She set Pixie down, who scampered back inside. Sky grabbed the boxes, which felt as light as air, and she headed inside, unable to feel the ground beneath her feet.
Twenty
Jace brushed off dirt from his arm as he walked away from the red cottage. It seemed like each one had its own catastrophe, one after the other. If it wasn't plumbing, then it was something else. The resident in the red cottage had been convinced animals were living in the walls. He had looked around for where they might have made themselves at home, but found nothing in the walls or under the house—as he'd expected. However, something had gotten into the garbage and strewn it all over the yard. Once Jace had cleaned up the mess, he had to fix the lid so the critters wouldn't be able to get it open.
He caught a glimpse of his reflection in a window of the turquoise cottage as he walked by. He had flecks of dirt all through his hair, dark circles under his eyes, and a streak of mud and who-knew-what-else smeared across his forehead. His clothes weren't in any better shape. Worse, actually. He'd have to toss the ripped pants.
Jace switched the toolbox to his other hand and picked up his pace as he headed home. He couldn't wait to get cleaned up and then hopefully sleep for a full day—that is, if none of the other cottages had any disasters that needed to be taken care of immediately.
Finally, his place came into view. His eyes grew heavier at the thought of being so close to his bed.
Barking sounded not far away. It sounded familiar.
"Jace!" came Sky's voice.
His stomach tightened. As much as he wanted to see her—the days felt like weeks since their picnic—but he didn't want her to see him all grimy and gross. He'd probably repulse her.
He turned around and gave a little wave. His heart felt like it would jump into his throat. "Hey there, Sky."
She grinned and ran over to him, seeming not to notice that he was covered in filth. She was the exact opposite of him, wearing a cute—clean—red sundress and had a new wave to her shiny hair. "Thanks so much for fixing the chipped paint and cutting back the bushes. It looks amazing."
A thrill ran through Jace. She'd noticed. "I just wanted it to be nice for you."
"Nice? It's great. I can't believe you did that when you have so much other stuff to take care of."
He shrugged. "I had a break between emergencies."
"Still, you could've rested, but you didn't."
"I'm glad you like it. Now that it looks like I have a break from work, maybe we can go on a date when you're free? I'd like to take you somewhere nice. There's a restaurant called Figaro's I've heard good things about." It would also cost about a week's worth of pay, but it'd be worth every penny. "I would—"
She threw her arms around him and squeezed tight. Jace hesitated, not wanting to get her dirty, but he could already see dust and dirt smearing onto her perfectly tanned shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his hand on her upper back, careful not to touch the dress.
Sky stepped back and gazed at him like he was some kind of hero.
Jace didn't know why she was looking at him like that, but he couldn't help basking in it. He also felt the need to say something. But what? His mind went blank from the pressure. Then he noticed the smudges on her outfit. "Your dress. I didn't mean to get it dirty."
She glanced down. "I'm not worried about it. That's why they make stain sprays."
"Still, I feel bad."
"Then take me out to dinner to make up for it." Her nose crinkled as she grinned at him.
She was breathtaking. He struggled to find his voice. "Friday night?"
"Works for me. I'll let you get going. What time should I be ready for our date?"
"I'll call you after I make the reservations."
"Sounds great." Sky took a step near him and pressed her soft lips on his. She smelled of apples and mint. He, on the other hand, reeked of coons and standing water. Not that she seemed to notice. She brushed something off his cheek and smiled sweetly. "I'll be waiting."
Jace watched as she strolled away. He tried to walk back to his home, but couldn't get his feet to cooperate until Sky had rounded a corner and was out of sight. He rubbed the spot on his face she'd touched and took in the whole interaction, still surprised that she hadn't been bothered by his appearance.
As his home came into view, his phone rang. He groaned, knowing by the ringtone that it was his boss calling. Reluctantly, he reached for it and accepted the call. "Hello, Dallas."
"Jace, the purple cottage has a hornet nest on the roof and they say the bees are flying around the front door so they can't get out."
