The Lovely Deep (The Mer Song Trilogy Book 1)

by Michelle Pennington

  “And you think you need this man? Whatever he feels for you isn’t real. You know that.”

  Even though she did know that, it still stung to hear him say it. “But if I become human, maybe I can make him love me for real. And maybe some of his feelings are real. You don’t know. Just because it wasn’t true for you doesn’t mean it can’t be for me.”

  It was true. River might have some real feelings for her. It wasn’t impossible. But when she saw Uncle Jesse’s face—the pain she’d inflicted on him— she would have given anything to take her words back.

  Again, he fell into a terrible silence.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to hurt you, Uncle Jesse. But what if I’m right?”

  He folded his arms across his chest and tipped his head up to study the metal top of the cooler. “Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple—and you know it. Maybe if you were any other mermaid, but not for you. Maybe Poseidon will forget about it.”

  “He says he’ll be watching me closely.”

  “Well, that’s just what you want. A fickle, capricious god paying attention to you.”

  “Uncle Jesse, I’m freezing to death. Can’t we talk about this later?”

  The sound of his sigh wrenched at her heart. Guilt flooded through her that she was causing him so much grief. “I’m sorry, Uncle Jesse. I had to try.”

  “I understand. You have to know that. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “And I don’t want River to get hurt. I kissed him last night, down at the beach.”

  “What were you thinking?”

  “I don’t know. I had no idea the pull could be that strong. One moment I just wanted to hold hands, and the next, I threw myself at him. My head swam with the desire to pull him into the water with me. I mean, it’s ridiculous how out of it I was.”

  Uncle Jesse looked so sorrowful, she almost didn’t realize her teeth were starting to chatter.

  “We mers are a foolish, possessive lot, aren’t we?” Uncle Jesse asked as he pulled her in for a hug. “What are you going to do now?”

  “Get out of this cooler for starters. And by the way, you’re going to need to look for a new waitress. My mother has ordered me to come back at full-moon after the sanding ceremony.”

  He nodded. “I’ve been expecting that. How many Lovelies are you preparing right now?”

  Narissa looked at the wall of chopped salads, Gumbo, and fish fillets, all prepped ahead of time to make the day’s business run more smoothly. The similarities jarred her. “My mother wants two. I have chosen them, but I have a lot of work to do.”

  As they stepped out into the warm kitchen, Anne looked at them with raised eyebrows. “Having a party in there?”

  “You know us. We like to party with the salads.”

  Anne laughed, and they all got to work as a busy Saturday crashed over them.

  A rain-storm popped up outside. The heavy drops covered the sand with wet splotches while everyone on the beach grabbed their things and headed for shelter. The beach service vendors raced up and down the beach, taking down umbrellas as the wind picked up.

  Narissa longed to run out and throw herself into the storm-whipped surf. But just like last night, she couldn’t escape her problems with a swim.

  After the lunch rush, Narissa broke away to go outside and lean on the rail of the deck. She shifted, working to get her tense muscles to relax as she watched the storm move out across the gulf like a dark curtain. Just as some of her tension began to ease away, a figure on the sand caught her attention. It wasn’t just that he was standing alone, but that he was staring at her. She instantly recognized his lean but muscled body and long, blond hair that whipped in the wind.

  Her stomach sank like someone had dropped a boulder in it. This was the last complication she needed. Edmar was here.

  Chapter Six

  There was a short break in the customers at the register, so River took the chance to rub the back of his neck. The weekend had been a marathon of scuba tours on Mack’s boat, one after another. Then, because a docked boat wasn’t making Mack any money, he accepted some rich quy’s request for a private cruise to look for dolphins. Fourteen hours on a boat would break anybody. After two days of it, he wasn’t sure how he’d made it in for work at the souvenir shop.

  Well, yes, he did. He wanted to see Narissa. But he was stuck at the register while she and Brody worked the floor.

  A large group of college-aged girls were trying on every piece of clothing in the store. Last time he’d seen Narissa, she’d had a pile of swimsuits over her arm and murder in her eyes. A smile pulled at the corner of his lips as he thought about it, but a girl came up to the register, yanking him back to the real world.

  “This going to be all for you?” he asked, mechanically looking for the tag on the bikini she was buying.

  “I’d love to have your number too,” she said.

  Her boldness caught River off guard. He raised his eyebrows. “Sorry, that’s not for sale.”

  She smiled and leaned forward on the counter in a move that showed off more cleavage with her low-cut shirt. “You can see me in that,” she offered, nodding toward the bikini he was still trying to untangle from the hanger. The thing was all strings.

  “Sorry, sweetheart,” a sweet but sharp voice said nearby. “He’s taken.”

  River looked up sharply, completely surprised. Narissa stood nearby, hanging up t-shirts. She gave the girl a cold stare, never looking at River once, then walked back towards the fitting room.

  “Who is she?” the girl asked, wrinkling her nose.

  River’s grin was so wide he could barely answer. “My girlfriend. That’ll be thirty-three dollars and forty-six cents.”

  She scowled and swiped a card while the girl behind her laughed and said, “Denied.”

