“Okay.”
“And you will apologize for taking my grandstands so you could pull this little stunt.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just desperate. My mom isn’t well.”
Sheryl’s heart bled a little bit more for him, but she refused to show it. Gage would be so proud.
A silent groan started in her stomach. Gage. He’d be livid when he learned about Ricky stealing her grandstands and then getting a job out of it. He’d probably come supervise the activities on the beach just to make sure Ricky behaved.
“Okay,” she said. “Take me to my grandstands.” She could deal with Gage later. Right now, she had an entire beach to set up for the surfing championship, an event that brought a lot of people and a lot of money to the inn.
By the next afternoon, they had the viewing area set up and roped off. Now she needed to get the kiosks set up—first aid, water, extra restrooms, and merchandizing. She’d told Gage he should spend the afternoon with his brother, because she would be going to visit her parents and grandmother, and three o’clock found her stumbling up their front steps, the heat from the sun almost too much to bear.
“Hey,” she called as she entered. “It’s just me. I come bearing afternoon biscuits for your tea.” How her mother and grandmother drank tea in the summer, Sheryl wasn’t sure. It seemed obscene to her, and yet, every Thursday afternoon, they pretended to be English royalty.
“Hello, dear,” her mother said, getting up from the table to give Sheryl a hug. “Where’s your bodyguard?”
“I gave him the day off,” she said, deciding on the spot not to tell them that Gage had graduated to boyfriend status. “I figured you guys could babysit me just as easily.” She set down the box of cookies Alissa had put together that morning. “Where’s Dad?”
“He went over to Celeste’s. I guess she’s got a leak in her bathroom.”
Sheryl nodded, because their dad was constantly helping one of them. Or fishing. He liked to do that too. “No rummy today?”
“Grandma’s into cribbage lately,” her mom said. “Right, Mom?”
“Want to play?” she asked Sheryl.
She looked at the board with the pegs. “It’s been too long. I’ll just watch.” Then she could text Gage if she wanted to. Field questions from Javier or Simon. And maybe doze a little bit.
“How are the preparations for the surfing championship going?” her mom asked.
“Tiring,” Sheryl said. “I swear, I love my job fifty-one weeks out of the year. This is the week I don’t.” She sighed as she sat at the dining room table too. This had been the same table where she’d grown up eating dinner, all of her sisters there every night. Her dad would even come home from the inn and spend an hour with them, sometimes going back to work or straight to bed.
But she’d never doubted that her parents loved her. They’d provided a good life for her and her sisters, and she was grateful she could still see them every day if she wanted to.
Their house had not been big, and all five girls had shared a bathroom. When her mother needed space, she stayed in a room at the inn—at least in the winter months. During the summer, The Heartwood Inn was constantly booked.
Her phone chimed, and she glanced at Gage’s text. Did you make it? You said you were going to text me.
Half-appreciation, half-annoyance filled her, and she quickly tapped out, Made it, so he’d leave her alone. She couldn’t really be upset though. He had asked her to text him when she got to her mother’s, and she’d said she would.
“We’re thinking about getting a cat,” her mom said, and Sheryl whipped her head away from her phone.
“What? Dad’s allergic to cats.”
“At least you heard me,” her mom said, picking up another card. “I’ve been talking to myself for five minutes.”
“Sorry, someone texted.”
“Yeah, Gage,” Grandma said. “I saw the message.” She was like Double-Oh-Granny, and Sheryl swept her phone off the table and into her lap.
“How did you even see that?” she asked.
“Granny’s has new glasses,” she said proudly. “Plus, Doris down at the salon told me you two are dating. Is that true?”
“Dating?” Her mom’s shriek practically took the roof off of the house. “Sheryl?” She wore so much hope in her eyes that Sheryl would’ve said yes even if it wasn’t true.
“Mom, this is not a big deal. I mean, Olympia’s dating that guy across the hall from her. Alissa’s back with Shawn. Can we not make this like an event of the century?”
“It’s just that you haven’t dated anyone for so long.”
“Thanks for reminding me.” She rolled her eyes, regretting the afternoon already, and she’d been there for ten minutes.
“So tell us about him,” her mom prompted.
“You met him, Mom.”
“I know, I know,” she said, laying down her cards and moving her peg. “But tell us all the juicy stuff.”
“Oh, you want the tea.”
“No,” her grandmother said, leaning closer as if Sheryl hadn’t heard her. “We want to know how things are going with Gage.” She looked at Sheryl’s mother. “But I suppose we could have tea and biscuits with it.”
“Now’s a good time to break,” her mom said, getting up from the table again. “I’ll get the cups.”
“I’ll get the cookies,” her grandmother said.
And that left the tea to Sheryl. And not just the kind that could be poured from a pot. She sighed as she set the kettle to boil and pulled the teabags from the cupboard. She wasn’t even sure where to begin with Gage. He was a complicated man, though he seemed simple on the outside.