"Okay." Jace turned around. "I'll have to stop by the store and pick up some insecticide spray." He'd also need some protective netting to keep from getting stung. "Tell them to stay away, and I'll take care of it in no time."
"Will do." The call ended.
Jace's body ached and his eyelids grew heavy. It was feast or famine around the cottages, and he couldn't wait for the famine. He thought about heading back home to brew some coffee, but it'd be quicker to stop by Sweet Caroline's on the way. She knew how to make it much stronger than Jace did, anyhow.
He kicked his feet on the sidewalk before getting to the cafe and shook as much caked-on grime from his clothes as he could. No sense in giving the poor woman more work to do by leaving a trail of dirt in his wake.
"Hi, Jace," Caroline greeted him. "Looks like my boy is keeping you busy these days."
"Yes, ma'am. All the cottages seem to have something going wrong lately. Could I get a cup of your strongest coffee to go, please?"
"Sure thing, and this one's on the house."
He gave her a double-take. "Are you sure?"
She grabbed a white paper cup and poured black coffee inside. "It's the least I could do. You keep the resort running."
"I wouldn't say that, Miss Caroline."
She smiled and handed him the cup. "I would. How are things with Miss Sunglasses?"
A goofy grin spread across his face, but he didn't care. "Goin' great."
Caroline smiled. "I'm so glad. You two make such a great pair. She's a lot better for you than that Alisha ever was." She craned her neck toward the window. "Here comes Lucille. Do you know she's trying to set up my Dallas with her grand-niece?"
"She is?" Jace held back a chuckle as he realized his boss was dealing with Lucille's matchmaking skills, too.
"Poor girl. She has no idea that Lucille is trying to set up dates for her."
"Huh." Jace sipped the hot, strong coffee. "Thanks for the coffee, Miss Caroline."
"My pleasure. Next time, stop by with Sky."
"Yes, ma'am. Have a nice day." He hurried outside.
The clacks of high heels on concrete sounded before Jace could duck out of sight. He squeezed his paper disposable cup, and it crinkled. He stopped and took a deep breath.
"Jace! Jace Fisher. Wait up."
He turned around. "Hello, Miss Lucille."
She hurried over, curling her lip as she looked him over. "I sure hope you're going to wash all that off before you take out my sweet Maggie for dinner."
Anger ran through him. "I already told you, I'm busy."
"With what? Fixing the cottages? Visiting Claire, who doesn't remember you? Jace, we both know you don't—"
"I. Am. Seeing. Someone. She's new to town, and she's the most wonderful person I've ever met. And you know what? She doesn't care if I'm caked in dirt or not."
"Well, I—"
"Am done meddling in my life? I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure my mama would be too if she still had her senses about her."
Lucille's mouth hung open as she stared at him.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone on this matter."
"Maggie's too classy for you, anyway. Don't expect a date with her." She huffed and stormed away.
That was the best news he'd heard all day.
Twenty-One
Sky and Pixie wandered around the cottages, with Pixie stopping every tw
o feet to sniff around or mark territory. It didn't bother Sky. She was hoping to see Jace along the way. They'd spoken the previous night for a while on the phone, and he'd told her things had finally calmed down, and he didn't have so many work emergencies. He was probably sleeping after the week he'd had.
Their date was the next night, but she wanted to see him today also—even if it was just for a few minutes.
Pixie tugged on the leash toward the beach. Sighing, Sky looked around. They'd already looped all the way around the cottages, walking by each one.
"Oh, all right. Let's go to the beach, but I need to get back and record a video or two."
They made their way to the beach and walked along the shore. Pixie jumped in and out of the water's edge. Sky paused and enjoyed the warmth. She was finally adjusting to the humidity, although she'd heard it would only get worse as the year went on.
A couple little girls came over and looked back and forth between Sky and Pixie.
"You want to pet her?"
They both nodded.
"Sure. Just be gentle. Her name's Pixie."
