Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
TANNER
“ H ow are you feeling, pretty girl?”
Sarah arrived home a little while ago, looking pretty rough after last night’s shenanigans with her friends, but she wanted to take a walk on the beach to clear her head.
So, we are.
She tucks her hair behind her ear and sighs.
“I’m never drinking again.”
I grin and kiss the top of her head as we stop just out of the surf’s reach to watch the waves.
“Famous last words.”
“No, really,” she insists. “Never. We had so much fun, but I’m too old for that kind of drinking.”
“Jesus, how many did you have?”
“More than I’ve had in the last ten years combined.” I let out a low whistle, and she chuckles. “It was fun, though. The fresh air is helping my headache.”
“I’ll make you pancakes when we get back to the house,” I promise her, as we continue walking down the beach. “That’ll help, too.”
“That might be the only thing that sounds delicious. I will say that I’m very proud of myself for not throwing up.”
“Did the others throw up?”
“I heard someone heaving in the bathroom. Not sure who it was.” She winces at the thought. “Poor girl. But it’s nice to have friends. Women who I can confide in and have fun with. We even talked about sex, and I don’t remember the last time I did that.”
“What about sex?” I slide my hand into hers and link our fingers.
“Well, you and sex, mostly.”
I stare down at her. “What about me ?”
“I can’t tell you. It’s girl talk. That’s sacred. But don’t worry, we talked about Wolfe, too. And toys. It was a long conversation.”
“I see.” I clear my throat, not sure how I feel about the idea of Sarah telling her friends about our sex life. “I lost a hundred bucks to Wolfe last night while playing pool. I think he cheats.”
“How do you cheat at pool?” she wants to know.
“I don’t know, but he has to be cheating. I told him I want a rematch so I can win my money back.”
“Or, you could lose more.”
“Your faith in me is astounding, my love.”
She giggles, and then something on the sand catches her eye, so she bends over to pick it up.
“A baby sand dollar,” she says in excitement. “It’s dead, but it’s so small. And intact. I think I’ll take it home.”
She slips it into her pocket.
“Did you know that dead sand dollars, like that one, are said to be coins lost by mermaids?”
“I didn’t know that.” I smile down at her, enjoying the hell out of this. “Where did you hear that?”
“I read it somewhere when I was a kid. I’ve always loved the beach, and liked to learn everything I could about it. Anyway, I thought that was a fun little piece of folklore.”
“Do you believe in mermaids?”
She frowns up at me. “Doesn’t everyone? Mermaids, sirens, giant sea monsters. I think there’s some truth to all of it.”
“Hmm.”
We’re probably a mile down the beach from my house, so we turn to go back.
“We have that meeting with Belle tomorrow,” I remind Sarah. “In the morning.”
“I’m ready,” she says. “Although, it’s been pretty quiet lately. I’m starting to feel safe again.”
“I don’t want to drop our guard until we have confirmation that there’s nothing to worry about.”
“I know you’re right. I just think it was all a series of unfortunate events that weren’t even related to each other. Sometimes, life just sucks for a little while, and then it all evens out again.” She shrugs a shoulder. “I think we’re on the other side now.”
I hope she’s right. I want her to be right. But I won’t relax until I know for sure that any risk has passed.
“I have something for you,” she says with a bright smile as we get closer to the house. “I was going to save it for your birthday, but I don’t think I can wait for July. That’s forever away.”
“It’s May now,” I remind her. “My birthday is in about six weeks.”
“Forever away,” she repeats. “I don’t want to wait. I’ll get you something else later.”
“You don’t have to get me anything at all, ever.” I lean in and kiss her temple. “I have you, and that’s plenty.”
“You always say the nicest things.”
“It’s true.”
“Well, whether it’s true or not, I still have something for you.”
We climb the steps up to the house, and once inside, Sarah turns to me, her eyes bright.
“I have to run out to the guesthouse. I’ll be right back.”
I narrow my eyes.
“I should go with you.”
“Oh, please. It’s fine. I’ll be right back.”
She hurries off, and I walk into the kitchen to start breakfast. I’ve just pulled everything out for pancakes when I hear the front door open and close, but when Sarah walks into the kitchen, she doesn’t have anything in her hands.
“I want you to sit on the couch and close your eyes.”
