by Aubree Lane
The pot clusterfuck was a worry. Grady allowed that to happen right under his unobservant nose. He figured it had to be one of the girls in his Tapped That group. That constant reminder of how callously he treated the young women needed to be deleted off his phone. His mother would be ashamed of how he behaved the past year. His dad might have offered up an initial high five, but it would have been followed by a lecture. It wasn’t hard for Grady to envision the scowl on their face or the tsk-tsk in their voice.
Devising the plan to franchise the Coffee Cart was step one of coming out of the fog of grief. He couldn’t take any credit for his reemergence. If Eleanor hadn’t listened to him and urged him to talk with Larry, he wouldn’t have been able to come as far as he had. If Annie hadn’t been intrigued by his proposal, he would have been dead in the water. Most importantly, if Brittany hadn’t ignited a spark inside him, he would still be working the beaches, searching for more distractions to bring home, and he might have landed in jail for the marijuana growing in his yard.
Brittany was special. Grady respected her. She lived through hell with her parents and got out at the first possible moment. It would take time for her to get over the trauma she suffered, and even though Annie was a help, she was also a hindrance in her sister’s recovery. Soon Brittany would need to get out of the Javier house. Grady wanted her to live with him. It didn’t even matter if she wanted her own room. She was only eighteen. As long as he had a chance with Britt, he would give her all the time she needed. None of that was possible until Agent Tam solved the case.
Grady felt the current begin to tug him out to sea. He switched direction and made his way back down the shoreline the opposite way. He reached his arms out further and increased the speed of his stroke. It felt good to stretch it out. Amplifying the power of his kick, his body cut through the water with ease. When his lungs and thighs began to burn, he slowed his pace and finally came to a stop. Treading water, Grady looked up and found he wound up almost exactly where he began.
Going in circles seemed to be his specialty.
He swam ashore, grabbed his towel, and made his way back up the path.
• • •
Underneath the sea, a pod of spinner dolphins kept a watchful eye on the chosen one. As soon as he was out of sight, they danced and played their way to the surface. One by one they jumped out of the water, delighted with the young one’s progress. A few moments later, the pod dove deep to wait silently until the next time he ventured out into the ocean.
• • •
“Have you found anything out of place?” Brittany leaned over Grady’s shoulder to get a better look at the computer screen.
The tea tree scent of Brittany’s hair was intoxicating enough to make concentrating on the live feed from his house almost impossible. “I scanned the overnight hours and other than Mr. Sanders’ dog defecating in my yard, nothing. That Warden kid walked by a while ago. He looked lost. I think he was looking for you or Erika.”
“I have the letter of recommendation Lena wrote for him,” Brittany explained. “He said he would pick it up at the B&B, but he never stopped by. If you see him again, ask him how I can get a hold of him. Lena and I don’t have his number.” Britt brushed her cheek against his. “Anything else interesting?”
Grady breathed in her scent. “No. I’ve caught up to real time, and it’s real time boring.”
Brittany squeezed his shoulders. “I can go out there and jump around and wave a bit if you want.”
Mr. Javier went to a lot of trouble installing those cameras as inconspicuously as possible. He wanted them kept secret. If Brittany went out and exposed their position, they might not ever catch the guilty party. “Please don’t.” He spun the task chair around and faced her. “Try not to think about the cameras. Just act as though they aren’t there. If someone is watching and waiting for their chance to retrieve the plants, we don’t want them to suspect anything.”
Brittany rolled her eyes.
She’d been joking. He hadn’t caught on and scolded her. Grady closed the laptop and got up to make amends. Taking her by the hand, he led her over to the couch. “Sit next to me for a while.”
“This is where you slept last night. Is this your way of getting me into your bed?”
Grady liked the sound of that. He was trying to take it slow, but if she was willing, he certainly wasn’t going to turn her down. In the back of his mind, he realized nothing was going to happen in the middle of the living room on the Javiers’ sofa. Brittany’s virtue was safe, but Grady couldn’t tell if she was kidding or not. “We could head across the street,” he suggested, trying to get a feel for the situation.
A puppy pout crossed her face. “Sorry, I’m babysitting Max.”
“And if you weren’t?”
“I’d find another excuse.” Brittany stroked his fingers tenderly. “It’s not a deal breaker, is it?”
It wasn’t. Grady was sick of the shallow relationships flowing in and out of his bed. He wanted to love someone. He didn’t know if Brittany was the one, but he wanted to find out. Old habits die hard, though, and a sheepish grin formed at the corner of his mouth. “And if it were?” he asked, his eyes bright with mischief.
Brittany gripped his leg just above his knee and squeezed.
“You know that only tickles, right?” he said, challenging her to be more forceful.
She accepted his dare and dug her nails into his skin.
Grady had to rip her hand off his leg. “Okay, you win. That hurts.”
With her hand poised in the Vulcan death grip, she went in for the kill.
Grady was in trouble. Brittany was dang strong. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to have to call uncle. Hoping to distract her from the wrestling match which was about to ensue, Grady grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her lips. It was a quick kiss, but it was enough to make Britt pull back and blink.
