Trouble After Dark

by Marie Force

  “Ew, we’re friends. I don’t do that stuff with my friends.”

  Julia laughed at the outrage in his tone. “I’m glad we understand each other.”

  “Oh, we do. For sure.”

  “You’re not playing games trying to be my friend, thinking you’ll wear me down and get me to sleep with you, are you?”

  “I’m really offended that you’d suspect me of something so devious.”

  She gave him a gentle shove that he didn’t see coming and had to grab his arm to keep him from taking a bad fall.

  He gave her a wide-eyed look. “You saved my life.”

  “Whatever.”

  “No, it’s true. That would’ve been a bad fall.”

  “I fell off this jetty once, when I was twelve.”

  They continued to work their way back toward the shore. “Were you hurt?”

  “I was black and blue and scabby for weeks. It really scared me—and my grandfather, who saw it happen and got to me before I could be smashed against the rocks. Took me a long time to come back out here after that, but every day, he and I would walk a little farther out until I got past it. He said he didn’t want me to lose something I loved because of one random incident.”

  “He sounds pretty great.”

  “He’s the best man I’ve ever known.”

  When she tripped over a raised rock, Deacon grabbed her arm and kept her steady.

  Julia looked over at him. “I guess now we’re even.”

  “I guess so. So about that boat ride I promised you… I was going to take the boat out, get familiar with the harbors and the layout of things before I officially start the new job on Monday. You want to come along?”

  “Are you allowed to take someone with you?”

  “As long as I have a life jacket for you, which I do.”

  “Sure, that sounds like fun.” It sounded like more fun than trying to figure out what the hell she was going to do with herself now that Katie’s wedding was over and she had no way to get home without bumming money off a family member, which was not going to happen.

  Chapter 7

  Back on the sidewalk, they walked the short distance to the Sand & Surf and took the stairs to the deck, rejoining the brunch already in progress.

  Katie cast her a questioning look that Julia ignored as she thanked the waiter who put a plate laden with more food than she’d eat in a week in front of her.

  At the far end of the long table, her mom was talking and laughing and smiling, caught up in her new husband and her well-earned happiness. Maybe her mother hadn’t seen Julia leave and didn’t seem to have noticed when she came back. She could only hope.

  Adele got up from her seat next to Sarah and came to speak to Julia, toting the iPhone she was addicted to. Her grandchildren teased her about being worse than a teenager with her phone. “I heard back from my friend Big Mac McCarthy. I saw him at a cocktail party last weekend, where he mentioned that his son Mac desperately needed office help for his construction business. His wife, Linda, mentioned it again at bridge this week. I texted Big Mac to ask if Mac was actually hiring, because my granddaughter would be perfect, and he said to have you come by the marina tomorrow around nine to talk to Mac. He said he’d make sure he’s there.”

  “That’s amazing, Gram. Thank you so much.”

  “I really hope it works out. The McCarthys are good people, as we all know. Big Mac is Laura and Shane’s uncle, and Mac is their first cousin.”

  “Really appreciate the contact.”

  “My pleasure, honey.” She glanced at the plate Julia hadn’t touched. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. My stomach is a little upset from too much champagne yesterday. Nothing to worry about.” Her grandmother would worry, despite Julia’s assurances. Adele knew better than even Julia’s own mother how bad her issues with eating and food had gotten.

  They’d protected Sarah from so much while she’d still been with their father. Back then, she’d had more than enough to contend with trying to survive every day. The first time Julia had ended up in the hospital, Katie had called their grandmother, not their mother, and Adele had come running. No one knew about the other time she’d been hospitalized, not even Katie.

  Adele squeezed her shoulder as if to say everything would be all right, even if it didn’t seem so now. Just being around her grandmother made her believe that, despite evidence to the contrary.

  “Are you going to eat something?” Deacon asked after her grandmother had returned to her seat.

  She pushed her plate in his direction. “I’m not really hungry.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yep. Have at it.”

  As he put her full plate on top of his empty one, Julia caught Katie watching her from across the table, her face set in a concerned expression.

  Great. The last thing Julia wanted was concern from her sister the nurse, who saw too much. Her problems were her own, and she would deal with them.

  Somehow.

  * * *

  Deacon hadn’t expected brunch with people he’d met only the day before to be any fun and had come only because Sarah had asked him to. The Lawry family was an energetic, entertaining group, and he’d seen for himself that they were close to each other the way Julia had described them. But after spending time with Julia and observing the way her family behaved around her, he realized they worried about her.

  He wondered why that was. As a former police officer, he was a keen observer of people. He enjoyed figuring out what made them tick and understanding relationships between siblings, partners, spouses. People intrigued him. Julia intrigued him. He found her to be an interesting mix of strength and fragility. It killed him to know that she and her siblings had been mistreated by their father. Would she ever tell him about that herself?

  And he fully intended to investigate the guy who’d taken advantage of her and try to get restitution for her. During his career in law enforcement, he’d learned that bullies came in all shapes and sizes. Some intimidated with their strength, others with their words and still others by preying on people who would do anything for anyone, like Julia. She was the kind of person who’d give a stranger everything she had without asking for anything in exchange.

