“Alrighty then,” I said as I trudged up Fred’s overgrown walkway. I took in his weather-beaten house and dirty patio furniture and felt a twinge of sadness for the widower I’d never met.
I opened the screen door, knocked succinctly, three times, and waited for Fred to answer.
The door opened slowly, and an older gentleman with receding gray hair peered around the corner.
“Yes, can I help you?” he asked.
“Fred, it’s me. We’re looking for Boone, have you seen him?”
“I already told Susie, I ain’t seen him since Friday night when I had those barbecue ribs,” Fred replied, opening the screen door and stepping closer to me. “Who’s this?”
“This is Carmen, Cade’s new wife’s friend. She’s helping me look for Boone.”
Fred held up his fist and said, “Nice to meet ya.”
I looked from his offered fist to his face, confused.
“He wants to fist bump,” Mrs. Wilkes said, rolling her eyes. “Ever since his grandson taught him to do it, he’s been acting like one of those millennials.”
“Oh,” I said with a chuckle, and met his fist with my own. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“She’s a looker, ain’t she,”
Fred wiggled his eyebrows at Mama, and I took a step back.
“So, the last time you saw Boone was on Friday night?” I asked. “You gave him some ribs and then he left?”
“Yup,” Fred said with a nod. “He came out to where I was sitting by the pit out back when he smelled the ribs. He’s a good dog, so I like to give him scraps every now and then. The Wilkeses don’t mind.”
“No, I’m sure they don’t,” I assured him, not wanting him to feel like I was interrogating him. “It sounds like Boone’s a dog who gets along with everyone in the neighborhood, and knows where and when to go when he’s hungry.”
Fred chuckled.
“Sure does … that dog likes to eat.” He frowned and shook his head. “I sure hope you find him soon. I’m planning to have brisket tomorrow night. Boone loves brisket.”
“We’ll be sure to let you know when we find him.”
I was about to turn to go, when Fred held up his fist again. I looked to Mrs. Wilkes, who said, “He’ll stand there like that all day until you do it.”
With a sigh and more of a grimace than a smile, I raised my fist and gave Fred another fist bump, then turned and hurried down the path. Once we were in the street, I heard Fred’s door close behind him.
“So, Mrs. Felix’s next?” I asked.
Mama looked to the heavens and replied, “Lord, give me strength.”
Eleven
Mrs. Felix had flowers surrounding her house. The outside was the kind of immaculate I could really get behind. There were tidy rows of color and perfectly manicured bushes.
It made my heart happy just looking at it.
“So pretty,” I murmured.
“Just wait,” Mama said, and I turned to give her a questioning look. “Go ahead, knock.”
I shrugged and knocked on the pretty red door.
“Who is it?” I heard shouted from the other side. “I don’t wanna buy nothin’, I don’t care who you are.”
“Last year she chased the Girl Scouts down the street with a broom,” Mama whispered, then stood up and glared as the door was slung open and a tiny, scowling woman stepped up to the threshold.
“Oh, it’s you … What do you want?” She asked Mama.
“I want to know what you did to my dog,” Mama shot back.
Whoa…
“Okay, let’s wait just a minute…” I began, hoping to diffuse the situation before tempers flared. “I’m Carmen and I’m helping Mrs. Wilkes look for Boone. The last time he was seen was Saturday evening, and we were wondering if you’ve seen him since?”
Mrs. Felix huffed and scowled.
“I didn’t do nothin’ to your dog. That damn mutt is always going at my flower beds, digging and hurting my babies. I’ve chased him off, but I’ve never touched a hair on his body. You can take that to the bank.”
“We aren’t accusing you of hurting Boone,” I said, shooting Mama a warning look, hoping she’d let me handle it. “All we want to know is when the last time you saw him was.”
Mrs. Felix grunted, then spun on her heel and went back inside, leaving the door open and us on her porch.
“Well,” she shouted over her shoulder. “Come on in then.”
I looked to Mama, who held out her hand, indicating I should go first, and stepped inside.
After one glance around, I tried to take a step back, but Mama had already come in behind me.
I squeaked in protest.
The place was a disaster. Like, dumpsters were cleaner than the inside of this house.
I hurried through the living room as fast as I could, careful not to step on anything. There was trash on the floor, as if Mrs. Felix just threw it there when she was done, rather than putting anything in a trash can.
Empty drink containers, used paper plates, and boxes upon boxes littered every available surface.
And the smell. Oh, God, the smell.
I followed Mrs. Felix into the kitchen, which was even worse than the living room, and struggled to only breathe through my mouth.
“You were going to tell us when you last saw Boone,” I prompted, fighting the very strong and immediate need to flee.
“He was in my garden Sunday morning, digging up bones, so I went out with my broom chased him out.”
“Sunday?” Mama asked, her tone urgent.
My heart started to pound furiously and I grew lightheaded. Not caring if I appeared to be rude, I rushed through the kitchen, fighting the urge to gag, and out the back door.
Once there, I gulped in the fresh, salty air, and starting counting to a hundred to calm my nerves.
My heart rate was just about normal when I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked at Mama.
