First Light

by Isabel Jolie

  “I do smile. I feel happy when I’m with you. I think I’ve been alone too long.” I nudged her head, wanting her to look up at me. Slowly, she did.

  “You make me happy, too. You know, I know they say that you shouldn’t end up with the first person you date after a divorce. And I’m aware we’re each other’s rebounds, but right now, I’m really hoping we can prove all the naysayers wrong.”

  “What naysayers?”

  “You know, whoever says you shouldn’t end up with your first after your divorce.”

  Her bare chest glided forward across mine, and she kissed me, soft and slow. Absolute perfection. The bed shook, breaking our kiss. Nym’s pink, lolling tongue and dog breath infiltrated our cocoon.

  “Oh, you want your walk.” Cali scratched behind the dog’s ears, and he wagged his tail. Choking down my annoyance, I offered to take him. But Cali insisted she come too.

  Hands linked, we strolled down my street, allowing a long leash for Nym to wander. The stars shone as bright pinpricks cast far and wide. The far-off sound of the surf and the salty air surrounded us. Darkness shrouded all but one or two homes on our brief lap around the block. As I locked my door for the night, she studied her watch.

  “Do you need to do something?”

  “I should probably check email and voicemail. It’s what I normally do before going to bed.” She strode up to me and looped her hands behind my neck. Her fingers toyed with the hair at the back of my neck, sending a prickling sensation along my spine. I closed my eyes to better enjoy it while pressing her against my chest. Her lips pressed against my throat, warm and soft. “I think tonight I’ll skip it.”

  “Now that’s the kind of relaxing I want to see more of.” I bent slightly and walked her backward into my bedroom.

  This time, I pulled back the comforter and the sheets. We watched each other as we each undressed, this time folding our clothes. She slid the lace bra right down her body and wriggled it over her hips. So that’s how you take it off.

  I crawled into bed next to her warm, soft, naked body. I wasn’t sure if she would want to do more, but her leg brushed over mine, and her fingers fondled me. At forty-two, I needed more rest before re-engaging, but the post-intimacy appealed as much as our foreplay. We kissed slowly this time and explored each other. Her touch and her tongue proved too tempting, and my cock twitched back to life. When we came together, it felt like we’d been lovers for years, not hours. And I knew, with every fiber of my being, that I wanted to be with her for years to come.

  Chapter 15

  Cali

  * * *

  The rich aroma of brewing coffee filled the air. I blinked repeatedly, squinting in the bright white light. Sunshine poured through the open blades of the plantation shutters. I stretched and automatically checked my wrist for the time.

  Nym cocked his head.

  “It’s time for a walk, right, boy?” His tail flopped left, then right. “You’re wondering why we’re here. I know. We’re off routine. Doesn’t seem right, does it?”

  Logan’s deep timbre responded, “I beg to disagree. Nothing has ever felt more right to me.” He bypassed Nym in the doorway and handed me a white ceramic mug with steam rising from it. “I wasn’t sure exactly how you take your coffee. I noticed an almond milk in the recycling bin that day Nym got wrapped up in burrs, so that’s what I used. Is that okay?”

  “Do you use almond milk, too?”

  “No. I like mine black. But I bought some almond milk, so I’d have some on hand. I also have regular skim and cream.”

  “You’re prepared, huh? Ready for whatever your lady friend wants in the morning?” My tease came out of nowhere. Out loud…it sounded icky.

  “Lady friend?” He smirked. It sounded like something Mom would say. “Prepared for you. No other woman. I think I’ve been pretty straightforward and direct.” His pointed, unwavering gaze sent my insides fluttering. He sat on the edge of the bed and pressed his lips to mine, the pressure just right. I think I may have moaned.

  “What can I make you for breakfast?”

  “What were you thinking?” My dress hung on the low post on the end of his bed. I reached for it. He handed it to me, then passed me my panties and bra.

  “Scrambled eggs. Anything you don’t eat?”

  “No, not really. I try to limit the amount of meat I eat, but I eat anything.”

  “So is bacon not your favorite?”

