Awake in Cheshire Bay

by H. M. Shander

  My intuition tickled with the possibility of my handsome dinner date, who worked in development, was only taking an interest in me and my ambassador mouth to buy up land in the area. Good thing outside of town was provincial land. However, it didn’t stop him from flashing cash at the locals. Damn. I needed shut my mouth.

  Chapter Four

  Our dinner ended, and the waiter appeared with the bill and a point-of-sale machine. Antonio produced an unfamiliar credit card complete with a merchant name I’d never seen before, and I’ve seen a variety of different cards. Even the waiter looked at it with curiosity.

  “Here,” I said, pulling mine out from my wallet.

  “No, Ember. My thank you for lovely dinner and lovely talk.”

  I waved my card, not taking no for an answer, even if the mispronunciation of my name was cute in his accent. The meal was expensive, and I wasn’t about to be trapped in an uncomfortable situation.

  “Honestly, it’s no big deal.” And it wasn’t since I didn’t go out much, and I could afford to splurge on a meal. It had been an enjoyable one, after all. Even as he struggled to speak in full sentences, I could’ve listened to him talk all night long.

  Antonio handed the waiter the card. “Please.”

  There was a strength in his voice that made me not want to challenge it further.

  The server didn’t even glance once in my direction and quickly swiped the card through, the beeping sounds echoing off the rocks behind the tables. He passed the machine to Antonio and asked the question that always made me cringe. “What are you two up to this evening? Going to take in one of the lighthouses?”

  Thanks to a website I’d read on smart comebacks to that question, I had one ready in my pocket. “If anyone asks, we were here all night.”

  The server froze and stared at me. “What?”

  “You can cover for me, right?” I leaned my forearms on the table, and tilted my head while I quickly, playfully, darted my gaze around.

  His eyes got larger, having failed to get my joke.

  Hastily, he tore off the receipt and handed it to Antonio, disappearing into the dining room. No doubt to gossip with the staff and inform them I’d lost my mind. Small towns were fun like that.

  I shook my head and tucked my unused card back into my wallet. My phone lit up with three messages. All from Cedar.

  Your tracker is still on.

  Are you still out with him?

  Call me tomorrow – I want details. All. Of. Them.

  “You smiling?” Antonio folded the receipt and tucked it into his wallet.

  Embarrassed, I dropped the phone back into my purse. “What? Yeah. Sorry. Just my friend.”

  “You are still safe.”

  It could’ve been a question, but I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to ask for clarification. “Thank you for dinner.”

  “My pleasure. You good company, and you love your village.”

  “Yes, I do. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

  He beamed. “Shall we walk? You show me more?”

  I rose and immediately, his hand was on my back guiding me out even though he was behind me. Those proverbial butterflies took flight, swirling all around. Seriously, there was something wrong with me.

  We’d walked through the restaurant, where thankfully not too many people took notice of us, and back out to the sidewalk, where once again, Antonio took the outside position and we headed down the hill back toward the motel.

  “Where to?”

  As much as I needed to leave him to his own devices and not give away any of our town’s secrets, I found myself wanting to stay with the man.

  “Ever been to a lighthouse?” There’d been no change of expression on his chiseled face, so I pursed my lips together as I thought of another idea. “If you’re looking for something different, that path will lead us to a nice embankment and a working lighthouse.”

  “Go that way.” There was a tinge of excitement in his voice as he pointed to the path leading to the embankment.

  We took the sidewalk around the end of the street, and I stopped to show him the start of the bay.

  The sand here was soft and powdery, a little teaser to the big beach near Stewart’s Surf. Those were the only two with this type of sand, aside from the private beaches in front of Eric’s house. All the others in the area had fine pebbles, or rocks resembling pieces of glass. I needed to remember to give him directions to those places as they were really something to see, especially the beached with all the coloured pieces, it was like sea glass or something.

  “Are there beaches like this where you’re from?”

  He paced beside me. “Yes, but not immediate to home. Take car ride to get there.”

  Hmm...my brain went wild with possibilities.

  “Well, here the beaches are all around the little peninsula, and the buildings are a little rundown.”

  My wandering gaze tried to see the area as a developer would, and while the architecture was reminiscent of an upscale 1960’s style, it hadn’t been as well maintained over the years. Cracks, which I thought added character, probably looked like scars to someone who’d be more interested in tearing it down and rebuilding.

  I spoke and added as much personality into how things were. “That motel, the one you’re staying at? It’s been run by one family, over the generations, as are most of the businesses.”

  Antonio scanned the area, nodding slightly.

  “But no one sells. Ever.” I added for effect. “The beach houses, those get willed down to the children, and the grandchildren.”

  The house Eric owned had been in his family for three generations, and Lily’s was something like that too. Only Jesse had recently acquired a beach house in the past five years, and that was a total fluke. It was on the market less than twenty-four hours.

  I stopped babbling about the area and followed Antonio’s mesmerized gaze out to the sea. This place, my home, was truly a thing of beauty.

  “When and if you get your luggage, I highly recommend you go check out the bay, and maybe even go for a swim. You won’t regret it. It’s cold but refreshing.”