  When her ex came to her and told her a sob story about his sick mother, of course she was going to do everything she could to help—even give the man her entire savings to save his mother’s life. Deacon had known her for one day and already understood that much about her.

  He looked forward to getting to know her better. It’d been a while since he’d made a new friend, especially a woman who’d already made it clear that friends was all they were ever going to be. That was fine with him. He’d had enough with romantic entanglements for a while.

  His phone vibrated with a text. He pulled it from his pocket to read the message from Sherri, the woman he’d defended in the bar fight. Speaking of romantic entanglements.

  Hey Deacon. Sorry it’s taken me a few days to get in touch. Things have been kind of crazy since the other night. If you can believe it, Jerry fired ME because of the fight. As if I had anything to do with Roger coming in there and starting something. I just want to say I really appreciate what you did and I’m so sorry for the trouble it caused you. I heard you’ve left town?? Will you be back? I hope so!

  Holy shit. She’d gotten fired?

  “I need to make a call,” Deacon told Julia. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay.”

  He got up and left the deck, taking the steps to the sidewalk, where he placed the call to Jerry at the bar.

  “It’s Deacon.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Why’d you fire Sherri? It wasn’t her fault Roger showed up and started trouble.”

  “I don’t need the drama in my place. She’s nothing but drama with the ex and the custody battle and the fighting.”

  “None of that is her fault. She’s got kids to feed, Jerry.”

  “Look, I know yo
u’re banging her—”

  “Jerry! That has nothing to do with why I’m calling you. She’s a good person who made the mistake of marrying an asshole. Why do you have to make things worse for her by taking her job? You know she’s not going to be able to make what she does at the bar anywhere else.”

  “That’s not my problem.”

  “You disappoint me.”

  “I’m pretty disappointed over the damage you did to my bar. Who do you think has to pay for the repairs?”

  “I’m sorry about that, but what was I supposed to do? Stand by and let him kill her?”

  “Don’t be dramatic, Deacon. He wasn’t going to kill her.”

  “You don’t think so? You didn’t hear what he said to her. I spent ten years dealing with domestic incidents on the job, and I know the signs of a situation about to explode. He threw her and their children out on the street and has done nothing but harass her ever since. Don’t tell me you’re okay with that.”

  “I’m not okay with it, but I have a freaking business to run, and I can’t have this shit going on in my place. My business is down ten percent since the fight.”

  “If I send you the money for the repairs, will you hire her back?”

  “It’s ten grand.”

  Deacon felt like he’d been punched in the gut again, like he’d been in the fight. “I’ll pay it. Will you hire her back?”

  “I don’t know, man. This isn’t the first time her personal problems have impacted my business. I don’t want anything to do with it.”

  “This isn’t her fault. He’s terrorized her for years. She needs to feed her kids, and she’s not getting a dime in support from him.”

  “I feel terrible about what she’s going through, but it’s not my problem. I have to keep my business afloat so I can feed my own kids.”

  Realizing he was getting nowhere with Jerry, Deacon said, “Fine. Don’t worry about it. She has plenty of friends who’ll help her out.”

  “You’re not being fair—”

  Deacon ended the call. He’d heard more than enough. He knew some furniture had gotten smashed in the fight and some glasses broken, but ten thousand in damages? Jesus. Since Jerry was being a dick about giving Sherri her job back, Deacon called up the app he used to pay his bills and opened the account where he’d been stashing money in the hope of buying a new bike. There was twelve thousand five hundred in the account, and she needed the money far more than he needed a new bike.

  He sent ten thousand of it to her with a note that said, Jerry is a dick and so is Roger. Hope this helps to hold you over until you find something better. I’m really sorry for any trouble I caused by getting into it with Roger. Keep in touch, and let me know how you’re doing.

  Not even a minute later, his phone rang with a call from Sherri. “Deacon! Oh my God! You don’t have to do that! None of this is your fault.”

  “I know it’s not, but I didn’t have to tangle with Roger in the bar, which is what got you fired.”

  “Roger got me fired, not you. You were just trying to help.”

  “Take the money, Sherri. You need it more than I do.”

  “I wouldn’t feel right taking your money.”

  “I won’t take it back, so you’ll have to figure out what to do with it.”

  She broke down into soft sobs that made him ache for what she’d been through. “Thank you so much.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “You have no idea what this means to me.”

  Deacon hoped he hadn’t made a huge mistake by sending her the money. He didn’t want to give her false hope that they’d ever be anything more than friends who used to hook up once in a while. “Has Roger been leaving you alone?”

  “I wish.”

  The cop in Deacon went on full alert. “There’s a restraining order in place. He’s not supposed to be anywhere near you.”

  “He does his best work by text and email, and I can’t block him because of the kids. It’s a freaking nightmare that won’t end.”

  “I can reach out to the local police and see what I can do.”

  “You don’t have to do that. You’ve already helped me out so much. I’ll never forget the way you came to my defense that night. No one has ever done anything like that for me before.”

