Sunset Dreams

by Jill Sanders

  “Some,” she said softly. She straightened her shoulders and turned back to him. “I have to get up early, you know, to arrange to have my car fixed.”

  “Right.” He nodded. “I don’t suppose you work again tomorrow night?”

  He could see fear leap into her dark eyes. She swallowed. “I do, until closing again.”

  He nodded again. “I’ll see you then. This time, I’ll stay until closing.”

  He watched her relax. “You’d do that?” She frowned.

  He leaned closer to her and whispered. “It’s what I do.” Then, without giving her time to move away, he laid another gentle kiss on her, taking a moment to enjoy the softness of her lips before moving away and letting himself out of her apartment.

  He heard the door click as she locked it behind him and smiled.

  As he jogged down the stairs, trying to act like nothing more than a man interested in a girl, his eyes scanned the darkness and spotted the sedan sitting across the parking lot.

  He wouldn’t have noticed it except for the movement behind the dark glass. Avoiding it, he got behind the wheel of his truck and pulled out of the parking lot. He circled the building and parked less than a block away.

  He pulled on his dark hoodie, tucked his registered firearm into the hip holster he wore, then quietly made his way back to the parking lot.

  He doubted whoever it was would make a move before Clara turned off the lights of the apartment, so he had plenty of time to get into position.

  When the man finally exited the car, almost a full hour later, he was there, waiting for him. He didn’t see what was coming next and, this time, it was Reagan who had the upper hand.

  Clara stood back and watched the older man and his son hoist up her car to tow it away.

  “Are you sure it can’t be fixed here?” she asked again. She knew that the last hundred dollars in her account wouldn’t come close to covering both the fee of fixing the battery cables and the tow truck costs.

  The older man turned towards her, his eyes shifting a little. “As I said, the cables are too far down for us to connect here. We have to get her up on the lift to get under her.” The fact that the man kept referring to her car as female slightly irritated her. Especially when he called it an “old girl” once. The fact that she could easily see the ends of the cables and where they should be connected had her questioning him.

  “Yeah, but…” She bit her bottom lip.

  “Is there a problem?” a deep voice said from behind her. She turned and felt all of the sexual tension from last night return in one quick swoosh as Reagan moved over to her side. “Sorry I’m late, honey.” He bent down and kissed her quickly, before turning his eyes up to the two men.

  “I was just telling the missus that we have to bring this old girl in to repair the cables,” the older man jumped in.

  “Why?” Reagan asked easily. “The cables are easily accessed.” He popped her hood release, opened the hood of her car, and glanced in. “I could probably do it myself”—he shifted a glance at the two men— “if I had the tools.” He motioned to the tool box in the back of the man’s tow truck.

  “Listen, buddy, we know our job…” the younger man started but was quickly hushed by his father.

  “You wouldn’t be trying to get the extra tow fee out of us, would you?” Reagan crossed his arms over his chest. “Because I’m sure the BBB would be very interested in hearing about this. Not to mention, a quick review on Yelp could have you hurting for business around here. I passed several other auto shops on the way over here. I’m sure any of them would be happy—”

  “We can fix it,” the older man interrupted. He turned and grabbed his tool box, then motioned for his son to remove the tow ropes while he bent over the hood of the car.

  “Thank you,” Clara said softly when Reagan moved to her side.

  “I figured I would check to see if you needed any help.” He turned to her and ran his eyes over her face, causing her knees to turn to jelly.

  He looked tired and he was still wearing the same shirt under his dark jacket. Did he have a place to stay? She frowned as she tried to remember if he had mentioned where he was staying.

  “Did you…” she started, but she was interrupted by the older man.

  “That should do it,” he said, leaning back and dusting off his hands. “Give it a try now.”

  She pulled out her keys and sat behind the wheel. When her car turned on the first try, she closed her eyes and relaxed. “Thank you,” she said to Reagan again.

  “I’ll take care of the bill,” he told her.

  “No, I can…” She stopped when he gave her a look that told her he wanted to pay for her.

  He walked over and handed the man a twenty, when the guy tried to tell him it was fifty dollars, Reagan narrowed his eyes at him.

  “Is that the price for almost screwing your customers out of the fee of a tow for no reason?” he said calmly, and Clara was instantly grateful to have Reagan handling the men instead of dealing with them herself. She would have probably lost her temper and cried at the same time.

  Reagan ignored the man’s anger and turned away to walk back over to her.

  “How about some breakfast?” she suggested. “It’s the least I can do for all of your help.” She watched out of the corner of her eye as the father- son duo drove away. “You just saved me my last hundred dollars, not to mention, I owe you for paying.”

  “I could eat.” Reagan smiled. “How about Cowboy Kitchen?” he suggested. “It’s just down the street.”

  “I love that place.” She smiled.

  “I’ll follow you there,” he suggested and shut her car door for her.

  As she drove the block and a half to her favorite breakfast place, she was grateful she hadn’t needed to walk back home. The sun was fully up now, and it was easily in the high eighties. When she’d walked to her car from her apartment, she’d worn a jacket to fend off the pre-summer chill in the air.

