C
HAPTER
12
Hours later, as they lay in bed talking and snuggling by candlelight, Jane’s phone sounded on the nightstand.
Cooper reached a long arm out and reeled it in. “Laura,” he announced.
“It must be TJ. I’ll take it.” She propped herself on one shoulder and answered. “Hello?”
“Jane? I hope I didn’t wake you, but this couldn’t wait.” There was a bristle of alarm in her brother’s voice.
“They did steal your cell,” she said.
“Yeah, and they rifled through the apartment. Took my laptop, too.”
“Oh, TJ. Your laptop, too? I’m sorry. Is the apartment a mess?”
“Nothing we can’t clean up in the morning. And don’t be sorry. This is so not your fault. The police just left, but there’s not much that they can do. They don’t even fingerprint for a break-in. I told them about your situation, but they said, short of getting the FBI involved, their hands are tied.”
Jane raked hair away from her face. “I’m not surprised. Everyone’s resources have been cut down. But you and Laura are okay, right?”
“Yeah. We’re staying at her place tonight.”
“You’re safe,” she said with a heartfelt sigh. “That’s what matters most.”
“I know, but I’m worried about what’s on my phone. Besides your new cell number, I saved all those pictures you sent. The photos of you at the Canadian Hole?”
The digital images ...
Jane smoothed the sheet over her breasts. “Right. That was really stupid of me to send them.” Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Cooper turned toward her, mouthed “What?” but she waved him off.
“It’s not your fault,” TJ said. “How could you know they’d steal my phone? You had no idea ... neither did I. But that phone contains a lot of photos from Avon. You with ice cream outside the Quickstop. Bubba’s Barbecue. The movie theater ... even the flower shop. Jane, those pictures mark where you are. These skells might not know the Outer Banks as well as I do, but eventually they’ll figure out where those photos were taken. My advice is that you get out of there, fast.”
Leave, now?
Jane looked over at Cooper, his beautiful body splayed comfortably atop the sheets. One quick look and she wanted him again. She wanted to lock her lips to his and move her body against his and make enough noise between them to drown out the rest of the world.
“Jane?” TJ’s voice drew her back to reality.
“I ... I need some time to process this,” she said as Cooper gave a playful tug on the sheet, sliding it down to reveal her breasts.
“I gotta go,” she said. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”
“For now, use Laura’s cell to reach me. I’ll replace my phone tomorrow.”
“Okay. ’Bye.” She barely had the words out when Cooper took the phone from her hand, ended the call, and tossed it to the far corner of the bed. “It’s bad,” she said as he rose to his knees and pulled her up to meet him. “They broke into TJ’s apartment and stole his computer, too.”
“I heard.” He pressed his lips to hers, pulling her into the deep, secret place where they had so recently ventured together.
Jane sighed, melting against him.
“We can’t do anything about that now,” he said gently. “But we can do this.”
Cupping her ass, he pressed his hips into hers, a hint of the pleasure in store. “Tomorrow will come soon enough.”
He was right. Gripping his shoulders, she held on for dear life and kissed him, long, hard, and deep.
As if it were the last kiss of her life.
Sunlight peeked through the blinds as if to announce that the storm had passed. Jane stretched, her bare body moving against the sheets a reminder of the glorious night with Cooper.
Not that she needed reminding with the naked man asleep beside her, his body shifting gently with each breath. He was facing the windows, affording her a view of his broad shoulders and muscular back tanned bronze from time in the sun.
She scooted closer, cupping his shoulder and pressing her lips to one shoulder blade. The contact was still somewhat electrifying, even after a night of lovemaking that had left her feeling more than satisfied. But then, rain was never so delicious as after a drought.
“Mmm.” His chest rumbled with sound, and a hand reached back and cupped her ass. “Is that my morning wakeup call?”
“You can sleep,” she said. “I have to go clean Beach Bliss. Jolene has some renters coming in early this week.”
He rolled over to face her and she felt sure that the creases in his brow had eased over their night together. “I could use a little off-the-beach bliss.”
“Really? The novelty of new sex hasn’t worn off?”
“I have a theory about that.” He let a hand trail down her shoulder, tracing the line of her rib cage and waist over the sheet. His fingers tantalized, leaving heat in their path. “After the first time, the learning curve goes up and it gets better and better.”
