Just a Wish Away

by Barbara Freethy

  Chapter Eight

  Was he completely out of his mind? Obviously the answer was yes.

  Braden's heart began to slow down as he tried to walk off Alexa's kiss. She certainly hadn't kissed like that when she was twelve. She'd been so sensual, so passionate. And she'd tasted even better than he remembered. He blew out a breath, telling himself not to get carried away. It was just a kiss. A really good kiss. But it wasn't like he'd never had one before.

  He needed to get a hold of himself. It was only natural that they would kiss again. They'd been taking a walk through the past all day. It was inevitable they'd end up back in each other's arms. But this kiss wasn't a goodbye kiss. Alexa wasn't leaving in the morning. He would have to see her again. He would have to keep his hands off her. He would have to make sure that he never ever kissed her again.

  He couldn't take her into the darkness with him. Maybe if they'd gotten back together in high school or after college. Maybe if he hadn't married someone else or gone to war. But he couldn't change what he'd been through or the man he'd become. The last thing he needed to do was drag Alexa down into the abyss with him.

  He needed her to stay that beautiful, golden girl from his childhood, but a part of him knew it was already too late for that to happen.

  He shouldn't have kissed her.

  She shouldn't have kissed him back.

  His mental rant continued with a new subject – Alexa. He'd told her about his divorce, his injuries, his mental and physical scars. She should have been running for home. She'd admitted to him that she was scared of love, that she didn't want to invest in someone who could break her heart. And there was no doubt in his mind that he could do exactly that. Because he wasn't the boy she'd had a crush on. They both needed to remember that fact.

  Turning at the next corner, he knew that there was really only one way to end their relationship and that was for her to leave. But that wouldn't happen until they figured out who had broken into the antique shop. Now, having seen that lighter in the photo, Alexa probably wouldn't go until she figured out whether or not her father had been having an affair with Shayla Cummings. He didn't want to believe that Alexa's father was connected to Shayla, but from what he knew of Rob Parker, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility. He needed to get Alexa answers, so they could both return to their lives.

  Ignoring the cramping muscle in his leg, he jogged up the stairs to the front door of the police station and headed inside.

  Drew was in the middle of a conversation with another officer. He waited for them to finish and then joined Drew at his desk. "I went by the Wellbourne house," he said. "I found another broken window. Looks like someone wanted to take a look around there, too."

  "Damn. I checked the house yesterday, and everything was locked up tight," Drew said.

  "Well, it's not anymore." He set the envelope of photos on the desk. "I found a roll of film in a woman's jacket inside the house. I got it developed."

  Drew frowned. "Excuse me? You searched the house?"

  "It was basically empty, and the window was open. I wanted to check things out."

  Drew opened the envelope and flipped through the pictures. "This looks like a lot of nothing. What am I missing?"

  "The name on the birthday cake is Shayla. She stayed at the Wellbourne house right before she drowned."

  "I remember that incident," Drew said, glancing back up at him. "But that was a long time ago. And what does a photo of a birthday cake have to do with anything?"

  He couldn't blame Drew for his confusion. Drew hadn't been caught up in the past like he and Alexa had been.

  "The photo isn't important," he said, not wanting to bring Alexa's father into anything. "But I think Shayla might be. I've done some research on her mysterious death. Cause of death was drowning, no evidence of homicide. However, she was wearing a white gown when she was found, which implies she wasn't just taking a swim. It could have been suicide. This department obviously investigated. I'd like to look at those files."

  "What does this have to do with the break-in at the antique store?"

  "I think there could be a connection."

  Drew gave him a look of disbelief. "You're reaching."

  "I'm just getting involved – the way you asked me to," he reminded Drew. "And I'm not on the payroll, so I can reach in any direction I want. Can you pull up the information on the investigation into Shayla Cummings' death?"

  "Doubtful. The department computerized about ten years ago. Earlier files are in storage. It would take some time to find."

