Gypsy Heat: A Gypsy Beach Novel

by Jillian Neal

  With one last glance back towards the Inn on the North end of the beach, her feet propelled her forward, anxious to get this portion of her trip over with. She hated how weak the bruises made her feel. They were foreign to her. How could something exist on her body that hadn’t come from her soul? Some kind of alien marking that refused to leave. Willing them to heal faster, she let Uncle Mac guide her through the doors.

  Her breaths came easier when she scanned the patrons seated at the bar and the surrounding tables. She didn’t recognize anyone. It was an odd juxtaposition. She didn’t want the town to have changed, yet she didn’t want to see anyone that knew her. Perhaps what she wanted was to live alone inside her memories. Tourists or newcomers to the beach would have no idea who she was. Strangers were far more comforting than anyone else, as long as they didn’t get too close.

  Mac and Molly had a quick, silent conversation with their eyes. Nadya pretended not to notice.

  “Nady, baby girl, give me a hug.” Molly guided Nadya into her arms. The hug was gentle. Unable to resist, she laid her head on her aunt’s shoulder and allowed herself to really be loved. Her entire being drank in the tender care. “Sit down. I’ll get you some coffee.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Molly.” Nadya settled on one of the barstools and tried to relax. No one seemed to have paid too much attention to her, anyway. She sipped the outstanding coffee and felt her soul soothe yet again. This was precisely what she needed; a few weeks to bask in the beach that had raised her, to be cared for, and to locate herself again. After that, she’d be ready to move on. She giggled when she heard her Aunt begin muttering several terse words in Romani. Aunt Molly’s curses were always very creative.

  “Nadya? Is that you?”

  Dammit! She fought not to whimper and forced herself to swivel on the barstool.

  “Beau …?” Her mouth hung open. How had Grady’s baby brother gone from a gangly pre-teen boy to a full grown man? She reminded herself that she hadn’t seen him in fourteen years. Another fierce ache drowned her soul.

  Uncle Mac stepped in, always trying to rescue her. “Beau, how are ya, son? Saw the Gemini head out this morning. They let you go with ‘um this time? You bring anything back?”

  Beau hadn’t taken his eyes off of Nadya. He managed a half nod. “Yes, sir. I went. Grady took out a bunch of tourists. They got several drums and a few bass. Pulled in a shark, but the flounder aren’t biting. Too hot. Grady got a mess of cobia, so that’ll be good. Pissed the tourists off, though. He’d hardly had his line in the water when he caught ‘um, but that’s Grady.”

  All of the Havens brothers could discuss fishing, boating, weather, and the tides without giving it any thought. It was in their blood. He was taking mental inventory of Nadya and her injuries while he spoke. She swallowed harshly as soon as she heard Grady’s name. Her blood quaked, and her heart broke out in a sprint. Her entire body seemed to urge her Southward towards the docks.

  “I can’t believe you’re back in town. It’s so good to see you.” Beau seemed very genuine, but his eyes were haunted with her imagery. He’d noticed everything she so longed to hide.

  Nadya sighed. “I’ll be here for a few weeks. Just passing through. No big deal, but look at you. You’re all grown up.”

  Beau cocked his jaw to the side in consideration. “Yeah, well, that happens I ‘spose. I’m finishing up at the community college. Grady rides my ass about classes and shit, even though he knows all I want to do is run the boats with him and Nate.”

  Please stop saying his name. It hurts too badly. She fought to keep the plea inside her head. “Well, that’s good. You should go to school. None of us were able to. He’s right to make sure you finish.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. Uh … does he know you’re back?”

  Nadya shook her head. “No, and like I said, I won’t be here long. Maybe just don’t mention it.” Her voice took on a pleading edge.

  “Sure, okay.” With a quick glance at his flip-flops, she knew his agreement was a lie. He lifted his gaze from her and offered a sympathetic smile to Mac. “Could I just get a few coffees to go, sir?”

  “Sure, and tell your brothers we said hello.” Mac and Molly rushed the order and sent Beau on his way.

  Three

  “You didn’t say anything, right?” Sienna demanded of Ryan for the fourth time.

