Keeping Cape Summer (A Pelican Pointe novel Book 11)

by Vickie McKeehan

  He gripped her butt, lifted her up against the tile. She wrapped her legs around him, threw her head back. His vision went ragged as she shuddered, the tremble making his heart hammer in his chest.

  Her nails scraped down his back, her teeth nipped his shoulder. He thought he heard a muffled moan as she went lax in his arms. He’d held out, but now took that pulsing rhythm to a higher arc. Letting himself go, he drove deeper, sending them both toward that energy field of ecstasy, that higher rapture, where raw need meets heaven.

  Afterward, they ate sitting cross-legged on the bed, devouring cold fries and soggy sandwiches.

  Sampling each other’s menu choices, Gilly broke off a corner of the lobster roll. “I should’ve ordered that.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing about the club.”

  They traded.

  “What time do we pick up the kids?”

  “Less than an hour. What shall we do tonight?”

  “I was thinking a walk on the beach.”

  “Really? That’s so funny. I live this close to the water, and yet, I don’t do that often enough. I’m always in a hurry to get home or get somewhere else.”

  “It’s the perfect night for it. We should take the kids through the Marine Rescue Center sometime. They’d love all the animals.”

  “Once you get settled, we’ll make a point of doing that.”

  Simon was about to agree when his cell phone buzzed, the sound coming from down the hallway. Naked, he got out of bed to retrieve the device he’d stuffed down in his jeans and left on the floor near the bathroom. He looked at the readout but didn’t recognize the area code. “Hello?”

  He heard static on the other end of the line. “Hello?” he repeated.

  “Bro, is that you?”

  Simon recognized the familiar voice right away, especially hearing it break out in a rendition of “Born to be Wild.” Eagle Eye sounded stoned or drunk.

  “Where are you?”

  Instead of getting an answer, Simon heard more singing. Then the line went dead. He hit redial, but no one picked up.

  Puzzled and annoyed, he gathered up their scattered clothes and walked back to the bedroom to Gilly.

  Almost immediately, she could tell something was bothering him. “Who was that?”

  “Nobody.”

  His mood had changed, a definite somber demeanor had replaced the carefree, after-sex glow. She let it go because they needed to head to Neenah’s house to get the kids.

  But even then, he was subdued to the point of distracted. All during their meal at the Diner, and then on their leisurely stroll at the beach, he kept looking at his phone, redialing a number over and over again.

  Her first instinct was, of course, dark. Was he cheating on her? She dismissed that notion almost right away. Where on earth had he carved out the time to see someone else? They could barely keep up with their own space and time, let alone bringing in a third party.

  From the pier, they watched the sun go down over the glistening water. They sat there, neither one talking, until dusk, watching the lights wink on up and down the strand.

  It wasn’t until a drowsy Delaney turned in her arms that she realized the baby had fallen asleep. She tugged on Simon’s sleeve. “I think we should go.”

  “Oh. Sure. Absolutely.” He bundled Jayden up in his arms, called to Merlin, and set off toward Crescent Street with the boy clutched to his chest.

  Once they reached the house, Gilly wanted to know, “Are you staying tonight?”

  He set Jayden on his feet and watched as the tyke ran off to get his cars. “How does this work exactly if Delaney doesn’t have her crib?”

  “I dug out Jayden’s and put it together yesterday afternoon. I set it up in the guest room for Delaney.”

  “Oh. Well, I’m not an expert at this. In fact, maybe I have no right to even have a kid.”

  “Where’s this coming from? Tell me what’s wrong. You’ve been acting weird since that phone call.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t talk about it.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  Noticing the rise in her tone, he quietly pointed out, “If you plan on yelling at me, maybe you should take Delaney in the other room.”

  She growled low in her throat. “Simon, I don’t want to yell. But you said you wanted to be there for me. Always. That’s what you said. Your words, not mine. Then when I try to poke a secret out of that brain of yours, to find out why you’re so down, I hit the silent wall. Always is a long time to keep secrets.”