  “I’ll eat it, but rarely. It’s not very good for you, you know.”

  “I think with your workout routine you can swing it.”

  “I’ll eat whatever you make.”

  “I’ll fix it while you get ready.”

  Proving he couldn’t be more perfect, in his bathroom lay a brand-new toothbrush and toothpaste, his facial soap, moisturizer and a pristine white washcloth. His brand struck me as too harsh, so I scrubbed my face with water. I read the bottle of his men’s facial moisturizer and finally decided I wasn’t quite brave enough to put it on my face, but his thoughtfulness brought on an incessant smile.

  I emerged from the bathroom refreshed. Two plates of steaming scrambled eggs, buttered toast, and no bacon awaited me.

  “You’re really kind of amazing.”

  He shrugged, like it was no big deal. “I’m trying to make a good impression.”

  He scrolled through his email as we ate, and I contemplated turning my phone back on. But I knew damn well an influx of angry texts awaited, and I wasn’t quite ready to face the impending fight. So my phone remained off, tucked inside my bag, to be dealt with later.

  “Can I give you a ride home? It’s on the way.”

  “Thanks, but Nym needs to walk.”

  Outside, the palm tree in his back yard swayed beneath clear blue skies. Birds chirped. The high tink of a biker’s bell cut over the distant sound of crashing waves. He’d have a perfect day for his flight with Gabe.

  On his porch, he kissed me goodbye. His hand cupped the curve of my ass, an intimacy he now claimed, and my insides melted.

  “Can I see you tonight?”

  “We’re supposed to have dinner with Gabe and Poppy, remember?”

  He grinned, looking so happy it twirled my insides. On the walk back to my place, my cheek muscles stretched from my wide, uncontrolled smile. Two kids pedaled by, barefoot with towels precariously perched over rusted handlebars, and I edged Nym over off the pavement. A golf cart loaded down with surfboards on top and filled with a family passed by. Saturday at the beach was in full swing.

  I turned right into my drive and halted. A golf cart, not mine, parked in front of my front door steps. A familiar man stood beside it. He wore cargo shorts, a dark gray t-shirt, and sunglasses. I’d seen him before. Where? The memory clicked. Next door. He rented his house out, so people were in and out of it all the time, but I’d seen him enough to expect he had to be the owner.

  “Hi.” I approached, ready to extend my hand. I slowed my step several feet away, as it occurred to me my neighbor wouldn’t need a golf cart.

  “Cecilia? Cali?” An uneasiness settled in my gut.

  “Yes?”

  “Your brother sent me.” Oh, no, he did not. My jaw clenched. What, exactly, did Erik expect this guy to do?

  “Your mother has been admitted to the hospital.” The world stopped. “She’s in critical condition. You have forty-five minutes to get ready. We have a plane ready to take you. I’ll wait outside.” I didn’t move. “I’ll wait right here. You need to get moving.”

  “Who are you?”

  “Douglas. I work with Erik. He tried calling, but you turned off your phone. I’m assuming you’ll want to shower and pack. Cali, you need to get moving. We have to fly out of the Wilmington airport. It’s busy this morning.”

  “What happened?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “To my mom.”

  “They suspect a heart attack. That’s what I was told yesterday evening. They probably know more now. Erik knew you’d want to go home to her
.”

  I held the lifeless phone in my hand, the one I’d refused to turn on because I’d been pissed.

  “I had instructions to pick you up from Logan’s house if you weren’t home by nine. You look like you’re in shock, but I need you to move. We really need to get going.”

  “Right.” I flicked the phone on as I climbed the steps into my house. The man stood in my drive, arms crossed, scanning the yard from left to right.

  Nym followed me into my bedroom.

  “You never growled at that man. You must think he’s okay.” I scratched behind his ears then turned on the shower. The water ran from cold to hot.

  I picked up the phone and dialed Dad. Voicemail clicked on. I flicked over to my missed calls list. None from Dad. Five missed calls from Erik and a slew of texts.

  Steam swarmed the bathroom. On a normal day, Nym would remain in my bedroom. But, proving that today was anything but a normal day, he sat beside the shower, ears forward, alert.

