Finding a Hero, page 20
Her fingers clutched his shoulders, her short nails digging little crescents into his skin. If he was bruised, he’d consider it a badge of honor. Seeing her fly apart, his hand glided upward over her breasts to her neck, where he cupped her jaw, refusing to look away as his own release was imminent. Falling over the cliff with her, he roared as every muscle in his body tightened. Spots danced in front of his eyes as every drop was wrung from him. Crashing down, he rolled to the side and dragged her with him, her body now resting on top of his. Their lungs battled to draw in air. His hands drifted slowly up and down her back from her neck to her ass as their breathing and heartbeats began to sync.
Her silence scared him. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
She lifted her head from where it had been tucked against his neck, and her sated smile was his answer. “Is it always like that?”
He thought about his answer, then slowly shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve never made love with anyone before.”
Her lips curved even wider, and her eyes sparkled. She shifted upward on his body enough that their lips could meet, and she kissed him. Rolling again so that they were side by side, legs tangled as arms wrapped around each other. He let her take over the kiss, giving all control and power to her. Her gentle touch made his cock stir again.
“Can you stay?” she asked.
“Do you want me to?”
Still smiling, she nodded slowly. “Yeah, I do. But only if you’re comfortable with—”
“Then let me take care of the condom, and I’ll be right back.” It only took him a moment before he was back in bed, noting that she’d stayed naked. Crawling in next to her, he dragged the covers over their bodies before wrapping her in his arms. “I’ve got my alarm set. I’ll leave early enough that I can run home to shower and change clothes.”
She nodded, a little sigh leaving her lips. He didn’t have to ask her why because he felt the same. He didn’t want to leave her bed in the morning. As her breathing slowed and her body grew heavy as sleep claimed her, he found it harder to shut down his thoughts. Swimming in uncharted waters, he wasn’t sure what to expect. He wanted her and Rachel in his life. He wanted to move them into his house where Rachel could have her own room. He wanted them to have a kitchen that wasn’t two floors below. He wanted Shiloh in his bed. They’d gone without… hell, so had he. But now, he wanted to give them the world. At least his little corner of it.
24
Shiloh grinned as she walked down the stairs at the inn, one thought swirling through her mind— sex with Joseph was amazing! Waking up with his arms around her after the night they’d spent together had fit every dream she could have imagined. They’d made love again, and after another orgasm, she knew what she’d missed out on all those years with Edward. The first time she had that thought, she’d been hit with guilt. But she knew it wasn’t his fault. Whatever Edward’s nature was, he’d loved her in his own way, and she’d loved him. But she also knew he'd want her to be happy. And with Joseph, she was beyond happy. And in truth, she couldn’t wait till they had a chance to be alone and have sex again. Until then, kisses and touches would have to do.
Walking into the kitchen, she moved to the sink and peered out the window into the backyard. Her smile widened at the sight. Joseph was standing in front of Rachel, showing her a few basic self-defense maneuvers. When Rachel had come home and told them about Paul’s nasty comments, Joseph had wanted to go straight over to Paul’s residence. Rachel begged him not to, terrified he might retaliate against Jack, and Shiloh agreed. But when Joseph asked them if they’d ever had any experience with self-defense, they’d both stared at him in wide-eyed silence.
In private, Shiloh had told him that she had no doubt she was capable of handling a threat, but she could see he didn’t believe her. And she had to admit that Rachel had no exposure to needing to defend herself.
They’d been to an AL cookout a few days ago, and Joseph had walked straight up to Jack, who was manning the grill next to Colt. Not caring who was around, he’d placed his hand on Jack’s shoulder and said, “Jack, Rachel told us how you took care of her when Paul was mouthing off. I want you to know I appreciate it. From what she said, you kept your cool and made sure she was behind you and out of harm’s way.”
