Caught by the Sheriff--A Clean Romance

by Rula Sinara

  Carlos looked over at her and gave her a lopsided grin. The guy was in his element. Loving every second of this. So was she. From here, she could see the barrier reef’s sound and marshes to the west and seaside to the east all at once. The lighthouses looked amazing from a bird’s-eye view, and the beach houses dappling the shoreline reminded her of the dollhouses she and Clara used to play with.

  “Over there.”

  She touched her headset reflexively when his voice came through, then followed the direction he was pointing in. The sky had already lightened considerably and she could see cars moving and people the size of ants walking about and starting a new day. He circled a lighthouse she knew wasn’t the one at Turtleback. Its black-and-white bands were similar, but it was larger and the base had a red brick surround.

  “That’s the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. We’re flying over Buxton right now. That lighthouse has been there since 1870. The original one was damaged during the Civil War so this one was built to replace it.”

  He moved on and pointed out all the sites he told her he wanted to take her to on foot. Someday. Probably never, she realized, then banished the thought. She was going to live in the moment for the next hour. Up here, she had no control over anything that was happening below. She had to let go. She had to trust her friends to help with Nim. They were her friends. All of them. Not just Eve. She had to trust Carlos too.

  She realized, at this moment, that she was flying like the pelican she’d watched outside Eve’s place. Soaring.

  “You’ve got to see this,” he called out, turning back over the water.

  A dark mass slithered beneath the water’s surface and he took them down closer.

  “A shark?” she asked, too loudly. She forgot that she had a Bluetooth and he’d hear her despite the loud hum of the engine.

  “School of fish. And look over there.”

  She leaned toward the window. Shipwrecks. Entire remains of old ships still in their watery resting spots.

  “Oh, wow.”

  “This coastline is referred to as The Graveyard of the Atlantic for a reason.”

  “I can see why. This is all so incredible.”

  “Glad you’re enjoying it. If we’re lucky, we might spot some wild mustangs on one of the beaches. Another thing we’re known for.”

  She reached over and touched his arm.

  “Thank you, Carlos. I needed this. And you knew I did. Thank you for that. This has been the best surprise...and date... I’ve ever had.”

  That wasn’t a lie. High school didn’t count. The one or two guys she had been out with to homecoming or prom hadn’t been her type really. In retrospect, she had hung out with them because she knew they would pass muster with her parents. In college, she had dated only one guy seriously and he ended up dumping her when he got into a graduate program on the West Coast. The fact that she wasn’t that upset when he left said something about their relationship. In all honesty, relationships were a two-way street and she had been holding back. Just like she was with Carlos. Only back then, it had been because she didn’t want to follow the same path as her parents, ending up in a marriage that was all about shining on the outside while it was lackluster on the inside. Their marriage didn’t involve abuse, but it wasn’t all that warm and loving either. In a way, her sister had followed that path. A marriage that looked perfect on the outside. Granted, neither of Faye’s parents were physically abusive.

  She couldn’t imagine Carlos ever being abusive. He was a good man. A good cop. But he believed in following rules and protocol, and that could backfire when it came to dealing with someone like Jim, who knew how to twist and turn rules to work for him.

  “You’re welcome. But it’s not over yet. There’s more when we land.”

  He thrilled her for a bit longer before taking them back down to the small airport where they had started. It took her a minute to feel steady on the ground when he helped her out of the plane. He guided her away as his friend took the plane into the hangar for a checkup and refueling.

  “That was amazing,” she said, hanging on his arm. “I’m not sure I can handle more. I’m still processing the feeling of being up there.”

  “I did say there’d be more. Didn’t I?”

  “You did. But honestly, Carlos, this was more than I could have dreamed of. You don’t have to do anything else.”

  He led her around the corner of the hangar where no one could see them and stepped closer.

  “I don’t have to. But I really want to.”

  Her heart started racing. The anticipation. The hoping that what she thought was about to happen really would.

