Bayside Wishes

by Stacy Claflin

  "Perfect. Gorgeous." Marcel snapped away.

  She posed until he moved the camera to his side.

  "Let's just get a few over there, and then I think we're good."

  Freya hiked up the skirt so she could walk quicker over to the platform. She picked up the unity candle and smelled it. Marcel snapped a picture. She put it down and then struck some funny poses.

  Marcel laughed. "Keep it up."

  She couldn't help laughing, too. It had been a long time since she'd had so much fun with a shoot—when everything had been so relaxed and easygoing.

  He put the camera down again. "I think we have more than enough. Dakota's going to have a hard time picking which ones to use."

  "I hope so." Freya would believe that when she saw it. How many times had she spent hours on a shoot, only to find out that not one photograph was acceptable? Then it was back to square one—or photo manipulation software came in, mixing and matching various poses into one. Then usually, they would make her skinnier, tanner, and with whiter, brighter teeth.

  Marcel put his arm around Freya. "Trust me. Your sister is going to be thrilled with the selection."

  "I can't wait to see them."

  "You're going to be equally excited." His eyes danced with excitement. "Go get back into your street clothes, and I'll prepare the images. Oh, do you need help with the zipper?"

  "Probably."

  He followed her to the dressing room and pulled the zipper about halfway down. "Can you get it from there?"

  Freya reached around and felt the zipper. She pulled, and it came down easily. "Got it."

  "Good. I can't wait to show you ladies these pictures." He practically skipped away.

  She closed the door and smiled. It was definitely nice to see a photographer so happy for a change. Once dressed, she found Dakota in a meeting room going over paperwork with a couple. They were sitting so close, the girl was practically in his lap.

  Dakota glanced up and smiled at Freya. Then she turned back to the couple. "I look forward to working with you two. Be sure to look over our menu online, and if you have any questions that aren't answered on the FAQ, give me a call."

  The girl actually squealed. "Thank you!"

  "My pleasure. Let me see you two out." Dakota turned to Freya. "I'll meet you in my office."

  Freya nodded and headed for the nearest bathroom to double-check her hair and makeup. Her mascara had become smudged at some point, so she pulled some out from her purse and fixed it.

  When she got to Dakota's office, Marcel was in there, taking over a table. His camera and laptop were spread across it, and he was so engrossed in the images, he didn't notice her come in.

  She sat in a cushy chair and pulled out her phone. A couple texts from friends in New York, but nothing from Nico or Shale. They were both probably as busy as Freya had been. Shale had to get used to a new work environment and new coworkers, though with such long shifts, coworkers was probably the wrong word. And Nico, hopefully he was making progress in finding Chase's killer.

  Freya sent her twin a quick text, wishing him luck again. She thought about sending something to Nico, but didn't want to disrupt him. He'd get in contact with her when he could.

  "When did you sneak in here?" Marcel asked. "Come over and look at these."

  She forced herself out of the comfortable chair and went around to look at the laptop screen. A picture of her outside in the courtyard was on the screen. The sun cast an interesting glow on her, almost making her look like she had a halo. Freya gasped. It was stunning.

  "What filter did you use?" she asked.

  He chuckled. "I haven't touched it."

  "Wow." Freya took a deep breath. "You've got talent."

  "It helps to have someone with such a natural grace."

  "Can I see the others?"

  He patted the seat next to him. She sat, and he scrolled through the images. Most of the ones outside were equally as breathtaking as the first.

  "Oh, let me see." Dakota came into the office and squished into the seat with Freya.

  "You're going to have a tough time choosing what you want," Marcel said.

  "Those are amazing. Oh, Freya."

  Marcel clicked through all the photos until he got back to the first one with the halo.

  Dakota took a deep breath. "How am I ever going to decide?"

  "Take your time," Marcel said. "I'll email you the password to the gallery, but give me some time first. I'm going to add effects to some of them."

  "Do they need them?" Dakota asked.