  “Baby, I didn’t. I swear. I would never do something you asked me not to do. I was just saying that she said she was going to need a room for a few weeks. The idea that she could be here or out on the beach at all and not run into one of the Havens seems pretty far-fetched.”

  “I know, but she’s one of my only real friends in the whole world, Ryan. I’ve never heard her sound scared before. I don’t know what’s happened, but she begged me not to tell Grady she was coming back. I love Nadya. If that’s what she wants, then I’m going to help her.”

  Ryan’s heart ached every time Sienna reminded him that she’d been scorned for her Gypsy heritage most of her life. She was often teased in school and accused of things she’d never do.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “I will help you do anything in the world, sweetheart. You know that. Whatever Nadya needs, we’ll take care of. I need to get to the elementary school. I want to hear what the Sheriff has to say. You sure you’re okay here with Evie?”

  Sienna’s broad, beaming grin lit the flecks of gold in her hazel eyes. “Ryan, we stay here every day together. I love her more than anything, except maybe you. We’ll be fine. She’s going to help me get ready for Nadya.”

  He brushed a tender kiss across her lips. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Wait!”

  He spun back at the bottom of the steps. She was on his heels. “Uh, you might want to kind of sit in the back and not say too much.”

  His brow furrowed. “Why?”

  Her face fell with a heavy sigh. “Because you’re marrying me.”

  “And they figure that since I’m the luckiest guy on the whole damn planet I shouldn’t be able to sit up front at town meetings?”

  A timid grin returned to her beautiful face. “No. Just don’t expect to be greeted too warmly.”

  Shaking his head, he indulged himself in an extended kiss this time, then turned and scooped up his baby girl to hug her before he handed her off to Sienna and headed into town.

  When Ryan entered the auditorium, he waved to Mac. “Nadya’s plane in yet?”

  “Yeah, I picked her up a little while ago. Molly’s keeping her talking, but I suspect she’ll ask to be taken to the Inn soon enough. I loaded all of her luggage into Molly’s car. I was kind of hoping you’d be there to unload it for her.”

  Ryan studied Mac closely. The tense lines of his wise face said something was wrong.

  “Oh, well, I’ll get them as soon as I get back. This shouldn’t take too long, right?”

  An audible harrumph accompanied Mac’s eye roll. “Typically if you give the mayor or the sheriff a microphone, they won’t shut up. Like the sound of their own voices too much.”

  Ryan offered a polite chuckle, but Mac didn’t seem to be joking. “Uh, well, I’m just gonna grab a seat. The whole thing makes me nervous. Sienna and Evie are home alone too much, not to mention all the guests staying at the Inn. It’s got me worried.”

  “They’ll be all right, Ryan.” Mac slapped him on the back. “You’re a good guy to be worried, but I doubt it gets too far into Gypsy Beach. Of course, that won’t make this any better.”

  “What? Why would we want whoever is doing this to be on Gypsy Beach?”

  “We don’t, but I’d say about 90% of the people sitting in here and staring at you and me are ready to crucify anyone with Gypsy blood. This kind of thing happens every so often. Police so convinced it’s the Gypsies they look right over evidence that stares them in the face. That’s why I’m here. I need to figure out how bad the gossip’s already gotten?”

  “And if nothing happens on the beach, then that proves their assumption.”

/>   “You got it.”

  Ryan actually felt relieved. He’d lived with people talking negatively about him and his family for years. That, he could endure, but the thought that someone might vandalize the Inn, or that there might be another fire, or some kind of attack on his girls made him sick.

  “Nadya!” Sienna all but shrieked as she raced off the porch. Always one to see a soul and never the superficiality of a face, she embraced Nadya tightly.

  Gasping, Nadya jerked away. “Sorry.”

  A heartbroken expression contorted Sienna’s beautiful face. “Are you okay?” She blinked back tears.

  “I’m fine.” Nadya wasn’t certain that was true, but she knew she didn’t want Sienna’s pity. She wanted it to be just like it was when they were spending their summers together as kids. “It’s so good to see you!”

  “You too!” Sienna’s forced smile wasn’t much better than her previous expression. She glanced away. “Uh, this is Ryan’s little girl, Evie. He’ll be back in just a little while. He’s gone to a meeting in town.”

