Bayside Wishes

by Stacy Claflin

  "I don't know. Maybe it's a sign to take things slowly. I really have no idea."

  He put his arm around her. "He really likes you."

  "What?"

  "I spent a bit of time with him before I started my interviews. Whenever your name came up, his whole demeanor changed."

  "Really?"

  "He's a good guy, Freya. Don't let that psycho blonde get in the middle of things."

  Freya laughed.

  "What's so funny?"

  "I just never thought I'd see the day that a guy would be good enough for me in your eyes."

  "Well, no one is, but he's about as close as anyone's going to get."

  Freya's heart warmed. "Thanks, Shale. It's hard not to question everything when Morgan keeps showing up."

  "With any luck, tonight was the last you'll ever have to think about her."

  "And what about you? Are you really going to be okay?"

  "I hope so." He took a deep breath. "Honestly, I think I stand a much better chance being back here. I already feel stronger having family around. Mom is keeping me fed, Dad is keeping me busy around the house, and our brothers have been getting me out of the house. It's been good, and it's only going to get better with you around."

  She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Yeah, I kind of get the feeling that being back is going to have a similar effect on me."

  "You and I, we're going to keep each other accountable, okay? I'm going to make sure you're eating enough. And you're going to make sure I'm not getting drunk."

  Freya put her hand out and they shook on it.

  Sand crunched as someone walked in their direction. The footsteps slowed, and then the person stopped in front of them.

  "Nico?" Freya asked. "How did you know we were here?"

  "He texted me." Shale rose. "I'll give you guys some space."

  Freya glanced back and forth between them.

  "You going to give her a ride back home?" Shale asked.

  Nico nodded.

  "See you guys later." Shale took off.

  Nico sat next to Freya. "Are you okay?"

  "Define okay."

  "I'm really sorry about Morgan." He looked into her eyes. "I thought she'd already flown back to New York. I don't even know how she found out about the party. Like I said, I'll pay for all the damages. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have shown up."

  "Is she gone now?"

  He released a long, slow breath. "She'd better be. I purchased her a ticket and took her as far as I could without buying myself one. If she doesn't get on the plane, I might just have to fly her back myself."

  "And give her what she wants—time alone with you."

  "I'm filing a restraining order against her if she comes back."

  "If she comes back?" Freya asked. "What about now? She's caused property damage."

  He was silent for a moment and then nodded. "You're right. I was hoping she'd just get on the plane and stay away, but if she does come back, jail might be the only thing that gets through to her."

  Freya stared into his eyes. "There's nothing between you two, right?"

  Nico seemed hurt by the question. "Nothing, I swear."

  "Why does she think you're engaged?"

  His brows came together. "Part of what she said was true. We were together in high school, though it was more of an on-again, off-again thing. Every time she found herself in between guys, she'd come running to me. She's one of those people who has to be in a relationship at all times. Shortly before I moved out here, she got it in her head that we were going to get married. We'd been seeing each other steadily for about a year, and I humored her. Mostly just curious to see how serious she was. Then this job opportunity came up. I knew she'd never make the move, but I offered it to her. She refused, hoping I'd stay. Now here we are. Obviously, she's in between relationships again."

  "Has she ever freaked out like that before?"

  "In high school, when I brought someone else to the senior prom. She went with someone else, but couldn't handle me having a date other than her."

  Freya took a deep breath and gazed at the water, shining in the moonlight.

  "I'm really sorry about her. If I could go back in time, I would have never spoken with her."

  "We all have our baggage." Freya slid her hand over and found his.

  Nico slid his fingers between hers and squeezed. "You seem perfect. What could you possibly be carrying around?"

  She turned and made eye contact. How could she tell him?

  "You mean your brother?" he asked.

  Freya shook her head. Her heart pounded against her chest.

  Nico brought her hand up to his mouth and gave it a gentle kiss. "Nothing you tell me could make me think less of you."

  She held his gaze. Her heart continued to thunder, and she was sure he could hear it. The last thing she wanted to tell him was that she'd been starving herself. It made her weak. Broken.

  Superficial—going to such lengths for her appearance.

  "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready." He brushed his lips across her knuckles. "I'm just glad you're willing to give me another chance after all that. You are, right?"

  The corners of her mouth twitched. "Yes, of course."

  He pulled her close. "It's such a relief to hear you say that." They sat quietly for a couple minutes. "It's so nice to have you here in person. Don't get me wrong, I loved our conversations, but they can't compare to this."

  She leaned her head against his. "No, they don't."

  "So, you're really going to stay in town?"

  Freya smiled at the hope in his voice. "Yes. I'm going to find some work around here, starting with my sister's business."

  He kissed her temple. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

  She turned and smiled. "You may have had something to do with my decision to move back here."

  "Is that why it was a surprise?"

  "Kind of."

  "Or this?" He brushed aside her faux bangs and kissed her bruise. "What happened?"

  "I can't get anything by you or Shale, can I?"

  "Nobody hit you, did they?" Nico cupped her chin and guided her to meet his gaze.

  Her face burned, but at least he wouldn't be able to tell in the twilight. "I assure you, it's entirely self-inflicted."

