by Tess Oliver
Cash stared at him. “How do you know he was dead?” He tightened his grip again and Clint’s eyes bulged. “Or did you send an unconscious man to the sea bottom?”
Clint shook his head and clutched at Cash’s hand. “No, he was dead.” He coughed and sucked in air. “The side of his head was dented in a few inches.”
My hand flew to my mouth and tears pooled in my eyes. All this time, Ben had been forced to believe that his son had fallen overboard drunk, even though he’d known it didn’t fit Hunter’s character. It was hard to know how this new knowledge would affect him.
In the distance, sirens screamed through the village.
“They’re here for you, Ridgewater.” Cash looked over at me. “Seton is alive. Pretty bruised up but he’ll be going into the police car with the rest of them.”
I nodded. “I’m just glad he’s alive.”
Cash pointed to the bottom step. “Sit here, Ridgewater, and don’t move.”
Relieved to be out from Cash’s grasp, Clint sat. I followed Cash out. He wrapped the chain with the broken padlock around the door handle enough times to make it impossible to open from the inside.
A clammy mist had drifted in over the village, and the red twirling lights of the police cars gave it a pinkish cast. People stood huddled in front yards and along the pier watching the chaos. Most of the glittering lights had come back on after the power outage, so in the midst of the police activity, the village sparkled in holiday spirit. The weight of the entire evening hit me like a bag of lead. I turned and looked at Cash, who, silently and calmly, watched the show below. Everything would have turned out so much differently if he hadn’t been there.
He seemed to sense me watching him and turned to look at me.
“Welcome to December on the Pier,” I said weakly. Then I fell into his arms.
Chapter 26
Cash
“I knew this day would come,” Ben said, “but I have to say, it’s hit me much harder than I would have ever imagined.” He looked around. “You did such an excellent job, Cash. I just can’t believe it’s the same house. Remember, you can stay longer. I’m sure there’ll always be something that will need fixing.”
“Thanks, Ben.” I folded my last shirt and placed it on my pathetically small pile of possessions. “But I can’t mooch off of you any longer.”
“The town is going to be real sorry to see you go.” He grew quiet and glanced out the window of the bedroom. “Have you talked to Esme? Does she know?”
“She knew it would be soon. She’s been so busy with work, nursing her dad and having her mom back in the house, she hasn’t had much spare time. I don’t want to get in the way and complicate things. I think she’s really hoping that her family will pull back together. For her sake, I hope that’s true.” I picked up my stuff. “But me, I have no family to pull back together. I just have myself to take care of, and that’s how I like it. I figured that with the weather nice and no rain in the foreseeable forecast, it’d be a good time for me to go. I leave here with a heavy heart, Ben. That’s for damn sure.”
“You just won’t let the world make amends for hurting you.” He placed a hand on my shoulder, and for a brief second, I had an inkling of what it would have been like to have a real dad. I knew he was right. I hadn’t accepted things yet. I was still running from the shadows of my past life and wondering if I could ever outpace them.
“Hunter was lucky to have a dad like you, Ben. If I’d had someone like you around, I would have been a whole different person.”
A faint smiled crossed his face. “See, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. You made some bad decisions when you were younger. Who doesn’t? Yours came from anger and a lack of support. But you still came out the other side a good man. I see it. Esme sees it. Hell, this whole damn village is ready to have your portrait painted, and yet, you think you need to keep moving away from who you are. One day soon, you’re going to look in the mirror and realize in spite of it all, you turned out all right.”
I hugged him. “Hope you’re right, Ben.”
It had been eight weeks since the disastrous celebration on the pier. Seton was doing time, but he’d turned in enough evidence to cut his sentence in half. Esme’s dad had survived his gunshot wounds and gotten off with no more than a warning. Seton had testified that his dad was no more than the driver of the boat. He planned to start fishing again the second he was back on his feet. Bodhi returned with a more sober version of his mom, and she was slowly getting stronger and taking care of the house and family. Esme and I would sneak off together to be alone whenever we could, but lately, she’d been more distant. I knew it had to do with Ben’s house being finished. This had always been temporary, and while we both had known that, it seemed the end had come faster than either of us had expected.
Ben walked out of the room and returned with an envelope. My name was written on the front. The chronic pain he suffered showed in his wobbly script. “It’s just a little something for helping me bring Hunter home. You don’t know how much it means to me to have him resting next to his mom. And knowing that he was trying to do the right thing and that he didn’t fall overboard drunk has lifted such a heavy weight from my chest.” His hazy eyes watered as he spoke. “Don’t open it now. Wait.”
After I’d revealed to him Clint’s confession, Ben had called in a favor from a few retired navy friends who were divers. They’d located the anchor and Hunter’s skeletal remains. The town held another memorial and a funeral followed. It had brought Ben some peace and had been the one good thing about Clint’s arrival in town. The asshole was out of Esme’s life, and hopefully, his dangerous obsession with her would cool off while he was in jail.
