring his stance with hands on hips. Christ, she was stunning, all fired up with her head lifted proudly. It took everything he had not to back her up against the rock wall behind her right now, pin her there with his body, and kiss her until her legs gave out.

“A guy from work. Not that it’s any of your business,” she added.

Oh, he was making it his fucking business. “For how long?” If it was serious he didn’t think he could stand it.

“Why do you care?” she fired back.

Because you’re mine. Gavin barely held it back as he met her angry stare, every possessive cell in his body howling in protest at the thought of her with someone else.

Before either of them could say anything else, Carly’s voice called out over the wind. “Mom, I got your sunglasses!”

“Coming,” she called back, and pushed past him.

Gavin set his jaw and sucked in a deep breath, letting her go. But only for the moment.

She was dating some asshole, and this was the first he was finding out about it? And she still hadn’t told him the truth about what the real problem was.

To hell with this. They were hashing everything out tonight. Because there was no way in hell he was losing her now.

****

Tristan reached the sand-strewn parking lot just as Gavin’s SUV turned out of it. He pulled out his keyfob to unlock his truck, with Marley right behind him.

Wow. That happy little get together on the beach had not gone the way he’d thought it would.

Marley suddenly grabbed his arm, hauled him around to face her. “Okay, what the hell was all that?” she demanded, tucking a lock of wind-blown, dark auburn hair behind her ear.

“What?”

“Don’t what me. You saw them. He carried her off like a sack of potatoes, disappeared around the corner to say who knows what, and when Carly went over a minute later with her sunglasses, Autumn couldn’t get them out of here fast enough.”

Yeah.

“Gavin didn’t say a single word the entire way back here. And they wouldn’t even look at each other when they said goodbye.” Her gaze cut to the back of Gavin’s SUV as he drove away from them down Front Street, then to Carly and Autumn, who were already partway up the hill to the condo. “Autumn was acting a bit strange around Gav at the party last night, but just now she looked like she wanted to punch him in the face.”

“I mean, can you blame her? I feel like that all the time.”

Marley pressed her lips together and thumped her fist into his shoulder, frowning at him. “Seriously. Can you not tell something’s going on with them?”

Of course he could. He and Gavin were literally two halves of a whole. Sometimes, he felt he knew Gavin better than his brother knew himself, so when something was off with him, yeah. He noticed. “He must’ve pissed her off somehow. I wouldn’t worry about it. Whatever it is, they’ll work it out.”

Autumn had been their friend for more than twenty years, but she and Gavin had always been closest. Zero percent chance anything would change that. Well, barring some major, cataclysmic disaster, and Tristan couldn’t think of anything like that.

Marley stared up at him with a mix of irritation and disappointment. “It’s not like them to argue, let alone in front of us, and Autumn’s only here a couple more days. I’m telling you, something’s very wrong.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you know something? You do. You know something.”

“I don’t know anything. Other than I’m not gonna stick my nose in their business or grill Gav about it because you know how much good that’d do.” He and Gavin were tight and trusted each other completely. But that didn’t mean he had the right to interfere in his brother’s personal life. “They’re both all grown up now, Marls. Let them be. They’ll figure it out.”

She shook her head, reached for the passenger door handle, and opened it. “I don’t like it.”

He didn’t respond, since there was no good answer. But she was right. There absolutely was something going on between Gav and Autumn. And whatever it was, they were both pissed about it.

Marley was quiet until they were about five minutes from her and Warwick’s place. “If you do find out anything, will you let me know?” Before he could open his mouth to answer, she rolled her eyes and snorted. “Okay, I realize the whole twin code thing comes first. It’s just...whatever’s going on feels way off. Autumn is as reasonable and level-headed as they come. If she’s this upset, it’s for good reason.”

Yeah, and Gav had a talent for pushing people’s buttons. “If Gav wants to talk to me about it, he will.”

“But you won’t tell me if he does.”

“I will if he’s in trouble.” Not unless.

Marley eyed him. “You two are so unbelievably frustrating sometimes, you know that?”

“Us?”

She huffed. Folded her arms. “Pain in my ass, both of you. Still , even at thirty years old.”

He hid a smile as he turned onto her street. Being their mom and sister in one couldn’t have been easy on her all these years, especially from age sixteen. But she had stepped in and stepped up when no one else in their life had. Without her, God only knew what would have happened to them. And he was well aware that she would always love them to death, no matter how much she complained about them driving her nuts.

Family, even a flawed one, was everything. So while he would keep a close eye on his brother. Whatever was going on between him and Autumn, Tristan wouldn’t intervene until he needed to.