by Amanda Uhl
She shrugged, placing the plate she was drying carefully on the counter. “With Reed—her first fiancé—it was he couldn’t quit smoking. I admit it’s a nasty habit. Doubt I could marry a man who smoked, either. And Jacob, well, he wasn’t stable enough. We all liked Jacob, but he couldn’t hold down a job for long. Claire would have had to be the breadwinner in the marriage, and, well,” she paused, laughing, “you would understand why that wasn’t a good idea if you met her.”
David pulled the plug on the drain and squeezed out the dishcloth, folding it and setting it neatly over the side of the sink divider. As he turned to look at her fully, Grace noted again the handsome lines of his face. He checked his watch.
“It’s getting late. Let me get your stuff.”
David fetched her purse and briefcase from the office and handed them over.
“I don’t want to work you too hard on your first day.” He grinned, as he ushered her to the door. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, as they heard a bark from the basement door. “Why don’t we introduce you to Oliver?”
At Grace’s hesitant nod, David opened the basement door cautiously, grabbing the collar of a large black dog as he did so. With a tight grip, he brought Oliver to meet and sniff her over.
“Hi boy.” Grace held herself still to look less like a walking chew toy. Oliver’s tail wagged, so she took it as a friendly sign and bent cautiously to pet him. He responded by licking her hand, and they were friends. At least she hoped they were.
“Why don’t you work with what I’ve provided so far and email me any additional questions.”
“All right.”
“I’ll call you on Friday. Let’s meet in the evening to go over your initial ideas. Come to the cottage at six. I can show you around.”
Grace hesitated, thinking of her plans with Brains.
“As a bonus, I’ll treat you to dinner afterward.”
“Er…I kind of have plans for Friday evening. What about Saturday?”
“I’d like to get started as early as possible. We don’t have much time. Can you make yourself available?”
His face had an uncompromising quality to it, and suddenly they were back to being client and employee. Grace sighed. She hated to move her date with Brains, but a client was a client and had to take precedence. If Jenkins was happy with her work, chances were good he would recommend her to some of his other business contacts. She assumed he had a lot of them. And she needed the money.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll switch my plans.”
“Great.”
He opened the door, presenting Grace an enigmatic, charming smile, which was her clue to exit, and she did. Although she avoided looking over her shoulder, Grace could feel David’s eyes on her back as she walked to her car. She checked the time on her cell phone—4:00 p.m. If she hurried, she could get her place cleaned and still have plenty of daylight at the beach. Her first meeting had gone well despite the change of plans. David Jenkins and his dog didn’t bite after all.
Chapter Five
Life or Death
David closed the front door. He glanced out the small window, watching Grace Woznisky get into her ancient Honda Civic. What was it about her? From the moment he had spotted her on the beach outside his cottage six months ago, he’d paid attention. She made a pretty picture in her purple cover-up, her straw hat tilted to protect her face from the sun, and carrying her bright, yellow bucket she used to collect beach glass. But it was more than that.
Grace started the engine, pulling a pair of dark sunglasses from the car’s visor and looking at her cell phone. Was she checking messages from that sister of hers who seemed to need her help at all hours of the day and night? As he watched her through the window, David couldn’t resist sending out psychic feelers. The effort would make his ever-present headache worse, but he wanted to know.
Images flashed before him in quick succession, and David caught snippets of her thoughts. Beach, messy condo, I can’t go out like that. His head throbbed in reaction, and he withdrew quickly. Grace was heading to the beach. Should he follow her?
His heart pounded, and he exercised his iron control to keep the beats steady and even. The reaction was instinctual from years of work in the field. Emotions were deadly. David had learned long ago to regulate his heartbeat and breathing to lessen their interference with his energy waves.
Grace pulled onto his street, her car headed west toward her Lakewood condo. David turned and almost stepped on Oliver, who barked once, indicating he wanted out.
“You feel it, too. Don’t you buddy?”
He opened the doors, which led to the backyard, and the dog bounded out joyfully. The hot sunshine indicated another glorious Ohio summer day, reminding David of Grace’s smile.
David did not believe a match existed for him. Of course, he’d heard the stories. In his world, hackers and trainers melded together with frequent regularity. But it had not been true in his case. David and Meg had been off-the-chart oddities. After the accident, everyone assumed he’d link with Geneva—the strongest trainer known to the CMU. But he’d never felt the connection. So why did his energy waves so easily resonate with Grace?
Oliver barked happily at the bushes. A slight breeze brought some relief from the unrelenting heat. Great beach weather. Yes, he would follow Grace.
A strong protective instinct filled him. He knew from her thoughts she was fiercely loyal, and kind and giving to those she loved. But her giving nature also meant she could be manipulated. He did not want to see her hurt or frightened.
Unfortunately, he did not know about Grace’s connection with Gallant Enterprises until it was too late. Which was the trouble with his type of talent. Without a trainer, he could get some information, that which the person was willing to share readily or sometimes could not hold in because of the intensity of feeling. But David could not pinpoint the exact details he needed. She had fretted over her meeting at the coffee shop and her blind date. But in all his mind probes, she had never once contemplated Gallant Enterprises until the appointment had been made. There was no way he’d let her work for those crooked bastards. Unknown to Grace, Brice Gallant was currently being investigated for tax evasion.
