Seaside Heartbeats: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 2)

by Stacy Claflin

  "Not at all. It's all true, at least according to legend. He and his family settled here. They built the town from nothing, but despite how well it thrived, and how much money it brought in, Billy never lost his itch to search for gold. One day, he just disappeared."

  "I wonder what happened," Lana said, looking lost in thought. "Did someone kill him for his gold?"

  "Or did he find more than anyone has ever seen, and take off somewhere else, changing his identity?"

  "Maybe he was injured in a cave trying to get gold."

  "No one will ever know," Brayden said, "but it's fun to speculate."

  Lana looked around, appearing to take everything in with new eyes. "Now I want to know what happened."

  "Don't we all?" Brayden asked. "When I was a kid, I took two of my brothers out into the woods, hoping to find answers." He chuckled. "If grown men over the years haven't been able to find anything, I don't know why I thought we could."

  She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Why not? Fresh eyes can find things others missed."

  "I suppose, but we were just kids."

  "Do you still have a sense of adventure?" she asked, looking like she had something in mind.

  "Yeah, though it's buried a bit underneath all my medical knowledge at this point."

  Her lips curved. "Yeah, I can relate to that. Do you want to go out sometime and search the woods? I'd love to see what we could find."

  "You want to try and find old man Kittle's caves? The ones that probably killed him?"

  "I think someone killed him and hid the body because he wouldn't talk."

  "Really? You haven't even heard any of the stories. Just the brief overview I gave you."

  "We don't have to go crazy. Just explore through the woods a little and then have a picnic lunch. It'll be a story to tell our families."

  Brayden tightened his grip around her hand. "Are you asking me on a date?"

  "Maybe I am."

  "That sounds good to me. I'll need to reassign you to a different doctor, though. It's one of those ethical lines I don't want to cross."

  Lana looked at his hand wrapped around hers. "Really? You could have fooled me."

  The corners of his lips twitched. "I might have already planned on switching you over."

  "I can live with that. So, when are we going exploring?"

  "It sounds like an all-day adventure, so I'll need to have the day off, including not being on call." He checked his schedule on the phone. "Monday looks good."

  "It's a date."

  They both smiled. He looked over at her, again overcome by her beauty. More than anything, he wanted to run his hands through her long, blonde hair. It looked so soft, and he loved the way it swayed with the light breeze.

  He took a deep breath, restraining himself. "You know, I'm sorry for your SVT, but I'm really glad you came into my office."

  She ran her thumb over his palm, the trail of her touch tickling slightly. "Me, too. It was definitely worth it."

  They walked in a comfortable silence before she asked where they were headed.

  "If you want, we could go to the Kittle house. It's a museum now."

  "Oh, that sounds really interesting. Maybe we can find a clue." Her eyes lit up.

  Brayden loved her sense of adventure, but he didn't want her to be disappointed. "If no one else has found any there, we probably won't. That's the first place anyone would look for clues to what happened to him."

  "Maybe they missed something. Nobody's perfect, and we have fresh eyes. I'm just a visitor, and you've been away for a while from the sounds of it."

  "I've been in Dallas for a few years."

  "See? Fresh eyes, and besides, I bet you weren't looking for clues to Kittle's disappearance the last time you lived here. Am I right?"

  "You've got me. I haven't even thought about any of this in years."

  "Then we're just the ones to solve the mystery. We're both smart, well-educated people. If we put our heads together, we can do this."

  "Or at least have fun trying."

  Lana squeezed his hand. They discussed every conspiracy theory Brayden could recall ever hearing, no matter how wild or crazy. Then Lana thought up a few of her own, convinced he'd been killed.

  "You definitely have an understanding of gold fever," Brayden said. "The hills are said to have made many a man lose his mind over the gold."

  "Let's hope we don't." She winked. "So, how much farther until the museum?"

  "Not too much longer. We're nearly there." He looked down the road, hoping he remembered correctly. It should only be a few blocks away, and then up the hill. If it hadn't changed as much as the touristy part of town, then the walk up the hill would be nice and shaded. "You're not too tired, are you? Maybe we shouldn't have walked." He, of all people, knew about her recent SVT episode. It had been stupid to expect her to walk all the way. He'd only been thinking about how nice a walk through town would be.

  "Honestly, I'm fine. The doctor I saw gave me some great advice, and I feel as good as new now."

  "That's good to hear, but don't be afraid to say if—"

  "Nope." She let go of his hand and ran on ahead.

  "Hey! You don't even know where we're going."

  Lana stopped, and Brayden nearly crashed into her. "Good point. Lead the way."

  "I see where Nolan and Ryder get their energy."

  "Right. Those two are crazy. I love them, but it's true."

  "They're just boys." He took her hand again. "We take a left the next block up."

  "I can't wait to see the house that started the whole town. The answer to the mystery has to be there, don't you think?"

  "If the answer isn't long gone. Maybe some things are better left unknown."

  "Nonsense. I've heard of centuries-old mysteries being solved. Archaeologists recently discovered how one of the pharaohs was killed. Some random artifact led them to another, and then another, until they had their answer. If the mighty Egyptians can't hide their secrets, then neither can some greedy pioneer."

