Authors: Wendy Davy
Cali wished she had put on lipstick after all. She waited until Nick stepped aside and let her into the room before finger combing her hair. “The wind’s picking up,” she said smoothing her unruly waves.
“The storm’s strengthening.” He tossed the words over his broad shoulders as he headed back into the kitchen.
His bare feet padded across the floor, and her gaze followed. Her defenses melted away in the casual environment, and a grin spread across her face. She closed the door behind her and ambled into the room. “Can I help?”
“I’ve got it covered. Do you like garlic on your bread?” Looking up, his gaze darted to her lips. “You should smile more often. It looks good on you.”
“I usually do.” Her smile faded. “It’s been a hard week.”
“I know it has.” Compassion lined his features. He picked up a table knife and dipped it in butter. He began spreading it on a slice of French bread, his hands moving with precision as he worked. Strong, capable hands.
“Garlic?” he asked again as he picked up the spice container.
Shaken out of her thoughts she answered, “Yes. Please.”
Nick carefully covered the piece of bread with sprinkles of garlic. “Make yourself comfortable. It’ll be ready soon.” He set the bread in the pan and picked up another.
“Are you sure I can’t do something? I’m not used to standing back and watching others work.”
He set the bread on the counter. Looking at her thoughtfully, he said, “You’ve done all you can. I have a team of deputies actively working on the case. The FBI is developing a criminal profile. The DNA samples collected from the victims are being processed. So,” he shrugged, “you can stop feeling guilty.”
“I…I was just talking about dinner.”
“Were you?” He picked up the bread again and continued to butter it.
Wasn’t she? The day’s events began to wear on her, and fatigue weighed her down. Too tired to think about his question, Cali turned and perused the room.
As she had imagined, Nick had only the essentials in the spacious living area. A beige leather sofa and recliner were positioned in front of the stone fireplace. The large, maroon area rug made the room feel cozy and lived in, and a flat-screened television hung mounted on the wall above the mantel, as if it were a family picture to be admired.
Cali didn’t want to be invasive, or appear curious, but he had an interesting assortment of items placed on the fireplace mantel, and she could not help but to wander over to it. Cali touched an amber-colored, crackled glass vase, which began the row of glass objects lining the solid oak piece. An oval shaped bowl sat next to it, and a ruby-colored flask sat to the right of the bowl.
“Those are from West Virginia. They’re hand-blown.” Nick spoke as he walked up beside her.
“They’re beautiful.”
“My parents travel a lot. When Mom discovered the company that makes and sells these, she fell in love with them. She’s given me one for Christmas for three years in a row.”
“You said you were born and raised here. Do your parents still live on the island?”
“Yes. They still live in the cottage I grew up in. But, they aren’t home much.”
“Where do they go?”
“All over the states. They like to travel, RV style.”
“Where are they now?”
“Camping. Probably somewhere around Oregon by now.”
Cali’s imagination soared. “I’d love to travel. I haven’t been very many places outside of Brookstone.”
“Why’s that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve always been caught up in the family business. I’ve been working there as long as I can remember.”
“By choice?”
Her gaze shot to his. “What do you mean?”
“Working for your father. Is it something you chose, or something that was expected of you?”
She considered his question. “Both. I’ve always wanted to be a reporter. I practically grew up at the Herald, so it was only natural,” she paused. “I do admit I’ve been restless for the past few years.”
“Restless?”
“Yes. I can’t pinpoint what it is, but I feel like something’s missing. I tried changing my writing focus from general events to targeting human-interest stories, hoping the articles would have more of an impact on people’s lives. That helped to keep me settled for a while. But, I still feel like I could be doing something more fulfilling. Something with more purpose.”
“Maybe God wants to lead you in a new direction.”
“Maybe. What about you? How long have you wanted to be in law enforcement?”
“Since kindergarten,” he answered without pause.
Cali raised her eyebrows. “That’s a long time.”
“We had a policeman visit the class one day to talk to us about stranger safety.” He rested his hand on the fireplace mantel, and leaned into it. His shirt pulled tight across his broad chest, and Cali had to concentrate to keep track of his words. “He spoke about how it was his job to look out for people and keep them safe. I knew then that was what I wanted to do.”
