by Rula Sinara
A chime made of shells and bells dangling from the top of the door announced their entrance. Whoa. The place was amazing. It was basically a converted old house with scuffed wood floors and a narrow staircase that looked a bit crooked. It kind of felt like he’d stepped into a shop along Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, one of his favorite series. There was an old wooden checkout counter to his right and a main room off to the left that was lined with bookshelves, sprinkled with bean bag chairs, and had a centered rug and a comfy chair currently occupied by a woman reading a book out loud. A bunch of toddlers and grade-schoolers with their eyes glued on her sat on the floor in front of her. A couple of moms huddled around, looking just as mesmerized. Paper stars and fairies dangled from the ceiling above them and each wall had a decorative theme ranging from dragons and wizards to dragonflies, butterflies and fairies.
One wall was obviously seasonal, since it had reindeer, a Santa and sleigh, elves, and fake snow on top of the shelves. The wall behind had pictures and colors celebrating all the different holidays for the month, including Hanukah and Kwanzaa, and even had “Happy New Year” written all over a poster in every language possible, such as Swahili and Arabic, French and Portuguese, and a bunch of others.
But best of all, right next to the lady doing the reading sat a dog with long white and sable hair. It had to be the rough collie, Laddie, he was told about. The dog didn’t jump up and run over the way Duck tended to do. Instead, he stayed put, watching the kids, while listening to the book. Or at least he looked like he really understood the story. This town had a lot of dogs. Boy, did he wish he could have one back home.
“You’re right. This bookstore rocks,” he said, keeping his voice down.
“Told ya,” Sara said. “Follow me.” She gave the woman a quick wave and the woman winked back.
“You know her?”
“Miss Eve? She owns the place. She’s super nice. Loves to decorate and lets me help if I’m around when she’s changing things up. You should have seen how she had it decorated this past Halloween. The main room was really fun with pumpkins and all, but mostly cute stuff because of not scaring little kids. Upstairs and the back rooms were a little more haunted looking, since that’s where the grown-up and older kid books are. Then right before Thanksgiving, she had decked the place out all wedding-like because she and Jordan, one of the local cops, got married. She wanted a small, private ceremony and she wanted it here because she said the books here were full of fairy-tale endings and she got hers. I wasn’t here but I heard about it and saw pics. It sounded so romantic.”
Caden just nodded. He had no clue how to respond to romance talk. His mom was never romantic. If anything, she used to get in a bad mood every time she came home from a date her friends set her up on. And when she thought Caden was upstairs, he could overhear her venting to his aunt about how awful and ridiculous guys could be. He didn’t want to be that kind of guy. He didn’t want to grow up and be someone his mom thought of as bad. That’s why he took all the good manners tips that his teacher mentioned to heart. And still, he always felt awkward.
“Shouldn’t we buy books to donate from the kid section?” Caden asked, as he followed her past the staircase and to a back room. This room had movie posters depicting famous works of fiction hanging on the walls.
“After story time is over. It’s almost done. But we can look for ourselves while we wait. Oooh, look!” She reached overhead and retrieved a book from the top shelf. “The second book in the Denali Dames series.”
“Never heard of it.”
“It’s historical fiction that centers around women mountain climbers around the world. I love mountains. They’re the one place where you can really be on top of the world. What do you read?”
Would she think his favorite series was stupid? How would it reflect on him? He could play it safe and go with books everyone liked. The one he was into was a bestseller, but he didn’t think that many kids his age read it. But she liked mountain climbers so maybe she was into adventure.
“Well, there’s this series I started that has a guy who’s an ex–special agent, but he still keeps getting caught up in missions saving people and the world. It’s like his gift and calling and he can’t turn his back on doing what’s right.”
Sara’s eyes lit up.
“The Chase Falcon books? I LOVE those!”
“You do? I mean, yeah. They’re good. I mean, I’m only on the third one. Almost finished. I think number four came out this past summer.”
