“Morning Candy, it’s good to be back home. Thanks for the casserole, I’m looking forward to digging in,” Evan said.
“Now Sherriff, ya didn’t come here to talk casserole did ya,” Candy asked with a knowing expression.
“No, I didn’t Candy,” Evan dispensed with the small talk and got to business. “I was wondering if you might know where Sally went?”
“Fixin’ to tell her some more of how she’s not good enough for you,” Candy asked. “If that’s the case, then I’m not telling you anything Sherriff.”
Evan felt a rock form in his gut; Sally had confided her hurt in Candy. “So that is why she left town,” he said quietly, wanting to kick himself again for not leaving a damn message.
“What girl would want to stick around after that,” Candy asked him. “I really expected better from ya Evan,” she said, giving him a disappointed look. “That girl loved ya, despite her flaws. Who cares who she was? All that matters is who she is now.”
“I know that Candy,” Evan said defensively. “Did she happen to tell you what was happening when I said those things? We were in the middle of a standoff with a fucking lunatic that had a gun to her head! I was trying to distract the guy; to save her life. I didn’t mean any of it, Candy. Not one word of it,” he swore.
“Well why in the hell are you telling me all of this,” Candy wanted to know.
“I’m a stubborn ass,” Evan answered. “When I woke up I was angry that she hadn’t been there. I refused to call her but then one of my deputies set me straight. By then it was too late. I have to find her Candy, please. Do you know where she is,” he pleaded.
“I’m not one-hundred percent sure, no. I talked to her two days ago. She said she’s by the ocean, wouldn’t tell me any more than that,” Candy told him.
Evan thanked Candy and went back to his truck. He sat in the parking lot for a long while, angry at himself. Why had he been so damn stubborn? He closed his eyes and wracked his brain trying to think of any time Sally may have mentioned anything about the ocean but came up with nothing. Shit, she could be anywhere. He was about to start his truck and head home when someone tapped on his window. He opened his eyes to see Candy waving something at him and rolled down his window.
“Must be your lucky day Sherriff,” she said. “Guess who just got a postcard?”
Sally
Sally woke the next morning around ten feeling slightly queasy, though she hadn’t had more than two beers the night before. She got up and made herself some toast, then came to sit back on the couch. She flipped through the channels on the TV and settled on a rerun of one of her favorite sitcoms. She was scheduled to work the evening shift again tonight at the restaurant which was good because she needed a few hours more to get rid of this hangover.
She finished her toast and went to the bathroom to shower. She undressed and turned on the water, stepping under the hot spray. When she got out, her queasiness had subsided a bit and she set about drying her hair. She used her hand to wipe the steam from the mirror over the sink and took a long look at her face. Her eyes were still puffy from crying herself to sleep the night before. And the night before that.
She missed Evan something awful. Missed the way he could make her come alive with just one touch. Missed the way his body felt over hers, and the way he’d curl up next to her and pull her against him after they’d made love. She missed how he’d made her feel secure and special. And loved. She was still so hurt by what he had said to her that day in the abandoned house. She had known it would be a possibility if he ever found out about her past but to hear him actually say it out loud had wounded her soul. It was a deep cut that might never heal, she thought. She had never loved anyone so deeply as she loved Evan.
She had briefly thought about staying in town, trying to convince him she was not who she had been. She almost went to the hospital every day to hold his hand and brush his hair off of his forehead. Almost. Truth was she hadn’t had the courage. She didn’t think that she could handle him telling her again that he didn’t want her. That she would ruin him. So in the end, she left. She’d packed up her life in Oklahoma, bought a car with the money she’d saved, and drove until she got tired of driving.
Sally dressed quickly and decided to go for a walk on the beach. She needed to get out of this apartment and her own head for a bit. She stepped out into the sunshine and warm breeze and headed off into the sand. She walked along the edge of the water, her feet sinking into the wet sand as the waves washed over her toes. Though only eleven-thirty in the morning the beach was already filling up with towels, chairs, and umbrellas. After about an hour, she decided to head back to her apartment for some lunch. The toast she’d had for breakfast was long gone and her stomach was rumbling.
She climbed the steps to her apartment and went to the refrigerator. Though hungry, nothing she had in there looked appetizing. What is wrong with me? she thought. Deciding that she wasn’t going to be satisfied by anything in her fridge, she grabbed her purse and car keys and headed back out. She drove to a small diner not far from her place and ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. It was, by far, the most she’d eaten in a week.
Sally looked around the diner while she waited for her food. The place reminded her of Minnie’s back in Oklahoma and her eyes started to water. She tried to regain her composure but the dam broke and the tears flowed freely down her cheeks. The waitress, a woman who looked to be in her forties, came over and brought some extra napkins.
“You doing ok today honey,” she asked kindly.
“I’ll be ok,” Sally answered shakily. “Just having a rough day is all.”
Sally’s food came and she scarfed it down as if she hadn’t eaten in days. As she was taking the last sip of her milkshake she suddenly felt incredibly sleepy. She paid her bill and went home to nap for a while before her shift. She could barely keep her eyes open and fell asleep as soon as she lay on her couch.