  “Maybe you have a few I don’t know about,” he muttered.

  “What would that be? Oh. Wait. I’m not supposed to tell anyone that Logan’s auctioning off a trip to Greece, where he still owns a house there. Maybe you should just…leave…get out of here.”

  “Fine. Come on, Merlin. Let’s go back to our place.”

  The dog wasn’t sure if he wanted to go. But when she transferred the baby to Simon’s arms and watched him walk out the door, Merlin trotted after him, albeit reluctantly.

  She’d thrown his words back at him and he couldn’t blame her. He’d been an idiot, but he didn’t admit that until he sat alone with Merlin in the dark, sulking.

  Delaney had gone down without any effort at all. He’d searched his CDs for some soul-wrenching strings and piano and listened as Bach drifted out of the speakers. It fit his mood perfectly.

  Merlin let out a low whine. But it was the eyes Simon saw first. Scott’s eyes.

  “I’m not in the mood,” Simon said in a faint, raspy voice.

  “Maybe you should get in the mood.”

  “Back off.” He held up his middle finger to go with the warning.

  “Del Rio couldn’t possibly have made you this upset.”

  “What do you know about it?”

  “Just that your kill count could’ve sparked a movie.” Even in the dim shadows, Scott saw Simon pale.

  “Gilly keeps bugging me about it.”

  “That’s actually not true,” Scott said.

  “Take her side then.”

  “There are no sides to this, Simon. You’ve killed for your country, you’ve done things that followed you back home. No one can prevent you from feeling guilty about it. But we can help you heal. You aren’t the first soldier to do it and you won’t be the last. They’ll be other wars, other snipers with more kills to their credit than you. Del Rio needs help. He reached out to you. No one else.”

  “What do you want me to do? Go get him? I don’t even know for sure where he is. And even if I did I don’t know that I can be around him without dredging up bad memories. Don’t you get it? Really bad memories. Are ghosts that dumb? I want to help the guy out, I do, but I might not be able to handle having him around. It might not be the best thing for me. Get it now?”

  “It’ll take weeks to track him down. Del Rio. He won’t get here in time.”

  “In time for what? What are you talking about?”

  “You’re here for a reason.”

  “And what would that be? To screw up Gilly’s life more than it already is?”

  “Maybe you should start by telling her that one of your own, one of your friends needs your help, that you’re worried about a buddy. Then take it from there. Tell her everything. Truth, Simon, is better than any pride or stowing secrets in here.” Scott tapped his chest. “Be the man Gilly thinks you are. Be the friend Del Rio needs.”

  Simon’s eyes watered. He put his head in his hands. When he started to speak, he looked back up, but he was alone again in the room.

  He picked up his phone and texted Gilly.

  I’m sorry. Is the offer still open to talk?

  Of course. I’ll be there in ten minutes.

  True to her word, she showed up on his porch with Jayden in her arms, sound asleep. After putting the toddler to bed in the guest room, she took a seat on the sofa. And waited. She watched him pace, back and forth, back and forth, until she couldn’t take it any longer.

  “Wh
y tell me now, Simon? What’s changed?”

  “Because you deserve to know what kind of person I am.” Once he started talking, everything poured out, the faces, young and old, male and female, and those he couldn’t save. Buddies he’d known for years. He told her about the tortured dreams, his guilt, and now someone was calling him who needed help, someone worse off than him, someone who dredged up all the lousy memories, someone who brought them back into focus as if it all had happened yesterday.

  “I don’t know if I can do it. Don’t you see? It’ll be too painful seeing him every day. I don’t have that kind of courage inside me anymore.”

  She patted the seat next to her and watched as he dropped, exhausted, into the cushions. She wrapped him up in her arms, just like she had Jayden an hour earlier. “Simon, you’re the strongest man I’ve ever known. Stop selling yourself short. You need to do this for yourself and your friend. It’ll be okay. It’ll all be okay.”