His cell phone buzzed. After glancing at the number, he answered on the second ring. “Jenkins here.”
“How are the headaches?”
David sighed. Peter never quit.
“Fine. No worse than normal.”
“Good. We have another assignment for you.”
“I’m not interested. You know that. I’m sorry.”
“I know. I hate to bother you. But this one’s life or death.”
David’s muscles clenched instinctively. “Whose life?”
“Yours,” came the reply.
Chapter Six
Beach Glass
Grace flew around her condo, putting dirty dishes in the sink, stacking piles of papers she had left scattered on her desk, and periodically, doing a quick two-step. She couldn’t pinpoint what was generating her happiness and excitement. Was it the new job and potential for steady income or something more?
She checked the time on her cell phone—half an hour down and a whole evening to go. Grace made herself a sandwich. She grabbed her beach bag and stuffed it with a water from the fridge, an apple from the fruit bowl, and her yellow “happy bucket,” as she liked to call it, and was out the door.
Usually, she drove the short mile to Edgewater Beach, but today, Grace decided she would walk. Although she passed several of her neighbors on the way out, she couldn’t shake the feeling someone was watching her. Glancing around, she failed to spot anyone. Grace was alone on the sidewalk. She hated the creepy sensation. She had noticed it often in recent months, but there was never any cause as far as she could tell.
Ignoring the goose bumps racing up her back, she continued walking until she arrived at Edgewater. Nothing was going to ruin her mood tonight. She had a new job, an interesting client, a potential boyfriend and a sister wh
o might tie the knot. Plus, the sun was shining, and she had the rest of the evening free.
Grace strode up and down the shore, peering into the sand, hoping to spot a piece of beach glass or an odd stone, but the pickings were slim. Most of her collection lay on her workroom shelf at home—white, brown, or green fragments of glass bottles, an occasional piece of blue, yellow, or pink glass shining amidst their more common cousins. No red glass, however. Never red. She stared at the water whooshing around her ankles, hoping against hope for a scarlet gleam in the sand.
“Any luck?” The deep voice at her elbow startled her, and she nearly lost her balance. Grace turned to see a tall man in a blue shirt and bathing suit standing nearby.
“Oh, no,” she said. “Not a good day for finding beach glass.”
“It’s a beautiful day, though, isn’t it?” The stranger waved one large hand out to the deep blue water. A parasail floated over the lake. Grace took a closer look at her companion. Tall with a blond beard, he wore a Cleveland Cavaliers baseball cap and mirrored sunglasses, which along with the bright sunlight, made it difficult to see his features. Something about the beard and his nose was familiar, though. She gasped, recognition dawning. He looked like his picture on the dating site.
“You!”
“Yes, me. I couldn’t wait until Friday.”
“How’d you know where to find me?” Grace glanced around quickly to reassure herself they were not alone. Brains didn’t look like a murderer but looks could be deceiving, and the fact he had tracked her on the beach was a bit alarming.
“It wasn’t difficult. You said you come to this beach often. It’s hot and sunny. Where else would you go after work on a day like this?”
He smiled at her, displaying an almost perfect row of white teeth. For some reason Grace was reminded of the big bad wolf.
“About Friday night. My new client scheduled a meeting. I was going to email you.”
She turned and made her way to her favorite perch—an old rock jutting out toward the shore. He followed.
“All the better I didn’t wait to meet you.”
He held a hand out for her bucket and set it on the sand. Before Grace could guess at his intentions, Brains plucked her from the shore and seated her on the rock, his chest muscles barely moving at the effort. In a single swift movement, he sat next to her. Flustered, Grace busied herself retrieving her lip balm from her beach-bag and applying it liberally. She drew in a shaky breath. Her online man was gorgeous but a bit high-handed.
“So, am I what you had pictured?”
“Not exactly.”
He chuckled. “Not handsome enough?”
“Oh, no, that’s not…I meant…I mean, you weren’t in a bathing suit in your photo.”
Grace reached out a hand in protest and before she could withdraw it, he had captured it in his. She cleared her throat.
“What about me? Do I look like my photo?”
“Yes.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, before letting her hand go. “You are everything I dreamed you would be.”
Grace shivered. As a young woman, long before she had married Greg and had her romantic illusions dashed, she had dreamed of a man like this, one who would sweep her off her feet. So, why wasn’t she more excited?
“I think, Gigi, you and I need to get to know one another better. Dinner tonight?”
“Where?”
“How about Dolce Promessa?”
“You remembered.”
Dolce Promessa was the new Italian restaurant they had chatted about online. She had once written she was dying to go, but it was a little too expensive for her budget.
“Of course. I’ll pick you up at seven. Where’s your cell? I’ll give you my number.”
They exchanged numbers, and Brains jumped from his rocky perch in one easy movement. He looked up, grinning. Grace could see her startled reflection in his shades.
“I have to go. But I’ll be looking forward to our date tonight. I have a feeling you and I are going to make a great pair.”
