Island Secrets

by R. T. Wolfe

  Taking his hand, she moved further down the beach. "I think it's tied into the break in at my folks' house. And mine."

  No need to spell out her change in subject for him.

  "You don't know if it's Seth yet," he qualified. "Osborne said a few weeks."

  She shook her head as if that might clear the possibility. "I don't think it's Seth."

  He sighed. She could hear it over the waves and the wind.

  "Regardless of whether it is Seth or not, think about it. I find the skull. Word travels around this island like a quick moving storm. My parents' home is broken into. The person chose Seth's old room. The drawers of his dresser were open. Then, my house. The house of the one who found the skull. Someone wants to find out if I know anything, maybe if Seth had something to hide." She shook her head more forcefully.

  His fingers tightened around her hand, slowly, a small squeeze at a time.

  "Dane?"

  "Oh shit. Sorry." He loosened his grip. "You're making too much sense." He stopped and turned her to face him.

  A tear had dripped over her lower lid. Of the few traits she inherited from her mother, the tears were one she could have done without. He used his thumb to brush it away and spread his fingers across her cheek, then in her hair. Her lids closed as her muscles loosened. She hadn't realized how tight they were.

  His lips touched hers, sending the same tsunami through her body as they had in the parking lot over the weekend. Want, need. This time it was more emotion and less primal. Peace, sensations. She dropped her flags and iPad in the sand and slithered her hands around his back, exploring, learning.

  Chapter 11

  What was she doing? Zoe didn't care. This was right. Their lips moved together as if they'd done this for years. It was much like their dance. They fit, moving together... familiar, yet new. His hands laced through her hair, then grasped. She didn't want to ever move from this spot.

  His knee dipped between hers, inching their bodies closer as he released her mouth. His warm lips traveled a slow trek across her jaw to her neck, finding the sensitive spot just behind her ear. A small moan betrayed her. She tilted her head, inviting him in, and opened her eyes in response to her undoing.

  "Dane!" She pushed him away, put her free hand on his shoulder, and turned his body south. "Look."

  A large female crawled out of the gulf like a giant creature from a horror movie. She maneuvered her flippers across the sand as instinct moved her forward.

  "Holy shit," Dane whispered. "Look at that."

  She barely had time to pick up her iPad before he grabbed her hand and took off down the beach. It was a green. "Wait 'til Raine finds out about this one."

  "Mother fucker, she's a giant."

  Ha. Dane was careful not to drop the f-bomb around her. His eyes lit up like he'd just found Luciana's Dowry.

  "How much do you think she weighs? Is this one going to lay eggs? I've never seen this when there weren't a few dozen tourists around that needed to be tamed."

  Guys loved this stuff. Always faking disinterest until they were in the midst of it, then they couldn't contain their interest. It was good to know Dane was a human male. "Around four hundred pounds, and let's hope she lays her eggs. We'll keep our distance until she's about done digging."

  "She looks like a beached whale, inching along by her fins."

  "I expect she feels like a beached whale, especially with all those eggs in her. Greens are always this big. They lay between 100 and 150 eggs. But it's early in the season. She'll save the sperm inside her for a few more nests."

  "What fun is that?" It sounded a bit too much like playboy Dane to her.

  They sat a few yards away and watched it find a spot. It turned, creating a shallow, oval divot in the sand.

  "She picked a spot next to some sea oats. That's good and bad."

  Without taking his eyes from the turtle, he maneuvered his way behind Zoe, sticking his legs out so she was sandwiched between them. His body was warm and firm. Thick arms wrapped around her and stubble brushed her cheek. It was like the f-bomb he dropped. His movements were subconscious.

  Watching the female dig her nest was as exciting as the first time. The scene lifted much of the weight pressing on her shoulders from the distant possibility that the skull might belong to Seth. From Dane's reactions, she was certain this truly was his first time up and personal.

  "The good is that since the sea oats are a protected species, the nest will be away from tourist activity. The bad is that some of the hatchlings will get tangled in the roots. Federal regulations require nest excavation seven days after the hatchlings emerge. Raine or Willow will likely find some live ones when they do."