  The bay was beautiful, a little closed off from the rest of the Pacific edge so the waves didn’t crash and thunder against the shore. Instead, it was perfect for families as the little ones could splash and play without worries of an undercurrent pulling them away. Although this time of year, the ocean was a little cool, but it still felt nice. And curling up in front of a roaring beach fire was the perfect way to end it.

  “See what rest of night brings.”

  We left the view of the bay behind, and entered the grove where the temperature dipped, but the fresh scent of pine and spruce was ripe in the air.

  Fall was one of my absolute favourite times of the year, the morning and evening air was crisp, and the afternoon was warm. Not everyone enjoyed the swing in temperatures, but I sure did. Mainly because I got to experience the peak heat of the day. My shift either ended mid-afternoon or started at that time.

  The gravel crunched beneath my runners as we climbed the path, and tree roots appeared to twist and run alongside, if they didn’t pop up through a crack.

  Antonio didn’t speak, and for once, I didn’t either, but I wanted to keep him talking, and not do so much thinking. His silence was a little unnerving.

  “Are you a morning person?”

  His lips parted slowly, and he stopped his pace as if trying to understand.

  “Do you enjoy getting up before the sunrise?”

  A broad smile filled his face, and he resumed walking. “Ja.”

  “Then tomorrow when you wake up, if you do before the sun rises, come out this way, you’ll see the most beautiful morning. The mist rolls in off the sea, and the air is peaceful and serene, and sometimes you can hear a ship blow its horn in the distance.”

  “You have done this before?” His melodic comment warmed my soul and sent a flood of heat over my chest. He was taking in every word, every syllable, as h
e stared into my eyes.

  “Yeah. I’m an early riser. Always have been. Sunsets don’t do much for me, but a good sunrise? It can start your day off pretty magical.”

  “I try to take in this sunrise.”

  “Oh, you must.” I was so excited to share my love of mornings with someone. Maybe if I got up early enough, I could meet him. Good grief, what was I thinking? I’d just met the man.

  Not paying attention as I chastised myself, my foot caught a tree root and I stumbled forward, arms flailing about.

  A strong arm grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close, preventing my face from being gravel fodder. It took a second before he let me go, and I’ll be the first to admit, it was sure nice being held that way.

  “Thank you.” My heart pounded in my chest as I gazed into his eyes, my breath completely frozen in my lungs.

  “You are welcome.”

  I stood there, facing him for some time until I felt I was able to walk again. My knees were weak, but not from the fall.

  “You are okay?”

  I shook my head to clear the fogginess in my brain. “Yeah. Sorry.” I put a foot or two of distance between us. “I should watch where I walk.”

  “My sister is…” He circled his hand as if he was trying to find the right word. “Klutso? That is right word?”

  I nodded. “Klutzy? As in she falls a lot?”

  “Yes. I catch a lot too.” He chuckled at some memory. “You have siblings?”

  “Had. I had a brother.” I muttered under my breath and turned to walk away.

  The question had caught me off guard and caused the once racing blood to drain out of my head, and with it, the pounding ceased. In its wake, a knot of anger formed. Some wounds never healed.

  “You do not need to talk. I understand family dynamics.”

  I caught my breath but continued to climb the path and put a little more distance between us. The hill wasn’t terribly steep and even in fancy shoes, my guest should have no issues ascending the path. Besides, it wasn’t a long uphill stretch.

  However, whenever I checked, which was every third or fourth step, Antonio was never more than an arm’s length away.

  “Your family, what they be like?”

  “Smaller now.” It was meant to come out as a joke, but that was on me.

  Antonio didn’t crack a smile.

  “My parents live in Victoria, in a nice retirement community, but we don’t keep in touch anymore.”

  “No? That’s sad.”

  Why was I compelled to tell this stranger my sordid past? What was it about the way he leaned in closer to take in all I said? Why were those eyes so intoxicating to look into and feel at peace with? As if I could share the darkest parts of me without worry? It was all a lie, I was sure. Still, I could tell Antonio the things I was comfortable sharing on social media. Besides, half this town knew anyway.

  I inhaled a fresh lungful of ocean air and threw my focus out into the void, refusing to make eye contact. “We drifted apart after my brother died.”

  “I am sorry for loss.” He wore a sympathetic smile but if he knew the real reason my brother died, it’s likely his smile would disappear.

  My hand flew through the air, dismissing the sweet sentiment. “It was ten years ago. I’ve made my peace with it.”

  Even if I never got an explanation, nor an apology, the pain of the memories will live with me forever. On the plus side, at least I no longer had to see the monster and be reminded of his evilness.

  “Your parents, did they?”

  I shrugged and covered my laugh, finally taking in the interest flickering in the depths of his gaze. “Did they make peace with the whole ordeal? Not likely.”

  They had a daughter who charged their own flesh and blood with the most heinous of crimes. No, they never got over that.

  “They live there, but they do not communicate with you, correct?”

  I nodded.

  “They lost two people.”

  I no longer cared, and it took many years of therapy to learn to let go of that pain. “It was their choice. It all stemmed from a difference of opinions, and it divided us. They stuck to their beliefs, and I stuck to mine, neither bending.”

