by Susan Hayes
Lexa flicked a strand of hair back from her face and sighed. “I need to sell the marina, Sam. I need the money to get Mom settled somewhere nice and safe so she can spend the rest of her life cared for. She did the best she could for me, despite being sick. I need to do the same for her.”
“Lexa.” Sam cleared his throat and glanced down at the document lying under her hand. “I think you need to see the balance sheet on page four.”
“Why would I need to look at the balance sheet?” she asked as she flipped the page and scanned down to the figure marked in heavy black ink near the bottom. “Holy shit! That’s a lot of zeros.”
She looked back up to find Sam chuckling. “Yes, it is. That’s the yearly income for the marina and boat rental. Net. You don’t need to sell anything if you don’t want to. You’re financially very secure. “
“But…that’s…” Lexa flapped her fingers again and tried to regain the ability to speak in full sentences. “If that’s the yearly income, where’s the money? Dad’s bank account isn’t nearly that big.”
Sam brought out another sheaf of paper. “This is his stock portfolio. He invested most of what he made over the years.” He grinned at her. “You may want to take a deep breath before you look at the total figure on the last page.”
She was starting to feel like she was on some prank television show, and any second a laughing host would appear and point out the cameras and tell her she’d been had. At this point, she’d actually prefer to find out this was all an elaborate hoax instead of the sad, stunning revelations that had filled her day so far.
As she saw the six-digit figure at the bottom of the last spreadsheet, all the air left her lungs and her vision went gray around the edges. Lexa had known there was a good amount of money involved, but this was beyond her wildest dreams. At least now she could pay off her mother’s medical bills and get her the best care she could find.
“It’s mine?”
“Always has been. He put this all in a trust for you, in your name.”
“I need a drink. A really strong one.” Lexa dropped the papers back onto the table and noticed that her hands were shaking slightly.
Sam shot her a look of concern and then nodded. “Overload. Got it. We can finish this up another time. I’m sorry that it all came out like this. I hadn’t intended to drop everything in your lap the first day.”
Lexa laughed aloud and winced as she heard the brittle edge to her voice. “I’m not sure chopping up all of that into bite-sized chunks was going to make it any easier to swallow, though I will admit I’d probably need a smaller drink right now if you had.”
“Let’s go grab some lunch and I’ll give you a tour of your new business. About ten years ago I talked your dad into adding a pub off the jetty. How does a cold microbrew and a burger at the Dolphin Grill sound?”
“Really good.” Lexa shot him a grateful smile and stood up. “And thank you for suggesting somewhere I’d feel comfortable, instead of one of the swanky martini bars or five star restaurants this place must have every block.”
Sam glanced at her, surprised. “I think you’ve got the wrong idea about Sunset Point. There’s money here, but the people who live here aren’t obsessed with it like they are on the mainland. If you stick around, you’ll find out for yourself.”
“I’m still not sure this is where I belong.” Lexa followed Sam out of his office, still talking. “But for the time being, I guess I’ll stay. At least until I decide what I’m doing about the marina.”
“That’s a good start.” Sam opened the door and held it for her. “You don’t need to decide on anything else today, besides what you’re going to order for lunch.”
* * * *
Diego and Beau had spent the entire morning in their cramped office going through the registry of island residents, and they were still no closer to figuring out the identity of the man George Timmins Jr. had claimed was his dealer. Whoever he was, he was very smart and very careful. George only knew him as John, and their sole witness had never seen even seen John up close. Deliveries and drop-offs were arranged after dark by text message. They were looking for a white male in his mid to late thirties, with dark hair and an average build.
“We’re looking for one needle in a fucking huge pile of needles.” Diego snarled in frustration and pushed back from his desk, nearly slamming his chair into the wall behind him and adding to the dents and chipped paint that gave testament to how often he pushed back too far. “I was hoping for a little more to go on than a first name and a vague description.”
“It’s better than we had yesterday,” Beau pointed out, but Diego could see that his partner was just as frustrated as he was. Normally Beau was the calm, steady one of the pair, but right now both of them were ready to climb the walls. Their island was relatively calm and orderly, and having something this big going on without any way to stop it was starting to get under the skin of everyone involved.
“I don’t know about you, but I need a change of scenery, this office is feeling way too damned small right now. What do you say we go find something to eat? Maybe we’ll think better on a full stomach and with some nonrecycled air in our lungs.”
“Or maybe you’re just craving one of your mom’s bacon cheeseburgers,” Beau cracked.
“Actually, I’d rather not head over to the Kraken, I’m really not in the mood to hear another lecture on why I need to stop catting around and settle down with a nice girl so Mom can have some grandbabies to bounce on her knee.”
“Oh hell, right. She’s still on that kick?” Beau sighed. “Of course she is. Quinn just had her baby shower didn’t she? It’s not going to be safe for you to go back to the Kraken for a few days.”
“Or longer,” Diego agreed. “She’s got a bad case of grandchild envy right now. Maria’s getting the brunt of it, she emailed me yesterday and warned me to steer clear unless I wanted to hear in detail the many ways that I was breaking Mom’s heart.”