“It’s incredible what one person’s influence can do, isn’t it?”
He tilted his head and his gaze traveled over her face. “It sure is,” he said gently.
Cali’s pulse quickened as she wondered if there was a deeper meaning behind his words.
His lips broke into a smile. “Besides, I was captivated by his shiny badge and handcuffs.”
Cali laughed. “Ahh. The true reason you became a sheriff.” She shook her head, smiling.
“You caught me.”
She found it hard to concentrate on anything but the humor dancing in his dark-blue eyes. She tore her gaze away. “So, do you have any regrets about becoming an officer?” She took a few steps across the room, running her finger along a row of books lining a tall bookshelf.
Her heart lodged in her throat when she came to the end of the bookshelf and spotted a large bin full of toys. It sat in the corner, wedged up against the wall. A worn, brown teddy bear peeked at her from beneath a toy train, and an assortment of cars, trucks and action figures filled the bin.
Did Nick have a child?
No. It couldn’t be. Even as she denied the thought, the possibility reeled through her.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else. But, I do regret some of the choices I’ve made.” Nick’s words sounded as if they’d come from a far-off distance, although he stood close behind her.
Cali forced herself to breathe, and glanced at him as he rubbed his left shoulder. She scrambled for an appropriate reply. “At least you’ve learned something from your mistakes.”
“Very true.”
She wanted to point out the basket full of toys; she wanted to ask if he had a son. But, the questions lodged in her throat. She searched the room, looking for more indications that a child may live here.
A collage picture frame hanging on the wall across the room caught her attention. She walked to it and looked at the assortment of pictures. In one, an older couple stood in front of a large recreational vehicle, hugging each other.
“Are these your parents?”
Nick moved next to her. “Yeah.”
“They look happy together.”
“They are. Of course, they’ve had their ups and downs. Raising me and my sister wasn’t easy on them. We’ve both got a strong, stubborn streak in us.”
“You have a sister?”
He pointed to another picture with a woman holding a toddler on her hip. “This is Casey, my baby sister. And this little guy is Charlie. He turned five a few weeks ago.”
“You have a sister?” she repeated. “And a nephew?”
“A brother-in-law, too.”
“Do they live close by?”
“They live on the island. William, her husband, moved from Chicago to be here with her. Casey’s always loved it here as much as I do and William knew she wouldn’t be happy living anywhere else.”
“How did they meet?”
“Casey owns and runs a whale-watching charter boat service. William was vacationing here and signed up for the half-day cruise. Apparently they fell in love at first sight.”
“Apparently?”
“Yeah. He never left the island. He bought a cottage, hired a moving company to bring his stuff down from Chicago and married Casey. He’s never looked back.”
Cali smiled wistfully. “It sounds like it was meant to be.”
“They do seem happy together. They had Charlie about a year after they were married.”
“So the toys…?” Cali took the opportunity to ask as she motioned to the bin in the corner.
“They’re Charlie’s. Every time he comes over, he ends up leaving one of the handfuls of toys he brings with him. And I’ll admit I’ve bought him a thing or two to play with while I’m watching him.” Nick’s eyes lit up as he spoke about his nephew. “I get to spoil him and hand him back to his parents. It’s the best part of being an uncle.”
Cali released the breath she’d been holding. “So, you don’t have kids?”
“Not yet.”
Not yet? Cali’s gaze found his. “But you’d like to?”
“Sure. Some day. How about you?” He stepped close, studying her with an intensity she felt down to her toes.
“At least three, maybe four.”
He laughed. “You are a brave one, Cali Stevens. My kind of girl.”
Her face heated. “I don’t think I’m that brave.” But I wouldn’t mind being your kind of
girl. She looked away before her face heated even further.
She glanced at the other pictures and her heart skipped. One of the frames had a picture of Nick with his arm around a beautiful brunette.
“Who’s this?” she asked in the smoothest voice she could muster.