  "No, but you'll love how they look."

  "Have at it." Dakota rose from the chair. "Freya and I are going to grab some lunch."

  "Sounds like a plan." Marcel closed his laptop. "I'll work on these this afternoon and then send you the link and password. Does that work for you?"

  "You're a doll." Dakota flashed her million-dollar smile at him.

  "Anything for you." He turned to Freya. "She recommends me to all of her clients. I spend more time here than in my actual studio."

  "You know you love it," Dakota teased.

  "I do." He turned to Freya. "What are your career plans now that you're back in Enchantment Bay?"

  "I'm not sure yet. I haven't had the chance to look into anything yet."

  "If I hear of anything, I'll let you know. You're fabulous to work with, darling."

  Freya beamed. "So are you."

  "Well, get some lunch, girls. And Freya?"

  "Yes?"

  "Eat up. You need some meat on your bones." He winked at her and left the room.

  "These are so amazing," Dakota squealed. "I can't wait to get them on the website and brochures. Sales are going to go through the roof."

  "Oh, stop."

  "You don't believe me?"

  Freya picked up her purse. "Let's just get some food."

  "Yeah, I'm famished. But I'm not joking."

  "I hope they help."

  "You have no idea." Dakota talked about how much the pictures would help all the way to the parking lot. She unlocked her car. "Where do you want to eat?"

  "The house is fine. There are so many leftovers." Freya climbed in.

  Dakota shot her a playful pout as she started the car. "You're no fun, but you're right. We should eat some of those. Have you heard back from Shale? Is he having a good first day?"

  "I haven't heard." Freya checked her phone again. "Still nothing. He must be busy."

  "Maybe he met a pretty firefighter."

  "Maybe, but I don't think he's ready for that."

  "It's exactly what he needs. I'm not saying the boy has to get married again, but getting back into the game would do him some good."

  "You don't think it's too soon?" Freya asked. "It's been over a year and if he's been moping around the entire time like he has since he got back."

  "He wasn't moping at the party."

  "Don't sound so defensive. I'm looking out for him, too."

  Was she being defensive? Or was she worried he actually wasn't ready? He really needed to find a way other than alcohol to distract him from the heartache, or any attempt at a relationship would fail.

  When they got to the house, they went inside and filled up on food from the party. Freya had overeaten. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done that without remedying the situation.

  "You want to come back with me and see what Marcel has done with the pictures?" Dakota asked.

  Freya yawned. "You think he's already done?"

  "Hoping is more like it."

  "Mind if I stay here and take a nap? I'm exhausted and stuffed."

  "It's no problem. Oh, and if you want me to take you to the dealership to look for a car later, just let me know."

  Freya laughed. "Is that a hint?"

  "Maybe," Dakota teased. "But seriously, I know how hard it is to go without a car. Have a nice nap." She gave Freya a kiss on the cheek and headed back to work.

  Freya yawned again and went upstairs. As she passed the bat
hroom, the urge to remove some of the food came over her. She closed her eyes and went to the bedroom. Those days were over. She'd eaten too much, but she'd live.

  She threw herself into bed and thought about her recent dates with Nico. That got her mind off her stomach. Nothing compared to the way he looked at her—like she was the only woman on earth. He adored her for her, whether her hair was perfect or not. She could probably lose her thigh gap, and he wouldn't care.

  Freya pulled the covers up over her and closed her eyes. She wanted another of his kisses. They were both sweet and passionate at the same time. Her body warmed just thinking about it.

  She drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  The sound of her phone woke Freya. It took her a minute to figure out what was going on. Everything was dark. She sat up and looked around. It was across the room in her purse. The ringing stopped and then started again.

  Freya climbed out of bed and picked it up.

  Shale.

  "Hello?"

  "Freya?" Shale's voice was weak and raspy.

  "Shale, is everything okay?"

  "There's so much blood."

  She almost dropped the phone. "What? Where are you? At a fire?"

