by Alexa Verde
“What would you recommend?” Rodrigo wasn’t one for desserts. But for some reason he wanted to linger at this place.
Just to make sure order was maintained, of course.
And as much as he loved refreshing tea with a hint of lemon and mint, one could only drink a glass of iced tea for so long.
“Chocolate cake. And I’m not saying it just because I made it.” Emma’s smile became less strained and her eyes less guarded.
“Chocolate cake it is then.” He felt a painful stab of guilt. How could he enjoy dessert when Corina wasn’t here anymore?
It’s been two years.
It didn’t matter. The pain felt as sharp as if he’d lost her yesterday.
“I saw you near the ocean,” he blurted out when Emma came back.
A fleeting expression appeared in her blue eyes. “I like it there. It’s soothing. Peaceful. And... at that late hour, there are usually no people there.” She glanced at him. “Well, almost.”
Had he been intruding on her solitude at the beach? He swallowed a hard lump in his throat. If his company was unwelcome... “Could I have an order of a Salisbury steak, coffee, and another piece of cake to go? And the check, please?”
Amigo loved Salisbury steak, and Rodrigo had to take care of his faithful companion.
Emma nodded and left.
Rodrigo tried the cake, and the rich, smooth, sweet flavor exploded on his tongue. With cake like that, he could become a dessert kind of guy.
Emma returned and handed him a tall paper cup and a takeout box.
He paid, leaving a large tip.
Emma’s brows shot up. “That’s too much.”
“You’re welcome.” He headed to his car, the emptiness in his heart increasing with every step.
Once he gunned the engine, something stopped him from driving away. Maybe the expression of hurt in Emma’s eyes. Maybe concern that the guy who’d insulted her would come back.
Rodrigo was used to stakeouts from the earlier days of his career. But no matter how many times he told himself it was like one he’d done on his job, it didn’t feel like it.
He couldn’t be attracted to this woman, could he? Pain squeezed his rib cage. No, his heart still hurt too much for that. Rodrigo rubbed his forehead in thought.
His faith had saved him two years ago, kept him sane. He’d started every day with a prayer, and he’d finished every day with a prayer, too. The way Corina had taught him. She’d also taught him to pray for others.
Rodrigo didn’t know what had happened to Emma to put that eternal sadness in her eyes, to make people like Carl treat her with hostility, but he found himself praying for her.
But no matter how strong his faith was, sometimes unwelcome thoughts filtered through. He always believed that God was love.
Why then did Corina have to die?
The fresh onslaught of pain nearly left Rodrigo breathless. She’d been like a ray of sunshine in the lives of the people around her, especially in his. She was a great nurse who cared for her patients. She could’ve done so many things here, could’ve helped so many people. If that junkie hadn’t stabbed her... Anger uncoiled in his gut, accompanied by hatred for the person who’d stabbed her.
About an hour later, Rodrigo rubbed kinks out of his neck.
How old was Emma? Probably in her late twenties or early thirties, at least several years younger than he was. Were her paleness and slimness natural or the result of a long-term disease? Did she have a boyfriend? She didn’t wear a wedding ring, but that didn’t mean much these days.
The most important question is, why am I asking myself all these questions?
He said grace and sipped coffee. Then he gave the cake its due.
He hadn’t been interested in someone or something this much since losing Corina. He’d never thought that a new beginning would taste like cold coffee and rich chocolate cake.
The moment he finished his food, Emma appeared at the front door, and Rodrigo straightened.
In the restaurant, her blonde hair was hidden under a cap, but now it flew freely over her shoulders, like the first time he’d seen her. He had an inexplicable urge to run his fingers through her hair, feel its silkiness.
Ridiculous.
Rodrigo shook it off. He climbed out of his truck and headed Emma’s way. She looked up, and steel appeared in her eyes.
CHAPTER TWO
RODRIGO APPROACHED HER WITH CAUTION. “I wanted to walk you to the car, considering it’s dark and...” He paused, reluctant to mention the incident.