Her phone chimed again, but she’d left it over on the table. So her grandmother picked up the device and read, “Okay, sorry. I didn’t mean to bark so loud.” She looked perplexed as she studied the phone. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” Sheryl said, a smile forming on her face and moving through her soul. “Gage can be a bit demanding sometimes, that’s all.” And that was the tip of the iceberg. But he was her iceberg, and Sheryl just needed to figure out a way to keep chipping away at him until he melted completely.
With a jolt, she realized she was thinking of changing him. As if she could really do that. She knew she couldn’t; she’d already ruined one relationship with her attempts to form Chuck into the man she wished he was instead of being satisfied with the person he already was.
She frowned at herself and then the teapot as it began to whistle. How long had she been standing there, thinking about Gage?
Too long.
She pulled the kettle from the burner and poured the hot water over the teabags her mom had lovingly laid in the cups. “Mom,” she said, catching her mom mid-bite on a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. She forged on anyway. “How did you know you could spend your whole life with Dad and not go crazy?”
Her mom choked, tried to swallow, and ended up spraying cookie crumbs out of her mouth. Her laughter followed, but Sheryl didn’t know what she’d said that was so funny.
When her mom finally quieted, she picked up her napkin and started wiping up the crumbs. “Oh, honey. I never felt that way. He drives me crazy to this day. You just learn to compromise.”
“Compromise,” Sheryl said. So she could forgive Gage his bark, and he’d forgive her super sensitivity to his bark. Or something.
“The tea is getting cold,” Grandma said, and Sheryl refrained from rolling her eyes. It was hard, but she did it. Just like it was hard not to be annoyed whenever Gage texted her. But she could do it.
I hope, she thought. She did like Gage. She just didn’t like every single thing about him. But as far as flaws went, sending curt texts probably wasn’t that big of a deal.
Was it?
Chapter Twelve
Gage growled as he pressed Sheryl into the metal door of her office, easily turning the deadbolt as he did. The last thing he needed was one of her crew members coming in while he
made out with her. Or for his brother to stumble upon them, as he happened to work for Sheryl now.
“Gage,” she said breathlessly, and he took the opportunity to move his mouth to her neck. She tasted like sweat and sunscreen, and he was ravenous for more of her. He hadn’t seen her as much since she’d started making preparations for the surfing competition several days ago. Once it started, he’d be working long afternoons in the sun. It would be another nine days before they got back to their normal schedule and sneaking into her office with her for a few minutes had become their new “normal” for the last few days.
She ran her fingernails through his hair and giggled, the sound like the sweetest song in Gage’s ears. He pulled back with some difficulty, his breathing ragged to match the marching of his pulse.
“I haven’t seen you in forever,” he said, his voice rough around the edges.
“It was last night,” she said, smiling as she pressed her lips to his again in a chaste kiss.
“Feels like a long time.” With his head clearer, he stepped away from her fully and said, “I brought that turkey bacon wrap you like for lunch.” She’d been working longer hours, the only thing keeping her going was some banana split party on the horizon.
She’d invited him to it as well, and he’d said he’d come. He just wanted to spend time with Sheryl, learn all about her that he could. He’d been working with her for just over a week, but it felt like a lot longer.
“Thanks,” she said.
“How are things going with the new stuff Olympia is doing?” he asked. “Oh, and that hammock is at your place. I’ll go over this afternoon with Britta and put it up for you, if you want.”
“I definitely want you to do that,” she said, rounding her desk and sitting down. She pulled the white deli bag toward her and looked inside. “And Olympia’s, well, Olympia. She’s constantly trying to think of things to make Heartwood better. She’s been going nuts training new staff for actual food service during the surfing competition. We’ve never done that before.”
“It’s a good idea.” Gage pulled out the folding chair and sat down across from her.
“Did you eat already?” she asked, taking out her wrap.
“No, mine is in there,” he said. She reached in again and pulled out another sandwich.
“Oh, it sure is.” She looked at it. “California club? Really? That has sprouts and stuff on it.” She made a face, which made Gage want to kiss her again.
“Yeah.” He took it from her and started unwrapping it. “It’s good.”
“I don’t like roast beef on a sandwich.”
“You’ve told me,” he said. “So, tell me something I don’t know. Where you would you go on vacation if you could go anywhere?”
“Anywhere?” Her eyebrows went up.
“Anywhere.”
“Iceland,” she said. “To see the Northern Lights.”
He nodded, a smile touching his mouth. He took a bite of his sandwich, expecting the same question in return. They’d been doing this during lunchtime for the past few days, and that was how he’d learned she didn’t like roast beef on sandwiches. And that she loved watching crime dramas on TV, and that she always had sour candy in her purse.
He’d told her more about himself than anyone else in the past few years, and when he’d realized that, he’d felt kind of stupid. But he’d never needed a lot of friends or people around him. In fact, while he loved having the island bursting with tourists, he also liked the smaller crowd of locals that hung around in the winter too.
“And you?” she asked.
“Maybe England?”
“You’re guessing?” she teased.
“Well, I’ve been a few places with the Marines,” he said. “The Middle East. Hawaii. Africa.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, because it wasn’t. He certainly hadn’t taken any safaris or surfing lessons while on active duty. “But I’ve never been to England, and I think it would be fun.”