She smiled, running her palm down over his pectoral. “I like your theory.” When he pulled her against him and she felt him hard against her, desire flared again. It was a new surge of wanting, a raw need for him. “But I do have to work today.”
“I’m on duty, too. How about we make this one short and sweet?”
She peeled the sheet down so that there would be no barriers between them. “Okay, Sheriff. Here’s one to remember me by when you’re out there cruising the beach of bikini-clad vacationers.”
Afterward, their bodies still warm from sex, she snuggled into his protective arms for one last moment of security.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “You’ve made me feel safe again.
“The safety thing is my job. You can consider the sex a little personal bonus.”
“Well, I hope it’s not something you share with the general public.”
He tipped her chin up so that she was looking directly into his eyes. “It’s just for you. Only you, Miss Jane.”
She smiled. This guy knew how to steal a heart.
“In fact, I’m wondering about you cleaning houses alone, now that we know someone is out there trying to hunt you down.”
“It’s my job,” she said. “I’ve got to work.”
“But now Canby’s guy has TJ’s cell phone, with all those photos from here. If they come looking for you here in Avon, I don’t want you to be an easy mark. Maybe Jolene can find another cleaner you can partner with for a while. Just to be on the safe side.”
“Maybe,” she agreed, sick at the thought of losing the little bit of freedom she’d found here in Avon.
“And you should move your stuff up here, stay with me.”
Move in with him? “I can’t do that, Coop. Yes, I feel really safe when I’m with you, but I can’t use you as a bodyguard.”
“Why not, sugar? Use me, please.”
She laughed. “You know what I mean. I don’t want to ruin our relationship over this. We both have jobs to do, and yours doesn’t include inviting stalker victims into your bed.”
He grinned lazily. “That would be a perk, though.”
She pinged his shoulder. “Really, Coop. So far there’s been no sign that someone is looking for me here. I don’t want to give up my independence.”
“But you do need to stay safe,” he said. “Think about it. And how hard would it be for you to move your toothbrush up here? I’ll be a perfect gentleman if you decide you want to sleep in bed instead of all this.”
“Oh, I’m in for all this,” she said.
“Then come on up. You can go visit your apartment whenever you want.”
That afternoon, Jane was mopping the kitchen floor of Beach Bliss when she heard a noise downstairs.
Was that the door?
Another noise—footsteps—and she dropped the mop and went scurrying for cover.
But where could she go?
The closet? Under a bed?
Adrenaline kicked in and she lunged for the sofa as the footsteps drew nearer.
“Hello?” a gruff voice called up the stairs. “Jane?”
Huddled behind the sofa, she thought she recognized the voice. It certainly sounded friendly.
“Who’s there?” she called.
“Isaiah Dunner. I’m here to service the hot tub.”
Her fear gave way to relief as she hurried over to meet him at the top of the stairs. She’d met Isaiah before; he took care of the hot tubs in most of the rental houses. He told her the tub needed draining and refilling and asked if she could unlock the supply closet downstairs.
“That sunscreen always leaves a nasty scum on the edge of the tub. Got to scrub it off by hand.”
As soon as Jane finished helping him out, she reached for her cell phone and dialed Jolene’s number with trembling hands.
Coop was right; better safe than sorry.
C
HAPTER
13
“Why do you always use pink yarn?” Jane asked one morning as Kailani put her crocheting aside to ring up a purchase.
“Because I’m having a girl,” Kailani said.
“Really?” Jane smiled. “Did you have amnio?”
“No.” Kailani adjusted the ponytail of silky dark hair behind her neck. “I just know.”
“It’s her psychic sense.” Becca, who was refilling the chewing gum display, now made it a point to join in the conversation when Jane stopped in. They had been working together to arrange the baby party in secret, but now Jane wondered if Kailani had a sixth sense about that, too.
“Now that I think about it, you knew I’d be coming back to Avon, back on the day I got in that fender bender here,” Jane said. “So, if you really do have a psychic sense, can you see the future?”
Kailani shrugged and continued her crocheting. “Sometimes.”
“Can you see my future?” Jane asked.