  It was another hour before River could even look up again, but he was determined to grab a minute with Narissa as soon as possible. He was so confused. How had she gone from running away after kissing him to claiming him as hers? He wasn’t going to complain though.

  Brody walked by wearing a scuba mask and fins. River had stopped being surprised by him a long time ago. “Hey man, will you take over for me for a few minutes?”

  “Sure,” Brody said, taking the snorkel out of his mouth. He came behind the counter and helped the grandma who was buying a hermit crab for her grandchildren.

  Knowing Allen could come out of his office at any moment, River waited by the fitting room in the corner where Narissa wouldn’t notice him, then as soon as she came by, he stepped out, took the merchandise out of her arms, and led her by the hand into the back.

  “What—?”

  “Shhh.”

  He pulled her into the stockroom and steered her through the maze of shelves to the back. When they got to a sheltered corner, he turned her to face him.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice tremulous with suppressed laughter.

  Not answering, River pulled her into his arms and kissed her. For a half second, she didn’t respond, but then her arms tightened around him and she kissed him back.

  River wanted nothing more than to kiss her indefinitely, but Allen would notice they were missing any moment, so he pulled back, though with extreme reluctance.

  “What was that for?” she asked with a drowsy smile.

  “You are awesome, that’s what.”

  She chuckled. “I’m ridiculous. I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with me after the other night.”

  “No? But that didn’t stop you from claiming me in front of that girl.”

  Even in the dim light, he could see the blush suffusing her cheeks. “I couldn’t help it. She made my claws come out. Sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have assumed…”

  “Hey, no worries. And I’m holding you to it, by the way.”

  Her fingers clenched around his forearms. “Look, we have to take it slow, and I can’t promise things are going to work out.”

  River p
ulled her close, running his hands up and down her back, hoping to get her to relax again. “Every relationship is a gamble.”

  “This one more than you know.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah? Are you ready to tell me why?”

  She shook her head. “I need more time to figure things out.”

  “But we’re together, right?”

  Her sigh let him know just how worried she was. “Yes. Because I can’t help myself.” And then she pulled away and headed back out.

  “I’m just too hard to resist, huh?” River laughed when she picked up a Beach Bum frisbee from a box near the door and hit him in the stomach with it.

  “Don’t get a big head, Creek.”

  “I have a feeling you won’t let me, girl of the sea.”

  He was only teasing her about her own name but a strange expression passed over her face before she turned away.

  They got off at the same time that day, so River followed her outside and over to her golf cart. As she sat down, he said, “You know, I feel pretty stupid.”

  “I’d think you’d be used to that by now,” she teased.

  River chuckled. “I realized about an hour ago that I don’t have my girlfriend’s number.”

  Rolling her eyes, Narissa held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

  He opened his contacts and handed it to her. When she gave it back, he texted her so she’d have his number too.

  Hey gorgeous. Are you free tonight?

  She smiled as she read his text but sighed. “Sort of.”

  “Sort of as in I can take you out to dinner?”

  “As in, there’s some stuff I’ve got to do, but maybe you can go with me and we can grab something to eat while we’re out.”

  He tapped the hood of her golf cart. “Can I drive though?”

  Her laughter rippled on the breeze. “That would be great since I can’t take this down to the Harbor Walk.”

  “The Harbor walk, huh?” River was curious but didn’t press her for information. “Where should I pick you up?”

  “In front of Poseidon’s.”

  “Really? You really do work all the time, don’t you?”

  “You have no idea. But actually, my uncle and I live there.”

  “Wow. I had no idea. I guess there’s a lot we still need to learn about each other.”

  “There is,” she said quietly.

  “Sounds like a good time to me, though.” he said. But her eyes looked sad so he tipped her chin up and kissed her. “I’ll see you in a little while. Text me when you’re ready to go.”

  “Okay,” she said so softly he barely heard her.

  River watched her drive away into the sunshine. Maybe tonight he’d get a little closer to figuring her out.

  Chapter Seven

  The sun hovered close to the horizon line by the time Narissa texted him that she was ready to go. He pulled into the parking lot at the restaurant just ten minutes later. Before he could even get out of his truck, she ran over and climbed in, giving him a mischievous smile.

  She wore tight jeans that showed off her curves and a thin, flowy shirt that slipped off her shoulder. Instead of her usual braid, her hair was twisted around in a bun. River never got tired of looking at the deep, fiery strands, no matter how she fixed it.

  As she set a paper bag down on the floorboards next to her, he noticed the rope and shell bracelets stacked up her arms. It struck him then that he’d never seen her in anything but the t-shirts she wore at both of her jobs.

  “Are you going to drive, or just sit there staring at me?” she asked, laughter brightening her sarcastic words.

  River grinned and put the car in reverse. As he drove, she watched the scenery go by through the passenger window. And he watched her—as much as he could and not get in an accident. Luckily, the traffic was better on Monday nights than the rest of the week. Down by the Harbor Walk, he parked in a gravel lot and ran around to open her door for her. Holding out his hand to help her down, he felt a streak of pleasure shoot through him when her hand touched his. He loved that she didn’t let go when her feet hit the ground. Instead, she twined her fingers through his.

