“What’s in it?” She had no idea why she whispered her question.
He looked at her, his face amazed. “It’s money.” He riffled through the contents. “And social security cards, drivers’ licenses, immunization records, college diplomas, passports, debit cards and,” he pulled out a large leather book gilded with gold along the edges of the pages and an attached tasseled bookmark hanging from its spine, “an instruction manual.”
“Wow, Adriel sure thought of everything, didn’t he?”
Jack handed over her driving license.
She studied the picture. “This picture must’ve been taken by angels.”
Jack pulled out two odd-looking devices that resembled small calculators but only had a few buttons along the side. “Why do you say that?”
“Because I actually look good.”
He snorted and then his smile melted as he held up a set of keys. “A Dodge? Really? They couldn’t have given us a Porsche or something?”
“Maybe they don’t make them anymore.”
He held her in a heated glare. “How dare you. Porsche is forever.”
“Yeah, and driving around in one would help us blend in real well.” She shook her head, turning her attention back to her ID. “Oh, they got my name wrong. It says Angie Wheeler.”
Glancing over her shoulder, he studied the license and then looked at the cards in his hands. “I don’t think so. It says the same on all your identification.”
“Why would they name me Angie Wheeler? We were never married.” No, of course not. She and Jack had only been friends.
Always. Just friends.
Jack searched through the bag again and pulled forth a document. He handed the paper to her. “Apparently, they want us to pretend we’re married.”
“Married? Us?” she asked, her voice husky as she studied the words Certificate of Marriage. Why did they make her want to cry? She searched for a reason until her head hurt, but nothing came.
Damn these cobwebs in her memory.
“For the moment, yeah.”
Moistening her suddenly dry lips, she retrieved the forgotten instruction manual and opened it. The font was dark and bold, the characters in ancient Hebrew. Damn. If it were Latin she could fake her way through. Great, another one of Jude’s mishaps.
With a sigh, she was about to close the book when her vision blurred. No, it wasn’t her vision, but the words. They swirled and faded on the paper, then reappeared in English.
She blinked several times, but the type remained clear. She grinned as she scanned the pages. Adriel must be watching.
“This tells us where Sean and Dianna live and that we should talk to Dianna’s neighbor about renting her first floor apartment.”
Jack snatched the book from her and tossed it back in the bag.
“Hey, I was reading that!”
“For goodness sake’s it’s an instruction manual.” Jack got to his feet. “You don’t have to read every book you lay your eyes on.”
“But we might need it.” She tried to grab the bag away from him.
He gripped on tight and refused to let go. “We know what we’re doing. We’re trying to get two soul mates to recognize each other. How hard can that be?”
She jumped to her feet, teetering slightly. “God forbid you should read instructions. You’re such a typical man.”
“And you’re a nagging woman.”
Angie followed Jack over the dunes, her slippers sinking into the loose sand. She continued climbing, growing frustrated. And then she reached the top and she gasped.
The blue-green water of the Atlantic Ocean was more beautiful than she remembered. Jack also paused for a moment, seeming to take in the view, before moving onto an old boardwalk.
Stepping onto the wooded walkway, she took in all God’s beauty. The beach was mostly deserted save for a few folks strolling along the shore. Long Island had been known for its beaches in her day, but she never imagined this. Smooth white sand sprinkled with seashells, patches of seaweed, and driftwood. Foam from the waves lined the shoreline.
“Wow, this is amazing.” Jack headed for the steps that led down to the sand. “C’mon I want to feel the ocean.”
Angie strolled along behind him taking in all that was going on around her, which wasn’t much. A teenager on a skateboard approached. She stopped and waited for him to pass.
“Hurry up, Angie!”
“Just a second. It’s not easy to walk in this thing.” God, the man was so impatient.
Just then, the kid swerved and headed right for her. She shrieked and braced for impact, but all she felt was a soft breeze and a whizzing in her ears as he passed right through her.
What the hell?
Shaking and breathing in sharp quick gasps, she lowered her hands to see Jack grabbing his stomach howling with laughter.
“That was not funny!”
“Oh my gosh. You should’ve seen your face.”
Ignoring her so-called husband, she searched the boardwalk for more pedestrians. Two young women strolled in her direction. Angie headed for them, stood in their path, and watched to see any reaction. The girls kept walking, looking straight ahead, but gave no indication they saw her.
Jack jogged over. “What are you doing?”
“They can’t see us.”
He observed them, waving his hands wildly. “I guess not.”
“But we need to be seen if we’re going to do this right.”
An odd sensation, like going uphill in a roller coaster, washed over her, but she didn’t have time to contemplate it. The two women came to an abrupt halt. Their eyes rounded in horror.
They screamed.
Angie screamed back.
Clutching their hands over their hearts, the girls stumbled over each other to get away. The shorter of the two said, “Did you see that? She appeared out of nowhere!”
Angie’s heart nearly pounded through her ribcage, as several other onlookers grew curious to see what the commotion was about.
She could only imagine what they were thinking, seeing a middle-aged woman dressed in a kimono clutching her chest, while a tall man sporting a toga tried to calm her.