  Brayden couldn't deny that she had a point. He loved her optimism and determination—he needed more of that in his life.

  He had a feeling she was going to lead him into trouble, but he didn't care.

  Ten

  Lana pulled Brayden into another room of the museum. "Come on. I bet this will be the one. We're going to find the clue we need." She looked around the dining room, filled with articles from a time long gone. "Where do you think it is?"

  "Let's look around. Want to make it interesting?"

  She stopped. "How?"

  "Whoever doesn't find it has to pack lunch when we go on our expedition."

  "Aren't you competitive? That's good, because so am I. You're on." Lana darted to a different part of the room, paying close attention to anything that could possibly hold a clue. She didn't know what, but with any luck, she'd know when she saw it. So far, they had only seen interesting artifacts from a rich family of another era.

  Many things had piqued her interest. She had always had a love and curiosity for history, but it was something she hadn't thought about in ages. In fact, Lana couldn't even remember the last time she went to a museum—at least not for enjoyment. They had gone to several to look at the building structure for school, but there had been no time to stop and ponder the history held within the walls.

  Lana crept along, getting lost in the silverware behind glass when she bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry." She stepped back to see a wax figure of a servant. She looked around, hoping no one had seen her, but Brayden stared at her, obviously trying to hold in a laugh.

  "Are you amused?" Lana asked, pretending not to be embarrassed. She wanted to crawl under the table and stay there forever. Instead, she said, "You know what? Politeness is a lost art, and besides, I'm sure this nice lady hasn't had someone to talk to in years. I did a good deed."

  He laughed and Lana's face burned. "You should be grateful you're so lucky to be on a date with someone with such good manner
s." Ugh. That was the most awkward sentence ever. She was not helping anything. "You keep laughing. I'm going to look for my clue. Maybe the servant will even help me."

  Brayden looked up, rubbing tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't want to laugh at you, but you're hilarious. I don't think any less of you—you're adorable."

  Adorable? She liked the sounds of that. "Thanks, but I'm not going to let you win."

  He shook his head. "I wouldn't expect that." Brayden turned around, but Lana could still hear him trying to catch his breath.

  She continued looking at the artifacts, careful to avoid people—real and fake—but she wished she knew what exactly she was looking for. People had probably already scoured the house-turned-museum for clues if the history was as interesting as Brayden made it sound.

  "Find anything?" she asked, standing next to him.

  He jumped, and then looked at her. "I didn't even hear you sneak up on me."

  "I'm naturally a very quiet—I mean stealthy—person. I don't even have to try."

  "That's probably why the wax figure didn't have time to move out of your way." His lips curled, and then twitched. Finally, he broke out into laughter again. "I'm sorry. I can't help myself."

  "Clearly." Lana nearly started laughing herself, but faked a scowl instead.

  Brayden shook his head again. "Faker. You want to laugh."

  She shoved him playfully. "Can't get anything by you, can I?"

  "Nope. I'm trained to pay attention to details. But growing up with a lot of younger siblings helped me to naturally read people."

  "I'm sure it did. Onto the next room?" And topic.

  He nodded, took her hand, and led her toward the door. "Have a nice day," he said, looking at someone.

  Lana looked over to see who he was talking to. It was the wax figure. "Someone has a sense of humor."

  "She sure does. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been happy about you bumping into her."

  "Making fun of me isn't going to help you discover any clues."

  "You're right, but it's fun. Has anyone ever told you that you're fun to tease?"

  "Just wait. I'll get you back."

  Brayden looked at her with a straight face. "But I don't make mistakes."

  "Oh, of course not."

  They entered a living room.

  "How many living rooms can one house have?" Lana asked.

  "Asks the architect."

  "For your information, today's mansions have Wii or Xbox rooms and home theaters. There isn't room for more than a typical living room and family room most of the time. And by the way, I can definitely tell you're an oldest."

  "Hey. What's that supposed to mean?"

  "You don't miss a beat to tease." She faked a hurt expression.

  He looked worried. "Did I go too far?"

  "As if. Did you already forget I have an older sister? I can take anything you dish out."

  "Oh? Is that a challenge?"

  Lana laughed. "Maybe. But first, we need to find a clue that everyone else missed."

  "Don't you think it would be in one of the bedrooms, or maybe his study?"

  "That's where everyone would look. We're looking for something hidden in plain sight."

  "If you say so."

  She let go of his hand and wandered to the other side of the room, eager to find something before him. If anything, she had the advantage of fresh eyes. He had probably been there countless times over the course of his life. Although, it would've helped if she'd had any idea what exactly she was looking for.

  "Find anything?" Brayden asked from across the room.

  "Not yet." She walked along the perimeter until she came to Brayden. They continued to look through the room, but nothing stuck out as unusual or interesting.

  The next room was a study or a home library. Shelves full of old books lined the walls.

  "Are people allowed to hold the books?" Lana asked.

  "They've never stopped anyone when I've been here. I don't think there's anything special about any of them, except for how old they are."