  Deacon would do it again, even knowing what a shitshow it would turn into. He’d done what he’d do for any woman who was being harassed by a man who wouldn’t leave her alone. He hadn’t done it because of any special feelings he had for Sherri.

  “I would’ve done that for anyone, Sherri. He was totally out of line.”

  “Still… It meant a lot to me. When will you be back in town?”

  “Ah, maybe the end of the summer? I don't know exactly.”

  “That’s a long time from now. I’ll look forward to seeing you whenever you get back.”

  “Sherri, listen… I need to tell you—”

  “I have to run. The baby is awake and screaming, and the kids are fighting. I’ll talk to you soon? And thank you again, Deacon. So much. You’re the best.”

  The connection went dead before he could reply or finish telling her that as much as he’d enjoyed the time they’d spent together, they were never going to be more than they’d already been. Shit. How did he get himself into these situations? It was what Blaine called his hero complex. According to his older and wiser brother, Deacon got himself into stupid situations because he had a burning need to play the part of the hero.

  Whatever. If being a decent human being and stepping up for those who needed help meant he had a hero complex, well, he could live with that. Besides, before he met Tiffany, Blaine had been known within their family for taking on “projects,” women who were in need of saving. But Blaine never remembered that when he was accusing Deacon of trying to be a hero.

  He dashed off a text to one of the local cops he’d been friendly with in Harwich, letting him know that Roger was still hassling Sherri and they ought to keep an eye on that.

  His friend wrote right back. On it. Thanks for the heads-up. How’s it going in Siberia?

  Fabulous...

  “Everything all right?”

  At the sound of Julia’s voice, Deacon spun around to face her. His brain froze as he wondered if she’d overheard him on the phone with Sherri. And then he wondered why he cared if she’d overheard him. “Yeah, all good.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yep. You still want to take a boat ride?”

  “I’d love to. I just need to get changed.”

  “I’ll wait for you on the porch.”

  “I’ll be quick.”

  “Take your time. I’m not in any rush. This is one of my last days of freedom for a while.” Blaine had warned that they’d be straight out until Labor Day. That didn’t intimidate him. Deacon liked to be busy, and he loved being on the water. In that way, the job his brother had forced on him was perfect for him. At least that part of his summer in Siberia would be bearable.

  Julia flashed a smile, went up the stairs and through the main door to the hotel.

  Deacon followed at a more leisurely pace and returned to the deck to thank Julia’s mother for brunch. He found her standing next to her new husband, who had his arm around her, the two of them fairly glowing with happiness. What might it be like to be that happy? Deacon wouldn’t know. He’d never come anywhere close to what the two of them had clearly found in each other. “Thanks again for having me, and congratulations to both of you.”

  Sarah surprised him when she hugged him. “We’re so glad you could be with us today, Deacon.”

  Charlie shook his hand. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Is Julia all right?” Sarah asked. “I saw her leave for a bit.”

  “She’s good, I think. We’re going to take a boat ride this afternoon.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful. She’ll enjoy that.” Sarah hesitated, seeming to decide if she should say more. “I worry about her.”

  “You worry about all of them,�
� Charlie said with a smile for his new wife.

  “That’s true. But Julia…” Sarah shook her head and seemed to force a cheerful expression. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to unload on you.”

  “No worries at all. I’ll let you get back to your family.”

  “Deacon…”

  He turned back to her, his brow raised in inquiry.

  “I know you’ve only just met Julia, but I think she could use a friend. Call it mother’s intuition or what have you…”

  “I’d like to be her friend, if she’ll have me.”

  Sarah nodded and seemed satisfied for now. “It’s so very nice to have our lovely Blaine’s equally lovely brother on the island for the summer. Don’t be a stranger. Pop in to say hello any time you’re nearby.”

  Deacon had to force himself not to react to Blaine being called lovely. “I’ll do that. Congratulations again.”

  “Thank you.”

  Chapter 8

  Julia went up to the third floor to the small room she’d shared with Katie two nights ago. Katie had been superstitious about seeing Shane before the wedding and had asked to stay with Julia for her last night as a single woman.

  Although, technically, her last night as a single woman had been the day before Owen and Laura’s wedding. Katie and Shane had been together pretty much from the moment he’d rescued her from a rip current at the beach outside the Surf, where the Lawry siblings had been swimming their entire lives. That’d been a close call, and it still made Julia shudder to think about how suddenly her sister could’ve been taken from them.

  As she changed into a bikini, tank and denim cutoff shorts, Julia thought about that day and the roller coaster of emotions she’d experienced after hearing what’d nearly happened to Katie on the same day their beloved Owen had married Laura.

  Julia had survived a lot in her life. She never would’ve survived losing Katie. Suffice to say that Shane had had her at hello with what he’d done for Katie—for all of them—that day.

  After living in a state of perpetual disaster for most of their childhood, the Lawrys had already had more than their share. Certainly, in the grand scheme of things, they were due some good karma after everything they’d already been through.