  "Could that time be mine?" he asked. "Can you get me in there?"

  "Seriously? Why are you so interested?"

  "It's a loose thread. I'm intrigued."

  "And?" Drew asked, giving him a speculative look. "You have to give me more, because I'm not seeing any link at all."

  "Shayla is tied up in my past, too," he said. "Alexa and I used to roam that part of the beach below the Wellbourne house. We overheard a fight between Shayla and someone in the shadows. She drowned not too long after that. Alexa and I have been talking a lot about the past, and we both wonder if we witnessed something."

  "Did you tell anyone about this fight?"

  "No, I was twelve years old and I wasn't paying any attention to what was going on in town."

  "That's right. You were moping because Alexa left early that summer." Drew said with a knowing smile.

  "Can you get me into storage?" he asked.

  "I wanted you to get involved in a recent robbery not a cold case from more than a decade ago. Are you sure you're not trying to solve the mystery of Shayla so you'll have a reason to spend more time with Alexa?"

  Drew's sharp eyes saw him a little too well. He didn't want to get into a discussion about Alexa. "I still think there's a connection between the past and present events," he said. "The break-in at the Wellbourne house strengthens my theory."

  "It strengthens the connection between the break in at the antique store and Jack Wellbourne, but I'm not sure it ties into an accidental drowning from a very long time ago."

  "Well, we have no other leads, so I'm going to follow the trail and see where it leads. I need something to do. Isn't that why you asked for my help anyway?"

  "I told you I'm shorthanded."

  "Yeah, right. I believe you're short of help, but I also know you wanted to get me out of the apartment. So I'm out now, and this is what I'm doing."

  Drew nodded. "All right. The files are stored in a unit at the Wilkey Storage Center. I believe they're labeled by year so that should narrow the search. I'll leave your name with the manager."

  "Thanks," he said, getting to his feet.

  "But you could choose an easier path," Drew said.

  "What's that?"

  "Talk to the chief. He's been here twenty years. He might remember something. From what I've seen of the old files, there wasn't much in the way of good record keeping."

  "Good idea."

  "He's been spending a lot of time at the hospital with Phoebe. But if he's not there, you can try him at home." Drew jotted down an address and handed it to him.

  As he read the address, he realized how close the chief lived to Phoebe. "I forgot they were neighbors," he said.

  "I think they might be closer than that," Drew said with a grin. "The chief told me he's thinking about proposing to her."

  "They're that close?" he asked. If Chief Hayes and Phoebe were good friends, maybe the chief had purposefully kept Rob out of any investigation into Shayla's death. As his mind leapt ahead, he realized he was getting as bad at jumping to conclusions as Alexa. But at least he had one more person to talk to, and one more question to ask.

  "The chief spends a lot of time with Phoebe," Drew replied. "He takes her out on his boat on Saturdays all the time. I could see them getting together, and I think it would be great." He got to his feet. "Do you want to grab some lunch?"

  "No, but I'll take a ride home if you're going out."

  "How did you get her
e?"

  "I walked."

  "All the way from your apartment?"

  "No, I was with Alexa," he said.

  "With Alexa," Drew mused with a lazy grin. "Interesting."

  He shook his head. "It's not what you think."

  "You don't know what I think."

  "I have a fairly good idea. We're just friends. That's it."

  "If you say so."

  "I do say so."

  "But why?" Drew asked. "Does she have a boyfriend? Is there something wrong with her? What's the deal?"

  He thought for a long moment, wanting to come up with a good excuse, but nothing came to mind. So he told the truth. "She doesn't have a boyfriend, and there's not one damn thing wrong with her."

  "So what's the problem?" Drew asked.

  "She scares the hell out of me. She gets too close. She digs in. She brings back a lot of memories, both good and bad. She's just too much."

  Drew laughed. "I have a feeling Alexa is just what you need."