  Overcome with her show of affection, he longed to kiss her until her eyes went hazy, but she reached back into the truck for her paper bag. Clearly, he needed to be patient even though he hated it.

  “What’s in the bag?”

  “You’ll see.”

  As driven as Narissa seemed to be, she didn’t act like someone focused on a destination. In fact, she didn’t seem to have any specific direction in mind at all. They just walked around aimlessly, hand in hand. As the sun started setting, he wondered if she was ever going to tell him what she was doing when she stopped, leaned forward around a light pole, and peered off towards the end of the dock. “There he is,” she said.

  “He?”

  “Come on.”

  A man sat on the brick edging around a tree, strumming chords on a ukulele that had seen better days. The glaring sun made the sweat on his tanned skin gleam, but he looked relaxed, like he didn’t even feel the heat.

  Narissa went straight towards him with no hesitation. “Hey, Stumps. How are things around here tonight?”

  “It didn’t rain.”

  “Yes. The weather was nice today.” She handed him the bag, and he grabbed it like a starving man. Judging from his clothing and the worn backpack next to him, maybe that wasn’t far off.

  Stumps opened the Styrofoam carton he pulled from the bag with shaking fingers and dug in with his fingers, stuffing three hush puppies in his mouth and grabbing several fries before he’d even finished chewing.

  Narissa sat next to him, completely serene while he ate, and looked out at the sun setting over the harbor. River stood, tense and protective, trying to assess what was actually going on here. When Stumps was done eating, he meticulously cleaned his face and hands with a napkin, then sat sipping the chocolate milk Narissa handed him from the bag.

  Narissa took the chance to ask him a question. “Stumps, what would you say if I knew of a way to help you?”

  He shook his head. “People have tried to help before. I don’t want to hurt your feelings but bringing me dinner like you do sometimes is the biggest kindness I can accept.”

  “I don’t mean a job or a place to live. I’m talking about something better. Something that can help you where it really hurts.”

  He turned to her and his hand rubbed his knee. The movement drew River’s attention to the fact that Stumps was missing his left leg from the knee down. His nickname now made sense.

  Stumps voice sounded empty, like there was no emotion behind it. “I’d say an innocent like you can’t know how to fix me.”

  She touched his arm and said, “It won’t be me who does it. I want you to think about it and I’ll be back to find you in a couple of days. Think about what you really want. What you want more than anything.”

  “Dreaming hurts.”

  “I know,” she said, her voice holding all the sorrow of the world. “But it’s the only way to find hope.”

  River marveled at her. Not only was she totally at ease helping a homeless man with stringy hair and weathered face, but she must be involved with some charity that had resources to help homeless people. It was one more fascinating aspect to her that he wanted to know more about.

  Narissa stood and grasped River’s hand again. “Goodbye, Stumps. I’ll see you soon. And if you know of anybody else who needs help, let me know.”

  She walked quietly down the pier with River as the sun sank to eye level over the horizon, dazzling his eyes. When it disappeared, the golden evening turned to twilight and the street lights flickered on. Narissa led the way off the Harbor Walk and out onto the public beach. The last tourists were gathering their stuff to leave. A girl with a pink dolphin floatie around her waist stumbled as she passed them and River caught her by the tail of the floatie, hoisting her back onto her feet.

  “Thank you,” her dad said, taking her hand t
o help her across the sand.

  “You’re a nice guy,” Narissa told him, sinking down onto the cooling sand. Still holding his hand, she tugged gently until he sat next to her. As she spoke, her voice sounded distant even though she was so close to him that their arms touched.

  River shook his head. “Me? I’m not the one feeding homeless cripples.”

  Narissa leaned forward and grabbed a handful of sand and let it run through her fingers. In the twilight, the white sand looked lavender. With her face in shadows, it was difficult to make out her features, much less her expression as she said, “Don’t think too highly of me for that. I have reasons for it.”

  River leaned towards her and took her shoulders, pulling gently until she turned towards him. “Rissa, tell me what is going on.”

  “I can’t.”

  Running his thumbs over the smooth skin of her arms, River considered what to say. Somehow, he had to get her to confide in him. “There’s something between us—we both feel it, but I don’t know anything about you. And how will I ever, if you won’t share with me?”

  Without warning, she broke away and lay back on the sand, facing the darkening sky. What little light there was spilled over her face and her hair made a dark cloud on the sand. “Ask me something, and I’ll answer it if I can.”

  Leaning down next to her, his breath quickened as he considered what to ask her. He couldn’t mess this up. “What’s your favorite color?”

  She was quiet for a moment before she said, “Yellow. You?”

  So the questions were going to go both ways. “Blue.”

  “So original for a boy.”

  “Hey, I didn’t make fun of your answer.”

  “That’s because there’s nothing to make fun of. Yellow is perfect. It’s bright and warm and happy.”

  “And blue is cool and refreshing.”

  “No,” her voice grew deep. “It’s cold and endless and lonely.”

  That feeling came again, the one that told him he was missing something. “Okay. How about your favorite food?”

  “I eat a lot of sushi, which is easy since my uncle gives me all I want. But I really like sweet things. Too much, in fact, so I try to avoid them.”