“And some people might hold a grudge toward me, right?” She grimaced but fell into step beside him. “I can defend myself. I used to live in Chicago and learned it the hard way. Besides, Carl means no harm, really.” She paused, her expression softening. “Though it’s kind of you to be concerned about a stranger.”
“Hmm, a stranger... Then it’s time I introduce myself. I’m Rodrigo Ybarra.” He extended his hand.
The shake of her small hand was surprisingly firm. “Emma Hughes. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. I’m the sheriff in a town an hour’s drive from here.”
Rodrigo thought she’d feel more comfortable around him at the mention of his profession. Instead, she flinched. A myriad of emotions played on her face, and then she seemed to take control of herself and resumed her pace.
“I’m here on a vacation,” he said because he didn’t know what else to say. “The ocean has the ability to carry you away, help you relax." Of course, the main reason was the tragic anniversary, but he couldn’t talk about it.
He still couldn’t talk about it. Even to God, and Rodrigo told God everything.
“It does. The ocean helps you forget...” Emma shook her head, as if trying to get rid of sad thoughts. “That’s my car.” She waved her hand at a black sedan. Judging by the scratches and dents, it had seen better days in its life.
Inexplicably, he felt a tug at his heart at having to say good-bye to her. “I’ll stop by the restaurant tomorrow. For that chocolate cake. The best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten.” It was the truth.
She shrugged, a small smile brightening her lovely face in the dim light of lanterns. “Mari gave me tomorrow off. Today was supposed to be my day off, but I came in because we were understaffed. I believe Joy is going to make pecan pie tomorrow, not chocolate cake.” Emma took out her keys but didn’t click on the fob to open her car.
Am I dismissed, or is this a hint?
He’d been out of the dating field for years and had never been one for dating games to start with. As soon as he’d stopped being Corina’s patient after getting wounded on the job, she’d asked him out. The rest was history. He’d always said she’d been the braver of the two of them, and he’d meant it.
Emma looked at him thoughtfully and clicked on the key fob. “You look like you could use something to distract you. You know, fishing is good for de-stressing.”
Something to distract you.
Usually, I’m better at hiding my grief.
Rodrigo opened the door for her. “I will if you will.”
She slid into the driver’s seat and looked up. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll go fishing if you go with me.” For some reason, he wanted to erase the sadness from her eyes. Maybe fishing would do it. She obviously loved the ocean.
Emma shook her head. “I don’t have a license. I don’t have fishing reels, lines, bait, and so on.”
He leaned to her, glad she didn’t say no right away. The scents of sautéed peppers and fried beef drifted to him. “You can buy a license. I’ll bring reel combos, and you’re welcome to borrow them. I’ve got bait covered, too. We don’t need a boat. We can fish from the surf. You won’t have to talk to me or even stay near."
She obviously couldn’t use her work as an excuse as she’d just mentioned she was getting a day off. He held his breath. He didn’t understand why he was so eager for her to say yes. Strangers with mysterious pasts shouldn’t be on his agenda.<
br />
Emma drummed her fingers over the steering wheel. “Okay.”
Rodrigo released his breath. “Okay?” He said a silent prayer of gratitude.
“Okay. Bye, Sheriff Ybarra. You can rest now and let somebody else guard our town.” Her lips tipping up a little, she turned the engine on and drove off.
Rodrigo hurried to his car, jumped inside, and followed her. He wanted to make sure she arrived home safely.
Just doing my duty. Old habits die hard.
In his line of work, he’d seen way too often how easily bad things could happen to a person.
Once Emma disappeared behind the front door of an apartment with a wave of her hand, he drove back to the bungalow he’d rented on the beach.
A quick tide of joy was welcome but unexpected. He loved his job and had dedicated nearly all his waking hours after Corina’s death to it. But this was the first time in two years he’d looked forward to the next day.
As Rodrigo opened the door, he was met by Amigo’s bark.