  "Why not Zoe?" he asked as he took off her hat and laid it on the ground next to them. She couldn't possibly be expected to have a coherent conversation when Dane Corbin was stroking her hair over her shoulder and down her back.

  "I don't have an excavation permit." She shivered.

  "Why the hell not? No, don't tell me. How do you get an exhuming permit?"

  "Excavation permit." Zoe sighed. When she had her business, she told herself she didn't have time. Now, she simply didn't trust herself enough to handle the responsibility. "And I'd have to take a class. Raine won't give any certification classes until after season. It's okay. They let me watch."

  "We'll see about that. I want to do that thing where I buy the nest."

  The female turned just enough to fling sand on their feet. Dane ran his hands down the length of Zoe's arms, grabbing her wrists and wrapping them around her. What was his question? Oh. "You can't buy a nest. You can adopt a nest."

  "Yeah, that's it. What is that again?"

  "A wooden plaque in the shape of a sea turtle with your name on it is staked in front of the nest."

  He rotated his head and bit her earlobe. It sent a shiver of lust through her body making her pitifully weak.

  "When the nest hatches, you'll be mailed the weathered plaque, the data about the nest and some other cool stuff."

  "Can I have this one?" he whispered.

  She'd see to it herself if he would just keep doing what he was doing to her ear. "I think I can pull some strings."

  The green dipped her tail end into a yard-deep hole. "Now we can get closer." Slowly, they moved around the back of her and leaned over the hole. They were shoulder-to-shoulder, now, with their hands on their thighs. One ping-pong ball sized white egg after another dropped. She couldn't help it and started counting in her head.

  "Aren't they breaking? That's a long frigging way down."

  She couldn't count and answer at the same time. It was a shame, since his excitement was contagious. Instead, she smiled and whispered, "Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen."

  She ended at one hundred twenty-nine but missed some in the beginning.

  "They don't break, no. The shells are pliable and leathery. I don't have the permit that allows me to touch the eggs, either. That's a nest relocation permit."

  She sensed he was looking at her and not the green, so she turned her head and found him squinting, brows dug low.

  "Look."

  The green started pushing sand in the hole. Zoe had to admit, she too was surprised the eggs didn't break from the massive weight of the turtle as it packed the sand on the nest.

  Dane stood and linked fingers with Zoe. It felt comfortable, much too comfortable. What the hell was she doing?

  "Wow," he said as the turtle waddled back to the water. "That is some crazy shit. I feel like I need a cigarette after a long night of sex."

  And at that, she remembered exactly why she shouldn't be doing what the hell she was doing.

  * * *

  She didn't tell Dane she was going to St. Petersburg. It was for the better. She was sure of it. Almost. Nearly subconsciously, she chose her playlist with Welcome to the Jungle and Sweet Child O' Mine and cranked it.

  The drive north helped. The Skyhigh bridge. The long stretches with miles of water on both sides. Occasional
rows of palm trees. Nothing could quite clear her mind like the scent of a crisp gulf breeze.

  Dane Corbin.

  Why couldn't she date him for a while? It would be a nice distraction to the horrible waiting about the skull. It didn't have to be a serious thing, certainly not exclusive. They were easy around each other. With him, it was like riding a bike, no planning ahead what to say, no awkward silence that needed to be filled with small talk. They had chemistry. She felt the heat roll up her neck and over her face as she let their dance brush through her memory. She had no doubt he could absolutely make a break in her sex moratorium one to remember.

  She couldn't date him for the same reason she could.

  Because he was Dane Corbin. He probably had some girl at his house right then, smoking a cigarette after some long night of sex. She gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.

  He was confident, right with who he was, didn't need to answer to anyone or commit to anyone. He had the nerve to get up and go on month-long treasure-hunting adventures at the drop of a hat. And he could take the time to bring an oxygen tank to an employee who treated him like he had the plague.