  Nico brought his mouth to her ear and rubbed his thumb across her jawline. "Why?"

  His breath tickled. Shivers ran down her back. She turned and met his gaze. Then she looked down and stared at a scuff on his leather jacket.

  "What happened?" he whispered and again guided her to face him.

  Freya's heart raced. She felt safe with him, but at the same time, shame plagued her. The battle with food was commonplace among the friends she left behind, but would he understand?

  He continued to hold her gaze. "I would never judge you."

  Looking into his eyes, Freya knew he meant it. She inched a little closer. "I fainted."

  Nico seemed to understand that there was more—that she was testing the waters. He pulled some of her hair behind her ear. "That sounds scary. Were you okay?"

  Freya swallowed and then nodded. She realized she was squeezing his hand and let go. "I hadn't had enough to eat that day and the photo shoot was a little intense."

  He tilted his head and his brows came together. "You didn't have enough to eat?"

  She shrugged.

  "Has that happened a lot?"

  "I've only fainted the one time."

  His face clouded over. "Do they put pressure on you to not eat enough? Now that I think about it, over the last couple months when we talked, you were hungry a lot."

  Her face warmed. "It's just part of the industry."

  "Not eating?" he exclaimed.

  "It is what is it is."

  Nico cupped her face again. "Promise me you'll eat enough."

  She nodded.

  "Say it. I'm worried about you, Freya. I don't know how I missed it before, but every single time we sp
oke, you were hungry."

  "I'm done with that. That's part of the reason I'm here."

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I feel sick. Just sick." He opened his eyes. "How did I miss it?"

  "I don't have a problem. In fact, I'm already eating more and better."

  Nico stared into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

  "Didn't you see how much I ate at the party?"

  He shook his head.

  "I have an idea. Let's go out for dinner. You can watch me eat. Put your worries at ease."

  Nico ran his fingers through the length of her hair. "Nothing would make me happier." He stared into her eyes and then leaned closer. "This is what I wanted to do earlier, but now it means even more."

  He closed his eyes and brushed his lips over hers. Nico smelled of mint and sandalwood, and his mouth was warm and soft. She responded, kissing him back. He wrapped his arms around her, making her feel both cherished and safe.

  Twenty-One

  Nico sipped his cherry cola as he watched Freya finish off her meal.

  She glanced up at him and smiled. "See? I'm eating. No chance of passing out, and even if I did, at least I'm home with Dakota now."

  "That's good. I don't want to get preachy, but have you seen a doctor about this?"

  Freya nodded. "I was given an eating plan at the hospital."

  Nico nearly dropped his fork. "Hospital?"

  Her eyes widened. "Did I forget to mention that part?"

  "Yes."

  "They were worried after I hit my head, but as long as I follow the plan, I'll be fine."

  "Are you? Following it?"

  "Mostly."

  Nico arched a brow. "Mostly? That's not—"

  "You should see all the carbs they want me to ingest." She shook her head. "I have to draw the line somewhere. I'm eating more meat, fruits, and veggies. Even a little dairy."

  "Bread or pasta?"

  "Did you hear what I said about carbs?" She laughed. It was a beautiful sound.

  "I'll have to keep working to get you to eat those."

  "Go ahead and try." Her eyes shone with happiness.

  "Is that a challenge?" he asked.

  "If you think you're going to get me to eat processed carbs, it is."

  He thought about it. "Okay. You're on."

  "A battle of the wills. This could be fun."

  "Most of the food I eat is either bread or pasta," he said. "I fully intend to bring you over to the dark side."

  She glanced at the remainder of his fettuccine alfredo. "I hope you're not going to add sauces to your list."

  "That and butter. Oh, desserts. We can't forget those."

  Freya shook her head. "That's not going to happen."

  "You know, no food is bad when eaten in moderation. Even dessert."

  She shook her head.

  He thought about it. "I have an idea. We'll do an exchange. For every sugar or carb I introduce you to, you can give me a vegetable."

  "That could be interesting. I take you don't eat many greens?"

  "I don't suppose you're talking about the green M&M's, are you?"

  Freya burst out laughing. "I'm so making you a green smoothie."

  Nico's mouth went dry. "That sounds downright scary. Can we start with something smaller? Like a strawberry?"

  "Only if I start with a single noodle as my first carb."

  "How about we meet for dinner tomorrow?" he asked. "You bring a fruit smoothie and I'll make ravioli stuffed with veggies."

  "You drive a hard bargain, but I accept. Did you say you're going to make ravioli?" She gave him a curious look.

  "Well, I'll pick it up from this little Italian place and I'll boil it."

  She nodded. "Sounds good. What time tomorrow?"

  "How about—?"

  His phone rang. He'd set it so that only calls from work would go through.

  Nico groaned. "I'm sorry, I have to take this."

  "Sure." Freya sipped her lemon water.

  He accepted the call. "Sergeant Valentin."

  "Sergeant, this is Henderson. We just got a lead in Turner's case."

  The restaurant seemed to spin around Nico. "What is it?"

  "A case in a different county ran a DNA sample that matches our killer."