So much for not drawing attention to themselves.
Jack grabbed her hand and led her back behind the dunes. “Well, I guess all we have to do is want to be seen and voilà!”
Still shaking, Angie settled into the sand. Dear Father, this was going to be tricky.
“Hey.”
She glanced up as Jack squatted in front of her. He raised his hand and after a moment’s hesitation stroked her hair. Her breath hitched.
“We’ll practice in front of a mirror so that never happens again, okay?”
All she could do was nod then she swallowed hard and asked, “How are we going to do that?”
Rifling through the leather bag by his side, Jack pulled out the map and sat down beside her. “By finding Dianna’s house and renting from her neighbor.”
“Okay, but Jack? Before we do anything, we really need to get a change of clothes.”
Chapter Three
THE NEXT MORNING, Sean slammed the cardboard box he held to the floor, still fuming over last night’s fight with Sonia. The bottles inside jingled upon impact. He cringed.
Maybe he shouldn’t be restocking top shelf liquor while he was so pissed. But for Sonia to suggest his friendship with Dianna interfered with their relationship was absurd.
Thank God it was Friday. His shift ended in an hour, so he’d have the rest of today off, but he’d be working the weekend. Even though he and Sonia had plans tonight, she’d be on her own until Monday. No date meant no fighting.
Or so he hoped. After all, there was always texting and Facebook to fuck him up.
He gently placed a bottle of Grey Goose on the shelf next to the Highland Park 30 adjusting them so they sat in a perfect alignment.
Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have admitted to Sonia that his mind was wandering because he had a bad feeling about D
ianna’s date. But she’d asked and he wasn’t going to lie. The words had flown from his mouth before he really thought them through.
That’s how his mind worked where Dianna was concerned. She’d always been his priority. Something his previous girlfriends found hard to deal with, which was probably why none of his relationships lasted for more than a few months. Including the current one, if he wasn’t careful.
With a sigh, he plopped himself onto the top rung of the stepladder.
Sonia should come first, not Dianna. Somehow, he’d have to find a way to change that.
But how to undo nearly thirty years of conditioning? From the moment they were born—on the same day, in the same hospital, at exactly the same time—they’d been together. Each other’s best friend.
A sudden and intense feeling of peace eased the turmoil from Sean’s body seconds before the heavy wood door to his pub opened.
“Hello there. Is it too early for a bloody Mary?”
“Is it ever?” Sean gestured for the stranger to take a seat by the bar. “You’re my first customer of the day.”
The older man glanced around the long narrow space, checking out the empty tables that lined the walls. “I can see that. Is it always this slow?”
“A week ago I had so many patrons I could barely get the door shut.”
His customer nodded as he selected a stool in the middle of the bar. “Ah, yes, the Hamptons’ summer crowd.”
“God bless them. Are you new in town?”
“Yes, my wife and I just rented a place on Oakwood Lane, but we’re looking for a house in the area.” He extended his hand.
Sean shook it then proceeded to prepare the man’s drink. “I have a friend who lives on Oakwood, but I wasn’t aware of anyone renting for the off-season.”
“I think we took the dear lady by surprise. I’m Jack Wheeler, by the way.”
“Sean Donovan.”
“The same Donovan as the sign outside?”
“Yup, this is my baby.” He set the drink in front of the older gentleman.
He raised his glass. “Cheers to your baby.”
With a chuckle, Sean turned back to his bottles. “I need to take care of these. Just holler if you need anything.”
“Don’t worry. I will. It’ll be nice to get to know a few people in town. I feel like an outsider.”
Sean wasn’t surprised his customer felt that way. Even though Seashore Cove overflowed with travelers during the weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day, it was a small town with a close-knit community.
He finished stocking the shelves, then retrieved a business card from the holder sitting next to the register, turned it over and jotted down his cell phone number. He handed it to Jack. “Here. No customer of mine is going to feel left out. If you ever need anything just give a shout. I promise I won’t mind.”
“Thank you, son.” Jack took the card with a smile. “I’m warning you now; I have no qualms about taking you up on that.”
Sean shook the stranger’s hand again, warming to him instantly. “I’m looking forward to it.”
***
Music filled the cheerful kitchen later that afternoon, as Dianna belted out a Kelly Clarkson song. Creaming together eggs, butter and sugar, she swung her hips to the catchy beat.
God, she loved to bake. This cake for Trish and Joshua was going to be her best yet. Excitement rushed through her at the anticipation of their looks of amazement at seeing her creation. She was so happy, thrilled.
Then a hand touched her shoulder.
Dianna screamed and jerked around with the mixer still running, splattering cake batter all over Sean.
“What the hell?”
She switched the small appliance off and placed it on the counter, her heart pounding in her ears. “Well, that’s what you get for sneaking up on people!” She grabbed a paper towel and ran it under the tap.
“I did not sneak up on you. I called for you all the way from the front door.” He took the towel from her and wiped off his dark, blue T-shirt.