I tilt my head to the side, watching her. I would object, but she bites her lip in that way she does when she’s excited, and I know that I can’t tell her no.
So, I do as she asks. I sit on the couch and close my eyes, and I can hear her bustling about, rustling here and there.
Finally, she takes my hand.
“Don’t open your eyes; just stand up.”
She leads me to what feels like the center of the room, facing away from the beach, and then says, “Okay. Open them.”
And when I do, my heart skips a beat.
Sitting on an easel is a watercolor painting. With blues and grays, it’s an overcast day on the beach, with crashing waves. It’s moody and thought provoking.
Absolutely beautiful.
But what steals the breath from my lungs is the couple on the sand, dancing.
“Sarah.”
“I hope you like it,” she whispers. “That moment on the beach when we danced was really special to me, and I wanted to capture it for you.”
I step closer and examine the brush strokes, the love that she poured into the piece, and then I turn back to her and scoop her up into my arms, carrying her to the bedroom.
“Does this mean that you like it?”
“I don’t have words,” I admit as I set her on her feet and strip us both bare, and when we’re finally in the bed, I take both of her hands in one of my own and pin them over her head on the mattress.
A smile tickles her lips.
“What’s so funny?”
“We talked about this last night.”
I narrow my eyes. “About what?”
“The whole hands-pinned-over-the-head thing.” She bites that lip again, and I lean down to brush my tongue over it. “It’s hot, in case you didn’t know.”
“Why do you think I do it?”
She lets out a laugh, but when I nibble along her collarbone, she sighs and squirms under me. I can’t stop kissing her, can’t stop exploring every inch of her shoulders and chest, and when I dip lower, I have to let go of her hands.
Her fingers dive into my hair and hold on tightly as I move over her.
“I need you,” I whisper against her ear as I move between her legs and slowly, inch by inch, sink inside of her.
“Oh, hell yes,” she moans. “Oh, God, it’s so fucking good.”
“Every time.” I brush a strand of hair off of her soft cheek. “Thank you for that incredible gift, Sarah.”
“I’m so happy you like it.”
I pull my hips back and then push back in again, making her gasp.
“You really like it.”
“I really do.” I kiss her, soft and slow, as I make love to her, and when we both reach our climax, I hold her close, reveling in her as the shudders move through us both.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“Same.” Her mouth spreads in a satisfied smile. “Definitely same.”
Belle Lovejoy is the youngest sister to Amaryllis and Indigo, and she’s been a private investigator for five years, after spending four in the military police with the Navy.
She’s one badass woman.
“It’s good to see you, Tanner,” Belle says after shaking my hand and turns to Sarah. “And you probably don’t remember me.”
“I remember you,” Sarah says. “You were just a kid when I left town. I’m closer in age to your older siblings.”
“I always loved seeing you at Gordy’s when you worked there as a teenager,” Belle admits with a smile, and brushes her long dark hair over her shoulder. “I thought you were the prettiest girl in town.”
Sarah’s cheeks flush. “Well, thanks.”
“But that’s not why you’re here,” Belle continues. “Tell me what’s been going on.”
And so, we start from the beginning and tell her everything, from the break-in to the flat tire and everything in between.
“I think it’s a lot of coincidence,” Sarah says when I finish. “Bad luck.”
“Maybe,” Belle says, looking up from her notes. “I don’t like that someone left a note. If not for that, I’d be more inclined to agree with you.”
“Perhaps they were just trying to scare me,” Sarah continues, but Belle just blinks at her, and she sighs. “Or not.”
“I think we should do more digging. I love our cops here in Huckleberry Bay, and get along well with all of them, but sometimes they can’t devote the amount of time needed in cases like these. I’d like to start right away, making calls and such. If you’d like to hire me, that is.”
“We would,” I reply immediately. “I think we’re both ready for some answers here. It’s been several weeks, and Sarah just can’t keep living her life constantly looking over her shoulder.”
“I really would like to relax,” Sarah admits. “I’d also like to be alone once in a while, just because I can.”
“No one wants to feel like they have to have a chaperone all the time,” Belle agrees. “Sarah, do you have any self-defense training or a concealed carry permit?”
“No and no,” Sarah replies.