  She almost missed the freaking exit again. Her heart was heavy for more reasons than Dane. The days-old newspaper that was secured in her glove box weighed on her heart. She hoped Matt would listen to her.

  She parked far from the door, then kicked herself for doing so. The receptionist was a woman this time, dressed in the same police uniform as the others. A numbness came over her. She worked to forget about Dane Corbin and to focus on reality. Using the meditative breathing her parents taught her, she waited patiently in the comfortable seats.

  Matt didn't tell the receptionist to have her meet him upstairs. He came to the lobby and greeted her with a handshake before pulling her in for a one-armed hug. "Come. We can talk upstairs."

  His office looked like it belonged to someone who worked hard. Stacks of papers in neat piles on his desk, two boxes she assumed held evidence for some case or another. Framed diplomas and certificates hung all along the walls. He'd had a lot of training. From many places. She wondered how he ended up in Florida.

  "I assume you're here about the skull," he said as he sat.

  She followed his lead, sinking into one of the two guest chairs that sat across from his large, wooden desk. Her words stuck in her throat, so she nodded her response.

  He leaned back in his chair. "I've never been through anything like you have. My family is intact and safe and sound in Nevada. I won't try and tell you I understand."

  "The break-ins."

  His chest rose and fell slowly. "Did you think of something new? Do you remember a face?"

  "I wish," she sighed. "Don't you think the break-ins are a bit too much of a coincidence?"

  "I think it's a big ocean out there."

  She assumed he was being both literal and metaphorical.

  "Gulf."

  "Gulf, right. It's a big Gulf and a lot of miles of coast and caverns. The possibilities are endless. As much as I can't imagine how hard it is for you to wait, it's the sensible choice, waiting. Have you thought of the possibility that you might want this?"

  Her eyes jerked to him. How dare he?

  "It would be easier. It would bring closure for your family."

  "You, you think I somehow want my brother to have been murdered so... so I can somehow be relieved of my part of the responsibility of his disappearance?" If he said it again, she would gladly spend months in jail for scratching his eyes out.

  "I just don't want to see you disappointed if it isn't him. It really is a big oc—Gulf out there," he said again.

  He wasn't listening. She was nearly ready to storm out without even showing him the newspaper article.

  "On the other hand, the break-ins are a stretch for me. Even if the skull isn't your brother's, it seems someone thinks it is. I've talked to Chief Roberts."

  He did?

  "I'm starting to understand your sister's aversion to anyone in the police force. He's not as... cooperative as I'd hoped. I can't get him to schedule patrols past your house or even your parents'. I had to strong-arm him to give me copies of the files from the original investigation. The best I can do is tell you what I've said before. Keep your windows and doors locked. Don't go anywhere alone. Especially in the dark."

  "I'm a beach walker."

  "You're a what?"

  "I volunteer for Ibis Island Turtle Conservation three times a week. I walk the beach early mornings on those days. It's dark."

  "Can't you wait until daylight?"

  She could. Then, other people would be walking the beach, ruining her alone time. But since the idea was not to be alone, she could walk the beach later in the morning. "I suppose. For a while, anyway. I found something." Her heart picked up as she said it.

  She pulled the newspaper article from her tiny purse. Unfolding it, she scooted forward to the front edge of her seat. Flattening it out seemed useless, but it occupied her hands, so she tried. Matt's eyes traced the paper, but he waited quietly.

  "My father found this. We haven't told my mother. She'll go crazy when she finds out we haven't." She was rambling and realized her hands were shaking. Clasping them together, she continued. "There was a break in at this apartment complex. It's inland about three miles, but that doesn't matter. It says here," she let go of her grip and pointed to the place she'd memorized in the print. "Apartment #4B was broken into. No one was home. Some vandalism was done. A wall broken into. This was where Seth lived before he died."

  Chapter 12

  Dane sat at a table in the outside section of the Clearwater's restaurant. It was mid-week, mid-afternoon. Traffic picked up as the new tourists for the coming weekend trickled onto the island. Down the street were two of the island's accommodations buildings. Cars slowed down, turned around, or pulled over to check a map. Same old, same old.

