by Sandra Cox
He cuts my gramps a look and holds up his hand. “I’m not pushing.”
Gramps grunts.
I shake my head, push back the chair, and start stacking the dishes. Tyler rises, gathers his, and heads for the sink. “I hate to eat and run, but I better head home.”
“Not a problem. Where’d you park?”
“About a half mile down the beach.”
I tuck in my chin and give him the look. It’s so obvious he came to spy on me.
He shrugs without any apparent guilt. “Want to walk me to my car?” He grins. “I’ll drive you back.”
Indecisive, I bite my lip.
“Go ahead, Pip. I’ll load the dishwasher.”
I really have doubts about this. Self-defense and dinner with Gramps is one thing, but walking with Tyler on the beach, under the stars? That’s a different kettle of fish. “Okay.”
“Are you ready?” I turn to Tyler.
“In a moment.” He steps up to Gramps and holds out his hand. “I never thanked you, sir, for saving my life. I’m in your debt.”
Gramps takes his hand and looks him in the eye. “I’m not the one who saved you. Nor am I the one you owe a debt to. Don’t forget it.”
“Yes, sir. I won’t, sir.”
Gramps nods, moves to the counter and begins to load the dishes.
We walk out the back door. Tyler unwraps a couple of peppermints, hands me one and takes one himself. The bite of mint fills my mouth and cools my tongue. Heading for the path, I look longingly at the edge of the cliff. Diving would be much quicker. I suck it up. Sometimes one has to make sacrifices for the cause.
Tyler follows me cautiously. Luckily, the bright moon and stars light the path.
“He’s an awesome ole dude, even if he is a bit intimidating.”
“Don’t call him old,” I snap.
“Ole, Piper. Not old. You aren’t planning on majoring in English are you?”
“They mean the same, goof.”
“Oh well, I’m not planning on being an English major either.”
I can hear the grin in his voice. I shake my head.
“Let me guess. You’re leaning toward science.”
“Yeah, so?”
When we reach the bottom of the trail, he takes my hand. I tug but he doesn’t let go. Oh, what the heck. I enjoy the novel sensation of a boy’s warm hand wrapped around mine, especially this boy.
He swings my hand back and forth as we walk the beach in companionable silence. The melodic call of “ka-ty-did, ka-ty-did” sounds nearby from an orchestra of crickets, the measured cadence of the ocean in the background.
We round the bend, leaving my private beach for the public one. Up ahead, I see Tyler’s black SUV parked alongside the road.
“Help!”
I whip around. A hand pops out of the water, followed by a head. “Help,” the swimmer yells again.
Still wearing my swimsuit, I strip off my sweats and run into the shallows, Tyler at my heels. I dive into the water and head toward the swimmer. When I get close, I see it’s a young man. I reach him quickly. He isn’t that far out, but he’s hit a deep pocket. I swim up behind him and grab him around the shoulders, trying to avoid his flailing arms. I manage until one of his hands pops me in the eye.
“Oww. Damn it.” I tighten my grip. “Calm down. I’ve got you. I won’t let you drown.” I talk in my normal voice, hoping to quiet him. He immediately stops fighting and lets me tow him.
“Can’t swim. Waded out too far,” he gasps, kicking out with his feet, trying to help me.
“You must have just gone under,” I observe.
“Yeah, it just happened. Glad you heard me.”
I frown. His voice sounds familiar, but I can’t worry about that now.
Tyler reaches my other side, smart enough to keep his distance and stay out of my way. In minutes, we’ve reached the shore.
“What the hell happened, Rick?” Tyler asks as we stagger out of the water.
As I let go of him I take a good look at my rescue victim. Holy freaking crap. It’s all I can do not to put my head in my hands and moan. The boy I’ve rescued is Rick Sabatini from my social studies class.
Chapter 12
“Thank you.” He coughs and leans against me, shaking.
What do I do now? I stand paralyzed, my body rigid. Lucky for me, Tyler thinks on his feet. He puts his arm around Rick and propels him to the dirt road where Rick’s car is parked.