He waggled his brows and enticed, “Wanna make out?”
Brittany let her fingers travel up his thighs.
Grady sucked in an excited breath. Their gaze locked onto each other. She leaned in. Her eyes closed and her nose gently brushed his cheek.
Wee Willy Winky jumped to attention. Grady flipped her into the cushions and her legs wrapped around his body. He forced himself to slow down. Brittany wasn’t ready. It was up to him to be responsible for once. This was going to be a make out session and nothing more. Every ounce of his being wanted to press his body against hers, but he held back.
Brittany sucked on his lower lip, and her legs tightened around his waist.
The girl was killing him. Grady wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside her, but this was not the time or place. With his mind in turmoil, his body did its best to make him succumb to his growing passion. The small amount of willpower Grady managed to drum up was weakening. Her hands ran down his back, and her legs grew tighter around his waist. He braced a knee on the edge of the couch and tried to keep their bodies from touching. Her lips and tongue were sending shock waves throughout him. A soft little moan resonated deep within her throat and Grady lost it.
Brittany won the battle and he was all too willing to let the spoils go to the victor.
He let his full weight fall upon her and returned her kisses with wanton fervor. When his pelvis pushed into hers, Brittany responded by wiggling beneath him. He kneaded her breast, and her head fell back with abandon. That was all the invitation Grady needed. His fingers found the edge of her top. Relishing a moment of anticipation, he let his knuckles brush against the soft flesh of her abdomen.
• • •
Erika stood at the doorway. Any moment her dad and Annie were going to walk in and witness what she was seeing. Part of her wanted Grady and Brittany to face the embarrassment, but since the situation amused her more than upset her, she called out, “I found them. They’re in the living room!”
The young couple scrambled off the couch.
Brittany tugged her shirt back into place and mouthed th
e word sorry, before racing into Max’s bedroom.
“Are we cool, Erika?” Grady asked quietly as he adjusted his pants.
Erika scrunched her nose with disdain. She thought she would love Grady Barlow forever. It was irritating that all the many adults in her life were right. What she felt for the handsome boy across the street had been nothing more than a crush. She didn’t even care enough to string Grady along and make him feel bad about locking lips with her aunt.
Warden helped loosen the bond she felt for Grady, but it was Ben who set her free. She went out to the sanctuary to see him. Erika didn’t exactly have her parents’ permission yet. Her dad and Annie kept hedging on whether she was allowed to see Ben. She suspected her brother-in-law, David, was in the process of running a background check on the Kaʻuhane family. Erika was certain it wouldn’t be long before she had her family’s blessing and she and Ben wouldn’t have to hide their attraction for each other any longer.
“Stop worrying. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for you anymore.” She sent her fist flying and punched Grady’s bicep with all the strength she could muster. “Smile. It’s what everyone’s been waiting for, you should be happy.”
His eyes narrowed. “Really?”
When her head bobbed up and down, Grady said, “Then it’s safe to do this without sending out the wrong signal.” He hugged her tight.
Erika pushed him away. “Are you testing me?”
Grady grabbed for her again. The smile on his face was infectious. He was teasing her, not testing her. That brother-in-law, who was busily running a background check on her future boyfriend, had taught Erika a few self-defensive moves during his last visit. Before Grady knew what happened, he was flat on his back.
Erika stood over him, laughing.
• • •
“Take the wig off, Marissa. You’re just too pretty, Erika would recognize you anywhere.”
Marissa glared at her husband. “And you’re not?”
“I am pretty hunky,” David agreed. “But I’m also a master of disguise.”
Marissa couldn’t help snickering at the man’s arrogance. “All you have are sunglasses and a baseball cap. How does that make you a master?”
“It’s simple really. You never want to overdo it or you’ll make yourself conspicuous. Even if Erika is at the sanctuary, she won’t recognize me because she’s not expecting me. I’ll be able to blend right in.”
“Yet, in your eyes, the same logic does not apply to me.”
David wrapped a sympathetic arm around Marissa’s shoulders. “She knows you too well. You’ve flown over to Hawaii a lot more than the rest of the family.”
“So you’re telling me, if Jack and Sandy were walking through the sanctuary, oohing and aahing over all the fowl, Erika wouldn’t know it was them.”
“The moment they opened their mouths, she would, but up until that point...”
David was full of crap, but he had a good argument. She came over every few months to give her father a quarterly report on how the transfer of power was coming along. David and the kids only came about once a year. If Erika recognized anyone, it would be her. Marissa also knew if she pushed, her husband would relent and let her come along.
They still had some hard work ahead of them to clear Grady of any wrongdoing. Marissa decided to stay put. It was going to be quite satisfying to rub David’s nose in it when he failed. Her little sister was a good kid, but she wasn’t going to wait for the all clear from Terence and Annie before seeing her new sweetie pie. Marissa would be surprised if it turned out Erika wasn’t already at the sanctuary.
“Fine,” she conceded, “get out of here. Go give Erika the gift of love.”