  He sank deeper into her arms, wondering what he’d done to deserve a woman like this, who could see past his faults, and could forgive him for the unforgivable.

  Twenty-Seven

  On Monday morning, while Gilly looked after Delaney, Simon waited outside the First Bank of Pelican Pointe, for it to open.

  An attractive brunette he didn’t recognize came around the corner, dressed in a gray business suit, her hair held back in a bun. He didn’t know women wore buns anymore, not even his mother. He wasn’t sure whether she was trying to look older than her years, or just very conservative in her dress.

  “You’re either a very eager customer here to make a deposit or cash a check or you’re here to rob me on my very first day on the job.”

  “What? No. I’m Simon Bremmer. I have an appointment. I’m here to sign my life away or at least thirty years of it. I bought a house. Today is closing. Please tell me you know what I’m talking about.”

  She waved a hand through the air. “Sorry. I’m nervous. I’m Naomi Townsend. I’ll walk you through all the paperwork.”

  “Where’s Nick?”

  “He’s taking the week off,” Naomi explained, showing Simon to her office, a smaller one right next to Nick’s.

  “Good for him. He needs a month off.”

  “That’s why he hired me. I’m more than willing to take up the slack while he recharges. When I asked him where he planned to go, I thought he’d say somewhere exotic, but all he plans to do is hang out with his kids at home.”

  “You’ll find around here, family is high on the old totem pole. So you’re Nick’s new hire?”

  She made a slight nod and slid into business mode. “Second in command, the new bank vice president. I’m a transplant from a small town, much like this one, but in the heart of the Midwest, Grand Island, Nebraska, to be exact.”

  “Ah, that’s a long way from here. I thought I detected a cornhusker twang.”

  “Yes, well, you’re not from here either,” she stated. “Back east somewhere I’d guess, from the definite accent.”

  “Rhode Island. Can you really take care of closing, or do I have to wait another week for Nick to get back? I have movers all lined up and everything for today.”

  “No, no. I’m happy to help you. It’s a simple process for the bank. I’d normally offer you a cup of coffee right about now, but I’d have to make it first and you seem like you’re in a hurry to get this done.”

  “Had a gallon of the stuff already. And yeah, I’d appreciate getting this show on the road.”

  “No problem. Give me a minute to locate your file and we’ll be in business.”

  She disappeared into Nick’s office and while Simon waited, one of the tellers showed up for work. Heidi Radford swung by Naomi’s office. “Everything okay in here? Want coffee?”

  “No thanks, I’m fine.”

  When Naomi returned she had an armload of file folders.

  Simon swallowed hard. “Is that all mine?”

  “No,” Naomi said with a laugh. “You’re just one of many today and the first to get here.” She took him through the paperwork, line by line, explaining each notation, spelling out the terms. She went over homeowners’ insurance and details that scared him just a little bit.

  “I put the down payment in escrow when I made the offer on the house.”

  “Again, not what I’m used to, but it’ll make today’s closing that much easier.” She showed him the places to sign and initial.

  His fear slid away as he scrawled his name on the documents, signing where she indicated. He watched her fold the fat papers and stuff them all into a large white envelope with his name on it. She then handed it off with a set of keys.

  He stood up, ready to get out of there. “That must be an extra set. Logan gave me the keys two weeks ago.”

  Naomi smiled widely. “That’s certainly different than what I’m used to doing, too, but I get it. Pelican Pointe is a much smaller community.”

  Simon was in a hurry, but he cocked his head to study her. “Which causes me to wonder why you’d pick here.”

  “We all have our secrets, Mr. Bremmer. I’m happy to be the first one to congratulate you on purchasing your new home. You’re now a homeowner.”

  He drove by the house and took a picture to text to Gilly on his way back to the farm.

  It’s official. This sucker is all mine.

  Woohoo!!!! Congratulations!