“Your sister must be ready to run away from home. I am so glad we don’t work with my family. I think I’d of brained one or both of my fathers with a wrench years ago.”
“It would more likely be the other way around.” Beau’s fathers owned the local garage, and their chief heavy mechanic was Juan, one of Diego’s fathers. “You don’t have a mechanically adept bone in your body.”
“Yeah, my dads both swear I’m adopted.” Beau grinned and stood. “So if we’re not going to the Kraken’s Cave, what’s for lunch?”
“Fish tacos at the Dolphin?” Diego suggested.
“You’re on, and the first one to bring up Lexa or her dad has to pay for lunch. You know that looking down at the marina always makes us think about her.”
“Would you rather go have hotdogs at the pier?”
“Beau shuddered. “No, thank you. I don’t want to see the pier again for a while. I still can’t believe that little shit jumped and tried to swim for it. Where the hell did he think he was going? The mainland?”
“My favorite part was listening to you bitch all the way down to the water.” Diego grinned, remembering the look on his partner’s face when they both realized what was about to happen.
“Fuck you, man.” Beau grumped. “Next time it’s your turn.”
“Hopefully the next arrest we make is that son of a bitch drug dealer. If he goes into the water I’m going to be tempted to hold him under and let him suck saline.”
“Just don’t let the lieutenant hear you say that.”
They made it to the restaurant just before the lunch rush and grabbed a table out on the deck, enjoying the chance for some fresh air as they kept working the case, trying to come up with an idea as to who their mystery dealer was. Although the island residents were all screened and registered, there were always tourists flocking to the island’s beautiful beaches or staying in one of the area’s exclusive resorts. Their suspect could be living in a hotel, or working for one of the hotels.
Diego let his eyes wander and quickly found
himself looking over the yachts, sailboats, and powerboats that were moored to the various docks. “You know, he could be living aboard a boat, too.”
Beau perked up. “That’s a good idea, and it would make sense. When we get back from our days off, we’ll pay a visit to Dolphin Bay and the other smaller marinas and let them know we need a list of anyone living onboard. It can’t be that long a list, and maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Diego took a swig of his drink. “Speaking of days off, don’t forget we’re supposed to be making an appearance at the charity auction next week.”
Beau rolled his eyes. “Oh man, already? Didn’t we just don the monkey suits for the last one like, a month ago?”
“It was almost six months ago, and you were the one who promised our mothers we’d go.”
“Right. It was the only way to get them to stop nagging us about settling down. I don’t know who they think we’re going to meet at these things, it’s the same group of people every time.”
“Amen, brother. Still, we better go or our moms will kick our asses. At least the food is always good.”
“Not as good as it’s going to be at the poker game this weekend. I love sitting back and drinking someone else’s liquor while I take their money.”
Diego just rolled his eyes at his best friend. “You haven’t won more than a single hand in three months. If you remember differently, then you’re delusional.”
A woman’s laughter drifted on the ocean breeze and Diego’s heart kicked up a notch. There was something hauntingly familiar about that sound, something that made his cock twitch and his blood heat. The laughter came again and he turned in his chair, trying to see who was laughing, but there were people everywhere and he couldn’t find the source of the sound.
“Did you hear that?” Beau asked, already turning to look around him.
“Did that sound familiar to you somehow?
“Totally, but I don’t know why. Did you see who it was?”
“No.” Diego felt a surge of frustration and strangely powerful disappointment hit him. “What the hell was that? Who was that?”
“I don’t know, but it was like I knew the voice, and yet I didn’t,” Beau settled back into his chair, his normally bright blue eyes looking decidedly stormy now.
“Yeah, me, too.” Diego couldn’t shake the strange feeling that he’d missed something, something important. “Maybe it’s just being back here.”
“Aw man, you went there. You’re paying for lunch.”
“Yeah, I guess I am. Maybe we should stop coming here. It feels weird somehow now that Chris is gone too.”
Beau lifted his glass to Diego and nodded. “Maybe it’s time. Onwards and upwards and all that.”
“And all that.” Diego echoed and lifted his glass of iced tea before downing the contents and wishing he wasn’t on duty. Right now he was suddenly in need of a real drink.
Chapter 3
“I never did that!” Lexa was laughing in denial as she and Sam walked along the dock just below the pub where they’d had lunch. “Please tell me you’re making that up.”
“You most certainly did do that. You marched right up to him, as indignant as anything, and pushed him into the water. It happened right over there.” Sam gestured to the fuel dock.
“Why don’t I remember that?” Lexa asked, frustrated at the gaps in her memory. She hadn’t realized how little she remembered of her life here until Sam had started reminiscing, telling her stories of her family and her childhood.
“I suspect it’s because your mother had nothing good to say about this place, or the ones she left behind. You haven’t had it easy, Lexa. The mind does strange things under stress. I imagine that if you decide to stay, your memories will come back.” Sam stopped walking and gave her a thoughtful look. “Is it strange being back in your old bedroom? I know your father left it exactly the way you left it.”