“You okay, Ku‘uipo?” she asked, her eyes full of worry.
“Mmm-hmm,” I managed, taking another deep breath and turning to Mrs. Felix, who was standing on the stairs. “You said he was digging up bones?”
Mrs. Felix crossed her arms over her chest, looking offended, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of my questions or my reaction to her home.
“Yeah, I put chicken bones in my dirt, for fertilizer, and that dog’s always trying to dig them up.” She looked to Mrs. Wilkes and added gruffly, “But, I’d never hurt him. Not him or any animal … I just want them to leave my babies alone.”
“Are you putting them in there whole, or grinding them up?” I asked.
“Whole,” she replied.
“Oh, well, I’ve read about landscapers and gardeners crushing them up until they are really fine and incorporating them into their soil. I write for a newspaper back home … anyway, maybe if you did that, the animals would stop trying to dig for them, but you could still get the desired effect from the bones as fertilizer.”
“Hmmm,” Mrs. Felix mumbled, then she lifted her arm and pointed out back toward the trees. “Last time I saw him, he ran that way.”
“Thank you,” I said and turned to walk away.
As Mama fell into step beside me, I asked, “What’s beyond those trees?”
“A campground. Mostly used by locals, since it’s off the beaten path, but there are campsites for tents, some grills, and beach access.”
“So, the possibility of more food?” I asked, knowing by now that Boone followed his stomach.
“Yeah, if someone was out there this weekend, there would definitely be food,” she replied.
“Then, that’s where we’ll go next,” I said, and let her lead the way.
Twelve
We walked through various species of palm trees and every once in a while I’d get a glimpse of the ocean.
The sun was shining, my nose was finally clear of the smell from Mrs. Felix’s house, and I was feeling optimistic about Boone. Mrs. Felix had seen him on S
unday, so he hadn’t been gone as long as we’d thought, which gave me hope that we’d still be able to find him safe and sound.
“You know, Pops and I have come here for naked camping,” Mrs. Wilkes said suddenly, causing me to stop in my tracks.
Lila had told us the story of Mama and Pops trying to join her and Cade while skinny dipping, but her words still came as a shock.
I couldn’t help but gape at her as I asked, “Is this a nude beach?”
“No,” Mama replied, still walking ahead of me.
I didn’t say anything else, hoping fervently that if I didn’t say anything else on the subject, she’d drop it.
“Sometimes it’s simply invigorating to be naked. We are both comfortable in our bodies and love the feel of the sun and water on our bare skin. You should try it sometime.”
Since she didn’t drop it, I had to ask, “Yeah, but camping? Like, I could see going skinny dipping, or sunbathing nude, but camping? Overnight? Cooking over a fire? And, staying naked the whole time?”
“We packed sandwiches,” Mama replied, as if that answered everything.
I shook my head and chuckled and hurried to catch up.
“The first campsite is right on the other side of those rocks.”
Figuring it couldn’t hurt, I started yelling for Boone as we made our way to the campsite.
“Boone!” Mama shouted as well.
We’d just walked up to an empty campsite, when I thought I heard something.
“Shhh, did you hear that?” I asked, turning my ear toward the sound. “Is that whining?”
“Boone!” Mama shouted again, and this time I for sure heard a groan, then a soft bark.
We took off running in the direction of the sound, calling out Boone’s name. The barks were low, as if he didn’t have the strength for a full one, but they became clearer as we ran.
“Oh my gosh, Boone, my poor baby,” Mama cried as we peered down into a hole just north of a campsite.
He looked dirty, tired, and hungry, but he was okay.
“Did you get stuck down there? Come on, Mama’s got you.”
We were both on our bellies, reaching down into the hole that was only a few inches wider than Boone and just deep enough for him to not be able to get out. We lifted him carefully, and when Mama pulled him into her arms, he licked her already wet cheek gratefully.
“Hi, Boone,” I said, reaching over to pet his head. “I bet you’re hungry, and thirsty, huh, boy. Let’s get you home.”
I helped Mama to her feet and she cradled Boone to her as we walked back the way we came.
As we cleared the trees, I saw Mrs. Felix in her garden. She looked up and gave us a small nod when she saw Mama holding Boone, then turned her attention back to her dirt.
“Thank you,” Mama called out, and Mrs. Felix’s head swung back up.
I could see the shock on her face for a second, and she simply nodded again and looked away.
We walked down the street to the Wilkes’ house. As we got closer, I saw that Bran and Pops were sitting outside by the fire, drinking beer and talking. When he caught sight of us, Pops stood up and rushed over to help Mama with Boone.
“There’s a rascal,” Pops said as he took Boone into his arms. “Out having an adventure, were ya?”
“I’ll go get his food and refresh his water,” Mama said, hurrying off to do just that.
“Hey, you found him,” Bran said, coming up to me with a big smile on his face. “I knew you would.”
I crossed to put my arms around him and pull him in for a hug.
“Thanks, did you have fun?” I asked, leaning back to look up at him.
“You know what? I really did. Cade’s dad’s a funny guy.”
“Pops,” Pops called out, correcting him.