Oh, Amigo, his loyal Lab, who’d for a year grieved Corina as much as Rodrigo had. After all, Amigo was Corina’s dog first. It was just like Corina to pick up a stray from the side of the road.
“Sorry I’m late. But see what I have?” Rodrigo brought the takeout to the kitchen and emptied it into Amigo’s bowl.
The dog devoured the Salisbury steak with cosmic speed.
“Wanna go for a walk?” After the Lab was done with his late dinner, Rodrigo patted his dog on the back and leaned to him.
Amigo licked his face.
Rodrigo headed to the door and opened it. The dog trotted to the door, glanced into the darkness, thought about it a little, and trotted back.
Rodrigo closed the door. “I’ll get you a snack.” He retrieved a biscuit from a kitchen cabinet.
Amigo leaped to snatch it.
Rodrigo smiled as his dog scooped up the biscuit. “You won’t believe it, but I’m going fishing tomorrow. With a beautiful woman named Emma.”
Amigo glanced at him with surprise.
Smiling, Rodrigo refilled the dog’s water bowl. “I hope stores that sell fishing gear open early. And what exactly do people use for bait?”
Amigo finished the biscuit and plopped on the floor as if to show that he had no clue, either. Neither Amigo nor Rodrigo had fished once in their lives.
EMMA HELD TIGHT AS she reeled in her catch. Well, technically, it was one of Rodrigo’s lines. But it was clear that an experienced fisherman he was not.
“It’s going to get away!” Rodrigo’s eyes widened.
“Nah. Besides, didn’t you release the last two fish we caught?” She was generous to say we. In reality, it was she who’d caught them.
Several minutes later, she measured a speckled trout, whose metallic-hued scales with black spots glistened in the sun. Emma’s heart pounded with a sense of accomplishment. “Isn’t it a beauty?”
Rodrigo gave her a long look. “She sure is.”
Now her silly heart skipped a beat as she iced the fish. “I meant the trout.”
“Me, too.” His voice reached something deep inside her heart.
It had been a crazy idea to go on this trip.
With a sheriff!
She’d never sold or distributed drugs. Thanks to her parents’ inheritance, she hadn’t been forced to steal to feed her habit, either, like Gnat had. But she’d used drugs and had learned to avoid the police like fire. Granted, she’d been clean for over a year, but the old fear and caution remained.
Emma stared at Rodrigo’s broad-shouldered, tall figure and took a step in his direction. She gravitated toward him, as if he were a cliff and she was shipwrecked, exhausted, and in desperate need of holding on to something solid to keep her from being swept back into the strong currents of addiction. Like she’d done in the past.
Like her friend in Chicago, Caleb, had.
Emma swallowed hard as she turned away and stared at the ocean. She’d called Caleb’s dad Harry yesterday and told him about Carl’s insults and meeting Rodrigo. She’d lost her father at fifteen and then lost her friend Roy over a year ago, so Harry was the closest thing to a father she’d known. Harry thought she could use something to distract her from thinking about drugs.
Emma’s heart grew heavy. Harry had told her yesterday that after going to the treatment center at Harry’s insistence, Caleb had started using again. No matter how many times Harry had put his son in treatment centers, Caleb had returned to drugs every time. Her heart went out to Harry.
Dear Lord, please help the people who are struggling with addiction right now and their families.
Then she paused. She didn’t know what else to say. Her prayer skills were nonexistent.
Emma looked up in the sky.
Is there really any hope for the likes of me, Gnat, and Caleb?
“Are you all right?” Rodrigo’s voice sounded worried.
“Trying to be.”
There was something about Rodrigo, be it his openness or clear concern for her well-being, that drew her to him.
What does it hurt to share some time with him?
From what Emma understood, he was here for a week, two weeks maximum. Rodrigo was a visitor, someone who didn’t know about her past, even if he guessed something from that encounter with Carl. It was refreshing to have someone look at her at without pity or contempt, the way many people in Rios Azules did.
She hadn’t felt as carefree as today in... forever.
