“Maybe.” His gaze flickered over to the fire. In the glow of the flames, the sharp angles of his cheekbones softened.
She crossed to the fire and stood with her back to the gas flames.
“Do you ever sit still?” he asked with an amused arch of his brow.
“Stillness is for sleeping, nothing else.”
He chuckled as he stretched his legs out over the ottoman and snuggled deeper into the cushions of the chair. “Good point.”
“You have a physical job. There must be a reason you chose it.” Her legs were warm, so she left the spot in front of the fire and sat on the end of the couch closest to Stone.
“True. I like working with my hands or body and coming home tired but satisfied.”
She watched him lift his drink to his hard mouth. What would it feel like to be kissed by him?
“Did you work today?” she asked, hoping to distract herself from thinking about his lips.
“No, not today. I surfed this morning. Tried to surf. Jackson’s teaching me, but I’m terrible.”
“These Californians are weird. Obsessed with the beach and running around half-naked. Have you noticed that no one wears clothes here?”
“I have, and I’ve embraced the culture thoroughly.”
I’ve noticed.
For the next few minutes, they talked about places they’d lived and their differences. She learned that Stone had grown up in a small town in Oregon where it rained a lot. He’d been stationed in South Carolina and Georgia as well as several bases in Afghanistan during his service. She was surprised at the ease with which he shared the details of his past, including how poor they were growing up and how joining the military had saved his life. “Not that I didn’t see a lot of bad stuff in the service. I did. But the Marines gave my life a direction instead of staying in my small town after high school. It gave me a way out. I didn’t want to end up like my dad.”
“Does he still live there?” she asked.
“No, he had the decency to wait to die until my sister was eighteen. By then Autumn was in college and I was already enlisted. It was like he waited until we were gone.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too. He had a sad life, which makes me sad,” he said.
“What about your mom?”
“She left when I was six and never came back.”
He said it so casually she didn’t know how to react.
“Don’t look so stricken,” he said. “Things happen. People move onward.”
“It’s not as simple as that.”
His mouth curved into one of his laconic smiles. He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “I know. But I discovered a long time ago that feeling bitter or resentful only hurts me, not the other person.”
“I wish I could be like that. My real dad’s one of the biggest theater producers in New York. He told me in no uncertain terms that he would not help me. I haven’t spoken to him in ten years. Before that, I saw him once a year on my birthday. I’m bitter and resentful.” She smiled to let him know she was joking. Kind of.
“It’s his loss.” His voice, low and tender, was like a soothing balm on a cut.
“Maybe. I don’t know. Anyway, my stepfather is my dad. He raised me from the time I was seven. He’s great.” Alarmed at the tightness at the back of her throat, she didn’t elaborate further. Crying in front of Stone Hickman was not on her bucket list.
They were quiet for a moment. Pepper resisted the urge to pace around the room.
“This day sure didn’t turn out like I thought it would,” he said. “I never thought I’d be having drinks with the prettiest girl in the world.”
The prettiest girl. Right. “You’re so full of it.”
His dark blue eyes glittered as he brazenly returned her stare. “I’m not.”
“You do not think I’m the prettiest girl in the world.”
“How would you know?” He tapped the side of his head. “You have no idea what’s in my mind.”
She avoided his gaze by taking a sip of her drink.
“Am I not supposed to compliment you?” he asked. “Because if that’s a rule, it’s going to be nearly impossible. You’re beautiful, funny, and sweet.”
She grinned and swept her hand back and forth over the arm of the couch. “I might be the first two, but sweet is a stretch. I’m obviously difficult.”
He shrugged and grinned at her. “I don’t find you difficult.”
“Liar.”
He looked straight into her eyes. “I never lie.”
“Come on. Everyone lies. Little white ones, at least.”
“This would be the perfect time to employ a white lie,” he said. “I could avoid answering this question with a good deflective white lie. But that’s not how I operate. I’ve never hidden the fact that I have a huge crush on you.”
“But…” She trailed off. Her brain couldn’t keep up with this man and his honesty.
“But nothing. I happen to like feisty women. They keep things interesting. Add a little spice to life.” He smiled at his own joke. “I’ll tell you what I think about you, if you want.”
She didn’t say anything. Apparently, he took that as a sign to go ahead.
“I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I also find you clever, interesting, and damn entertaining.”
“Entertaining?”
“Yeah, in a scary horror-film kind of way—like will she bite off my head and feed it to the wolves or jump out from a closet and stab me to death?”
She burst out laughing. “I thought I was supposed to be the dramatic one here.”
“If I asked you why you took an immediate dislike to me, would you tell me the truth?”
She opened her mouth to answer but closed it just as quickly. What could she say that didn’t make her sound like a lunatic? “I thought we covered this earlier. I’m sorry and all that.”
He smiled, kindly. “Your friends tell me it’s because I’m a former Marine.”
Her friends told him that? Her traitorous friends who had no business sharing anything of the sort? Especially not with Stone Hickman.
What would Cora tell her to say? She would probably advise an honest answer in the spirit of vulnerability. Well, screw vulnerability.