  “You do?” She sounded breathless, or maybe the hum of the plane engine was still in her ears. She could hear his breathing too. She felt it. Closer.

  “More than anything.” He held her face, the rough pads of his thumbs caressing her cheeks. “Tell me I’m not imagining that you want this too. That there’s something here neither of us can deny or ignore.”

  She couldn’t deny anything. She wanted everything.

  She grabbed his jacket, stood on her toes and kissed him before he could change his mind. He pulled her closer, holding on like he never wanted her to leave. Like he was afraid she would. The touch of his lips against hers made the earth beneath her go soft. It defied gravity and time. She had felt it...experienced it...in her dreams. It was a kiss from a past life, centuries old, or another universe. As if their paths had crossed time and time again, searching but always missing, destined but denied. She wrapped her hands around his neck and let him kiss her until they both had to catch their breath. He wiped the tears that had trailed down her cheeks...the release...emotions she couldn’t hold in...then he kissed her eyelids one by one with a tenderness she’d never experienced. He kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. Then, once more, a whisper of his lips against hers.

  He rested his forehead against hers.

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. Wow,” she said, still hanging on. Still waiting for the ground to turn solid again.

  “That was...powerful.”

  She nodded and swallowed hard. There was no going back. No forgetting what had just happened. And here she didn’t want to give him false hope or lead him on.

  “We haven’t known each other that long. It seems like forever. I don’t know how that can be,” Faye said.

  “It’s not about time. When it’s right, it’s right.”

  Love at first sight? Kismet? Fate? What if fate was playing a cruel trick on her?

  “If we stayed like this for as long as I’d like to, they’d end up sending a search party after us,” he said.

  A search party. If only he knew. Reality started to set in.

  “I guess we should go,” she said, licking her lips. His taste still lingered and she wished she could kiss him again.

  He linked his fingers in hers and stepped back, pulling her away from the wall.

  “Let’s go get Nim,” he said, as if that little girl were as much his as hers. As if they were together in this. A pack.

  He was right. The connection between them was intense. But she didn’t know if it was strong enough for forgiveness...or powerful enough to keep him from walking away once he discovered the truth.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “WE’LL TAKE A half a dozen croissants, a dozen of those salted caramel cupcakes and your orange cream cake.” Carlos turned to Faye at his side. “You haven’t lived until you’ve tried her chocolate cupcakes with a caramel in the center and salted caramel melted on top. Messy eating but worth it.”

  “I’ve lived a lifetime today,” she whispered. He could feel the back of his neck warm. If Darla wasn’t behind the counter, boxing his order, while trying very hard—from the look on her face—to pretend she hadn’t heard a thing, he would have kissed Faye again right then and there.

&nb
sp; “A lot of sweet going on here,” Darla said. They both raised their brows at her. There was no looking innocent. “I’m referring to your order. Not that I’m complaining. I’m more than happy to make a sale,” she teased. He narrowed his eyes at her. It was pretty clear she wasn’t referring to the baking.

  “A lot of sugar. Right,” Faye said. “It’s not all for us. Chanda, Jordan and Eve were looking after Nim this morning, so I’m taking them some as a thank-you.”

  “Well, I hope it’s all enjoyed. I like seeing smiles. I tried getting one to crack on Mr. Krinks before you got here. That man was in a bad mood for some reason. As in cranky Krinks.”

  “Hmm. Maybe his blood sugar was low,” Carlos offered. Krinks was typically pleasant.

  “Or perhaps Bison ate something he shouldn’t have,” Faye said.

  “Now that’s a good possibility. There you go.” Darla set the boxes down and rang up the sale.

  “Is it even possible not to enjoy anything you make, Darla?” Carlos asked, pulling out his wallet. Faye started to reach in her purse but he wouldn’t let her. “I’ve got this.”

  “Thanks. I’ll treat next time, then. I insist.”

  She said next time. He liked the sound of that.

