Life Should Be Beautiful (Summer Lake Silver #12)

Chapter Thirteen

By Friday afternoon, Alexis had decided that she was going to have to find herself some kind of employment. It would no doubt have to be self-employment, since she’d never held what she considered to be a regular job. She couldn’t see herself taking orders from anyone – over her years with the agency she’d become useful enough that once she was assigned to an op, she was mostly given carte blanche. That was partly because her superiors didn’t want to have to deal with her when she didn’t get her own way.

She shrugged. In the early years, she’d been labeled as stubborn and insubordinate – over the decades she’d proven – mostly – that she only acted that way when she knew that she was right, and her superiors wouldn’t listen.

She stared at her laptop where she’d started making a list of possibilities. She could become a private investigator, that might be fun. The downside being that she didn’t imagine there would be much call for a PI in Summer Lake, and she really did like the idea of settling here. That was as far as her list went. It was the only option that she could think of.

She sighed and logged into the online portal where she could view footage from the camera that she’d installed in Lily’s trailer. She was fascinated by what she’d seen so far. There was someone sleeping there. But whoever they were, she wouldn’t mind having them as a houseguest herself!

It irked her that she hadn’t managed to see a face yet. He came after dark and left before dawn and didn’t turn on any lights. Even then, he arrived wearing a hoodie with the hood up and made sure that it was up before he left in the morning. That piqued her curiosity in itself. If he were simply some drifter, why would he worry about being recognized? Even without seeing a face, she believed that the mystery guest was a young man. His physical appearance gave that away. If she had to judge by his behavior alone, she would have pegged him as a middle-aged woman – and a very considerate house guest at that.

He removed his shoes the moment he entered and left them by the door. It was hard not to track dirt, hay, and worse around on your shoes at the barn. He lifted the bench seat in the living area, took out the bedding and made himself a bed. Then, he visited the bathroom, came out and climbed in. When he woke, he repeated the routine in reverse, folding the bedding neatly before he stowed it back under the bench seat. The only thing he took was a drink of water from the faucet – making sure to wipe the sink down afterward. He put his shoes back on only when he was ready to step outside again.

She blew out a sigh. “Who are you?” she asked the screen. “And why are you doing this?” He could be in trouble. Trouble he’d created or the kind that was no fault of his own. He could be a runaway; he seemed young enough that he might have worried family somewhere.

She needed to catch him in the act and talk to him. It wouldn’t be too difficult; she was sure of that. The trouble was that she’d have to go out to the barn after dark or before sunrise. She was hoping that Davin would be here at those times over the weekend. He had to work on Saturday – tomorrow – but he was coming over this evening and they were going to Giuseppe’s for dinner.

She smiled when it hit her. She didn’t have to work around him – he wasn’t like Gordon. She could work with him. In fact, she imagined that he’d be pleased if she asked him to go with her. It wasn’t that she needed his help – they both knew that, and best of all, he respected it. But he was invested. He’d looked at cameras with her. Been out to look at the trailer with her. This was something they could share – work as a team. She liked that idea.

She frowned at her phone when it rang. Davin was busy at work, and she’d spoken to Cal this morning – he wanted her to confirm that she and Davin would go out with everyone tomorrow night, but she’d told him she needed to check first.

Other than the two of them, she couldn’t think of anyone who would be calling – not anyone that she would want to speak to. She picked it up and checked the screen, smiling when she saw Lily’s name on the screen – she’d forgotten about her.

“Is everything all right?” she answered.

“Oh. Sorry. Yeah. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“That’s okay, you didn’t. I need to learn to answer the phone with a simple hello, it’s just a throwback to my old job, I suppose – people only contacted me when they had fresh information or a problem.”

Lily laughed. “Well, I don’t have either of those. I just wanted to check in with you. I know you’ve been out here a lot this last week and I keep missing you.”

“That’s all right. I don’t need to take up your time. I come and visit with the boys when it suits me. They’re doing well. Did Shayna tell you about Beau and Davin?”

“She did! Isn’t that awesome? I hate to say it, but I’m a little bit jealous. I’ve spent so much time around your boys that I was hoping … I mean, I know he’s yours but I was hoping that Beau …”

Alexis laughed with her. “That’s all right. I understand completely. I feel the same way. Of course I wanted to be the first human he trusted. And I think I would have been a little less put out if you’d been the one he chose since he sees more of you than he does me. But Davin … On the bright side, I can also understand why Beau trusted him. He’s easy to be around – calming.”