One thing I knew for sure was that Esme would stick with me forever. No matter where I ended up, I wouldn’t forget her. I hugged Ben and picked up my stuff. My bike, my truest friend, waited for me in the driveway. I pushed my clothes and belongings into the saddle bags and waved to Ben as he watched from the porch. There was no way I could ride out of town without seeing Esme. My chest was tight as I started the bike and rode up to her house.
Twister sat up on the front porch and barked as I pulled up to the curb. I walked up to the house and knocked. Bodhi answered the door. “Hey, Cash.” He looked past me toward the bike. “Where are you off to today?”
I didn’t answer.
His mouth flattened. “Oh, I see. Well, she should be on her way back from the candy shop. If you ride up the street, you’ll probably find her.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, good luck, man.” He held out his hand, and I shook it.
I didn’t need to start the bike. Esme was walking toward me. She smiled brightly at first but then seemed to sense that something was up. Her gaze flitted to my bike and then back to me. By the time I reached her, she had tears in her eyes. She turned her face to the side and wiped them away.
Her shoulders lifted with a deep breath before she faced me. “See, this right here was why I kept telling myself not to get attached. I kept reminding myself that you’d eventually get on that fucking bike,” she sobbed, “and ride away without even thinking twice about me.”
I tried to put my arms around her, but she waved me away.
“Touching me is like pouring salt in the wound. Just don’t.”
“Esme, you have to know that you mean more to me than anyone else I’ve ever met.”
“And that’s why you’ve packed up your stuff to leave.”
“There’s nothing for me to do here, Esme. I have to make a living. Come with me.” The words came out fast but I meant them.
She smiled up at me. “My mom is back. Things are finaally starting to feel real again. How do I just leave?”
It was the answer I’d expected, and she was right.
“Can I kiss you goodbye?”
She crossed her arms around herself. “I don’t see how that will make this wretched feeling go away.” She wiped her tears again. “Be careful. And if you can�
��t find your way out there, come back, all right?”
My throat tightened. “I will.”
She jumped forward and kissed my cheek before running to her house. She slipped inside and shut the door. I got on the bike and circled back toward the highway. I had no real prospects at the moment, but I’d head toward a city where there would be more jobs.
The lighthouse frowned down at me as I rode past. The lightkeeper’s cabin, a shabby, lonely place with the best view on the Pacific, stood lonely and dark. It was Esme’s dream house, and that was one of the things I loved about her. Other people dreamt of posh mansions or penthouses, but Esme pictured herself in the lightkeeper’s cabin.
A light fog clung to the sea and birds danced over a small group of fishing boats. Living near the ocean had been as awesome as I’d imagined.
The motel where Esme and I had stayed flashed its vacancy light, and my mind drifted back to the unbelievable times we’d spent together. She was surreal and perfect and completely unforgettable. And, idiot that I was, I was riding away from her.
I pulled into a gas station and walked inside to pay. A girl’s voice from the back of the tiny store made me twist around.
“Everything all right?” the man asked me, suddenly a little suspicious. I was out of the village now and people didn’t know me. The old glares of mistrust were being shot my way again.
“Everything’s fine.”
I paid. My phone rang as I stepped outside of the store. It was Jericho.
“Cash, guess what I found? Wait, I’m going to send a picture. The state seized the compound property, but they let us take out any personal stuff first. Check out the picture.”
I pulled the phone from my ear and slid my thumb over the photo. It was my cut. I’d left it behind when I’d left the compound for good.
“What do you say, bro? It’s sitting here waiting for you. You should come try it on. See if it still fits.”
I scrubbed my hair with my hand. “You should be a damn military recruiter, Richo. You know that?” I walked out to the bike. It was parked at the pump closest to the sidewalk.
“We’ve set up a new clubhouse just south of Carson City. The neighbors aren’t too happy but fuck them. We’re shaping the charter up to be the most powerful in the west, and we need gladiators like you.”
“Yeah, I think my gladiator days might be numbered. Someday a hungry lion is going to pop up out of the ground and that’ll be the end.” I gazed down the street. Wickley’s Motorcycle Shop was just two blocks away. Two of the mechanics were rolling out a custom chopper and checking it out in the sunlight.
“Come on, Cash, I really need you to come back.” Jericho’s tone had changed dramatically.
“Richo, what’s up. You in trouble?”
“No, I’m good.” He paused. “It’s just not the same without you. Everyone else has their flank watcher, the guy who’d take the bullet for you. You and I, we watched each other’s backs.”
“Shit, just get out, bro. Just leave it.”
“Got no place to go, Cash, you know?”