Kailani looked up at her, then frowned and returned to her handiwork. “I don’t know. I see danger.”
Danger? Fear glimmered in Jane’s chest.
It had been four days since TJ’s phone had been stolen, and so far, everything was fine. Jolene had hooked her up with a cleaner named Adele, and it was no problem as they conquered twice as many houses working together.
“So ... my middle name is danger.” Jane raked her hair out of her eyes. “I was looking for something more along the lines of eternal sunshine or a windfall at Vegas.”
Becca’s eyes were as wide as quarters. “Really? What kind of danger?”
Kailani shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve always seen danger for you, Jane, and you’re always fine. So maybe I’m wrong.”
“Wow,” Becca said. “I was going to ask what you saw for me, but I think I’ll just finish up here and get to pulling the outdated milk from the case.”
“That’d be good,” Kailani said. Her hands worked steadily as Becca grabbed the empty box and ducked into the back of the store. “I don’t mean to scare you,” she told Jane when they were alone. “But it’s the truth.”
“I appreciate your honesty. Can you be more specific?”
“There’s a man and a gun.” Kailani shrugged. “That’s all.”
Jane nodded. Maybe Kailani was seeing the trial ahead: the days of testifying, the gun submitted as evidence, the despicable man, Canby, sitting at the defendant’s table.
“You know, considering where I’ve been and where I’m headed, what you’re seeing makes sense,” Jane said, looking at the clock. “So, Coop’s picking me up here in twenty and we’re headed out windsurfing. What looks good for a picnic lunch today?”
“Grilled chicken. Rusty made it himself, with his secret marinade.”
“Then grilled chicken it is.” Jane went to the lunch counter to get the chicken, while Kailani cashed out a few more customers.
Kailani is right; there’s danger in my life
, Jane said to herself as she waited for April to bag the chicken. How she dreaded returning to New York for the trial in September. She felt sick at the thought of facing Canby in court. She couldn’t even imagine staying in her own apartment again. No, September was not going to be a good time for her.
Coop arrived with his truck loaded up with boards and sails, and they headed out to Dragon’s Point, a spectacular but tricky cove, as the high tides often washed over the peninsula, turning the cove into a temporary island. High tide was around 3:00 p.m. today, so they would windsurf for a few hours, then head in and take their picnic lunch inland.
Music played on the radio as they drove. Warm air blew through the cab of the truck, tossing Jane’s hair around. How long had it been since she’d seen her stylist? She didn’t know and she really didn’t care. Down here, she didn’t need the gelled, precision haircut that was crucial to a woman in her profession. Here at the beach, no one seemed to fuss too much with hair and makeup. One of the things she loved about the place.
“You’re in a quiet mood,” Coop told her.
“I was just thinking how I don’t miss New York as much as I thought I would,” she said. “And right now, I dread going back. Oh, by the way, Kailani saw danger in my future.”
“What?”
She explained about Kailani’s penchant for prediction, adding in the vision of the man and a gun.
“Well, did anyone stop to think that could be me?” Coop asked. “I’m your man. And I’m a sheriff, so I’m always packing.”
Jane looked at him and burst out laughing.
“Why is that so funny?”
“Because it’s true.” She clapped a hand on his shoulder and gave him a shake. “I guess I’m just relieved that something that seemed so bad a few minutes ago might actually be a positive omen for the future.”
“Well, good.”
When they arrived at the cove, Jane helped tote the boards and equipment to the narrow strip of beach. In the past few weeks she had mastered the basics of windsurfing, but setting up all the equipment to build a mast, sail, and dagger board was still a bit of a chore.
With Coop’s help she was soon out in the water, coasting along.
The wind moves the sail.
She heard Coop’s voice, reminding her not to try and manipulate the board.
Leave it to the wind.
It was hard for her to let go and trust; she liked to have her ducks in a row. But she was learning to leave it to the wind.
Beyond the cove, a few kite surfers moved steadily along. Other than that, she and Coop had Dragon’s Point to themselves and she marveled at the color and serenity here.
Blue sky.
Dark blue water lit by diamonds.
Pale, sandy beach.
Green marsh grass.
Danger may have driven her to this place, but here in Avon, with Coop by her side, she was on safe, solid ground.