Lost Innocence

by Jannine Gallant

  “Where’s Coco?”

  “Someone over on Spruce found her and called the number on her ID tag.”

  “That’s great.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and hugged him as he pushed the gate open. “What a relief.”

  “Yeah. I was worried. I guess I’d better fix that latch to make sure it hooks properly.”

  “I still can’t believe Coco pushed open such a heavy gate. She can’t weigh ten pounds.”

  “Eight, but nothing else makes any sense.”

  Nina smiled up at him. “I guess how she got out doesn’t matter as long as it doesn’t happen again. She’s safe.”

  “Thank God. Keely would have been devastated.” He hugged her a little tighter to his side. “Who am I kidding? I love that little fur ball, too.”

  “You have a kind heart.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I like that about you. Among other things. Go get your dog.”

  Relief lightened his mood as he hurried out to his truck, but the weight lifted from his spirits wasn’t all about finding Coco. Nina’s feelings toward him mattered.

  Maybe more than they should.

  Chapter Twelve

  Nina stood beside Paige in front of the trifold mirror in All Dressed Up, wearing her bridesmaid dress. The shimmering aqua material seemed to float above her knees. “Wow. We look amazing.”

  “I know, right? The fact that I can breathe makes giving up ice cream for the last two weeks totally worthwhile.”

  “Absolutely stunning.” Leah circled them slowly before glancing over at the woman who’d done the alterations. “They’re perfect, Marge. You did a wonderful job.”

  The older woman nodded and smiled. “Thank you. Those dresses are so beautiful, working with them was a pleasure.” She glanced toward the shop owner. “If you don’t need anything else this afternoon, I have an appointment to go to.”

  “If Leah’s happy, then we’re all set.” Regan Patterson stepped out from behind the counter to face the three women. “Thanks, Marge. Oh, don’t forget those two skirts you need to hem. They’re in the back.”

  “I won’t.”

  Confidence and style oozed from the tall brunette. “You two rock those dresses. I’m sorry I wasn’t here the first time you tried them on.”

  “We didn’t look this spectacular before the alterations.” Paige twirled in a circle. “I feel like a princess.”

  Leah grinned. “As long as you don’t outshine me at the wedding, we’re all good.”

  Nina squeezed her friend’s arm. “There’s not a chance of that happening. I’ve seen you in your wedding dress. Ryan may never recover from your gorgeousness.”

  “Let’s hope not. Why don’t you two go change while I settle up with Regan.”

  Paige frowned. “No way. We can pay for our own dresses.”

  “Nope. Not happening. We’ve already had this conversation. Anyway, she’s giving me the friends-and-family deal.”

  Regan straightened the skirt on a nearby manikin. “Of course I am, since we’ve known each other practically forever.”

  “See?” Leah gave both her bridesmaids a push. “Go get dressed.”

  “Arguing with her is pointless.” Nina headed toward the rear of the shop and smiled as the seamstress passed them on her way out. “We’ll find another way to chip in our share.”

  “Fine. Hey, Quentin is in town for the weekend. We’re having dinner at the Poseidon Grill tonight if you want to join us. Leah and Ryan are coming.”

  Nina entered the curtained cubicle and lowered the zipper on her dress to step out of it. “Sure. Can I bring a date?”

  “I assume you’re talking about Teague?” Paige popped her head around the divider. “I wish you would. I’m dying to meet him.”

  “We were just going to hang out tonight, but this will be fun. His daughter flies home from her vacation with her grandparents tomorrow.”

  “Is that going to put a crimp in your relationship?”

  “I don’t think so.” Nina pulled on her T-shirt, then reached for her shorts. “We still intend to see each other on a regular basis.”

  “I’m glad.” Paige disappeared into her own dressing room. “You sound happy.”

  “I am.” Nina couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so . . . appreciated. The word loved hovered at the edge of her thoughts, but she pushed it away. Too soon. She wasn’t ready to let herself be that vulnerable. Not yet.

  “Hello.” Paige pushed back the curtain and snapped her fingers.