Lexa chewed on her lower lip for a minute before making her confession. “I couldn’t even open the door to my room. I slept on the couch.” It had been almost surreal being back in her childhood home again. Wisps of remembrances had danced around her tired brain, but she’d been too wrung out to do more than make herself a sandwich from the well-stocked fridge and then collapse on the couch. She hadn’t even unpacked more than a fresh change of clothes and her toothbrush this morning before heading over to Sam’s office for their meeting.
“If you want to remember who you were before you left, I think you’ll find a lot of memories behind that door. Open it when you’re ready.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready yet, but maybe soon.” She gave Sam a half smile and tried to ignore the butterflies that suddenly took flight in her stomach. “So what happened to the kid I pushed into the water?”
“Your father fished him out, dripping wet and fit to be tied.” He grinned. “God, Chris loved to tell this story. I heard it so often it was like I was here to see it myself. Anyway, he made everyone apologize to everyone else, and then took all three of you up to the office for popsicles. After that, the three of you were damned near inseparable.” Sam cocked his head. “You really don’t remember Beau and Diego?”
“Beau? Was that his name? I remember a boy named Beau, blue eyes, scruffy blond hair and—oh yes. I remember him now!” Lexa felt as if she’d won the lottery as more memories started trickling into her mind. “Diego’s dad worked with Beau’s dads at a garage. Wait…dads?”
“You are beginning to remember. Yes, fathers, plural. Beau and Diego are both from ménage families. You see? You never used to bat an eye at the idea because you grew up with the idea that it was perfectly normal. In fact you told your parents several times that you didn’t understand why other people got more than two parents and you didn’t. You were quite incensed that you were being short changed.”
“Well that does sound like me,” Lexa said with a grin and tossed her ponytail back over her shoulder. She was determined not to get caught up in regrets or upset. She’d lived her whole life trying to keep moving forward, never letting the past stop her, even if it did slow her down from time to time.
“So are they still around? Beau and Diego? Or did they move back to the mainland long since?” The idea that she actually might have friends here, even friends she hadn’t seen in twenty years, made her feel a little less alone.
“Oh, they’re still around, I see them from time to time. They’re detectives with the police force now, been partners for a long time.” He cocked an odd look at her. “You should look them up. I suspect they’d be very happy to see you again.”
Lexa caught herself chewing on her lower lip as she considered the suggestion. “Maybe in a few days, after I’ve gotten a little more settled. Right now though, I want to see the rest of the marina and then go meet the manager, what did you say his name was? Simon?”
“Simon Johnson. I hired him when your father got diagnosed with cancer. He’s been running the place ever since, and doing a fine job. He knows I found you, and he’s been anxious to meet you.”
A riff of unease passed through Lexa. “How many other people know I’m back? I’m not sure I’m ready to be dealing with a bunch of people from my past just yet. This all seems a bit strange still, like I’m walking through a memory.”
“Only myself, my secretary, and Simon know you’re back. Oh, and the people at city hall of course. I had to let them know that you had been located. Your name will be going back on the resident’s registry right about now.”
“There’s a registry? Geez, you people take this privacy thing pretty seriously.”
“Of course we do. The people who live here are all looking for a place where we can live without censure. That means keeping the judgmental and intolerant types out and making sure that the media aren’t showing up to cast this place in the wrong light. You were born here, so you have what basically amounts to citizenship.”
She held up a hand and laughed. “Okay, I get it. Sunset Point is my home. At least it was at one time. I’m no
t making any promises, but maybe I’ll stick around for a while before I decide to sell or not.”
“Sounds good to me.” Sam was grinning as if he’d won a major court battle and not a minor concession. “Let’s finish up the nickel tour and I’ll take you to meet Simon. After that, I need to get back to the office, and you’re free to explore without an old man to slow you down.”
“You’re hardly an old man.” Lexa fell in beside him as they turned and started walking back toward the marina’s office. “You said my father never looked at another woman after my mother took me away. Did you? I mean, are you married?”
“I am. It took me a long time to find someone else, but I did move on. Carrie, David, and I have been together twelve years, and we have two sons. Jarrod and Alexander.”
“I’m glad.” Lexa was glad to know that her mother’s illness hadn’t stopped Sam from finding his happiness. “Alexander, huh?”
“He was named in honor of a little girl I never got to know as well as I would have liked.” Sam’s words hit Lexa hard and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from tearing up.
“I’d like to meet him one day. I’d like to meet them all.”
“If you are all right with my telling them I’ve found you, then I’d be happy to introduce you when you’re ready. Ah, there’s Simon just heading into the office, let’s see if we can catch him.” Sam quickened his pace and she found herself stretching her legs to keep up.
“Slow up there, one thing hasn’t changed since I was a kid. I still have to jog to keep up with you.”
“I wasn’t going to mention the fact that you seemed to have inherited your mom’s stature.”
“You mean the fact I’m five foot nothing and…?” Lexa curved her hands over her generous figure. “How tall was my father?”
“Oh, about six feet or so, maybe a bit taller.”
“And yet I ended up stumpy and lumpy. Figures.”