“I won’t give spoilers. I don’t have my copies here at my grandma’s, or I’d have loaned the fourth to you. But wait...”
She scurried over to the far shelf that, with one glance at all the spines, Caden knew was full of adventure and mystery books. He joined her and scanned the author names. Some of the books were in great shape and others had minor cover tears and wrinkles in the spines from being opened and read so much. He ran his fingertips along the shelf with all the Ds.
“Here! D. L. Dylan...book two...book four! Oh, man. Seriously, no spoilers.”
“Absolutely not. Spoiler people are the worst.” Sara zipped her lips with her finger and thumb and twisted them in a locking fashion.
“This is cheap.”
“They’re used books, so they’re great for kids on a limited budget. Great catch, finding that book.”
“I wouldn’t have thought to look for it here. Thanks.”
“Sure thing. What’s your favorite part about it?” she asked, peering over his shoulder, as he read the back cover. Her shampoo smelled fruity. Like gummy fruit snacks or milkshakes or something. He hoped it was close to lunchtime.
“I guess the way Chase can kick butt. I mean, he’s like a black belt, special ops hero and superhero mixed all in one. And the suspense, too. Scary enough and edge-of-your-seat, but you know it’ll all be okay in the end.”
“Falcon is one hot hero, for sure.”
Ew. Hot? Was that what she got from it? Clearly, they liked it for very, very different reasons. He flipped the book over and glanced at the cover. Okay, so the cover model was good-looking and very muscular. Caden wished he could look like that someday. He stepped away from Sara and pretended to check out another book on the shelf that he had no interest in. He just didn’t like the twinge of...he wasn’t sure what it was. What was wrong with him? Jealousy? Because Sara liked some made-up character? Or because he’d never be a Chase Falcon or the kind of guy his mom could have been proud of. As for his father, he probably thought Caden was a wimp. Maybe Sara did, too. And Caden wasn’t sure if he could change that about himself, even if Aunt Zuri always told him that he could be anything he wanted to be, so long as he approached life with a fearless attitude. Chase Falcon never shied away from danger. He was fearless. He took risks. So did Damon Woods. Maybe it was time Caden did, too.
* * *
ZURI REMOVED THE receipt from one of the two gift bags she carried and stuffed the strip of paper in her purse as she headed toward the bookstore. She had only intended to browse, but when she saw the handblown glass ornaments made by a local artist in the gift shop, she knew it would make a nice thank-you gift for Melanie. Sure, she was paying to stay at the bed-and-breakfast, but still. Melanie was being extra nice and going out of her way to make them feel welcome, especially since she knew that Zuri had just lost her sister and Caden had lost his mother. Plus, she was so grateful that Sara was hanging out with Caden. Zuri really wanted to get them both something for Christmas.
She knew she was heading in the direction of the bakery before she even saw the sign for The Saltwater Sweetery, the place Damon had mentioned. She was so tempted to slip in there for a cup of coffee and more sugar. She crossed the street quickly before giving in. Castaway Books was right across from the bakery. She noticed a few grown-ups heading out of the bookstore with small kids. She loved how the town had one main street with shops lining either side. It was
so easy to look around and pick the places to go.
A two-story yellow building at the far end of town had a sign indicating a yoga studio on the bottom floor. Maybe she’d try it out during her stay, not only to de-stress, but to burn off the baked goods she’d gorged on. A sign on the second floor read Law Office of Joel Burkitt. She had barely registered the sign when Damon walked out of the building.
She almost tripped over a pot of artificial poinsettias flanking an iron bench. Well, he sure wasn’t wasting time. She mustered up every bad word she could think of, but swallowed them before they reached her mouth. What was this? Bait and switch? Mad yesterday afternoon, then nice at breakfast, then straight for the lawyer? Her jaw ached. She took a deep breath and resumed course, trying to ignore him.
