Chapter Five
Cal strolled along the beachfront, hands tucked in the pockets of his leather jacket, the cool air biting at his cheeks. It was early evening, colder than it had been the last few days, dipping into the forties, the kind of cold that made his knee tighten and his breath puff out in short clouds.
The street was quiet. Tourist season had clearly thinned out, just a few stragglers snapping photos of the water and wandering through the shops still clinging to late hours.
Some of the windows were already decked out in Halloween decorations, grinning pumpkins and fake cobwebs tangled around display stands.
He took his time, not really in a rush, as he made his way toward the upscale rental house across from the Seaglass Saloon. Curiosity had pulled him out here. He wanted to get a closer look at the back of the place where the masked couple had put on their show the other night.
The house was even fancier up close, big glass windows, a wraparound deck, the kind of place built for people who liked to be noticed. The curtains in the second-floor window were drawn tonight.
Cal smirked to himself, and deciding to get a look at the front of the house, he kept walking.
Kept thinking.
Kept trying to tamp down this need building inside him. The need for Willa. Too bad he hadn’t seen her in a couple of days. Not since she bolted from his apartment as if she’d caught on fire and was trying to outrun it. She was probably avoiding him again.
Maybe that was smart.
But smart didn’t mean he approved. Well, his dick didn’t approve anyway. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since she left. That heat between them had sunk in deep, impossible to shake.
And no matter how many times he told himself to stay out of it, to let it go, his gut told him they were nowhere near done.
Cal was about to turn back to go back to his apartment when Fia came bouncing up the footpath, wearing…well, whatever the hell it was. She had on white feathers stuck to a gray hoodie, orange leggings, and a beak perched right in the middle of her forehead.
He blinked. “Are you supposed to be… Edgar, the dive-bombing seagull?”
She struck a proud pose. “Obviously.”
“Why?” he had to ask.
“Halloween party. Someone had to represent the town’s most aggressive citizen.”
Cal chuckled. “You nailed it.” As she adjusted the makeshift wings on her arms, he asked, “Is Willa avoiding me?”
Fia sighed, her energy dipping for the first time. “Yeah. She is.”
A loud screech split the air, and Cal instinctively ducked. Edgar himself swooped low, clipping just over their heads before circling back toward the beach.
Fia jumped aside. “Okay, that was a little too real.”
Cal narrowed his eyes at the bird. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Edgar has strong opinions.”
Cal glanced at Fia’s costume. “Think he objects to you dressing like him?”
She smirked and flapped her arm-wings. “If he does, he’s going to have to deal with it.”
They moved onto the footpath that ran between the beach and the row of businesses and rentals. Edgar followed them from above, his sharp cries echoing like he was tracking their every step.
Cal paused when they reached the front of the fancy house where he’d seen the masked couple, and he frowned when he saw the small sign at the base of the steps. Larkin Property Managers. There was a little picture in the upper corner of the sign that grabbed his attention.
“That’s Brent,” Fia provided, following his gaze to the photo. “Wish Edgar would dive bomb it and leave a big blob of bird shit on that face.”
Cal found himself wishing the same thing. Even though he’d never met the man, he didn’t have any good feelings about him.
Shifting his attention, he looked up, studying the big windows and the drawn curtains. “You know who’s renting it?” he asked.
Fia shook her head. “Nope. Place gets booked all the time though. Big money. But I haven’t seen anyone come and go recently.”
Well, he’d seen someone come, but that wasn’t in the sense of exiting the place.
“Why?” Fia asked, giving him a little side-eye. “Having renter’s remorse that you didn’t get it instead of the apartment over the Seaglass?”
“No remorse,” Cal said quickly. “I’m not a fancy kind of guy.”
Fia grinned and nudged his arm. “The photos of your office building in Dallas looked fancy-ish.”
He turned his head and raised an eyebrow. “You ran me?”
“Of course I did,” she admitted. “You’re a Texas cowboy with a mysterious knee injury who showed up in the middle of a full moon soulmate legend. I’d be a terrible sister if I didn’t run you.”
Cal chuckled but kept walking, the cool breeze tugging at his jacket. “Find out anything else about me?”
Fia’s grin softened a little. “Yeah. But I didn’t need an internet search to help me with it. I know Willa’s attracted to you.”
His steps slowed. “Did she say that?”
Fia gave him a flat look. “No. She didn’t have to. I have eyes. I saw it.”
Cal stayed quiet, letting that settle.
“She doesn’t want to play into the legend,” Fia added, kicking at a pebble on the path. “She’s stubborn like that. All kinds of stubborn. The more people push, the more she digs in.”