Rick’s raspy voice carries back to me as I try to blend with the shadows. “What are you doing here? You didn’t even give me a chance to thank her.”
Tyler keeps walking, towing Rick with him.
“What a goddess. Do you know her? Who is she?”
I nearly collapse with relief. He doesn’t recognize me. My hearing is particularly acute, better in the water, but I do just fine on land, so I can hear the entire embarrassing conversation. I lean forward and tip my head, anxious to hear Tyler’s reply.
“That’s information I’m not prepared to share with you, bro.”
“Man you have all the luck. Every girl in Rosemont is after you and you manage to find the most spectacular piece of ass on the planet. Maybe she’s a sea siren. She has the voice of an angel.”
At this point, I put my head in my hands and groan.
“Let me remind you, that spectacular piece of ass just saved your life.” Tyler’s voice has an edge to it.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m not myself. I nearly drowned.”
“Yeah, you did. So be more respectful.”
“You’re right. I should go back and thank her.”
“Never mind, I’ll thank her for you. Do you have your keys?”
The shadowy figure feels his pockets. I hear a ripping sound.
He says in a relieved voice, “Thank God for Velcro.”
“You okay to drive?” Tyler opens Rick’s door without waiting for an answer.
“I’m fine.”
“Good. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see ya.” His engine purrs to life.
I step further back into the shadows so his headlights won’t pick me up when he turns the car around.
Tyler walks toward me. The moon limns his features, casting shadows beneath the high cheek bones, outlining his nose—that is just the least bit crooked—and lighting his lips. He stops in front of me.
“How can he not see you?” he marvels.
“I’d say he saw me just fine.” I tear my gaze away from those perfect lips. They aren’t too thin or too full, kissable.
He grins. His eyes twinkle. Or maybe it’s the stars reflected in them. “Oh, well, to paraphrase Rick. You do have a fine ass.”
I grimace, somewhat pleased, somewhat embarrassed.
He steps nearer, his mouth so close his breath warms my face, and the fresh scent of peppermint zings my senses.
“I guess it’s official, Rick says we’re dating.” He lays his hands lightly on my shoulders.
“That’s not exactly what he said. Plus I’ve never had the desire to join a harem.” I snort and start to pull back. His warm hands settle more firmly on my shoulders.
“My prowess with the opposite sex is somewhat overrated.” He pulls me closer. “I have no problems with monogamy.”
My heart does a slow hard thud. I want to tap my ear to see if I’m hearing right. Instead, I force myself to pull away. “I need to get home.”
He lets me go, grabs my hand, and walks toward his car. “Didn’t your mother ever warn you men like nothing better than a challenge?”
“Oh please.” I roll my eyes.
He chuckles and opens the car door. I hesitate.
“What?” he asks.
“I don’t want to ruin your seats.”
“You won’t. To an extent leather is waterproof. I’ll wipe off any excess when I get home. Cleaning car seats 101: you can clean mildew off leather with an equal ratio of
water and alcohol.”
“Too much information.” I slide in and lean back against the smooth seat. It smells of sand, sea salt, and Tyler.
“Your Gramps would appreciate the info even if you don’t. Actually, he probably already knows.” He walks around and climbs in the driver’s side. In moments, we’re heading up the dirt road that leads to Gramps’ cottage.
Tyler pulls up to the cottage and shuts off the motor.
“You don’t have to see me to the door.” I reach for the handle but before I can open the door, Tyler pulls me to him. “You’re my girl.” His voice still has a thread of laughter.
“I’m…” Before I can say any more, his lips settle warm and persuasive on mine. It certainly feels like I’m his girl. When he finally releases me, I sit, blinking at him. He leans across me and opens the door. “Sleep well.” He gives me a light kiss on the tip of my nose.
I stumble out of the car. The wind on my face revives me and brings reality rushing back. Jeez what am I thinking? Once again, my feelings for this boy have gotten the best of me. More perturbed with myself than him—after all he’s only a guy—I huff, “I’m not anyone’s girl.” I slam the door with more force than necessary.