  “Huh?”

  “I asked if you’re ready to go. What were you thinking about?”

  “Nothing. Yeah, I’m ready. Wait, where’s my purse?”

  “Here.” Paige bent to pick it up off the floor and handed it to her. “I guess we should bag up these dresses.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Regan hurried toward them with Leah following. “By the way, I got the bachelorette party invitation in the mail. Sounds like fun.”

  “Oh, it will be.” After the shop owner slipped her dress into its bag, Nina took the hanger from her. “I sure hope you can come.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” Regan handed the second dress to Paige. “There, all set.” She reached over to give Leah a hug. “I’ll see you at the party next week.”

  “Thanks for everything, Regan.”

  “You bet.”

  Nina followed her friends out of the shop with the dress bag carefully draped over her arm and stopped beside her car. “Do either of you need a lift?”

  Leah pointed to her old pink cruiser. “I rode my bike.”

  “I’m good, too. It’s only a short walk back to my store.” Paige gave Leah a pointed look. “I’ll see you both tonight. Seven o’clock sharp.”

  “I’ll try not to be late.” Leah laid a hand on Nina’s arm as Paige hurried away, her heels clicking on the sidewalk. “Are you going to bring Teague to dinner tonight?”

  “Yep. I figured it’s about time I introduced him to the most important people in my life.”

  “Great. We can grill him like the fish special to make sure he’s good enough for you.”

  “Aren’t you hilarious? Don’t even think about it.”

  “I’ll try to control myself.” Leah gave her a quick hug. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  After her friend bunched up her long skirt, slung her leg over the bar of her bike, and pedaled away, Nina unlocked her car and laid her dress across the passenger seat, then walked around to the driver’s side. A glance at her watch told her she still had plenty of time for a run before Teague got home from work.

  “Damn. I forgot to tell—” Turning abruptly, she slammed into a solid figure.

  A shrill squeal echoed as the woman went down with a hard thump, and Nina landed on top of her.

  “Oh, my goodness. Miss Lola, are you hurt?” Nina untangled herself from the older woman and scrambled to her feet. “Let me help you up.”

  “Oooh, I’m going to be black and blue all over.” Taking Nina’s extended hand, she struggled up off the pavement with a grunt. “Look what I did. I dropped all my bags.”

  “I’ll get them for you.”

  “Thank you. This was completely my fault. I came hurrying over to speak to you before you drove away and wasn’t expecting you to do an about-face and slam into me.”

  “Sorry. I’d just remembered something I forgot to tell Regan.” After scooping up the three shopping bags, she held them while Lola brushed dirt off her backside.

  “Ouch! Can bruises form this fast? I guess it’s a good thing I have plenty of padding.” She broke off and glanced over when a motorcycle slowed to stop beside them. “Well, hello, Stella. I haven’t seen you at our book club lately.”

  Keely’s sitter cut the engine and lifted the visor on her helmet. “I was down the street when I saw you two collide. Is everyone okay?”

  “I’m fine. Lola took the brunt of the fall,” Nina answered.

  “I’m a tough old broad. I’ll survive.”

 
“I certainly hope so.” Nina turned to smile at Stella. “Keely gets home from her trip tomorrow, so I expect I’ll see you around the neighborhood a lot more often.”

  “I imagine so, although her father signed her up for a few summer camps to keep her busy. Not a bad thing since my time is stretched pretty thin right now.”

  “He did mention something about an outdoor adventure camp.” Nina laid a hand on Lola’s arm. “If you’re certain you’re not injured, I need to go talk to Regan for a minute.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Oh, I wanted to tell you how much my granddaughter loves that painting of the robins I hung in her room. She’s just tickled with it. Once I get my finances straightened out, I’ll be ordering another picture.”

  “I’m happy to hear that.” Nina held out the shopping bags. “If you’d like a ride back to your car, I’ll only be in the dress shop for a few minutes.”

  “No need. I’m parked just up the block.”

  “Okay then.” Nina edged away. “Good to see you again, Stella.”

  “You, too.”

