“Oh, yeah, I saw this coming.” Booker tipped his head back and downed half his beer. “Lay it on me.”
“What were you thinking taking her to Durham farm?”
A fraction of my senses returned and I poked Galen’s side to get his attention. “How did you know we went out there?”
“Because I’m not an idiot, and because people tell me things,” Galen replied. “I thought that’s where you might be going when I stopped you, but I couldn’t be sure so I let you go. Now I wish I hadn’t.”
“Booker remembered that Mark Santiago was working for Wesley a few months back,” Lilac interjected as she bathed the corn ears in butter before wrapping them in foil. “We wanted to ask Wesley if that arrangement was still ongoing.”
“Even though … .” Galen broke off, briefly flicking his eyes in my direction.
“See, that’s the thing,” Booker started, chagrined. “I thought Hadley knew that Wesley was her grandfather. Yeah, that came up while we were visiting. It never occurred to me that she didn’t know.”
“She didn’t know who May was,” Galen argued. “How could she possibly know who Wesley was?”
“Her life is like a soap opera,” Booker complained. “I can’t keep up with all the evil twists and dastardly turns. I didn’t put it together, and by the time I realized she didn’t know who he was it was too late.”
“Wesley told her,” Lilac said. “He mentioned that he fired Mark because he caught him going through a chest that was left over from Wesley and May’s marriage. He said there was nothing in there of any value, but he had to fire Mark anyway.”
“He doesn’t know what Mark was looking for,” Booker supplied. “At the time he thought Mark was looking to feed his drinking habit and wanted something to sell. There was nothing in the chest to sell, though.”
“Huh.” Galen pressed the tip of his tongue to his upper lip as he absorbed the new information. “That’s extremely interesting. I probably would’ve thought the same thing. But now that Mark broke into the lighthouse … hmm.”
“What do you think it all means?” Lilac asked, shifting the corn to the grill. “Do you think Hadley is still in trouble?”
“I don’t think Mark went after her himself,” Galen replied. “He was too drunk all the time to have the motivation to do that. Someone recognized that in him and sent him after Hadley. The question is: Why?”
“That’s the question?” I sputtered, my heartbeat ratcheting up a notch. “Shouldn’t the question be: Who is after me?”
“We’ll solve that question, too.” Galen seemed too calm for my liking. “I swear we’ll figure it out. I don’t want you tying yourself in knots over this.”
Oh, that was easier said than done. “How are we going to figure it out?”
“The same way we figure anything else out. We’ll ask questions and kick over stones until we find the answers.”
That sounded awfully simplistic. “And how do we start?”
“With an awesome dinner.” Galen squeezed my shoulder before turning to Lilac. “When will dinner be ready? I’m starving.”
“That makes two of us,” Booker added. “This has been one long and crazy day.”
I wanted to argue, tell them we needed to focus on the obvious problem rather than steak and corn. The scent of grilling food was enough to cause my stomach to rumble, though, and I realized I hadn’t eaten since breakfast – and I was famished.
“What about you, Hadley? Are you hungry?”
Galen’s gaze was expectant, and also filled with concern. He’d already done so much for me – the lip-covered boxer shorts and drugging notwithstanding – that I didn’t want to give him further cause to worry. “I could eat.”
“Good. Everything will be okay. I promise.”
“IS THAT ALL of them?”
Galen helped me load the dishwasher after Lilac and Booker left, both of them conveniently dodging the cleanup as they offered haphazard waves and disappeared down the driveway. I shouldn’t have been bitter – Lilac cooked and Booker worked all day for free, after all – but I wasn’t in the best frame of mind, so I indulged in the pettiness for a few minutes.
Then I realized I was being a complete and total jerk and put it away.
“That’s all of them.” I offered up a smile to Galen. He looked as tired as I felt. “You didn’t have to help. You’ve already done enough for one day.”
“Yeah? Well, doing a little more never hurt anyone.”
I thought Galen would say his goodbyes and beat a hasty retreat, but he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter.
“Is something wrong?” I self-consciously ran a hand over my hair. Other than the humidity causing it to increase in diameter, it seemed fine. “Have you changed your mind about arresting me?”
“No, and stop worrying about that,” Galen ordered. “I was just thinking.”
“About?”
“About you.”
My cheeks burned under his steady gaze, and I instinctively averted my eyes. “Why?”
“Because you’ve really been through the wringer the past few days and you’re still standing,” Galen replied. “I don’t know many other people who would be able to do that. I’m impressed.”
“I don’t see as I have much choice. I can either fall down – which I’ve done a few times when no one was looking – or get back up. I’m not big on the former, so I guess I have to stick with the latter.”
“That’s a very pragmatic outlook.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re still struggling. It’s okay.”
He kept saying things like that, things were going to be okay and such. I wanted to believe him, but I wasn’t sure I could. My life was changing at such a fantastic pace that I couldn’t help but wonder if it might never slow down until I crashed into a wall.
“I don’t know what to think about all this,” I admitted. I didn’t know Galen well, yet he was easy to confide in. “I never imagined this stuff being real. I read books about paranormal creatures when I was a kid – I was a big fan of Stephen King – and now I find out I might be one and I don’t know what to do with the information.”
