Chapter 34
Chapter
Thirty-Four
By the time they left Kathy’s Country Kitchen, the morning fog had burned off, leaving the beach bright with sunshine. Waves rolled lazily onto the sand as gulls drifted overhead, crying out now and then as they searched for breakfast.
Phin, her tennis shoes in one hand, walked beside Rhaz down the sand dune to the beach. Rhaz had even taken the time to roll up his jeans nearly to his knees.
They headed straight for the water and started walking. Every now and then a wave washed over their feet before retreating again, the first sending a chill up Phin’s spine. As usual, the water was cold, but it was going to be a hot day, so she welcomed it.
For a while neither spoke, but for once the silence wasn’t awkward. Instead, it was comfortable. Phin couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed with someone.
After a few moments, she glanced up at him. “So, are you really going to talk to Chief Morrison?”
Rhaz nodded. “I believe I should. He did say I would have to have certain qualifications, and that may or may not work out. Things are done differently where I am from.”
She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “You’ve said that. What about volunteering?”
“That’s an option. Perhaps.” He looked straight ahead, and she wondered what he was thinking. He wasn’t going to backtrack, was he? She didn’t know why his answer made her suspicious, but it did.
“What do you mean, perhaps?”
He looked out at the ocean. “My future is uncertain, Phin. There is no way to make it otherwise. It is what I have been dealt, and I must work with it.”
“That’s vague.” She stared at the sand, then the stretch of beach before them. When she glanced his way, she caught a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“I have noticed you dislike vague answers,” he said.
“You think?”
“Perhaps I should stop giving them.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
A tingle raced up her spine. “Well, that would be a start.”
His smile widened. “I will speak with your chief. Beyond that, I cannot tell you much. There are circumstances I have no control over, I am afraid.”
Phin kicked at a piece of shell before a wave carried it away. That wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it wasn’t the answer she feared either. Not long ago, she’d have assumed he would eventually leave.
Who was she kidding? Not assumed. Known. But now he was talking about staying and talking to Chief Morrison and building a life in Moon Creek Falls.
Her heart gave a hopeful little flutter at the thought. “You know,” she said, “Chief Morrison would hire you tomorrow if he could.”
“Really?” Rhaz asked.
“Yeah. He’s kind of desperate in that area.” She laughed. “In fact, he hasn’t stopped talking about you since the Parker fire.”
Rhaz’s eyebrows shot up. “I merely did what needed to be done.”
“You know that, sure, but most people don’t run into burning buildings.”
“Your firefighters do,” he pointed out.
“Well, yes, but they’re trained. None of us are stupid enough to run into a burning building without the proper equipment.”
She glanced at him, saw the stoic look on his face, and sighed. “I’m sorry. Don’t be offended, okay? What you did was very, very brave, but it was also reckless. You’re lucky to be alive.”
He gave her an odd look. “You were trained, were you not? How many burning buildings have you entered?”
Phin opened her mouth and then closed it. Okay. He had a point. She had gone into burning buildings. Granted, she’d done it with equipment and proper gear. But even then, lives could be lost, and they both knew it.
They walked a little farther, all the way to where the beach curved gently ahead of them. It was nearly empty except for a couple walking a dog in the distance.
“Would it make you happy?” Rhaz asked suddenly.
Phin looked up at him. “What?”
“If I stayed.”
The question caught her off guard. And yet, it didn’t. Heat rushed into her cheeks, and she stared at the water. “You know that’s not a very fair question, don’t you?”
“Why not?”
“Because I would think by now you know the answer.”
He smiled. “Perhaps I would like to hear it.”
She let out a nervous laugh. “You’re not making this easy, are you?”
“Of course not.” His honesty made her laugh again.
Phin sighed. “All right. If you must know, yes. It would make me very happy.” The words almost caught in her throat. Tears stung the backs of her eyes.
Very happy? That wasn’t even close. She would be ecstatic.
He stopped walking and turned toward her. “And it would make me happy too,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
She looked up at him and saw the pleased expression on his face. Her heart beat faster. Neither said much after that.
Instead, they walked in companionable silence before eventually returning to the parking lot.
He didn’t seem eager to leave. Phin didn’t either. But she’d promised her mother she’d help around the house, and Rhaz mentioned that Anon wanted him back at the manse by lunchtime.
“I should get going,” Phin said on a sigh.
He nodded. “As should I.” He stepped closer, took both her hands in his, and kissed each one.
