“Yeah. Noah. Noah and the amminals.”
Devynne smiled, deciding to let the mistake pass. They walked on in silence and Devynne listened intently to the beautiful sounds of the summer day. A bee lumbered by, laden down with pollen, its legs yellow and fluffy. Birds twittering in the top of the tree next to Devynne’s parking space brought her gaze upwards. The sun blinded her and she grimaced even as she thought about how much Kent had loved days like this.
With a sigh she slipped her key into the lock.
But just as she was about to climb behind the wheel Carcen spoke from behind her. “I got to thinking, why don’t I drive you over? Since I’m still in your guest house I can bring you back again tonight for church. My truck can stay here till then.”
Devynne turned towards him. Her eyes hadn’t quite recovered from the dazzling sun. And a shadow from the tree fell on Carcen, darkening his blond hair and blue eyes – for one split second Kent stood before her.
She blinked in shock and jerked back, bumping into the open car door.
Carcen stepped towards her, a slight frown on his brow. “Devynne?”
She laid a calming hand over her heart and forced a breath.
“Mama!” From her side of the car, Marissa knocked loudly on her door. “Let me in, Mama.”
Carcen’s heart hammered as though a cannon ball was bouncing around in his chest. Reaching out he touched her cheek. Relief flooded him. She didn’t seem too terribly cold or hot.
“Devynne? Hey, what’s going on?”
Her brow furrowed. “Carcen?”
Bang. Bang. Bang. “Mama!”
“Here.” Carcen, bent down, leaning across the interior of the car to open the passenger door. “Rissa honey, I want you to get in and get your seatbelt clicked okay? Uncle Carcen’s going to drive you and Mama to the restaurant.”
“Goody!” Rissa hauled herself into her booster and clumsily worked at getting her seatbelt to fasten.
He straightened in front of Devynne once more, gently taking the keys from her hand. “Come here.” He couldn’t disguise the edge of worry in his tone. Taking her hand he led her around to the passenger side, easing her in and handing her the seat belt. “Put it on,” he ordered before helping Marissa with her belt and making his way back to the driver’s side.
When they pulled in at the restaurant Lamar and Jackie were waiting for them.
Devynne moved to get out of the car, but Carcen put a restraining hand on her arm. Turning to Marissa he said, “Why don’t you go with Grandma and Grandpa and save us a seat? See them? They’re right over there by the door. Tell them we’ll be right there.”
“OK.” She hopped out, making a bee-line for her grandparents.
“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” Carcen asked, leaning his head against the headrest.
Devynne licked her lips, looking out the passenger window unresponsively.
Carcen waited, trying not to hold his breath.
After a long moment she sighed. “I’m fine now. Can we just leave it at that?”
In answer he reached over and hit the automatic locks. With a loud thunk, they all hit home.
Rubbing one finger across her brow, Devynne looked at him from the corner of her eye, smirking. “You remind me of someone I used to know.”
He ignored her obvious inference to his brother and reached out a hand, tucking a dark curl behind her ear. “Devynne?” He spoke her name quietly and then stayed silent, simply giving her the time she needed.
“I thought you were Kent for just an instant.”
She glanced at him, but he merely looked at her hoping she would go on.
“I had just been thinking of him and when I turned around, with the shadow, and the bright sunlight behind you….” She shrugged. “You looked just like him – for a split second was all – but it was a little bit of a shock.”
He didn’t laugh, knowing by the look on her face that she had half expected him to. Instead he asked, “And what did you feel?” Somehow he knew mistaking him for Kent wasn’t what had shocked her so badly.
She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes as she shook her head. “Carcen, I really don’t want to talk about this right now. I can’t.”
“Alright. Let’s go have lunch.”
Devynne blinked at his sudden acquiescence. He grinned at her. Reaching out he tapped the end of her nose. “Someday, when you’re ready to share, I’d like to hear about it. Deal?”
She nodded, smiling through her tears. “Deal.”
“Sit tight,” he said, exiting the car and coming around to her side to open her door. He took her hand as he helped her out, reluctantly releasing it as they made their way into the Mandarin House.