“My ex-girlfriend. I need to take the picture out of the frame. It’s a hassle to get it out, and I haven’t done it yet.”
“How long ago did you break up?”
“A little over a year.”
“Were you close?”
He shrugged. “Not overly so. We dated for a while, but…”
“What happened?”
“At first I enjoyed being with her. I felt comfortable around her, and we shared many common interests. But, the more I got to know her, the more I realized what we valued in life was different.”
Cali straightened, turning her gaze from the picture. “Different how?”
“I want to live life God’s way. She doesn’t.” Nick’s gaze locked onto hers.
“How long did it take you to realize it?”
“Not as long as it took me to tell her. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I shouldn’t have let it continue as long as it did. She wanted me to meet all of her needs, and she didn’t understand why I couldn’t.”
“What kind of needs?”
“Emotional mostly. She expected me to be some sort of a hero. Someone larger than life. I tried to explain only God can meet all of our needs.”
“I remember hearing in church God created us with a void only He can fill.”
“That’s right, and she didn’t understand that.”
“What about all of the other women?”
His mouth quirked into a grin and he looked her over. “All of the other women?”
“The ones Mrs. Mayes tossed at you?”
He chuckled. “Why? Are you jealous?”
Cali turned away, shrugging. “Why would I be jealous?” she asked, silently wondering about her own motives.
Nick placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Well, to answer your first question, I turned them away because I’m not interested in casual relationships. I’d rather find a woman who shares my faith to build a life with. Second question…” He released her and rubbed his hand across his jaw. “Let’s see. Why would you be jealous?”
Cali’s cell phone rang and made her jump. She pulled it from her back pocket and checked the caller ID. She didn’t recognize the number, but wanted a way out of answering Nick’s question so she answered it.
“Have you reconsidered my offer?” The man’s voice sounded somewhat familiar.
“Who is this?”
“Lex Harrison. But you can call me Lex.”
Irritation coursed through her. “How did you get this number?”
Nick stepped closer, concern clouding his playful mood.
“I’m a reporter remember? I have my resources.”
“I gave you my answer. It won’t change,” she snapped.
Lex let out a loud sigh. “That’s too bad. I thought maybe since you and the sheriff are getting along so well…”
Cali closed the phone.
Nick’s gaze shifted from the phone back to her. “Who was that?”
“Lex Harrison. A nosy reporter.”
“For the newspaper. I’ve heard of him. He has a reputation as being very aggressive. What did he want?”
Cali stuffed her phone back into her pocket. “He wants inside information.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “Don’t they all?”
Taken aback, Cali answered, “I’m a reporter and that’s not what I’m after. I just want Serena to be safe.”
Nick’s features softened. “I didn’t mean you, Cali. When I think about you, your career as a reporter is the last thing that crosses my mind,” he said in a low voice.
Warmth spread through her, and she relaxed again, until she caught a whiff of smoke. “Is something burning?”
His face fell. “The bread!” He ran over to the oven, just in time to keep it from broiling to death. “I hope you like your toast a deep, golden brown.”
Thankful for the distraction from Lex Harrison’s call, Cali followed Nick into the kitchen and leaned over the pan. “They look fine.” The melted butter and garlic aroma made her mouth water.
“Let’s eat.” Nick turned, setting the pan on the stove. He walked to the table and offered Cali a seat.
“Thank you.” She slipped into the chair and waited as he carried the food to the table, then sat across from her.
He clasped his hands and bowed his head. Cali forced her thoughts away from the phone call, and followed Nick’s lead. He asked God to bless the food, thanked Him and handed a bowl of noodles to her. “Ladies first.”
“Thanks.”
After they had eaten in comfortable silence for a few minutes, he glanced toward the door. “The storm’s been upgraded to a low category hurricane. The mayor has issued a voluntary evacuation.”
Cali swallowed a bite of crusty bread as a panic tore through her. “I won’t leave Serena.”
He sighed. “I know you won’t. But,” his expression grew serious, “if the hurricane heads directly for us, my hands will be tied trying to get people off the island. So will all of my deputies. Then the aftermath…” he trailed off.