Jack had blinked, then glanced up at Colt, and Shiloh had noticed the stoic sheriff’s lips curve with a smile of pride as he looked down at his stepson. Jack’s mom, Carrie, was grinning ear to ear as she stood next to Shiloh. Glancing at Carrie, Shiloh said, “My niece has a good friend in Jack. Thank you for raising him to be the way he is.”
She didn’t think it was possible, but Carrie's smile had widened even more. Then inclining her head toward Joseph, Carrie said, “Looks like your niece isn’t the only one with a good man.”
She blushed and nodded as she realized they were the center of attention of most of the people around, including their friends and his family. Joseph and Colt chatted for a few more minutes, tapped beers together, and then he walked back over, slinging his arm around Rachel as he kissed her forehead, then moved straight to Shiloh. He couldn’t have staked his claim louder if he’d set off fireworks. They’d spent the rest of the evening mingling with some of the best people she’d ever met and didn’t feel awkward in the least. It was as though Baytown could absorb newcomers, bringing them into the fold without asking them to change. And it struck her, but even in the best of times, that was not something her former community could do even before Isaiah. And certainly not afterward.
Now, walking outside, she pulled her purse strap over her shoulder and walked to Joseph. “I’m gonna run to the grocery store to pick up a few things for the guests’ breakfast.” He kissed her hard and fast, and she waved to him and Rachel before moving to her small SUV parked at the back of the Inn. It was used, but Joseph had gone with her and made sure it ran well, and she’d gotten a good deal. It only took a few minutes to drive to the grocery store just outside of town, where she hurried through the aisles, grabbing fresh fruit, baking goods, eggs, dairy, and bacon and sausage. Separating those items which were paid for by Tori, she grabbed a rotisserie chicken, green beans, and potato salad from the deli, deciding to keep things simple for their dinner.
While loading the groceries into the back of her SUV, a strange tingle along the back of her neck caused her to turn around. Her gaze scanned the parking lot, seeing nothing unusual. Giving her head a quick shake at her fanciful thoughts, she rolled the cart to the return stand and walked back to her vehicle. The tingling continued, and she couldn’t help but look around again. This time, her gaze landed on an older model sedan nearby, with a man sitting behind the wheel, his gaze facing toward her. While she couldn’t see him clearly, she didn’t have the feeling that he was familiar. Yet, he seemed to be staring straight at her.
Unnerved, she hustled into her vehicle and started it quickly. Pulling out of the parking lot, she stared into the rearview mirror, not seeing anyone follow her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she rolled her eyes. It must be Joseph teaching Rachel self-defense that has me seeing the bogeyman!
Parking behind the inn, she smiled as Joseph and Rachel came over, both helping to carry the groceries inside. It didn’t take long to put away items for breakfast and heat what she’d bought for their dinner, glad that he was staying.
Sitting at the kitchen table, the three of them laughed and talked in a comfortable atmosphere that she’d grown accustomed to and hoped she’d never take for granted.
Rachel walked out of the library with Jack, Cindy, and Brian. “Who wants to get ice cream?” Jack asked. Giving Rachel’s hand a little jiggle, he added, “My treat.”
She grinned and nodded before looking over to see Cindy, whose hand was clasped in Brian’s, nodding as well. A few minutes later, they stood outside Rose’s Ice cream Shop and devoured their treats. It didn’t take long for Brian’s mother to drive up, and he and Cindy climbed into the back seat, waving at her and Jack.
“I’ll walk you to the inn,” Jack said.
“Who’s picking you up today?” she asked.
“My dad. He’s having a meeting with Chief Evans, and I’ll send him a text. He can pick me up there when he’s ready to go home.”
Glad to have his company, they walked down Main Street, enjoying their ice cream. Just as they turned onto the beach road, Jack dumped the last of his cone into one of the trash receptacles, twisting his head around.
“Didn’t you want all of it?”
“Yeah, it was good. But I keep seeing a car slow down and then circle around. I didn’t want anything in my hands while I kept an eye on it.”
At those words, she looked around as well but saw nothing untoward. “I don’t see anything.”
