“Why would you lose me?”
“Your dad is one of the wealthiest men in the country. You’re a detective. You have a good life far away from here.”
“Not really, Ty.” She frowned. “Listen, I don’t know what the future holds. I tried to tell you that from the start. My life is back in Seattle. I would never ask you to move there.”
“And it would seem a shame if I asked you to stay in a place as small as Lantern Beach.”
She ran her hand along the side of his face, tracing the edges, relishing the view. “What’s that Scripture? Don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. You’re right.” He breathed out a laugh. “I would never want you to stay here unless it was something you wanted, Cassidy. Island life isn’t for everyone. And I don’t have much to offer. Definitely not money. Or status. Or even a nice home.”
“I don’t need those things, Ty. I’ve been there and done that. It’s been my life. And you know what? My parents aren’t any happier because of what they have. I’m grateful that I realized that at a relatively young age.”
He squeezed her hand. “That’s good to know.”
She shifted, pulling her leg beneath her so she could look Ty in the eye. “My best friend, Lucy, used to be a little boy crazy. There was nothing she loved to talk about more than cute guys and getting married one day. She had her entire wedding planned out, right down to the flavor of her cake. Almond, by the way.”
“Okay . . .” A wrinkle formed between his eyes.
“Stick with me. I’m going somewhere with this. I promise. One thing she always said stuck with me. She used to say that she hoped to marry a tender warrior.”
“A tender warrior?”
Cassidy nodded. “I never really understood what that meant. I mean, guys who are tough aren’t usually the sensitive type. And the sensitive men usually aren’t tough. Then I met you.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “I like where this is going.”
“Suddenly, the words made perfect sense, and I totally get what she was talking about. Like I said, I don’t know what the future holds. But I’m trusting that God has a plan for you and me. Hopefully for you and me together. And as soon as the trial is over, we’ll figure that out. Until then, my hands are tied. I’m at the mercy of the justice system.”
“You are getting good at this whole sweet talk thing,” Ty said.
The warmth of his voice curled around, making her feel as cozy as her favorite blanket. “You make it easy.”
“See? Listen to you now.”
She laughed. But the sound was cut short when his lips covered hers.
Coming in Late May:
Perilous Riptide
Also by Christy Barritt:
Other Books in the Lantern Beach Mystery Series:
Hidden Currents
You can take the detective out of the investigation, but you can't take the investigator out of the detective. A notorious gang puts a bounty on Detective Cady Matthews’s head after she takes down their leader, leaving her no choice but to hide until she can testify at trial. But her temporary home across the country on a remote North Carolina island isn’t as peaceful as she initially thinks. Living under the new identity of Cassidy Livingston, she struggles to keep her investigative skills tucked away, especially after a body washes ashore. When local police bungle the murder investigation, she can’t resist stepping in. But Cassidy is supposed to be keeping a low profile. One wrong move could lead to both her discovery and her demise. Can she bring justice to the island . . . or will the hidden currents surrounding her pull her under for good?
Flood Watch
The tide is high, and so is the danger on Lantern Beach. Still in hiding after infiltrating a dangerous gang, Cassidy Livingston just has to make it a few more months before she can testify at trial and resume her old life. But trouble keeps finding her, and Cassidy is pulled into a local investigation after a man mysteriously disappears from the island she now calls home. A recurring nightmare from her time undercover only muddies things, as does a visit from the parents of her handsome ex-Navy SEAL neighbor. When a friend's life is threatened, Cassidy must make choices that put her on the verge of blowing her cover. With a flood watch on her emotions and her life in a tangle, will Cassidy find the truth? Or will her past finally drown her?
Storm Surge
A storm is brewing hundreds of miles away, but its effects are devastating even from afar. Laid-back, loose, and light: that’s Cassidy Livingston’s new motto. But when a makeshift boat with a bloody cloth inside washes ashore near her oceanfront home, her detective instincts shift into gear . . . again. Seeking clues isn’t the only thing on her mind—romance is heating up with next-door neighbor and former Navy SEAL Ty Chambers as well. Her heart wants the love and stability she’s longed for her entire life. But her hidden identity only leads to a tidal wave of turbulence. As more answers emerge about the boat, the danger around her rises, creating a treacherous swell that threatens to reveal her past. Can Cassidy mind her own business, or will the storm surge of violence and corruption that has washed ashore on Lantern Beach leave her life in wreckage?
You might also enjoy …
The Squeaky Clean Mystery Series
On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime-scene cleaning business. When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. She also realizes that crime scene cleaning might be the perfect career for utilizing her investigative skills.
#1 Hazardous Duty
#2 Suspicious Minds
#2.5 It Came Upon a Midnight Crime (novella)
#3 Organized Grime
#4 Dirty Deeds
#5 The Scum of All Fears
#6 To Love, Honor and Perish
#7 Mucky Streak
#8 Foul Play
#9 Broom & Gloom
#10 Dust and Obey
#11 Thrill Squeaker
#11.5 Swept Away (novella)
#12 Cunning Attractions
#13 Cold Case: Clean Getaway
While You Were Sweeping, A Riley Thomas Spinoff
Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries:
When Holly Anna Paladin is given a year to live, she embraces her final days doing what she loves most—random acts of kindness. But when one of her extreme good deeds goes horribly wrong, implicating Holly in a string of murders, Holly is suddenly in a different kind of fight for her life. She knows one thing for sure: she only has a short amount of time to make a difference. And if helping the people she cares about puts her in danger, it’s a risk worth taking.
#1 Random Acts of Murder
#2 Random Acts of Deceit
#2.5 Random Acts of Scrooge
#3 Random Acts of Malice
#4 Random Acts of Greed
#5 Random Acts of Fraud
The Worst Detective Ever:
I'm not really a private detective. I just play one on TV.
Joey Darling, better known to the world as Raven Remington, detective extraordinaire, is trying to separate herself from her invincible alter ego. She played the spunky character for five years on the hit TV show Relentless, which catapulted her to fame and into the role of Hollywood’s sweetheart. When her marriage falls apart, her finances dwindle to nothing, and her father disappears, Joey finds herself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, trying to piece together her life away from the limelight. But as people continually mistake her for the character she played on TV, she’s tasked with solving real life crimes . . . even though she’s terrible at it.
#1 Ready to Fumble
#2 Reign of Error
#3 Safety in Blunders
#4 Join the Flub
#5 Blooper Freak
#6 Flaw Abiding Citizen
About the Author
USA Today has called Christy Barritt's books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirk
y.”
Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.
She is married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious—but only when she's not trying to be. Christy is a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.
When she's not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident-prone she is.
Find Christy online at:
www.christybarritt.com
www.facebook.com/christybarritt
www.twitter.com/cbarritt
Sign up for Christy’s newsletter to get information on all of her latest releases HERE.
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Dangerous Waters (Lantern Beach Book 4) Page 17