The tangy smell of Chinese cooking greeted them. The restaurant was a favorite in their family from years past. Many a Sunday Devynne and Kent had come here with the family after church and Carcen cast her a quick glance to see how she was handling this reminder.
Her eyes misted and he knew she was lost in some memory, but she seemed to be dealing with it. That was progress. Thank You, Lord. Give her the courage and strength to choose to keep going even when it’s easier to hide in her work at home.
The meal was delicious, made all the more pleasant by the cute conversation initiating from one four-year-old. She regaled them with tales about Billy, a little boy in her Sunday school class, who by all appearances was smitten with the brown-curled, doe-eyed little narrator.
“…an’ then he colowed on my pitchew! An’ Ms. Sandews tol’ him to keep his cwayons to his self, but he didn’t, he just kept scwibblin’ on my pitchew evewy time she wasn’t lookin’. I don’t like Billy Bwayden!”
“I hear you’re going to have a new teacher next week, honey. Maybe things will get better then.”
Carcen squirmed when a twinkle leapt into Marissa’s eyes. The little imp’s eyes darted to his for one brief second before she blurted, “Yeah, it’s gonna be—.”
“Fortune cookies! Anyone want a fortune cookie?” Carcen interrupted.
Devynne gave him an odd look, but took a cookie from the tray he passed around. She bit off part, then pulled the piece of paper with her fortune on it from the inside of the cookie and read it.
Carcen was watching her face when suddenly her eyes widened with laughter and she almost choked on the bite of cookie in her mouth. She sputtered and laughed so hard that soon tears ran down her cheeks.
Carcen arched an amused brow and stared at her. Everyone at the table focused on Devynne. She covered her mouth making an obvious effort to regain her composure but her deep blue eyes were fixed solely on Carcen. She swiped her napkin at the tears trailing down her cheeks and held the scrap of paper towards him. Bemused, he reached out and took the fortune from her laughter-limp fingers.
A quick glance was all he needed. He bit his lower lip. Heat started at his collar and stole upwards. He looked at her, making sure she saw the sparkle of guaranteed retaliation in his expression before he allowed a grin to break out on his face. The grin grew into a chuckle and then outright laughter.
The fortune read, ‘Rescuing a friend from danger is a good deed sure to be repaid.’
Chapter 12
He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and kept a steady eye on the restaurant exit. Shouldn’t they have come out by now? How long did it take to eat a meal, anyhow? Surly he hadn’t missed them? He leaned into the passenger side of the vehicle to see past the truck parked at the curb in front of him.
Nope, Shania’s car still sat where they’d left it over an hour ago.
His stomach grumbled and he glanced at his watch. He should have run and grabbed some take-out when they’d first entered, but he’d been worried they would drive off while he was away.
“Idiot. It’s not like you can lose them on an island the size of San Juan.” Still he wanted to see how serious this thing between them had become. And that meant keeping a close eye on them when they were together.
He�
��d freed her from one guy who wasn’t right for her already, and he worried he might have to come to her rescue yet again. Why couldn’t she seem to see them for what they were?
He sighed. Good thing he was around to keep her safe.
There! Carcen and Shania stepped out onto the walk in front of the restaurant chatting amiably with his parents. Carcen held the little girl in his arms. The whole group was laughing, as if they’d just had the time of their lives.
That grated. He should be over there standing next to her, holding her little girl. Not that cretin.
He studied the way Carcen kept glancing at Shania, a bubble of anger blooming to life. Who did he think he was? After all this time, suddenly the look in the man’s eyes had changed.
“Not good, Lang. Not good at all.”
A few more words were exchanged and then Jackie and Lamar Lang lifted hands of farewell and meandered off up the street while Carcen opened the passenger door for her and helped her daughter into the back seat. Carcen climbed behind the wheel and pulled her vehicle out of the lot.
He slunk low in his seat, dropping his head beneath the level of the car window. It wouldn’t do for them to spot him here. Wouldn’t do at all.