“He is. I’ve gotten to know most of the military guys who’ve moved here. They’re great people, but some of them are kind of scary till you get to know them. Even then … some of them seem a bit scary, even when you know they’re not. But Davin’s not like that. He’s … good energy, if that makes sense.”

“It does.”

“He’s less threatening – although I don’t think he’s any less scary in his own right. In fact, given the choice, I think I’d rather have him around if I were in trouble.”

“Really?” Alexis wondered whether Lily was just being nice.

“Honestly! It’s obvious that he could kick anyone’s ass if he wanted to – even if he’s not supersized like Damon and Dalton. They might have size on their side, but Davin’s… I don’t know. I get the impression that he’s fast and stealthy and smart and ...” She laughed. “Don’t mind me; I think he’s awesome, that’s all. There’s this quiet strength about him is I think what I mean. And now I’ll shut up.”

Alexis laughed. “It’s okay. I know exactly what you mean. I told him the other day, he’s the kind of dark horse who takes you by surprise. I like the way you put it – quiet strength – that’s him. And while it might have taken him a minute to get his act together about asking me out …” She stopped, realizing that she was musing out loud – Lily didn’t need to hear it, and she was fairly certain that Davin would be embarrassed by her sharing.

Lily chuckled. “I can imagine that it might have taken him a minute, but that it didn’t take him long to find his stride.”

“Yes. That. And that’s all I’m going to say on that subject.”

“I’ll just say that I’m glad the two of you met. He’s a good guy.”

“He is. Anyway, I took us so far off track that I’ve forgotten – did you call for anything in particular?”

“Just to check in.”

“Thanks. Oh. Would you mind if I go out to the barn after dark sometime over the weekend – to check on your guest?”

“I don’t mind – as long as you’re not planning to go alone. Nate and I can …”

“No. I’ll ask Davin to go with me. I would normally operate alone, but he’s going to be hanging out with me this weekend and I’m sure he’ll enjoy the adventure.”

“I’m glad you see it as an adventure – I don’t. It worries me.”

“From what I’ve seen so far, I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about; I think your guest is quite harmless. But we’ll get it taken care of – so that you’re not worried about who might be prowling around at night, and so that whoever he is, he can find a more permanent or at least more suitable place to sleep.”

“Thanks, Alexis.”

“It’s my pleasure. I’ll see you soon. And I’ll keep you updated.”

“Okay. Bye.”

~ ~ ~

Davin put his hand on the small of Alexis’s back as they walked across the parking lot at Giuseppe’s, and she turned to smile up at him.

He’d greeted her with a kiss that had almost led them upstairs instead of coming out to dinner, but he’d managed to hold back. He wanted their relationship to be about more than just sex. That was all he’d had with Zoe, and it hadn’t mattered. Alexis was so much … more.

“How was your day?” he asked in an attempt to focus on the moment they were in instead of what they could have been doing if they’d stayed home instead.

She chuckled. “It was fine, thank you. Are we back to polite conversation again?”

He narrowed his eyes at her and cupped his hand around the back of her neck, brushing his thumb over her nape.

“No. I’m trying to bring things back to the everyday details to distract myself from the effect you have on me.”

She grinned. “Good to know. For a moment there I thought you were totally unaffected by that kiss that left me weak at the knees and wanting to drag you to bed.”

He kissed her forehead. “Don’t ever think that – you affect me, in a big way.”

He had to laugh when she glanced at the front of his pants and smiled. “A very big way – and I’ll let you in on a secret, shall I?”

“What’s that?”

“Whenever I’m not sure if you’re affected by me, I check in with your friend there – he reassures me.”

Davin laughed out loud. “Are you telling me that you check me for a hard on?”

She nodded happily. “He was the first one to alert me to your interest – remember in the bathroom at The Boathouse?”

He laughed again. “I’ll never forget!”

She held his gaze and waited for him to get past the humor of the moment. When he finally started to feel puzzled by the lengthening silence, she said, “Neither will I.”

His eyes widened and his grip on her nape tightened. He understood. And he knew that his smile must make it obvious that he felt the same way. He was surprised that things had developed so quickly between them, but he loved that they were on the same page.

