Whatever the hell that meant.
CHAPTER FIVE
After another restless night, this time not because of writer’s block, Mia rolled out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom to take care of business.
If she were in any condition to move faster than a sloth, she would have jolted at her reflection in the mirror. When she got back to her apartment yesterday after her wet and confusing run, she’d stripped out of her drenched clothes and took a long, warm shower.
She’d nuked her dinner, and after scarfing it down she still couldn’t settle down, so she relaxed in the tub before crawling into bed, not caring if her hair was slightly damp. Now she was paying for it.
Checking the time on her phone, she figured she could grab a filling breakfast at the diner before catching the train.
Mia dressed in a pair of stretchy jeans, a loose black tank top, and a pair of flip-flops. Not wanting to take the time to flat iron her hair, she brushed it and did a quick braid before covering her head with a Red Sox hat. She’d fit in well since she’d be in Boston anyway.
Making sure she had what she needed in her messenger bag, she scooped up her keys and drove across town to the Sunrise Diner.
“Hey, Scilla,” she said ten minutes later, settling on a ripped stool at the counter.
“Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes? How’s my precious doin’ this morning?” She filled a cup with coffee before leaning over the counter and smacking a kiss on Mia’s cheek. She’d been running the diner since before Mia was born, or at least around the same time. Scilla was a combination of sweet grandma, creepy psychic, and the town kook.
“Pretty good. What’s on special today?”
“For you, sweetie, anything your little heart desires.”
“Well, someone is in a chipper mood this morning. Is there a sexy man out there wearing a matching glow?”
“You.” Scilla swatted at her with a dishrag. “Always fresh you are,” she said with a smile and laugh before setting the coffee pot down and picking up the dirty dishes at the end of the counter.
“Got any muffins this morning?”
“You know I do.”
“How about some blueberry and a side of bacon and eggs?”
“D’ya hear that, Carl?” she called through the window to the kitchen.
“Scrambled. And not too crisp on the bacon, right, Mia?” he asked.
“Perfect.”
Scilla rested her plump hip against the counter. “Now what brings you by at this hour?”
“I’ve been here for breakfast a hundred times before. How else would Carl know my order?”
“True, but you don’t usually grace us before eight o’clock in the morning.”
Busted. She needed to make the nine-thirty train in Rockland. She could drive to Boston, but the train would give her time to draw and do more research. And then she wouldn’t have to worry about expensive parking in the city.
“Just up and at ’em. Didn’t want to waste the day, you know?”
“Mm hm.” Scilla eyed her with scrutiny before going out to the dining room to take care of her other customers.
It didn’t take long for Carl to ring the bell at the pass-through window. “Order’s up.”
The bell on the diner’s front door rang at the same time, and Mia heard Scilla greet the new customer.
“Hey, honey. You’re becoming a regular now, ain’t ya. I kinda like it. Want the usual?”
Mia laughed to herself. Small town living at its best. The customer sat two stools down from her, and she lifted her cup of coffee, glancing to her left before sipping.
“Damn it.” The hot coffee sloshed over the rim, burning her hand. Not caring about the heat, she turned and pointed her finger at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Gracious, Mia. Is everything all right?” Scilla was at her side, mopping up the spill.
James raised an eyebrow at her and leaned against the seatback. “Just getting breakfast.”
“Carl. Put in James’ usual, will ya?”
So, he had a usual as well. Scilla was a pretty good judge of character. She said it was because she could read auras and crap but Mia knew it was because she’d been around for a long time and had seen it all.
“Actually, I’ll have a bowl of oatmeal today.”
If James wasn’t sitting so close or seemingly so nosy, she’d ask Scilla what she knew of him. After he left, for sure. In the meantime, she’d get some answers out of him.
“Don’t tell me you followed me home last night.”
“Against my better judgment, I did not.”
“Followed you from where, sweetie?”
Yeah, Scilla wasn’t one to butt out of a conversation, especially when she could see how heated it was going to be.
“She was out running and got caught in the rainstorm last night, and I offered her a ride.”
“That was nice of you, honey.” Scilla patted his hand as she poured his coffee.
“It was not,” Mia corrected. “He’s a stranger offering a lone woman a ride. I hope you don’t approve of women getting into cars with strange men.”
“Oh, he’s not a stranger. Not anymore.”
“Really?” She turned her attention to the nosey aura-reading waitress. “And what exactly do you know about James?”
“He works as a marine biologist down at the fishery.”
Hydrologist. “And? So?”
“His father’s a professor of marine biology at some college down South.”
“Delaware,” James added.
“Yeah. Delaware. And his mamma’s an elementary school teacher. Sister is married with two kids. I don’t remember if they’re boys or girls.”
“One of each.”
She didn’t look at him but could hear the smile in his voice. This wasn’t helping any. “That doesn’t make him a nice person.”
“Oh, I’d know right off the bat if he wasn’t. Not only does he tip well, but he always pays for someone else’s meal when he’s here. Usually it’s a family in need. And Clive down at the dock said he helped change his flat tire last week. And Cameron—”
“Okay. That’s enough.” Mia held up her hand to stop her from rambling on. She wanted to hear what his connection was with Cam, but she’d find that out later.