He waited for a count of five and then popped up to look behind him. Sure enough they were turning left, just as he’d thought they would. Likely they were headed to Devynne’s place, but he needed to hurry if he was going to follow them to make sure. Carcen never wasted any time getting to where he wanted to be.
Devynne placed one hand on the driver’s seat and turned, glancing back at Marissa who’d fallen asleep. Closing her eyes, she took in the peaceful sound of her deep little breaths.
Carcen pulled to a stop at a red light and glanced towards her. “Thanks for coming to lunch today, Devynne.”
She met his gaze. “Sure. I had fun.” She couldn’t keep the sparkle of amusement from her expression as she remembered the fortune.
He grinned, his even white teeth standing out in contrast to his deeply tanned face. “You know you’re not going to have a moment’s peace from now on, don’t you? You’re always going to be wondering when the payback is coming.”
Her eyes widened innocently, and she leaned towards him, whispering, “Don’t you mean wondering when my good deed will be repaid, Sheriff Lang?”
She had just flirted with the man! She jerked back as though stung. Her thoughts flew to when she had mistaken him for Kent that morning and her stomach dropped with sickening dread. She licked her lips and turned to stare out the side window. Lord, I can’t do this again.
In the reflection on the glass she saw Carcen angle her a quizzical glance but he continued as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “Good deed, my foot! You were just going to leave me there till Mrs. Johnson came out. It was only my pure Sheriff skills that discovered you there. And my parents knew nothing about my little adventure at church this morning and now my Dad is going to have ammunition to hold over my head for years to come. Just imagine if the guys at work got wind of this story?” He gave a mock shudder. “And none of it would have ever come out if it wasn’t for you and that little mis-fortune of yours.”
Much as she didn’t want to have anything more to do with this conversation, Devynne still found herself smiling. She remembered the alarmed look that had crossed his face as he read the little slip of paper and she chuckled softly. The only thing that kept her from laughing out loud was the thought of her daughter in the back seat. She didn’t want to wake her. But when Carcen gave her a look of feigned disgust, barely keeping the smile off his face she couldn’t help herself - a laugh did escape. “What are the odds that of all the fortune cookies in that restaurant today, I would get that one?”
“Odds that definitely don’t favor me.” He pulled into her driveway and shut off the engine, giving her a smile that sent heat radiating down her spine.
She blushed with the realization and dropped her gaze to her lap. Carcen didn’t move and when she looked up it was to encounter warm blue eyes assessing her. Drawing in a ragged breath, she tried to remind herself that relationships, especially with cops, were dangerous and she should be running by now. But she was powerless to break the spell. She couldn’t tear her gaze from his.
He looked away first, thoughtfully rubbing a hand across his jaw and then glancing back at Marissa. “I’ll carry her in for you.”
“Thanks, I’ll get the door.” Suddenly the paralysis wore off and she found her legs. Bolting from the car, she started down the steep stairs, rummaging through her purse for her keys, until she remembered Carcen had driven. She turned back to see him with her keychain dangling from one of his fingers, a look of amused consideration on his face.
She made her way back up and snatched the keys, but he grabbed her hand before she could make her escape. As the warmth of his fingers settled over hers and his thumb skimmed her pulse, her heart stumbled and then resumed a double-time rhythm.
He moved half a step closer. “You don’t have anything on your mind, do you?” The innocence in his tone was belied by his searing, knowing look.
“N- No.” Fire rolled up her arm, radiating farther with each stroke of his thumb. She tried to extract her hand casually, but knew she must have the haunted look of a deer fleeing from a hunter.
He tightened his grip, watching her intently for a moment before he let her go.
She took a stumbling step backwards and then turned to escape once more. Behind her she heard the car door shut and Carcen start down the steps with Marissa in his arms.
She shoved the trembling key into the keyhole and pushed through the portal. Leaving it open for Carcen, she hurriedly made her way to the keypad and punched in her security code. The kitchen door clicked as he pushed it to, and she heard the creak of the stair treads as he made his way up to Marissa’s room.