He leaned in and kissed her; it wasn’t one of their hot, toe-curling kisses, but it wasn’t just a peck either, it held promises – and not just of what they’d be doing when they got back to her place. When they broke apart, he looked down into her eyes and smiled.

“We’re onto something here, aren’t we?”

She nodded happily. “We certainly are – something good, I believe.”

When they entered the restaurant, Tino greeted them with a smile from his spot at the host’s podium.

“Welcome, it’s good to see you again. How are you both?”

“Great thanks,” Alexis said. “It’s good to be back. I’ve enjoyed a couple of deliveries this week, but I like coming in even better.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Tino. “Table for two, is it?”

“Please.” Davin looked around for Booker. He’d had a busy week, helping Brock, the security guy Clay had hired to work for his music label. Brock was based in Nashville, but Davin and Adam spent a lot of time video conferencing with him, working out details for the artists there. Davin hadn’t had the time to follow up on his curiosity about Booker – and whether he was the kid who Alec and Clay had seen fishing at the edge of the property.

He was disappointed not to see him working. “Did Booker not work out?” he asked Tino as they followed him to a table in the corner.

“He’s still here. But he’s in the kitchen tonight.”

“Why’s that?” asked Alexis.

Tino shook his head. “He’s … I don’t know what’s going on with that boy. I’m starting to worry about him. He has the intelligence, and he has a great attitude, but … his personal grooming isn’t up to standard. Maybe it’s just a teenage boy thing, but …” He shrugged. “The way he looked when he showed up tonight? That’s not the impression I want people to get of Giuseppe’s.”

Davin’s heart sank. “Do you think that’s all it is? That he doesn’t have great grooming standards or …”

Tino looked around quickly. “Honestly, it’s more a question of personal hygiene. If he were anyone else, I would have sent him home, but he’s so eager to work. I sent him to the kitchen and told him to clean himself up. He gave himself what I could only call a sponge bath in the sink back there, but even after that I don’t want him near the food prep areas. His clothes are no cleaner than he was.”

Davin exchanged a look with Alexis. “I hope he’s all right,” she said. “What do you know about his family?”

Tino shrugged. “I don’t. I’ve tried to get him to talk about how things are at home, but he’s evasive to say the least. Anyway, I don’t mean to hold up your evening talking about the staff.” He smiled once they were seated. “Your server will be with you shortly, and I’ll check back when I can.”

Once he’d gone, Alexis met Davin’s gaze. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I imagine we’re both going in the same direction. I didn’t tell you about the kid who was fishing last weekend, did I?”

“No.”

“Alec and Clay saw him fishing right by the fence line at Clay’s place. They said he seemed like a good kid; he was polite and respectful, and he wasn’t doing anything wrong – he hadn’t come onto the property. Alec said he seemed embarrassed, as though he was fishing for food rather than for fun.”

“That ties in with what I’m thinking.”

“Which is?”

“That he might be the person who’s sleeping in Lily’s trailer. He’s the right build, the right height. He’s totally respectful of the trailer – apart from breaking in to sleep there – he takes his shoes off, leaves everything as he finds it …” She shook her head. “What’s a boy like that doing fending for himself?”

“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out, aren’t we?”

She smiled. “You know it. What do you think? Do we hang around to talk to him after we’ve eaten, or do we wait and follow him when he leaves here? I was planning to ask if you wanted to keep an eye on the video feed with me tonight – and be prepared to race over there when the mystery guest showed up.”

“Let’s follow him when he leaves here. I’m ninety-five percent convinced that Booker is the mystery guest. But on the off chance that he isn’t, I’d rather we follow him and find out. He might be going home to a family we don’t know about – that might be a bad situation of a different kind.”

“Perhaps.” Alexis didn’t look convinced.

“Yeah, I doubt it as well. I think he’ll lead us to the barn and into Lily’s trailer.”

“I wonder what his story is.”

“I guess we’ll find out later, won’t we?”

She grinned at him. “I’m so glad we’re in this together. If I were still with Gordon, I’d be thinking up ways to get rid of him as soon as possible so that I could come back and follow Booker. With you, it’s different. We’re a team.”

Happiness buzzed in Davin’s chest. “Yeah. I’m the same. If I were on a date with anyone else, I’d be trying to wrap it up as quickly as I could.” He rested his hand on the table palm up, and she placed her hand in his. “We make a good team.”