“What did they tell you?” She couldn’t keep the angry tone from her voice. How dare they talk about her?
“They didn’t tell me details, only that you were assaulted by a group of Navy men when you were in college.” He leaned over the arm of the chair and looked at her intently. “There’s no reason to be upset with them. They were quite clear that it wasn’t their place to talk about it.”
“Then why did it come up at all?”
“Do you remember the night we met?” Stone asked. “At my brother’s place?”
“Sure.” How could she forget? The first time she’d spotted him standing on the lawn at Violet and Kyle’s lawn, she’d felt her mouth drop open with admiration. With his broad shoulders and Adonis-like face, she’d found him wildly attractive. In the time it took for him to cross from the pool to the patio, she’d already started regretting her decision to give up men for the next year. They’d launched into an immediate round of flirtatious sparring. That is, until it came out that he was a former Marine.
That was like a bucket of ice water on her libido.
“Your friends spoke up to explain your odd behavior. One minute you were at the table flirting with me and the next you were headed into the darkness.”
Still, not their place to share.
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” he said.
She didn’t answer other than to shrug one shoulder. What could she say? Yeah, me too.
“For the record, I would never hurt a woman,” he said. “Not all military guys are bad. Most of us aren’t.”
He didn’t have to say anything further for her to hear the subtext. We do the work no one wants to do.
She returned to her careful examination of he
r drink. “I’m not unaware that it’s an irrational response.”
“That’s not really the point. We don’t get to pick and choose how we react to something or someone. Everything is influenced by our pasts.”
She looked up from her drink to find him watching her. “Do you ever wish you could forget certain parts of your past?”
“Many, many times. But that’s not the way it is.” He raised his glass. “And tonight’s not one of them.”
“I’ll drink to that.” She clinked her glass to his. For a moment, she was lost in his eyes. “I’m glad you invited me in tonight.”
“I’m glad you asked to come in.”
“I promise I’ll be nice during our trip,” she said.
“I promise to tease you less. Although that’ll be hard.”
“Because I’m so entertaining?” She made a stabbing motion in reference to his previous description.
He laughed. “They won’t let you bring a knife on the plane.”
“I guess you’re safe then.”
“Trust me, Pepper Griffin. Nothing about you makes me feel safe.” He said it low and sexy with his eyes all droopy and seductive.
She tingled. With desire. No. No, no, no. This was not in the plans.
It was the booze playing games with her brain. That’s all. Damn scotch did it to her every time. Why didn’t she stop at just one? Because that’s not the kind of girl she was. Never had been. Everything was all the way in, even when it was to her detriment.
Stone Hickman was proving to be more of an issue than she thought possible. Not in the way she’d expected. He was not irritating or infuriating or impossible or idiotic. No, he was not any of the i words. Why did he have to be so nice? He hadn’t been sarcastic or impatient and hadn’t lost his cool even once. Which was a miracle given how she’d tried to push his buttons over the last few months. Not Stone. He was calm, rational, caring, and so smart.
She liked him. What had she done? She’d let her guard down and now she flipping liked him and they were about to travel together to a romantic location all alone.
As usual, Pepper Griffin, you’ve made a messy situation even messier.
Chapter 9
Stone
* * *
The next morning, Stone held the door for his sister as they entered the Cliffside Bay Bookstore. Autumn had her cane with her, dangling from her wrist, in case she needed it. She hadn’t said anything, but Stone guessed she brought it in case the day proved emotionally draining. He couldn’t imagine it wouldn’t. This was the day. They were meeting with Valerie Hickman. God help them all.
Mary Mullen was at the register. She smiled shyly at them. With her husband, Lance, they’d renovated the old bookstore to add a soda fountain and coffee shop. With an open concept, patrons were able to buy a coffee or a soda before perusing the bookshelves for a new read. Despite the challenges of owning an independent bookstore, Lance’s vision of a community gathering spot for people of all ages had come to fruition. Tourists flocked to both the bookstore and the café during the summer months. During the off-season, book-loving coffee drinkers and high school students who hung out and did homework at the soda fountain kept the business afloat.
“Did you enjoy Seahook?” Mary asked in her quiet librarian voice. Stone assumed she’d honed that particular tone from her years as an actual librarian.
“I love it,” Stone said. “I’m not finished yet. Six hundred pages is no joke. I’m a slow reader.”
Mary nodded, smiling as her dog, Freckles, wandered over for a few pets from Autumn.
“What’re you two up to? Do you need a gift for someone?” Mary asked.
“No, we’re meeting a woman who claims to be our long-lost mother,” Autumn said, lightly.
Mary’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“You could say that.” Autumn explained how long it had been since they’d last seen her.
“Kyle’s talked about it a few times. You must be in shock.” Mary placed a hand on her stomach. She wore a knit dress that clung to her narrow frame. For the first time, Stone noticed her middle looked a little round. “I can’t imagine leaving my children.” A shadow passed over her pretty features. Mary had lost a child years ago, during her first marriage.
“We can’t either,” Autumn said.
Mary must have caught him staring at her midsection, because she laughed. “Yes, that’s a baby bump you see there. I’m five months pregnant.”