Bran chuckled and amended, “Pops is a funny guy.”
Thirteen
“Mai Tai, please.”
“I’ll have a Maker’s neat.”
We didn’t make it back in time to go to the beach, but we’d had a lovely dinner and were now at the hotel bar grabbing a drink.
Once we had our drinks, we moved through the crowded space to an empty tall table near the back wall. I set my drink down and hefted myself up onto the stool as I glanced around the room one more time, hoping a regular table had opened up.
I always felt like a little kid sitting on high chairs; I didn’t like my feet dangling.
There weren’t any, so I did my best to perch my feet on the bar and took a sip of my drink.
“Mmmm, that’s yummy.”
Bran smiled at me and asked, “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“At least five times,” I replied, grinning back at him.
It had been a great day.
We’d found Boone, got to spend time with Cade’s parents, who were a hoot, and had a delicious meal while watching a luau.
“Let’s make it six, shall we? You look amazing.”
My cheeks flushed and my body warmed at his sweet words.
“Thanks, so do you.”
And, boy, did he. He had on a blue short-sleeve button up that matched his eyes perfectly, and was already tan from his stay on the island. That, combined with day three of no shaving, meant Bran looked positively edible.
“You know what’s weird?” Bran asked after taking a drink of his whiskey. “I have no idea what Cade’s parents’ names are.”
I thought about it for a moment.
“You know what, neither do I. Everyone has always called them Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes or Mama and Pops, but I’ve never even heard them call each other by their first names. I wonder why that is.”
“Huh, weird,” Bran said, then the song changed and his eyes lit up. “Come here.”
He stood and held his hand out to me.
I looked at his hand, then his face, confused, yet intrigued, and placed my hand in his.
Bran helped me off my stool and pulled me into his arms.
“What are you doing?” I asked as he started to move.
I glanced around the room, noticed no one else was dancing, and started to stiffen up.
“Shhh,” Bran whispered in my ear. “Just listen to the words.”
I’d heard the song before, but hadn’t really paid attention to the words, so I let Bran lead and listened.
And as I did, I fell even deeper.
A few minutes later, the song was over, and when we stopped dancing, the room broke out in applause.
Clasping my hand over my mouth, I laughed as I looked around at everyone, but Bran just gave a mock bow and led me back to my seat.
“Who sings that song again?” I asked, pulling out my phone.
“It’s You Say by Lauren Daigle.”
I pulled up my music app, searched the song, and downloaded it.
“I’m so happy you invited me to come here with you. I’m sorry I made things so difficult initially,” I told him, once I had what I would forever think of as our song downloaded.
Bran shook his head.
“You weren’t difficult. You were a little scared, maybe … unsure. But, I’m glad you came, too, even if it took a butt dial to get you motivated.”
I laughed and felt my cheeks heat at the memory of my crazy trip here and the reasoning behind it all.
“I’m sorry I was so nervous. You’ve never given me a reason to be unsure of you, or your intentions. I’m really happy we were able to talk it all out,” I said, reaching my hand across the table to grasp his.
“I want you to always feel comfortable talking to me. You can ask me anything. If you’re having doubts, or questions, don’t worry about hurting my feelings, I’m here for you. I believe that one of the most important parts of a relationship is to have open lines of communication.”
“I agree. So, in that vein, how do you really feel about me working with Lila? Do you think it’ll be a problem for you?” I asked, my breath catching as I waited for his answer.
I really loved working with Lila, a
nd had fought hard to get that job, but knowing how I felt about Bran, and he felt about me, I wasn’t sure if keeping a job was more important than keeping what we had.
“You know, at first I was worried. I mean, I’ve seen a murdering creep put his hands on you, and have been with you on a couple crazy investigations, not to mention the time we were thrown in the basement of the Motorcycle Club where Cade was chained to the wall. But, I trust you, and I trust Lila. I’d like you to keep coming to self-defense classes, not take unnecessary risks, and maybe invite me along on some more adventures. So, basically what I’m saying is, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy to support you in any way you need.”
“Wow, are you real?”
“A hundred percent,” Bran replied, his voice deep and sexy. “So, Carmen, what do you want to do next?”
“Well, Triple B, let me tell you … tonight, I want you to lay back and let me do all the work.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned at me. “And, tomorrow, I want to spend the day laying on the beach and drinking Mai Tais.”
“And, after tomorrow, when we get back home?” Bran asked, his thumb drawing lazy circles on the back of my hand.
“Anything and everything, as long as you’re by my side,” I replied, downing my drink and jumping off the chair before asking, “You ready to get started?”
Bran took my hand and said, “Lead the way.”
Did you love Lei’d in paradise? Make sure you read the rest of the Cupcakes Series, which is now in KU!
About the Author
Bethany Lopez is a USA Today Bestselling author of more than thirty books and has been published since 2011. She's a lover of all things romance, which she incorporates into the books she writes, no matter the genre.
When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with family and traveling whenever possible.
Bethany can usually be found with a cup of coffee or glass of wine at hand, and will never turn down a cupcake!
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Lei'd in Paradise: A Cupcakes Series Novella Page 4