  Most of the time he enjoyed meeting new people from faraway places. Ibis Island was a place people came to relax, kick back, get in some quality diving, and maybe a glimpse of a sea turtle. Not many came to cause beach trouble. It's hard to do that with someone like Raine around.

  "Okay. Floors are swept, dishes are done, food is prepped." Willow took the seat next to him with Chloe close on her heels.

  "Well, hello, young lady. Have you seen a little six year old girl around here?" Dane asked her. "About yea tall? I didn't expect your mom to bring a young lady to my table."

  Chloe blushed like Zoe. Except, she looked like her dad. It had been five years since his death. Dane's eyes turned to Willow who seemed to be thinking the same thing. He took her hand. "You've been working a lot. How are you holding up?"

  "I have my Yoga and Pilates. They keep me balanced. And now that its summer, I have my helper here. We're holding up quite well, aren't we, young lady?" Willow squeezed his fingers before letting go. He read the tired on her face.

  "You need a boat trip. Both of you." He turned to Chloe.

  "Oh Mom, can we? When, Mr. Corbin? I mean... if it's okay with my mom." The look on her face was somewhere between pleading and a small threat of a tantrum if Willow said no.

  "I'm sorry," he amended. "I should have asked in private."

  "We'd love to, actually. On a Monday, I assume? Those are the slow days at both Luciana's and here. I assume they're your slow days, too."

  "That's right. Is this Monday too short of notice? I know Liam's been talking about an easy afternoon, too."

  "Let's ask Raine and Zoe. We could make it a party."

  He nodded. "It's a plan."

  "Yesss," Chloe fist-pumped the air. "I'm going to go snorkeling and catch sand dollars. Liam always helps me find sand dollars. And I'm going to work on my tan."

  It made him smile. Willow and Chloe were two of his favorite women. Speaking of favorite women. "Zoe clammed up again."

  He appreciated the way her expression fell. "But you were making such good progress."

  "We were. I don't know wh
at spooked her. I'm not as patient as I thought I'd be."

  "Oh, Dane. Throw me a bone, here. I'm female. I need more than that."

  "We kissed again. On the beach."

  "You kissed Zoe?" Chloe said it like it was a disease.

  "Just before a mama sea turtle came up and laid her eggs," he said to Chloe. "And after."

  Chloe wrinkled her nose.

  "I wish you would let me say something to her."

  Willow was a girl. She wouldn't understand. She'd been after him to open up and tell Zoe about the changes he'd made in his life over the past year or so. Well, since the day Zoe came crying on his doorstep, wanting to sell Sun Trips.

  Zoe still thought of him as selfish. A womanizer. He'd earned it. "I want her to make her own opinions. And not because her sister told her to." He dropped a large bill on the table. "But thank you. You're a real friend."

  "You're welcome, but it's killing me. She cares about you. She wants you more than she knows, but she doesn't see."

  "I hope you're right. How about ten Monday morning? Maybe it will take everyone's mind off of your brother. In fact, do you think your parents would come?"

  Willow's eyes lit up almost as much as Chloe's who was bopping up and down in her chair. "I'll ask. What a great idea."

  "Let me. I haven't seen your mother since the break-in at her house."

  * * *

  Dane parked in front of the Clearwater home, alongside the rows of honeysuckle. The scent reminded him of Zoe. Damned, confusing woman.

  The sight of the goats grazing on the roof should have been jarring. Henry Clearwater had been guiding goats up there every day for too many years for it to jar anyone anymore. From this angle, Dane could see the ramp Henry built for them so they could climb up early in the morning and back again at night. He better be glad the police on Ibis Island didn't regulate much of anything.

  As he slid down from his Jeep, Harmony came around from the side of the house carrying a basket. Her face lit when she spotted him. Yes, he adored this woman.

  "Dane. It's so lovely to see you. I was just gathering some snap beans for dinner. Are you hungry?"