She awakened forty-five minutes before her shift started and rushed around her apartment to get ready. She couldn’t believe she’d slept another three hours. Maybe I’m coming down with something, she thought but then attributed it to the stress and sadness of the past few weeks. She threw her hair up in a quick ponytail, grabbed her keys off the counter, swung her door open, and nearly fainted.
Evan
As soon as Candy had come to him with the post card from Sally, he had booked a flight to Florida. She was living someplace called Singer Island near West Palm Beach. A few phone calls to local law enforcement and he had found out where she was living. He felt only slightly guilty about insinuating there was a legal reason he was looking for her. Evan rushed home and packed a small bag as his flight was leaving in about two hours. He called in to check on the office and Walker, who was acting Sherriff while Evan recuperated, assured him that all was well.
Evan raced to the airport in time to clear security and board the plane. Even though he hadn’t seen Sally in just about a month, these next four hours would feel like forever. He was so close. He wondered how she would receive him. Would she be happy to see him? Would she punch him in the mouth? Would she allow him to explain, beg, grovel, anything he had to do to get her back? The nerves were enough to kill him and his side was throbbing. In all the excitement and rush to get to Sally, he’d forgot to take his pain meds.
During the flight, Evan went over a mental script of everything he wanted to say to her. He dozed on and off and made polite small talk with the woman sitting next to him who was going to visit her granddaughter. By the time the plane was descending, he felt like a caged animal. It was all he could do not to push past everyone in the aisle to get off.
At the service desk, he picked up the car he had rented and asked for a map of Singer Island. Once he was settled into the car, he plugged the address into his GPS and drove to Sally’s, hoping to find her there. He knew from his conversation with Sherriff Barnes this morning that she was waitressing at a place called Tom’s Crab Shack but he didn�
��t want to have such an important conversation while she was at work. Evan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove, trying not to push the speed limit too much. Finally he spotted Sally’s apartment building and swung the car into the lot. Suddenly he was a bundle of nerves, unsure that his plan was a good one. Maybe he should’ve called first? Given her the opportunity to tell him whether she wanted to see him or not? No, fuck that, he thought. He’d wasted enough time already.
Evan climbed out of the car and the warm salt spray hit his face. He went up the steps gingerly, so as not to aggravate his side, which was still on fire from the flight. He found Sally’s door and raised his hand to knock when the door suddenly swung open and Sally nearly ran right into him. She looked as if she might pass out, so he reached out and grabbed her elbow to steady her.
At first, neither of them said anything. They stood in her doorway and stared at one another, Evan’s hand still on her elbow. Finally, Sally shook her head, breaking the spell.
“Evan, what are you doing here,” she asked, her brown eyes wide.
“I needed to see you Sally, I have so much I need to tell you,” Evan said, emotion in his voice.
Sally still wasn’t sure she believed Evan was actually standing in front of her. She thought maybe she was still dreaming, but the heat of his hand on her arm reassured her that he was, indeed, real. “I-I’m going to be late for work,” she said.
“Can’t you call and tell them you’re sick? Sally we really need to talk. Please,” Evan pleaded.
“I’m sorry Evan but no. I can’t,” with that, Sally pulled her arm from his grasp and ran down the steps to her car. She sped out of the lot, leaving Evan standing stunned in her still open doorway.
Evan wasn’t quite sure what to do but it didn’t seem right to go into her home since she clearly didn’t want to see him. He pulled the door closed behind him and walked slowly back down the steps. He saw the beach laid out in front of him and decided to sit for a while. He found a spot close to the water, hoping the waves would drown out the sound of his heart shattering into a thousand pieces.
Sally
Sally walked into the restaurant and made a beeline for the bathroom. She looked at her face in the mirror and could still see the shock of finding Evan at her doorstep registered there. Why was he here? He’d said that he needed to talk, to tell her something. She had run because she’d been afraid of what he might say. But would he really have come all the way here just to belittle her again? She knew that he wouldn’t have. Oh she was a colossal idiot. The man she loved more than anything was standing in her doorway and she was here.
Damnit. She knew she couldn’t just leave now, not with only one week under her belt. She fished her phone out of her purse and punched in Evan’s number. When she got his voicemail she said, “Evan, it’s me. I’m so sorry I ran out, please stay. I’ll be home from my shift around ten. We’ll talk.”
Sally went to the serving station to grab her apron and ticket book. Brenda came up beside her.
“You feeling ok? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said.
“Yeah, I’m ok. Something just came up, is all. I’ll handle it later,” Sally answered.
She went to her first table, introduced herself, and took their order. She tried to settle into the routine of the evening. Luckily they were busy. But after the first hour and the second time she brought the wrong order to the wrong table and dropped two glasses, Tammy flagged her down.
“What’s up Sally? You’re a trainwreck tonight,” Tammy observed.
“I’m so sorry Tammy,” Sally said, “my head just isn’t in the game tonight. I haven’t been feeling well all day.”
“Well the crowd is thinning out. Why don’t you call it a night and get some rest,” Tammy offered.
“No, I’m ok, I promise,” Sally said. “I don’t want to leave you short-handed.”
