Kara nodded again. “That’s okay.”
“How’s Oliver?”
“He’s allowed out of his crate during the day, but I still cage him at night. Other than that, he’s perfect.”
“You tell him Daddy will be over to see him in a couple of days.”
Kara smiled and stared numbly at the man who made her look forward to every moment spent with him. For the past week, she hoped to get just a glimpse of him even though he called her every night. She went to bed thinking of him and woke looking for him.
“What’s going on between the two of you?” Dawn asked when Kara sat down again.
She blinked. “What are you talking about?”
Dawn leaned over the table. “Only a blind person wouldn’t see the sparks between you and that delicious-looking lawman. You’ve never kept a secret from me, sister, so please don’t start now.”
Kara picked up the menu. “I’ll tell you after we order.”
Dawn studied her menu. “What are chitlins?”
“They are small intestines of the hog.”
“Ewww,” she said, wrinkling her nose.
“Don’t ‘ewww’ until you taste them,” Kara said. “I’ll order a side dish so you can try them.”
“What do you recommend?”
“Everything’s good, but I’m partial to the red rice.”
“I like Southern food, but there’s too much to select from.”
Kara had introduced her friend to Southern cuisine when she used to prepare elaborate Sunday dinners, but all that stopped when her caseload increased and she spent the weekends doing laundry and trying to catch up on her sleep.
“I’ll order for the both of us; that way you’ll be able to sample dishes you’ve never eaten.”
As promised, Kara ordered for the both of them and then quietly told her about Jeff, leaving out the fact that they had slept together. “I went to Haven Creek yesterday, and within seconds of walking into a gourmet shop, I overheard someone whisper that I was the sheriff’s woman.”
Leaning back in her chair, Dawn shook her head in disbelief. “It’s like that?”
“I’m afraid it is.”
“We don’t even know our neighbors like that.”
“Tell me about it, Miss Dee,” Kara drawled.
“Doesn’t the gossip bother you?”
“Not really.”
“It would bother me. That’s why I moved from upstate to New York City. Where I lived everyone knew everyone else’s business. If they didn’t gossip about you, then they made up crap.”
Dawn stopped talking when the waitress set out a pitcher of sweet tea and a plate of hot, buttery biscuits on the table. “What saves me is that Angels Landing is somewhat isolated from the other houses in the town. I come to the Cove to do some banking, occasionally eat at Jack’s, and visit the local bookstore. I prefer Haven Creek because it has a lot of craft shops and local farmers that sell fresh fruits and veggies.”
“So you’ve really become a country girl,” Dawn teased.
“I’ve always been a country girl. All I have to do is open my mouth and folks know I’m from the South. What I hadn’t realized until I moved here is that I still have small-town sensibilities.”
Dawn’s pale eyebrows met in a frown. “Are you saying you never felt like a New Yorker?”
“No, I’m not saying that. Although I lived there for fifteen years, I still found myself feeling like an outsider. Aside from my accent, I could never get used to the fast pace of the city. It’s different here because everyone is so laid-back. I don’t know if you noticed, but there are no traffic lights or street signs. There’s not that frantic rush to get somewhere. Life expectancy here is twelve years higher than it is for people who live in urban areas. Maybe it’s because there’s no industry polluting the air or that most of the food is locally grown.”
“Does your change of heart have anything to do with your new boyfriend?”
“What are you trying to say?” Kara knew she sounded defensive, but it was too late to retract her words.
“You’re in love with the man, Kara. Don’t forget, I’ve seen you with different guys. Some you liked and some you didn’t. Your face completely changed when Jeff came over here. And if the man can’t see what’s so obvious, then he’s more obtuse than me when I play the airheaded blonde.”
“I’ll admit that I like him.”
“That’s BS, Kara. You more than like him.”
“Will you please lower your voice,” she said when diners at a nearby table turned to look at them. “Can we finish this conversation back at the house?”
“Sure. Here comes our order. Wow.” Dawn gasped when dishes of catfish fritters, black-eyed peas, greens, red beans and rice, fried chicken, and chitlins were set out on the table. “There’s no way we can eat all this food.”
“What we don’t eat we’ll take home with us. You know I’d rather have dinner for breakfast.”
“How do you not gain weight living down here?” Dawn asked as she spooned a portion of rice and beans onto her plate.
“I go for walks along the beach.”
“I never saw the beach living upstate. The closest I got to water was a stream that ran along a farmer’s land he used to irrigate his crops.”
Kara picked up the dish with the chitlins. “Taste a little bit, and tell me whether or not you like them.”
Dawn speared a small portion with her fork. She took her time chewing, then smiled. “They’re delicious.”
“Now, when you speak to your parents, you can tell them you ate chitlins.”
“That’s not all I’m going to eat. When I go back to New York, I know I’m going to have to work out extra hard to shed the weight I’ll gain here.”
Kara smiled. “There’s worse things than being round and happy.”
“No shi—” She put a hand over her mouth to cut off the expletive. “I forgot where I was. Back home no one pays attention to four-letter words.”