Both girls bent down and rubbed her fur, talking to her. The pup rolled onto her back and licked both of them, clearly enjoying the attention.
Sky's phone rang. It was Aspen. Twice in one month—what was the world coming to? She accepted the call. "Hey, Aspen."
"Sis, I have great news!"
"Oh?" Sky felt bad for hoping she wasn't going to say she'd be visiting Indigo Bay, but things were finally going well for her in the small town. She'd even started removing her sunglasses inside the shops and the cafe.
"Yeah, I'm going to be on Murder Central, Miami tonight. I'm playing the prime suspect. Think you can watch? It's on at nine in most places."
"I'm sure I can, but even if not, I can always record it."
Aspen squealed. "I'm so excited about this role. I can't wait to hear what you think."
"Was singing just a way to get into acting?"
"No, but I need variety in my life, you know? And acting is so much fun. I want to get more roles like this."
"A killer?"
Aspen laughed. "Not necessarily, but being a guest star for one episode. My agent was talking with the network about me playing a victim on a show with vampires. Fun, right?"
"I bet you'll have a blast."
"Time to record another commercial. Let me know what you think, 'kay? Nine tonight."
"I won't miss it," Sky promised.
"Yay. Love ya."
"You, too."
The call ended. Sky waited for the kids to run off, and then she and Pixie headed back to the cottage. Watching the show would be the perfect excuse to invite Jace back over. It felt like she hadn't even seen him all week. When they got back, a new rose bush had been planted in Pixie's favorite place to dig by the front door.
Sky cupped a flower and took in its sweet aroma. "He gave me roses."
They went inside, and she sent Jace a quick text, asking if he wanted to come over and watch the show with her. He said he did. Sky felt like she was floating on air as she went through the cottage, picking things up and figuring out what to make them to eat.
The doorbell rang at a quarter to nine. Jace stood in khaki shorts, a simple V-neck tee, and no Panthers hat. He held a bouquet of colorful tulips. Smiling, he handed them to her. "For you."
"You're so sweet! Thank you for these and the rose bush."
He beamed. "I thought you might like it."
She threw her arms around him. "I do. Come on in and have a seat. I'll put these in a vase."
A few minutes later, she and Jace were sitting on the couch, munching on freshly-made caramel cookies and bacon wrapped water chestnuts.
Jace wrapped his arm around her. "You didn't have to do all this for me."
"I wanted to. You've had one heck of a week." She kissed his cheek.
"I did, but you've more than made up for that."
Sky rubbed a red mark near his elbow. "What happened here?"
"I discovered that I'm not allergic to being stung."
"Ouch." She kissed it. "Are you okay?"
"Perfect, now."
She beamed, and then the theme music started for the show. The scene before them showed a blond businessman being strangled from behind, but didn't show the killer. A beat later, the detectives were on the scene discussing the murder.
"So, your sister did it?" Jace asked.
"She's the main suspect. That's all I know."
The TV detectives questioned everyone the blond man had worked with, and eventually discovered he had a new girlfriend—one with purple hair. That had to be Aspen. Sure enough, after the commercial break, the detectives showed up at a huge home where Aspen, with violet-colored hair, answered. She brought them inside, where she sprawled her long legs in a short skirt across an expensive leather couch and spoke in sultry tones about her relationship with the blond businessman, who she swore wasn't serious enough to be considered a boyfriend.
At the next commercial break, Jace turned to Sky. "Aspen's really talented."
Pangs of jealousy shot through her. "To be honest, she's always been a bit of a drama queen."
"I can imagine so, as skilled an actress as she is."
Sky nodded, her voice catching in her throat.
"I'll bet she's going to get a lot more roles like this."
"You want something to drink? Wine?" Sky jumped up from the couch. She needed something to take the edge off. Why had she thought watching Aspen with Jace would be a good idea? She was just asking for him to start thinking he'd picked the wrong twin.
"Just a coke is fine."