“I’m sorry.” His cheeks burned. “I didn’t mean to stare.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m thrilled to be having another. Lance too. We saw my doctor in the city last week and she reassured us the baby is perfectly healthy. We’d been waiting to tell people until we were sure.”
“How old is Faith?” Autumn asked.
“Only thirteen months. Like her, this one was a surprise. We weren’t planning on adding to our family so quickly, but God blessed us again.” Her eyes filled. “Life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? One never knows when love will change your life.”
“I’m so happy for you,” Autumn said.
“Let us know if you need a babysitter,” Stone said. “Autumn and I love babies, don’t we, sis?”
Autumn’s eyes twinkled. “My giant brother here has a definite thing for babies.”
“You’ll make someone very happy one of these days,” Mary said.
The bell above the door sounded. Stone turned to see Kyle walking in with his cell phone pressed to his ear. He waved and then finished up his call.
Kyle seemed surprisingly calm. The anger from the other day had disappeared and he was back to his usual fun and playful persona. “Hello, all. No sign of Mommy Dearest yet?”
“Kyle,” Autumn said in her best sister voice.
“Don’t fret. I’m just kidding.” He squeezed Autumn’s shoulder and punched Stone in the arm before greeting Mary. “How’re you feeling, Mrs. Mullen?”
She patted her midsection and gave him a rueful smile. “I suppose Lance told all the Dogs our news?”
“You know we all blab like teenage girls.” Kyle grinned. “Lance was practically bursting with happiness. Not going to lie—I felt a little jealous. I went home and told Violet we should make another one.”
Autumn smacked him on the arm. “Bite your tongue.”
“I’m with Autumn,” Mary said with a laugh. “Four is plenty.”
“You ladies are no fun,” Kyle said.
“We should get some coffees.” Autumn gestured toward the café, where a barista was currently making a drink for a customer.
“I was thinking about shots,” Kyle said.
“It’s ten o’clock,” Autumn said, obviously scandalized.
“Just kidding.” Kyle offered his arm to Autumn. “Come on. I’m buying.”
A few minutes later, they took their coffees upstairs to the reading loft that overlooked the entire store. Stone and Autumn settled on the comfortable couch with their identical double lattes. Kyle sat across from them in a chair and shook open the Wall Street Journal. The morning was foggy and chilly, making the cove in the bookstore even more pleasant. The air smelled of freshly brewed coffee. Below them, Mary shuffled between the stacks putting new books on shelves. Freckles was curled into his doggy bed for a midmorning nap.
His stomach churned with nerves when he heard the chime that indicated a new customer. He looked down and saw Valerie Hickman. Her hands were shoved in the pockets of her jacket as she scanned the store. Mary greeted her and seconds later pointed up to the loft.
“That’s her,” Stone whispered.
Kyle stood and watched as the woman claiming to be Valerie Hickman climbed the stairs. By the time she reached them, she was out of breath. Stone could smell the cigarette smoke on her clothes.
She and Kyle stared at each other like a bull and a matador.
“Well, I’ll be damned. It is you,” Kyle said.
“Hi, Kyle.” Valerie stood on the last step and gripped the railing as
she caught her breath.
Autumn used her cane to get to her feet.
He watched his sister carefully. She hadn’t taken her eyes off their mother. Her complexion had leached of color. The tie at the neck of her silky blouse quivered. She was shaking, he realized. He put his arm around her shoulders.
Valerie watched them with a hungry look in her eyes. “Hello, Autumn.”
“Do you recognize me?” Autumn reflexively covered the scar on her cheekbone.
“Your eyes are the same,” Valerie said. “You turned out real pretty. Like my mother.”
Autumn touched the handle of her cane. “I was in an accident when I was fourteen.”
“I know.” Valerie stared at the cane. “I read about it in the papers.”
“It was only in the local papers.” Autumn’s shoulders tensed under his arm. “Were you living near us?”
“I lived in Eugene.”
“You were a half hour away and you never came to see us?” Kyle asked.
“It was complicated.” Valerie wavered slightly, as if she might collapse.
“Would you like to sit?” Stone asked, gesturing toward the empty chair.
Valerie stepped forward, then sat gingerly in the lounge chair.
The men waited until their sister had resumed her position on the couch before sitting. An awkward silence fell among them. The scent of fresh scones wafted up from the café. Below them, a delivery man asked Mary where to put the boxes.
Kyle sat with his hands folded in his lap, glaring at Valerie with absolute hostility. Finally, he spoke. “Let’s plow through this and get on with our days. We all have jobs to get to. What do you want?”
“I wanted to see you. Just once.” Under Kyle’s angry scrutiny, Valerie had seemed to shrink.
Some of the color had returned to Autumn’s cheeks. “What do you want from us?” She faltered and looked over at Kyle for help.
He remained eerily quiet with his hands now splayed out on the arms of his chair.
“I have something I need to tell you.” Valerie’s eyes were brown and dull like tarnished metal.
Stone felt an odd desire to smooth things over, which was ridiculous. Valerie didn’t deserve his loyalty. Still, she seemed so old and small and fragile. It must have taken great courage to come to them.
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