Chapter 12
Rick parked his car, noticing that the parking lot at the beach plaza was a little more crowded than he’d expected this time of day.
He got out and glanced at The Biscuit Box.
Lorelei was standing in front with her guitar, strumming and singing as usual.
It would be easy to stop in and make an excuse to see Carol.
His wolf was pulling at him to do so, demanding that he get closer to the woman he knew was his mate.
But Rick had other things on his mind, and he needed to address them.
There just wasn’t room in his thoughts for everything at once.
Moving around the buildings, Rick stepped onto the rocky beach behind the plaza.
He hadn’t been back there since the night Lorelei had been attacked.
The police tape was gone, though the ground still showed the scorch marks from the fire.
It would look that way for quite some time, he knew.
He paused a short distance away, studying it as though it might give him some answers.
Only more questions came to mind, and he moved on.
Rick walked down the beach. It wasn’t busy there because it was so rocky. Tourists wanted long stretches of sand. Locals had their little spots they called their own. That left some places in-between where hardly anyone roamed, and this was one of them.
A small dock lay further down the beach.
Jace Brigham operated his chartered boat tours from Provincetown, but sometimes, he anchored them there when he wanted to work on them closer to home.
Rick hadn’t even thought about coming there, but he could see Jace standing on the bow of a fishing boat, looking it over and checking things off on a clipboard.
“Busy day?” Rick called as he stepped onto the dock.
Jace looked up as he checked something off. “Hey, Rick. The rest of the week is fully booked, but I’m taking today to make sure everything is stocked and maintained. Looking to get out on the water?”
“No, just taking a walk to try to clear my head.” Not that he had any true hopes of that working anytime soon. “I just got back from the police station.”
Jace had paused to secure a rope, but the bear shifter looked up quickly. “The police station? That doesn’t seem like the kind of place you normally frequent.”
“No, not exactly,” Rick said with a light laugh. “You know about what happened just over there on the beach, I assume.”
Jace stepped up onto the dock. “Can’t miss information like that.”
“I think I may have spotted a couple of guys who fit the description that Lorelei gave of the perpetrators. I had to pass that information along. I know that’s any citizen’s duty, but the whole thing has really been bothering me.
It’s not technically my business, but I don’t feel like I can rest until I get it figured out.
I’m concerned that other people in the area might be in danger and not even know it.
” Rick glanced toward the back of The Biscuit Box, which could just be seen from there.
If Jace knew where Rick was looking, he was kind enough not to say anything. “You were one of the people who responded to the call. I’m no emergency responder, but I think it makes sense if you take it personally.”
“I would’ve thought I was past that at my age. People will do what they’re going to do, and there’s no way I can stop it. I’m old enough to know that well. I guess that doesn’t mean I don’t want to try, though.” He smiled at the younger man.
“Hey, that’s all we can do. That, and trust our instincts. If something about this feels right, then maybe the community needs someone like you to look into it,” Jace pointed out. “What did the police say?”
“I got straight to the chief. That’s the benefit of being on the fire department, I suppose.
They take you fairly seriously. He looked tired, though, and I got the feeling he wasn’t particularly interested in this case, like he had bigger fish to fry.
Of course, I just got a glimpse of the guys on Pamet Harbor before I lost them in a crowd of boats. ”
That caught Jace’s attention. “Were they sailing?”
“I think so. I lost them, and then a boat took off in about that same area. They looked like sailors; I can say that much.”
“I’ll keep an eye out,” Jace promised. “In the meantime, you sure you don’t want a quick run out into the water? Maybe do a little fishing?”
“It’s your day off,” Rick reminded him.
“Sure, but there’s a reason I have this job. I’m a little addicted to being out there.” Jace grinned and gave him a friendly slap on the arm. “You let me know when you want to go, and we’ll make it happen.”
“Thanks, Jace. I appreciate that. I’ll see you.
” Rick left Jace to his work. He appreciated the offer, but he had another appointment to get to.
As he walked back to the car, he once again pondered stopping in to talk to Carol, but he forced his feet forward.
It bothered him to be so close to her and not take advantage of the situation, but he didn’t want to be late.
As it was, Holly still beat him to the sandwich shop. She was sitting outside at the picnic table with Ruby in her lap, and she waved as he walked up. “I went ahead and ordered for you. The Paul Revere and a cup of clam chowder.”
“Am I that predictable?” he asked as he sat down. Rick reached out for Ruby, who instantly dove into her grandfather’s arms. “Hello, sweet thing. Did you miss me already?”
“As always,” Holly said as she picked up her wrap. “Thanks for meeting us for lunch. I figured Ruby and I needed to fuel up before our shopping trip, or at least I do!”
“Shopping?” Rick asked casually. He kept Ruby in his lap, holding her securely with one arm while he picked up his food with the other. There was something about the smoked turkey there that was just so delicious.
“Little Miss Ruby is starting to outgrow all her clothes again. It’s becoming quite the habit, isn’t it?” Holly tickled her daughter’s feet, making her kick and giggle. “I’ve also just finished a work project, so it’s a good time to get out from behind the computer for a while.”
“Is Pierce going with you?” Rick asked.
“No, he’s at work. It’s just us girls, unless you want to come along, of course,” Holly offered. A few sprouts fell out of her wrap, so she picked them up with her fingers and put them back where they belonged.