I sighed. “Yeah I know. Hey, Richo, when you’re ready to get out, Let me know. We’ll ride out of Nevada together.”
He was quiet for a long second. “Yeah, buddy, I will.”
“Later.”
I filled the tank on the motorcycle and watched as one of Wickley’s guys got on the chopper and took it for a ride. I pulled on my helmet and climbed on my bike. Ben was right. I hadn’t learned to let my life fix itself. I kept on riding, sure that what I was looking for was somewhere on the road ahead of me. But what I was looking for had been staring back at me in the mirror. I was leaving behind a place where I could live without looking over my shoulder anymore. I was leaving behind a girl who stole my breath with just a blink of her long eyelashes. I was leaving behind a chance for the world to make amends.
I pulled the envelope out of my saddle bag and rubbed my finger over my name. I turned it over and opened it. There was a note written in the same wavy handwriting as my name on the front.
Dear Cash,
Your home by the sea will be waiting for you once you realize that it’s all right to be happy. The pink is just a little way to say thanks for bringing my boy home.
Your friend,
Ben
I slid up the paper behind the note. It was the pink slip for the Two Cam. I slipped it back and forth between my fingers. It was an incredible gesture from a man who I had grown to admire greatly.
I started the bike and coasted across the street to Wickley’s.
***
A clear, navy blue sky met the dark water on a perfectly straight horizon line. The boats rocked back and forth in their slips, with the occasional clang of pulleys to remind everyone they were still out there. I met Bodhi on my walk to the pier.
He heard my footsteps and spun around to see who was following him. “Shit, sounded like a fucking giant back there. Esme’s not at the restaurant. Think she went to the cove. She spent the rest of the day in her room. She’ll kill me for telling you this, but she was having a hard time of it. Thought you rode off.”
“I decided that I didn’t need to ride on. Everything I need is right here.”
He smiled and patted my shoulder. “I’m sure I’ll hear her squeal of excitement all the way at home. Glad you’ve decided to hang around. Maybe you want to learn fishing. Dad will be taking the boat out soon. We’ll need another hand while Seton finishes his sentence.”
“Thanks, but I’ve found a gig working with motorcycles. They’re more my thing than fish.”
“Gotcha. Well, I’m sure I’ll see you later.”
I tucked my hands in my pockets, lifted the collar of my coat up over my ears and headed back to Ben’s. He had a good laugh at my speedy return. He’d seemed to know all along that I’d be back. Of course, his generous gift had probably clued him in to that. I tried to give it back to him, insisting it was way too much, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He had another good laugh when he reminded me how much money I’d have to sink into it, to restore it. He’d also hooked me up with his friend on the city council who’d been appointed landlord of the lightkeeper’s cabin.
I got on my bike and headed to the cove. My feelings for Esme had been strong right from the start, but I hadn’t understood how strong until I was riding away from her. I had no idea how she’d react when she saw me. She had no reason to trust that I wouldn’t just up and leave again sometime, and I couldn’t promise her much. But for now, this was the place I wanted to be, and she was the main reason I’d decided to turn back.
Even though it had been clear over the marina, a thin layer of fog had coasted inland over the cove. Esme’s jeep was parked along the side of the road. I got off my bike and looked down at the sand. Esme was throwing a stick for Twister. The dog pounced excitedly after it, plunging into a flock of gulls and sending them angrily into the air.
I hiked down the rocky path. Twister was the first to see me. He raced toward me with the stick in his mouth. Esme turned to see what had caught his interest. Her wild mass of hair blew around her head and she made a few futile attempts to push curls off her face.
Twister dropped the stick and I hurled it across the sand. The dog’s giant paws flicked sand at my boots as he tore off after it. I walked up to Esme.
Her blue eyes sparkled in the misty air. “Forget something?” she asked.
“Yeah, my heart.”
She bit her bottom lip in what seemed to be a very cute attempt not to cry.
“I headed out hoping that somewhere along the stretch of highway I’d find a place to belong, but I’d already found that place. I belong here with you.”
She stepped in front of me. “Damn right you do, sweetie pie.” Tears filled her eyes. She reached up and pressed her palm against my face. “The second your motorcycle hit the highway, this whole place seemed a little darker.”
“I start at Wickley’s Motorcycle Shop on Monday.” I pulled the set of keys out of my po
cket. “And I rented the lightkeeper’s cabin. I was hoping you and I could make it a really cool place to live.”
A long curl fell across her face, and I pushed it back behind her ear. She smiled up at me. “O.K., now you can kiss me.”
My arms nearly crushed her as I pulled her against me. My mouth slammed down over hers, and I kissed her long and hard.
When we finally came up for air, she smiled sweetly at me with swollen lips. “I do rather like unchained.”
“Good, get used to it.” I lowered my mouth to hers.
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