“I’m perfectly safe out there on my own.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
She sighed. “No, I don’t mind company.”
In the kitchen, she loaded her coffee with cream and sugar, while Zack looked on in surprise. “I thought you took it black.”
“Once in a while I turn it into dessert.”
She led the way to the wide porch. The motion detectors flicked on, brightly illuminating, switching off soon after they were seated on the comfortable outdoor sectional. The moon shone so brilliantly that the trees cast sharp shadows. Zack and Jamie fell silent as a herd of deer nibbled their way across the landscape. Zack stiffened uncomfortably as a skunk meandered along in front of the porch, but Jamie squeezed his arm and kept him still.
“Generally there’s no danger,” she whispered once it was gone. “As long as you don’t panic. I’ve sat here dozens of times with no ill result.”
“I can’t help wondering what one of those would do to a guest room at the resort.”
“Worse than a raccoon, that’s for sure.” Something thudded near them and Zack jerked. “I think that’s Marlin,” she said, twisting around to look at the window behind them. Sure enough, the big black cat was sitting on the interior windowsill, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the moonlit scene.
A fox delicately picked his way across the landscape and met another fox, sniffing and flirting...obviously it was female, and likely in heat.
“He’s got the right idea,” Zack murmured, his arm sliding around her shoulders.
“Careful,” she warned with the last bit of rational reason she possessed for the evening. “You don’t want to startle them. A fox can stink things up almost as bad as a skunk.”
“Some things are worth the risk,” he returned, pulling her close so his lips could start nibbling on hers.
Okay, so she’d known what could happen if they went outside together....
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ZACK PUT DOWN a length of the laminate flooring and used a mallet to tap it firmly into the tongue-and-groove fitting. He’d enjoyed planning and building the new fruit stand far more than he’d anticipated. A month or two ago, he probably would’ve thought it was too small to bother with, his head so preoccupied with size and luxury that not much else would fit. Fortunately, Jamie had knocked sense into him and life was more fun now.
“Is this right?” he asked Fred Harrington, who was directing installation of the flooring.
“Sure is, boss. You learn real fast.”
“It helps to have a good teacher. Who taught you how to install flooring?”
“My wife—her dad is a contractor in Southern California. My father-in-law offered me a job when we got married, but I wanted to live in Warrington.”
Zack paused and looked out the door, watching the afternoon fog drifting into shore. There was a tall cypress grove to the right, the small highway on the left and, across the valley, a few houses on the hills.
“I like it here, too,” he agreed. It was true, and for the first time in years, he realized a place was beginning to feel like home. Jamie flashed across his mind, in her overalls and ready to take on the world. Was it Warrington that seemed like home, or Warrington with Jamie Conroe in it?
He held another piece of the laminate while Fred cut it to the correct length. At first he had driven out to see how the stand was progressing. After a while, he’d picked up a hammer. The men had good-naturedly corrected his goofs and showed him better ways to do things. It hadn’t taken long before they stopped the formal “Mr. Denning” and began calling him “boss” or “Zack” the way Trudy did.
Zack enjoyed the physical activity, and learning new skills was always good; he’d often wished he knew more about construction while Mar Vista was going up so he could better evaluate the progress.
The Little Blue Fruit Stand would soon be gone. It hadn’t impacted Mar Vista as much as he’d feared, but a number of guests had mentioned its questionable appearance. Greg Cole was concerned in particular, despite his enthusiasm for the resort; he should notify him that the fruit stand had moved. Still, the layers of native evergreen and bushes effectively hid the trailer, and they provided an interesting hazard for golfers. As a result, Rick Lopez wanted to keep the plantings, even when the stand was gone.
Zack’s mind drifted to the night before last. The hours on the porch had been incredible and he’d wondered if a form of moonlight madness had come over them. By morning Jamie had retreated again behind her barrier with the no-trespassing signs, and the next night he’d slept on the couch.... Comfortable though it was, that couch was too familiar.