“I’m not surprised,” he said.
His voice didn’t sound insulting, but she didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing bad, Rachel. Really. It’s just that you don’t seem to have a lot of stranger danger.”
Blinking, she shook her head. “I don’t have a lot of what?”
“You know, stranger danger. Knowing that any stranger could be dangerous and that you need to be on alert.”
“Where I came from, you didn’t have to be afraid of people. There were… well, um… there were some that made me nervous. But I already knew who they were. Anyway, we didn’t really have strangers coming through.”
“That’s why you need to be careful,” he warned.
“But, Jack, this is Baytown! What could happen here?”
He stopped suddenly, and her feet stumbled when he pulled back on her hand. Steadying her with his hand on her shoulder, he turned her slightly to face him. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I don’t know that anything happens here.”
“It’s a nice place, but there’s always going to be crime. We’ve had drugs, murders, deaths, arsonists, peeping Tom, kidnappings—”
Eyes bugging, she gasped. “Are you trying to terrify me?”
He looked around and must’ve felt safe because he put his arm over her shoulders and guided her down the street toward the inn. “I don’t want to scare you, Rachel. I just want you to be very aware so that you can be safe.”
She chewed on her lip for a moment, then said, “Joseph is teaching me some self-defense. But it feels weird.”
“Weird?”
“Yes. It makes me wonder if I could actually ever hit someone. But he says it's mostly just to be able to get away.”
“Absolutely! Next time he’s going to teach you, let me know, and I’ll be here, too. I’ve learned a lot from my dad, and I can teach you some things as well.”
She ducked her head and grinned. “That would be nice. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever need it, but if there’s anything you think I could learn, I’ll give it a try.”
“Well, you learned how to swim, didn’t you?”
She nodded and looked up as they reached the inn. They sat on the front porch until the huge SUV with the word Sheriff emblazoned on the side drove up and parked out front. Jack grabbed his backpack and gave her hand a squeeze. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.” With that, he jumped down the front steps and raced to the SUV, climbing into the passenger side. She stood and waited until he looked toward her and waved, and she waved in return.
After he drove away, she sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, the sun casting its warm gaze upon her face. There was little traffic on the beach road, but as a dark vehicle drove slowly by, she couldn’t help but feel a chill. Suddenly feeling very exposed, she turned and dashed into the inn.
25
“Mrs. Carter. Mr. Carter. I see you’ve had an early morning walk on the beach.”
Shiloh set the platter of scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage on the sideboard of the dining room for the guests. She’d looked over her shoulder as the front door had opened, seeing the older couple walking into the inn. Their cheeks were rosy from the vigorous walk she’d seen them leave on when Rachel had left for school.
“Oh, it was so refreshing!” Mrs. Carter said. “I’m going to dash up to the room to comb my hair and wash my hands since I’ve been looking for sea glass. I’ll be right down for your lovely breakfast.”
Mr. Carter smiled at Shiloh and said, “Well, the breakfast smells amazing, but I’d best wait for my wife. She might accuse me of taking one of the last pastries.”
She laughed at Mr. Carter and shook her head. The Carters came several times a year to stay at the inn and enjoyed Baytown during the various seasons. She met them the first weekend she was working, and this was the third trip they’d made since she’d been in Baytown.
“I must say that you look like you are enjoying Baytown,” he remarked. “You look much changed and much more relaxed.”
Laughing, she nodded. “I’m sure I look much different than the first time you saw me.”
“Well, I thought you were lovely then, but certainly, you seem much more at ease now.”
She nodded, glancing down at her jeans and bright red shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a sloppy bun, tendrils hanging about her face. “I suppose I discovered that we all have to choose how to live the life we’re given. It doesn’t disrespect the way our parents may have chosen to live their lives if we choose a different path. And certainly, no one should try to force their way on us.”
His face settled into a kind smile as he nodded. “Very well put, and I completely agree.”
