by Jill Sanders
“Still think this is a mistake?” she asked a few minutes later as they stood in her small shower together.
He’d been admiring the colorful tattoo on her back. The happy sea turtles, dolphins, and fish swam towards her shoulders. He chuckled as he lathered her sexy body up with soap. “Most definitely.” He turned her around and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her nose.
He couldn’t stop the feeling that he was running headfirst down a path from which there would be no return. But something deep inside him demanded he continue. He needed this. Needed her.
He wanted the slight hints at an ordinary life with her. If he could live a somewhat normal existence in the next few hours, maybe he could be content with running for the rest of his life. Alone.
They sat around her small table and ate the breakfast they had cooked together. He’d teased her as they cooked, making sure to touch her as often as he could.
She walked around with a sexy white apron tucked over her old jeans and sweatshirt, looking sexier than if she’d been wearing silk and pearls. She’d braided her long hair to the side, only to have his fingers untangle the long locks.
He wanted to hold onto the magic spell that had trapped them both in the perfect world, but when her cell phone rang, their utopia was shattered.
“It’s my sister,” she said, frowning down at her phone.
He nodded as he leaned back in his chair. She walked into her bedroom to answer her sister’s call and it felt like she’d just slammed the door on his dream life.
He carried their dishes to the sink, put on his boots, and zipped his bag. When she stepped out of the room less than five minutes later, she was chewing her bottom lip.
“Something wrong?” he asked as he pulled on his jacket.
“You’re leaving?” she asked.
He frowned and looked down at his bag. “We both knew I had to.” He couldn’t look her in the eyes. Not since he knew exactly how she was feeling inside.
There was a moment of silence before she finally said, “I’ll drive you to the bus station.”
“No,” he said quickly. “There’s no need. Besides, I don’t want to chance anyone seeing us together.”
He heard her gasp lightly and knew what she was thinking. Rushing over to her, he took her shoulders with his hands and corrected himself. “Anyone being Al or Tony. They’re still in town somewhere. Looking for me. I can’t...” He shook his head. “I don’t know what I would do if they found out about you... or your sister.”
When he mentioned Wendy, Willow seemed to freeze with fear.
“Another good reason why I need to leave now.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his. “God...” The words tore from his lips. “I wish more than anything I could stay.”
“Then do.” Her arms felt so good wrapped around him.
Making up his mind, he tore himself free and walked to his bag without another word. When he opened the door, he glanced back and saw her standing there, her arms wrapped around herself as she cried silent tears.
He slipped from the room without another word and felt his heart shatter for the last time.
Chapter Eight
There was still too much to do and not enough time to accomplish it all. It was just over a month until Wendy and Cole’s wedding and two weeks had passed since Caleb has walked out her front door.
She didn’t know why, but she hadn’t told anyone about Caleb’s visit or her father’s journal, which was still tucked deep inside her purse.
Since Willow was Wendy’s maid of honor, she’d been running around every free moment in the last few days, helping her sister with last-minute details.
“You’d think you were hosting the Oscars,” Willow complained.
Wendy laughed. “With as many news crews as I’m sure will be trying to sneak onto the beach that day, it will seem like it.” Her sister frowned. “Maybe we shouldn’t have the wedding on the public beach after all?”
Willow groaned. “You’re not doing this again!” She put her hands on her hips and frowned at her sister. “Cole made me promise that I’d talk you out of changing the venue again.”
Wendy sighed and then smiled. “Fine, but I’m going to look into adding more security.”
“Aren’t the Grayton guys going to be enough?” Willow joked.
Wendy laughed. “I love knowing that I’m marrying into a strong family.”
Willow felt a pang of jealousy hit her mid-chest. Her sister must have guessed her pain, since she walked over to her and took her shoulders with her hands.
“Correction, we’re marrying into a strong family.”
“Yeah, right,” she jeered under her breath.
“No, really. Besides, everyone already thinks of you as their younger sister.” Wendy smiled. “Especially Shelly and Missy. If anyone has cause to know what it feels like as an outsider, they do.”
Clearly trying to change the subject, Wendy turned back towards the sales rack, searching for clothes she would wear on their honeymoon in Hawaii. “I mean; can you imagine hiding from your family for seven years?” Wendy sighed and glanced over at her. “It must have been hell living in fear for your life like Missy and Reagan had to.”
Willow nodded, remembering how Missy and Reagan, her son with Roman, had hidden from her crazed father who was the head of a large cult. The man had been caught trying to kill her and her son and was now tucked away for life in some prison.
Then her thoughts turned to their own father, and she knew she couldn’t hold her secret about him in much longer. But she planned on waiting until after their wedding.
“Here, what about this one?” Her sister’s voice broke into her thoughts, distracting her once more from thinking about Caleb.
She’d figured out shortly after he’d left that she cared for him more than she ever had for anyone else. Her mind was constantly consumed with him. Worry dominated her thoughts. She wondered where he was, if he was okay. And if he was thinking about her and the night they had spent together.
