* * *
VASHTI RELEASED A deep whoosh of air through her lungs as she closed and locked the door. She hadn’t seen Sawyer since moving back. According to Bryce he’d been on a two-week vacation with his daughter. If there had been any doubt in her mind about the masculine power of Sheriff Sawyer Grisham, she’d been reminded when she had opened the door. She had been very aware of his strength, and how good he looked in his police uniform. While looking at him she was vividly aware of six-plus feet of solid muscle—the breadth of heavy shoulders, masculine arms, broad chest and rippling six-pack abs. It didn’t help matters that she’d once seen that “make you drool” body naked. And of course she didn’t want to remember the time that same body had made love to hers.
She had been unprepared to see him, especially tonight. When she’d been awakened from her sleep she had been dreaming about him. And it was quite obvious the minute she opened the door and saw him that the sexual chemistry between them hadn’t dimmed any. The air shimmering around them had been full of it. It was also quite obvious that he was still mad with her for making the decision she had about them.
“You can reopen the door now, Vashti.”
His voice broke into her thoughts and she quickly moved toward the door to open it, and then moved aside when he entered. While standing in the lamplight he looked even more impressive, ruggedly handsome and solidly built. He had a body designed purely to pleasure a woman. She of all people should know. “Did you see anything?” she asked him.
“Yes. There were several trash cans knocked down. I saw animal tracks and not that of a human. I believe your intruders were a bunch of raccoons. Do you have any security cameras around this place?”
“No. Aunt Shelby had them for a while but decided to have them removed.”
“Why?”
He would have to ask, she thought. “More than once she caught some of the inn’s occupants naked on camera after they decided to either go skinny-dipping at night or make out under the stars near the gazebo.”
“Oh.” He didn’t say anything else for a minute and then he cleared his throat and said, “You might want to have the security cameras reinstalled because you do need them. I suggest you give anyone who checks into the inn fair warning that cameras are located around the property.”
He was right. The property was too vast and too isolated not to have security cameras. “Do you suggest anything else? In the way of security?” she quickly tacked on. Not wanting him to get the wrong idea about anything.
“Floodlights. This place looked pitch-dark when I pulled up.”
“Your vehicle should have triggered the motion lights.”
“Well, it didn’t,” he said, a little too harsh to suit her.
“Fine. I will have them checked.”
He rubbed the top of his head and she could tell he was more than a little agitated. She was proven right when he asked, “Why are you staying out here alone?”
Bryce and Kaegan had asked her the same thing. “This is my home now. There’s no reason for me not to.” She held back from telling him where she decided to stay was no concern of his.
“Aren’t repairs being done?”
“Yes, and it makes more sense for me to stay here while they are.”
“Just consider those security measures I suggested and if you hear any other sounds, any at all, call the police again.”
“I will.”
He headed for the door. A part of her wanted to call him back, but she couldn’t do that. Her decision not to get involved with him had been made and she refused to go back on it.
He opened the door and glanced back at her. It seemed for the longest moment he stood there staring without saying anything. She felt herself grow warm under his regard. After calling the police, she had quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a top. Could he tell she wasn’t wearing bra or panties? She hadn’t thought about leaving them off...until now.
“Any more security suggestions, Sheriff?”
His frown lines deepened. “No.”
“Then good night.”
She watched him draw in a deep breath before saying, “Lock the door behind me and if you think you hear anything again call the police.”
He’d told her that already, but she nodded anyway and said, “Okay.”
As if he was satisfied she understood, he said, “Good night.”
He pulled the door shut behind him and she quickly locked it before moving to the window to peep out. Thanks to the porch lights she could see him stroll toward his car. The man was walking testosterone and embodied everything male. When he backed out of the driveway she moved away from the window wishing she hadn’t noticed that. But then the memory of him standing in her living room was just as bad. Sexual tension between them had been an undercurrent they’d both tried keeping at bay and failed. Now she would have to go back to bed and resume her dreams. All about him.
* * *
THE MINUTE SAWYER walked into the house he quickly stored his gun before heading to the kitchen for a beer. Although he was still officially on vacation, he had decided to go into the office tomorrow. Otherwise, he would indulge in something stronger than beer. His senses were just that fried.
Grabbing a beer out of the fridge, he popped the tab and took a long gulp. Seeing Vashti tonight was the last thing he needed, but had to admit it had been everything he’d wanted. When he’d first arrived it had taken all his control not to pull her into his arms and assure her that everything was alright.
He had been more relieved than anything to find animal tracks instead of prints made by a human. The thought of anyone doing her harm unnerved him. He took another long gulp at the mere thought.
At least she was open to those security suggestions he’d made. And when she’d explained the reason her aunt had uninstalled those security cameras, a quick image of naked bodies making out under the stars had flashed through his mind. The image of the naked bodies had been theirs.
Finishing off the rest of the beer, he tossed the can in the trash and left the kitchen, still feeling edgy and horny. He could call Leesa and reinstate his friends with benefits privileges, but he didn’t want to do that. The only woman he wanted didn’t want him.