“Well then, I think that it’s wise that you stick close to someone else until we get some answers. There is safety in numbers, you know?”
“Yep, I know.” Sarah deflates. “What do we do now?”
“I’ll start digging around online, make some calls, and do some research. Then, if I have to, I go out and investigate. I’ll keep you posted whenever I find anything useful.”
“Awesome.” Sarah grins at Belle and claps her hands. “I feel like we’re finally doing something.”
“We are,” I agree. “Thanks, Belle.”
“My pleasure. Really. I love a puzzle, and we’re going to put this one together. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”
When we’re back on the sidewalk, headed toward the gallery where the car is parked, Sarah does a little skip.
“That went very well,” she says. “I have a really good feeling about it. Also, how pretty is Belle Lovejoy? She’s absolutely gorgeous, with that long hair and blue eyes, and I swear her skin is made out of porcelain. I wonder what her skin care regime is. How did she get into that line of work?”
“She was a cop in the Navy,” I reply, then laugh when Sarah’s jaw drops, and she stares at me. “It’s true.”
“Holy shit, that’s badass.”
“That’s what I thought, too.”
“Wow, so the Lovejoys all did well. Amaryllis is a doctor, Indigo is a killer real estate agent, and Bluebelle kicks ass for a living.”
“Just don’t call her Bluebelle, or she’ll kick your ass.”
“I like their names,” she says with a sigh. “I like them. Okay, what’s next on the list of things?”
“Why don’t we pop into The Grind and grab a coffee? Take a load off for a minute?”
“I am totally game for that.”
It’s mid-morning, so the coffee shop isn’t too busy when we walk in. We place our order and find a table by the windows to sit and enjoy ourselves.
“I don’t remember the last time I sat in a coffee shop,” Sarah says as she takes a sip from her huge mug of mocha. “Drinking out of a real mug rather than paper and having my pastry warmed up on a real plate.”
“We have to stop and smell the roses sometimes.” I watch her as she glances around the room and smiles at someone to her left. “Who do you see?”
“Montana, from Huckleberry Delight. She’s really nice, too.”
I look back and nod at Montana, then turn back to Sarah.
“There aren’t many here who aren’t nice, you know.”
“Yeah, it seems I was blessed to be born to the only assholes in town.” The smile doesn’t waver as she takes a bite of her cranberry muffin, and I can’t help but laugh.
“There might be one or two others.”
“Name them.”
I narrow my eyes and think it over.
“See? You can’t. Because, for the most part, the people in this town are good. And I like it that way. Hell, if it had been any different, Scott and I might not have survived it. So, I’m grateful that we had kind people surrounding us.”
“You have a good point.” I reach over and take her hand. “When is your next shift at Gordy’s?”
“Not for a few days. Sunny’s just using me to fill in now in case someone needs vacation or calls in sick. I told her I’d try to come in on a moment’s notice if something like that happened. So, basically, I’m just helping out here and there now.”
“And how does that feel?”
“Good and bittersweet,” she replies. “I really like my job there. That’s why I haven’t quit altogether. But it also feels good to make my own hours and do my own thing. I’ve painted five pieces this week already. I know I won’t always produce that much so fast, but I’m excited.”
“You should be excited. I’m proud of you. And you don’t have to completely quit Gordy’s. I’m sure they appreciate you working in the capacity you are, in case they’re ever in a jam.”
“Exactly,” she says with a nod. “Also, I never ended up needing to press charges against Angela. She came in and gave the money to Gordy, then tried to grovel to get her job back, but he turned her down. She’s not happy about it, but I heard she’s moving back down to Newport, anyway.”
“I’m glad that worked out as well as it could have,” I reply as her phone pings with a text.
“Oh, it’s June. She wants me to meet her at the chapel. She wants to show Luna and me something. She actually mentioned that to us the other night. She must have a break in her work day.”
“Should we head out?” I ask.
“Let’s finish our coffee, and then we can head out. If you’ll take me back to your place, I’ll grab my car from there.”
“Sounds good.”
Sarah’s been gone for about twenty minutes, headed to the chapel, when Belle calls.
“Hey, Belle. You’re fast.”
“Listen, I found something. Tell me Sarah’s with you.”
“Actually, she’s not.”
“Fuck. She’s in trouble, Tanner.”