“I thought we would have gotten this done today,” Fred grunted as the two of them maneuvered the last piece into place. “But I didn’t want to finish the flooring until the plumbing was finished, and we needed to find that lost diamond back at the resort. The guest really freaked when it popped off her wedding ring and went down the drain.”
Zack had heard about the incident. “Did you find it?”
“Yep. There’s a trap in the system. Sure was a mess to get, though. If she’d seen the gunk it was in, she might not have wanted it back.”
“It was a pretty big diamond,” Zack said. “Don’t worry about the delay. We’ll get this whipped the day after tomorrow.”
“We could work on the Fourth of July if you need us to.”
“No, I want everyone possible to get the holiday off. We’ll still be able to meet the move date that Ms. Conroe has been giving her customers.”
Satisfaction settled over Zack as he drove toward Mar Vista, and it occurred to him that the biggest reason he’d enjoyed his work on the new fruit stand was because he was doing it for Jamie. Not because it was getting rid of the trailer, or even because he genuinely enjoyed working with the crew on building it, but simply because he wanted it to suit Jamie’s needs. The new stand was a reminder of how much she had come to mean to him.
* * *
KIM STUDIED THE ring on her left hand with extreme satisfaction. She was glad Brad hadn’t apologized because it wasn’t grandiose. He’d found it, he said, in a small antiques store in Warrington, and chose it for its old-fashioned charm. She couldn’t imagine a better engagement ring.
They still had things to work out. Brad had inquired into teaching possibilities and found there was interest, both in San Francisco as well as at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. But he might have to officially retire and be hired as a civilian, so he was considering it. She’d told him again that if he wanted active duty, then that was what she wanted for him. It was the truth, even if it terrified her.
Tonight they were having a celebration dinner at the Sunfish Grotto with Zack and Jamie.
Brad escorted her to the restaurant and she was proud walking in beside him. My fiancé, she thought giddily, more conscious than ever of the ring on her finger. It was like being sixteen again, with the excitement of a first romance; only this time it was going to last forever. The maître d’ led them to the table where Zack and Jamie waited.
“Congratulations,” Jamie said, standing to give Kim a hug. “I’m so glad for both of you.”
“How about a dance before we order?” Zack asked.
Kim couldn’t imagine turning down a chance to be in Brad’s arms, and now she could punish him if he tried switching partners the way he’d done the last time they’d danced at the Grotto. A smile curved her mouth.... There were some delightful ways she could torment Brad, whether he did anything wrong or not.
“What are you grinning about?” he whispered in her ear. “You have a cat-who-ate-the-canary look.”
“You’ll find out.”
From the corner of her eye she saw Zack; he seemed oblivious to everything except Jamie as they moved to the slow music.
There was something different abou
t him, she thought idly. She’d teased him earlier about becoming Saint Zack to his employees, and he’d thrown it off with a joke. Actually, things were better, though the employees still appeared cautious, probably waiting to see if his policy changes were as good as they sounded on paper. He’d discussed the resort for a while with her, but didn’t seem as zealous as usual. He was still enthusiastic, just not so intense.
Was it possible he’d found something—someone—more important to him than Mar Vista? As they returned to the table, Kim felt a faint chagrin stemming from feminine pride. If Zack was reordering his priorities, it was Jamie Conroe who’d gotten him to change, not Kim Wheeler.
She looked at Brad and her chagrin vanished. Life had turned out pretty damn good.
* * *
JAMIE HADN’T WANTED to eat dinner at Mar Vista with Zack, but couldn’t refuse since it was a celebration for Kim and Brad. She’d decided to wear the off-the-shoulder blue gown again. This time she dressed it up with silk stockings and long, elegant earrings that drew attention to her bare shoulder. She’d also fastened it differently, which showed more skin.
The other accessories completed the look and she was satisfied; Zack had swallowed hard when he saw her, and seemed to have trouble concentrating on anything except her bare shoulder. He’d left a trail of kisses down from her neck while they danced and her skin still tingled.