Pacing from one side of her small kitchen to the other, Devynne tried to get a grip on what was happening to her. She rubbed her temples to ease the stress headache that had suddenly taken her by storm. This couldn’t be happening. She had let down her guard just a little to tell him about her past so he could do his job, and…. And what? She slammed the keys onto the counter, spinning on her heel and pacing back towards the stove. Her mind traveled once again to the church parking lot where she had briefly mistaken Carcen for Kent.
She had been shocked to say the least, but not by the fact that she thought Kent stood before her. No. What had shocked her was her disappointment. In that split second of mistaken identity, two emotions had run through her. One was elation that Kent was actually standing before her and the other was disappointment. Disappointment that she wouldn’t be able to get to know Carcen better, that she wouldn’t be spending any more time with him. And then her mind had cleared and it was Carcen before her and stupefaction had stolen her voice.
A thousand thoughts had sped through her mind as she stood there staring at him. She realized just how much she had enjoyed the last several days in Carcen’s company, that it really wouldn’t be hard to fall for him, and that she was finally able to let go of Kent. And then she remembered that Carcen was a cop, just like Kent had been. A long time ago she’d promised herself that if she ever did get involved with someone, it definitely wouldn’t be a policeman.
She must fight for all she was worth not to let this attraction grow any stronger.
Drat it all! And now she was having these enticing heat tremors whenever he was near and— She whirled and headed for the other side of the kitchen.
“Looks like some pretty serious thinking going on.” His deep, baritone rumble emanated from the stairway.
Heart springing to her throat, she spun around. As usual she hadn’t heard his cat-like tread. Arms above his head, he leaned casually against the bulkhead. He had taken off his suit coat and her eyes dropped to the bulge of his biceps outlined under the linen of his light-blue dress shirt. She tore her gaze away, blurting the first thing that came to mind. “Carcen, I—” her eyes fas
tened to the grocery list stuck to the fridge— “I need to go to the grocery store! Would you mind staying here till I get back?”
He frowned. “I didn’t get a chance to look into Stephan’s past yet. I don’t really want you to go alone.”
“I shouldn’t be long.” The words tumbled out in a rush. “If I’m not back in thirty minutes you can come looking for me. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Snatching the keys off the counter, she rushed outside without even awaiting his answer.
Anything to get away from him – immediately. Yes, he probably planned to go rest in the guesthouse this afternoon, but he might not be leaving for another five minutes and she needed some space to quiet her emotions and help her think clearly now!
Yanking open the car door she sank onto the plush seat and gripped the steering wheel in trembling hands. This day had presented her with enough conflicting emotions to last a lifetime. Leaning her head back with a heavy sigh, she stared at the sun visor.
Thankfully she didn’t have to worry about a stalker watching her every move anymore. Yesterday she’d flipped out a little because of Stephan Abernathy and then the man at the ice cream van, but really were either of them cutthroat enough to be the man who had haunted her all those years ago? Stephan had seemed like a normal-enough kid at church this morning. Now that she had a little distance and perspective, she didn’t think he was dangerous. The man who’d haunted her now resided in the jail in town.
So why now, when it finally seemed she would be able to move on with her life, was God presenting her with this dilemma?
Kent had been killed because he took his job too seriously. And if Devynne had learned one thing about Carcen over the years it was that he took his job even more seriously than Kent ever had. Carcen had never quite been able to forgive himself for Kent’s death she knew, and he overcompensated by pouring himself into his work.
Leaning forward, she put the key in the ignition and suddenly noticed that the seat sat too far back. The realization poured in on a rush, shattering her fragile emotions, and a sob caught in her throat. She hadn’t had to move the seat forward in the car since the day after Kent’s funeral. She had numbly climbed in the car to go to the store, just like she was doing now. Since Carcen had driven her home from Island Grocers that terrible day, and no one had driven her car since, the seat was just as Kent had left it, back as far as it would go. It had shattered the feeble control she held over her tears as she’d moved the seat forward, knowing that Kent had just been in that seat a few days earlier. And she remembered sitting in the car shaking with sobs for a long time before she climbed out and went back into the house with Marissa in her arms.
The Unrelenting Tide (Islands of Intrigue: San Juans - Christian Romantic Suspense) Page 9