Chapter 5
The earthy scent of recent sex mingled with fresh-brewed coffee and teased Shana to awakening. Stretching her arm out next to her in the tumble of pillows and sheets, she realized he’d left her. She hated thinking those words.
Opening her eyes, she let in the daylight, let the memory of the night’s pleasures wash through her, buoying her. He’d made her coffee, hadn’t he? It was her consolation. He’d done it purposely.
As she rose and dressed in her uniform of leggings and sweater, she wondered where the hell he’d gone. She wasn’t fool enough to think he might be doing something constructive or appropriate. She hoped the damn man hadn’t gone for a run. He couldn’t possibly be ready.
Stop it. He’s not a baby.
Then as she practically ran down the hall toward the kitchen, desperate for coffee to talk some sense into her brain, she couldn’t shake that word, that notion.
Baby.
She reached for the cup he’d left next to the pot on the counter, her cup.
He’d given it to her out of the blue one day.
It was plain white and unremarkable except for the one word emblazoned in large fancy lettering, front and center where she’d see it every time she lifted the handle.
Girlie. In bright pink. She smiled at the cup before she took a sip of her second most compelling addiction.
The first was, of course, Dane the Demon.
The house was silent, dark except where she stood against the kitchen sink in front of the window facing the bay. She turned to look outside and decided she wouldn’t wait here for him. Serve him right. She’d take a walk to get her going. She’d walk to Sassy’s and buy a pie.
She would not think about a baby. They weren’t even married yet, for pity’s sake.
***
The tinkle of the bell over the door of the pie shop widened Shana’s smile when she walked inside to find Sassy and her best friend—or possibly beau?
—Ronnie Ryan. She hoped her visit didn’t mislead them into thinking she had an assignment for them.
They loved nothing more than to risk their necks as junior investigators-in-training for her and Dane.
Sometimes even Cap gave them something to do.
They were both studying to get their licenses.
“Shana!” Sassy jumped—literally—ran around the counter and threw herself into Shana’s arms, apron and all. Ronnie moved slower and gave her a salute and a wink. She didn’t like the influence Dane had on the kid, but it couldn’t be helped.
“You have a case? You need help?” Ronnie got right to business.
“No, nothing like that. I’m here for pie.”
Even Sassy looked crestfallen, but only for a blink before her internal percolator perked her back up to speed.
“You came to the right place. I have a special in the oven now. A new recipe.”
“Hey, I thought that was for me—”
“I’ll make you one later.”
That turned Ronnie’s subdued outrage into a knowing smile of appreciation and anticipation.
Shana loved visiting with these two. She thought of them as her kid sister and brother, substitutes for her real siblings halfway around the world in Sydney, Australia.
“Whatever kind of pie it is, it smells delicious.” Shana was willing to go with Sassy’s experimental pie, but she was hoping Sassy would tell her what flavor it was.
“Guess what’s in it.” Sassy beamed and bounced on her toes as if she were a ten-year-old.
“Hmmm.” Shana took in a waft of pie-scented air, but before she could take a guess, her phone rang.
She slipped it from her official Beachcomber Investigations jacket—a failed initiative to make their business more official since Dane flatly refused to wear his—and looked at the number.
It was her brother Billy. She needed to take it.
Every one of her muscles tightened as she raised a finger to indicate she’d be a minute and stepped over to the door, turning away from Sassy and Ronnie and hoping she didn’t need to raise her voice.
“Hello Billy. What’s going on? I can’t—”
“Hello, lover. This isn’t your brother.”
“Dirk? What the hell—”
“The hell of it is that I want to see you. Talk to you. I didn’t like how things ended between us. We were better than that.”
Shana closed her eyes and let the overpowering urge to scream pass through her. Then she thought about what Dirk had said. The bastard knew she was hesitating and cashed in before she could shut him down.
“What harm could it do to talk, to put things right so we can let go of old grudges?”
“All right, Dirk. You’re right. A good conversation to clear the air will do no harm. But not right this minute. I’m—”
“I’m so glad you agree. You’re right. Not now. Later. How about tonight?”
This was foolish. There had to be something going on that she didn’t know about. Against her better judgment—because did she really want to know what was going on with Dirk? —her prodigious curiosity and natural inclination to save people from themselves kicked in. But she needed to be careful.
“What time will you call me?”
