“I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
“You do that.” Aurora pointed herself toward the beach. “I’m heading home. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“It seems to turn out that way.” Mostly because she insisted on swimming naked in front of my lighthouse.
“It certainly does,” Aurora agreed, offering up a half-wave. “I’ll see you soon. Toodles.”
And just like that she was gone and I was left to ponder the upcoming festival. What odd new thing – or event – was Moonstone Bay about to introduce me to? It wasn’t really a matter of if it would happen, but rather when things would take a turn for the weird. I was resigned because it was inevitable.
Seriously … now what?
2
Two
I was bored at home after Aurora’s departure, so after showering and changing into simple cargo shorts and a tank top, I locked the lighthouse and headed to town. Moonstone Bay is an island, so the town representatives limit the number of vehicles allowed on the relatively small landmass. Only a few people are allowed to own motor vehicles – mostly farmers, construction workers, emergency personnel and shuttle drivers – and even though I found it strange at the start I was almost getting used to walking everywhere I needed to go.
The busy downtown area wasn’t far from the lighthouse. I could easily make the trek in less than five minutes. My only problem with the constant walking was dealing with the heat and humidity, which was boiling hot and dripping wet before the noon hour set in.
“I’m bored,” I announced as I took a seat at the counter of my friend Lilac Meadows’ rustic and cute bar.
Lilac, who was twenty-three going on sixty if you believed the way she communicated with people, arched an eyebrow as she automatically filled a glass with iced tea and shoved it across the lacquered countertop. “Well, hello to you too.”
I was instantly contrite. “Sorry. That wasn’t much of a greeting. How are you, Lilac? How is your day going?”
Lilac, her frizzy flaxen hair reminding me of a bad eighties perm, merely shrugged in amusement. “I’m fine, Hadley. How are you?”
“I’m bored.”
“And we’re right back to where we started.” Lilac grinned as she plopped a lemon wedge in my iced tea and watched me slurp down a third of the glass. “You really need to start carrying a bottle of water with you when you walk around. We’ve been over this. If you carried water, you wouldn’t be so thirsty when you get here.”
“This place is five minutes from the lighthouse,” I reminded her. “I shouldn’t get dehydrated simply from walking for five minutes.”
“Welcome to Moonstone Bay.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll try to remember to carry water with me. I forgot to put fresh bottles in the refrigerator last night. There’s nothing worse than warm water.”
“I can think of a few things that are worse … like running into an electric eel shifter underwater and having to deal with the catastrophic hair ordeal that always accompanies that for the next month.”
I pointedly shifted my eyes to Lilac’s hair. Her curls did seem to have a mind of their own of late. That might explain a few things. “Uh-huh.”
“Stop staring at me like that.” Lilac snapped her fingers in my face to get my attention. “That is not what happened to me. It’s just the island humidity. When it’s at seventy percent I can deal. When it’s at ninety percent it’s as if the world is going to end. The last two weeks have been in the ninety-percent range.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. Lilac was the first person on the island to offer her friendship, and I would be forever grateful to her for that fact alone. Learning the ropes on an island like Moonstone Bay – a place where zombies roam free in the cemetery and nobody cares but everyone is afraid of the Downtown Development Authority and the citations it might issue on a whim – was a tangled minefield of trouble. Lilac willingly helped me navigate that field. That made me like her and the mop resting on top of her head.
“Well, I think the curls are nice,” I lied. “They give you a certain … .” I pinched my fingers together as I searched for the right word.
“They make me look like Little Orphan Annie, except I have real eyes,” Lilac shot back. “I know I resemble a poodle. There’s no reason to pretend otherwise.”
I balked. “You don’t look like a poodle.” Labradoodle was more like it. “I swear.”
“I’m going to take you at your word and move on from this conversation,” Lilac noted. “You said you were bored when you came in. What do you plan to do about that?”
That was a very good question and I wasn’t sure I had an answer. “I don’t know.” I held my palms out. “I’ve never been without a job for more than a week. I mean … never. Sure, they weren’t all great jobs, but I’m at a loss about what to do with my time.”
“Do you want a job?”
I’d been asking myself that for seven days straight. Once I was over my kidnapping and near murder, I’d had no choice but to think of the practical. “I don’t know. Technically May Potter left me enough money that I didn’t have to worry about working for the foreseeable future.
“The lighthouse is paid for and I can cover the taxes for years,” I continued. “I have enough for groceries and I don’t need to spend a lot of money on clothes. I don’t have to work if I don’t want to work.”
“So don’t work.” Lilac was blasé as she set about making piña coladas. “If I didn’t have to work, trust me, I wouldn’t work. I would turn myself into a lady of leisure and spend all my time reading trashy magazines on the beach.”
“But don’t you think that would get old after a little bit?”
“Not really. You obviously do, though.”
I did. That was only one of my problems. “I’ve always had something to do. My father was a big proponent of me having a job so I valued the things I could buy. He didn’t want me to become jaded about money.”
“I think money is the best thing to be jaded about.”
“And I get that,” I said. “I just can’t shake the feeling that I should have a job. Aren’t I lazy if I don’t have a job?”