  * * *

  Alexa stood at the foot of her aunt's bed. Phoebe had had a stream of visitors since she'd arrived a half hour earlier, the latest the Chief of Police, Edwin Hayes. Tall and thin with pepper gray hair, and a commanding presence, Edwin seemed quite taken with her aunt. He'd brought a huge bouquet of flowers and ever since he'd arrived he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Phoebe.

  Unfortunately for Edwin, her aunt seemed to have a few other admirers as well. Butch Hanley from the local hardware store had dropped off her favorite cookies and Ian Holmes, a dashing older man with an Australian accent had brought her a lovely light sweater to wear over her hospital gown.

  As Alexa watched Phoebe with her friends, she felt a little envious. Phoebe had so many people who cared about her. Alexa couldn't imagine she'd have more than one or two visitors if she ended up in the hospital. She had girlfriends of course, and she had dates, too, but no special man. As she'd told Braden, she was a coward when it came to love. She didn't want to put her heart on the line for just anyone and so far no one had really tested her resolve – until now.

  Her lips were still tingling from Braden's kiss earlier. But he'd also made it clear that he didn't want a future with her. Talk about sending mixed messages. Not that she wasn't conflicted herself. She didn't have any more faith in a future between them than Braden did. She was almost afraid to even think about it.

  She'd always had a dream of ending up with Braden, but that had been the dream of a young girl. Maybe their love seemed more romantic and bigger than life because it had ended so abruptly. If she hadn't been ripped away from Sand Harbor, their feelings probably would have run their natural course. They might have gone out the next summer. Maybe even dated for a few years. But then they would have grown up and away from each other. That was what happened most of the time with most people.

  She needed to get over the idea of finding a happily ever after with Braden. Because if she didn't, she was never going to find it with anyone else. She had to let him go.

  Or, she had to find out if there was anything serious between them. She couldn't keep thinking of him as some distant possibility. They were both in the same place right now. Where they'd been – where they were going – was not important. The present was all that mattered.

  Could she get Braden on board? Could she persuade him to give whatever was happening between them a chance to grow, to flourish? It seemed doubtful.

  He'd stormed off after their kiss. As a young girl, she would have taken that to mean he hadn't enjoyed the experience. But she was a woman, and she was old enough to know there was nothing about that kiss he hadn't liked.

  There was nothing about that kiss she hadn't liked, either.

  But Braden was going through a lot of emotions right now, his failed marriage, leaving the Army, his injuries and whatever had happened to him overseas. This wasn't a good time for him to jump into another relationship. She understood that. But she was afraid if she left now, if they put it off again, they'd never find a way back together.

  Was that a risk she wanted to take?

  As her mind tumbled over the possibilities, Edwin Hayes came over to speak to her, and she was relieved by the interruption. Maybe some time would clear her muddled thoughts.

  "Phoebe is so happy you're here," Edwin said with a friendly smile. "She talks about you all the time. Do you know that every Christmas she buys you an ornament, the way she used to do when you were a child?"

  Alexa was stunned. "Are you kidding me?"

  He smiled. "She has them all tucked away to give to you one day."

  "That's so thoughtful."

  "That's the kind of person your aunt is."

  "I missed her a lot over the years. I had many happy memories here in Sand Harbor at her house."

  "I'm glad you're back now. I hope you won't be a stranger."

  "I'm going to try harder not to be." Even though she'd reconnected with her aunt six years ago, she hadn't made the trip back to town until now. Part of that was because of Braden. She hadn't wanted to run into him or his wife. She'd wanted to have her own life settled before that happened. But her strategy of putting things off for another day had never worked very well. Maybe she should make a change. Grab what she wanted and hold on tight.

  "Is your father here, too?" Edwin asked.

  His question brought her back to the present. "No, I haven't been able to reach him."

  "Did you tell him how badly injured your aunt was?" Edwin asked with annoyance.

  "I've left several messages to that effect."