“You can run all you want, sea girl, but one of these days you’re going to admit it.” The words and the certainty of his voice follow me into the cottage.
Chapter 13
Another sleepless night. I wake heavy-lidded and out of sorts, though Gramps’ hotcakes and the steaming mug of coffee he sticks under my noise go a long way to bringing me around before I head for classes.
The morning is uneventful. I manage to avoid both twins, which is nothing short of a miracle. They’re extremely tenacious where I’m concerned.
As usual, I’m running late for Mr. Grumble’s class. I can’t work up any energy for calculus. I hurry in. Crap. The only empty seat is between Holly and Tyler. I plop my hiney in it as the bell rings and look straight ahead, determined not to draw more attention to myself than possible. Seated between the twins, I should know that’s impossible.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Tyler whispers.
I ignore the flutter in my tummy, scowl, and don’t respond. It’s only one hour, then Tyler will be in a different class. Papers shuffle, Grumble drones on, making mind-numbing equations on the board. Supposedly, next year the students will get iPads and work equations on tablets, but cutting-edge technology is still in the talking stage at Rosemont. My eyes grow heavy. I begin to nod.
I get elbows in both ribs at the same time. I straighten. Geez, what is it with twins anyway? Heat rises in my cheeks as I think of Tyler’s kisses. I hope Holly isn’t psychic.
When the bell finally rings, I stagger to my feet in need of more caffeine. The twins rise with me. I nod at the right moments as Holly chatters about clothes and hair. When we turn right to go to social studies, Tyler turns with us. I stop. My muscles tighten and I bite my lip. “Your class is in the other direction.”
“Yeah, I’ll get there in time. I thought I’d walk you girls to Soc.”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” My jaw tight, I clutch my book bag to my chest. Rick Sabatini is in this class. It’s the reason I didn’t get any sleep last night. The last thing I want is for him to see me with Tyler.
The twinkle in Tyler’s eyes dims. “All right. See you later.”
Not if I can help it. I like the boy, but I’m a big believer in survival. Why can’t he leave me alone?
Holly looks back and forth between us, her eyes wide, her brows raised. I watch Tyler’s loose, lanky stride as he walks away. I feel a moment’s regret. I feel safer when he’s around, less exposed, which is really an oxymoron because my exposure shoots through the roof around him.
A guy and girl wave as they walk by, demonstrating my point.
Holly tugs me down the hall. “Okay, what’s going on? Give.”
“What do you mean?” I try to play dumb but Holly is having none of it.
“Okay, you saved his life this weekend, for which I’m eternally grateful. Have I thanked you yet?”
“Only about a thousand times.” I grin in spite of myself. Holly has that effect.
“Then, he spends all kinds of time at your house. And this morning I hear him tell Josie McAllister—when she asks if he’d like to catch a movie—he’s in a relationship.”
I stop. Students flow around me like water. One girl jostles my elbow, mumbles an apology, and keeps going. Holly tugs my arm. I start moving again. My head reels. Everything looks like rainbow bursts. The cylindrical lighting fixtures give off warm spurts of sunlight. All is right with the world…for about ten seconds. Reality crashes in. This is exactly what I don’t need.
“Really?”
Holly gives a snort of exasperation. “Come on, don’t hold back. When did you and my brother become an item?”
“What are you talking about?” I beat back the heat rising in my cheeks, hoping it’s partially hidden by the glasses, and lift my chin. I give her an incredulous look. At least, that’s what I’m shooting for. I don’t doubt for a moment, these hideous glasses hide my facial expression, except perhaps for my mouth that’s puckered like a prune.
“Piper, what’s your GPA?”
“Say what?”
“What is your GPA?” she repeats in patient tones.
“Have you lost your mind?” I demand, excusing myself as I bounce off a thin boy headed in the opposite direction.
“Answer the question.”
“Four point, if you must know.” It’s the dolphin DNA. They’re extremely intelligent creatures. “What’s yours?”