Emma took in a lungful of salt air, her body nearly weightless. Being with Rodrigo was, in some sense, liberating.
“I’ll cook the fish.” She stilled as soon as she said the words. It sounded like she meant for both of them, as if she’d asked him on a date. Emma cringed.
Rodrigo shook his head, and for a moment her heart dropped at the thought he didn’t want to see her again.
Then he said, “I can cook it, too.”
The joy that spread inside her told her that against all good judgment, she wanted to see him again. But if he cooked the same way he fished, she wasn’t willing to hurt her stomach in the process.
Emma tilted her head. “How about this? You clean the trout, and I’ll cook it.” Seeing his drawn face, she shrugged. “Well, you volunteered.”
A beeping sound announced an incoming text. She went cold as she reached into her back pocket for her phone. For the last two days, she’d been receiving threatening texts. They had always come from a blocked number. They had always said, YOU WILL PAY.
She opened the new text. A chill ran down her spine. This text was the same as the others. She had no clue who was sending them, and neither had the police after she’d forced herself to make a report and shown the texts to them. Granted, she’d spent most of her adult life in a mental fog of addiction and could barely remember huge chunks of time that slipped by in a blur. But she couldn’t have hurt someone badly enough for them to want revenge, could she?
Gnat and Caleb, her friends in Chicago who shared her addiction, hadn’t been happy about her moving back to Rios Azules. But she doubted they’d go so far as to threaten her.
She froze.
Would they?
And while Carl was angry at the likes of her, with his brother being killed by a driver high as a kite, Carl should realize she had nothing to do with his brother’s death.
She looked up. Rodrigo watched her. His eyes narrowed, as if he didn’t like her reaction to the text. But he didn’t say anything.
One of the lines moved.
“We have a catch!” She raced to it.
After she’d caught and iced a nice-size red drum, with its golden scales and red fins and a large black dot on the tail, she hoped it would be Rodrigo’s turn. The air grew colder, and the wind picked up, its touch cruel, unlike the gentle dance on her skin before.
She studied the surface of the ocean. “Rodrigo, you have a bite!”
Rodrigo started reeling it in, a vein popping out on his forehead. Emma nearly bit on th
e inside of her cheek to stop herself from stepping in. Excitement bubbled inside her. A couple of times, the fish almost got away, and Emma held her breath both times.
Finally, Rodrigo had his catch in his hands. He stared at it. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Yep. You caught a shark.” It was small, nothing like what she’d seen in the movies, but it was a shark nonetheless.
“Would you mind if we let it go?” Rodrigo glanced at her.
“It’s yours, so you’re free to decide what to do with it. But frankly, I was about to suggest the same.” She couldn’t help admiring the magnificent creature.
Emma watched from under her cap as he released the shark back into the water. “Some things belong only in the wild. And it’s not the shark’s fault she has a bad reputation.”
Rodrigo turned to her. “You think so?”
Is he comparing me to a shark? Am I?
Her stomach churned. Yes, she’d hurt people she’d loved, namely her ex-husband and son, but she regretted it deeply. She’d give her life to correct her mistakes, and she was doing her best to turn her life around now.
Rodrigo headed to the cooler, picked up a couple of bottles of iced tea, and handed one of them to her. “I wasn’t sure what kind of beverages you like...”
“Iced tea is great.” She took the sip of the cold, sweet liquid.
“You obviously know more about fishing than I do. Where did you learn how to fish?” He took a long sip of his own drink.
“The internet. Someday I want to go fishing with Junior,” she blurted out. She wanted to be prepared. Someday, when her ex, Dylan, would allow her to be alone with her son. Not that she’d blame Dylan for wanting to chaperone. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest.
“Junior?” Rodrigo echoed, his gaze inquiring.
“My eight-year-old son. His name is Dylan Jr., but everybody calls him simply Junior. He lives with his father. I... was unable to care for him at the time.” Regret pierced her heart. “Now it’s too late.”
There, she let it out in the open.
Wait for the contempt in his eyes...
None came.