  Lana played with a strand of hair, looking over the shelves. There had to be over a hundred books just on the shelf in front of her. Was it possible people had gone through each one? One stray paper stashed inside the middle of one could hold the clue to an ancient murder mystery. "Do people usually look through these books?"

  "Not that I've seen," Brayden said. "Most people look around and go to a more interesting room. Some stop and flip through some pages, but that's all I've ever seen."

  "So, it's possible that not every book has been gone through page by page?"

  He chuckled. "I'd say that's quite likely, but you never know."

  Lana went over to a plaque that read about the room. Billy Kittle had spent a lot of time in this very room, often closed behind the doors, not telling anyone what he did. His family assumed he read or filled out papers for business. Kittle had started a handful of businesses in town, hiring people to run them. It had been the perfect way to hide behind his true source of income.

  As if anyone had any real question where his riches were from.

  "Find anything interesting?" Brayden asked, standing behind her. He rested his hand on her shoulder, and she loved the feel of him so close. Her stomach danced itself into knots.

  Lana leaned back, pressing her back against his chest. The smell of his aftershave surrounded her, and she took a deep breath. She wanted to turn around and plant her lips on his to find out if he tasted as good as he smelled. Everything about him was so…perfect. Lana wanted more. She wanted to be greedy and selfish.

  "Nothing interesting?" he whispered in her ear.

  Heat warmed Lana's face. "More than you know." She turned around and stared into his hazel eyes. They seemed to hold the same desire she felt, but he didn't move.

  Lana's gaze moved down toward his mouth. It looked so inviting… like it was made to be kissed. But she couldn't. She didn't want to ruin what they had. It was going so well, and it was too soon for a kiss. Besides, would he think she was too forward if she kissed him? He was from this small town, after all. Towns like this had a reputation for being behind the times.

  But he'd also spent his recent years in Dallas. She'd never been there, but wasn't it supposed to be a wild, loose place? All she really knew about the city was the football team and their infamous cheerleaders.

  She looked back up to his eyes. Was it her imagination, or had they grown darker as they stared at each other? Lana couldn't find her breath. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss him right there in the favorite room of the town's founder who'd died under such circumstances that two hundred years later,still no one knew the events surrounding his death.

  How romantic would that be? Who had a story like that? Surrounded by all that history and mystery.

  Brayden cleared his throat. "Maybe we should look at some of those books."

  "Good idea." Lana bolted for the shelf farthest away. Her heart raced. These feelings for Brayden—they were out of control. They had barely just met, and today was the first time they'd spent any real time together. Maybe she was feeling more intense emotions because of her recent trip the ER.

  Though it had turned out not to be that big a deal, it had been frightening. Lana hadn't known why her heart raced so fast, and it felt like everything was closing up on her. She hadn't even been sure if she would make it through the night. Sure, she'd kept a brave face, not wanting to worry her parents, but it was a proverbial "life flashing before your eyes" event.

  Now she held everything in a different perspective. Playing with her nephews was more important than ever. Maybe finding love had become a new subconscious desire.

  It was all happening too fast, especially considering she couldn't recall the last real date she'd been on, much less when she'd actually felt anything for anyone.

  She picked up a random book, and turned around, leaning against the shelf. She opened it, pretending to look, but examined the periphery. Brayden had
a stack of books next to him. He flipped through the one in his hands and then set it down, grabbing another one.

  Her heart fluttered. He was so gorgeous. It was no wonder her blood pressure reading was so far off when he took it the day they'd met in his clinic. She now had a heart condition, and he didn't help matters. Not with the way he made her feel.

  Brayden looked her way, and she looked down and flipped through the pages.

  Eleven

  Brayden slid the books back into place on the shelf. He took long, slow deep breaths trying to calm himself. He was having such a good time with Lana, but he couldn't deal with his overpowering feelings toward her. Every second they spent together, the more intense his feelings grew.

  He felt like he'd been hit by a train. Not just any train, but a speeding locomotive carrying a heavy load. Sure, he'd been in love before. Who his age hadn't? But this—whatever it was—it couldn't be love. They'd just met, and had hardly spent any time together.

  Oh, but the time they did have together. He knew she was something special. And she would probably think he was crazy for feeling so many things for her already.

  They needed to spend more time together and get to know each other better. He needed to treat this like any other thing in his life. Take everything logically and not jump into anything too soon.

  Brayden pulled out some more books and set them down next to him. He picked up the first one and flipped through the pages not paying any attention. The only thing he could think about was the beautiful blonde across the room. Even as he looked at the pages, she was all he could pay attention to.

  If his emotions weren't screaming at him, what would he think about the situation? He would give it more time, and give them both a chance to get to know each other better to see if they were a good match. What if they had no similar values?

  Also, he knew how relationships ended with tourists—they never worked out. He was delusional if he thought otherwise. He looked back over at her and knew that he didn't care. The only thing he wanted was to get to know her more… and hold her close again. When he had put his hand on her shoulder and she'd leaned closer to him, he'd barely been able to think straight.