“Here’s your food, honey. Let me refill your coffee too.”
“Thanks.”
“And here’s your oatmeal.” She placed a bowl in front of James with a side of fresh fruit. “You be nice,” she warned Mia.
“Seriously? You’re eating oatmeal from a diner for breakfast? What are you, seventy?”
Scilla tsked before going off to wait on the rest of her customers.
“It’s better than starting your day with a heart attack.” He pointed at her plate with his spoon.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those health nuts. Or a vegetarian.” He didn’t fit the bill. Maybe at first when he’d yelled at her down at the beach, but not after their encounter yesterday.
The rain had plastered his white dress shirt to his body, and she could make out the muscle definition. Not that she was looking at the time. She was too busy fearing for her life. But as she tossed and turned last night she pictured him in his wet clothes.
And out of his wet clothes.
“Is there something wrong with vegetarianism?”
“No. To each his own.” She shrugged and picked up a piece of bacon, biting it more aggressively than necessary.
“I’m glad you made it home safely.”
“Yup. I didn’t encounter any more creepy serial killers trying to accost me on my way home.”
From the corner of her eye she saw his upper lip quirk before he spooned oatmeal in his mouth.
Could she have given him a raw deal? She wasn’t normally this bitchy to men. At least not until they did something to piss her off, which they always did. The only thing he’d done to piss her off was ... offer her a ride. Or, rather, demand she hop in his truc
k.
There was something else off with him as well, and it was killing her not to have him pegged.
“So, what gives?” She spun sideways so she faced him, and she wouldn’t back down until she had the marine hydrologist figured out.
“Excuse me?”
“Why does Scilla know you? Sort of.”
He set his spoon down and dabbed his mouth with his napkin. Manners were not necessary when she was trying to not like the ‘pay it forward’ regular of the Sunrise Diner.
Turning, he faced her as well, the lone stool separating them. “I’ve been eating breakfast here a few times a week.”
“Why all of a sudden?” There had to be a reason he just showed up out of thin air and seemed to be everywhere Mia turned.
“I started my internship at the fishery last month.”
“Where do you live?”
Again, he quirked his eyebrow. “Fair is fair.”
Mia narrowed her eyes in confusion. “What’s fair?”
“You won’t tell me where you live.”
“I don’t need you stalking me anymore than you already do.”
That lip. He really needed to drop the fishhook that kept getting stuck in it. “Seems you’ve been stalking me.”
“Have not! I was at the beach first, and at the fishery, and the road, and here!”
“Technically, you showed up at my work.”
She squinted her eyes at him. “I’ll give you that one.”
“You kids need anything else?” Scilla returned with the coffee pot.
“I’ll take a coffee to go, if you don’t mind.” She barely touched her breakfast but could sip her coffee in peace on the train. James wouldn’t ruin that for her.
“Sure thing, sweetie. Anything for you, honey?”
“Ditto on the coffee to go. And can you wrap up one of those as well?” He pointed at Jenna’s half-eaten blueberry muffin.
“You got it.”
When Scilla disappeared through the swinging doors to the kitchen, James snatched Mia’s bill and took out his wallet.
“I don’t think so.” Mia held out her hand but he ignored her, handing Scilla both their bills and some cash to go along with it.
“Keep the change.”
Scilla took the pencil out of her bun and tapped her chin. “You know, it was hard to see before. You’re both hiding so much, but the colors are starting to show. Tough cookies, you two. Before I can read your colors, you gotta let them shine. Figure out what you want, and everything else will fall in line.”
With that, she whistled her way to the dining room to tend to her other customers.
“What was that all about?”
“She thinks she’s psychic or something. Reads auras. I’m surprised you’re not shrouded in black.”
Ugh. He did it again. Why couldn’t he just smile all the way? That half-assed smirky grin sorta thing was getting on her nerves. Maybe his teeth were brown and yellow and crooked, which was why he barely moved his mouth when he talked.
Yeah. Had to be. It was to make up for his body being all fit and for his lips being, well, hooky. Gah. She needed to get out of here.
“Thanks for breakfast.” She swiped the to-go cup Scilla had poured for her, wrapped her muffin in a napkin, and slid off the stool.
“No problem.” James was behind her but managed to reach around and hold the door open for her as they left. He followed her to her car.
“Uh, that creepy serial killer stalking thing.” She waved her hand between him and her car. “Kinda happening again.”
James scratched his head through his baseball cap and ran his tongue across his teeth, almost like he was nervous. Funny. He’d come off as arrogant, rude, nice, creepy, but never nervous.
“How’s the book coming along?”
Seriously? He wanted to strike up a friendly conversation now in the middle of the parking lot when she had places to go?
“It’s coming,” she lied. “I’m actually on my way to the aquarium for more research.”
“Really?” That seemed to perk him up. “Which one?”
“I figured with your ninja radar you would already know.”