“Meet me at the Lucky Parrot for dinner.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” It hardly registered on her give-a-shit meter that she’d raised her voice. This was a fix she didn’t expect, but she contained the shock to her system like a skyscraper built to withstand earthquakes.
“A proper reconciliation can’t be done unless it’s in person—”
“You are out of your damn mind. You’re crazy if you think we’re reconciling. You came half way around the world for nothing. Didn’t your good friend Billy tell you that I’m engaged?”
“Billy did tell me. That’s why I’m here.”
“Did you tell her I’m here too?” She heard Billy’s distinctive shout in the background. Shit.
“I hope to hell you didn’t drag Ma here with you,” she shouted back.
Dirk laughed.
“No. Billy’s coming wasn’t my idea, but for some strange reason he insisted on tagging along. He doesn’t have any faith in my sense of romance and our fate to be together.”
“For once I’ll have to say Billy is a smart young man. And too good a friend for the likes of you.”
“I agree. But you have to grant me a few minutes of your time at least after all this time and distance.”
She huffed. Damn. Damn. Damn. She wanted to dismiss Dirk, but not as much as she wanted to punch him.
“Remember, we can at least clear the air, Darlin.”
“Fine. Don’t call me darlin.” A quick calculation told her seeing him would be the best way to get rid of him. She might even get her punch in if the circumstances were right. She could handle him, but she didn’t give him odds if Dane got hold of him.
“Problem is my fiancée, Dane, won’t be too keen on you seeing me. Even for a few minutes.”
“A secret assignation then?”
“Secret? Hell no. There are no secrets from Dane the Demon.”
“What the hell? You’re marrying a demon, Shana? I knew it was right for me to come here—”
“Enough with the crap, Dirk. Put Billy on the phone.”
She made an arrangement to meet them at the Lucky Parrot for lunch instead of dinner. She didn’t like going to the Lucky Parrot where everyone would know her and talk, but she was counting on her dear brother to play chaperone and keep their date from looking like a date.
Shana would be cutting it close since they had a job of sorts that night, but she knew Dane had a doctor’s appointment at noon and she and Cap were taking him. No one trusted Dane to make the appointment unaccompanied. She would have to make an excuse why she couldn’t go.
She slipped her phone back in her pocket and turned to see Sassy and Ronnie looking on with unabashed interest.
“Spill the beans. What’s going on?” Ronnie said. “Who’s Dirk?” She detected a speck of disapproval in his tone and knew she wasn’t wrong when Sassy elbowed him.
“Dirk is my brother’s misguided best friend. Turns out they’re here for an unexpected visit.”
“Sounds like an unwelcome visit.” Sassy gave her a reassuring smile that put Shana in mind of her mother. So much for the kid sister role. She nodded.
“You’re right. So I’m stuck for lunch. But I’m going to get rid of them immediately.
” Her words carried the tone and weight of a warning not to make anything of this.
She didn’t tell them they better not say anything to Dane, but the way they nodded solemnly at her told her they got the message all the same.
Shana went home with her sausage-and-cauliflower pie, tucked it in the freezer next to the tequila thinking she’d need to drink some tequila before eating the pie, then waited for Dane to return from his run.
*****
“I can’t go to the doctor with you today. Cap will go.”
“It’s not like I need a babysitter.” She gave him the eye.
“I’ll go. What are you doing?”
She took a deep breath. “I have an appointment to try on wedding gowns.” It was the first thing that popped into her head. Shit. Now she’d need to buy—and more importantly—wear a wedding gown.
“I thought you weren’t doing a traditional dress. Not that I have a problem with it. In fact, I have fantasies about removing layers of tulle and lace from you—”
“I know. My mum talked me into it. I’ll be sure to get something with lots of layers.” She winked at him. He reached out and took a lock of her hair and tugged.
“Why the change of heart? You getting all sentimental and girlie on me?” He’d lowered his voice and infused it with a dangerous affection.
She eyed his glistening body, the vee neck of his shirt and the muscles of his arms. He let go of her hair and pulled her close to him. Her heart started hammering like he had turned a magic switch. She took in his sweaty scent and felt the clenching of need between her legs.
Closing her eyes and setting her jaw, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. The effort was great because he was powerful. In every sense of the word. And she wanted him, God help her. Far too much, far too often.
She needed to get rid of Dirk before Dane found out he was on the island.
“This is important, Dane.” She licked her lips. This was the tricky part. “Besides, you have a doctor’s appointment. Cap is going with you.”