  She had a few hours left before she was due back at work and had planned on spending some time at the beach after it had warmed up if she had managed to get her car fixed. Now, however, she wanted to spend her precious few hours with Reagan, trying to break through the rough exterior and find out all she could about the man. She knew it was probably going to end badly, but she was tired of hiding. After five years of being on her own, she figured a little enjoyment couldn’t hurt.

  Chapter 4

  They ate breakfast out on the patio, watching the tourists rush around as if they were in a hurry to get somewhere to relax.

  “Something tells me you’re used to busy tourist spots,” she said to him out of the blue.

  He’d been watching a family walking down the pathway towards the beach. The father was pulling a small cart carrying two kids, beach towels, chairs, an umbrella, and a cooler probably loaded with enough food to last a week. The mother had a baby in her arms and another one in her large belly.

  “Yeah,” he said, finishing off his juice. “I grew up not far from here.” He turned to her. “You?”

  “California,” she answered, figuring that since it was one of the biggest states, it was safe to give him a little detail of her past life.

  “What brought you here?” he asked.

  “Work,” she said easily enough. It was true. She’d fled that night so many years ago and had pinballed around the country from job to job, ending up at Rico’s.

  “I’m sure there are plenty of waitress jobs in California.”

  “I wanted to travel. To see the world.” She avoided his gaze.

  “How long have you been at Rico’s?” he asked her, causing her eyes to return to him.

  “A little over a year.”

  “So, are you done with seeing the world?” he asked her. She looked away again.

  “For now, I’m happy where I am.” She turned to him. “What about you? Your job must take you plenty of places.”

  “It has, yes,” he answered her. He figured that
if he gave her a little of his past, she might relax and open up some to him. “I spent a few years in the Special Forces. I traveled a lot back then,” he admitted.

  “What happened?” His eyebrows shot up in question. “I assume you are no longer with the Forces. Why did you get out?”

  “Medical discharge.” This caused her eyebrows to raise even more.

  “You said that. I mean, were you shot?”

  He nodded. “Took a bullet to the back and thigh.” He rubbed the spot on his leg that still bothered him in cold weather.

  “No wonder the scratch you received last night didn’t faze you.” She relaxed again. “Then what? You started… saving people for a living?”

  He chuckled. “After a very difficult year of healing and learning to walk again, yes.”

  “It was that bad?”

  He sobered. “I lost several of my comrades that day.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “What made you decide to go into this line of work once you were healed?”

  “It’s what I was made to do.” He leaned back and quickly ran through his past, telling her about how his mom had hidden him away to protect him. How his father had found them and saved them from the cult. Then, how he’d spent the rest of his life with the goal of helping others out of the same kind of horror he and his aunts and uncles had been through as children.

  “So, every one of your aunts and uncles came from abusive homes?” she asked almost half an hour later. They had left the small diner and had slowly been walking along the beach together.

  “Yeah,” he answered. “My aunt Cassey was starved by her stepmother and beaten by her father. My uncle Marcus…” He thought of the horrors the rest of them had been through. “Well, let’s just say they were all very lucky Lilly came along and rescued them. Mark and Elizabeth Grayton were heaven sent.”

  “It sounds like it. You’re lucky to have such an amazing family.” She glanced down at her watch. “I… need to get back home to shower before my shift starts.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you still planning on coming in tonight?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded.

  She leaned closer to him. “You might want to change shirts first.” She touched his jacket. “I don’t know how you can stand to be wearing this thing in this heat.”

  He’d forgotten about his jacket, or the fact that he hadn’t had time to go back to his hotel room and shower or change, since he’d been dealing with the guy who had attacked her last night.

  “Yeah, I…” What? He didn’t want to tell her what had happened. “I will,” he finished, and they started walking back towards their cars.

  She stopped when they reached the end of the trail to the beach. “You do have a place to stay, right?”

  “Yes.” He chuckled. “I just didn’t have time to change shirts.”

  “Why not?” she asked as they crossed the street and started walking towards the parking lot.

  “I had… things to take care of after I left your place.”

  They stopped by her car. “Did it have anything to do with what happened last night?”

  He thought about telling her but knew it wouldn’t really do any good. Besides, he wanted an excuse to see her again tonight.

  “No,” he lied. The look on Clara’s face told him that she wasn’t buying it. “I better go.” He turned away.

  “You’re still stopping by tonight?” she asked before he could get too far away.

  “Yes, I’ll be there,” he assured her, noting her instant smile.

  “I’ll keep the beer chilled for you,” she called after him. “And Rico on a leash.”

  He chose not to look back, but instead, jumped into the truck and drove back to his hotel. He showered and carefully shaved around the nick on his neck. Dressing in a fresh shirt and jeans, he pulled out his phone when it rang.

  The call was from his aunt Julie. She had taken a trip to Arizona to visit his sister. Julie was letting him know that she was heading back home and that Bella, as everyone liked to call his sister Isabella, was doing fine.

  He’d known that himself, since he called her on a weekly basis. Usually he got her voicemail, but when he did, his sister always texted or called him back.