  Nina left the two women and hurried back to the shop. The bells over the door jingled as she crossed the threshold.

  Regan glanced up from her computer. “Did you forget something?”

  “Just to give you an update on the bachelorette party. After we sent out the invitations, Paige and I decided on a sixties theme. I planned to call everyone to give them a heads-up but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Since Leah dresses like the original flower child most of the time, we thought it would be fun to harness our inner hippies for the party.”

  “I like it! What a great idea.”

  “I’m glad you think so. We can raid thrift stores to find appropriate clothes.” When Stella’s motorcycle fired up outside, Nina glanced toward the front window. “Geez, I hope Miss Lola isn’t too banged up after our collision.”

  “Lola Copeland?” Regan’s eyes narrowed. “That woman is always in here buying clothes for her granddaughter, and between you and me, she’s behind on her bill. What happened?”

  “We literally ran into each other outside and both landed on the pavement.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Yeah. Thankfully, she didn’t break anything. Anyway, I just wanted to pass along the party update. One less call to make.”

  “Sabrina, Kim, and I are going to see that new chick flick tonight. I can let them both know.” When the phone on the counter rang, she laid a hand on the receiver. “Unless you’d like to join us?”

  “I have plans this evening, but I’d appreciate it if you could pass the word. Thanks.”

  “No problem.” She lifted the receiver. “All Dressed Up, this is Regan.”

  There was no sign of either Stella or Lola near her car when she left the shop. Pulling the keys from her pocket, she tugged open the door of the Mini.

  “My purse!”

  Surely she’d had it with her when she left the store the first time. She remembered looking for it in the dressing room . . . which meant she must have dropped it when she fell.

  “Crap!” Crouching down, Nina braced a hand to peer beneath her car. Nothing but a soggy piece of newspaper and a grease spot. She pushed to her feet and brushed off her palms.

  “If someone stole it, I’m going to scream.” Just thinking about the hassle of getting a new driver’s license and canceling her credit cards again sent her blood pressure soaring. Not to mention her phone was in her purse. “Damn. Damn. Damn.”

  Sliding into the car, she slammed the door and thumped her fist on the steering wheel. At least no one had taken her dress. When a bulge beneath the bag caught her attention, she lifted the edge. “Oh, my God. I’m such an idiot. Crisis averted.”

  With a relieved smile, she started the engine. She could still squeeze in a quick run before Teague got home from work. For the first time in years, she was looking forward to sharing a man she cared about with her friends.

  It was about damn time.

  * * *

  Teague backed out of the driveway, then glanced over at Nina. “So, Leah is the bride-to-be, and the guy she’s marrying is Ryan?”

  “That’s right, Ryan Alexander. He’s the founder of Crossroads. We all went to school together.”

  He stepped on the brake and turned to stare. “Crossroads, the social media site? Are you kidding?”

  “Nope. Ryan is a tech genius, but he’s a super nice guy. You’d never know he’s filthy rich from the way he acts. You’ll like him.”

  “If you say so.” He took his foot off the brake and hit the gas. “And Paige is your other friend who lives here in town?”

  Nina nodded. “Paige owns Old Things, the antique shop on the main drag. She lives in the apartment above the store.”

  “I think I’ve seen her once or twice in front of the building. Petite blonde?”

  Nina grinned. “She’s tiny but fierce.”

  Teague laughed as he turned out of the neighborhood onto the highway. “Kind of like Coco. What did you say her boyfriend’s name is?”

  “Quentin Radcliff, but he isn’t her boyfriend. They’ve been best friends since our grammar school days. He moved away after fifth grade, but they stayed in touch.”

  “Sounds like their friendship has lasted longer than most marriages.” Teague gave her a skeptical glance. “But they aren’t sleeping together?”

  “If they are, it’s the best kept secret in the history of the world. I’m pretty sure Paige couldn’t pull that off, at least not with me and Leah.”

  “Maybe he’s gay.”

  Nina laughed out loud. “Definitely not. Quentin dates a lot of women.”