“Hey, Zuri,” he called out, raising his hand to get her attention. She stopped outside Castaway Books but didn’t open the door. If they were going to have it out, she preferred that Caden be inside where he couldn’t hear. She knew she was glaring at Damon because she could feel the heat behind her eyes. She’d tried to play nice and she totally understood his rights, but this wasn’t about his rights. It was about what was best for her nephew.
“Damon. You’re efficient. You can tell your lawyer that I’ll be contacting mine as soon as possible.”
Damon scowled and looked back at the law office, then at Zuri. He gave an irritated huff and braced his hands on his waist.
“You can do whatever you like,” he said.
“You couldn’t so much as wait until after Christmas? It didn’t occur to you that I’m the one who brought him here so maybe you should trust me a little and let this play out longer? Give him time to adjust?”
“You’re talking about filing for custody? What makes you think I did that?”
She raised her brow and nodded at the law office, then cocked her head and waited. Damon nodded.
“Nice place isn’t it? It used to be the original Turtleback Beach fire station before it got moved to an updated building.”
“Don’t stall. Caden and Sara are buying books and I don’t want to talk about this in front of them. I deserve fair warning if you’ve gone and filed papers or taken legal action.”
Damon took a step closer.
“Fair warning, Zuri.”
“How could you?”
“How could I have my lawyer write up a living will to include Caden and set up a trust with enough to cover all that Vera should have and would have gotten from me since his birth? I don’t need custody papers for getting that done. My job isn’t always safe, Zuri. I respect the ocean enough to know that no one can predict tomorrow or even hours from now. I wanted to make sure I got that taken care of right away. If I get hit by lightning or swept out to sea a moment from now, at least I’ll leave this life knowing that a kid by the name of Caden Habib will get everything. And when we get his name changed to mine, I’ll make sure that Caden Woods or Habib-Woods or whatever we agree on is reflected in all the legal documents.”
Zuri felt like her breath was stuck in her chest. She was caught between name changes and the fact that Damon had been doing something good and generous and she’d gone and assumed that he had been trying to take Caden away. But he still planned to, didn’t he?
She tried to block what Damon standing so close did to her. His scent, energy and presence scrambled her mind and she needed to think. His taking steps to make sure Caden was financially taken care of had her heart in a twist. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I just thought—”
“You thought the worst of me. I don’t blame you.”
“You don’t?”
“We have a history that I tried to apologize for. You’re being protective of your nephew. I can’t hold that against you when it’s exactly how someone who cares should be feeling. I’m feeling it, too, Zuri. But I’m trying to do the right thing. It’d be nice not to have my every move judged.”
“I just don’t want to take any chances on his happiness and emotional recovery.”
“You think I’d risk that? Look, of all people, I know about taking chances. There’s a place and time. Just because I served on dangerous missions in the past and work in rescue now doesn’t mean I’m reckless. Far from it. Every action I take is well planned, thought out and carried out. The more dangerous a situation, the more important it is to be careful.”
Was that a warning or an assurance? Because the way her pulse skittered and raced whenever he stood so close felt pretty dangerous. She would not let herself feel anything for him. Not again. She promised herself that all those years ago and reminded herself of that resolution before she came to Turtleback Beach. She was still very likely not his type. And she still couldn’t get over the fact that he had actually taken her sister out to prove a point. She had closed her heart down then and there. She’d managed to control her anger over the situation for her sister’s sake, but some wounds were too deep to heal.
She had tried a couple of relationships during college but neither lasted more than a few months. And after that she’d suffered through a few blind dates Vera and some coworkers had set up, but nothing came of them. Life in the lab was so much easier to take than experimenting with relationships. At least her water pollution test results weren’t wishy-washy. She could read and interpret them far more easily than figuring out men.
But it didn’t take analyzing data to figure out that the odds were pretty good that a criminally good-looking former navy SEAL in charge of an ocean rescue and living on a beach with plenty of bikini babes wouldn’t have issues with dating. He had always been an extrovert. Wouldn’t having a kid around cramp his style? Could he handle the added responsibility of a son?