Every time someone knocked at her apartment door, her heart would skip in hopes that it was him.
“I’m meeting Cole in half an hour at Cassey’s. Why don’t we head down and have a drink until he gets there?” Wendy’s eyes lit up every time she mentioned her fiancé.
“Sure, I could use a drink after lugging around your packages all day.” She smiled at her sister. Their relationship had changed for the better in the last six or seven months. Maybe it was because Wendy had stopped treating her like a child or it could be that Willow had done some growing up and actually started appreciating everything Wendy had done for her. After all, her big sister had played the role of mother and father for most of her life. She’d found out a few months ago that it had been Wendy paying her college bills instead of the scholarships, as she’d believed.
Her sister has done so much for her in her life, that there was no way she could ever repay her. But she planned on trying.
When they walked into the Boardwalk Bar and Grill, the place was packed. Alan and Steven were behind the bar, flirting with all the half-dressed ladies in their bikinis. Fruity drinks were pushed across the counter as loud music pumped out of the speakers. Families, couples, and large groups of people crowded around, waiting to be seating in the almost-packed dining area.
Willow really loved the place. Wendy had been lucky enough to get a job at the best place along the boardwalk. Not to mention that Cassey, her boss and best friend, was soon to be her new sister-in-law.
“There’s Cassey.” Wendy smiled and waved at her friend, who was just coming down the back stairs. The woman glowed as she placed a hand on her growing belly. They had just found out three months ago that Cassey and Luke were having twins. Since then, Cassey had cut most of her workdays in half. She’d hired a floor manager to take over most of her work. Smiling over at her sister, Willow knew that Wendy had been the perfect choice for the job.
“I don’t know how you bartend and help run this place
.” She sat on a bar stool next to Wendy, who just smiled at her.
“What can I say... I love my job.” Her sister beamed.
There was no doubt in her mind that her sister did love her work.
“Not to mention, you’re still finding time to plan your wedding.” Willow leaned back and thought of all the things she had put on the back burner in the past few months.
Wendy set the bags down next to them and waved Alan over. “Alan, we need some drinks.”
“You’re usual?” he asked, moving around the bar as he worked quickly.
“Always,” Wendy joked, turning back towards the door. “There’s my man now. Right on time.”
Willow watched her sister’s face light up even more as she watched Cole walk towards them.
Every woman’s eyes zeroed in on the sexy blond surf god as he walked across the room, but his eyes were locked on Wendy and his smile matched her sister’s. When they came together, she heard several women sigh with jealousy, including herself.
“Hey,” he finally said to her after they finished a quick sexy kiss. Cole’s arm stayed around her sister’s shoulders. “How was shopping?”
Wendy proceeded to talk about their day as he listened intently to every word.
Willow had never really felt jealous around the couple, until after she’d met Caleb. Now, every time she was around happy couples, all she could think about was him, and how lonely she was.
It had been hard the first few nights after he’d left. She’d lain awake in her bed, hoping, waiting for a sound at her front door. But each night she’d gone to bed lonelier than the night before.
She’d never felt this way about Jake. She ran the short time they’d been together over and over in her mind. The way he’d looked at her with his dark eyes and how his hands had felt running over her heated skin.
Every time she thought of him, her face flushed, and she realized she missed him more than she thought possible.
Even work held little interest for her the last few days. Often she found herself sitting in the sand thinking about him. Where he was. What he was doing. Was he safe? Had the gang found him? Was he thinking about her?
When she was working, she was scanning the beaches, looking for his familiar face or build. The white sands were slowly filling up with tan, muscular, half-naked men, and she didn’t even give any of them a second look.
When she’d met Wendy earlier that day, her sister had asked immediately what was wrong. Willow had once again had to lie to her sister and tell her she wasn’t feeling well.
“It’s all that time you spend outside. It’s not right. You’re going to get sunburn and skin cancer,” her sister had said.
“I wear sun block and cover myself. Besides, it’s better than hiding in dark lights with a bunch of drunks around me,” she teased back. “You live the life of a vampire and are marrying a sun god.”
“Yes.” Her sister’s smile had grown. “Yes, I am.” Thankfully, Wendy hadn’t mentioned how she looked or acted any further that day.
Now, as they sat at the bar, drinking their drinks and munching on a plate of hummus and cheese sticks, she listened and watched as her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law flirted with one another.
Again, she felt the stirs of loneliness creep into her mind. Even joking with Alan did little to lift her spirits.
She desperately wished Caleb had a cell phone or she knew where he’d been heading next.
After she was done with her drink and food, she excused herself. She hugged Wendy and kissed Cole on the cheek and walked out of the bar to let the couple continue flirting and smiling at one other. She walked along the boardwalk towards her car and thought about her life. The beaches were almost completely full at this time of the day. Families and couples walked or played in the crystal green waters and built sand castles in the white sand.