He had thought about Vashti, even while vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains with Jade. His daughter had kept him busy during the day when they’d done a number of activities like canoeing and hiking. But at night while Jade slept off that day’s exhaustion, he’d had to deal with dreams that wouldn’t go away.
One thing was obvious tonight. They were still extremely attracted to each other. Sleeping together that one time hadn’t helped. Now he knew how she tasted, how it felt to be inside her and make love to her until every cell in his body was satisfied. To sleep with her and awake holding her in his arms.
She had looked sexy as hell tonight in those shorts and top. And he knew she hadn’t been wearing a bra. He had seen the imprint of her nipples pressing against that tank top.
He drew in a deep breath and sighed loudly. At present it was the only sound in the room. He should be grateful for her decision for them not to get involved. He’d never wanted any of the townsfolk in his business anyway. He had a reputation to protect and an occupation for others to respect. But then what did either have to do with him as a man who had needs and wants like any other male?
He’d had the perfect arrangement with Leesa, but was it wrong for him to want more? Was it a crime for him to want to finally get serious about a woman after five years? During their two weeks in the mountains Jade had brought up the subject of his needing a girlfriend again. That made him wonder why. Did she miss having a female around?
He rubbed a hand down his face. Maybe he was overthinking things. Turning toward the stairs, he glanced at the clock on the wall. It was close to two in the morning. He had a feeling after seeing Vashti tonight, sleep wouldn’
t come easy for him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“GOOD MORNING, VASHTI, you’re early.”
Vashti smiled over at Charlette Hansberry. “I had a meeting this morning and thought I’d drop by to see Ms. Gertie before I head back to the inn.”
“How are things going with that?” Charlette asked as they walked down the corridor that led to Ms. Gertie’s room.
“So far so good, although there’s still a lot more to do. However, I’m still holding to my October fifteen grand opening date.”
No need to mention that the reason she had gotten out so early this morning was to visit with Mason Connolly, the man who had both installed and disengaged the security cameras around the premises of the inn. He was known to go fishing on Friday mornings bright and early, and she’d been at the bait shop when he’d arrived. Mr. Connolly was notorious for not returning calls. She would continue to do business with him, but she had low tolerance for business people who didn’t act like they were in business.
She had also called her electrician to come recheck the outside motion lighting and he tried putting her off until Monday. She had made it clear that she wanted something done today. The last thing she needed was to call the police again in the middle of the night only to have Sheriff Sawyer Grisham show up.
“Well, enjoy your visit with Ms. Gertie. I checked in on her earlier and she was still sleeping, but Mavis mentioned she was up, dressed and eating breakfast in her room.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
Opening the door to Ms. Gertie’s room, she saw the older woman sitting at the small table in her room eating what looked like oatmeal while occasionally looking out the window. She was dressed in a pretty yellow dress today and her hair was combed differently. She looked lovely.
Vashti gave her usual greeting. “Good morning, Ms. Gertie. How are you today?”
Ms. Gertie turned and smiled. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. Vashti Alcindor, when on earth did you return to Catalina Cove?”
The coffee cup Vashti had been holding nearly slipped from her hands. She had to pull herself together. “You remember me?”
Ms. Gertie looked at her like she’d asked a totally stupid question. “Of course I remember you. I remember every baby I brought into this world.”
“Yes, but...” Vashti stopped. There was no way she would bring up the woman’s condition with her. Instead she said, “You look pretty today.”
“Thanks and you look pretty yourself. You always were a pretty girl. You were even a pretty baby. And speaking of babies, did you ever find out the truth about yours?”
The truth about hers? She wondered what Ms. Gertie was talking about, but then considering Ms. Gertie’s condition, the older woman probably didn’t know herself, but Vashti decided to play along.
“I think I found out some of it. You want to tell me the rest?”
Ms. Gertie shrugged. “Not much to tell. Your parents wanted me to go along with their plan and when I refused that’s when they sent you to that home for unwed girls. When they came back and told everyone your baby died, I knew it was a lie. They somehow got that place in Arkansas to do the very thing I refused to do. They got that place to go along with their plan.”
Although Vashti knew Ms. Gertie was not talking rationally, she was inclined to ask. “What plan?”
“The plan was to tell you that your baby died when it actually had been given away for adoption. I tried to make them understand that doing such a thing, regardless of the fact you were a minor, was illegal.”
This time the coffee cup Vashti was holding did fall from her hand and spilled all the contents on the floor. She quickly grabbed a nearby roll of paper towels and made short work of cleaning the mess she’d made while convincing herself Ms. Gertie really didn’t know what she was talking about. But still...
“Why would my parents want to give my baby up for adoption when they knew I wanted to keep it?”
Ms. Gertie shook her head sadly. “They didn’t care what you wanted, dear. Your getting pregnant at sixteen was an embarrassment to them. There was no way they were going to let you keep a baby they thought would ruin your life.”