“That’s not news,” Cal said with a small grin.
“Just letting you know. She’ll fight it even if she wants it.”
Cal looked out at the water, the breeze picking up as the sun dipped lower. “Yeah. I figured that part out too.”
Hell, he was fighting it as well and not doing nearly as good a job as Willa. She was keeping her distance from him, and he could hardly go more than a minute without thinking about her. About that kiss that nearly happened.
Fia’s voice cut into his thoughts. “Have you seen Eden yet?”
Cal shook his head. “No. She’s still in Portland. Not sure when she’ll be back.” And he hadn’t texted her to find out. Ironic, since the reason he’d come here was for Eden, and he’d sent her just that one text.
Fia hesitated, dragging her sneaker across the path. “That’s probably why Willa’s holding back.”
Cal looked at her, curiosity and frustration knotting together. “What do you mean?”
Fia sighed and crossed her arms. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
She looked him over, like she was weighing whether to say it, and she motioned toward the photo on the sign. “Brent. Willa’s ex. He cheated on her. With Eden.”
Cal blinked, the weight of the words slamming into him. “Wait, what?” Willa had said Eden and Brent had gotten together, but she hadn’t mentioned a word about cheating.
“Yeah.” Fia’s jaw tightened. “Willa was engaged to him. They were weeks from the wedding when it happened. Completely blindsided by it. It crushed her.”
Cal stared at the ground, disgust rising sharp and fast. “I didn’t know. I had no idea.”
“She’s not over it,” Fia said, soft but certain. “She acts like she is, but trust me. It messed her up.”
Cal rubbed his jaw, the shock still sinking in. “I don’t even know the adult Eden. It’s been twenty years since I’ve seen her. All I know is the teenager I used to hang out with.”
Of course, they’d done more than hang out. Eden and he had been each other’s firsts and had been hot and heavy for most of the year before she’d up and moved here to Wild Rose Point.
Fia lifted one shoulder. “Yeah, but Willa doesn’t see it like that, that Eden is your past. You’re here, Eden’s connected to you, and that’s a mess she doesn’t want any part of.”
Cal’s chest tightened. “I’m sorry that happened to her.”
Fia gave him a small, knowing smile. “Yeah. Me too.” She bumped his arm lightly. “But I also see the way you look at her. And I’m pretty sure she feels it as well.”
Cal couldn’t argue with that. Not even a little.
She glanced up at the house again. “If you want to know who’s renting it, I could find out. My boyfriend, Mason, works for Brent. He does repairs and stuff on the rental properties. Mason can get a look at the lease.”
Cal considered it, dismissed it. Then, shifted thoughts entirely when he saw a little smile tug at Fia’s mouth when she looked up at the house. Was that smile because she had fond memories of the place?
“Uh, have Mason and you ever stayed here?” he asked.
She blinked, clearly surprised by the question. “No. Mason’s talked about it, maybe us sneaking in when it’s not being used. Apparently, it’s got an indoor hot tub.” Her smile faded. “Why?”
Hell. He hoped that Mason wasn’t pulling a Brent and dicking around on Fia. But that didn’t feel right. He’d met Mason, and the guy seemed downright timid. There’d been no timidness from the man in the mask.
Fia glanced at her phone and made a face. “I’ve got to run. I promised I’d help Mason set up for the party. He’s probably tangled in a string of skeleton lights by now.”
Cal gave her a nod. “Good luck with that.”
She flapped her winged arms and grinned. “I’ve got Edgar power on my side.”
Without another word, she jogged off toward the street, the seagull beak bobbing with every step.
Cal turned and headed back toward the Seaglass.
When he stepped inside, the bar had picked up since earlier. More people filled the tables and booths, most of them in costumes that ranged from clever to half-hearted. A big sign near the bar read Buy One, Get One Half Off If You’re in Costume.
Delia worked behind the bar, wearing a pirate hat and a red sash tied around her waist. She was wiping down a tray, chatting easily with a group of regulars.
She spotted Cal and waved him over. “You know,” she said, giving him a playful inspection, “those jeans, boots, and Stetson could technically qualify as a costume tonight.”
Cal smiled. “I’ll pass on the drink discount, thanks.”
Delia leaned on the bar, lowering her voice just enough to make it feel like they were sharing a secret. “Not that I’m saying a word about soulmates, but I think something is blooming between you and my daughter.”
He didn’t comment. Cal just gave her a polite smile and headed for the stairs. Delia’s soft laugh followed him as he made his way up.