  The tepid water poured over me. The thick cloud in my head cleared. Verification. I needed to verify Erik knew this guy. Erik’s text—all of them—said to call him. None mentioned Mom. And surely if something happened to Mom, my father would call me. I’d be on the short list of people he would call right after 911.

  I got dressed quickly, pulling on leggings. My outfit could work for a long flight, but it could also work if I needed to run. I pulled the laces on my running shoes tight. I glanced up at the ceiling, scanning the glass insets of the lights above. Was someone watching?

  I dialed the number that sent Erik’s most recent texts. My back rested on the closed bedroom door. I chewed on my thumbnail. Waves crested in the distance. The beach. I could escape out the back.

  “Cecilia,” Erik answered, stern. Sirens rang in the background. “Do what Wolf says.”

  “So, it’s true? How’s Mom?”

  “If you would’ve picked up your damn phone, you would’ve learned about it last night. You could be with her right now.”

  “Is that what you were trying to tell me yesterday?” A weakness penetrated, and I locked my knees in response to the shaking.

  “No. It didn’t happen until later in the afternoon Pacific coast time. She hadn’t been feeling well all day. She thought she ate something wrong. Dad wanted her to make an appointment with her doctor, but she wanted to see how she felt in the morning. You know Mom. When she vomited, Dad called 911. Then he called me and asked me to get in touch with you, which is really hard to do when you turn off your phone.”

  “I thought—”

  “I know. It’s fine.” A hint of exhaustion colored his statement. “But you need to pack. Get moving.”

  “How do you know I’m not moving? Are you watching me?” I peered up at the ceiling.

  “No. I’m listening to you, and you don’t sound like you’re moving. Plan to stay a while.” Right.

  I pulled down a suitcase from the top shelf in my closet, with my phone tucked between my ear and shoulder. A horn beeped, and distant, muffled voices filled the background, only the voices, I could swear, spoke something other than English.

  “Where are you?”

  “Stuck on a project. Dad knows.”

  “You’re not coming home?” Our mother is in the hospital! Ire rose along with a desire to scream.

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to. But if she gets worse, I’ll be there. You’ll need to tell me, but know if I come, it will be with grave risk.”

  Grave risk, my ass. I opened the suitcase and headed to the closet, going straight to the hangers to throw in my standard clothes for visits home. I tripped forward over Nym. Nym!

  “What should I do about Nym? Should he come with me?”

  “No. He’s a security dog. He needs to stay with the house.”

  “But…”

  “Shit. I’d say Wolf could feed him, but he’s got an assignment.” He muttered, as if running through names. “Can any of your friends take care of him? Those neighbors down the way?”

  “I’ll ask Logan.”

  “Fine.” I suspected he’d like to say more, but all the background noises ceased. “I’ve got to go. Listen to Wolf. If you text me, use our code.”

  “Who is Wolf?”

  “The guy outside.”

  “He said his name was Douglas.”

  “Douglas Wolfgang. We call him Wolf. Do what he says.”

  Then the line went dead.

  I dialed Logan.

  “Morning. I was just thinking about you.”

  I clutched the toothbrush, absorbing his words, then with a shake, threw the brush into my toiletry bag and snapped open drawers.

  “Unfortunately, I’ve had some bad news. My mom’s in the hospital. I was calling to see if you could take care of Nym while I’m gone.”

  “Absolutely. Is she okay?”

  “Yes—I don’t know. I’m short on details. But I’ve got to rush to make my flight. I’ll text you instructions for care. His food gets delivered each week. Amazon delivers to the post office, so you’ll have to pick it up there.”

  “That’s fine. He can stay with me.”

  “No.” Erik wanted Nym here. “The house will be empty. It’s better that he’s here. And he’ll feel more comfortable in his home. I’ll text you the alarm code and leave keys… not under the mat. Underneath the steps that go up to the front door.”

  “All right. How’re you doing?”

  “I think… It’s not… my mom is healthy. She’s thin. You wouldn’t think she’d have heart problems.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’ll drive you to the marina.”