“What do you want to do with the information?”
“Smack you upside the head for asking dopey questions like that,” I replied, wrinkling my nose as Galen chuckled. “I don’t know. I didn’t know I had it in me to kill a man. It’s … terrifying.”
“You have a lot more in you than that,” Galen countered. “You’re a witch. Magic isn’t one thing for you.”
“I don’t know anything about being a witch. Am I supposed to buy one of those conical hats and fly around the island or something?”
Galen snorted, genuine amusement sparking in his eyes. “Witches can’t fly.”
“Can vampires fly?”
“No.”
“Can anything fly?”
“You seem to be obsessed with flying.”
“I always wanted to be Wonder Woman when I was a kid. She had an invisible plane. I thought that would be nifty.”
“Some things fly, but they’re generally shifters,” Galen explained. “I don’t think now is the time to give you a crash course on paranormal history. We can ease into that eventually.”
“Eventually? What are we going to do now?”
Galen extended his hand, taking me by surprise. “I’m going to show you that you can do more than defend yourself against a man who was trying to kill you.”
I stared at his outstretched hand a minute, uncertain. “This isn’t going to go to a kinky place, is it?”
“Not tonight.”
I blew out a sigh and took his hand, letting him lead me out of the house and down to the beach. The night air was warm, the remnants of the day snaking through the air as it kissed my skin and caused me to sigh.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this heat,” I lamented.
“You will. One day you’ll wake up and realize you’ve already grabbe
d a bottle of water without realizing it.”
“Will I ever stop caring about what the humidity does to my hair?”
Galen shrugged. “That’s out of my realm of expertise. That would be something that Lilac could help you deal with. Aurora might be a good one on that front, too.”
“Great. Do you think she’ll be naked when I ask her questions?”
Galen squeezed my hand as he chuckled. “She’s always naked, so the odds are good.”
“Isn’t that against the rules?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Doesn’t your Downtown Development Authority have issues with naked women wandering around the island?”
“As long as they stay off the sidewalks and out of the cemetery at night, they’re good.”
“Oh, well, what a relief.” I made a face when Galen stopped in front of the water, his expression expectant. “What are we doing out here? Are you going to throw me in the ocean? I’m not going to lie. If that’s your plan, I probably won’t like it.
“I know I talked big about wanting to meet a shark shifter and everything, but I’m actually afraid of sharks,” I continued. “I think a shark attack is probably the worst way to go, and I’ve heard stories that sharks lurk closer to the beach after dark.”
“You don’t have to worry about a shark attack around here.”
“Aurora said she saw one the other day when she stopped by for her swim.”
“That doesn’t mean it will attack you,” Galen said. “We’ve never had a shark attack around these parts.”
“Good to know.” It actually was. “So what are we doing out here again?”
“I’m going to show you something good about your magic,” Galen replied, releasing my hand and grabbing my shoulders so he could position me to face the incoming waves. “I want you to close your eyes.”
“I thought you weren’t going to do anything kinky.”
“I said I wasn’t going to do anything kinky tonight,” Galen clarified. “I stand by that. Close your eyes.”
I was reluctant, but did as I was told, breathing through my nose as Galen ran his hands down my shoulders and over my arms, not stopping until he touched my wrists. He drew out my arms as far as they would go and lowered his mouth closer to my ear.
“Think of something happy,” he instructed. “Think of something that always makes you smile. Don’t open your eyes until I tell you. I want you to clear your mind and think happy thoughts.”
“Oh, we are going to fly, aren’t we?” I couldn’t hold back the snark. “We’re going to have some pixie dust sprinkled over us during our happy thoughts and we’ll fly away.”
“Shh.” Galen’s mouth was so close to my exposed neck that I shuddered, and not because I was afraid. “Clear your mind, Hadley. Think of something happy. Think of something that makes you feel lighter.”
It was difficult given his proximity, but I did as he asked, exhaling heavily as I leaned back against his chest. I wasn’t sure what to choose, ultimately opting for the time I’d won the spelling bee in sixth grade and my father actually showed up to see the show. He wasn’t much of a joiner in those days, so for him to go to a school event was a big deal. He told me he was proud of me that day. He told me I reminded him of my mother. That was one of the happiest moments I ever remembered.
“Good,” Galen intoned, sliding closer. “Keep thinking your happy thought.” He linked the fingers on both hands with his. “Remember what it was like when all you could think about was how happy you were. Can you see it?”
I nodded.
“Good. Now open your eyes.”
I wasn’t sure I heard him at first, but when I registered the order I did as he asked, gasping when I saw the waterspout lifting from the ocean. The water swirled at the base, climbing higher until it formed the countenance of a young girl – one I recognized from the mirror when I was in middle school.
“What the … ?”
“Calm yourself,” Galen ordered when the swirling water looked as if it might break apart. “If you get upset you’ll lose the thread.”
“What thread?” My heart hammered a bit. “Am I doing that?”