  “We’ll see you around.” Carlos picked up two of the boxes and Faye held on to a third.

  “Good to see you again. Say hi to Nora for me,” Faye said.

  “I will. And bring little Nim by when you get the chance.”

  They left The Saltwater Sweetery and headed to Chanda’s place. Carlos hated that Eve wasn’t opening Castaway Books until this afternoon. He’d offered to pay for any lost revenue but she refused, telling him keeping Nim safe was important to her too and that seeing him look so happy around Faye was the best thing ever.

  “I hope Nim didn’t give them too much trouble.”

  “Are you kidding? I bet they’re having a ball. Chanda has a cat, Sandy, adopted last summer when Mandi found an abandoned litter. She and Gray took home two and Chanda got the third. Between a cat, puppy and toddler, I’m thinking they’ll be ready for all this carb reload.”

  “I can imagine.” Faye laughed, as she followed him up to Chanda’s door. It swung open before they could knock and Chanda had her finger to her lips to keep them quiet.

  “Come see this. Warning. It may be more cute than you can handle,” she whispered.

  They followed her inside.

  Well, I’ll be.

  Carlos jerked his head toward the living room and nudged Faye with his elbow. Her lips parted, either from shock or, as Chanda put it, cute overload. Chanda mouthed a thank-you when she saw the bakery logo on the boxes and took the one Faye was carrying to the kitchen. Carlos hurried after her, set his load on the table and returned to find Faye trying to get in for a closer look without waking anyone up.

  Carlos took out his cell phone and snapped a photo. Not for posting or sharing online. Just to have it to show them after they woke up.

  Jordan was lying on the couch with Nim, draped belly down, on his chest. He had one hand protectively on her back and the other arm hanging off the couch, his hand resting on Shamu, who was curled up in Eve’s lap. Eve was on the floor, leaning back against the couch, with her head propped against Jordan’s side. Chanda’s eight-month-old tortoiseshell kitten was snoozing on the back of the couch right next to them. He wasn’t sure if the purring sound was the cat or Jordan snoring. All of them were completely zonked out.

  He tugged Faye’s sleeve and they both went back to the kitchen, where Chanda was pulling a casserole out of the oven.

  “You must be a happy big sister,” he said, keeping his voice down so it wouldn’t carry to the living room.

  “Now, don’t you go saying anything when they wake up,” Chanda said. “It’ll ruin it. They’ll get all embarrassed and put their shields up again.”

  “They look so blissful. Like a family on a Saturday morning,” Faye said.

  Chanda paused while putting her pot holders back in a drawer.

  “I love that analogy. That’s exactly what I thought. They look right. Like family, whether they are or not. I mean, obviously, that’s your little one in there, but oh boy did my heart melt when I saw them. I had come in here to cook and Eve was telling them all a story she was coming up with on the spot. I’m not sure if she ever made it to the end.”

  “I say we eat without them.” Carlos leaned in and inhaled the aroma rising off the casserole. “I’m starving.”

  “If we eat now, those two will be left to eat together once they wake up. And we can find reasons to be in the living room and leave them alone in the kitchen.” Faye gave Chanda a wink.

  “I like you more and more every time we meet. See, Carlos? I’m not the only one with matchmaking skills.”

  “Hey, give me some credit. I started this whole thing by taking Faye out on a flight.”

  “How was it?” Chanda asked, directing her question at Faye, as they sat down to eat.

  “Spectacular. Thank you for watching Nim.”

  “Anytime. Assuming I’m off work. Dr. Zale insisted that I use some of the vacation time that had carried over this year. He said too much work and no play makes for a bossy office manager.”

  “He called you bossy?” Faye asked.

  “He was kidding.” Chanda brushed the air with her hand. “He and I have this wicked banter we do. I’ve worked for him since he moved to Turtleback. We’re all like family at that clinic. Like a bunch of siblings.”

  “This is delicious. Thanks for cooking.” Carlos shoveled in another spoonful. He was starving.