That was one thing it’d taken Kara a long time to get used to. She wasn’t a prude, but she wasn’t used to hearing people curse as eloquently as New Yorkers. And unfortunately it was taxicab drivers who were usually on the receiving end of their vitriolic rants.
Kara and Dawn fell into the comfortable camaraderie that had been the hallmark of their longtime friendship. They talked about mutual friends, the men they’d dated, and those they never should’ve dated. Dawn disclosed she’d given her freeloading friends the boot and it felt good to have the apartment to herself once again.
“You have an admirer,” Kara whispered when she noticed a well-dressed man seated at a table to their left staring at Dawn.
Dawn ran a hand over the nape of her neck. “Not interested.”
“Weren’t you just saying that you were looking for someone new?”
“Someone closer to home, Kara. I’m not cut out for long-distance relationships.”
“What makes you think he’s from here? I’m willing to bet half the people in this restaurant are tourists. Besides, he’s a little too buttoned up to be a local.”
Dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin, Dawn shifted on her chair and gave the gawking man a dazzling smile. Then she did something that shocked Kara. She stood up, approached him, and introduced herself. The interchange lasted a few minutes, the man handing Dawn his business card.
“Satisfied?” she crooned, grinning at Kara.
“I didn’t tell you to roll up on him like that.”
Dawn dropped the card into her drawstring bag. “You know me. I’ll strike up a conversation with a flea. He’s with a film company, and he’s here researching locales for a movie. I told him I was on vacation and would call him after I return home. I didn’t tell him home is New York.”
“Where’s his home base?”
“New York. He’s with Tribeca Film Company.”
The two women exchanged high-five handshakes. They finished eating, and their server bought containers and boxed up the
leftovers. Kara settled the bill, leaving a generous tip, and she and Dawn headed back to Angels Landing.
She punched in the code to disarm the alarm system, waiting for the signal to turn from red to green, then opened the door leading into the rear of the house. “I’ll show you the house and grounds tomorrow morning before my parents get here.”
“How long are they staying?” Dawn asked, following Kara into the brick-walled kitchen.
“They’re leaving Monday. After that I’ll take you around the island, and one night we’ll hang out in Charleston. I still haven’t taken the Gullah tour, so that’s something we can do together.”
Dawn watched Kara store the food in the refrigerator. “You don’t have to babysit me, Kara. I came down here just to kick back and veg out. And I’m certain you’re going to want to see your boyfriend.”
“Jeff and I have plenty of time to see each other.”
“Are you sure?”
“Very sure. We—”
“Do you have a dog?” Dawn asked.
“Yes. Come meet Oliver.”
Dawn sat on the floor, laughing hysterically when the tiny Yorkie jumped on and off her lap. “He’s adorable, Kara. Where did you get him?”
“Jeff gave him to me.”
Picking up the puppy, the dancer held him to her chest as he tried licking her chin. “You have the house, a beautiful classic car, and a dog. Now, all you need is a husband and a couple of kids. And I’d better be at the top of your list when you pick a maid of honor.”
Kara sat on the floor next to Dawn as Oliver jumped from one lap to the other. “If I ever get married, then of course you’ll be my maid of honor, but I’m willing to bet you’ll get married before I do.”
“I don’t have the temperament to be a wife and mother. The only constant thing in my life is dance. You’re the grounded one, Kara. Even though you had a very challenging and stressful job, you always kept your cool.” She rested her head on Kara’s shoulder. “I know I invaded your privacy when I allowed my friends to crash at the apartment, but I just didn’t know how to say no. It wasn’t until after you left that I realized how much you meant to me as a roommate, friend, and sister from another mother,” she said.
Kara patted Dawn’s flaxen head. “Don’t you dare get maudlin on me, Dawn Renee Ramsey. You know where I am, and anytime you want some place to crash, you’re always welcome to come here. It’ll probably take a couple of years to restore every brick and stick of furniture in this house, but there’s still the extra bedroom in the guesthouse.”
“We can be roomies again. That is…”
“That is what, Dawn?”
“That is if you don’t marry Jeffrey Hamilton.”
“Please give it a rest. I’m not going to marry Jeff.” Kara stood up. “I have to clean Oliver’s crate.”
The notion of marrying was not an option for Kara. He didn’t believe in love, and she would never consider marrying a man who didn’t love her. Kara had carefully mapped out her five-year plan in order to comply with Taylor’s mandate. She would move into the remaining guesthouse and oversee the restoration of the property.
Dawn also stood up. “I think I’m going to turn in. I got up before the chickens to take the 6:00 a.m. train down here.” She hugged Kara. “Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
She cleaned her puppy’s crate, but instead of putting him in for the night, she took him with her to the front porch. A near-full moon silvered the countryside. Sitting on a cushioned rocker, Kara inhaled the scent she’d now come to associate with the Lowcountry.
Oliver turned around and around until he found a comfortable spot on her lap, tucking his muzzle against his side. Running her fingertips over his soft fur, Kara rocked back and forth in a measured rhythm until she found her eyelids closing. She wasn’t certain how long she’d dozed off before the sound of an approaching car jerked her back to wakefulness. She sat up straight, smiling when the headlights flashed twice. Kara knew the driver.