David squinted suspiciously. “You gave in way too easy. Why do I get the feeling I’m going to regret this?”
“Sweetheart,” Marissa replied indulgently. “Erika is sharper than you give her credit for. Do you honestly believe the only time she ever snuck out was the day she got caught and grounded a couple of weeks ago? If you are that naive, our kids are going to get away with murder.”
“Me? Naive? Never.”
Her husband was so adamant, Marissa couldn’t help but be amused. She grabbed his shoulders and spun him around. “Go,” she said, pushing him towards the door. “The bird sanctuary awaits. Be careful, though, because Erika is going to be there and she’s going to bust your ass.”
David made a U-turn and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before he hurried out of their hotel room.
• • •
The private detective paid the twenty dollar fee at the gate and walked inside the Bird’s Nest Sanctuary. Only several feet inside and he was already impressed. Not a drop of bird feces in sight. Instead, he saw two buildings. One was the information center, and the other was called The Incubator. It seemed pretty self-explanatory. David deduced the baby tern would be found in the hot house.
He followed the pathway between the buildings and a different world opened up to him. It was lush, green, and full of the sound of happy seabirds. David adjusted the ball cap securely on his head. He never met a gull who wouldn’t gladly dive bomb an unsuspecting tourist and leave a little gift dripping down their forehead.
The path led to a large gravel area. A sign directed the visitors to wait for the next tour which would begin in about twenty minutes. A young couple who looked like newlyweds, milled around aimlessly, shuffling from one informational placard to the next.
The only other visitors, at the moment, was a grandmotherly woman frantically trying to keep up with her three young charges.
There weren’t enough people for him to blend in easily. David felt exposed. If Erika and her new young man became serious, they were bound to meet at some point. He didn’t want his face to be familiar when that day arrived.
He retraced his steps and ducked inside The Incubator. It wasn’t long before he realized his foolishness. Erika stood in front of a cage, talking softly to a squawking white bird. Before he could make his escape, someone called out a greeting from overhead.
“Welcome to the Bird’s Nest.”
Erika turned and saw him. Marissa was right. Recognition was written all over his sister-in-law’s face. His ass had indeed been busted. He removed his shades and grinned.
With the sound of heavy footsteps clomping quickly down a set of unseen stairs, Erika hurried towards him.
“You suck,” she whispered harshly. “Dad and Annie promised they wouldn’t get you involved.”
He threw the ball back in her court. “And you aren’t supposed to be here,” he stated flatly.
“What are you going to do? Drag me home and rat me out?”
David grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a stack of empty cages. “Marissa said you’d be here. I thought you had better sense than to disobey your parents. I’ll never hear the end of it if she knows I was found out almost the moment I walked onto the premises. No one knows we’re on the island. Marissa and I are trying to figure out who planted the weed in Grady’s backyard. It could get messy if that DEA agent finds out we’re running our own investigation. You can’t say anything.”
Erika stood back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Are Jack and Sandy with you?”
“I’m not exactly a blundering idiot. They are in Tahoe with Eleanor.” His young sister-in-law bit back a chuckle, clearly believing he was at the bare minimum, a blunderer.
The footsteps were quickly approaching. David whispered harshly, “We don’t have a lot of time. Just tell the kid I need to find the bathroom, and we’re good.”
Erika’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to tell on me?” she asked, needing clarification.
“Not if you don’t tell on me,” David assured her.
She blew out a relieved breath. “Do you still want to see the reserve?”
“Why? What do you have in mind?”
“When Ben gets here, I’ll ask him to give you a private tour. It will give you a chance to get to know him, and you’ll hav
e peace of mind when you spout his attributes to my dad.”
David studied her cunning little face. “You’re a lot more devious than I gave you credit for. Luckily, I haven’t been able to find anything incriminating against Ben or his grandfather. I think I can safely say my assessment will cast a positive light on your new boyfriend.”
“It better,” Erika warned.
Her tone set David on edge. Up to this point, their negotiation had been simple, friendly banter. She wasn’t mad he was spying on her. She might not have known what form his intrusion would take, but she expected it. David squared his shoulders and his best disapproving father expression glowered straight down at her.
Erika cocked her head to the side and smiled. “Did I take it a little too far?” she asked innocently.
David couldn’t keep a straight face. “I love you, kid, but I’m glad we live thousands of miles apart. Jack and Sandy would learn way too much from you.”
“I would never,” she gasped in horror, “those little munchkins are my niece and nephew. My job is to protect them and keep them safe. You should be happy I know all the tricks. If I lived close by, they wouldn’t be able to get away with a thing.”
Under Erika’s sweet exterior held a wily mind. If there was an angle to be found, this young lady would find it.
Erika’s new beau popped his head around the corner. “Is it safe for me to join this conversation, or should I go try to settle Turnabout down?”
Ben looked to be a Pacific Islander. David hadn’t looked into their family’s ancestry, but knowing there were less than eight thousand pure Hawaiians left on the planet, it would be interesting to find out if this family was one of them.