  More like they thought it was impossible a child they raised could do what he did, although they had implied to a small degree it was my fault, and I should’ve said something to them sooner. But I doubt it would’ve changed their opinion on their all-star, sought-after football player who had just been accepted to a major American University on a full scholarship.

  “You hurt.”

  “I did.” Shrugging off the dull ache. “I don’t now though.”

  And it was true. Mostly.

  I no longer allowed myself to be pushed around or trapped in situations I couldn’t get out of. I excelled in self-defense but learned how to calm a rowdy patron before things got physical. Oh, I learned, and I learned the hard way. That was in the past, however, and my future stretched out in front of me like the beach on the sea.

  In this moment though, I was tired of dancing around it, and the ache spreading across my chest wasn’t good for me. Time to push it back down and remember why I came up here to begin with.

  The view.

  The amazing, take your breath away view.

  We made it to the top and the canopy of treetops thinned out, revealing a sky dotted with peeks of blue sky among the thick, light-grey clouds. But the best view was the one beyond it as the path leveled out. The grassy trail gave way to rocks covered in a healthy layer of moss, the path more gravel than dirt and it snaked its way through the middle of the tiny embankment of peninsula.

  Antonio stopped and stared, his jaw going slack as he scanned the seascape.

  I knew the feeling – the first time I saw it, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

  The Pacific Ocean surrounded us, cliffs on either side a hundred feet up above sea level. As the path followed out to the horizon, the heights of the embankments rose and fell, dropping to a modest twenty feet high out by the lighthouse. Waves crashed against the rocky outcropping, an indication to me at least, how a storm was brewing off in the distance, and the salty air had a cool taste to it.

  The breeze blew across my body, and I shuddered involuntarily.

  Before I could protest, Antonio had shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. When he gently pulled my hair up and over the collar, the skin at the nape of my neck tingled. Did guys like this really exist? Was I dreaming?

  “Thank you.” My breath barely rolled out of me.

  He surveyed the scenery. “This view, it is majestic.”

  My smile grew in strength. “Yeah, that’s the perfect word.”

  There was a bench nearby and I pointed to it, as I needed a place to sit. My foolish legs were turning into wet noodles.

  “Care to sit?”

  He waited until I sat before he joined me. “Thank you for showing me.”

  “My pleasure.”

  I leaned against the back rest and gazed over at Antonio. His face was as relaxed as his posture. It was a pleasant change from the stiff form he’d be presenting since I met him.

  “Do you have anything like this where you come from?”

  “No.”

  I leaned a bit closer and as I did, I inhaled a spicy scent lingering on the jacket. “I can’t place your accent. Where are you from?”

  “It is not relevant. I here only for little time.”

  Was it Russian? His grasp of English was damn decent, but there was just something about his voice and inflections that highlighted how much of a foreigner he was.

  His attention fell away from the breathtaking seaside view and instead settled over me. “You are very beautiful woman.”

  “Oh, stop.” Despite my protest, a blush crept over my chest.

  How many other women had he said that to? Probably oodles, and I was sure they all fell at his feet because how could you not? I was fighting my own urges to resist him, and I
was typically good at rejecting men. Very good.

  “I speak truth.”

  “Well, you flatter me, thank you.” My chest swelled and a content feeling spread through me.

  He reached for my hand, lifted it, and planted a kiss across my knuckles. “My perfect day because of you.”

  The phone inside his jacket pocket rang, and I jumped from the vibration as I was wearing it.

  He pulled back the lapel. “May I?”

  “Oh, yes, of course.”

  He was being a perfect gentleman as he opened the jacket as much as possible without taking it off and reached into the depth of the breast pocket. An involuntary groan rolled out of me as his hand inadvertently grazed my breast, and I wished the ground would open and swallow me whole.

  “Ja.” Antonio answered, rising, and walking out to towards the seaside path.

  Once again, he spoke in his foreign tongue, the words low and throaty. This call was quicker and before I had too much time to allow my thoughts to drift away, he eclipsed my view.

  “My crew at hotel.”

  It was a motel, but I wasn’t about to correct him, he’d find out soon enough the stark contrasts between the two.

  Our time together was over.

  I’d spent more time with Antonio than originally expected and had dinner with a handsome man for the first time in a long time. As much as I had enjoyed the company of the charming Mr. Welsh, it was time to face reality, as fairytales weren’t real.

  My heart undeniably heavy, I sighed. “Your crew awaits. Let’s get you back.”

  Chapter Five

  When we made it back to the motel, there were two flight crew members hanging out by the office. The epaulets on their crisp white shirts gave them away better than a neon arrow pointing straight at them. The smaller of the two, a female, wore the pilot uniform and the tall guy beside her was the captain.

  Unsure if they spoke much English or not, I walked over and introduced myself, slowly and clearly. “Amber Middleton.”

  “Pleased to meet you. I’m Captain Elijah Lancaster and this is my first officer, Miss Sorcha Browne.” His English was perfect, as Canadian as I was, but he had a hint of an accent. “Thank you for guiding our Mr. Welsh around. I hear you are good company.”