  After he hung up with his aunt, he called his mother. The phone was handed back and forth between his parents as they filled him in on their latest news. He mentioned to them that he might swing back home in a week or two after he was done with his current job, and they both grew excited and started making plans for a family gathering at his grandfather’s home, the house his parents had been raised in together.

  He glanced down at his watch and figured Clara had been on shift for almost an hour.

  “I better get back to work.” He shifted the phone and chuckled when he heard his mother sigh. “I’ll call again when I can.”

  “Go,” his mom said. “Save the world.” This time he heard his father chuckle.

  “Take care and be safe,” his father said before hanging up.

  He tucked his phone in his back pocket and made sure to strap his gun against his skin once more. He may have captured the man who had jumped him last night, but something told him there would be more. He hadn’t gotten as far as he had by not knowing when to be cautious.

  Pulling into the parking lot less than half an hour later, he stopped next to her older sedan and looked it over before heading inside.

  He didn’t have to request to be seated in her section, since it was free seating. Picking a booth that looked out over the water, he watched her from across the room. He knew the moment she realized that he was there. Her shoulders straightened before she glanced over her shoulder and locked eyes with him.

  He’d planned to smile at her, but seeing her dark eyes meet his had his heart jumping in his chest. Damn. He was in real trouble.

  She made her way across the room and stopped next to his table.

  “Problem?” she asked, frowning down at him.

  “No.” He’d had time to relax and clear his mind before she got closer. “I’ll have…”

  “A beer?” she jumped in.

  “I didn’t eat yet, so add a burger and fries.”

  She wrote down his order and then glanced back up at him. “You looked worried.”

  “Just being cautious. See anyone stalking around?” He glanced around the restaurant.

  “Just you.” She smiled and turned to place his order. He watched her as much as he could without drawing too much attention to himself.

  Rico glared at him from behind the bar, but since he didn’t cross the room and kick his ass, he figured Clara had talked to him and filled him in on what had happened last night. Still, the man continued to watch him when he could.

  By the time Clara returned with his food and beer, Rico was too busy to keep an eye on them.

  “Sit for a moment.” He motioned to the bench across from him. Her eyes moved to the bar area and, seeing that her boss was busy, she sat on the edge of the seat.

  “Thanks for… well, everything,” she said softly as her eyes continued to scan her tables for customers in need.

  “It’s what I do.” He took a sip of his beer. “Have you thought any more on why someone would target you?” he asked, causing her eyes to zoom back to his. When her face turned pale, he realized he’d spooked her.

  “Target?” She frowned and felt the blood drain from her head.

  He leaned closer to her. “You do realize that whoever tried to jump you disabled your car first, right? Meaning…” He paused to let his words sink in. Her shoulders slumped as she leaned back in the booth as it sank in and hit home.

  “They were after me. They knew it was my car.” She closed her eyes. Her head started to spin, and she felt her breathing quicken.

  “Hey.” He rushed to her side, nudging her further into the booth so he would have room to sit beside her. “It’s okay, I’m here—”

  His words were cut off when he was yanked out of the booth. Clara watched in horr
or as Rico’s meaty fist plowed into Reagan’s chin, causing his head to snap back.

  Then, to her surprise and horror, Reagan ducked the next punch and twisted around behind her boss. He held Rico’s fists behind him as she jumped out of the booth and started to berate the older man.

  “What did you do that for?” She got in his face. “Reagan was helping me.” She lowered her voice as she shot looks around the room. The customers were all watching them. Some had even taken out their cell phones and were videoing them just in case something more exciting happened.

  “He…” Rico swallowed and narrowed his eyes at her. “He shoved you in the booth and you looked like you were about to throw up.”

  She knew that her boss had just been trying to protect her. She laid a hand on his arm to comfort him.

  “He was coming over to comfort me, after…” Her eyes moved to Reagan’s for help in explaining.

  “Clara was upset about…” She could tell that he was trying to think of an excuse quickly, but nothing was coming to mind.

  “A bad tip,” she threw out, feeling stupid once the words were out. She decided to redirect the man instead of explaining further. “Really, Rico, Reagan was just trying to make me feel better.”

  She noticed that Rico had finally relaxed in Reagan’s arms. Reagan dropped his hold on him and took a giant step away from him. No doubt, just in case.

  “You’re okay?” Rico asked her.

  “Yes.” She smiled up at her boss. “He’s helping me. Honest,” she said softly.

  “Well, shit.” Rico sighed and turned to Reagan. “I’m… sorry.” Rico looked like he’d swallowed something foul as he apologized. She wanted to laugh, but held it in.

  Reagan wiggled his jaw. “No harm.”

  That caused her boss to chuckle. “Right, I’ve got a right hook like a sledge…” He stopped when she cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “We are not going to start comparing body parts, are we?” she asked dryly.

  Rico chuckled. “You must have a jaw of steel.”

  “I’ve been told that before,” Reagan said easily before sobering and adding, “I’m glad Clara has a boss like you to look out for her.” He shook the man’s outstretched hand.