  He mumbled something she couldn't understand. "Today was training. They sent me home earlier. Can you come to my place?"

  "I don't even know where you live!"

  "I'll text you the address." He groaned. "Hurry."

  "Do you need an ambulance?" Freya grabbed her purse and ran downstairs. The lights were on, but she didn't see or hear Dakota.

  "If I did, I'd have called them. I need you." Shale sounded awful.

  Freya ran into the kitchen. Dakota had left her a note.

  I'm on a date. Take my car if you need it. xoxo

  The keys sat next to the paper.

  "I'll be right there." Freya picked up the keychain. "Send me that text now."

  Twenty-Four

  Nico sipped on his fifth—sixth?—coffee of the day. Even with as strong as it was, it didn't help his heavy eyelids.

  "You need a break, Sarge?" Reese asked.

  He set his mug down. "I think we all do." Everyone in the conference room had dark circles under their eyes.

  Captain Gardner came in. She glanced around the room. Her gaze landed on Nico. "Anything new?"

  "Everything matches up with what Morrow County says. Reese is going to go undercover again tomorrow, so I'm thinking of sending her home to get some sleep."

  The captain arched a brow and tucked some hair behind her ear. "We need everyone on this."

  "She is, but she's not going to do anyone any good if she's too tired to function during a drug bust."

  Captain Gardner narrowed her eyes. "They're druggies. Reese will be more realistic if she's not at the top of her game. She can claim that she really needs the stuff. It's all the better."

  Nico took a deep breath. "We're all giving this all we have. We're only human."

  "You can rest after we solve the case."

  Grumbling sounded around the room. They were all as tired at Nico was.

  The captain turned around to leave the room.

  "Where are you going?" Nico asked. He would lose it if she said home.

  "Do you need me here?" Gardner asked.

  "You're more than welcome to help out. Fresh eyes are always good."

  The captain shook her head. "You've got this, Valentin." She spun around and left the room.

  Someone—Nico was pretty sure it was Henderson—called Gardner a name.

  "No need for that," Nico muttered, though he was half-tempted to badmouth her, too. "We'll get through this, and then we can all go home and sleep for a couple days."

  "Or a week," Reese said.

  "What are we overlooking?" Nico asked.

  "Sleep," Wilson muttered.

  Nico stepped outside the door and looked around for the captain. She was nowhere in sight. He went back into the conference room. "We all want to solve this case for Turner, and now we're this close." Nico held his thumb and finger a hair width apart. "Let's figure out what we're missing."

  Grumbles and shuffling papers sounded. Henderson got up and went to one of the whiteboards. He rearranged a couple pictures of drug dealers and made some notes.

  After a while, Nico's stomach growled. He peeked out of the room Captain Gardner stood there, speaking with the Lieutenant and one of the officers.

  He groaned and turned back into the room. "After Gardner disappears, I'll grab some dinner."

  "I'll go with you," Wilson said.

  Nico flicked a nod and picked up a pile of papers he couldn't recall looking at in the last day.

  His phone rang. It was Freya. He glanced back out to see Gardner still there. Unfortunately, Freya would have to wait—even though nothing would boost his morale more than hearing her voice for just a moment. He pressed ignore and flipped through the papers.

  It rang again. Henderson glared at him.

  Nico pressed ignore and then sent Freya a quick text saying it wasn't a good time.

  She responded right away.

  I'm sorry. It's an emergency.

  Blood drained from his face.

  What is it?

  Call me. Please.

  Nico glanced out to see Gardner still talking with the Lieutenant. He swore.

  Everyone in the room stared at him.

  "It's not about the case," he snapped.

  Nico was at the end of his rope. He looked out again. Gardner's back was toward him, for the moment, at least. He squeezed his phone and ran to his office, closing the door behind him as quietly as he could. Then he locked it and went to the far corner and called Freya.

  "Nico?"

  "What's going on?" he whispered.