  “No. It’s okay. I’m on my way.”

  “Which ferry are you getting?”

  I glanced at my watch. Shit, we just missed the outgoing ferry.

  “The first one I can get. Thank you for watching Nym.” I zipped up my suitcase, lifted it, and it fell to the ground with a thud. “I’ll text you when I land.” I should’ve said more…given a softer goodbye.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  The distant sound echoed in the open living room. I rushed to the door and flung it open. Within seconds, Douglas Wolfgang had my suitcase on the cart.

  We flew toward the marina at a speed that would most certainly get him pulled over by Public Safety if we crossed the path of an officer. The man didn’t say a word. Stared straight ahead. A man on a mission. I checked out his waist, expecting a gun holster, but didn’t see one.

  In the marina, a cloud of smoke rose behind the engine of a small ski boat. The water churned behind it. Another man, in cargo pants and a Navy SEALs t-shirt, waved from behind the wheel. A smooth white rope looped around from his hand to his elbow. He lifted a seat and dropped the coiled rope underneath the cushion.

  Wolf passed my suitcase over, and he stowed it in the berth. He returned and held out his hand to assist as I stepped over the water gap from the dock to the boat.

  “Nice day for a boat ride.” The man smiled broadly, relaxed and friendly. Wolf boarded and untied the boat.

  “Let’s go,” Wolf directed.

  We putted slowly out of the marina. Wolf gestured for me to take the front captain seat, next to the amiable driver. He took a place in the row of seats along one side of the back of the boat.

  “So, you are flying her out?” the man steering the boat asked Wolf.

  “No. Jones is.” He slashed his index finger across his throat. Stone-faced.

  “What’s that about?” I asked. Wolf shrugged. “You told him to be quiet. Why?”

  The man driving the boat chuckled and extended a hand. “I’m Trevor. Good to meet Erik’s infamous sister.”

  “Infamous? What do you mean by that?”

  “Oh, nothing. I’ve spent a fair amount of time with your brother over the years.” We passed the “no wake” signs, and he pushed the lever forward. The nose of the boat dipped down, then soared as we bounced from wave crest to crest. I clung to the edges of the seat and braced my feet again
st the front wall.

  Trevor expertly maneuvered the boat through the inlet at a speed that would normally have me screaming, but under his command, my fear remained dormant.

  “Are you a SEAL?”

  He glanced down at his chest. “No. Found the shirt at a thrift store.”

  The shirt didn’t look that old. But I dropped it. No reason to ask questions, because I couldn’t trust the answers. Besides, the more I learned, the greater the risk I would endanger Erik.

  I searched for the familiar harbor across the inlet. But the shoreline flanked our right.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Further down toward Wilmington. We’ll get closer to the airport.”

  I settled back into the seat. The wind whipped my hair, and the boat picked up speed, lessening the bounce as we tore down the waterway.

  After docking, and with curt goodbyes, I found myself in a black truck headed to the airport. Douglas, or Wolf, showed credentials at a gate, and we drove through. He parked and pulled my suitcase and another one out of the bed of the pickup truck.

  “Are you coming, too?”

  “To Seattle, yes. Not to the hospital. A car service will take you from the airport. Sound good?”

  I nodded, mystified as I followed two steps behind him. We walked through a side building onto the tarmac. A small, navy blue jet awaited us.

  “We’re taking a private plane?”

  “Erik called in some favors. Direct flights from Wilmington to Seattle aren’t available on commercial.”

  He shook hands with the uniformed pilot. The pilot smiled. As if this was normal.

  I sank into the soft, plush leather of the first seat in the first row, beside a window.

  “I’m going to set an extra blanket for you. There’s no flight attendant on board, but I’ll be up front. That galley area? It has a microwave, and the freezer has several meal options for you. Beverages are across the aisle. There’s ice and glasses on that side.”

  “It’s okay. I got her.” The pilot gave a quick nod to Wolf and closed the door behind him.

  “You need anything, you knock on the door. You should get some sleep.” With that, he joined the pilot.