  From there, the move went smoothly. It tended to do that when help came from anyone who owned a truck. Logan had put out the word and men showed up to haul boxes, headboards, couches, and chairs into their pickups.

  Cord, Troy, and Ryder McLachlan cleared out each room, one by one. The men were able to get every stick of furniture out of the cottage in one trip.

  Like a caravan they drove out of the farm and into town, pulling up in front of the cream and tan Craftsman with the long front porch.

  “This is a nice place,” Cord said, slapping Simon on the back. “You’re practically right across the street from the clinic. I can come over now anytime and bum lunch off you.”

  “Yeah? Well, don’t make it a habit,” Simon fired back. “Although the beer and pizza are on me after we finish.”

  “I guess we better get started then,” Troy stated.

  The guys organized the boxes by room and cleared out those first. Then they turned their attention to the heavy stuff, muscling tables, sofas, and chairs into the appropriate places downstairs. They saved what went upstairs for last, heaving beds and dressers up the steps and past the landing.

  Because Simon and Gilly had pre-determined where the stuff went, it cut down on any confusion.

  All in all, the operation went smoothly with only one smashed finger, no boxes rattling with obvious broken dishes, and everything out of the trucks.

  While everyone caught their breath, Simon went into his kitchen and pulled out cold beer from the fridge. “Start on this while I call in the pizza. I’m ordering three large meat-lovers all around so stop me if you want veggies.”

  Troy shook his head. “Bree’s been on a health kick lately. This is my chance to avoid anything green or yellow that’s supposed to be good for me.”

  “My sentiments exactly,” Simon stated in agreement. But after placing the order, he pulled Cord aside in the living room. “I got a call from Del Rio Saturday night. At least, I think it was him. He sounded drunk or high.”

  Cord took the end of his shirt and wiped the sweat off his face. “Last time I heard, Eagle Eye was living in a New Mexico mobile home park out in the middle of the desert. The nearest town five miles away. We could ask Brent to see what he can dig up on him. One or both of us will have to go check it out.”

  “He sounded in a bad way. Who knows where I would’ve ended up if you and Nick hadn’t persuaded me to try here.”

  “Come on, Bremmer. You wouldn’t have spiraled downward like Del Rio. He’s got no one. Never has. Different circumstances altogether.”

  “You want to get the search started, or should I?
”

  “I’ll take care of it. You have a lot on your plate right now getting settled.”

  Simon noticed Ryder holding back from the rest. “You sure you don’t want that beer?”

  “I’ve gotta get back to work. I just wanted to talk to you about John, Julianne’s dad. He told us he’s booked on the next flight to Newport.”

  “That soon, huh?”

  “Looks like. Are you as stunned as we are?”

  Simon chuckled. “You could say that.”

  “Look, I’ll be honest. John’s dated before, but he’s never been this serious about a woman to fly clear across the country like this.”

  “Are you saying he’s a player?”

  Ryder balked at that. “John? No way.”

  “Just checking. It’s only been two years since my dad died. Well, maybe two and a half. She really likes this guy. But if he hurts her…”

  Ryder grinned. “I get it. He told us about that.”

  Simon held out his hand. “Thanks for the help moving. You didn’t have to do it, but you showed up. Thanks.”

  “Hey, that’s what neighbors do. Besides, Gilly took real good care of Zach when he sliced his finger open. It’s a great comfort to us all having the hospital there when accidents like Zach’s happen.”

  “Does that mean you’re gonna show up in a costume for this fundraiser?”

  Ryder used the back of his hand to wipe sweat off his brow. “Julianne is still working that angle. I’m not sure if I like the idea or not. What about you?”

  “I’m not wearing a frilly outfit. Gilly already knows that. I’ll wear black and put on a mask and that’s it.”

  “Yeah. I think that’s a plan I can live with. We should probably stick together on that score. Enjoy your house. Have fun unpacking, because that’s the hard part.”