  "It's my brother. He's hurt."

  "Which brother? Where are you? What happened?"

  "Shale. I'm at his condo. I haven't figured out what happened, but there's a lot of blood."

  "Take him to the ER."

  "He won't go, and he's too big for me to force him."

  "What do you need me to do?" Nico peeked out a blind. Gardner was still speaking with the Lieutenant.

  "Can you come and help me?"

  Nico's head swam. "I wish I could. If he won't go willingly, call an ambulance."

  "He…" Her voice trailed off and she paused. "He's worried about losing his job."

  "What?" Nico exclaimed. He checked on Gardner again. It was only a matter of time before she checked the conference room and discovered he wasn't there. "Why?"

  Freya took a deep breath. "He's drunk, and I think maybe high."

  Nico slapped his forehead. "You do realize I'm a cop, right?"

  "I know. But I trust you to help him."

  "You should call Logan. Shale probably needs a lawyer more than anything else."

  "He doesn't want anyone else in our family to know." Freya was crying.

  Nico's heart constricted.

  "Please," she begged. "I don't know what to do."

  He took a deep breath. "Tell me everything. His injuries, his symptoms."

  Freya choked back a sob. "His lip is split and he's got a gash on his eyebrow. There's a lot of blood on his face and shirt. His eyes are kind of glazed over and he's not making a lot of sense. But he's adamant about no hospital and not telling our family."

  Nico wanted to throw something. "He doesn't sound like he's in immediate danger, but I'm not a doctor. He really should see one."

  "Please," Freya begged.

  "Okay. What's the address?"

  "I'll text it to you."

  "Give me a few minutes to get out of here, then I'll be over as quickly as I can."

  "Thank you, Nico."

  "No problem." He ended the call. It was going to be a huge problem if Gardner was still on the floor. He paced and then took another peek out. Still discussing something with the Lieutenant.

  Perhaps he could sneak out without her noticing. And maybe the case would solve itself.


  He took a long, deep breath and considered what to tell the captain when she saw him leaving. There was no scenario where Gardner happily let him go.

  Freya texted him the address. At least the condo wasn't too far away.

  Nico grabbed his jacket from where it hung on his chair and slid it on. He walked out of his office as casually as possible.

  "Where are you going?" Gardner asked.

  He bit back an irritated response and turned to the captain. "Oh, you're still down here. I'm going to grab my team some pizza. Everyone's hungry."

  Gardner turned to the Lieutenant. "Pardon me." She came over to Nico, put her hand on his shoulder, and led him back into his office.

  It was already going worse than Nico had imagined.

  "There are at least five places that deliver pizza, Valentin. What's really going on?"

  "I told you. My guys need food."

  "Order in." Gardner's brows came together. She stared at him, her eyes level with his.

  "Look, I have a family emergency. It won't take more than an hour, and I will bring food. You're welcome to as much as you want."

  "I thought your family was all back on the east coast."

  "What does it matter?"

  "Is it that hooker?"

  "She's not a prostitute! And no, it has nothing to do with her."

  The captain stared at him, not saying a word.

  His pulse raced. "I won't be gone long. I've been here since—"

  "I did tell you the Lieutenant position is going to be up for grabs soon, right?"

  Nico didn't respond. If criminals had the right to remain silent, so did he.

  "My plan was to recommend you for the position."

  His eyes widened. "Me? I'm already the youngest Sergeant."

  "I'm well aware of that. Also one of the best I've seen."

  "Then let me take care of this. It won't interfere with the case. Actually, depriving all of us of sleeping might be, but me taking off for a few minutes certainly won't."

  Gardner narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to Nico. "If you leave, you force me to recommend Sergeant Gibbler, and believe me, I'd far rather you take the position."

  Nico's mind swam. It was unheard of for someone as young as him to make Lieutenant. It would make everything he'd worked so hard for worth it. On the other hand, the memory of Freya's sobs were enough for him to push it aside.