Jeff unfolded his body out of the Miata and mounted the porch steps. Bending over, he kissed Kara, then sat down beside her. “I’m officially on vacation for the next ten days.”
Kara placed her hand over his on the armrest. “Who’s filling in for you?”
“The deputies are going to hold it down for me. They’re both family men and could use the overtime pay.”
She started rocking again. “What do you plan to do while on your vacation?”
Stretching out his legs, Jeff crossed them at the ankles. “My original plan had to be revised once I discovered my girlfriend has a houseguest.”
“I didn’t know that I was your girlfriend.”
“And why not?”
“Because we never talked about us.”
Jeff stared at her profile. “I didn’t think we had to talk about it.”
Kara closed her eyes for several seconds. “I think we do. Are we a couple?”
He smiled. “Of course we’re a couple.” He angled his head and brushed his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss until her lips parted. “What else do I have to do to prove to you that I want us to be together?”
She smiled. “I think you’ve made your point.”
His eyebrows lifted a fraction. “And that is?”
“We’re a couple.”
Jeff pressed a kiss to her hair. “I’m glad we settled that. Now, back to your houseguest.”
“I just found out yesterday that Dawn was coming down.”
“It’s all right, baby. I would never interfere with you being with your friends. Now if that friend had been a dude, I don’t think I would be so magnanimous.”
“Do I detect some jealousy, Jeff?”
“Hell yeah, you do.”
“There’s no need for that.”
“And why is that?”
“The only man I’m involved with is you.”
“You think I don’t know that,” Jeff countered. “If you were seeing someone else, I’d know it immediately.”
“Like everyone knows about you coming to my house and spending the night?”
Moving off the rocker, Jeff sat down at her feet. “I’ve heard the gossip, too, but I don’t care, Kara. I knew when I took you to the movies, folks would talk because they’ve never seen me out with a woman. We’re both consenting adults, so whatever we do together is our business.”
“How do they know you come here at night?”
Chuckling, he shrugged his shoulders. “It beats the hell out of me. I’ve checked my car inside and out for a tracking device, but I couldn’t find anything.”
“I told Mrs. Todd that maybe someone has a powerful telescope trained on the house.”
“Perhaps you’re right, but there’s no law against someone owning a telescope.”
“But is it legal to spy on people, Jeff?”
“It would be if they were Peeping Toms. But we’ve never given anyone a show. The drapes are always drawn.” He paused. “It could be they recognize my car because it’s the only Miata on the island.”
Kara trailed her fingertips over his head. “I’m not bothered that people see us together.”
“If it’s not that, then what’s bothering you?”
“I just have this eerie feeling that I’m being watched.”
Rising to his knees, Jeff held on to Kara’s shoulders. He leaned closer, brushing his mouth over hers. “I think you’re being just a little paranoid. You’ve secured your property, so if you feel something’s wrong, then call the company and have them review the surveillance tapes. I think you’re still spooked from the rock-throwing incident.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
“Kara, baby. Do you trust me to keep you safe?”
“Jeff—”
“Just answer the question. Do you?”
She nodded, then said, “Yes.”
“Then let me take care of you.”
Kara closed her eyes and pressed her fore
head to Jeff’s. “How are you planning on doing that?”
It was the first time since meeting Kara that Jeff felt her vulnerability. Even the rock-throwing incident hadn’t appeared to unnerve her, and he wondered what had happened, which she wasn’t telling him, to shake her resolve. She’d been so adamant about not running away, yet people talking about their relationship had her rattled. It just didn’t add up.
“When are the workmen scheduled to begin working on the restoration?”
“A week from now. Why?”
“I want you to move in with me and my grandmother instead of you staying in the guesthouse.”
Kara shook her head, her ponytail swaying with the motion. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it wouldn’t be right.”
Jeff angled his head. “It’s not what you think, baby. I would never disrespect Gram by sleeping with a woman under her roof. You’ll have your own room.”
“I can’t give you an answer now. Please let me think about it.”
The fact that she hadn’t said no made Jeff feel a modicum of hope that Kara would eventually accept his offer. She’d told him of her plan to move into the guesthouse for the duration of the restoration. And when he’d informed his grandmother of Kara’s intent, it was Corrine who’d offered to open her home to Kara.
Initially, Jeff had believed his grandmother was playing matchmaker but quickly changed his mind when she mentioned overhearing several churchgoers talk about how the Pattons were trying to prove that Kara was a fraud. Corrine normally eschewed gossip, but in this case what she’d heard had been helpful.
He kissed her again. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll find a way to make love.”
Kara laughed, the sound disturbing Oliver who stood up and shook himself. “Your car is too small for a quickie.”
“Wow, I haven’t done that since I was a kid. I was thinking more along the lines of renting a bungalow on one of the other islands.”
She smiled. “So you want to set up a love shack.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“Safe and happy.”
Jeff nodded. “Safe and very happy,” he repeated. “How long are you going to sit out here?”
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