  “It really is,” Faye agreed.

  “Thanks to both of you for dessert. That’s what I’m saving room for.” Chanda only ate a few bites, then took her plate to the sink, rinsed it and loaded it into the dishwasher. “That orange cream cake is my favorite.”

  “I know.” Carlos chuckled and drank some water.

  “Hard to believe you’re still single,” Chanda said.

  Was that a nudge directed at Faye? Faye’s cheeks flushed and she took a very, very long drink of water.

  A whimper sounded from behind them. They all turned and Shamu was standing in the kitchen entry.

  “Someone woke up before everyone else. Come here, sweetie.” Faye scooted her chair back and went over to pick up the pup. “I’ll take her out for a potty break before she piddles. Be right back.” She went out the front door as quietly as they’d come in.

  “I like her,” Chanda said. She was to the point and frank by nature. Didn’t beat around the bush.

  “I like her too,” Carlos said without hesitation.

  Chanda nodded, eyeing him as she sliced into the cake.

  “So would your mother. Of that, I’m sure.”

  It was his turn to nod. His mom really would like Faye. He could picture them hanging out during the holidays, picnicking on the beach or giving a teenaged Nim advice. A wave of sadness coursed through his chest. He regretted that his mom and Faye would never know one another. Faye would have been there for him...for her. He could tell by the way she cared for her daughter. She would have done whatever she could to help. To be supportive. She wouldn’t have skipped town because life was complicated or because the idea of settling down unsettled her. No... Faye wasn’t Natalie. But life wasn’t hypothetical. It was real and the fact was that Faye’s life was unsettled and she was just as likely—if not more so—to move on from Turtleback.

  “I think you could handle an instant family. You’re a natural family man,” Chanda added.

  He got up, walked over to the entry and looked out the window. A family. One like his parents had built. A family that was full of heart until life stole it from him. The cop who killed his father. The cancer that killed his mother. He somehow sensed that fate was about to take Faye away from him too.

  “M
aybe. Her life’s been a little complicated. I’m not so sure she’s ready for that big of a step.”

  They switched topics as soon as the door opened. Shamu ran in, went straight for Eve and jumped into her lap, waking her up. Faye came in and closed the door. Eve looked at them bleary eyed, then peered around her. She scrambled to her feet, straightening her hair, when she realized how comfortably close she and Jordan had been napping.

  “Hey,” she said, hoarse from sleep. “When did you get back?”

  “We already ate and there’s dessert waiting in the kitchen,” Faye said, glancing quickly at Carlos and stifling a smile.

  Sandy the cat meowed and leaped off the couch and onto the floor. Shamu stopped and watched, curious and confused, as the cat stretched and arched. Jordan opened one eye and took in the situation.

  “I fell asleep?” He looked at Nim on his chest and dropped his head back on the arm of the couch. “I was wide awake when we started putting her to sleep. I swear it.”

  “Eve’s story must have been really boring,” Carlos said, going over and sitting in the armchair across from them.

  Eve threw a pillow at him. Nim stirred from all the movement and talk, then pushed up against Jordan’s chest and looked at everyone. She immediately scrambled down and headed for Faye.

  “It happens to me, so don’t feel bad,” Faye said, picking Nim up, planting a kiss on her cheek and hugging her tight. “Hey, sweetie pie.” She nuzzled her again, then smiled at Jordan. “If I rock her while walking around, I’m okay. But if I lie down with her, all bets are off. It’s like she secretes a sedative or something.” Nim settled her cheek against Faye’s shoulder, still in that half awake, half asleep zone.

  Jordan sat up. He rubbed his eyes.

  Chanda appeared from the kitchen.

  “First, bringing that cake here was dangerous to my waistline. I’ve had two pieces already. I’m brewing a pot of coffee for anyone who needs it. Second, Eve and Jordan, the food’s on the table and I don’t want to put it away until you’ve eaten, so you two get over here.” She disappeared again.