She loved spending a day at the beach, but even that didn’t sound exciting anymore. Her job was the only thing she looked forward to anymore. She had the job she’d always dreamed of. Helping animals was something she’d felt strongly about ever since she was a child. Wendy had taken her to the beach one day and they had found a baby dolphin that had been beached. They had worked together to help drag the baby back out to the deeper surf and watched as it swam out to its mother. From that moment on, she knew what she wanted to do with her life. Even though she’d taken a few detours in high school, she had been destined to become a marine biologist.
She loved every part of her life, except for the loneliness. It was funny; she hadn’t realized she’d been lonely until after Caleb left.
She was just unlocking her car when she heard a noise behind her. Glancing over, she frowned when the noticed that the darkened parking lot was empty. Her heart skipped a few beats as her eyes moved around. When she turned back to her car, she jumped when a hand reached out and held the door shut.
Her arms swung around and connected solidly with something, causing her to fall back against her car door.
“Easy,” a familiar voice sounded close to her ear, causing her knees to melt.
“Caleb?” She half squealed, half moaned his name.
“Hey.” His smile melted her knees the rest of the way and she gripped her car door just to remain upright. He was rubbing his jaw, where her fist had connected with it.
His hair had grown out and she loved the thick curls around his forehead. His dark eyes roamed over her quickly, making her entire body melt. He was wearing a black shirt with the same faded jeans from before.
“What are you doing back here?” The question was off her lips before she could stop it.
His smile faltered for a moment. Then his hands were on her shoulders, drawing her closer. “I’m afraid I need your help once more.”
My god it was good to see her again. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her in the two weeks he’d been gone. Every night he’d lay awake in some dingy hotel room and think about her. Dream about her. Wanting her.
He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, so he grabbed her keys from her and walked her around to the passenger side of the car and helped her in.
When he got behind the wheel, he peeled out of the parking lot and kept glancing back in his mirrors.
“What’s wrong?” Willow asked, turning around to look behind them.
“I ran into some trouble after leaving you.” He watched as two lights followed him. He cursed under his breath and knew it was going to be a very long night.
“Are you okay?” Her hand reached out for his.
“So far, so good.” He turned the opposite direction from her apartment and punched the gas pedal.
“Where are we going?” she asked, holding on to his arm.
“I’m sorry.” He chanced a glance at her for a moment. “Somehow they found out about you.”
Instantly, fear shot through her. “Wendy?” She reached in her bag for her phone.
“She should be safe enough. They don’t seem to know who you are, just that you helped me.”
“How?” she asked, and he could see fear in her eyes.
He felt like a traitor but knew she deserved the truth.
“When I called my handler”—he waited until she nodded with understanding— “I told him about you. Not by name, but that I had a female friend in Surf Breeze. He asked for more info, but I only told him where you worked.” He glanced at her once more. “You haven’t been at work the last two days?”
She shook her head and he sighed with relief.
“I’ve taken a few days off to help Wendy shop for her wedding.”
“Good.” He rested back a little, until he spotted the same two lights behind them.
“How would telling someone from the FBI about me be dangerous?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe the guys on the payroll, but shortly after I made the call, I had a visitor.”
“Are you okay?” Worry flashed behind her eyes again.
He nodded. “Yeah. At first I thought it was a fluke, bu
t after switching cities and hotels, I called once more. This time, I gave him the wrong hotel and room number. I sat outside the other hotel until the same guy showed up.”
“What did you do?”
“I came here as fast as I could.” He’d been in an utter state of fear for her the entire trip, but he kept that information to himself.
“What do we do now?” she asked, glancing again behind them.
The headlights had disappeared, but that didn’t remove the worry or the feeling that they were being followed.
“I’m not sure. All I know is, I don’t think it’s safe to go back to your place just yet.”
“I should still call Wendy.” She reached for her phone then leaned back as she held the phone to her chest. “What should I tell her?”
He thought about it for a moment. “Is she living with her fiancé?”
Willow shook her head no. “They decided not to live together until after the wedding.”
“Tell her to stay with him until she hears from you again.”
“What about... us?”
He sighed. “Do you have a friend? Somewhere out of town that you can tell her you’re visiting?”
“Yes, I lived in Crystal Shores until just a few months ago, after the hurricane. I have a few friends living there still.”
He nodded. “You can call into work, too. Tell them you have to take a few more days off. Don’t tell them anything else.”
She nodded and then dialed. He heard her leave a message for what he assumed was her boss, David. After hanging up, she took a couple deep breaths as she looked down at her phone.
“What is it?” he asked as he pulled onto another back highway.
“I told myself I wouldn’t lie to Wendy anymore.”
“Anymore?” His curiosity peaked.
“Wendy and I... We haven’t always been this close, remember?”
He nodded quickly, glancing once more in the rearview mirror. The lights were back, so he punched the gas once more.
“After she was hurt in the hurricane, I promised to be a better sister.”
He reached over and took her hand. “By warning her, you are being a better sister.”