Lilac widened her eyes when I finally admitted the source of my discomfort. “Wow. Lazy, huh? I wasn’t sure you’d get there. You’ve been beating around the bush for days regarding that subject.”
“Yeah, well, I’m antsy.” I found it wasn’t that hard to tell Lilac the truth, and once I opened up I wanted to keep talking. “I think it would be easier for me to settle into a routine if I had a schedule to follow. Right now, I basically get up and drink coffee before coming here to drink iced tea. That can’t be healthy.”
“You’re leaving out the part where you let Galen take you to a restaurant or bar and drink rum runners at night,” Lilac teased.
I scorched her with a dark look. “You promised not to pry when it comes to Galen.”
“I don’t believe I uttered a promise. I believe I said I’d try to do better.”
“Is this you trying to do better?”
“Trying but not succeeding.” Lilac’s smile was so wide it stretched across her entire face. “I think getting a job is probably a good thing even though I’d absolutely love it if I didn’t have to work. I could offer you a job here, but I don’t think our friendship would survive that.”
I had no doubt she was right, and our friendship could not survive her being my boss. In fact, I wasn’t sure if our friendship could survive more than a handful of hours a day together. I decided to keep that to myself, though. “I’m not even sure what kind of jobs are available on Moonstone Bay.”
“Oh, well, I think the job selections are kind of normal.” Lilac strolled to the end of the bar and handed the two women sitting there – who happened to be lost in their own little world as they bent their heads together and gossiped – glasses of iced tea before strolling back to me. “Basically there are always open waitress, cleaning and hospitality gigs. Can you do any
of those things?”
That had to be a trick question. “Can I be a maid or hostess? I think I can handle it.”
Lilac wagged a finger close to my nose. “Being a waitress is harder than it looks.”
Whoops. She’d misunderstood me. “Oh, I understand about that. I worked my way through college as a waitress so I could have enough money to party. My father insisted he wasn’t bankrolling my drinking habits.”
Lilac stilled. “I thought you had an English degree.”
“I do. It’s essentially the most worthless degree out there. Unless I somehow luck out and get a college teaching position – which I don’t want because I can’t stand dealing with young people of a certain age – then I’m stuck doing jobs that have nothing to do with my degree. I should’ve thought better before majoring in English. I mean … I ended up working in graphic design, for crying out loud.”
“Huh.” Lilac looked mystified. “I didn’t even consider that. It makes sense, though.”
“I’ve also worked as a secretary, a pizza delivery woman and a shoe saleswoman,” I added. “I’m what you would call ‘flexible’ when finding work.”
“That actually might benefit you in Moonstone Bay,” Lilac noted. “I’m not sure who’s hiring, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground. If I were you, I’d give serious thought to what you really want to do with your time. You might be surprised what options are open to you on Moonstone Bay.”
“Which options are you talking about?” A gravelly voice asked from behind me, causing me to jolt.
I swiveled on my stool and widened my eyes when I saw Galen Blackwood, he of the ridiculously glossy dark hair and sinfully blue eyes, standing behind me. He had a small smile on his face, which was hard to focus on given his broad shoulders and overall package. “Hey,” I sputtered, choking a bit on my iced tea. “What are you doing here?”
Galen’s mischievous grin was contagious. “Can’t I simply want to stop for some iced tea?”
As if on cue, Lilac slapped a glass in his hand. “I had it ready for you and everything, big guy.”
Galen snorted as I shot him a dubious look. “Or perhaps I noticed you walking downtown when I was driving through a few minutes ago and figured you were on your way here,” he corrected. “I had a break in my schedule, so I thought I’d spend a few minutes with my favorite bartender.” He winked at Lilac for emphasis.
“Oh, isn’t he sweet as the dickens?” Lilac drawled, rolling her eyes. “I almost want to believe those flirty words. Of course, only an idiot would think he’s not really here for you, Hadley, and I’m not an idiot.”
My cheeks burned as I shifted to face forward while Galen took the open stool to my right. “So … you came to see me?”
Galen chuckled, legitimately amused. “You make me laugh. I love it when you get all flustered. Usually you’re in the mood for fights and frolicking – yeah, I used the word ‘frolicking’ and I don’t even care – but occasionally I catch you off guard and you turn into a blushing mess.”
Was he right? Did I turn into a blushing mess when he was around? That needed to stop, and soon. “I am not blushing. The lighting is simply off in here.”
“If that’s your story.” Galen sipped his iced tea before focusing on Lilac. “What were you talking about when I came in? I wasn’t exaggerating about having only a few minutes. I have to run to the surfboard shop before lunch, so I can’t spend too much time gossiping.”
“We weren’t talking about anything important,” I replied hurriedly.
“We were talking about the possibility of Hadley getting a job,” Lilac answered, ignoring the dark look I shot in her direction. “She’s at a loss and bored. We were discussing what she’s qualified for, and it turns out she’s qualified to do quite a lot … or very little, depending on how you look at it.”
I didn’t bother to hide my scowl. “Thank you so much for that.”
Lilac was oblivious. “You’re welcome.”