  "Where? Do they have him in custody?"

  "No, but it was another drug deal gone bad. We know he's moving north."

  "I've got to get down there. Give me a few minutes."

  "Right."

  The call ended. Nico turned to Freya. "I have good news and bad news."

  "We have to cut the date short?"

  "I'm sorry."

  "It's all right. I need to get back and check on Dakota."

  Nico put his face into his hands. "Will you tell her again how sorry I am? And that I'll pay all damages."

  Freya nodded. "What's the good news?"

  "We have a lead on Turner's case."

  Her eyes lit up. "You guys found Chase's killer?"

  "The news isn't that good yet. But after the trail had nearly gone cold, we have a good lead."

  "We'd better get going so you can help them solve the case."

  "You're not upset about having to cut the date short?" he asked.

  She shook her head. "No, this is huge."

  Nico smiled. Freya was certainly something else. He couldn't help thinking about all the times he'd been called in when he'd been somewhere with Morgan. There were times she'd gotten irate over his need to go to work. Never once had she ever been even half as understanding as Freya.

  "It'll probably be good for your career if you solve this, right?" Freya asked.

  "I'm not close to a promotion, but if anything did become available, this would certainly help."

  The server brought the check. Nico reached for the receipt, but Freya snatched it from him. "Let me pay this time." She gave him a look that told him he'd best not argue.

  "If you're sure."

  "Of course, and besides, I'm living rent-free with my sister—who you've offered to pay large sums of money to." Freya winked and pulled out a credit card.

  "How much is that stuff worth?" Nico asked.

  "I have no idea." Freya handed her card to the server.

  As he held the car door for her, he apologized again.

  "Don't worry about it. That's how it is with your job. I'm just glad we got some time together—and had a chance to sort out the misunderstanding."

  He ran his fingers along her jawline. "Me, too." Then he closed her door, climbed into his side, and started the engine.

  Nico's mind raced over the short drive to Dakota's. He didn't want to drop off Freya, but on the other hand, he also wanted to find out everything about the new lead on Turner's killer.

  "You don't have to get out," Freya said. "I know you're in a hurry."

  "Forget that. I can take two minutes to walk to the door." He hurried out and held open her car door.

  Freya smiled at him and climbed out. "I had a really good time."

  "So did I." He stared into her eyes for a moment and then gave her a quick kiss. "Until tomorrow night."

  "Green juice, right?" she teased.

  "And I'll make my famous bread-bowl soup—with extra bread."

  Her smile faded. "Did I say green juice? I meant fruit smoothie."

  Nico gave her a playful smirk. "And I meant veggie-stuffed ravioli."

  She shoved him. "I'd better let you go."

  He grabbed her to-go box, closed the door, and took her hand. When they got to the front door, Freya unlocked it. "Thanks again for a wonderful time."

  Dakota came over and gave Nico a double-take. She turned to Freya. "Didn't you leave with Shale?"

  "Long story."

  Nico turned to Dakota. "I can't apologize enough for Morgan. I have no idea how she found out about the party."

  "You have nothing to apologize for—you tried to stop her, at least."

  "I'll pay the damages. Just let me know what they are."

  Dak
ota shook her head. "Logan's going to go after her for me. No sense in you paying anything."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Of course, and you know Logan. He'll get it out of her."

  Nico chuckled. "I'm sure he will." He took Freya's hand and kissed the back of it. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

  "That you will."

  Their gaze lingered a moment until Nico forced himself to pull away. He handed her the to-go box and headed back to the car. When he turned for one last look at her, Freya blew him a kiss before closing the door behind herself. He stared at the closed door, allowing all the events of the night to settle.

  It was hard to believe that Freya was not only back in town, but there to stay. That morning when Nico had woken up, he'd had no idea what the day was going to bring. Aside from all of Morgan's drama, everything had gone so much better than he could have hoped for.

  Things were moving in the right direction with Freya. And hopefully, the same was true for solving Turner's case.

  He spun around and got into his car. By the time he got to the station, Wilson, Henderson, and Reese had turned the conference room into what looked like a tornado had hit a pile of paperwork.

  "What do we have here?" Nico asked.

  They each shared a bit about the case in light of the new evidence.

  "Should we plan on visiting Morrow County?" Nico asked.

  "They've raised the priority level of their search," Reese said. "As soon as they found out the jerk had killed one of our own, they called us and put more people on the case. If you want to call their department, you can hear everything from them."

  "I'll have to do that." Nico settled into a chair and grabbed a stack of papers. He flipped through them and studied some that were pinned to the wall. Once he felt caught up on the case, he called and put them on speaker phone. From the sounds of it, they were certain he was still in their area.

  Nico turned to Reese. "I still want you undercover. See what you can find out about this."

  "You've got it, Sarge."

  He brought out his laptop and worked until his vision went blurry. Then he grabbed some black coffee and kept going.

  "Hey, Valentin."

  Nico sat up. "What? What's the matter?"

  "You fell asleep," Wilson said. "Maybe we should call it a night."

  It was after three in the morning. "You guys go ahead. I'm going to lie down on the couch in my office for a few minutes, then I'm going to get back to this."