Firmly she reminded herself that it was a night for romance; after all, they were celebrating an engagement long overdue in the making. Kim had bubbled on the phone when she’d called and told Jamie about it. Since Kim was in her mid-thirties, they were planning to start a family right away. Jamie had pushed away her own angst. When she and Tim had gotten married, she’d wanted to get pregnant the first year, but Tim insisted on waiting; he’d wanted to be established in his career. Gradually she’d realized that he didn’t want children, and by that time, she hadn’t wanted to have any with him.
She just wished he’d make his move and get caught. Knowing he was out there planning something made it hard to put him completely out of her mind. Regardless, she was ready to face him down.
When their entrées arrived, so did a bottle of champagne. Zack poured their glasses and raised his. “To Kim and Brad,” he said simply. “I’m thrilled my friend will soon become my sister.”
Kim’s face lit up and Brad reached over to kiss her before they all drank the toast.
“What kind of wedding will you have?” Jamie asked when she’d finished her meal.
“We haven’t discussed it,” Kim answered. “But I’d like something simple, with just a few guests.”
“Hear, hear,” Brad said.
As they left the restaurant, Kim turned to Zack. “It’s the Fourth of July. Are there fireworks anywhere?”
“Sure,” Jamie answered for him. “Down at the dunes near the fairgrounds. It’s free. Everybody just comes and watches, but we should get blankets to sit on. I’ve got some at my place.”
It took only a few minutes to pick up the blankets, then they drove down and found a good place to watch the displays as they burst overhead. Zack pulled Jamie against him, his arms around her. A yearning voice inside her said it was the perfect way to watch fireworks every year, and another voice crossly told her to shut up. But was a future together so terribly impossible?
“That was amazing,” Kim enthused as they hiked through the sand toward the car. “It’s so much better because the sky isn’t lit up from the city, especially with those orangey streetlights they use so many places.”
“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen the fireworks here myself,” Jamie confessed. “My brother saw them each year since he visited in July, but I always came in August.”
A face slid past in the crowd and Jamie frowned. Tim? She stopped and studied the people around her but saw nothing.
“Something wrong?” Zack asked.
“Nope,” she answered. With Tim on her brain, it would have been hard not to imagine glimpsing his face in a large group of people, particularly in the limited light.
They’d ridden down in Zack’s convertible sports car, and as they came near her drive, Jamie suggested dropping her off.
“Not a chance,” Zack said. “You’re not going into that house in the dark alone, and I can’t imagine you wanting to if Tim might have been there tonight.”
“How did you...? Never mind.” Jamie shook her head. Did guys have radar for that kind of stuff?
When they came back to the house after dropping Kim and Brad at the resort, Jamie suggested putting Zack’s car in the garage. In past nights he hadn’t wanted to, insisting that having the SUV in front was a deterrent.
“Your Beamer is a sports car,” Jamie pointed out. “Something that would just dent an SUV could seriously mess up the BMW.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Zack answered with a shrug.
“Fine. It’s your car. I’ll see you in the morning.” She escaped as fast as she could to her bedroom.
* * *
ZACK SURVEYED THE finished building for the fruit stand with satisfaction. It was perfect. Other fruit-stand operators might end up making it look junky, but he knew Jamie would keep its appearance sharp.
The structure was simple, in a pseudo Arts and Crafts style. After an internal struggle, he’d offered to paint it blue, but she’d chosen muted shades of brown. Over the front, a carved, wooden sign proclaimed it was the George Jenkins Memorial Fruit Stand. Those letters were in blue, the same shade as the trailer.
Zack snapped several pictures before climbing into his SUV. If Jamie was busy, he could show her the photos; if she wasn’t, he’d take her for a tour.
At the end of the public road, his foot hit the brake and the vehicle ground to a screeching halt. There was a sawhorse across the road, adorned with a sign saying the fruit stand was closed.