“Three point nine. But this has got nothing to do with me.”
“Why are we talking about GPA?” I admit I’m confused.
“The point is you’re too smart to think I’d fall for that ‘it’s got nothing to do with me’ routine.” She hoists her book bag, which is sliding off her shoulder.
“Your brother and I are not an item.” I keep my eyes straight ahead. At least the conversation has taken my mind off the upcoming confrontation.
Rick Sabatini is sitting in the front row closest to the door. He stands up as I walk in.
Chapter 14
My heart thunders. My legs feel like lead. It’s all I can do to keep moving.
Sensing my tension, Holly throws me a bewildered look. I shake my head.
“Hey, Holly.” Rick comes over to us.
“Hi, Rick.” Holly smiles.
“I was wondering if you’d like to go a party Friday night.”
The tension in my neck and shoulders loosens fractionally.
“Sure that would be fun.”
He turns to me. I tense. “Piper.”
“Rick.”
“So Tyler and Fahrenbacher got in a dust-up over you, huh?”
I swallow. “Yeah, my beauty drives guys wild.”
He laughs as I intend. “Speaking of beauties.” He turns his attention back to Holly. “Your brother was with one of the most incredible girls I’ve ever seen, yourself excluded of course,” he throws in hastily.
“Oh really?” Holly quivers like a pointer after a rabbit.
“Yeah, she saved my life. I would have drowned if she hadn’t swum out and rescued me.”
The bell rings. Never in my life have I been so glad to hear that obnoxious sound. I nudge Holly and make my way to two seats open in the back.
Holly says goodbye to Rick and follows me.
With a rustle of book bags, we slide into our seats, Holly murmuring greetings all around her. She leans toward me and speaks softly so only I can hear. “My, my, two lives in less than a week. You have been busy.”
Holy freaking crap.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course, you don’t.”
I open my mouth.
“Ms. Dunn, tell us the pros and cons of gun control.”
I blink. Until that moment, I’v
e never believed in divine intervention. I’ll have to rethink that one. Thank you, Mrs. Wilson. I expound on the subject till Mrs. Wilson’s eyes glaze over and I hear several yawns.
“Uh, yes, thank you, Miss Dunn,” Mrs. Wilson finally cuts me off and moves on to another student less longwinded on the subject.
Finally, the bell rings. I scoop up my books and hurry out of the classroom. Unfortunately, Holly’s on my heels. “I knew it. I knew you were a beauty under those dowdy clothes,” Holly crows, her legs pumping to keep up with me.
One of the basketball players passes us. Shaking his head, he snorts in disbelief.
“Shut up, Holly.” My lips clench.
“Sorry. It’s top secret, huh?”
“Just drop it.”
I hurry into my physics class. A seat at the front of the room catches my eye. I head for it, leaving Holly to fend for herself. For a moment, I put my head in my hands. I want to howl. My world is unraveling and all because I can’t keep the twins at bay.
I did just fine before they came to town. No one paid any attention to Piper the geek. What if Rick had made the connection? I shudder then straighten. He didn’t. My disguise is intact. No one expects anything but what they see. I will just have to find a way to discourage the twins without hurting their feelings.
On that self-righteous note, I turn my attention to the lecture. I manage to stay focused till the bell rings. When it does, I hop up and make a beeline for the door. Lucky for me, several of Holly’s admirers and friends cluster around her. I make my escape.
Physics is my last class. I manage to avoid Holly and Tyler as I head for my truck. I should be happy I’ve succeeded. Instead, I feel something I normally keep at bay, loneliness. I hurry home with no Carlisle twins to stop me. They’re probably headed for the Cat and lattes, surrounded by admirers.
I grimace and clutch the steering wheel harder than necessary. Sucking air, I lean back and force myself to relax. So Tyler told Josie he was in a relationship. I glance in the rearview mirror and catch the goofy grin on my face. I wipe it off. I’ll have to set the boy straight. I push on the gas. Beulah groans and chugs up the hill, white exhaust pouring from her tailpipe.
