Chapter 6 #3
“I…I probably shouldn’t have come.” She looked uncertain again, and David hated himself for messing with her hard-won confidence.
“Why did you come, Daisy?”
Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth.
David fixated on her mouth, which was almost too lush for her small-boned face.
It occurred to him that he’d thought about that mouth and those lips far more often than he should have over the last few days.
What was wrong with him? She was a patient, a woman who’d been battered by the man she thought she loved.
She didn’t need him thinking about her mouth, for crying out loud.
“David?”
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
She stood. “I should go.”
He rushed to his feet. “No, don’t.”
“I, um…”
“Please stay. Tell me why you came.”
“Are you listening this time?”
Smiling, David went around the desk and leaned against it so he was closer to her as she settled back into the chair. “Yes.”
“I was saying that I enjoyed talking to you when you came to see me. I thought maybe you might’ve enjoyed it, too.”
“I did.” He glanced at the container she held. “That smells really good.”
She tipped her head and studied him, seeming amused. “Tell me the truth—did you forget to eat again?”
“Maybe. We’ve been slammed with the stomach flu that’s led to lots of dehydrated patients. I admitted several of them, in fact, so I’ll be staying here tonight.” He stopped himself when he realized he was rambling. “But you don’t care about that.”
“Yes, I do. I’m interested in your work.”
“Oh. You are?”
She nodded and handed him the container. “It needs about two minutes in the microwave.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate this.”
“It’s nothing,” she said with a shrug.
“It’s not nothing. It’s very thoughtful.”
Her smile lit up her sweet face, and David was astonished by the wave of tenderness and longing he experienced when he made her smile. “Are you in a rush?”
“Nope. Nowhere to be until next week when I go back to work.”
“In that case, maybe you could stick around to keep me company while I eat?”
“I’d love to.”
Adam left his parents’ house and walked into town, checking all the usual haunts he and his brothers preferred along the way, but no one had seen Grant all day.
In town, he thought about walking to the end of the breakwater to see if Grant had been foolish enough to venture out there alone—in the dark—but thought better of it.
If he was out there, he was on his own. Adam didn’t see the point in risking his own safety on what was probably a fool’s errand anyway.
At the Sand & Surf, he ducked inside to see if Grant had turned up there. His cousin Laura was working the front desk and let out a happy squeal when she saw him. She got up fast and then sat back down just as quickly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he went around the reception desk to hug her.
“Bouncing back slowly from the stomach bug,” she said, grimacing. “Too slowly.”
On closer inspection, he discovered her face was unusually pale and drawn. “I heard it whipped through the island.”
She nodded. “I was one of the unlucky ones who got it, but I can’t seem to shake it off.
It lasted twenty-four hours for everyone else.
Figures, right? But you’re not here to listen to me complain.
I was sorry I couldn’t make your dinner.
Our front-desk person called in sick, so I’m covering for her. ”
“You missed the grand unveiling of Gansett’s newest couple.”
“Who’s that?”
“Seamus O’Grady and Carolina Cantrell.”
Laura’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. “Get outta here. Really?”
“Yep. Although I think he’s a lot more relaxed about it than she is. She broke out in hives in the middle of dinner.”
“Holy cow! This is huge! Janey has been holding out on me.”
“On everyone, apparently. Besides Joe and Janey, who only recently found out, no one knew except for my mom, and she only heard about it today.”
“Very interesting. I’ll have to get the scoop from Janey. So what’re you doing home?”
“Came to check on the boys and see my folks. Crazy doings around here lately.”
“You know it,” Laura said, shaking her head and making her blonde ponytail swing side to side. Her blue eyes filled with tears. “That was one long-ass awful day.”
Adam hugged the cousin who’d been like a second sister to him.
“I cry every time I think about it,” Laura said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
“You haven’t seen Grant tonight, have you?”
“No, he hasn’t been in.”
“Does he usually come by?”
“If Steph is working, he stops in for a drink or dinner. I haven’t seen her tonight, though.”
Laura’s fiancé Owen Lawry came in from the porch, carrying his guitar like a backpack. “I finished my set, babe. Want to get something to eat? Oh, hey, Adam. What’s up, man?”
Adam greeted his old friend with a hug. “Just looking for my wayward brother.”
“Which one?”
“Grant.”
“Haven’t seen him today. Did you look at Sam’s? Or Celtica?”
Adam nodded. “Checked all the usual places. No one’s seen him, and he’s not answering his phone.”