I risked a glance at Galen and found him smiling, his eyes patient and considering rather than full of teasing and mirth. “I just kind of want something to do with my day,” I said.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” Galen supplied. “If you’re bored, a job might be good. Do you have an idea of what you want to do?”
He was so pragmatic I could do nothing but shrug. “I’m just sort of thinking about it now.”
“You have time to make a decision.” Galen tilted his head to the side when the women at the end of the bar started talking to one another in raised voices, narrowing his eyes for a beat. When they quieted down again, he focused on me. “We can talk about it on our date tonight. I can ask around and see who is hiring. You don’t have to make a decision right away, but maybe we can put together a list or something.”
I snickered. “You want to put together a list? That doesn’t sound very … romantic.”
Galen winked as he tipped back his head and drained the rest of his iced tea. “I can make anything romantic. I promise. As for a job, I’ll give it some thought and get back to you over dinner tonight.” He took me by surprise when he tipped back my chin and smacked a loud kiss against my lips. “I’ll pick you up around six. Is that okay?”
I dumbly nodded as my cheeks burned. Sure, the bar was mostly empty, but that was the first time he’d kissed me in public. So far, our kisses were mostly private affairs … and that was somehow comforting for me. “Sure.”
“Oh, look how cute she is,” Lilac trilled, her teeth showing as she grinned. “I love it when she gets all flustered like that. It takes away from that tough mainland persona she insists on carrying around, but I find it delightful.”
“I do, too,” Galen enthused. “In fact … .” Whatever he was about to say died on his lips as he snapped his head to the end of the bar. It was almost as if he knew something was about to happen, because the moment his eyes landed on the two women one of them threw a punch and knocked the other from her stool.
“What the … ?” Lilac was flabbergasted as she scurried around the bar.
Galen was far ahead of her. He had his hands on the brunette attacker’s shoulders before she could let loose another punch. “Knock it off, Trish,” he barked, shooting the blonde on the floor a warning look before pushing Trish far enough away that she couldn’t continue the brawl. “What are you two fighting about?”
“It’s none of your business,” Trish hissed, kicking her feet as she tried to pull away from Galen. “This isn’t a police matter. It’s a … friendship matter.”
Lilac paused close enough to my stool that she could whisper without being overheard. She was ready to dive in should Galen need help, but otherwise she remained calm and close to me. “Trish Doyle and Ashley Conner,” she muttered under her breath. “They’ve been best friends since roughly middle school, I think. They even graduated together, which was about seven years or so ago if you’re keeping count.”
I wasn’t, but it was a nice tidbit all the same. “Okay.” I kept my eyes on the women, who were both red-faced and flustered as they glared at one another. “Apparently they’ve had a falling out.”
“Apparently,” Lilac agreed, stepping forward. “You guys know better than to fight in here. What’s got you all twisted up?”
“It’s none of your business,” Ashley snapped, rolling to her knees and slowly getting to her feet. She checked her arm, as if looking for a mark, and then gave Trish a wide berth as she circled the table and increased the distance between them. “As for you, I think you know what I’m about to say.”
“Oh, I know,” Trish sneered. “You’re going to say our friendship is over because I betrayed you, but in reality you betrayed me. We both know it. He knows it, too.”
“Who is ‘he’?” I asked innocently, earning a quelling look from Galen and a hateful stare from Trish.
“It’s none of your business, newbie,” Trish barked. “Don’t go sticking your nose into other people’s affairs. That’s a surefire way to find trouble o
n this island.” She shifted her eyes back to Ashley. “As for you, if I see you again you know what’s going to happen.”
“I definitely know what’s going to happen,” Ashley agreed, smoothing her shirt and showing her teeth … which looked a lot longer than they should, as if she were about to turn into some sort of otherworldly creature. Of course, given the heightened situation, there was every chance I was imagining that. “You’re going to lose if we run into each other again.”
“Oh, in your dreams.” Trish rolled her eyes. “You’re the one who will lose. In fact, you’d better keep your distance from him if you don’t want to lose … well, everything.”
“Knock that off,” Galen warned, giving Trish a good shake. “I can’t stand by and listen to you toss around death threats. You know that.”
I had to admire his calm veneer even as I marveled at the way the women glared at each other. In that particular moment I had no doubt that both would be willing to use their teeth to rip out the other’s throat. It was a sobering – and chilling – realization.
“You don’t have to worry about us,” Ashley called out as she arrived at the door. She appeared calm, but I could practically feel the distress wafting off her in waves. “We won’t cause trouble, will we, Trish?”
Something unsaid passed between the two women and Trish straightened. “Of course not,” she answered perfunctorily. “We’re done fighting. It was a quick thing and it’s over now.”
Galen obviously didn’t believe them, but he was in a precarious position. “Steer clear of each other until you two calm down. Do you hear me?”
Trish offered a sarcastic salute. “We hear you. We’ll be good, boss. We promise.”
I was new to Moonstone Bay, but I clearly recognized she was lying. Galen had no reason to restrain the women, though, so he took a step back and offered them the opportunity to clear out. “I’ll be watching if you don’t keep your word.”
Ashley licked her lips. “Like I said, you don’t need to worry about us. We’ve got everything under control.”
Witch Out of Water Page 2