“We managed before you and we’ll manage tonight,” Tammy said. “Go get some rest.”
It was all Sally could do not to rip her apron off and run out of the building. It was dark now as she drove the short distance back to her apartment. She went upstairs, hoping that Evan had gotten her message and waited for her. But her apartment was empty, the lights off. She could’ve kicked herself for running off earlier. She might have blown the only chance she’d have with Evan now. She turned to shut her door, tears streaming down her face, when a shadowed figure on the beach below caught her attention.
Even though the figure was sitting, arms hugging his knees to his chest, she’d know the set of those shoulders anywhere. The broad line that tapered down to the neat waist she’d wrapped her legs around on so many occasions. Sally ran down the steps and flung off her shoes as she stepped onto the sand. She approached Evan just as the clouds broke and the silver moon washed him in white light. He looked up at her and the pain etched on his face made her breath catch.
“I thought you had to work,” he said.
“I couldn’t concentrate. I was bringing out the wrong dishes and breaking glasses. They sent me home,” Sally said.
“I’m sorry, I hope you didn’t lose your job because of me,” Evan said quietly.
“No, my boss is pretty understanding,” Sally said. “Evan, why are you here?”
He looked up at her again and took a deep breath. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for the things I said back there. I didn’t mean any of them.”
“You didn’t,” Sally asked, sinking down onto her knees in the sand in front of him.
“No! None of it! I saw Walker coming in through the back and I knew I had to distract Cruz so Walker could get into position. It was the only thing I knew to do without putting you in danger. I never thought I wouldn’t have the chance to tell you it was all lies,” Evan said.
“Oh Evan,” Sally wept. “I was always so terrified that when you found out who I really am that you would feel all of those things. So when you said them, I just figured I had been right.”
“Sally, I don’t care who you were or what happened in your past. I love you. I would be so completely lost without you. When I woke up and found out that you were gone it about killed me,” Evan confessed.
“I’m so sorry Evan. I never would’ve left your side if I’d thought you wanted me there,” she said, moving into his arms.
“This whole thing has been such a mess,” Evan said, holding her close to him, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I’m sorry I ever gave you any reason to doubt my love for you.”
Sally lay her head against Evan’s chest, listening to his heart beat and reveling in how good it felt to be in his arms again. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” she said.
Evan hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his, bringing his mouth down to hers. He kissed her sweetly at first but then the weight of the last month came tumbling over them and he crushed his mouth against hers in a deep, needy kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth and she melted against him.
“Evan,” she murmured into his mouth.
“Yes,” he asked.
“Take me home.”
Evan
Evan had been wondering what the hell he was going to do with the rest of his life when Sally had found him on the beach. He was so glad to have her back in his arms. He kissed her deeply and she asked him to take her home.
“Right this minute,” he asked.
“Well maybe in the morning,” she said, smiling.
Evan stood up and held his hand out to her. They climbed the steps back to her apartment and she led him into her bedroom.
“You know I haven’t been able to sleep in this bed since I moved here,” she told him.
“Well if I have anything to say about it, you won’t be sleeping in it tonight either,” Evan said playfully.
He grabbed her and pulled her against him, kissing her again and feeling her body mold to his. He slowly pulled her shirt over her head and freed her breasts from her bra. He plucked one hard nipple between hi
s thumb and forefinger and she gasped at the sensation. Evan dipped his head to hers again and drew her into a searing kiss. Sally leaned into him and gave a murmur of anticipation when his erection pressed against her belly.
Sally stepped away from him and ran her hands under his shirt, over his washboard abs, coming to rest on the scar at his side. He winced ever so slightly when her fingers brushed the incision. She pulled her hand away, afraid of hurting him, but he caught it and brought her finger tips to his lips, kissing each in turn. He smiled down at her and saw so much love in her eyes it almost brought him to his knees.
“Thank you for saving me Evan,” she said.
“I think it was you that saved me,” he told her, letting her lead him back toward the bed where she unbuttoned his jeans and slid them over his hips. He pulled his shirt over his head and began to lay Sally back on the bed when she stopped him.
“No, let me take care of you,” she said.
Evan lay on his back and Sally settled next to him, her breasts brushing his bare chest as she peppered his face with kisses. She slowly worked her way down his chest and belly, pausing to gently kiss the scar at his side. Evan could feel his pulse pounding in his ears, the thought of her mouth so close to his throbbing flesh about to drive him mad. Just then, Sally dipped low and took him into her mouth, sucking long and deep. Evan groaned loudly and fisted a hand in her curls, pulling her up slightly before he exploded in her mouth.
“I need you,” he growled, his eyes dark with need.
Sally ran her tongue up over his belly and straddled him, settling above him for just a moment before lowering herself over him. Evan gritted his teeth against the urge to take control and drive himself into her in blind need. Sally’s wet warmth slid down the length of him and she started her hips in a slow rocking rhythm, taking him deeper inside with each move. Evan’s hands went to her waist in an attempt to control her rhythm but Sally smiled and shook her head at him, determined to satisfy him in her own time. Evan had to think of just about anything other than how good Sally felt riding him to keep himself from coming too quickly.
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Southern Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) Page 141