Apparently so. She’d underestimated him. He’d just drawn up a will because of Caden. The Damon she knew as a kid had never been so methodical and reliable. A good friend, yes. But responsible? Not so much. If he had been, he wouldn’t have left his family behind without a word until after he’d joined the navy. She should be happy that he was acting responsibly with his son, but could she trust him not to have something up his sleeve? He said he planned things carefully. Why did that make her feel so on guard?
“Promise me you won’t take him from me. Promise that we’ll sit and talk this out with his best interest at heart.”
“His best interest is my first priority. I can promise you that,” Damon said. His words were evasive. Cryptic. She didn’t like it, but Caden and Sara exited the store with a young woman whose eyes literally twinkled when she smiled at Damon. Go figure.
* * *
DAMON TRIED TO shake off his irritation with Zuri. He immediately ended the conversation when Caden and Sara stepped out of Castaway Books. Eve followed, along with Laddie and Clara with her toddler, Nim. Clara had only been in Turtleback since last March. She’d moved down here with her identical twin sister, Faye, now Sheriff Ryker’s fiancée, after finally escaping an abusive husband who had threatened her life and had her hidden where no one could find her. Faye, who had kidnapped her niece in order to protect her, had brought the little girl to Turtleback Beach, where she tried to hide out with the help of her old friend Eve. Nim’s birth name was Mia, but everyone in town had gotten to know her under her alias, Nim, and it stuck as her nickname. Clara was looking a lot more relaxed and at peace than she did nine months ago.
“Hey, Eve. Clara.” Damon motioned toward Zuri. “This is an old friend of mine, Zuri. Zuri, this is Clara and her daughter, Nim. Clara has an identical twin around town, just so you don’t get confused. Eve, here, owns the bookstore.”
“Hi. Nice to meet you,” Zuri said, shaking hands. “Nim is absolutely adorable.”
“Thank you,” Clara said, scooping the girl up and bouncing her on her hip. “It’s nice to meet you. Sorry to run, but she’ll get cranky if she doesn’t get lunch and a nap.”
“I’m no crack
er,” Nim said, pinching her mother’s nose.
“Nope.” Eve poked playfully at Nim’s belly. “You’re a cutie patootie.”
Zuri laughed and waved as Clara left. He liked her laugh. He kind of missed it and had forgotten how happy it made him feel.
“That’s a gorgeous dog you have. I’m not a huge dog person, but he’s really calm,” Zuri said. Caden and Sara were fawning all over the dog.
“Oh, he’s not mine. This here is Laddie. He helps me with reading time. The kids love him, and he helps make them interested in books. It’s a win-win. He belongs to our town vet, Gray. I’m just waiting for him to swing by and pick him up.”
“Actually, I did hear about the reading time dog,” Zuri said.
“Duck is a little too much dog for her.” Damon grinned at the look on Zuri’s face when she saw a Newfoundland bounding down the street with Jordan holding tight to his leash.
“I thought you took Duck home,” Zuri said.
“That’s Shamu. Duck’s pup. He’s not quite full-grown but he’s getting there. Jordan here works for the sheriff’s department. He adopted Shamu after I adopted, or rescued, Duck and she gave birth to her litter.”
“Hey,” Jordan said. “Shamu, sit.” The dog obeyed but enjoyed sniffing noses with Laddie. Jordan gave Eve a peck on the lips.
“Jordan, this is Zuri. Jordan and Eve are newlyweds, if you couldn’t tell.” Damon chuckled and patted Jordan on the shoulder.
Gray, Carlos and his deputy Jordan were his closest friends. Between the three of them they had the air force, army and navy covered. Carlos had lost both parents—his father shot by a fellow officer. No one in town had known who Gray really was until just under two years ago, when his witness protection cover was blown and he and his now wife were almost killed. They understood how fragile life was.