  Teague turned into the lot next to the Poseidon Grill. They jolted through a pothole before he parked near a black Jaguar in the nearly empty lot. “Doesn’t look like the place is very busy.”

  Nina pointed at the Jag. “That’s Quentin’s car. I don’t see Leah’s or Ryan’s, so they must be late.” She opened the car door. “Typical Leah.”

  Teague joined her near the front bumper and took her elbow. “Careful of the hole. Are you sure this restaurant is any good?”

  “It used to be, but the owner was arrested last fall along with a few other upstanding citizens. Long, ugly story. Anyway, the place has been going downhill ever since. I’m not sure why Paige chose to come here tonight.”

  He shrugged. “I can handle one bad dinner as long as it doesn’t make us all sick. Let’s go meet your friends.”

  A girl who looked like she was still in high school greeted them with a smile as they entered the restaurant.

  Nina smiled back. “We’re here to meet friends.”

  “Miss Shephard asked me to be on the lookout for you.” She rounded the edge of the hostess stand. “Right this way.”

  They followed the young woman through a spacious area where only a few other patrons dined to a table near the bank of windows overlooking the ocean. Nina’s friend Paige and a blond man wearing a sports jacket over a pair of jeans both stood. Nina hugged each of them before gripping Teague’s arm.

  “Paige, Quentin, I’d like you to meet Teague O’Dell.”

  After Teague shook Quentin’s hand, Paige gave him a quick hug. “It’s about time we met. I was beginning to think you were a figment of Nina’s imagination.”

  He grinned. “No, I’m solid enough.”

  “So I see.” She glanced past him. “Oh, look, Leah and Ryan just arrived.”

  They all turned at her words. After Teague had been introduced to the newcomers, everyone took their seats and ordered a round of drinks when the cocktail server stopped beside their table. Almost immediately, the three women plunged into a conversation about flower arrangements.

  Quentin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “All those wedding details are enough to drive a person crazy and may possibly be the reason I’m not married.”

  Ryan laughed. “That’s no excuse. All I do is sit back and let Leah take charge. If she needs something, I
do it.” He nodded toward Nina and Paige as the debate between bowls and vases heated up. “Believe me, she’d rather have their opinions than mine.”

  “As it should be.” Teague tried to wrap his mind around the reality of the clean-cut man with intelligent blue eyes sitting opposite him wearing a pair of khaki pants and running shoes as the billionaire genius who’d created Crossroads.

  “Exactly.” Ryan watched him steadily. “Leah mentioned you’re new to Siren Cove.”

  Teague nodded. “I moved up here from Southern California with my daughter. I want her to grow up in a small-town environment.”

  “Siren Cove is a great place to be a kid. I missed it a lot after my family moved away.” Quentin paused as their cocktail waitress delivered a tray of drinks, thanked her, then lifted his highball glass. “What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a firefighter.” Teague took a swallow of his beer. “When I was offered a position at the station here, I felt like this town would be the right fit for us.”

  “Well, I hope the move works out for you,” Ryan said before glancing over at Quentin. “What brings you to town this time?”

  “I’m thinking about—” He broke off as their waiter approached and pulled out a notepad.

  “Are you folks ready to order?”

  “Are we?” Leah glanced around the table. “I know what I want.”

  After they ordered, Quentin picked up the conversation where he’d left off but lowered his voice. “I heard a rumor this place would be going up for sale at auction shortly.”

  Paige whipped around in her chair. “No joke? Are you going to bid on it?”

  He nodded. “I wanted to scope out the place, see how much business has fallen off since the owner was arrested.”

  “A lot.” Nina frowned. “This restaurant used to be packed on weekends, but now . . .” She shrugged. “Well, you can see for yourself. The previous chef left, and the guy who replaced him isn’t in the same class. The food will speak for itself when it arrives.”

  Quentin winced. “Sorry to subject you all to a crappy meal, but I wanted to check the place out firsthand.”

  Teague smiled. “We’ll survive.”

  “Do you intend to move back here if you do buy the property?” Ryan asked.