Jamie would have mentioned if she was closing early, and would have simply put the chain across the road. Besides, it didn’t look like her other signs—she used sandwich boards, not sawhorses.
Zack’s foot hit the accelerator and the sawhorse went flying. He grabbed the radio microphone and told Trudy to call the sheriff, fast. Nearing the trailer, he fishtailed to a stop and leaped out, only to skid in the dust as he stared in astonishment.
“Aaaaaaaaaaa!” Tim Gardiner screamed, barely recognizable from the pictures Zack had seen of him. Gardiner’s eyes were scrunched shut, tears streaming down his cheeks, and he clutched his crotch in obvious agony. Jamie, breathless and glaring, held her cell phone in her left hand and a can of pepper spray in her right.
Zack grinned as Jamie spritzed more pepper spray in Tim’s direction and the man groaned.
Fists clenched, Zack stayed ready to knock the creep down again if needed, but for the moment Tim was occupied with pepper spray and the pain in his groin...likely the result of a well-placed knee.
A few minutes later, sirens sounded. Tim looked around wildly and tried to get up, but crouched again when Jamie gestured at him with her can.
Curt Saldano’s car pulled up beside Zack’s and he jumped out, gun drawn. He stared, mouth open at Tim Gardiner, Jamie standing guard. His eyes met Zack’s and they both started laughing.
Shaking his head, Curt efficiently put handcuffs on Tim and hauled him to his feet.
“You’re under arrest, Mr. Gardiner.” He reeled off Tim’s legal rights, which in Zack’s opinion were far too generous.
“You can’t arrest me,” Tim managed to shout.
“As a matter of fact, I can,” Curt said with a great deal of satisfaction. “Now, do you understand your rights as I’ve explained them?”
“You can’t stop a man from talking to his wife.”
“Ex-wife,” Zack and Curt said together.
“She...she didn’t mean it. She needs me.”
�
��Like a hole in the head,” Zack said. “Curt, take a look at the bruises on Jamie’s wrist.”
“Yeah,” Jamie agreed. “He grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. So I put a knee in his groin and used my pepper spray.”
“Hmm. Mr. Gardiner, it looks like assault and battery, along with the other charges.”
“You have no proof of anything. You—you—” Tim’s protest ended in a string of curses that lacked creativity, to say the least. Zack could have done better when he was ten years old.
“Tim.” Jamie interrupted her ex-husband with a smile. “I turned on my video camera the minute I saw you coming down my road. There’s more than enough proof to send you to jail.”
Gardiner still looked defiant, though the muscles in his throat began to spasm.
“Very nice, Jamie,” Curt complimented her. “And I suspect the paint from Zack Denning’s SUV will match the dent on that rental car over there.”
“And is the video from the night he broke my front window usable?”
The sheriff’s smile widened. “Definitely. Mr. Gardiner, there is a mountain of evidence against you. I’ve seen some dumbass jerks in my time, but you beat them all. By the way, Gus Hewitt is a parole violator and he’s going to need a deal, so I have a feeling he’ll flip on you in a heartbeat.”
Gardiner deflated with the speed of a balloon losing air and Curt put him into the back of his cruiser.
Curt shut the door and turned to Zack. “Could you bring Jamie in to make a statement? It’s best to get it on record right away. And I should probably have you do a witness statement, as well.”
“I can drive myself,” Jamie protested.
Zack rounded on her. “Hell, you could probably drive to Tucson right now, but since you nailed Gardiner without our help, let us preserve a shred of masculine ego by driving you into town.”
“Well...” Her mouth quivered at the corners. “I suppose I could stretch a point.”
* * *
JAMIE CLIMBED INTO Zack’s SUV and buckled her seat belt. Adrenaline was running high and she felt extraordinarily good.
Harlequin Superromance January 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Everywhere She GoesA Promise for the BabyThat Summer at the Shore Page 82