"Sure." Sky scrambled to the kitchen, fighting the jealousy ravaging through her. Her whole life everyone had adored the dramatic and attention-seeking Aspen. After a lifetime of that, it took almost nothing for the pangs to spring to life. "He likes you," she whispered to herself as she grabbed some pop from the fridge. "He likes you."
"It's back on!" Jace called.
"Great." Sky poured the drinks into glasses with ice and headed back. On the screen, Aspen ran her fingers through her long, colorful hair and spoke about the businessman.
Jace laughed heartily. "She's hilarious. I never thought these shows could be funny."
Sky forced a smile. "That's Aspen for you." She handed him a glass and sat down, this time leaving some space between them. Not that Jace noticed. He leaned forward, taking in every word Aspen said.
Sighing, Sky sipped the drink, though she couldn't taste it. This was just her life—everyone enamored by Aspen, making Sky invisible. Jace laughed again at something Aspen said on screen.
He likes me. He likes me. It was so hard to fight off the old emotions. Aspen had been stealing the spotlight for as long as Sky could remember, and now even Jace was enamored by her.
Sky wanted to kick herself for thinking this could've gone any other way.
At the next break, Jace turned to her. "It's so weird. She looks just like you, but I forget you're even related because she's so different."
Sky nodded. What could she say in response? Nothing, because she was the dull, boring sister whose only screen appearances were on her blog and YouTube. "Let me refill your pop."
By the time she came back and poured the drinks, the show was back on. This time, one of Aspen's songs played in the background as it showed her sneaking around the victim's condo, appearing to tamper with potential evidence.
Jace turned to her. "Do you think she did it, or was it the jealous business partner?"
Sky had barely been able to pay attention to the storyline. "It could go either way."
"True, but I think she did it."
"Probably." She sipped the drink, knowing her annoyance was an overreaction—but that didn't make it feel any better.
At the end of the show, the detectives proved Aspen's character to be innocent.
Jace turned to Sky and smiled. "That was a lot of fun. Thanks for inviting me over."
"Sure. I mi
ssed seeing your face all week."
He cupped her chin and brushed his lips across hers. "I missed seeing you, too. Well, I better get back home. We're still on for six o'clock tomorrow, right?"
"Definitely." And the best part was that Aspen wouldn't have any part in the date.
"Good, because I told Dallas that if anything goes wrong with any of the cottages tomorrow night, he'd better be ready to roll up his sleeves and get dirty."
Sky chuckled. "I bet he loved that."
"I don't care." He gave her another quick kiss. "Nothing's getting in the way of our date tomorrow."
She sighed as he hurried off. Was he just distracted, or did he wish she was Aspen instead of just Sky?
Twenty-Two
Jace knocked on his mom's door. It was only open a crack, and opened more at his knocking.
"Come in," she called.
He pushed the door and stepped inside. She sat in her rocking chair wearing the flowered bathrobe she'd had since Jace was a boy, and her hair stuck out in several directions.
It didn't appear to be one of her better days.
"Hi," Jace said.
She contorted her face as she studied him. "Do I know you?"
Jace's heart sank. She didn't even think he was Uncle Bill. He knew better than to say he was her son. That only ever upset her—not that she'd once believed him. "Yes. That's why I'm here to visit you."
"What's your name?"
"I'm Jace." He took a couple steps closer. "Does that ring a bell?"
"No, sorry. Maybe we can look through my photo albums, and you can point yourself out. I've been looking through them all day, trying to remember who the people are."
Jace pulled one of the other seats next to her. "Let's see those."
His mom grabbed one of the albums from his elementary years. She opened to a page with pictures from a camping trip they'd taken when he was twelve.
"Who are these people?"
Jace's heart ripped in two. Would it ever get easier knowing his mom had forgotten him? He cleared his throat and pointed to his dad fishing. "That's Albert. Do you remember him?"
She shook her head. "He looks like a nice man, though. Any relation to you?"
Sweet Dreams (Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series Book 1) Page 8