“You have a connection to this place, Hadley.” Galen’s voice was a soft caress. “You haven’t had a chance to explore that for yourself yet – which isn’t fair, and I’m sorry – but if you let yourself look beyond the terrible things that are happening right now you’ll find an entirely new world waiting for you to enjoy.”
The girl in the swirl smiled, sliding her hand over her mouth as she giggled and batted her eyelashes in Galen’s direction.
“Hey!” I was offended. “I was nowhere near that flirty when I was her age.”
Galen chuckled, genuinely amused. “I wondered if that was you. How old were you?”
“Eleven.”
“You were cute.” Galen tightened his grip on my hands and pressed his body against mine. “Concentrate.”
The only thing I could concentrate on was the masculine warmth wrapping itself around me. My heart pounded as I felt his beat against my back, his heat threatening to set me on fire. My mind spiraled, the waterspout swirling higher and wider before exploding, a torrent of seawater splashing over us.
I sputtered as I wiped my face, the heady feeling from before returning. “That was fun!”
“It was until the end,” Galen agreed, shoving his hair away from his face. “Do you feel better?”
“I do.” I bobbed my head. “In fact, I feel as if … .” I lost my train of thought as I took a step forward and lost my footing, tumbling headfirst toward the sand as things spun and bounced inside my head.
Galen caught me before I hit, swinging me up and cradling me close. “What’s wrong?” He looked terrified.
I wanted to ease his pain, but I could feel unconsciousness stalking me. I didn’t know what to say, so I went with something stupid.
“Thank you and goodnight.”
And it was goodnight, because the darkness found me a split-second later.
Nineteen
I woke to the sun beating on my face through the newly restored window, a headache the size of Booker’s bus pounding between my temples and a warm spot in the bed right next to me. I rolled to my side, frowning as I ran my fingers over the indentation in the sheets. Someone had clearly been here moments before. The residual body heat remained, which meant … .
Despite my headache panic took over, and I clawed to the side of the bed. My eyes went wide when I saw the pile of male clothes – flamingo-covered boxer shorts and all – discarded in a heap on the floor.
I couldn’t remember a lot about the previous night – flashes of water spouts and joined fingers overlapping with giggles and breathy gasps – but I had a feeling something very big happened while I was out of it. Okay, I didn’t know how big it was, but if his hands and feet are any indication … wait! That’s so not important right now.
I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead and rolled out of the bed, hitting the floor with a thump. I was in an oversized T-shirt that was inside out, and I didn’t remember putting it on. I caught a glimpse of my hair in the wall mirror and cringed because the bedhead was back and clearly ready to throttle me for being such a wanton harlot.
Holy crap! I had sex with someone and I didn’t even remember it. There was only one option – Galen had been there for the water sports after all – and we’d clearly done the deed and I had no memory of the hot and sweaty … whatever. Wait, can something be hot and sweaty if you don’t remember it?
I registered the sound of the shower shutting off in the next room and shifted my eyes to the closed door. He was still here! He was in the shower … naked … and still here! What the holy hell? How could this be happening? As if I didn’t have enough other life-altering things on my plate, now I’d had sex with a guy I barely knew and I couldn’t even remember it. That was the worst part.
Okay, being loose and free was probably the worst part, but the fact that I couldn’t remember it burned brightest in the em
pty hole of disgust rolling into a ball in the pit of my stomach. How could I let this happen? How could he let this happen? What kind of guy takes advantage of a woman who clearly doesn’t remember what’s happening? A pervert, that’s what kind!
Galen Blackwood may be sheriff – a sheriff who went out of his way to make sure I wasn’t charged with murder – but he was clearly a pervert. I knew it the minute I saw him. He was far too good looking to be anything but a pervert. What? That’s a thing. I totally saw it on television once. I think it was the Oxygen network.
I jolted when the bathroom door opened, drawing the T-shirt down over my knees as I lifted my eyes and found Galen standing in the doorway with a quizzical look on his face. His chest was bare, water beaded across it – he must shave or wax, because he was smooth as a menopausal woman’s upper lip right after it’s been deforested – and he had a towel cinched at his waist.
“What’s going on?”
The question struck me as stupid. “You took a shower.”
“I needed one after we got so wet and dirty last night.”
My cheeks flooded with color. I was mortified. That was the only word I could use to describe the emotions flooding through me. “Um … okay.” I felt as if I was an alien caught in someone else’s life. Sure, I created the situation – and he obviously took advantage of me – but this couldn’t possibly be my life.
“I have to go to work, but I’m glad you’re up.” Galen leaned over and scooped up his clothes, the towel shifting so much that I thought there was a legitimate chance it would slip from his hips. I was torn about whether or not I wanted that to happen. On one hand, I didn’t want to be caught staring. On the other, I’d been deprived of the memories of our dalliance and felt somehow cheated.
“Hey! Are you listening to me?” Galen snapped his fingers in my face, causing me to jolt out of my reverie.
“I’m listening. I … feel … weird.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Galen hunkered down so he was crouching in front of me, his knees spreading in such a way that I had to force my eyes to remain on his face in case I did something absolutely stupid. Er, well, something more stupid than I’d already done. “You expended a ton of energy last night. You probably have a bit of a hangover.”
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