Owen and Laura exchanged glances.
“What?” Adam asked, as a sinking feeling attacked his stomach.
“He’s been…kinda off since the accident,” Owen said. “Definitely not himself.”
“So I’ve heard and seen for myself. If you see him, give me a call, will you?”
“Sure,” Owen said. “Will do.”
“You don’t think he’s with Abby, do you?” Laura asked softly.
Thunderstruck, Adam stared at his cousin. The thought had never occurred to him. “As far as I know, he doesn’t even know she’s home.”
“Still,” Laura said, “might be worth checking.”
“I’ll do that.”
“While you’re home,” Laura said, “I could use your expertise with our reservation system. It’s giving us fits.”
“I’d be happy to take a look.”
“Thanks.” Laura covered her mouth and braced a hand on her desk.
Owen stepped closer to her, gripping her shoulder. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
“Nauseous. Again.”
“Ugh, that damned flu is hanging on. Let’s get you upstairs. I’ll get Holden from my mom, and she can come down to cover for you here.”
“She’s got a date with Charlie tonight.” For Adam’s benefit, she added, “She’s been seeing Stephanie’s stepdad.”
“Sounds like an outbreak of romance around here. Good for them.”
“We think so, too,” Owen said, as he held out a hand to Laura.
“I’ll watch the desk until Sarah comes down,” Adam said.
“Thank you.” Laura gave him another quick hug. “So nice to have you home, cousin.”
“Good to be here. Feel better.” As Adam watched Laura and Owen go up the stairs arm in arm, he experienced a pang of yearning.
He’d had that—or so he’d thought. Watching his cousin and friend together, so obviously in love, made Adam long for what they had, to have what each of his siblings had found with their partners in the last few years.
Growing up in a family of five kids, surrounded by cousins and friends, there hadn’t been much opportunity to be lonely, and he’d been too damned busy building his business over the last fourteen years to have time for loneliness.
But now, leaning against the reception desk at the Sand & Surf, Adam felt more alone than he had in a long time.
“Here I come, Adam!” Sarah Lawry called a few minutes later as she came down the stairs.
Adam snapped out of his funk as she approached the registration desk, out of breath from the sprint through the hotel.
Sarah gave Adam a peck on the cheek. “So nice to have you home, and thank you for covering the desk.”
“You must not have had much faith in my abilities if you ran from wherever you were to get down here to relieve me.”
Sarah laughed and patted his arm. “We had full confidence, but Laura said she was certain you had better things to do than watch our desk.”
“I was happy to do it.”
Stephanie’s stepfather, Charlie Grandchamp, came into the hotel. His gray hair was cut into a severe-looking buzz cut, but his entire demeanor softened at the sight of Sarah at the desk, and his blue eyes positively twinkled. There was no other word for it.
Sarah’s face turned bright red, which Adam thought was adorable. “You know Grant’s brother Adam, right?” she said to Charlie.
“Sure.” Charlie shook hands with Adam. “Good to see you.”
“Likewise.” Watching the way Charlie and Sarah looked at each other, Adam experienced yet another craving to be part of something so sweet and sincere. He hadn’t found it yet. Sasha had never turned red at the sight of him. That was for sure.
“I can stay if you guys have plans,” Adam said.
“It’s nothing that won’t keep,” Charlie said.
“The overnight girl gets here in half an hour,” Sarah said.
Charlie plopped down in one of the overstuffed chairs in the lobby reception area. “I can wait.”
Adam was about to say his good-byes and continue the search for Grant when Stephanie came in.
“Oh, hey, guys,” she said, bending to kiss her dad. “What’s going on?”
“Just waiting for Sarah to be done with work,” Charlie said.
“Any sign of Grant?” Adam asked.
As Stephanie shook her head, her lips set with displeasure. “I went home to see if he was there. He wasn’t, but his phone was, which is why he’s not answering. I can’t imagine where he is. I was going to check on the restaurant and then head over to the Beachcomber to see if he might be there.”
“I’ll do that,” Adam said.
“Thanks, Adam. Send me a text if you find him.”
“You do the same.”
“I will.”
“I’m sure he’s fine, honey,” Charlie said to his daughter. “Probably went for a walk or something and lost track of time.”
“Yeah,” Stephanie said. “I’m sure that’s all it is.”
Adam could tell by the tension he saw around her eyes and mouth that she was downplaying her concerns, which made him even more determined to find his brother.