He clamped his mouth shut as if caught red-handed and gave her a curt nod. When he didn’t reply, she dug her keys out of her pocket, opened her car door and slid behind the wheel. Maybe she should start locking it as well. Crystal Cove had always been a relatively safe place to live.
Before James the fish hydrologist with the hooky grin showed up.
He reached out his hand, preventing her from shutting the door; only this time it wasn’t as forceful as his words had been yesterday in the rain. “Mia.”
Damn, he sounded sad. And kind of lonely. She wasn’t sure how someone’s voice could sound lonely, but his did.
“If you want company...” James tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels as if nervous. “I, uh, really like aquariums. I haven’t been to the one in Boston before, so I don’t know if I’ll be of any help but...”
Was he seriously asking to tag along? After almost serial killing her last night? Okay, maybe he hadn’t threatened her or hurt her. It could have been her active imagination going on overdrive. Too bad it didn’t give her any material for her children’s stories. Maybe she should consider writing a thriller instead.
“Or not. Have a good time.” He closed her door and headed across the parking lot toward his black truck.
It wasn’t until he pulled out of his space that she acted on impulse and leaped out of her car, jogging up to his window.
“I’m taking the nine-thirty train out of Rockland. I won’t report you to the authorities or anything if you happen to be on the same train and spend the day at the aquarium as well.” She spun around on her heels and jumped into her car, speeding off toward Rockland before she came to her senses.
Thirty minutes later he parked two spots over from her and waited by his truck.
“You sure?”
“It’s for research. But you have to agree to answer all my questions and not make fun of me for being marine biology ignorant.”
“Agreed.”
She could see the makings of that fishhook and stormed past him to the ticket booth. He didn’t butt in front of her and offer to pay her ticket, which she thanked the Lord above for. There was no need for him to redeem himself by being all chivalrous and crap. Next thing she knew she’d be falling for the weirdo.
“Should I sit in the next car? Pretend we don’t know each other?”
Mia laughed and was tempted to tell him to do just that, but rolled her eyes instead and made herself comfortable in an open chair.
“Sit wherever you’d like.”
James sat across from her, which was good and bad. She could keep her eyes on him, but he could do the same to her.
With all the stops between Rockland and Boston, it took four hours to get there. James was nothing but polite, if not a little shy. Or quiet. Or reserved. She wasn’t sure which word best described him.
Again, she’d seen so many moods she wasn’t sure if he was right in the head. Hopefully, he was getting the help he needed.
As they neared Massachusetts, he loosened up and even cracked a few jokes. The fishhook grin had developed into something more. Not a full face smile, but an easy grin.
Yeah, that wasn’t helping things at all.
James crossed his ankle over his knee. “You never dissected a shark or pig in science class?”
“Ew. No. I was always sure to partner up with the nerdy kids who loved to cut open cute living creatures.”
“They weren’t living when you dissected them.”
“They were before people killed them. Aren’t you a vegetarian? Shouldn’t you be against this kind of animal cruelty?”
“A vegetarian? No. Why do you think so?”
“You had oatmeal for breakfast.”
Damn it to hell and back. He smiled from ear to ear, and if she wasn’t buckled in, it would have knocked her ou
t of her seat.
“I’m not big on breakfast.”
“Yet you’re now a regular at the Sunrise Diner.”
His smile faded, and he set his foot on the floor. “I’m not a fan, but it’s important to start your day with good food.”
Oo-kaaay. Weird reaction noted.
“Tell me more about your father.” He seemed like the safest topic since all of James’ marine knowledge came from his dad.
The last hour of the ride he’d rattled off stories of their vacations spent on missions saving the whales and cleaning up oil spills and leading petitions against politicians who didn’t put our environment first.
An idea percolated, and she took out her notebook to scribble down some notes.
“Am I boring you?” He pointed to the notebook in her lap.
“No. Just the opposite. I’m trying to write down as much as I can about your adventures with your family. I love that you spent some of your summer vacation cleaning up the beaches and saving marine life. Your dad really brought you to Texas to clean up an oil spill?”
“Yeah. Every ten-year-old’s dream vacation.”
She could incorporate humans into her stories as well. A pelican covered in oil, a sea urchin choking on a plastic straw. That was it. Excitement bubbled inside, and she jotted more ideas down.
Instead of just a children’s story about ocean animals, she could turn her books into teachable moments. Saving the earth, starting with our oceans. Parents would love that. After all, most of the books she read during children’s hour ended with some sort of moral or lesson, no matter how small.
That was what she’d been missing. The key to putting it all together. Too soon the train stopped at North Station.
“This is us.” She packed her things and followed the flow of people off the train. “I haven’t been to Boston since I was in high school.” They’d have to walk a ways, but the day was beautiful, and she’d been sitting for hours. The walk would do her body and mind some good.
“It’s a nice city,” James said after a while.
“You’ve been?”
“A time or two.” He adjusted his hat in a nervous gesture and pointed to the left. “That looks like our destination.”
Something More (A Well Paired Novel) Page 6