Vashti was about to ask Ms. Gertie another question when the room door opened and it was the lab technician. “I need to check her vitals for today. Could you step out for a minute?”
Vashti really didn’t want to step out. She wanted Ms. Gertie to continue talking. Whether what she was saying was fact or fiction, it had shaken up Vashti. She had known how her parents had felt about her being pregnant. They had constantly tried getting her to agree to an abortion and when it was too late for that, they tried convincing her that she needed to give her child up for adoption. She had refused to do that as well. But there was no way her parents would have gone so far as to do what Ms. Gertie claimed they did. Would they?
While outside Ms. Gertie’s room Vashti paced. For heaven’s sake, this was the first time the woman had even recognized her in all the weeks she’d been coming here to visit her. She was hard-pressed to believe anything Ms. Gertie was saying now. Everyone knew she had dementia.
“You can go back in now.”
Vashti glanced over at the lab technician who was leaving Ms. Gertie room. “Thanks.”
Vashti quickly went into Ms. Gertie’s room. The older woman was still sitting at the table eating. “I’m back, Ms. Gertie. I had to step out a minute.”
Ms. Gertie glanced over at her and smiled and asked. “You’re awfully friendly this morning. Who are you?”
* * *
“CALM DOWN, VASH. I can’t believe you’re even taking what Ms. Gertie said seriously. You know about her condition,” Bryce whispered as she poured coffee into several cups. “When you walked in here you were shaking to the bones. Even now your voice is breaking. Think about it. Ms. Gertie has dementia and people with that condition say things they don’t mean. She remembered who you were one minute and then she didn’t know you the next. I remember my grandmother and what we all went through with her.”
Vashti drew in a deep breath, appreciating the voice of reason. Bryce was right. When she’d arrived at the café, she’d been an emotional mess, not knowing whether what Ms. Gertie had said was true or not. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. Your parents might not be the greatest, but I refuse to believe they could do something like that and keep a straight face around you.”
Vashti nodded. “I hate to say it, but you’re probably right again.”
“There’s no ‘probably’ in it. And if you’re going to interrupt me at rush hour you might as well make yourself useful,” she added, handing Vashti an apron. “Wash your hands in the back.” Bryce walked off to serve the table of eight men who looked like they planned to spend the day fishing.
Vashti knew her friend was right about not taking what Ms. Gertie said seriously, but the ninety-six-year-old woman had recognized her and seemed to have her wits fully about her in that moment.
“You’re still standing here?” Bryce asked, returning.
Vashti snapped out of her reverie and glanced around the café. The place was busy. Swarming with customers who couldn’t start their day without Ms. Witherspoon’s blueberry muffins, or her blueberry pancakes and a cup of the best coffee in the cove. Vashti suddenly felt guilty knowing she was in the way.
“Sorry,” she said. Since she wasn’t expecting her workers at the inn for at least a couple of hours, there was no reason not to help out here for a while. She put on the apron Bryce had given her. Doing so felt like the old days when as teens both she and Bryce would pitch in and help out at the café on the weekends.
“Hey, Vash,” Bryce’s mother, father and brothers called out to her when she washed her hands at the sink.
“Good morning.”
“You’re helping out?” Mr. Witherspoon asked.
“Yes, I’ve been drafted, thanks to Bryce,” she said, smiling over her shoulder.
The bell above the door rang. “That means there’s a new customer,” Mr. Witherspoon said, grinning. “Go get ’em, tiger.”
“Will do,” she said, drying her hands and grabbing a pad off the counter. Pasting a smile on her face she turned to the new customer only to look into the face of Sawyer Grisham. He seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.
* * *
“GOOD MORNING, VASHTI.”
“Good morning, Sheriff.”
Sawyer lifted a brow. Did she think calling him sheriff instead of his given name would stop the flow of sexual chemistry they could generate so easily? And had he picked up on something else with her? It seemed she was flustered about something. Had she not been able to get a good night’s sleep last night after he’d assured her she was safe? If that wasn’t it, then what? It was obvious to him that something was bothering her.
“You need a table for one?” she asked, keeping that smile pasted on her face,
“No, I’m expecting someone so I’ll need a table for two.”
He saw the curious glint in her eyes before she said, “Okay. Table for two, please follow me.”
He followed her and enjoyed doing so. There was just something about seeing a nice-looking backside in a pair of jeans. And to know that he’d once touched that backside, kissed it, had pressed hard against it while skin to skin with it. Had made love to it and for that one night, had claimed her and every part of her as his.
“Will this table work?” she asked, reclaiming his attention.
“Yes, thanks,” he said, sliding into a booth.
She handed him a menu. “How’s your daughter?” she asked.
“Fine. She’s at a weekend sleepover. I don’t expect her back home until after church tomorrow.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“I’m sure it is.” He handed her back the menu. “I already know what I want. I got a taste for blueberry pancakes this morning, but I’ll wait on the pancakes until Kaegan gets here. I’ll take coffee for now.”
Love in Catalina Cove Page 21