He walked away, his long strides kicking up sand, before Grace realized she still didn’t know his real name.
Her stomach rumbled, and Grace dug in her beach bag for the apple, rolling it in her shirt before taking a bite. Juice dribbled down her chin. As Grace bent her head slightly to wipe it, she spotted a flash of red hiding under a bit of sand. Probably a piece of plastic. But her curiosity was aroused so she scrambled down from her perch to check it out. She reached out a hand and let out an excited hop when she felt the smooth, hard surface. The perfect piece of glass!
She stood, rubbing her hands across the heart-shaped gem and bringing it to her face to take a closer look. How long it had been floating out at sea before making its way to the Great Lakes? Unbidden, David’s face rose in her mind. Involuntarily, Grace glanced up and took a step back, flinching in surprise. He stared at her over the rock, like a phantom mirage, Oliver close beside him.
This must be her day for meeting handsome men on the beach. Had he been waiting for her? She had been with him a couple of short hours ago. What was he doing here?
He paused a few feet away, watching her as she recovered from her surprise. “Looks like you found quite a piece.”
He took a couple of steps around the rock and toward her. “May I see?”
He smiled at her and held out his hand. “Sit, Oliver,” he commanded. Oliver obeyed.
“I’m surprised to see you here.” Grace handed him her discovery. She watched as he held it, peering closely. David did not immediately respond. As usual, Grace filled the silence. “Do you collect beach glass?”
He glanced at her and shook his head. “No, but I’ve always been interested in beach treasures.”
David’s eyes held hers. Grace could not look away. Did he mean she was a beach treasure?
“Who was that you were talking with?” He held out one hand to return the glass. She opened her palm, and he safely deposited it inside, all the while staring at her intently, waiting for an answer.
“Oh, a friend.”
“Your date from the other night?”
“Yes, how’d you know?”
“Call it intuition. What’s his name?”
“I…I don’t know.” Even to her own ears, the words sounded lame.
David studied her heated face thoughtfully. “Seems like an important bit of information.”
“Yes, well, we’re having dinner tonight, so he’ll tell me then.” Grace changed the subject. “So, what are you doing here?”
“My cottage is there.” He pointed up the shore a little way at a series of nice homes and a more private beach. “I come here often.”
“Oh.” Of course the cottage he had described earlier was one of the million dollar cottages at Edgewater. She should have guessed from his descriptions. But they had spent more time talking about its layout rather than its location. “What a strange coincidence. I spend a lot of time on this beach, too. I’m surprised I haven’t see you here before.”
He didn’t say anything, merely looked at her, expressionless. The pause stretched out between them. This time Grace was determined not to fill the silence. She looked toward the lake. The waters were a bit choppy with small white caps of foam. A few sailboats and a jet ski could be seen in the distance. It was mid-August and warm enough for swimmers. She and Greg had exchanged vows on the beach. A familiar gloom descended as she remembered the moment she learned Greg was cheating on her with a woman in his office. Grace hadn’t believed the gravelly voice on the phone. She should have. All the warning signs had been there.
Grace shook off her meandering thoughts and turned to David, hugging her arms across her chest, although she was not cold.
He was still looking at her, his expression serious. “Grace, I have to go away for longer than I expected, and I won’t be able to meet you on Friday as planned.”
“Okay.” So she and Brains could have kept their Friday night plans.
“I’d still li
ke you to check out the cottage while I am gone, though. My sister, Sophia, has agreed to give you the grand tour Friday evening. I asked her to contact you to make arrangements.”
“Er…okay.”
“Good, Sophia will be in touch.”
He took a step closer, his inscrutable expression drawing her to him like a hummingbird to nectar. His strange eyes held hers and would not let go. “Don’t you think you should at least know your date’s name before you go out with him?”
David was right. Why hadn’t Brains told her his name? Grace struggled to shake off the strange lethargy gripping her mind. She held up one hand, as if to ward off an unseen enemy. She shook her head, breaking eye contact. “I…I’m sorry. I think I’m going to be sick.”
David grabbed her hands, otherwise she would have toppled backward into the sand. What was happening to her?
He led her back to her perch and like déjà vu, Grace experienced the familiar weightlessness of being lifted high into the air by a strong, handsome man. “Grace, sit for a minute. Go home and get some rest. I’m sure your unnamed date will understand. Did you bring water?”
She nodded. “In my bag.”
He rummaged around carefully until he found her water bottle and helped her drink it by holding it to her lips. What was wrong with her she needed to be fed like a baby?
David reached out a hand and smoothed her hair from her eyes. “Feel better?”
Amazingly, she did. His long, lean fingers seemed to make short work of her headache.
“I’m sorry, Grace.”
She frowned. “For what?”
“For making you worry about your date tonight. It’s not my place to question your decisions. If you want to keep your date, do it. But…be careful.”
David brought his hands down and stepped back from the rock. Strangely, Grace wanted to follow him. Instead, she busied herself with her beach bag. She didn’t trust herself to try and climb down from the rock on her own yet.
“Grace, are you okay?”