  Edwin's lips drew tight, and he gave her a disgusted look. "I always knew Rob was selfish, but I thought he cared about Phoebe. She did so much for him when he was a young man. I'm sorry if I'm insulting your father, but I just don't understand him."

  She couldn't defend her dad. He was selfish. She was just a little surprised that Edwin Hayes knew it, too. Her father had a very charming side as well, and most people thought he was a great guy – at least those people who didn't live with him. Although, he seemed pretty happy with his second wife.

  "Well, I hope to see you again," Edwin said, extending his hand.

  She shook his hand. "I hope so, too."

  "Don't be in a rush to leave," he added. "Your aunt likes to pretend she's strong and independent, but she needs her family around, and she's shaken by what happened at her shop. She loves that place; it's her second home. I can't believe she almost…" He couldn't bring himself to say the word. "It shouldn't have happened."

  "No, it shouldn't have," she said.

  "I'm staying on top of the investigation," he said. "I've got everyone available working on the case."

  "I know. I appreciate that."

  As the chief left, she walked to the side of the bed, exchanging smiles and goodbyes, until she was alone with her aunt.

  "You're quite popular," she said, taking a seat in the chair by the bed. "And here I was worried you were going to be alone all day."

  "Small towns are all about community," Phoebe said. "I do love my friends."

  "And they love you. Especially the Chief of Police. He seems quite taken with you."

  Her aunt gave her a little smile. "I've known Edwin almost twenty years. He had a lovely wife, too, but she didn't care for his workaholic tendencies, and they divorced."

  "I can't imagine being a workaholic in Sand Harbor."

  "That's because you always vacationed here. But the people who live here year round work hard to make that happen."

  She nodded. "I'm sure that's true."

  "Edwin came from nothing, so he had to work harder than most. He did really well for himself, though, and he runs this town like a finely tuned clock. He can't believe what happened to me."

  "I'm sure he'll do everything he can to solve this case."

  Phoebe smiled. "I'm sure he will." She paused. "He asked me to marry him a few months ago."

  "Wow, what did you say?"

  "That I would think about it."

&
nbsp; "Do you love him?"

  "I do care about him, but it's so difficult for me to think of marrying again. I loved my husband so much. I don't know that I can give that kind of love to anyone else. Anyway, don't say anything. No one else in the family knows."

  "I won't." She paused. "I don't think Chief Hayes is the only man who is smitten with you."

  Her aunt blushed. "Oh, Butch and Ian are just dear friends."

  "I think you can have your pick, so you should take your time, figure out what or who you really want."

  "That's good advice. So tell me, what did you do today, Alexa?"

  "I wasn't as productive as I should have been," she admitted. "I mostly wandered around town and the beach." She didn't want to bother her aunt with any of her crazy theories about the break-in until she knew if one of them was true. "When I leave here, I'm going to dig into those boxes at the antique shop and get everything organized for you."

  "Don't work too hard. You should have some fun while you're here. Maybe get to know Braden again," her aunt added with a sly smile. "It was so fun to see the two of you together."

  "Don't match make," she warned.

  "Why not? You loved him once."

  "When I was twelve."

  "Well, you're still single. And Braden is getting divorced. It seems to me like you two are finally in the right place at the right time. I know when you came to see me after college that you were hoping to see him, too."

  "We'll see what happens," she said. "Helping you is my first priority."

  "That's very thoughtful of you, Alexa. I hope you won't be bored."

  "Not a chance. I always liked your shop."

  "You used to make up stories about the furniture," her aunt said.

  "I think that was you, Aunt Phoebe," she replied, as they shared a warm smile.

  "Both of us," Phoebe said. "I always had the idea that you might one day come to work with me. Or that I might leave you the shop." She gave Alexa a speculative look.

  Alexa was touched by the thought. "I don't know anything about antiques."

  "I could teach you." Phoebe paused. "But I know you have your own life. I just wish you were closer. We missed so many years, and now I want to make up for lost time."