  “Hi!” Evie offered her a sweet grin.

  “Hi there, Evie.” Nadya was pleased that she could lean down to smile at the little girl with virtually no pain. She was getting better. In a few days, she’d be back to normal. Lying to herself seemed to be getting easier and easier. The battering bruises would heal, but she wasn’t certain she’d ever feel normal again.

  “Oh, here, Molly. I’ll get those.” Sienna rushed to the car and helped with the luggage.

  “Aunt Molly, I can do it.” Already annoyed with all of the worry over her, she doubted this trip all over again.

  “We’ve got it,” Sienna scoffed.

  Soon, she was being gently guided into Ruth Cooper’s old Inn. “Wow! This place looks great. You redid everything.” Nadya tried not to lament the newly polished floors, custom staircase, and the smell of fresh paint. She supposed not everything could go on unchanged, but she missed Ruth’s old kitchen with the yellow-painted cabinet doors that stuck, the warped floors, and the creaky staircase.

  “Yeah, Ryan did it for me; well for us, I guess. He runs a construction company when he’s not helping me here. Come on. I’ll show you to your room. I gave you the suite he just finished. It’s really nice. You’ll love it!”

  “Thanks, but you don’t have to do that.”

  “It’s no trouble.” Sienna led the way up the stairs. Nadya, Molly, and Evie followed in her wake. “Here we go.”

  “Wow, Sienna this is beautiful!” Nadya tried to reorder her world. The Inn looked nothing like she remembered it from all those summers before she’d run away. The large room had its own bath, a fireplace, bookshelves, and a desk. She even had a private balcony facing the ocean. She tried to remember what the room had looked like before, but she always spent the night in Sienna’s room when she wasn’t with Grady. She wasn’t certain she’d ever even seen this room before.

  “Yeah, he did a great job redoing it. I’m going to get him to bring you up a folding table so you can work. You’re a big famous jewelry designer now.” Sienna’s pride pricked at Nadya’s heart. She supposed that was true. She had made quite a name for herself with her handmade, one-of-a-kind, bohemian jewelry. She’d also made a small fortune on Etsy and had expanded to her own website. But all of her success couldn’t take away the piercing ache that had accompanied her for the last fourteen years. Regret swarmed in her stomach, and she forced herself to reorder her previous thoughts yet again. Leaving Grady was the stupidest thing she’d ever done. Marrying Peter was the second, meaning coming back here was demoted to third.

  “Well, you girls relax and catch up. Don’t work too hard, my sweet Nady,” Molly warned.

  “I promise I won’t Aunt Molly, but I do have a few pieces I want to finish and a couple of orders I need to fill.”

  “Oh, Ryan could take anything you need by the post office. He’s been working out there on a shopping complex in town.”

  Nadya’s eyes lit. “I almost forgot! I made you something, and something for little Evie.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.” Sienna attempted to hide her excitement, which delighted Nadya. She’d taught Sienna to make intricate friendship bracelets during their summers when they were kids. Sienna loved jewelry almost as much as Nadya.

  “I wanted to.” She pulled a large drawstring bag from her purse and loosened the pull-slips.

  She placed the beaded chain with an elastic strap in Sienna’s hand and then knelt down to hand Evie the tiny, pink, beaded bracelet she’d created.

  “Do I get to keep it?” Evie gasped in delight.

  Nadya beamed at her. “Of course.”

  “I love bracelets! I have princess ones. I’ll show you.” She raced out of the room and returned with a dozen plastic beaded bracelets in every color.

  “Those are so pretty.”

  Evie threw her arms around Nadya’s neck and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for my bracelet. I love it. Will you put it on me, please?

  “Sure.” While Nadya fixed the bracelet on Evie’s wrist, her little face fell. Timidly she ran her fingers over the bruise on her cheek.

  “You have a boo-boo.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

  Evie didn’t look like she believed that any more than anyone else Nadya had spoken those words to. “When I have a booboo, Daddy kisses it for me and then I feel better. Maybe Sienna could kiss it for you, so you’ll be better. And sometimes you get to put a Fairies Band-Aid on it!”