“Maybe I should.” Rick had a few other things he was planning to do that day, but he could put them off if it meant his daughter-in-law and granddaughter might be a little safer. “I don’t know that you really ought to be out on your own right now.”
Holly’s head moved back on her neck, and her gray eyes narrowed in curiosity. “What? Why not?”
He hedged a bit. Rick didn’t want to scare Holly if there was no reason, but it was much better to be safe than sorry when it came to his loved ones.
“I’m concerned about the case regarding Lorelei.
The two men who did this to her are still at large, and I may have seen them in the area.
I don’t know what they might be up to, but it has me concerned. ”
“What happened to Lorelei was tragic and scary. I won’t deny that, but I don’t see any reason to worry. For one thing, that was in the middle of the night,” Holly pointed out. “And a one-time, freak incident like that isn’t very likely to happen again.”
“Perhaps not, but I’ve seen some information showing that this could be more than just a one-time incident.
There’s a string of missing people up the coast, and they’re getting closer and closer to home.
I’d say it’s already here, considering in several of these cases someone has described two men just like the ones who attacked Lorelei.
There could be something much bigger that we need to be watching out for.
” He put a spoon into his clam chowder but wasn’t sure he could eat it right now.
They had amazing chowder there, and he always looked forward to it, but his worries were beginning to take over.
“Where did you get this information?” Holly asked.
He pursed his lips. “The New England Recorder, and I know what you’re going to say, but—”
“A tabloid?” Holly asked, her voice kicking up a couple of keys. “Rick, you can’t take that garbage seriously!”
“I know,” he replied, glancing at the other picnic tables to see if anyone was listening.
The few other diners were more interested in their food and the nice weather to be paying any attention to them.
“I know that its very existence offends you, considering the serious work you do as a journalist.”
Holly chewed the next bite. “Everyone makes their money in whatever way they can. If The Recorder wants to do it with dramatized celebrity gossip and break it all down into bite-sized articles that don’t require any brains to read them, then I guess that’s on them.”
Rick knew she wouldn’t like hearing it, but he truly felt there was something of value here.
“I’ve actually gone and looked up some of the information myself to see if there was any truth to it.
So far, it’s checking out. It’s just that the reporter from The Recorder happened to be the one to put it all together.
It’s sensational, yes, but I think there may actually be something to this. ”
Holly still looked skeptical. “Even if there’s anything legitimate to this, I’m not sure it’s worth changing our entire lives for.”
“It’s not worth endangering them, either,” Rick countered.
“Look, I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty reasonable guy.
I take everything with a grain of salt, especially when it sounds extreme.
But I saw something very extreme happen to Lorelei, and it has me worried.
My wolf is like a dog with a bone at this point. ”
“Hm. Yes. That might explain it.” Holly was smiling at him now as she wiped a bit of avocado from the corner of her mouth.
“Explain what?” Rick demanded. He was glad she was no longer chastising him for reading The Recorder, but she didn’t have to look at him like he was sideshow entertainment.
“Well, why you’re interested in this whole thing.
” She rolled her hand through the air like it all made sense.
“You mentioned dogs, and I noticed you’ve been buying a lot of treats for Barney lately.
In fact, between you and Carol, I think he’s had so much to eat that he probably can’t swim anymore.
I think you’re going to have to adopt a dog of your own if that’s your only excuse for seeing her. ”
“I see. So you think the only reason I’m so interested in this case is because of Carol?” he challenged.
“I think it’s a good chunk of it, anyway.” Holly was still grinning at him.
Rick rolled a shoulder. “I’ll admit that she was the one who showed me the article.
She doesn’t have any higher opinion of that paper than you do, but it had her wondering.
I don’t think she’s as concerned about her safety as I am, though.
I just don’t want to see something horrible like that happen to someone else. ”
“Let’s get back to the Carol part,” Holly insisted. “You like her, don’t you?”
“Sure, but things are stalled out for now. It’s…
a bit tense.” That was the best way he could think of explaining the last couple of times he’d seen her.
Rick had tried to keep his distance after their talk on the beach when he’d explained to Carol just what it would mean for her to be with him.
Unable to avoid her completely, he’d kept himself to the occasional stop at her bakery.
“I can’t claim to entirely understand your situation,” Holly said, her voice soft and easy.
“I’m sure there are some complications. That’s only going to be worse if you’re concerned about her safety.
But it seems like there might really be something between you, and I wouldn’t want to see you miss out on that. ”
“Thank you.” He knew she truly meant it.
Rick and Pierce had come out there to live with Holly, and they were officially part of the Brigham clan.
They had family there, even if it wasn’t by blood, and he knew Holly genuinely cared about him.
“I’ll just have to wait and see how it goes for now.
I’ve left the ball in her court, so to speak. ”
“A gentlemanly thing to do, but don’t leave it entirely up to her.”
“Why not?” Carol had to make a big sacrifice if she wanted to be with Rick, and he couldn’t make that decision for her.
She laughed. “Because a woman wants to know she’s wanted.
You don’t have to bug her for her answer or insist on going out for a fancy date, but don’t stop letting her know that you care and are thinking about her.
It’s nice that you’re giving her the space to think, but don’t let her forget about you. ”
He smiled. Holly was truly like a daughter to him, and he loved her so much. “I’ll do my best. Now let’s go get some shopping done.”