“We should go,” she said, a genuine smile on her face.
Gage nodded, because he didn’t know what else to do. “Do you actually take time off work?”
She laughed as she shook her head. “No. Do you?”
“Hardly ever.” He grinned at her and took another bite of her sandwich. He loved being with her like this, eating and talking. It was simple, sure. Comforting. He felt himself slip a little bit, and he knew he was very close to falling in love with this woman.
It seemed impossible that he could be so close after only several days. They had spent a lot of time together, and while they didn’t always get along, they always made up.
“Favorite junk food,” she said.
“I have to pick one?”
“Top three.”
“Pizza,” he said.
“That’s not a junk food,” she argued. “It has like four food groups.”
“Sure, okay.” He laughed. “Popcorn from the theater, with a lot of butter.” He waited for her to say something, but she didn’t. So he continued with, “Corndogs and French fries.”
She finished chewing, her eyes bright and blue and beautiful. “You just named all my favorite things.”
“Yeah? You can’t add to the top three?”
“For the record, you named four things.” She gave him a so-there look, and then tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. “Soda, popcorn with a lot of butter, and….” She cocked her head as if she were really thinking hard about it.
Gage found her to be the most attractive creature he’d ever laid eyes on, and he couldn’t help chuckling as he finished his sandwich.
“Candy.”
“That’s a huge category,” he said. “And so is soda. I think you might be cheating.”
“Can we cheat at this game?” She wiped her hands on her napkins, her face full of flirt.
“Nope.” Gage got up and collected their trash. “All right. I’m going to go get Britta and get that hammock done.” He leaned down to kiss her, and she tilted her head back to receive it. All the fun, flirtiness from their conversation fled as she poured passion into her kiss.
Gage held her face in her hands, breathless from the first moment she touched him. He could kiss her all afternoon and still not be satisfied.
Someone knocked on her door and tried to open it, effectively making Gage jump away from her as if he’d been caught doing something wrong.
“Just a sec,” Sheryl called, straightening the collar on her polo as she stood. “Go on, you,” she whispered. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”
“With who?” he asked, genuinely wanting to know, as he moved toward the door. He flipped the deadbolt and opened the door, coming face to face with not just one, but two of Sheryl’s sisters.
Olympia he’d met at the bonfire. The other blonde had to be Celeste, as she worked for the inn doing special events and wedding planning, and she wore a cute pencil skirt with a tight-fitting blouse. He didn’t think a chef or a shrimp boat captain—what Gwen and Alissa did for a living—would wear such things to work.
“Hey,” he said. “Hello.”
“Gage,” Sheryl said. “You know my sisters, Olympia and Celeste.”
“Of course.” He saluted for a reason he couldn’t name and said, “See you later, Sheryl.”
Both Olympia and Celeste backed out of the doorway so Gage could squeeze by them, neither of them removing their eyes from him. He smiled and headed for the outdoor exit, feeling the weight of their gazes on him the whole time.
“Come on,” Sheryl said behind him. “Stop staring.”
“What were you two doing in there?” Olympia asked, obviously not trying to keep her voice down. “The door was locked.”
“I’ve never even seen this door closed,” Celeste said.
Sheryl laughed, and it took everything inside Gage not to turn around and wave good-bye to her. He made it out of the building without incident, taking a big breath of the hot, sea air outside.
“Okay,” he told himself, not checking for
Ricky’s truck or anyone lurking nearby. “Time to put a hammock in a tree.”
Because if he did that, then he could hold Sheryl in his arms as the sun went down. Kiss her as the night stole the life from the day and they swayed back and forth in the breeze. Maybe murmur to her that he was falling in love with her.
Maybe.
She finished the preparations for the surfing competition, and Gage started his training for the security at the surfing competition. Nine days became eight, became seven, and it was time for the banana split party.
“Okay,” she said, pushing a cart full of bananas toward the back of the grocery store. “Now we just need the ice cream, and we can go.”
He pushed a cart too, this one laden with cans of fake whipped cream, jars of hot fudge and caramel sauce, and bags of chopped peanuts. He also had the bowls, spoons, and napkins, and they’d been in the store for entirely too long.
But the surfing competition started tomorrow morning, and Gage would be working security on the sand for the next eight afternoons. Olympia had hired more men than just him, and his evenings would be free to spend with Sheryl and that new hammock he’d put in the tree in her backyard.
They hadn’t been able to use it quite yet, and he was really looking forward to it.
“Hey,” she said to the guy at the butcher counter. “I have an order for thirty gallons of ice cream. Half banana and half vanilla.”
“Let me check for you.” The man turned and went through the swinging door that led into the back.
“This is the butcher counter,” Gage said.
“Yeah, this is where you pick up special orders from the dairy department.” She looked at him, her eyes sparkling. “You were worried.”
“It’s the butcher counter,” he said again. But a few moments later, the man returned with three other people, all of them carrying huge buckets of ice cream.
“Ah, thanks,” Sheryl said, beaming at them. After a few adjustments were made, they got the buckets in their carts and headed to the check-out.
Bodyguard, Not Boyfriend Page 8