Dianna turned the radio down. “I couldn’t hear you over the music.”
“That much is obvious.” It was hard to take his annoyance seriously when batter dotted his face.
She suppressed a giggle. “You look like you have a weird case of the measles.”
“Ha, ha.” Sean wiped his chin, cheeks and forehead smearing the mixture until it resembled a vanilla facial mask.
Dianna shook her head and snatched the paper towel from him. “I swear I have no idea how you get up every morning without help.”
“I manage just fine, thanks.”
“Yes, I can see that. Hold still.”
Sean did as instructed and she focused on removing the mess from his face. God, he could be such a child sometimes. How he ever… got…
Dianna’s thoughts shifted to his full lips as she ran the towel slowly back and forth across them. He really did have a sensual mouth. No wonder women fell at his feet. Raising her eyes to his, she was surprised to find him watching her with a knowing grin. She gasped as a shock of electricity zipped through her, heating parts of her that should have nothing to do with this man.
“You know I love it when you scold me. Don’t you think I deserve a spanking?”
Dianna tossed the paper towel into the garbage, hoping he didn’t notice the sudden trembling in her hand. “You so wish.”
Releasing a dramatic woeful sigh, he walked over to the bowl and dipped a finger into the batter, snatching his hand away before she could slap it. “So, is this cake business or personal?”
“Personal. Josh asked me to bring one tonight.” Dianna divided her latest creation into three oval cake pans.
“I don’t think that’ll be big enough for one of Trisha’s parties.”
Under normal circumstances, Sean would’ve been right. Josh and Trisha owned one of the more expensive properties in Seashore Cove. High-end home, high-end parties and her cousins threw a ton of them.
“She’s not having a lot of people over. It’s just a small gathering for their anniversary.”
“Oh, right.”
“Aren’t you going?” She put the pans into the oven.
“I don’t know.” He ran his index finger along the inside of the now-empty bowl. “By the time Josh invited us, Sonia and I already had plans.”
“You could change them.”
“Probably not a good idea to rock the boat. We had another fight last night.”
That had her standing up straighter. “What about?”
He sucked on his finger for a moment. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, come on. You know you’re going to tell me, so you might as well get it over with.”
“I don’t tell you everything, Princess.”
Dianna gasped with her hand to her chest. “You don’t? I tell you everything.” Okay, maybe not quite everything. She hadn’t told him what Kirk said to her or the decision she’d come to.
And she had no idea why.
Sean knew about her pact, of course. He never commented on it except to say he admired her for keeping her promises.
“Hey, a guy’s gotta have his secrets.” He winked.
“You should go. With family around, you won’t fight.” Tossing the dirty dishes into the sink, she switched on the water. Something was bugging him. Normally he’d barely give her a chance to say hello before he was venting to her about it.
“Is Kirk going to be there?” He picked up a towel to help dry.
There was that lump in her throat again. “No, we broke up last night. He…he was cheating on me.”
Sean clapped his hands together and wiggled his hips in a victory dance while swinging the towel in a circular motion above his head.
Running her hand under the water, she took aim and flicked her fingers, spraying droplets at him. “Thanks so much for your sympathy, its greatly appreciated.”
“I’m sorry Princess, but you know I always thought you could do better than that guy.�
� He ran the towel over his face, his brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”
“It stings a bit, but I’m glad I found out before we—” She picked up the sponge and wiped the inside of the sink. “So are you going to the party?”
“Na, I need to work things out with Sonia.”
Dianna leaned her hip against the counter. “My brothers might be there, and I know our parents will be.” She knew she shouldn’t be pushing, but how could she convince him he needed to be there without spoiling Trish and Josh’s surprise?
Yeah, that’s why I’m pressuring him. Because of my cousins’ announcement.
“I better not. Really.” Sean dried the last utensil then hung the towel over the handle of the stove. “How was your day?”
“Good. I got some editing done. Despite—” Dianna bit her lip. She was about to say despite going over the plan on how to approach the right guy to help her on her less-than-virtuous quest. This was the perfect opening to tell him, but again, the words wouldn’t leave her lips.
“Despite what?”
“Nothing really. Just something I need to decide on my own.”
Sean’s eyes grew wide with—was that pain? “You’ve decided it’s time to study in Paris.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Sitting on a stool by her center island, Sean propped his elbows on the counter, sitting his chin in his palms and looked at her, brow raised.
If he only knew how ridiculous he looked.
And how adorable.
Pushing that thought aside, she wiped the counter of the remaining cake batter droplets. “Oh, you can have secrets but I can’t?” God, it annoyed her that he was so sure she’d spill everything when only moments before he basically told her to shut up and mind her own business.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much the way it works for us. So spill it.”
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted Dianna’s response. She stormed off to answer it, muttering to herself about ungrateful best friends and how they should learn to take a hint once in a while.
She went to yank open the door, but just as her hand touched the doorknob, warmth eased itself up her arm, calming her irritation.
She opened it feeling a tad dreamy.
Angels in Seashore Cove (Love and Laugh in Seashore Cove Book 2) Page 3