  Nadya chuckled at her exuberance. “I don’t think I need a Band-Aid. I’ll be fine.”

  She stood and ignored the tears that had pricked Sienna’s eyes.

  “It’s a thigh chain.” Nadya gestured to the wad of chain and elastic in Sienna’s hand.

  “Oh, wow, thank you.” She unfurled it and saw the way the chain dipped in the center. Nadya had added a flat charm of a bird on the end. “It’s beautiful.”

  Nadya showed her how to put the elastic strap up high on her leg and let the looped chains hang down her thigh.

  “Ryan will love this.” She teased.

  Nadya and Molly laughed. “He definitely will. They’re big sellers.”

  “I really love your nose ring.” Sienna continued to gush.

  Nadya grinned. Truthfully, most of the time she forgot she had the tiny diamond stud in her nose. She loved it too, but she’d gotten it to annoy Peter. This was long before she’d stupidly agreed to marry him. Five minutes after the ceremony, he’d demanded that she remove the stud. She’d refused, and their relationship had gone downhill from there.

  ******

  Ryan’s heart sank to his feet. He tried not to see the screen that had been erected on the stage. Mac shook his head in disgust.

  “These markings have been found at several houses in the nicer neighborhoods in Wilmington. Several of them have been broken into recently. Mr. Montgomery, would you care to tell us what these chalk signs mean? I feel certain you would know.” The mayor pursed her lips and stared at Mac in defiant challenge.

  “Why would I know that?”

  “According to Sheriff Kilgore, these are Gypsy markings, are they not?”

  Ryan recognized the symbols marked faintly on the street with chalk in front of several driveways, but it made absolutely no sense. Those symbols hadn’t been used in decades.

  “Care to clue us in, Mr. Montgomery?”

  “It’s an X, Mayor Deardon, and five circles. Looks to me like you have kids playing with chalk. Why don’t you check with the people that actually live in those neighborhoods?”

  “Why would someone steal from their own neighbors, Montgomery?” A hot-headed, impudent banker bellowed from the back.

  Mac swiveled in his chair. “Got no idea. You tell me!”

  “All right, quiet down, everyone,” The mayor commanded. “Mr. McNamara, you tend to hang around down on Gypsy Beach; perhaps you could tell us what they mean?”

  Ryan made no effort to hide his eye roll
. “I live on Gypsy Beach and own the Gypsy Inn. I can also tell you that those symbols haven’t been used by anyone since before you were born. What are you getting at anyway?”

  “So, you do admit that these symbols were used by Gypsies to mark homes either for a planned theft or to state that the homeowners were wealthy?”

  “I said nothing to that effect! I’m not admitting anything, Mayor. This seems like you want to play judge, jury, and executioner when there’s little to no evidence. Do you really have any idea who’s broken into those houses or who set those sheds on fire?”

  “The police and all government officials are keeping close watch, Mr. McNamara.” Mayor Deardon’s sanctimony seemed to have lost just a little of its fire.

  Four

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Grady huffed as he studied his youngest brother. Beau had been twitchy since he’d entered the new boathouse. He looked like a wary bass circling a hook debating its fate.

  “Nothing.” He bristled and fidgeted with the boat keys in his hand. Grady and Nate had been trying to sort through the old fishing boxes of contracts, receipts, licenses, and paystubs at night now that they had an actual office to hold it all.

  Nate rolled his eyes. “You know he’s not gonna let it go. Whatever it is just spill it.” He thumbed through a stack of old contracts before tossing them into the trash.

  Very conveniently, Beau checked his watch. “I gotta get out of here.”

  Moving nothing more than his overly-muscled arm, Grady caught the back of Beau’s shirt and prevented him from escaping.

  “What the hell is going on with you?”

  “She asked me not to say anything … but I kind of think you should know. Maybe?” Beau made a partial confession.

  Grady’s brow furrowed, and he released his little brother. “Who asked you not to say anything?”

  His head dropped, and Grady barely made out the word, “Nadya.”

  Nate dropped the paperwork in his hand. The entire world seemed to stop spinning at that moment. Grady was unable to make any audible sound. He was stunned.