“What are you agreeing with?” Mrs. Carter said as she swept back into the room, a smile on her face. She walked up to her husband and winked at Shiloh.
“I was just remarking that I thought our beautiful hostess was looking exceptionally relaxed this morning.”
“Well, you two had better eat breakfast so that you fuel back up after your walk. I’ll bring the coffee out to you.” Shiloh turned to walk back into the kitchen.
“Did you give her the letter?”
Mr. Carter startled. “Oh, my goodness. I forgot.” He pulled a small envelope from his pocket and said, “We found this taped to the door when we went out this morning. It has your name on it.” He handed her the small envelope, then escorted his wife to the sideboard so they could fill their plates.
Shiloh took the envelope and glanced at the front. Her handwritten name was the only thing on the front, and there was no stamp. It obviously hadn’t been mailed, but someone had hand-delivered it. Must be an invitation. Sliding it into the back pocket of her jeans, she went into the kitchen and then returned with the coffee pot on her way to the sunroom. Greeting the few guests that were already there, she poured coffee and made small talk. The fall season gave them fewer guests, and Tori had said it would pick back up nearer the holidays. Both couples staying were checking out today.
Tori kept the inn open through the holidays but had told Shiloh that she closed the inn in January and February for upkeep and renovations. She’d assured Shiloh that she and Rachel could still live there and would be paid during that time since they would be helping with any work that needed to be done. Shiloh was glad not to have to find alternate housing but also hated to take a salary when she wasn’t doing the same amount of work as during the rest of the year. She considered if she could pick up extra shifts at the restaurant but knew Mark cut back hours during the winter season also.
As she finished the breakfast service, she cleaned the dishes and scrubbed the kitchen, finding the mundane tasks to her liking. Many people hated housework, but she loved instant gratification.
By midmorning, she was finished with chores at the inn and had just walked back up to her room to change before she headed to the Seafood Shack. Her phone rang, and she spied Mark’s number on the caller ID. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I know you’re at the inn, but is there any way you can come to the restaurant now? I just got word that a small tour bus of seniors will be here in about thirty minutes, and it’s going to take us a while to get them all seated and served.”
“Sure. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Disconnecting, she jerked the red shirt over her head and pulled on one with a Seafood Shack logo. Running a brush through her hair, she pulled it up in a tight ponytail, then headed back down the stairs. She made it to the restaurant in time to start moving chairs and tables around to make it easier for the senior group to be seated. For the next two hours, she rushed about filling drinks, taking orders, delivering food, and chatting with the diners. Once she managed to get everyone’s check taken care of, and they were loaded back onto their bus and waved away, she turned toward Mark and puffed out her cheeks. “Wow, that was quite a lunch!”
Mark was grinning from ear to ear. “For this time of year at lunchtime… that was a huge bonus!”
She laughed, knowing he was going back into his office to start adding up the receipts. Helping the bussers to clean the tables, she worked to get everything ready for the evening service. Looking at the clock, she couldn’t believe it was so late. Once back at the inn, she walked out onto the balcony and stood looking out over the bay, the warm afternoon sun beaming down on the water, casting sparkling diamonds over the surface. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have found this place to start a new life.
What she’d said to Mr. Carter this morning was true. She loved her parents and respected their desire to step away from most of the trappings of modern life. She’d never realized how much her father must have been affected by his time in the service, needing peace and tranquility. He shunned the sidewalks and parking lots whenever they would go into a larger town. It was as though too many people made him very nervous. And so, Plineyille had become his refuge as well as his home.
She was grateful for those childhood memories but now was thrilled to offer Rachel the opportunity to experience life in a beautiful small town without shunning modern conveniences and certainly without the legalistic abuse of allowing one man to dictate their lives. She was also grateful for her years with Edward, remembering their relationship with great fondness. Those memories did not hinder the relationship she now had with Joseph, knowing that with him, she could have the romance she always desired. And maybe, one day, marriage? It was too early to consider that, but surely, it wasn’t wrong to dream.