“I like you, Seraphina Ironwood, very much. I have great affection for you. I want you to know that.” His voice was low, almost intimate, and her knees went weak.
She tried to shift her weight but couldn’t move.
For two people who’d spent the morning talking with such ease, saying goodbye was becoming very difficult.
He kissed her hands again, and Phin’s breath caught. “Until later?” he asked.
She nodded. “Un…until later.” Good grief, she could hardly talk.
He leaned forward, kissed her on the cheek, then reached up and gently ran a finger down her nose. With that, he released her hands and began to back away. “I shall walk home.”
She watched him for a moment. “Okay.”
He gave a nod and started off. Only after she got into her car did she realize she was grinning like an idiot.
Phin watched Rhaz disappear over the dune. Could he get home that way? She had no idea.
Her grin still firmly in place, she started the car and headed home.
The moment she walked through the front door, she pulled out her phone and called Jessica before her mother could commandeer her time.
Jess answered on the second ring. “Well, hello. What are you up to, sis? How was breakfast?”
Phin blinked. “Breakfast? You know about breakfast?”
“Of course I know about breakfast. Mom told me.”
Phin laughed and sank onto the couch. “Well, it was nice.”
Jessica groaned. “Nice? That’s all you have for me? Come on, Phin. I want details.”
The next twenty minutes disappeared in a blur as Phin recounted every detail she could remember.
By the time she finished, Jessica sounded positively giddy. “Oh, honey buns.”
“Honey what? Good grief.”
“You are such a goner,” Jessica said with a giggle.
“I am not.” Phin rubbed her nose, recalling the way Rhaz had run his finger down it earlier.
“Oh, you absolutely are.” Jessica laughed. “You’re just the last person to figure it out.”
Phin rolled her eyes. “I am not gone.”
Jessica’s laughter only grew.
Phin did her best to argue, but unfortunately, she wasn’t sure she believed herself. Yes, she was giddy. Walking on cloud nine and all that. But deep down, how did she really feel? She’d never had a boyfriend before. And Rhaz had just confessed that he had a growing affection for her.
Did that mean he was falling for her?
She knew she was falling for him.
She’d fought it. Hard. But now... now he was talking about staying.
“Okay,” she admitted. “Maybe I’ll try to figure it out.”
“You do that.” Jessica sounded entirely too pleased with herself. “I think he’s wonderful. You’re a very lucky girl.”
They said their goodbyes, and Phin spent the rest of the morning helping her mother in the garden.
After lunch, the afternoon grew hotter by the minute. By three o’clock, the house felt stuffy despite the open windows.
Jessica called again. “We should go swimming tonight.”
Phin wiped sweat from her brow. She was in the middle of making dinner. “You’ll have to call Betty and ask if it’s okay.”
Jessica laughed. “I will. I’ll let her know we’re coming over for a night swim. That way Richard has time to get here after work. He said he might have to stay late.”
“Does he mind driving all the way over?”
“It’s not that far, silly.”
“Okay. Sounds good to me.” They hung up, and Phin returned to cooking dinner.
By the time it was done, Jessica had called back to report that Betty hadn’t returned her call yet, but there was still plenty of time.
After dinner, Phin went upstairs, put on her swimsuit, then pulled a pair of shorts and a T-shirt over it. A text from Jessica informed her that Betty still hadn’t called back.
The next text arrived just as the sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon. Richard had finally gotten off work. End-of-the-month reports had taken longer than expected. They were on their way to pick her up.
“What’s the matter, honey?” her mother asked when she put away her phone.
“Jessica still can’t get ahold of Betty. I wonder where they are.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry, dear.” Her mother smiled. “They’re newlyweds, after all. They may have decided to take a day trip.”
“Oh.” Phin laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. Okay, well, we’re going to Silver Lake to swim.”
“Just be careful, dear. And don’t build any fires.” Her mother paused. “Are you swimming from Betty’s house or the other side of the lake?”
“I don’t know yet. If Betty and Aaron are home, they probably don’t want us hanging around.” She smiled.
“That’s true.” Her mother giggled and disappeared into the kitchen.
Phin grabbed a towel and headed out to the front porch to wait. When Jessica and Richard finally arrived, she hopped into the car. “Did you get ahold of her?” she asked.
Jessica shook her head. “Nope. Still no answer. I don’t know what the heck is wrong.”
“Mom thinks they may have taken a day trip.”
“Now there’s something we hadn’t considered,” Richard said as he pulled away from the curb. “But then again, they are newlyweds.”
Jessica grinned. “So what do you think they’re doing?”